The Wenatchee World weighs in on the House budget proposal, especially as it undermines the integrity of the WWRP:
Excerpt: “Coalition spokeswoman Danica Johnson said land acquisition grants were clearly targeted. Funds for many other kinds of projects — such as preserving farmland, creating trails or developing parks — remained in the budget.
She said the approach undermines state law, which includes a formula for allocations. “It undermines the integrity of the program in general,” she said. Funds are usually prioritized in a manner that distributes money among acquisition, restoration and development projects.
Johnson said land acquisition is an important part of the grant program. “As Washington’s population continues to grow and expand, there is more need for public land, and these public spaces for people to recreate in,” she said.
She added that last year, in response to concerns from lawmakers, the program was modernized to include increased funding for stewardship, and a larger effort to serve people throughout the state.
Johnson said she’s planning to pull together a full list of the WWRP grants that were high enough on the priority list to be funded, but were pulled by the House’s criteria.”
Read the full article on the Wenatchee World.