The 2025 Washington state legislative session concluded on April 27, 2025, and thanks to your advocacy, meaningful strides were made across our key priority areas.
- Enhancing Coastal Resilience: The legislature passed HB 1631, which recognizes bull kelp forests as the official state marine forest, promoting the protection of food and habitat resources that marine birds need for generations to come.
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Funding for Wildlife and Climate: The legislature passed SB 5444, which creates a small increase in renewal fees for personalized license plates to boost conservation activities led by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. In addition, funds from the Climate Commitment Act will continue to be used for their intended purpose to reduce pollution and invest in communities and climate solutions.
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Advancing Renewable Energy Responsibly: Although our two priority bills related to electric transmission (SB 5466/HB 1673) and clean energy siting (HB 1328/SB 5359) did not pass, your support for this legislation helped advance important conversations about improved planning for clean energy development that respects vital bird habitats, promotes biodiversity, and honors Tribal rights.
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Recycling Reform, Clean Fuels, and More: Audubon is a member of the statewide Environmental Priorities Coalition (EPC), which focuses on making Washington a healthy place to live and work. Several EPC priority bills passed this session, including Recycling Reform (HB 1150/SB 5284), which will provide consistent and accessible recycling across the state and reduce packaging and excess waste.
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Conservation Funding: In a challenging budget year, protecting conservation funding was no small task. That’s why it was critical to advocate for biodiversity programs, clean energy siting initiatives, and habitat conservation and restoration. We’re pleased that several of our top priorities—including funding for habitat restoration in Puget Sound and the Columbia Plateau, as well as WDFW’s Biodiversity Program—remained largely intact through legislative budget negotiations. The final budget awaits the Governor’s approval by May 21.
​Visit our Bill Tracker to see all legislative priorities that Audubon Washington supported in 2025.
Together, members of the Audubon Action Network sent nearly 8,000 emails to legislators this session, powerfully advocating for science-based, bipartisan solutions to tackle conservation challenges, biodiversity loss, and the climate crisis.
Looking ahead, we will continue to advance bills that support our key priority areas, including a renewed focus on planning for clean energy development that respects vital bird habitats, promotes biodiversity, and honors Tribal rights.
Thank you for standing with us. Your advocacy helps build a healthier, more resilient future for birds, people, and the planet.
