Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption is a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (Wildfire Resp Forest Restor & Comm - State, General Fund - State, Resource Management Cost Account - State, other funds)

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise and small agency IT services, enterprise architecture and data management, Microsoft 365 licenses, and other items. (General Fund - State, Wildfire Resp Forest Restor & Comm - State, Resource Management Cost Account - State, other funds)

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for Capitol campus costs; real estate, risk management, and small agency services; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; enterprise applications, and other items. (General Fund - State, Resource Management Cost Account - State, Wildfire Resp Forest Restor & Comm - State, other funds)

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State, Forest Development Account - State, Resource Management Cost Account - State, other funds)

The Department of Natural Resources has recently received multiple new federal grants and increases in existing federal grant awards. Federal expenditure authority is provided for the department to use this funding to support activities such as managing landslide risk, assessing mineral deposits, collecting LIDAR data, increasing urban tree cover, and reducing the risk of wildfire in at-risk communities. (General Fund - Federal)

The Department of Natural Resources’ Aquatics Resources Division is highly dependent on partnerships with the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) and similar programs to maintain aquatic lands, manage invasive species and provide aquatic area monitoring and recovery. This item provides a technician to lead the WCC crews in their work on agency aquatic lands. It also funds crew work to support the protection of aquatic lands and keep recreational access available and safe for the public. (Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account - State)

Communities in Washington face increased risks of post-wildfire debris flows due to frequent and intense wildfires, declining forest health, and expanding populations in the Wildland Urban Interface. In the 2023 legislative session, the department received authority and partial funding to initiate a post-wildfire debris flow program. This item provides funding necessary for a fully staffed program. This program will assess debris flow potential in recently burned areas, monitor rainfall effects on burned slopes, and model debris flow potential to provide early warnings for emergency managers and communities. (General Fund - State)

In fiscal year 2023, the department was directed to begin removing or refurbishing derelict structures in aquatic environments and to submit qualifying removal projects to the Puget Sound Partnership Nearshore Conservation Credit Program. Aquatic derelict structures are safety hazards, harm nearshore habitat and have the potential to pollute the environment. This item provides the expenditure authority for anticipated revenue from credit sales so the department can reinvest that funding to remove additional derelict structures. (Derelict Structure Removal Account - State)

The European Green Crab (EGC), an ecologically destructive invasive species, poses a significant threat to vital marine waters in Washington including Puget Sound, Willapa Bay, and Grays Harbor. This item will enable the agency to employ permanent staff, acquire necessary equipment, and implement an annual work plan to safeguard state-owned aquatic lands from EGC. This includes aquatic reserves, as well as other DNR-managed lands such as natural areas, natural resources conservation areas, and high-value marine habitats. (General Fund - State)

In 2023, the Department of Natural Resources responded to more than 1,000 wildfires which burned 102,942 acres of land. This item funds the cost of emergency wildlife response activities which exceeded the department's fiscal year 2024 appropriation. (General Fund - State, Budget Stabilization Account - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)

The department generates revenue through geoduck harvest on state-owned aquatic lands. For sustainable management, the agency contracts with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to assess geoduck stocks. This item increases the funding that can be used to pay WDFW for geoduck stock assessments to reflect recent salary increases and agency administration rates. (Resource Management Cost Account - State)

This item shifts existing funding for habitat enhancement activities to the capital budget. (Natural Climate Solutions Account - State)

Kelp forests and eelgrass meadows are nearshore habitats that hold significant ecological, economic, and social-cultural value for the people and ecosystems of Washington state. RCW 79.135.440 directs the agency to create a statewide Kelp Forest and Eelgrass Meadow Health and Conservation Plan. The funding provided when this legislation was enacted in 2022 was not sufficient to cover the costs of the legislation. This item allows the agency to complete the remote sensing, imagery and survey of kelp and eelgrass beds to maintain the conservation plan. (Natural Climate Solutions Account - State)

State, federal, local, and tribal governments, along with private businesses, rely on lidar data collected by the department to inform natural resource, habitat, land use, forestry, and conservation decisions. Lidar provides precise, three-dimensional information about land surface characteristics. This item funds the collection of lidar data in two additional counties, Thurston and Adams, allowing for a ten-year statewide data refresh rate. (General Fund - State)

Dispersed and unauthorized recreational target shooting on lands managed by the department is a significant safety and lead contamination issue. Along with piloting the development of two designated shooting ranges with capital budget funding, the department will initiate a stakeholder process to determine potential locations for future ranges and address the lead pollution in highly contaminated areas. The agency aims to effectively manage target shooting, enhance safety, and mitigate environmental impacts. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, General Fund - State)

This item provides full expenditure authority intended by the Legislature to expand investments in forest health and wildfire protection and preparedness. (Wildfire Resp Forest Restor & Comm - State)

The Department of Natural Resources holds a large amount of water rights, as it manages more than three million acres of forestland in Washington. The agency has been unable to effectively manage and monitor its use of these water rights. This item will expand efforts to monitor and ensure compliance with water usage regulations by lessees and fund infrastructure improvements aimed at more efficient use, conservation, and protection of water rights. (Resource Management Cost Account - State)

Funding is provided to increase the retiree health insurance subsidy, adjusting the cap from $183 to $193 per month and raising the base subsidy percentage from 50 percent to 60 percent. The insurance funding rates are set at $1,145 per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,158 per month for fiscal year 2025. (Wildfire Resp Forest Restor & Comm - State, General Fund - State, Resource Management Cost Account - State, other funds)

Funding is provided for contribution rate impacts associated with proposed legislation that ensures the continuation of benefit payments through the end of the month in which a retiree or beneficiary dies. (Resource Management Cost Account - State, Forest Development Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for the Office of Equity. (Wildfire Resp Forest Restor & Comm - State, Resource Management Cost Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)