I joined some of my Democratic colleagues in a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, urging him to reverse the Trump administration's disastrous decision to eliminate funding for Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs). This decision is a blow to widely supported salmon recovery and habitat restoration efforts and undermines longstanding Tribal partnerships built over many years.

RFEGs represent a unique model to engage local communities in salmon recovery through hands-on habitat restoration, public outreach, and partnerships with tribal, federal, state, and private entities. Operating as fourteen independent entities across Washington state, these groups sponsor some of the largest, most complex habitat projects focused on specific geographic regions, allowing them to tailor projects to local needs while contributing to a statewide coordinated salmon recovery strategy.

From the letter:

"We write to express our deep concern regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) elimination of $1,285,000 of Fiscal Year 2025 funding for Washington state's Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs). This widely supported program is a critical component of community-driven salmon recovery efforts, creating thousands of jobs and spurring millions of dollars in economic development across all corners of our state. Your decision to cut funding undermines longstanding partnerships and progress that have been built over many years.

Many RFEGs rely on federal funds as core operational support that enable them to leverage additional resources. Without this foundation, the capacity to plan, coordinate and execute complex restoration projects will be drastically diminished."

A healthy environment is vital to Washingtonians' way of life and the regional economy. I am committed to standing up for our environment even in the face of the Trump administration's destructive cuts.

More soon,

Rick

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