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Gov. Gregoire's Budget for Natural Resources

Makes water available for people, farms and fish. Collaboration with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Spokane Tribe will provide an additional 132,500 acre-feet of water through Lake Roosevelt water releases. This resource will be made available to municipal and industrial users, agriculture, and stream flows for fish. Resources provided to nearby local governments will mitigate possible adverse impacts from the loss of water. ($8.1 million GF-State)

Protects salmon habitat. Scientific assessments of Washington’s timberlands, as well as streams and aquatic lands, are vital for the survival of salmon and other species. These assessments will help guide timber managers as they implement practices that protect habitat while maintaining a steady supply of timber. Additionally, completion of an aquatic resources habitat conservation plan will enable aquatic land managers to protect the state’s aquatic resources. This plan and these assessments will promote a more predictable business climate. Lastly, continued funding for tribal partners will allow Tribes to participate in the multi-party Forest and Fish Agreement, which defines and implements habitat protection practices for timberlands. ($95,000 GF-State, $3.0 million Forest and Fish Support Account, $191,000 Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account)

Implements additional selective recreational fisheries for chinook salmon. Selective recreational salmon fisheries in the Puget Sound area will help protect naturally spawning wild fish while providing harvest opportunity for hatchery stocks. Improving salmon returns also provides recreational fishing opportunities. ($847,000 GF-State)

Improves the health of Puget Sound. Toxic contaminants continue to be discharged into Puget Sound, but science is unclear on the contributions made by air pollution dispositions. Models will be refined to pinpoint problems and target investments for toxic contamination reduction. ($310,000 State Toxics Control Account)

Cleans up Puget Sound. We will continue protection and restoration activities for valuable habitat including cleaning up toxic waste and removing creosote logs and structures. ($9.4 million Local and State Toxics Account)

Implements climate change mitigation. Carbon dioxide is the state’s most abundant greenhouse gas. With our goal of returning to 1990 emission levels, persons or facilities that emit greenhouse gases above a certain level will report those emissions to a nonprofit reporting entity. Additionally, state agency capacity will be increased to allow for technical analysis of greenhouse gas reduction strategies. ($1.1 million GF-State, $135,000 Multimodal Transportation Account)

Supports a joint fisheries patrol. Funding will be provided for the Colville Partnership initiative, which supports a joint fisheries patrol in Rufus Woods and adjoining waters. The initiative addresses jurisdictional disputes, promotes good stewardship of the resources, and makes rules more consistent and predictable for recreationalists. ($686,000 GF-State)