Non-profits may help manage public lands for longer periods of time

OLYMPIA - A Senate bill making its way to the governor's desk would allow the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter long-term agreements with non-profit groups to help manage publicly owned lands under its jurisdiction.

Sen. Judy Warnick

"Managing our state's forests and natural resources is a shared responsibility and a pretty big task," said Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, of her Senate Bill 5785. "My legislation harnesses the passion of volunteers to help preserve those resources for future generations."

The Legislature passed a law in 2013 granting limited authority to the agency to work with volunteer organizations; Warnick's bill would expand these partnerships to longer terms.