FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TACOMA, WA – The Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition (the Coalition) today announced its campaign to secure $150 million for the Washington Wildlife & Recreation Program (WWRP) in the 2027–29 state capital budget, calling the investment essential to meeting growing demand for parks, trails, wildlife habitat, and working lands across Washington.
For more than three decades, the WWRP has been Washington’s premier conservation and recreation grant program, investing more than $2.2 billion in over 1,800 projects across the state. The program provides matching grants that help communities build parks and trails, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, preserve working farms and forests, and expand outdoor recreation opportunities.
The Coalition’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the $150 million request after evaluating statewide recreation and conservation needs, economic data, and the state’s budget outlook. While the Coalition championed the same funding level during the last budget cycle, leaders concluded that maintaining the request remains both ambitious and achievable amidst a challenging budget environment.
“Whether it’s a neighborhood park, a favorite hiking trail, productive farmland, or critical wildlife habitat, investments in our great outdoors strengthen our communities, our State economy, and our health” said Yvonne Kraus, Executive Director of the Coalition. “Our bi-partisan Board of Directors unanimously voted in support of $150 million, as a responsible investment that reflects both growing demand in conservation and recreation projects, and the tremendous value they provide for wildlife protection and our quality of life in every corner of our state.”
Demand for the program continues to exceed available funding. During the current WWRP grant cycle, communities across Washington submitted over 220 applications requesting more than $220 million for local recreation and conservation projects. These projects help communities respond to rapid population growth by expanding outdoor access, preserving wildlife habitat, and protecting the public lands that Washington families rely on for recreation, food production, and cultural and economic heritage.
WWRP investments also deliver wide-ranging benefits across the state. Projects support hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, and foresters in stewarding the lands they have depended on for generations, while also improving public health, supporting youth development, and strengthening community well-being through access to nature and outdoor recreation.
At the same time, these investments are a key driver of Washington’s economy. The WWRP helps support more than 237,000 outdoor recreation jobs statewide and contributes to the more than $25 billion in consumer spending and $5.1 billion in state and local tax revenue generated annually by outdoor recreation. Rural communities in particular benefit from the tourism and small business growth supported by investments in parks, trails, and natural lands.
The WWRP is also one of the most cost-effective tools the state has to invest in long-term public benefit. Every state dollar invested through the program leverages an additional 68 cents from local communities. A recent analysis by Earth Economics found that WWRP projects also generate millions of dollars in added value each year through ecosystem services, tourism spending, and related economic activity.
“These investments pay dividends far beyond the initial project,” Kraus said. “They protect the lands and waters that define our communities, create equitable outdoor access, and preserve critical riparian and wildlife habitat across Washington. Continuing the WWRP’s legacy and leveraging public -private partnerships proposed in these projects is one of the smartest investments we can make.”
The Coalition will work with legislators, local governments, Tribal nations, conservation organizations, recreation advocates, and community leaders over the coming months to build support for their $150 million request ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
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About the WWRC
The WWRC is a nonprofit organization that leverages the voices of a diverse group of allied interests to obtain public funding for new parks, wildlife habitat, trails, and preservation of working farm and forest lands. Founded in 1989 by former Washington state Governors Dan Evans and Mike Lowry, the Coalition’s membership consists of a diverse and bipartisan group representing conservation, business, recreation, hunting, fishing, farming, and other community interests.
The Coalition is supported by generous individuals, foundations, corporations, and organizations from across Washington, ensuring that every penny of the public funds go directly to projects in local communities throughout the state. You can support the Coalition by donating here.