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Washington State Incentive Programs > Recreation and Conservation
Funding Board
Recreation and Conservation Funding Board (RCFB)The Recreation and Conservation Funding Board (formerly known as the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation [IAC]) supports the development of outdoor recreation and habitat conservation in Washington State. The RCFB has guided the investment of nearly $550 million in over 3,300 projects throughout the state for parks, trails, water access sites, wildlife habitat, and natural areas. Although best known for its grant programs, RCFB also provides technical assistance, planning, coordination and advocacy on outdoor recreation and natural resource issues. The Board consists of eight members composed of three state agency directors and five citizens appointed by the Governor. The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is the small state agency that administers the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB), the Forum on Monitoring Salmon Recovery and Watershed Health, the Washington Biodiversity Council, and the Invasive Species Council. Programs administered by the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board include: > Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account
(ALEA) Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA)This program increases public recreation, shoreline access, environmental protection and other public benefits associated with state aquatic lands. This is accomplished through grants to public entities. Projects meeting program objectives typically fall into one of three categories: 1) Providing public access (non-motorized, pedestrian-oriented) public access to water, water-related recreation opportunities, and installation of interpretive signs or displays of aquatic resources; 2) Restoration of critical marine, estuarine, and riverine habitat for federal and state listed species, and 3) Acquisition of land (tideland, freshwater shorelands, uplands, and wetlands) for the purpose of habitat protection or public access. Tribal, state, and local governments are eligible for grants. All projects must be on or associated with “navigable waters.” Unless specifically excluded, all grant supported properties must be retained for public use in perpetuity, or be replaced with a project of equal or greater value and utility. Farmland Preservation Grant ProgramIn April 2005, the Washington State Legislature established this Farmland Preservation Grant Program to preserve economically viable farmlands and enhance ecological functions on those lands. Counties and cities may use the grants to preserve viable farmland, enhance the ability of the preserved farmland to provide agricultural production, improve or restore the ecological functions of the preserved farmland, including providing benefits to fish and wildlife. Counties and cities may use the grants to acquire farmland development rights by purchasing agricultural conservation easements. They also may buy farmland outright "fee simple," place an agricultural easement on the property dedicating the land to agricultural use, and then resell the property to someone who will maintain the property as a working farm. A portion of a grant also may be used for improvements that enhance the agricultural production of the preserved farmland and help restore or enhance ecological functions. The new Farmland Preservation Program is part of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP). Riparian Habitat Protection Grant ProgramThe Washington State Legislature established this new statewide Riparian Habitat Protection Grant Program in April 2005. The program is aimed at protecting, enhancing, or restoring riparian habitat. Certain state agencies, local governments, and lead entities created under the Salmon Recovery Act (RCW 77.85) will be eligible to receive grants in the new program. The new grant program is part of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP). The following can be funded: acquisition of interests in a property (can include purchasing land or acquiring options, rights of first refusal, conservation easements, leases, and mineral rights); enhancement or restoration of property in which an interest is acquired under this program; extension of leases for riparian areas enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP); mitigation banking projects. Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP)The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program provides grants to state agencies or local communities for a broad range of land protection, park development, farmland preservation, habitat conservation, and outdoor recreation activities. It has two goals: to assist with rapid acquisition of the most significant lands for wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation before they are converted to other uses; and to develop existing public recreation lands and facilities to meet present and future needs. Awards for acquisition or improvement of property fall into four categories: Habitat Conservation, Outdoor Recreation, Riparian Protection, and Farmlands Preservation. Tribal, state, and local governments are eligible for grants. Land trusts and other nonprofits have been successful partners with eligible public agencies. WWRP requires prospective participants to complete an outdoor recreation/habitat conservation plan. Unless specifically excluded, all properties acquired and all lands developed must remain in the public domain in perpetuity or be replaced with a project of equal or greater value and utility. The program can provide landowners with financial compensation and potential tax benefits in exchange for outright acquisition or long-term conservation easements by a government agency. Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB)The Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) administers state and federal funds for salmon recovery efforts. The Board provides funds in the form of competitive grants for salmon habitat protection and restoration projects. Grant funding may be used for protection (i.e., acquisition of property or conservation easements), restoration (in-stream passage, in-stream diversions, plantings, dike removal, road abandonment, slope stabilization, etc.) and enhancement of upland, riparian, estuarine, marine nearshore, and in-stream habitats. Funds may also be used for associated activities such as assessments, studies, engineering design, and monitoring. Tribal, state, and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and private landowners are eligible for grants. To receive funding, projects must be evaluated by a lead entity and submitted to the Board as part of the lead entity’s prioritized list of projects. Protection and restoration projects must have a stewardship plan. Project sponsors must also implement an agreement with property owners of sites slated for protection/restoration. Properties acquired for habitat protection must be retained in perpetuity. Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA)Organic certification is one of the best known certification programs. Administered by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, it requires producers to integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster the cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)The mission of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is to preserve, protect, and perpetuate the state’s fish and wildlife resources and to maximize public beneficial use without impairing those resources. This is done through securing, maintaining, and enhancing diverse habitats and the species that live in them. WDFW completed its Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy in 2005. The agency administers the State Endangered Species Act. It provides technical support on habitat issues for Growth Management Act and Sensitive Area Ordinance development and implementation. WDFW provides input through the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act for federally funded or permitted projects related to habitat and species protection, and it provides educational materials to agencies, communities, and individuals. Programs include: > ALEA Volunteer Cooperative
Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Program ALEA Volunteer Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Enhancement ProgramThe Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account Volunteer Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Program assists volunteer organizations in fish and wildlife habitat enhancement. Work is done on private property with materials and construction cost paid by the program. The program works with individual volunteers and volunteer organizations to enhance fish and wildlife resources and habitats. Volunteers must be organized by the grantee. Projects undertaken by volunteers include habitat projects, research projects, education projects, facility development projects, and artificial production projects. A wide range of clients are served by this program including private landowners, corporations, tribes, and local governments. At times, public access is requested in exchange for financial assistance. WDFW staff provide technical support. Landowner Incentive ProgramThe Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant program administered by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. It provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners for conservation and restoration efforts that produce benefits to at-risk fish and wildlife species and their habitats. Projects are identified through state and regional planning processes, as well as best professional knowledge, and utilize best available science to determine project design, prioritization, implementation, and monitoring. The program encourages local partnerships between neighboring landowners, public agencies, and private organizations. The program is designed to assist private landowners that do not qualify for some of the larger grant programs, such as the Farm Bill programs or Salmon Recovery Funding Board grants. Migratory Waterfowl Artwork ProgramThe Migratory Waterfowl Artwork Program provides small grants to private landowners or non-profit organizations for waterfowl enhancement or restoration projects and implementation of best management practices. The program also provides funds for acquisition of WDFW properties. Examples of projects funded include construction of nesting floats, wood duck nest boxes, fencing of overgrazed habitat, and creation of freshwater impoundments. Priority is given to projects that provide the greatest long-term benefits to waterfowl production for the lowest cost. Often grants are provided for projects on 10 acres or more. Once in the program, landowner may be required to sign an agreement with WDFW that provides public access for hunting. Another part of this program, the Migratory Bird Stamp Program, provides approximately $300,000 annually to WDFW for migratory bird habitat acquisition and restoration of migratory bird habitat on WDFW lands. Partnerships with U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act (FRIMA), the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, and the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). Pheasant Habitat Enhancement ProgramThe 1997 Washington State Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill 5104 creating the Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program in order to increase pheasant hunting opportunities. Under this law, WDFW is authorized to release pheasants and award grants to improve pheasant habitat. To fund this program $10 from the small game license of each eastern Washington pheasant hunter is placed in a special account. Up to 20% of these funds may be used for pheasant habitat enhancement in areas available for public hunting in eastern Washington.Regional Fisheries Enhancement GroupsRegional Fisheries Enhancement Groups are citizen based, nonprofit organizations created by the 1991 Washington State Legislature that work to recover salmon in their own communities. The 14 RFEGs create partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies, tribes, local businesses, community members, and landowners. RFEGs help with restoration, education and monitoring projects. The RFEGs receive pass-through funds that derive from a surcharge on state recreational and commercial salmon fishing licenses, the sale of salmon carcasses and eggs, and allocations from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Every RFEG receives an equal portion of the total funds available each year. Volunteer groups or individual landowners can contact their nearest RFEG to discuss how to identify, fund, and complete a project for salmon enhancement. Projects can include stream-side fencing, construction of off-channel rearing habitat, and estuarine and riparian habitat restoration. The program improves fish habitat on private lands with little to no cost to the landowner. Technical assistance is provided by WDFW field staff who assist in project design and implementation. Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR)The Department of Natural Resources manages over 5 million acres of forest, agricultural, aquatic, and other state trust lands; natural area preserves; natural resource conservation areas; and recreational sites. The agency provides wildfire protection, oversees forestry activities, and monitors forest health conditions on 12 million acres of state and private lands. It also serves as the state’s geology agency. DNR provides urban forestry assistance to communities and forest stewardship assistance to non-industrial private landowners. DNR staff can provide technical assistance on leases of state-owned aquatic lands, and staff can confer with landowners on issues such as contaminated sediment clean-up and disposal, near-shore habitat inventories, and harbor area planning. Programs include: > Backyard Forest Stewardship Backyard Forest StewardshipBackyard Forest Stewardship is administered by the Washington Forest Stewardship Program. It is designed for people who live in the woods of either western or eastern Washington. They publish a guide that shows how to keep a home and family safe from natural hazards, including wildfire; keep a forest healthy and attractive; improve wildlife habitat in yard and forest. Most of the information is also useful to owners of small parcels of undeveloped forest land. They also administer a backyard forest stewardship recognition program. Family Forest Fish Passage ProgramThe Family Forest Fish Passage Program provides financial and technical assistance to rural landowners who have fish barriers on their forestland. It provides 75%-100% of the cost of fixing fish barriers on qualifying lands. To qualify for the program a landowner must harvest less than two million board feet of timber per year, the project must be on forestland and on a fish-bearing stream, and the project must be associated with a forest road. Eligible activities include: removing, repairing or replacing artificial in-stream structures such as culverts, dams, weirs, spillways, etc.; assessing in-stream structures to confirm they are fish barriers; technical assistance with determining appropriate fish passage structures. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation jointly manage the program. Forest Riparian Easement Program (FREP)Administered by DNR’s Small Forest Landowner Office, the Forest Riparian Easement Program (FREP) compensates small forest landowners for unharvested timber along riparian corridors by offering the purchase of a 50 year easement. This is timber the landowner is required to leave standing as a result of forest practice rules protecting Washington’s forest and fish. There are two purposes of the easement: to help small forest landowners keep their land in forestry and remain economically viable, and to protect the qualifying timber and its associated riparian function. Partnerships with U.S. Forest ServiceWashington Department of Natural Resources works in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to administer the Forest Legacy Program (FLP), the Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP), and the Forest Stewardship Program. Riparian Open Space ProgramRiparian Open Space Program grants offer private landowners the option of donation or compensation for timber lands within unconfined avulsing channel migration zones. The lands addressed by this program are essentially islands of timber within rivers or streams. This program was authorized by RCW 76.09.040. The Riparian Open Space Program helps provide ecological protection and fisheries enhancement while compensating landowners prohibited under state Forests & Fish rules from harvesting timber on riparian land isolated by river channels that have migrated over time. Willing landowners can apply to donate or sell the land itself or a permanent conservation easement covering the trees or land to the DNR. These forest lands are to remain unharvested due to forest practice regulations established to protect riparian zones for their habitat and water quality value to the people of the state. Washington Forest Stewardship ProgramThe Forest Stewardship Program is a nationwide program designed to assist non-industrial private forest landowners in managing their properties for a variety of resource values. The Forest Stewardship Program offers advice and assistance to landowners with over 5 acres to help improve forests for timber production, forest health, wildlife and fish habitat, special forest products, water quality, aesthetics, and fire safety. Advice is customized to meet the landowner’s personal objectives. The program is funded by the USDA Forest Service and delivered by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources in close cooperation with several other state and federal agencies and private organizations. In Washington State, the program offers: free on-site forest management advice from a Stewardship Forester and/or Wildlife Biologist; Forest Stewardship Planning Courses that assist landowners with developing and implementing Forest Stewardship Plans; cost-share programs that provide financial assistance for accomplishing forest stewardship projects; “Stewardship Forest” recognition sign for those who are actively implementing their Forest Stewardship Plan. Stewardship foresters can also provide certification inspection for the American Tree Farm program. In addition, they offer educational programs, publications, and other materials in cooperation with Washington State University Extension and other agencies and organizations. Also, information on where to find tax assistance, consulting foresters, contractors, accredited loggers, forest nurseries, equipment suppliers, etc. Washington Register of Natural AreasThe Washington Register of Natural Areas is a voluntary landowner recognition program that targets priority species and ecosystems identified in the Washington Natural Heritage Plan. It is administered by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy. Participating landowners receive a certificate from the Governor and the Commissioner of Public Lands. Participation in the Register program is non-binding; landowners can remove their property from the Register at any time. Priority species or ecosystems, as identified in the Washington Natural Heritage Plan, must be present for property to be eligible. Landowners are encouraged to manage their lands in a manner consistent with maintaining the rare species and/ecosystems on their property. Washington Urban and Community Forestry ProgramThe purpose of the Washington Urban and Community Forestry Program is to educate citizens and decision-makers about the economic, environmental, psychological, and aesthetic benefits of trees. It also works to assist local governments, citizen groups, and volunteers in planting and sustaining healthy trees and vegetation. The program receives assistance from the U.S. Forest Service. Washington State Conservation CommissionThe purpose of the Washington State Conservation Commission is to provide administrative support to the network of 47 local Conservation Districts. It is a small state agency that coordinates district programs statewide and disseminates conservation information and supports technical training to local Conservation Districts. Conservation Districts are subdivisions of state government run by volunteer boards of supervisors who direct local solutions to natural resource conservation issues on private land. Conservation Districts also work in close partnership with the technical and engineering staff of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), a federal agency with a similar mission. Conservation Districts and the NRCS often work out of the same office to better coordinate their efforts. Washington State University Cooperative ExtensionWashington State University Cooperative Extension has offices in all 39 counties. Faculty conduct education programs that include topics in agriculture and natural resources. Conservation oriented programs include agricultural best management practices, the role of wetlands in water quality, wildlife and fisheries management, and forestry and rangeland management. > Center for Sustaining Agriculture
and Natural Resources (CSANR) Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR)The mission of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) is to develop and foster agriculture and natural resource management approaches that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable. Rather than duplicate ongoing efforts, the center strives to facilitate interdisciplinary linkages and coalitions between WSU, growers, industry, environmental groups, agencies, and the people of Washington. It offers education and technical assistance. Farm Family Support NetworkWSU Farm Family Support Network consultants are trained by WSU Extension to understand agriculture in Washington and the resources that are available for farm families. This is a free service. Free and confidential visits to a farm family’s home are an opportunity to have individualized analysis. The consultant will help the farm family devise a plan to achieve its goals. The program’s consultants serve the entire state of Washington. Natural Resource Sciences ExtensionWSU Natural Resource Sciences Extension offers information and referrals to landowners who are interested in learning more about the management of natural resources. Topics include forestry, wildlife management, and watershed rangeland management. Small Farms TeamWSU Small Farms Team works with communities and individuals across Washington to foster a profitable farming system, to promote land and water stewardship, and to ensure that all Washingtonians have unrestricted access to healthy food. Their website provides resources for both farmers and the general public. The Small Farms Team provides research-based information and educational programs for farmers, consumers, decision-makers, and others involved in local food systems. The team is a statewide affiliation of professionals from WSU, state agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
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