The bill establishes a heritage orchard program in Washington State, recognizing the historical significance of apple cultivation in the region. It highlights the alarming decline of apple varieties, noting that half of North America's known apple varieties have become extinct since 1900, while also acknowledging the efforts of Washington residents in rediscovering "lost apples" from small orchards. The intent of the program is to support the conservation of these rare apple varieties and preserve an important aspect of Washington's agricultural heritage.

Washington State University is tasked with implementing the heritage orchard program, which will include maintaining a registry of heritage orchards, providing resources for their preservation, propagating rare and lost apple cultivars, and developing a comprehensive list of these varieties. The program defines a "heritage orchard" as one that contains at least five apple trees over 74 years old or at least one tree of a rare or lost apple variety.