Tumwater officials on Oct. 28 asked the state Legislature to restore $2 million for the city's Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and to fund work that would clear the path for housing and redevelopment in constrained parts of the city.

City staff and hired legislative advocates told the council that the HCP appropriation had been included in a prior supplemental capital package but was cut in 2025. "We're looking to get the full $2,000,000 back, so that is the request we're going in with," a staff presenter said during the work session.

The HCP aims to assemble and rehabilitate land to provide prairie habitat for listed species, which staff said would allow development on other parcels once mitigation lands and a plan are in place. City and advocates said the HCP request is attractive to legislators because it could become self-funding: permitting and development fees on released parcels could help finance additional land acquisition over time.

In the same presentation the city asked for about $550,000 to scope and begin a planned-action EIS for property in the Brewery District, a step staff described as necessary to give developers certainty about permitting and environmental requirements. "That is the key to the certainty the developers need to know going forward," a staff member said.

Council members and advocates also discussed the East Street connection project. Staff described a multi-phase program of design, engineering, permitting and right-of-way acquisition with a total project estimate near $6 million, and said smaller, phased design requests could be a reasonable ask in a constrained 2026 supplemental year.

Advocates placed the local requests in broader fiscal context: state revenues have softened since the last budget, pressure exists to tap capital accounts (including the Public Works Assistance Account and climate-related accounts), and the 2026 session is a 60-day supplemental session that will limit the Legislature's ability to add new large appropriations. They warned some revenue decisions being considered now could help close near-term operating gaps but may reduce long-term capital capacity.

Advocates told the council the city's legislative delegation is engaged. One advocate said Tumwater's house members "are on board 100%" for restoring the funding stripped from the prior supplemental budget, and staff said they had heard strong local support among state representatives for re-appropriating the HCP money if the city can demonstrate the funds can be spent quickly.

Philanthropic support: staff announced a separate development that could strengthen the city's case in Olympia: the Angela J. Bowen Conservancy Foundation awarded Tumwater a $1 million grant to help acquire habitat mitigation land for the HCP. Staff said the grant complements the city's request to the Legislature.

Next steps: staff and advocates said they will pursue (1) reapplication or restoration of the prior local community/capital request, (2) early scoping conversations and a $550,000 planned-action EIS ask as feasible, and (3) phased design funds for East Street if a transportation-specific opportunity appears in the supplemental cycle or in the 2027 biennium.

Evidence for this article appears in the council work session transcript where staff presented the three priorities and discussed the $2 million that was previously secured then removed from the supplemental budget; advocates and staff discussed reapplication and legislative support for restoring the appropriation.