Bill would let WWRP habitat account help landowners pay for costly mitigation

Senate Bill 6075 would expand the habitat conservation account of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) to provide grants to landowners who face mitigation costs imposed by the Departments of Ecology or Fish and Wildlife that exceed typical mitigation fees or reduce a property's financial benefit by more than half.

Committee staff Jeff Olson told the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that the amendment would allow the habitat conservation account to cover such grants and that the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board would continue to set priorities for WWRP distributions. Olson said a fiscal note lists about $100,000 in fiscal 2027 to implement the bill.

Sen. Curtis Wagner, speaking in support, described the bill as "a little bit of help for landowners when they're trying to comply with the ecology or fish and wildlife requirements to mitigate" and said the proposal could prevent devaluation of property where mitigation removes significant value. Wagner gave an example of tree removal whose compliance cost could exceed the landowner's financial return.

The committee recorded no in-person testimony; the vice chair reported 296 written pro submissions and two written con submissions. The committee closed the public hearing on SB 6075; no final committee action on passage is recorded in the transcript.