Olympia

Since 2008 the gray wolf population across Washington has grown nearly 28%, annually.  And despite that continual increase, the wolves remain on the endangered list.  State Representative Joel Kretz would like to give northeast Washington counties the ability to delist the wolf.  The Wauconda area...

On Monday, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a $2.7 billion investment to help 64 electric cooperatives and utilities.  The funding from the Department of Agriculture will help the cooperatives expand and modernize the nation’s rural electric grid and increase grid security.   "This ...

Lawmakers in Olympia focused on the future of the Washington’s farming sector, thanks to a bill that cleared the state Senate Wednesday.  The legislation, put forward by freshman Republican senator Nikki Torres, expands the state’s farm internship program.   “This is a g...

As the debate over a capital gains tax in Washington continues, it’s looking more and more likely that the farming community will be subject to those taxes, despite earlier assurances that they wouldn’t be.  At issue is the constitutionality of the capital gains tax passed by lawmakers in April 2021, that looks to issue a 7% tax on all transactions of $250,000 or great.  The issue is curren... Rea

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife closed all fishing in the Nooksack River, including all forks, this weekend.  The closure will remain in place until further notice.   WDFW said hatchery steelhead returns to the Kendall Creek Hatchery on the North Fork Nooksack are well short of broodstock needs.  Prohibiting ...

Earlier this week, the Bureau of Land Management announced a public meeting to solicit feedback on utility-scale solar energy planning.  BLM is considering updates to its 2012 Western Solar Plan that included six southwestern states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.  On top ...

Last month, Washington representative Kim Schrier introduced the Farmers Feeding Families Act of 2022.  The central Washington democrat said the legislation will support small and medium sized farmers and producers by making fresh, healthy, locally grown food more available to families in need.  She add...

Washington Farm Bureau announced Sunday an end to its decades-long partnership and endorsement agreement with COUNTRY Financial.   “We appreciate the relationship we’ve had over the years and the products COUNTRY provided our members,” said Rosella Mosby, WFB president. “There are exciting o...

Washington State Department of Agriculture officials confirmed last week that Japanese beetles have spread beyond the initial quarantine area established earlier this year.  On Thursday, December 15th, the WSDA filed an emergency rule to expand the boundaries of the internal quarantine of Japanese beetle.  The Dep...

Rail service in central Washington could improve thanks to a budget proposal in Olympia.  Governor Jay Inslee has included nearly $15 million in funding in his recently released 2023-25 Budget for the Connell Rail Interchange Project.  That pr...