The Mountaineers
Washington’s state recreation areas - places like Tiger Mountain, Exit 38, and Frenchman’s Coulee - support Mountaineers programs and connect outdoor enthusiasts to nature across the state. Our ability to experience the outdoors through these state public lands relies on funding for land managers through the Washington state budget. Unfortunately, budget challenges have led to cuts to the land management agencies that manage and conserve these places.
Washington State Parks (State Parks), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) face growing maintenance backlogs and are increasingly asked to do more with less when it comes to maintaining and improving the roads, trails, and facilities that support our visits to state public lands.
This week, the House and Senate released proposed budgets that include additional cuts to recreation lands maintenance and other key areas of funding for State Parks, DNR, and DFW. These funding reductions will force land managers to make tough choices about closing some recreation facilities, reducing access, and cutting staff.
Speak up for Washington’s state-managed public lands by personalizing a letter to your lawmakers asking them to maintain investments in the 2026 state budget.
Maintaining Investments in State Public Lands
The Mountaineers and our Outdoor Alliance Washington partners have been advocating together in the legislature this year to defend recent investments and strive for targeted opportunities to secure additional funding for the outdoors. Since January, we’ve met with lawmakers, written advocacy letters, and engaged with land managers and recreation partners to rally support for important initiatives to fund public lands.
Mountaineers advocates with Outdoor Alliance Washington partners at the Washington state capitol for joint public lands advocacy.
The House and Senate recently released their proposed 2026 operating budgets, and while there are a few bright spots, the proposals continue the trend of chipping away at critical funding for public lands. Maintaining and securing investments in state land management agencies in the final budget will allow land managers to continue to address maintenance and operations needs on their lands, manage recreation sustainably, and protect natural and cultural resources for all.
Recreation Lands Maintenance Funding
One of our top advocacy priorities this session is to defend the recreation lands maintenance funding for State Parks, DNR, and DFW. This funding has helped repair trails and parking lots, fix shelters and roofs on visitor facilities, and improve campground facilities. It represents approximately 20-50% of each agency’s maintenance and operations spending, and already sustained a one-time 25% cut last year.
Both the House and Senate budgets propose an additional cut of recreation lands maintenance for all three agencies. The Senate's version includes a 40% ongoing reduction moving forward, while the House’s version retains a higher level of funding in future years. Sustaining ongoing cuts would force state recreation lands agencies to reduce staffing, forgo important stewardship projects, and potentially close areas to public recreation.
Funding for State Agencies and Tribes to Study and Address Recreation Impacts
Similar to last year, we’ve continued to advocate for funding for state land management agencies and Tribes to better manage recreation on state lands and protect natural and cultural resources. To further address Tribal concerns about recreation impacts on Tribal treaty rights, we’re supporting $2.125 million in capacity grants to directly support Tribal participation in the State-Tribal Recreation Impacts Initiative (STRII). We’re also supportive of $172,000 to continue third party facilitation of the STRII process.
This funding is included in the Senate’s proposal but not the proposed House budget. Tribal partners are also advocating for this critical funding to keep the STRII process moving forward toward more sustainable recreation management on state lands.
Take Action
As this legislative session winds down, we have an opportunity to make our final advocacy push, and the state public lands you love need your voice. The outdoor community has an important role to play in minimizing funding cuts for state parks and public lands.
As soon as this weekend, lawmakers in the House and Senate will be voting to approve their supplemental operating budgets. After that, a small number of lawmakers will negotiate to reconcile the differences between the two budgets and land on a version to pass out of the legislature before the session ends on March 12.
Now is the time to raise your voice in support of investing in Washington’s public lands. Your state legislators need to hear from outdoor enthusiasts like you about the importance of funding our state lands. Speak up for Washington’s state parks and public lands by personalizing a letter to your lawmakers asking them to minimize cuts to these agencies in their final budget.
