Environmental Justice Assessments

In the infographic above we lay out the three phase Environmental Justice Assessment process. Phase one concerns the public notice sent to The Office of Financial Management (OFM) outlining geographic, environmental, and health impacts on diverse communities. Phase two outlines the Environmental Justice Assessment (EJA) process from identifying overburdened and vulnerable populations, as well as benefits and harms, to community engagement and consultation processes. Phase three concerns the reporting and communication of the EJA results to the OFM HEAL Act Budget and Funding Dashboard. Phase four involves ongoing engagement and accountability efforts.

COMPLETED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ASSESSMENTS

As part of the Department of Natural Resources commitment to transparency, we are publicizing the list of all our Environmental Justice assessments on Significant Agency Actions below.

• ARL to direct the Department of Enterprise Services to establish a new memorial for fallen firefighters on the Capitol Campus.

• ARL to establish a Smokey Bear license plate that would be available for purchase in October 2024. Revenue would be devoted to wildfire prevention programs administered by the DNR.

• ARL to amend RCW 4.24.210 to give DNR the authority to charge fees for recreation permits issued for organized recreation or educational activities.

• ARL to expand the definition of "Common School" to include early care and education to allow for the construction and maintenance of early care and education facilities at public schools with revenue from DNR's Common School Construction Fund

• ARL to add a new section to RCW 82.29A to create a leasehold excise tax (LET) exemption for leases on public land used for the placement of newly constructed affordable housing.

• ARL to amend RCW 78.44 to increase fees for the Surface Mine Reclamation Project in order to continue meeting DNR's minimum regulatory legal requirements.

• Revising RCW 79.13 to allow for DNR to lease assets as well as land and modernize publication/advertisement language.

• Legislation authorizing the Commissioner of Public Lands to enter into collaborative law enforcement agreements with federally recognized Tribes.

We want to hear from you

Please send us your feedback and comments on the following:

• The above list of significant agency action types.

• Other types of DNR actions you think would benefit from an assessment starting in 2025.

• How you would like to stay informed about DNR's work in environmental justice.

How to reach us

• Comment by email: envjustice@dnr.wa.gov

• Comment by mail:

Department of Natural Resources

C/O Office of Equity and Environmental Justice

1111 Washington St SE

MS 47001

Olympia, WA 98504