Rep. Tharinger, who served on the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board from 2002 to 2010 and chairs the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council, is a longtime advocate for Washington's natural resources and agricultural lands.
He is also a member of the House Capital Budget Committee, which allocates grant funding for the protection of wildlife habitat, natural resource recreation areas, and working farms through the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP). WWRC administers the WWRP grants.
In 2007, the WWRC gave former state representative and then- House Capital Budget chair Bill Fromhold its "Award for Outstanding Legislative Leadership." Fromhold passed away in 2010 from leukemia.
"I didn't have the privilege of working with Bill Fromhold in the House, but his legacy is one of protecting our natural areas for the benefit of future generations," Tharinger said. "Like Bill, I believe our state's economy and environment are closely intertwined, and both can thrive simultaneously."
