Gluesenkamp Perez Seeks $15.5 Million for FY26 Community Projects Across Southwest Washington

Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) announced she has requested Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding for more than a dozen vital community improvement projects in all seven counties across Washington’s Third District. Most of the projects have already passed the House Appropriations Committee – and all projects, including the pending requests, total $15,589,144 in potential federal funding coming back to Southwest Washington.

This spring, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez opened her Community Project Funding (CPF) application and selected projects based on eligibility, geographical diversity, and community impact and support. Members of the House can submit CPF requests to the House Appropriations Committee. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez will continue advocating for the projects.

The CPF requests respond directly to some of the most pressing needs in Southwest Washington, to deliver support for high-impact, community-led projects to support water, wastewater, and electricity infrastructure; fire protection and public safety; and timber, fishing, and farming communities.

“Every day across Southwest Washington, good people are sitting down and coming up with solutions for their communities – instead of waiting for the federal government to tell them they need to jump through more hoops and wade through more red tape to help their neighbors. The Community Project Funding process is a way I can recognize these community-led efforts and proactively bring dollars home for projects that might have otherwise been underappreciated or difficult for small, rural communities to fund in another manner,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “Last Congress, I successfully urged my bipartisan colleagues to give these projects the respect they merit – and I secured $21 million for projects in every county across our district, many of which have now broken ground. I’m now fighting on the Appropriations Committee to bring dollars home for more community projects that will grow our rural economies and that represent the nuts and bolts of good governance – from local meat processing for farmers, to ag education for high school students, to water and energy investments for ratepayers.”

In the 118th Congress, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez secured more than $21 million in FY24 Community Project Funding for 15 projects across every county in Southwest Washington. 

An interactive map of community investments secured by the Congresswoman can be found here.

The following are Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s FY26 CPF requests, listed by county:

Districtwide

$1,031,000 – Sea Lion Mitigation and Salmon Protection

The funds will be used for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s permitted program to remove sea lions consuming salmon and steelhead on the lower Columbia River and its tributaries. 

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here. 

$1,031,000 for this project was included in the FY26 Commerce Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill that will be considered by the House Appropriations Committee. Language submitted by Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez was also included in the bill to direct NOAA and state and Tribal partners to study the pinniped removal methods for the best efficacy and cost. The legislation will need to pass the Committee, House, and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez has joined local fishermen to see the worsening issue firsthand and discuss cost-effective solutions to reduce sea lion populations and protect salmon runs.

Clark County

$1,092,000 – Wallace Heights Septic Elimination Project

The funds will be used for the Clark Regional Wastewater District to construct sewer mains to serve 66 residential properties with failing septic systems, an urgent public health need, in Wallace Heights. Clark County recognizes tributary streams in the vicinity to be in poor health due in part to elevated levels of bacteria and nutrients that are contributing to stream health degradation.

This month, $1,092,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

$1,092,000 – Vancouver Wastewater Lagoon Aeration Blower Upgrade

The funds will be used for the City of Vancouver to replace the aeration blower for their Industrial Pretreatment Lagoon Facility to improve performance and reliability. The replacement will protect water quality and reduce energy consumption at the facility which treats industrial food process wastewater before it enters the municipal wastewater system.

This month, $1,092,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

$1,092,000 – Kennedy Farms Well Project

The funds will be used for the City of Ridgefield to develop two new source wells to increase water resilience, accommodate economic growth, and support a steady supply of water during emergencies. Water demand is projected to exceed supply in 2026 or 2027, and each well is anticipated to provide up to 300 gallons per minute for water distribution.

This month, $1,092,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

Cowlitz County

$1,092,000 – Longview Dedicated Fill Line to Water Reservoir Project

The funds will be used for the City of Longview to install a dedicated fill line from the Mint Farm Treatment Plant to the Main Reservoir. This would reduce the possibility of overflows and incidences of “cloudy” water, lower operating costs, and support consistent and reliable water treatment.

This month, $1,092,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

$1,145,144 – Northwest Service Area Grid Resiliency

The funds will be used for Cowlitz PUD to relocate and move underground 5.5 miles of electric distribution lines which service Ryderwood and nearby areas. Outages in this area are more frequent and longer than most of the PUD’s service area, with the average length of disruption exceeding 7 hours. This would improve the reliability and resiliency of electric service, as well as reduce outages, wildfire risk, and impacts to ratepayers.

Last month, $1,145,144 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

Lewis County

$1,015,000 – Napavine Agriculture Building Project

The funds will be used for the Napavine School District to construct a multi-function lab facility for the high school’s agriculture program. Student interest in trades is expected to exceed the school district’s infrastructure capabilities in the next five to seven years. The project will help more students participate in trades programs, including apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and other workforce development opportunities that will contribute to the Napavine economy.

Last month, $1,015,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

$1,000,000 – Lewis County Regional Fire Service Training Center

The funds would be used for Lewis County Fire District No. 15 to purchase land and develop a combined fire service training facility to train regional agencies on the complexities of changing fire behaviors created by new technologies, including electric vehicles. It will allow different fire districts, regional law enforcement, and other emergency management entities to train together locally in real-life situations, saving taxpayer dollars otherwise spent on out-of-area training.

Last month, $1,000,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

Pacific County

The funds will be used for the City of Raymond to retrofit the Raymond Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is aging and in need of critical repairs related to the plant settling in the soil by up to 13 inches in some locations. Without federal support, the burden of the project would fall directly on ratepayers, substantially increasing utility bills. The plant is critical infrastructure for the community’s 5,100 residents, and the timber and aquaculture industries.

Last month, $950,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez visited the plant earlier this year to survey the damages and discuss federal funding needs.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

$2,700,000 – Port of Chinook Capital Dredging Event

The funds will be used for the Port of Chinook to remove 65,000 yards of material from the marina to ensure transit of vessels to and from moorage slips and wharf hoists. Certain slips in the port are unusable at low tides, threatening commercial access, and port tenants have noted a two-year window remains before they must seek another cargo transit port, threatening the local economy and community.

This project will allow the port to protect 100 to 150 jobs and $50 million in annual catch volume and support another 40 to 50 new jobs and $12 million in new product volume.

This month, $2,700,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

$1,015,000 – Willapa Medical Clinic

The funds will be used for the Pacific County Hospital District #2 to construct and equip a replacement Primary Care Clinic, a designated Rural Health Clinic, at the Willapa Harbor Hospital. The current facilities, built more than 70 years ago, cannot accommodate additional providers to keep up with growing demand, and the project will improve access to timely health care in the community.

Last month, $1,015,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

Last month, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez voted against a reconciliation bill, which is now law, that will make sweeping changes to Medicaid, making healthcare less accessible for rural residents.

Skamania County

$1,015,000 – Underwood Water Rehabilitation Project

The funds will be used for Skamania PUD to upgrade water sources and booster pump stations critical to drinking water, agriculture, and fire protection. Existing water facilities were constructed in the 1970s and are reaching the end of their useful life.

In 2023, the community endured the Tunnel 5 Fire, which ran the town’s existing water infrastructure dry due to firefighting efforts. The absence of available water not only hampered fire control efforts but also created hardship for residents as it caused a lack of safe drinking water and a water boil advisory.

Last month, $1,015,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

Last year, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez secured $2.6 million to build updated filtration infrastructure at the Carson Water Treatment Plant.

Thurston County

$850,000 – Regional Meat Processing Infrastructure

The funds will be used for the City of Tenino to prep the site of a meat processing facility for producers at the SW WA Agricultural Business and Innovation Park. There is a major gap in processing facilities in western Washington, with 78 local producers waiting up to a year to get a scheduled appointment time or facing significantly increased costs of shipping their animals long distances to eastern Washington or Oregon. The regional meat processing facility will provide much-needed animal harvest, cut and wrap, and cold storage services for small and medium-sized businesses located in the 14 counties surrounding Thurston County – resulting in a much shorter supply chain for local meat production.

This month, $850,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.

Last month, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez delivered remarks at the opening of the SW WA Agricultural Business and Innovation Park, after securing $500,000 in FY24 Community Project Funding to continue the buildout of a comprehensive business support ecosystem in support of the region’s small scale agricultural producers.

Wahkiakum County

$500,000 – Upper Grays River Community Forest

The funds will be used for Wahkiakum County to purchase roughly 500 acres of the Upper Grays River Community Forest. Completing this first acquisition will facilitate local forestland ownership and management that will ensure sustainable economic, environmental, and community benefits.

Dramatic changes in the commercial timber economy have fragmented the forests, prohibited community access, and threatened watershed health, and community members currently have a limited say in how the forests in the Grays River Watershed are logged and maintained.

This month, $500,000 for this project passed the House Appropriations Committee, as part of one of the FY26 government funding bills. The legislation still needs to pass the House and Senate.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s funding request can be found here, and community letters of support can be found here.