In addition to the Conservation Commission’s budget, WACD and WSCC tracks funding in other agencies’ budgets for CD-related activities. Pulling from the Operating, Capital, and Transportation budget, here are additional budget details. All these are subject to change when Governor Inslee signs (or vetoes) the budgets in early April.

Governor’s Office

  • $80,000 is provided solely for the office of equity to develop resources and provide technical assistance to state agencies on best practices on how to engage communities regarding equity and inclusion when creating equitable budget and policy recommendations.
  • $350,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $25,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely to complete an analysis on options to replace the benefits of the four lower Snake river dams as part of a comprehensive salmon recovery strategy for the Columbia and Snake river basins. The analysis shall be completed by July 30, 2022.
  • $50,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $250,000 for fiscal year 2023 are provided solely for the governor to invite federally recognized tribes, legislative leadership, local governments, agricultural producers, commercial and recreational fisher organizations, business organizations, salmon recovery organizations, forestry and agriculture organizations, and environmental organizations to participate in a process facilitated by an independent entity to develop recommendations on proposed changes in policy and spending priorities to improve riparian habitat to ensure salmon and steelhead recovery.

Office of Financial Management

  • $25,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $201,000 for fiscal year 2023 are provided solely to evaluate the effectiveness, utilization, and outcomes of the voluntary incentive programs for landowners and of existing regulatory programs responsible for protecting and restoring areas along streams and rivers toward achieving a science-based standard for a fully functioning riparian ecosystem.

Department of Ecology

  • $557,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for coordinating regulatory efforts to address temperature and other water quality issues associated with dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, and for additional staff to assist with hydropower relicensing and license implementation.
  • $164,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely to develop standardized channel migration zone mapping methodology and to offer support for tribes, counties, and local jurisdictions to refine existing channel migration zone maps with local information.
  • $901,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely to identify the technologies, methodologies, datasets, and resources needed to refine and maintain the accuracy of the national hydrography dataset for Washington in order to better monitor the health of riparian buffers.
  • $500,000 is provided solely to grant to Whatcom county to: (i) Integrate Nooksack basin (WRIA 1) floodplain projects with mutually beneficial water resource and riparian habitat management actions that address climate change and extreme weather events; and (ii) Support Whatcom county’s floodplain integrated planning (FLIP) team planning, technical review, local solutions, and projects development.

Recreation and Conservation Office

  • $139,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the governor’s salmon recovery office to implement the governor’s salmon recovery strategy update by convening the natural resources sub-cabinet on a regular basis and developing biennial statewide work priorities with a recommended budget for salmon recovery pursuant to RCW 77.85.030(4)(e) that align with tribal priorities and regional salmon recovery plans. The office shall submit the biennial implementation plan to the governor’s office and the office of financial management no later than October 31, 2022.
  • $50,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $150,000 for fiscal year 2023 are provided solely for the governor’s salmon recovery office to provide a grant to the Spokane Tribe of Indians for purposes of forming a Spokane river watershed lead entity pursuant to RCW 77.85.050 and developing a habitat restoration strategy to support reintroduction of salmon upstream of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams.
  • $50,000,000 is provided solely for the salmon recovery board to provide grants for projects valued at greater than $5,000,000 each that will benefit salmon recovery.
  • $25,000,000 is provided solely for the salmon recovery board to provide grants for watershed projects typically valued at less than $5,000,000 each that will benefit salmon recovery.
  • $25,000,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the office to provide a grant for the Duckabush estuary restoration project.

Department of Fish and Wildlife

  • $294,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the department to complete rule making related to chapter 77.57 RCW, fishways, flow, and screening.
  • $402,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the department to provide technical assistance and permitting guidance on solar facility proposals with the intent of limiting impacts to threatened and endangered species and critical and sensitive habitat areas, including shrubsteppe.
  • $1,297,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the department to increase technical assistance to local jurisdictions to better integrate salmon recovery plans into growth management comprehensive plans and critical areas ordinances.
  • $360,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the department to complete a statewide prioritization of fish passage barriers in collaboration with regional salmon recovery organizations.
  • $90,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $166,000 for fiscal year 2023 are provided solely for the department to complete the following activities:(a) By December 1, 2022, and consistent with RCW, the department must submit a report to the legislature that assesses how to incorporate a net ecological gain standard into state land use, development, and environmental laws and rules to achieve a goal of better statewide performance on endangered species recovery and ecological health. The report must address each environmental, development, or land use law or rule where the existing standard is less protective of ecological integrity than the standard of net ecological gain, including the shoreline management act (chapter 90.58 RCW), the growth management act (chapter 36.70A RCW), construction projects in state waters (chapter 77.55 RCW), and the model toxics control act.(b) In developing the report under this section, the department must consult with the appropriate local governments, state agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes, and stakeholders with subject matter expertise on environmental, land use, and development laws including but not limited to cities, counties, ports, the department of ecology, and the department of commerce.
  • $70,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $997,000 for fiscal year 2023 are provided solely to assess the status
    of current riparian ecosystems, beginning with areas where sufficient information exists to conduct the assessment. The assessment must include identifying any gaps in vegetated cover relative to a science-based standard for a fully functioning riparian ecosystem and comparing the status and gaps to water temperature impairments, known fish passage barriers, and status of salmonid stocks.
  • $3,000,000 of the salmon recovery account—state appropriation for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the department to provide grants and coordinate with the tribes of the upper Columbia river to reintroduce Chinook salmon.

Department of Transportation

  • $2.4 billion shall be dedicated salmon recovery efforts, include culvert replacements from state highways.

Puget Sound Partnership

  • $2,576,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely to update local watershed salmon recovery chapters to reflect best available science on a regular basis, support scientific investigations to advance salmon recovery, increase collaboration and address barriers to Puget Sound salmon recovery, integrate data on salmon recovery into the Puget Sound online reporting platform, and track progress across the region.

Department of Natural Resources

  • $450,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the department to conduct a targeted analysis of the current and projected impact from drought and opportunities for drought resilience on department owned and managed uplands and agricultural lands.
  • $225,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the department to hire a watershed steward to expedite salmon recovery actions and projects, including education, with a primary focus on agency owned and managed uplands and aquatic lands.
  • $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for a pilot project to improve salmon habitat across the department’s aquatic, commercial, industrial, and agricultural lands. Of the amount provided in this subsection:
    (i) $2,000,000 is provided solely to improve nearshore habitat by accelerating restoration of state-owned aquatic lands; and
    (ii) $3,000,000 is provided solely to improve riparian function, including riparian planting and riparian set-asides on state-owned lands.
  • $5,000,000 is provided solely for the department to purchase easements under the forestry riparian easement program, pursuant to RCW 76.13.120.
  • $1,149,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the implementation of Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5619 (kelp & eelgrass conservation).

Department of Agriculture

  • $250,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for the department to support local and regional markets and for agricultural infrastructure development in southwest Washington.

University of Washington

  • $89,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely to establish a data repository to assist the state and all political subdivisions with evaluating whether and to what extent existing laws and practices with respect to voting and elections are consistent with public policy, implementing best practices in voting and elections, and to investigate potential infringements upon the right to vote.

Washington State University

  • $188,000 for fiscal year 2023 is provided solely for stormwater research to study the long-term efficacy of green stormwater infrastructure that incorporates compost to remove pollutants.
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