FAQs

What is the purpose of the Coalition?

Since 1989, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition has worked to secure legislative funding for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP). The WWRP grant program provides funds to protect wildlife habitat and create outdoor recreation areas across the state. Because of the work of the Coalition, more children can play in parks and ball fields, more hunters, anglers and hikers have access to our great outdoors, and more habitat for salmon and wildlife is safe for future generations.

What has the Coalition accomplished?

With your support, the Coalition has advocated for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program since 1989. Together, we have raised over $665 million for more than 1,000 of your neighborhood parks and ball fields, biking and walking trails, nature preserves, local beaches and boat launches, wildlife habitat, working farms, and state parks. This means more soccer fields for our children, more state parks for our families, better habitat for our salmon, and an improved quality of life for our state’s citizens.

Why is the Coalition effective?

The Coalition is a diverse group of over 270 businesses and community organizations. Individuals representing a variety of interests including hunters, anglers, hikers, environmentalists, timber companies and realtors, as well as elected officials make up one of the most committed and effective boards of directors in the state.

The Coalition continues to enjoy unparalleled success and bipartisan support. Former Governors Dan Evans and Mike Lowry co-chair the Board of Directors, which includes legislators from both sides of the aisle. Through the Coalition, businesses, like Boeing and REI, work hand in hand with nonprofit groups such as The Nature Conservancy and the Federation of Fly Fishers to protect wildlife habitat and provide outdoor recreation opportunities.

How do local communities benefit from the WWRP Grant Program?

WWRP projects are often proposed by citizens or identified by park and recreation professionals, biologists or local land managers. Local and state agencies submit grant applications to the Recreation and Conservation Office, which administers the WWRP grant program. Communities seeking areas such as new ball

parks, covered basketball courts or swimming pools can apply to the WWRP grant program for matching grants, which allows them to effectively leverage state dollars for local concerns.

Why does the WWRP work only with willing sellers?

The WWRP grant program promotes private property rights by working with willing sellers to provide an alternative to regulation. Because the WWRP grant program does not include any condemnation authority or land use regulation, each acquisition requires both a willing buyer and willing seller.

How do local businesses benefit from the WWRP?

Outdoor recreation related tourism is a major source of revenue in our state.  Local and state sales tax revenues are generated by campers, boaters, hunters and others visiting state parks and wildlife lands.  New sources of revenue are often generated by tourists, businesses and retirees who are drawn to the area by mountains, clean air, wildlife and scenic vistas.  According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2006 Washington busines

Why is the WWRP good for kids?

Outdoor recreation is the way that we experience nature. When we hike, hunt, swim and fish we connect with nature in ways unavailable to us day to day. As our state’s population has increased, so has demand for ball parks, trails, water-access sites and other recreation resources. For the many children who live in suburban and urban areas, the opportunities to explore and experience nature are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Our wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation areas, funded by the WWRP grant program, expose kids to the many wonders and mysteries of the world, and provide opportunities for discovery and learning that will last a lifetime.

Why is the WWRP Grant Program good for the economy?

People want to live and work in scenic areas and our communities attract companies that value the region’s natural amenities.  By protecting our natural resources, the WWRP helps to ensure that our state’s businesses continue to attract and keep quality employees.

That’s why major employers like Boeing, Group Health, Puget Sound Energy, John L. Scott Real Estate, REI and Weyerhaeuser support the Coalition.  The Coalition is also supported by the Washington Realtors, Washington Forest Protection Association and Washington State Grange.

Why is the WWRP Grant Program good for habitat?

Rapid population growth and development are wreaking havoc on our state’s habitat for fish and wildlife. The decline in salmon stocks is an indicator of the health of our natural resources. Washington residents are committed to protecting our salmon, and the WWRP grant program enables local communities to protect wildlife habitat and establish recreation areas to improve the community’s quality of life. By working with local communities to buy local land, the WWRP grant program plays an important role in obtaining state funds for local concerns.

Why does the WWRP Grant Program need more funding?

The Coalition has secured over $620 million for state and local agencies for new parks, trails, water-access sites, critical wildlife habitat, natural areas and farms. However, despite the program’s great success, increased population growth and demand for outdoor recreation areas mean that the WWRP grant program will need more funding if it is expected to meet the needs of Washington’s citizens.

In 2008 alone there were nearly $272 million in requests for 370 proposed projects, but  only 95 WWRP grants received funding from the legislature. The Coalition works to ensure that the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, the largest funding program for new parks and wildlife habitat in Washington State, is fully funded by the state legislature.

What if I am seeking funding to conserve a specific property?

The Coalition does not raise funds for specific projects. Only state and local agencies are eligible to apply for WWRP grants, so you will need to identify one that is interested in the property.  The Trust for Public Land and local land trusts regularly collaborate with state and local governments to apply for grants. Your local agency needs to contact the Recreation and Conservation Office or RCO (formerly Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation or IAC), which administers the WWRP grant program.  The next application deadline is in the spring of 2010.

How are potential projects evaluated?

Independent experts rank the applications based on criteria such as the benefits to the public, level of threat to the property, or presence of threatened or endangered species.

A state agency, the Recreation and Conservation Office or RCO, reviews, ranks, and distributes the grants through a competitive process that guarantees that only the best new park, habitat and farm projects are funded.

Photo credits (top to bottom): NOCA, Darcy Kiefel, Daniel Ewert, Brewbrooks