Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Loses Federal Funding

We are committed to continuing to do public health work as it relates to wildfires and wildfire smoke, and certainly this grant is a huge loss for us.”

In November 2023, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced it had received a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to protect against wildfires, wildfire smoke, and the health effects associated with both in rural East Pierce County and on the Key Peninsula. In March 2025, the funding was suddenly withdrawn.

“We envisioned a plan created by the community,” said Environmental Health Division Director Jessica Gehle. “Everyone in Pierce County is affected if there is poor air quality, but one of the unique elements of this grant that we were excited about was engaging our rural communities.”

“When you involve the community, it brings the unique qualities of that community, and it makes for a more effective plan,” Gehle said.

TPCHD contracted with the Center for New Democratic Processes and Pierce Conservation District to do the initial outreach. “In 2025, we planned to work closely with these organizations to help build community capacity through education, outreach, and community support,” said Director of Public Health Chantell Harmon Reed.

“We also found out last week from Washington State Department of Health that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eliminated most state COVID-19 response funding,” Reed said. “We had been using a portion of these funds to continue some education and vaccination efforts.”

Funding for the grant came from the government-to-government block grant program within the EPA and was part of the Environmental and Climate Justice Program, established in 2022 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

“We are committed to continuing to do public health work as it relates to wildfires and wildfire smoke, and certainly this grant is a huge loss for us,” Gehle said. “We are figuring out what moving forward will look like and what we are able to continue with this loss of funding.”

OTHER FEDERAL CUTS IN WASHINGTON

Health: The state Department of Health was set to lose $160 million in federal funding for disease tracking, vaccinations, and behavioral health, putting 200 full-time jobs at risk, after a March 26 cancellation by the Trump Administration until a judge temporarily blocked the cuts, according to the Department of Health.

Addiction: The administration terminated an additional $34 million in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funding for the Washington State Health Care Authority, according to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray’s office.

Children: The federal Health and Human Services office in Seattle, which oversees Head Start, was closed April 1 and the staff of 200 was terminated, according to Sen. Murray. Head Start promotes school readiness for about 15,000 children from low-income families in Washington.

Arts: The Trump Administration eliminated existing grants of $10 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities for the state April 5, according to Humanities Washington.

Libraries: A Trump executive order March 14 canceled a $3.9 million state grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, according to Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.

MORE TO COME?

Medicaid: Congress passed a budget resolution April 10 to reduce the federal deficit by at least $880 billion over 10 years while increasing funding for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. While Medicaid is not named, cuts of that size necessitate cutting Medicaid benefits across the country — including Apple Health in Washington — according to the offices of Washington Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. Nearly 1.9 million people are covered by Apple Health, including 800,000 children, according to the Washington State Hospital Association. Pres. Trump has said Medicaid benefits would not be cut.

Research: In February, the National Institutes of Health proposed cutting more than $1 billion to state medical research centers, including the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

Education: Washington stands to lose up to $845 million in K-12 funding under Pres. Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. The state’s Title I funding, which provides support for low-income students, is also at risk under an order tying federal dollars to the elimination of local diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Disaster Relief: The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Washington’s application April 11 for federal disaster relief to assist with $34 million in damage from storms in November 2024. Then Gov. Jay Inslee declared a disaster in 11 counties. FEMA programs reimburse at least 75% of eligible costs related to a declared disaster. Washington has 30 days to submit its appeal, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office.

Energy: About $450 million in federal energy funding for climate projects in Washington was threatened by executive order, EPA and DOT directives in February, according to state Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyen. For Washington, this includes $166 million for rebates on energy-efficiency upgrades for homes, $47 million for weatherization, $71 million to build electric vehicle chargers on state highways, and tens of millions aimed at electricity grid upgrades for utilities.

Federal funding accounted for about $27 billion, or one-third, of Washington’s state budget in the last fiscal year, according to the state’s Office of Financial Management.

Meanwhile, Pierce County Planning and Public Works received $500,000 in March to study eelgrass. See page 21 of this edition.