Environment Urban tree funding axed in WA House budget proposal
Funding that helps Washington communities plant and sustain trees is on the chopping block in the state Legislature.
House budget legislation would cut funding for the Department of Natural Resources’ Urban and Community Forestry program, a move that agency officials say would dismantle the program and jeopardize millions of dollars in federal grants.
“It’s not a reduction. It’s an elimination,” said Will Rubin, communications manager at the Department of Natural Resources.
Without the state funding, the Department of Natural Resources says it would be unable to maintain current staffing levels or meet the criteria to unlock additional federal funding, which has supported the bulk of the program.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/02/27/urban-tree-funding-axed-in-wa-house-budget-proposal/