Audubon Legislative Summary

Lisa Paribello works for Audubon Washington as chapter and government relations coordinator.

The Evergreen Communities Act, signed by Governor Gregoire on April 1, is the first step in maintaining and increasing urban tree cover in cities, towns and counties, creating a greener more livable Washington. “Besides being a place to play, urban forests provide many benefits,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire. “They improve air and water quality, combat climate change, contribute to real estate values and conserve energy.”

The law will create an Evergreen Communities designation to recognize Washington’s local governments that have demonstrated excellent urban forestry management surpassing Tree City USA standards. The law will also provide resources to achieve higher levels of urban tree cover through model tree ordinances and management plans.

It will provide for a statewide inventory and assessment of Washington’s urban trees to better inform communities about local urban forest conditions. To encourage participation in the voluntary program, designated “Evergreen Communities” will have increased access to certain state funds and future grants.

These tools and resources will help Washington communities maximize the myriad of urban ecosystem benefits that are gained from increased tree cover. Through increased canopy, taxpayers would save $2.4 billion from stormwater management, a prime Puget Sound pollutant. A rise in urban tree cover would also improve air quality through airborne filtration and carbon sequestration, as well as decreased energy use for heating and cooling, cutting costs for home and business owners by up to 30 percent.

Special thanks you to everyone who helped make this legislation a reality — especially Rep. Ruth Kagi (D-32). We look forward to continuing our work to ensure the Evergreen State is full of Evergreen Communities in this multi-year campaign.

HB2815/SB6516: The Climate Action and Green Jobs bill successfully passed the Senate and was signed by the governor on March 13. This bill is a first step in real comprehensive climate policy, addressing Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions and creating more green industry jobs throughout the state.

But there are still steps that need to be taken to make sure the state of Washington continues to show strong leadership in the Western Climate Initiative. More needs to be done to ensure funding for the development and implementation of green jobs training programs.

Audubon would like to thank the prime sponsors Sen. Craig Pridemore (D-49) and Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-44), as well as Senator Phil Rockefeller (D-23) and Rep. Dave Uphegrove (D-33). A special thanks to the governor, for this bill was a governor request bill, and she was crucial in its passing.

HB2797/SB6580: The Local Solutions to Global Warming bill also passed and was signed by the governor April 1. Although the bill passed, work will continue over the next year to carry out the established goals, which require a report back to the Legislature about additional reforms to the Growth Management Act that will be needed to significantly reduce global warming pollution through smart growth.

Over the next year, work will be done with cities, counties and other stakeholders to ensure these legislative recommendations include strong policies that will reduce driving and meet the growing demand for green walkable communities. Audubon would like to thank the prime sponsors, Sen. Chris Marr (D-6) and Rep. Geoff Simpson (D-47) for their help in the passing of this important bill.

HB2798/SB6483: The Local Farms-Healthy Kids initiative successfully passed and was signed by the governor March 27. Through a series of changes to existing purchasing laws and creation of new programs, the Local Farms – Healthy Kids Act is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching efforts in the country to promote state-level local food policy.

The new law will create several new programs allowing easier access for more people in Washington communities to obtain fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Along with easing the procurement restrictions, a farm-to-school program is created, and the Washington Grown Fresh Fruit and Vegetable grant program will provide funds to schools with higher numbers of low-income students.

Better technology to support food stamps and credit cards at Farmers’ Markets, promotion of school gardens and the development of three farm-to-food-bank pilot programs are also created by the new law. Audubon would like to thank the prime sponsors, Rep. Eric Pettigrew (D-37) and Sen. Brian Hatfield (D-19), for their support in the passing of the bill. §