Last week, we shared the importance of environmental programs in our state budget as part of the Environmental Priorities Coalition’s Conservation Works priority.

As a reminder, Washington State has three budgets: capital, operating, and transportation. Today we want to share about the capital budget.

What are the basics of the capital budget? 

The capital budget invests billions of dollars on important construction projects across the state, which translates to family-wage careers, support for communities, and improvements to public health and our environment. Natural resources and environmental investments are a significant portion of the capital budget because these projects have a strong return on investment. 

The capital budget is a unique vehicle to drive urgently needed action on salmon recovery, healthy forests, and climate action because it:

• Invests in projects to modernize clean energy and clean water systems;
• Values nature-based solutions for salmon, climate, and clean water;
• Provides needed dollars to support the needs of rural communities such as guarding against climate impacts, creating jobs in restoration and land management, and investing in community forests that keep economic gains local; and
• Weatherizes homes to reduce utility costs and ensures public buildings are energy efficient and may even generate clean electricity.

What's at stake this year?

The environment plays a critical role in the capital budget and provides many win/win outcomes for communities that rely on capital funds. This year, we are prioritizing funding in three key areas with a $600 million funding package: 

• Clean Water and Green Infrastructure: upgrading water treatment plants, reducing toxic runoff, restoring habitat for salmon, and addressing toxic chemicals in everyday products.
• Rural Communities: reducing wildfire risk, expanding broadband, community forests that create jobs.
• Climate and Clean Energy: funding to weatherize and ensure healthy homes for low income people, accelerate energy efficiency retrofits of public buildings and add clean energy generation where appropriate, support clean energy development and grid modernization)

We need your voice and advocacy to hold our elected leaders accountable to maintaining their climate commitments and protecting critical natural resources dollars in the capital budget.

If you haven't yet, contact your legislator today to support funding for environmental projects. Investing in the environment provides a high return through improved public health, creating good jobs, protecting against the threats of climate change, and enhancing quality of life for all people in the state.