Futurewise works throughout Washington state to encourage healthy, equitable and opportunity-rich communities, and to protect our most valuable farmlands, forests and water resources through wise land use policies and practices.
From small towns of 5,000 to cities of 500,000 or anywhere in between, Futurewise believes that the elements of a strong, resilient community are the same. You should have a healthy home you can afford. You should be able to walk, bike, roll, and take transit to get where you need to go. You should have access to food from local farms. You should enjoy stunning natural spaces and wildlife habitats.
Futurewise works across Washington to make this vision a reality.
Washington state is renowned for its spectacular beauty – from the peaks of the Olympics to the rolling hills of the Palouse. But in the 1980s, more and more of our farmland, forests and open space were being gobbled up by car-centric suburban sprawl, threatening our natural resources, degrading our quality of life and laying the groundwork for decades of greenhouse gas pollution.
A group of concerned community members knew it didn’t have to be this way. In the late 1980s, they got organized to find a solution. As a result of their activism, Washington passed the groundbreaking Growth Management Act (GMA), a statewide land use framework for where and how Washingtonians live, work and play. These same activists founded Futurewise, to continue their passionate advocacy for farmland, wildlife habitat and livable communities in Washington.
For three decades, Futurewise has been your steward of the GMA, helping rural and urban communities across Washington plan for a just, sustainable future. Futurewise is your voice for forward-looking land use policy across Washington, with offices in Seattle, Spokane and Port Angeles.
- Concentrate Growth in Existing Cities
- Create Great Cities with Access to Housing, Transit, Jobs and Basic Services
- Make it Easier for People To Get To Where They Need To Go
- Ensure Clean Healthy Water and Protect Critical Fish and Wildlife Habitat
- Protect Working Farms and Forests
- Encourage Economic Development
Our Staff









Our Board Members

Maricela Sanchez (Benton County)
President

Angela Compton (Pierce County)
Vice President

Amalia Leighton (King County)
Past President
John Spencer (Snohomish County)
Treasurer

Rian Watt (King County)
Secretary

Andrew Houston (King County)
Legislative Committee Chair

Sarah Myhre (King County)
Racial Equity Committee Chair

Ginger Wireman (Benton County)
External Affairs Committee Chair

Ian Munce (Skagit County)
Legal Committee Chair

Ron Davis (King County)

Anthony Gill (Spokane County)

Janae Huber (Thurston County)

Alex Shannon (King County)
