Here are just a few of the highlights: 

• Add nearly 180 new positions throughout our department to keep up with growing demand for frontline services, complete major capital projects, respond to emergencies, and prepare for climate impacts.  
• Invest in Wastewater Treatment Division capital projects that will modernize and enhance our critical infrastructure, making our region more resilient to climate impacts.  

• Expand regional trails that connect more people to more opportunities. 
• Expand Cedar Hills Regional Landfill and provide funding for the construction of the new South County Recycling and Transfer Station and funding to site and design the new Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station.  
• Accelerate our work to remove barriers to high-quality salmon habitat. 
• Reduce flood risks as we experience more frequent, severe storms due to climate change. 
• Make King County forests more resilient to wildfire risks as we experience hotter, drier summers. 

• Make our operations more energy efficient, including a joint project by our Solid Waste and Wastewater Treatment divisions that will simultaneously reduce food waste at the regional landfill and increase the supply of renewable biogas. 

Meanwhile, King County voters overwhelmingly approved Executive Constantine’s proposal to maintain our accelerated pace of land conservation. Fully restoring the local Conservation Futures Program to its original rate will help us achieve the vision of the Land Conservation Initiative, a regional partnership to protect the last, best 65,000 acres of forests, trails, river corridors, farmland, and urban greenspace within a single generation.  

Throughout this entire body of work, we will continue to apply the principles of equity and social justice, contributing to a more resilient, sustainable, equitable future for all who call this spectacular corner of the country home.  

I invite you to track our progress with this interactive map that shows our staff and partners in action throughout King County. 

The County Executive, County Council, and voters have entrusted us with historic public investments, demonstrating that they share our steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship. It is now our responsibility to turn these investments into results, a challenge that our talented workforce will meet.  

Thank you, as always, for contributing to our mission.