OLYMPIA — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has given final approval to one of the largest land purchases in state history.
Inslee signed a new capital budget Monday that dedicates about $100 million to purchase some 50,000 acres in upper Kittitas County. Officials have targeted that property in order to improve irrigation supplies in the Yakima River Basin.
The $3.6 billion capital budget also includes money for education projects, including $30 million for a clean technology laboratory at Washington State University. The budget also pays to improve camera systems within the state’s prisons, partially in response to the 2011 strangling death of a prison guard.
Officials believe the total budget will help create 30,000 to 40,000 jobs.
