2016 Legislative Priorities: Teanaway Community Forest, Trail Funding
This years’ legislative session in Olympia may be short, but hikers still have an opportunity to support investment in our public lands.
- A view of the rugged and picturesque landscape in the Teanaway Community Forest, an area in need of funding for recreation planning. Photo by Kitty Craig.
This years’ legislative session in Olympia may be short, but hikers still have an opportunity to support investment in our public lands, a resource enjoyed by 90 percent of Washingtonians each year.
During the 2016 legislative session, WTA is requesting legislature support for:
Planning trails in the Teanaway Community Forest
What we're working for: Ensuring access to the Teanaway Community Forest through the operating budget request for $471,000.
The Teanaway Community Forest is the first of its kind in Washington, representing a new model that allows the state to partner with communities to conserve the forests they love while ensuring the protection of the landscape’s environmental, economic, and social benefits. Currently, no designated trails exist within the forest, making this funding critical for recreation planning.
Increasing percentage of gas-tax fund spent on outdoor recreation
What we're working for: Governor’s supplemental budget request to increase spending authority for NOVA funds.
The 2015 state transportation budget included an increase in the percentage of funds collected through the state gas tax for the Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicles Activities (NOVA) program, which provides valuable funding for hiking, biking, horseback riding and motorized recreation trails.
Protecting hiking trails and access to trailheads around the state
WTA works every day to ensure that our trails are open and accessible through our advocacy, education and trail maintenance programs. We ask for continued support for our state’s great trails from the iconic cross-state John Wayne Trail to popular trails like Mt. Si, and community walking paths.
Washington Trails Association continues to support investments in our public lands and trails as a way to support community health and exploration of the state’s natural wonders.
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