In October 2025, the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board approved important updates to the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) that will make it easier for communities across Washington to conserve working farms, forests, and natural landscapes.
The Board permanently waived the 10% local match requirement within the Farm and Forest Account, and also approved increases in the Farm and Forest Account to better support project needs. These updates directly affect the Farmland Preservation and Forestland Preservation WWRP grant categories – two critical tools for protecting Washington’s working lands.
In addition, the Board adopted a policy to permanently retain the current cost-increase process, allowing the RCO director to approve cost increases of up to 10% of total project costs, limited to each parcel’s appraised value. This flexibility helps ensure that high-quality projects can continue moving forward even as land costs rise.
The Coalition submitted a comment letter in support of these changes, informed by feedback from our State Policy Committee. In the letter, we emphasized that removing the 10% local match requirement expands access and equity, especially for communities with fewer local funding options.
These updates mark a meaningful step forward in keeping conservation, farmland protection, and working lands stewardship accessible to communities across Washington.
Speak Up on Proposed WWRP Changes
RCO is currently seeking public feedback on proposed updates to the WWRP’s Manual 10b: Habitat Conservation Account. These proposed revisions focus on refining the intent language and evaluation criteria for the Critical Habitat and Natural Areas categories – important funding tools for protecting Washington’s most sensitive and ecologically significant lands.
RCO has published a full Public Comment Package, which outlines the background, rationale, and details of the proposed changes. Community members, partners, and stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments through the online form. Comments are due by 11:59 p.m. on December 15, 2025.
More information, including the full proposal and comment portal, can also be found on RCO’s website under Current Activities.