Budget Solutions for Our Environment

Tough Choices

This year, the legislature faced tremendously challenging budget choices.  Due to the recession, things we all care about like education, health care, and core environmental protections were not spared in the final budget passed by the legislature.   

Unavoidable Cuts

Having already been cut over the past few years to the point where they’re barely able to perform their core functions, critical environmental protections that ensure we have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and a healthy future for our children took significant further hits in the Operating Budget.  Despite the fact that the legislature worked very hard to limit the impact of budget choices on the environment, unavoidable cuts put our public health, economic future, and quality of life here in Washington at risk.

A Missed Opportunity

Unfortunately, the legislature failed to enact proactive solutions which would have required industries that benefit from our natural resources to pay their fair share for the services they receive.  Despite the emergence of a broad consensus in support of making environmental programs more self-sufficient while taking some of the burden off taxpayers, industry refused to pay increased fees without also weakening protections for our land and water, and the legislature balked at advancing a fair and equitable budget solution.

Critical Funding

The legislature provided critical funding in the Capital Budget for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, which creates state and local parks and trails and protects habitat for fish and wildlife, along with important funding for cleaning up Puget Sound and toxic waste sites across the state.

For more information about our 2011 Budget Solutions for Our Environment Priority: Download the one-pager 

Campaign Contact: Kerri Cechovic, (206) 631-2607, kerri [at] wecprotects.org