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As prescribed by chapter 79A.15 RCW, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) provides funding for a broad range of land protection and outdoor recreation, including park acquisition and development, habitat conservation and restoration, farmland and forest preservation, and construction of outdoor recreation facilities, including parks, trails, water access and campgrounds. The WWRP was envisioned as a way for the state to accomplish two goals: acquire the best recreation and habitat lands before they are lost to other uses and to develop recreation areas for a growing population. This funding will create and renovate new local and state parks, protect and restore wildlife habitat, and preserve working farms and forests. Projects funded by this grant program contribute significantly to economic opportunities and a healthier population in Washington state.

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Habitat loss continues to be one of the most important factors directly limiting salmon recovery. The decline in salmon populations is directly harming Southern Resident orcas in Washington. The Salmon Recovery Funding Board grant program implements the Salmon Recovery Act (chapter 77.85 RCW) and provides funding for projects that protect or restore salmon habitat, and for other salmon recovery programs and activities across the state. This funding focuses exclusively on protecting and restoring salmon habitat statewide. Projects are developed locally and evaluated to assess if and how well each project will implement priorities addressed in federally-adopted salmon recovery plans. These funds are also used to match federal funds and to leverage other non-state funds.

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The purpose of the Boating Facilities Program is to provide grants to acquire, develop and renovate boating facilities, including boat launches and ramps, transient moorage and upland boating support facilities on lakes, rivers and saltwater. This project is funded by the percentage of the state gasoline tax revenue attributable to recreational boating (chapter 79A.25 RCW).

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The purpose of the Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities program is to provide grants to develop and manage recreational opportunities for hikers, equestrians, off-road vehicles, bicyclists, hunters and other users of nonhighway roads. It provides greater opportunity for outdoor recreation experiences, bringing more adults and children outdoors. This funding is provided as grants to develop and manage recreational opportunities for users of nonhighway roads statewide that are not supported by state fuel taxes.

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The Youth Athletic Facilities grant program provides grants for projects that develop new, and improve or renovate existing community athletic facilities and get people to participate in athletics outdoors. The program focuses on serving youth through the age of 18 who participate in sports and athletics. Outdoor recreation participation surveys show an increasing demand for these facilities. This program also links to other public policy efforts to reduce childhood obesity and increase fitness.

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In 1984, the Legislature created the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account program to ensure that aquatic lands are enhanced and protected. Funding is provided for grants for projects involving or adjacent to state-owned aquatic lands throughout Washington. The projects funded include reestablishing the natural, self-sustaining ecological functions of the waterfront, providing or restoring public access to the water, and increasing public awareness of aquatic lands as a finite natural resource and irreplaceable public heritage.

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Puget Sound Chinook salmon were listed by the federal government as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1999. Puget Sound steelhead were listed as threatened in 2007. To comply with the ESA, the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan was developed by local and tribal governments, nonprofits and others to identify the highest priority salmon recovery actions. Funding is provided for the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Program for grants specifically for the protection and/or restoration of salmon habitat in the Puget Sound Basin. In particular, a large portion of these projects protect and restore habitat necessary for Chinook salmon, which provide one of the most critical food sources for Southern Resident orcas.

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Puget Sound's 2,500 miles of shoreline are among the most valuable and fragile of Washington's natural resources. Over the past 100 years, this shoreline has been dramatically altered, largely through the impacts of the built environment including dikes, earthen fill and shoreline bulkheads. Nearly 75 percent of Washington's historical estuary lands have been lost and approximately one-third of Puget Sound beaches have been armored. Estuaries provide particularly important habitat for Chinook salmon to rest, eat and grow before heading to the ocean. The Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program provides grants to protect and restore the Puget Sound nearshore ecosystem, a critical area for salmon recovery.

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The Washington Coast Restoration Initiative was created in the 2015-17 capital budget. Funding is provided for coastal restoration projects that enrich tidal habitat and forest ecosystems, reduce invasive species and promote native plant and seed production, reconnect wetlands, and improve salmon access and rearing potential on the Washington coast. These restoration efforts will have significant benefits to salmon populations that are critical for the recovery of Southern Resident orcas.

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Salmon populations have been in decline, with recent years being among the worst on record for salmon population abundance, and for the impact on commercial, tribal and recreational fishing opportunities. Human-made migratory barriers have caused habitat fragmentation and are a major contributor to this decline. The Legislature established the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board to develop a coordinated fish barrier removal strategy that maximizes the habitat recovery value of other fish passage investments that have been made by public and private entities statewide. The Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board (BAFBRB) grant program, administered jointly by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Recreation and Conservation Office, distributes funding to fish barrier removal projects that match the principles provided in RCW 77.95.180. This funding provides grants for fish barrier removal projects prioritized by the BAFBRB.

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The Firearms and Archery Range Recreation (FARR) program provides grants to acquire, develop and renovate public and private (nonprofit) firearm and archery training, practice and recreational facilities. These projects provide safe places for people to shoot firearms and practice archery. All such facilities receiving grants must be open for public use on a regular basis and made available to law enforcement personnel, members of the general public possessing Washington concealed weapon permits and those with Washington hunting licenses. Facilities receiving FARR grants must also be available for hunter safety education classes on a regular basis. This program is funded with a portion of concealed pistol license fees (chapter 79A.25 RCW).

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The Recreational Trails Program provides grants to nonprofit organizations, local governments, state agencies, tribal governments and federal agencies to develop or maintain recreational trails, and trailside or trailhead facilities. A competitive grant cycle is held every other year. Funds are allocated annually by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Map-21 (chapter 79A.25 RCW).

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The federal Boating Infrastructure Grants program provides grants to local governments, state agencies, tribal governments, private marinas with facilities open to the general public and nonprofit organizations for projects that support the needs of recreational boaters for transient recreational boating facilities, targeting recreational boats 26 feet and longer. Projects include renovating guest docks, adding utilities to moorage docks, and building moorage docks and floats. These federal funds are provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) statewide assistance program provides grants to preserve and develop access to outdoor recreation resources, including but not limited to parks, trails, wildlife areas and other lands and facilities desirable for outdoor recreation. The LWCF stateside assistance grant program distributes funding in a competitive manner to state and local recreation agencies. All LWCF funds must reflect priorities set forth in the 2018 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan developed by the Recreation and Conservation Office and approved by the National Park Service. Federal funds are provided by the National Park Service.

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The forests and fish rules enacted in 2001 require fish passage barriers to be eliminated on all forest lands. The Legislature created the Family Forest Fish Passage Program in 2003 in recognition of the disproportionate financial impacts to family forest landowners from the forests and fish law and associated forest practices rules. This funding is provided for the program to assist small (family) forest landowners to continue the replacement or removal of forest road stream crossing structures, primarily culverts that are barriers to fish passage, allowing salmon, trout and other fish to access upstream habitat.