TACOMA, WA – The Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition (the Coalition) is launching its advocacy and outreach 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, and protection of, 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 grants to help communities: build parks, playgrounds and trails; acquire and conserve fish and wildlife habitat; preserve working farms and forests; and expand outdoor recreation opportunities and access.
The Coalition’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the $150 million request after evaluating statewide recreation and conservation needs, economic data, per capita spending, 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 or playground, 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 population growth by expanding equitable outdoor access and preserve wildlife and riparian habitat under pressure from development.
The WWRP is widely recognized for its effectiveness in issuing grants to protect the public lands that Washington families rely on for recreation, food production, and cultural and economic heritage.The program’s wide-ranging benefits include projects that 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.
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 tourism, event, and small business growth supported by investments in parks, trails, and access to the outdoors.
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 of success and leveraging the strength of the program’s competitive public-private partnership proposals is one of the smartest investments we can make for Washington State.”
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.
*