Island
County’s board of commissioners unanimously approved spending $500,000
of the county’s Conservation Futures Fund to purchase the last four
parcels at Barnum Point on Camano Island. HOWEVER, according to Commissioner Helen Price Johnson: "Yes!
We supported it. Unfortunately there are funds in the unfinished state
capital budget to close the deal. Please help us communicate with
legislators to finish their job.” Barnum Point
is a project slated for funding in the Washington Wildlife Recreation
Program, but may lose out if the 2017 capital budget is not passed. For
more information about the budget and the Washington
Wildlife Recreation Coalition that advocates for the projects: http://wildliferecreation.org/no-capital-budget-leaves-wwrp-projects-limbo/ No Capital Budget Leaves New WWRP Projects in Limbo On July 20, the Legislature adjourned its third special session without passing a Capital Budget, putting funding for new WWRP projects on hold until further notice. Although the House announced an budget agreement with the Senate on June 30, Senate Republicans were unwilling to vote on the budget until their demands on the Hirst water rights decision are met. Without WWRP funding, some projects will not be able to move forward, some will need to seek alternative funding, and many will waste valuable time and effort as they wait. |
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