Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands
Dear Friends and Supporters,
As the clock ticked towards 2am on April 12th, I waited (not-so-patiently) to see the supplemental budget that would be sent to the Governor’s desk. Not surprisingly, I was watching to see how the supplemental budget would treat the Department of Natural Resources. I wanted to make sure that we did not unfairly step on the environment in the effort to plug a $2.8 billion budget hole.
As I see it, budgets are a way to put priorities into action. How Washington State treats its natural resources, and the people who manage them, speaks to the value our legislators (and their constituents) put on the environment, clean water, funding for schools, and the health of our forests and Puget Sound.
Like anything hard fought, the budget and the policy bills passed during this session included things to celebrate and challenges to be addressed in the future. Here is a brief synopsis:
The Good news:
- Biomass agreements: The passage of this bill paves the way for rural economic development and a new green industry on state forest lands. It will allow DNR to enter into long-term biomass supply agreements with the emerging biomass energy businesses.
- Marine Spatial Planning: This bill protects marine ecosystems in Puget Sound, Juan de Fuca Strait, the outer coast and the open ocean by developing unified plans to better manage our marine resources for everyone.
- Firefighting: $11.5 million was allotted to DNR to ensure we can fully fulfill our role as firefighter for the State.
- Biomass Energy: $2.8 million was allotted to support projects like my biomass energy initiative.
- Puget Sound Cleanup: $5+ million added for Puget Sound cleanup and recovery.
The Bad news:
- Furlough Bill: A bill requiring $2.7 million across-the-board staffing reduction would mean days with fewer boots on the ground. This hurts us all, especially when everyone is trying to do more with less.
As always, thank you for all your hard work, and especially for being a voice for the environment, Puget Sound, and rural jobs during this difficult legislative session. I fear that next year will be another challenging one for the state and the agency I lead. Today, I am just thankful to know that your voice, along with many other Washington citizens, will continue to be heard and together we can to deliver on the promise to manage lands sustainably.
Sincerely,
Peter J. Goldmark
Commissioner of Public Lands
|
|
