AWC expected this would be the year the state made final decisions on an approach to comply with the federal injunction requiring correction of state-owned, fish-blocking culverts by 2030. Although the injunction was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer—and the clock is now officially ticking—the state was still not prepared to commit to a final course of action. There were concerns about the breadth of the Washington Department of Transportation’s plan and, most importantly, how they were going to fund this multi-billion-dollar obligation.
AWC presented in front of multiple legislative committees and pressed our case for a comprehensive, systems approach all session long with legislators who were leaders on this issue. With an average of two downstream and five upstream barriers owned by other parties, the state would not get the job done by focusing only on their narrow legal obligation. A more comprehensive vision was needed, one that included local and private culverts and a funding approach commensurate with the challenge.
While it was a bit of a roller coaster, we made solid progress convincing legislators it was imperative that locally-owned barriers be part of the plan, or the fish would just bump into local barriers once they got past the newly cleared state barriers.
One fact bears that out. The Fish Barrier Removal Board (FBRB), which AWC sits on and strongly supports, was able to secure significant funding from the legislature. The House proposed to fund the program through the transportation budget, while the Senate preferred the capital budget. For a time, this dispute looked like it might leave this critical program out in the cold. Thankfully, budget leaders found a way to get it back into the budget at the last minute and the FBRB can continue its important work.
On a more negative note, we were disappointed that the state did not adopt a more rigorous framework for developing a more comprehensive proposal for barrier removal work, despite the efforts of several legislators to develop and vet a budget proviso towards that approach. The final budget gave a nod to the need for better coordination but missed an opportunity to flesh out details. While the state was only willing to make what amounts to a down payment on this significant financial obligation, the actions of the Legislature show a desire for a more coherent and comprehensive spending plan. AWC will continue to advocate for this going forward.
City priorities – Outcomes
PRO – Funded the Fish Barrier Removal Board (FBRB) at $26.5 million. While significantly less than the $50 million requested, this funding exceeds that of the last biennium and will allow the FBRB to continue to make progress on a coordinated, watershed approach for local and state-owned culvert corrections.
PRO – Directed the Washington State Department of Transportation, in complying with a federal court-ordered injunction, to coordinate with the FBRB to maximize habitat improvements by replacing both state and local culverts based on a watershed approach.
CON – Did not establish a permanent framework to address all fish-blocking culverts. Although proviso language to ensure a robust plan to address local culverts was proposed, it was not adopted.