OLYMPIA, Wash. — State Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz hopes more state funding will make The Evergreen State greener.
Franz wants lawmakers to increase the funding made available to local agencies and non-profits under urban forestry grants.
“We have got to move to have more trees in our urban area,” said Franz, “It’s good for our communities. It’s good for our environment.”
The Department of Natural Resources has issued $500,000 in grants to cities to plant trees in Tacoma and to remove invasive plants in Burien.
Franz has requested that figure be increased to $8 million in the two-year budget currently being negotiated by state legislators.
The Senate proposal raised the funding to $5.9 million, the House version proposed $4 million.
“We found so many grant applications, we had to turn them away because we only had half a million dollars,” said Franz.
The Evergreen State College received $17,290 in grant funding to come up with ways to make improvements to the campus forest at Geoduck Beach.
The areas are open to the public, who are not always great stewards of the land.
“People who create firepits, who leave behind trash, people who drink alcohol and get a little unwieldy on the beach,” said Alix Vasseur-Landriault, the student leading the grant-funded study.
People have over-harvested shellfish from the beach, said Vasseur-Landriault.
They said staff, faculty, and students have suggested clearing out tree houses built near the beach and installing signage educating the public about proper care of shellfish beds.