HomeMy WebLinkAbout111425 - PLEASE RESPOND BY 11_21_25_ Letter Urging Governor Bob Ferguson to Include State Forest Protections in Jefferson County as part of Supplemental Capital Budget RequestALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Dear Jefferson County Elected Officials:
I am writing to ask you to urge Governor Bob Ferguson to put forward a supplemental budget request to the State Legislature for the 2026 legislative session to provide protections for
state forest lands through the Trust Land Transfer Program (TLT). This is a capital budget request (not the operations budget).
In the 2025 session, legislators had the opportunity for the first time to consider funding projects that were vetted under HB 1460’s new structure. Of the 8 project/$30 million package
submitted by DNR for consideration, the legislature chose to fund 4 projects for $16.7 million. We are asking the Governor to include the remaining projects that were not funded in
DNR's submission last year as well as the next four ranked eligible projects from a list of 30.
We are requesting the Governor to include 9 TLT projects in his supplemental budget request - 3 of which are located in Jefferson County:
*
Cape George
*
Anderson Lake
*
Beaver Valley
Many of you have signed onto similar letters in the past few years supporting TLT Funding request.
Background on TLT
Since its inception in 1989, the TLT program has preserved more than 137,000 acres of state trust land for fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, education, and other community uses,
including more than 12,000 acres since its revitalization in 2023. Some of the state’s most treasured places like Mt. Si, Blanchard Mountain, and Deception Pass State Park have benefitted
from TLT.
TLT addresses many of the issues legislators hear about including a healthy economy, strong rural communities, outdoor recreation, clean water, wildlife and salmon habitat, working forests
and more. The program:
* Prevents the loss of working forests by providing a funding source to purchase private forestlands at risk of conversion.
* Gives the public a say in the future of public lands. TLT allows DNR to work with local communities to find solutions while staying true to its mandate of generating non-tax revenue
for beneficiaries.
* Provides the only tool DNR has to transfer trust lands for conservation or for local communities uses.
* Offers a solution to upgrade state trust assets; it’s a key recommendation from the 2021 Trust Land Performance Assessment <https://www.dnr.wa.gov/tlpa>
Please let me know if we can add your name to the attached letter NO LATER THAN FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21. Send your name , title and affiliation as you would like it to appear on the letter.
Thank you for your consideration.
Help us keep Washington Green at www.wawild.org <http://www.wawild.org>