WE BELIEVE
OUTDOOR RECREATION
Matters.
WELCOME TO THE BIG TENT
The Umbrella Organization for the voice of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State.

The mission  of the Big Tent  is to promote sustainable, diverse, equitable, and inclusive outdoor experiences in Washington state through advocacy and education.

What we do:  The Big Tent advocates for sustainable state funding for recreation and conservation lands as well as sustainable and equitable development and human interaction with those lands.

Vision:  The Big Tent envisions a Washington where elected leaders, businesses, nonprofits, and residents are working together to create a more inclusive and equitable outdoor experience for all. We want to find ways to use outdoor recreation to fuel economic activity and sustain healthy outcomes in our communities.

#RecreateResponsibly to Protect Yourself, Others, and the Outdoors

During this public health crisis, spending time in outdoor spaces has become even more important for many Americans. Yet these unusual circumstances mean that all of us, from seasoned outdoor enthusiasts to families heading out to their local park for the first time, could use a little guidance about how to stay safe. The Recreate Responsibly guidelines offer a starting point for getting outside to keep yourself healthy and to maintain access to our parks, trails, and beaches. [ LEARN MORE ]


 

SPONSORS

We Represent Outdoor Recreation

WWRP Bill Passes Legislature

Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition

On March 8th, the Senate voted to concur on the House amendments to SSB 6227 by a 45-2 vote. At a moment when much of the buzz in Olympia is focused on bipartisan conflict, a bill modernizing a successful 25-year old program has received remarkable bipartisan and bicameral support. The Senate’s decision clears the way for the bill to be signed into law by the Governor later this month. Once the paperwork is completed, it will be transmitted to the Governor, where he will have up to 20 days to take action.

Congress Restores Money for Recreational Real Estate with Land and Water Conservation Fund allocation

Peninsula Daily News

The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund was reauthorized in legislation passed Friday and signed into law by President Barack Obama. The funding will extend through September 2018, including a one-year increase of nearly 50%.  Seattle PI

Bipartisan Conservation Fund Succumbs to Needless Partisanship

The Seattle Times

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, the Republican chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, earned the moniker of obstructionist-in-chief when he single-handedly killed reauthorization on Oct. 1 of the bipartisan, half-century old Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). In the nanosecond it took to block a bill with 195 bipartisan co-sponsors, America’s signature conservation and outdoor-recreation program fell away.

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop wants to do more damage to the expired Land and Water Conservation Fund. His bill needs to be stopped, and the bipartisan LWCF revived. 

Time for Your Thoughts

Recreation & Conservation Office

Please take a short survey by Oct. 2 to share your insights about the WWRP.   Survey Link

State officials and legislators are looking for your thoughts about if and how to revise the 25-year-old Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP), which is the state’s grant program for wildlife conservation lands, state and local parks, trails, natural areas, and working farms and ranches.


The Legislature created the WWRP in 1990 to give the state a way to invest in valuable outdoor recreation areas and wildlife habitat conservation lands. They wanted to protect critical habitat and make sure our kids, grandkids, and future generations had places to recreate, and they wanted to do it before the land was developed. In its 25-year history, the grant program has funded projects in nearly every county of the state. As state officials review the program, they are looking to see if the program is accomplishing what it set out to and what might need to change going forward. So now’s the time to give them your thoughts.

The Clock is Ticking for LWCF

Advocacy Resources for You

The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund is a critical source of funding for recreation-focused projects across the country, which will expire next month without congressional action. It is very important that Big Tent members are active as part of this reauthorization push—please contact Vlad Gutman, Senior Policy Director, WWRC, if you would be willing to join the effort through occasional activities like letters to the editor, tweeting, outreach to congressional offices.


State Parks Budget Update

2015-2017 Spending Plan Details

With the end of the 2015 session - finally! – occurring the second week in July, State Parks leadership has had to scramble quickly to fully understand the financial resources available to us and come up with a program and spending plan for the 2015-17 biennium. The good news is that the Governor and Legislature - and park visitors through the fees they pay and the donations they generously give to State Parks - have provided resources that allow the agency to make some modest but significant investments to basic park operations.  Below you will see an email message from Director Hoch to Parks staff which is designed to provide a clear overview of extent and direction that those additional resources are to be used.
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Washington State's Outdoor Recreation Economy Generates

View the 2020 Economic Analysis of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State for details