Working for Ecology offers great benefits — health care, retirement, vacation. But the biggest benefit of all is knowing that your work is helping create a cleaner, healthier, more beautiful state for every Washingtonian. We are Washington's environmental protection agency. Our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's land, air and water for current and future generations. We support environmental work throughout Washington. Nearly 70 percent of our budget is passed through to local communities to pay for projects that benefit the environment. We were founded in 1970 as the first agency in the nation dedicated to environmental protection.