OLYMPIA, Wash. – Lawmakers in Olympia are evaluating a new initiative to preserve rare and historic apple varieties still found on small family farms.
House Bill 2525 led by Representative Gloria Mendoza (R-Grandview) aims to establish a Heritage Orchard Program in collaboration with Washington State University (WSU).
The program would maintain a registry of heritage orchards and provide resources to preserve trees meeting specific age and rarity criteria.
Mendoza highlighted the significance of these apples, saying, “And now they’re finding out that there are some small family farms that still hold some of these apples that were known to be extinct.”
The program could also lead to the discovery of apple varieties unfamiliar to most locals.
“Imagine, discovering an apple that we had not tasted, that we can now say, wow, this is a small farm in our state,” Mendoza said in a report by Washington State House Republicans.
The bill is set to be considered by the Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce on January 27, 2026.
