FOMB Lobbies for ‘Trust Land Transfer’ in Olympia

To further our efforts to secure a Trust Land Transfer from the Department of Natural Resources to Kitsap County Parks, we were invited to attend a special lobby event (January 28,2026) at the State Capitol, sponsored by Stewards of Washington State Lands, a new nonprofit committed to securing lasting protection for Washinton’s public lands through smart policy and sustainable funding. https://www.stewardswa.org

FOMB leaders Michael Flynn (President) and Sheri Flynn (Outreach & Education Program Director)arrived in Olympia bright and early for a very long day of meetings (and to be honest, many hours standing around waiting for meetings!) It was our first-ever experience lobbying. We attended a motivating ‘kick off’ meeting with other state and national organizations dedicated to environmental causes. Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy and several Tribal representatives, from all over Washington, gathered to show their support and express concern for preservation through Trust Land Transfers. Greg Nance, Our State Legislature addressed the group and inspired us to keep up the very important work we do. We were quite surprised (and honored) to receive several “shout outs” from Greg, applauding the work of FOMB and our efforts to protect the 40 acres of DNR property along Gunderson Rd. https://www.friendsofmillerbay.org/preservation-and-aquisition/trust-land-transfer

We met with Greg Nance, Tara Simmons and Drew Hansen, asking them to support fully funding the DNR Trust Land Transfer program. We were successful in getting 2 votes of support. Every effort helps our cause, right? With so many dedicated organizations and individuals asking their leaders’ support for preserving and protecting land—we had to have made a collective difference!

Unfortunately, the end result was not what we had hoped for.  The Washington State Legislature appropriated an additional $4 million this year, to DNR’s Trust Land Transfer (TLT) program. While it’s a far cry from the funding level needed to meet the demand for the program, it is a major step in the right direction. We’d like to acknowledge Greg Nance as a champion of this program. He will continue to support Trust Land Transfers and Friends of Miller Bay, and we appreciate his incredible support.

Our TLT project is “in process” for the next cycle (2027-2029). Now, we wait for the Advisory Board to formally review the application (this summer), and make their decision for which projects they will select to move forward. We hope to receive their prioritization of projects by next Spring (2027). If approved, the transfer would likely occur late in 2027.

By Sheri Flynn

If you’d like to express your appreciation of Greg Nance’s support, please write him at greg.nance@leg.wa.gov