WDFW receives $1.4M for HPA permitting system modernization; enforcement positions not funded. The 2026 supplemental budget funded $1.4 million to maintain the Aquatic Protection Permitting System (APPS), which processes Hydraulic Project Approval permits for all in-water construction in Washington. The system had been operating at 55% of needed funding. However, $3.9 million for fish and wildlife enforcement positions and $2.1 million for enforcement readiness were not funded, and $919,000 for post-wildfire habitat recovery was also unfunded.
What this means for restoration portfolios. Every restoration entity doing in-water work in Washington needs an HPA permit — it is one of the most common obligations in Freehold’s dataset of 50 Washington restoration entities. The APPS modernization addresses the processing side of that obligation, potentially reducing permitting timelines. But the unfunded enforcement positions mean fewer officers monitoring compliance on completed projects, while the unfunded wildfire recovery leaves fire-damaged habitat areas without restoration funding. For entities managing fish passage or riparian projects, the permitting pipeline gets modest relief while the compliance and ecological context around those projects gets thinner.
Source: WDFW Budget Update, 2026 Supplemental Budget
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Also: Findings › Funding Exposure