Help WTA save vital funding for public lands

The 2025 state legislative session runs from Jan. 13 to April 27. This year, like every year, WTA will show up to work with elected officials, land management agencies and conservation partners to secure — and maintain — funding for our public lands.

This year’s state budget is tighter than we have seen in years. A large portion of the budget is constitutionally protected or would require a change in existing state law to reduce funding. But state parks and other recreation lands are not included, leaving funding for the outdoors vulnerable to reductions or eliminations. While we don’t know what the outcome will be for our state’s parks and recreation lands yet, we know it’s time to rally and defend the funding that helps us to get outdoors.

Bridge replacement in Walker Valley. Photo courtesy of Washington Department of Natural Resources.

With an active presence during the state’s legislative session every year for nearly 30 years, WTA has grown as an influential voice in Olympia for outdoor recreation. Building relationships with legislators and agency staff has been instrumental in WTA’s success. Our Trail Action Network, which has more than 60,000 members, has also been vital. Join WTA in this effort at wta.org/tan. You’ll receive action alerts (1–2 per month) during the legislative session and beyond.

In 2022, through the Trail Action Network, over 900 hikers contacted their state representatives and helped secure a new source of funding for trails — $5 million annually to reduce the maintenance backlog for each of our state’s three largest land management agencies: the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Parks. “Truly incredible” and “kind of unbelievable” are how Andrea Martin, statewide recreation manager at DNR, described this new funding.

For more than a decade, funding for the maintenance backlog on state parks and recreation lands had been static while the costs to perform work kept rising. In 2020, WTA led a project with the Trust for Public Land, legislators and other stakeholders to determine potential new funding sources. We learned that the best opportunity at that time for additional funding was from the state’s operating budget. Advocacy is critical to increase funding for the recreation maintenance backlog on DNR, WDFW and Washington State Parks lands. That’s where a partner like WTA can come in.

Regular maintenance funding allows land managers to respond to unexpected weather events, like the monthlong cleanup to get Deception Pass ready for summer 2024 visitation after a storm. Photo courtesy of Washington State Parks.

“WTA and others were instrumental in securing this funding,” said Sam Hensold, DNR’s state recreation operations manager. “They educated their deep networks of recreation advocates, who clearly articulated the need for this ongoing, dedicated maintenance funding to state legislators.”

WTA’s Trail Action Network, partner advocates and legislative champions like Rep. Cindy Ryu and Sen. T’wina Nobles all helped make this funding a reality. If you’ve hiked Mount Si, camped at Fort Flagler or visited the Methow Wildlife Area in the past couple of years, you’ve benefited from this funding. Those are just a few of the places where DNR, WDFW and Washington State Parks have been using this regular source of maintenance dollars to improve trails, upgrade bathrooms, fill potholes and perform other fixes.

This past December, Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed budget included significant cuts to this maintenance funding for DNR and WDFW. That’s why WTA and hikers like you are going to Hiker Rally Day in Olympia on March 18, to ask that our state’s leaders protect recreation and maintain funding at existing levels.

Land managers know intimately what fixes are needed on their lands. For example, the current maintenance backlog for Washington State Parks is $400 million, even with this additional annual funding. Land managers report that regular maintenance can save the state money in the long run.

“Regular maintenance reduces the need to catch up with more expensive capital projects when a facility or system fails,” said Owen Rowe, former policy and governmental affairs director at Washington State Parks who know works in the governor’s office.

This is similar to the way that regular car maintenance can prevent the need for costly repairs down the line. Sam said, “This (also) results in recreation trails and facilities that are cleaner, safer and more enjoyable for the public.”

Located at Palouse to Cascade Ralston Trail head. It is important that locations like these are maintained for the safety and comfort of hikers all over the state. Photo courtesy of Washington Department of Natural Resources. 

Washington State Parks estimates that this new funding is 20% of their current on-the-ground maintenance spending. DNR estimates it to be 40% of their maintenance budget, and WDFW estimates this funding to be nearly 50% of their maintenance spending. With land managers and hikers now relying on this funding to keep state lands safe and enjoyable to visit, we know we have to preserve this win, which is at risk this year.

“WTA has been and remains an important partner in securing maintenance funding for Washington’s public lands, advocating at the legislative level and supporting outdoor recreation at public lands across Washington,” said Ben Anderson, WDFW communications manager.

This year’s budget shortfall puts this hard-earned and much-needed maintenance funding at risk. WTA is advocating for trails during the state legislative session and working to maintain this crucial funding. We’d love your help. Sign up at wta.org/tan to be part of big wins for trails.