Stoked to protect Washington's ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people!
Surfrider Washington March Madness: Complete!
There we were, just marching along through March, when BOOM - suddenly it's April. Did NOT see that coming. Perhaps we were distracted by the weather whiplash - I've certainly wasted at least several hours of my time running outside to enjoy some sunshine, only to retreat minutes later to take shelter from a hail storm. Or maybe we got caught up in all the awesome activism that's been happening here in Washington and beyoooond! Keep reading for updates on state and federal legislative shenanigans, new campaigns, and Earth Month events going down.
Stoked to send it this spring, ~ Liz Schotman, Washington Regional Manager
Pete Steelquist, Washington Policy Manager
7th Annual Coastal Recreation Hill Days a Success!
Earlier this month, a hardcore team of dedicated volunteers representing our Washington chapters flew across the country to advocate on behalf of our ocean, waves, and beaches. We were joined by over 150 other advocates representing 57 chapters and clubs, all coalescing in our nation’s capital to lobby for coastal conservation. Collectively, we held 131 congressional meetings with Senators and Representatives from 23 states! I could not be more impressed with our dream team of Washington volunteers – they brought all the passion, dedication, and intelligence that drives our mission forward here in Washington State to the steps of Capitol Hill to demand action from our federal leaders on clean water, climate change, and plastic pollution. To read more about it, check out our latest blog post.
Every year, Surfrider Washington works closely with the Washington Clean Coast Alliance (CoastSavers) to coordinate three coast-wide cleanups, and our first cleanup of 2023 is just around the corner! This year's Washington Coastal Cleanup Day is on Earth Day - Saturday, April 22nd! Volunteers across the state typically remove over 30,000 lbs of debris from our beaches. You can register for a cleanup here, or check with your local Chapter to see what they've got going on.
The 2023 Legislative Session has been a knock down, drag out affair in Olympia so far. We have had some ups, some downs, and some great coalition-building along the way. The good news is that we are two for three on priority bills that have passed out of both the House and Senate and will be signed into law by the Governor. HB 1181 (Rep Duerr): Improving the state's response to climate change by updating the state's planning framework; and HB 1085 (Rep. Mena): the “Trifecta Plastics Bill,” passed the Senate on April 8th and are almost at the finish line. The Governor has 40 days to sign both these bills into law.
Our focus now is on getting Surfrider's priorities in the final budget, which includes implementing the first part of the WRAP Act through a budget proviso. This has been included in both the Senate and House draft budgets, and we are hopeful it will be included in the final budget that needs to pass by April 23. This funding would significantly elevate awareness of Extended Producer Responsibility by collecting data that shows policymakers the need for EPR, as well as get buy-in and public support on this complex issue. If there is anything we have learned during this process, it is that the majority of Washingtonians recognize that our state's recycling system is broken and needs a serious overhaul. A HUGE thank you to our legislative champions and to everyone who's taken action throughout this session, as well as our partners at the Plastic Free WA/WA Sin Plástico Coalition for their continued efforts to fight plastic pollution.
Funding Coastal Resilience and Outdoor Recreation in WA
While many of our legislative efforts involve passing bills, it's important to note another important mechanism for getting things done: budgets. Right now, legislators are working on a 2-year biennial budget that will fund our state operations. In addition to the WRAP Act proviso mentioned above, we're advocating for two funding packages: Ecology's Coastal Climate Hazards Budget Package, and funds to measure and manage recreation impacts on tribal lands.
For years, we've been playing the long game and working towards our Washington Coastal Resiliency Funding campaign. If successful, it will provide essential funding for enhanced shoreline monitoring, state agency coordination to identify and address coastal resiliency needs, and will establish a mechanism for completing important projects in our coastal communities. It's looking good so far - we're stoked to see full funding levels in both the House and Senate. Fingers crossed it stays that way!
We’re also excited to lead advocacy efforts through Outdoor Alliance Washington to support $10.7 million in funding for state agencies to collaboratively measure and manage recreation impacts on Tribal lands. Increasing recreation coupled with other stressors such as climate change and land development threaten the sustainability of our cherished outdoor spaces. The public, stakeholders, agencies, and Tribal governments have voiced concern about the impact of increased visitation on natural and cultural resources, and this funding is necessary for us to make informed decisions.