Data compiled by the nonprofit organization based in Seattle shows two Clark County agencies directly receiving EPA funds through the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: $22.5 million to the Port of Vancouver through the federal agency's Clean Ports Program and about $900,000 annually to the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership through the National Estuary Program.
Last month, a memo from President Donald Trump's administration paused certain federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs, including EPA funding, until they could be reviewed.
Washington and 20 other states have filed suit against the Trump administration over the funding halt. The state has also joined a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to permanently stop the freeze. That suit alleges Trump's executive order action is unconstitutional, and only Congress can appropriate money.
State officials estimate the funding freeze is holding up $500 million allocated to clean energy projects. Although a federal judge has since ordered the funding to be restored and the federal Office of Management and Budget rescinded the freeze, many states — including Washington — claim the court orders have been ignored and funding remains unavailable.
The EPA grant for the Port of Vancouver, which was announced in October, is being used to purchase and install two zero-emissions mobile harbor cranes, crane charging infrastructure and shore power at Terminal 1.
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership is entering the fourth year of a five-year grant program that allocates $909,000 to the organization each year. Spokeswoman Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky said the funding has been used to support a variety of projects, including environmental education, habitat restoration on Campen Creek upstream from the Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge, stormwater retrofit projects throughout the area, a carbon sequestration inventory research project and the East Fork Lewis River Reconnection Project.
Zimmer-Stucky said none of the fourth-year projects have begun because of the funding delays.
"Like other federally funded organizations, the Estuary Partnership's finances were temporarily upended by the executive orders and directives from OMB (Office of Management and Budget)," Zimmer-Stucky said.
In particular, the East Fork Lewis River project relies on several funding entities, such as Washington Recreation and Conservation Office Salmon Recovery Funding Board, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and — most importantly — Ecology's Floodplains by Design program.
"Congress already appropriated the funds for the NOAA grant. It paused for a few days, but it was restored shortly after the OMB memo was rescinded and the judge issued the temporary restraining order. This didn't delay the project, but it did necessitate a brief pause on key project announcements," Zimmer-Stucky said.
The Port of Vancouver and Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership wouldn't be the only ones in Clark County affected by a permanent funding stop.
Although they don't receive money directly from the EPA, Clark County, the Watershed Alliance, city of Vancouver and other cities and nonprofits receive grants and loans from the Department of Ecology, which gets funding from state programs like the Climate Commitment Act, as well as the EPA.
In early February, the Watershed Alliance received nearly $225,000 in grants from Ecology to increase shade cover, control invasive plant species and plant a forested buffer along Curtin Creek.
Sunrise O'Mahoney, executive director for the alliance, said she had some concerns about the availability of funds.
"In past years, the grants that are proposed to be funded are. But this year, who knows?" she said. "I am not confident we will get the funding, but we do not know of course."
In an email to The Columbian, Kaley McLachlan-Burton said the impact to county projects wasn't known yet.
"Washington state, through programs and agencies like the Department of Ecology, manages funds sourced from the EPA. We haven't received any information from state agencies about how a federal funding freeze would impact funding we receive from the state," she said.
This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.
©2025 The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
