Benton County

This year, as in year’s past, the Washington State Department of Agriculture will deploy thousands of traps to monitor for Japanese beetle adults.  While the program traps around nurseries and farms throughout the state, most traps are placed at pathways like airports, railways, or transfer stations.  The Departmen...

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to hear your thoughts on 20 proposed public land acquisitions that the Department says could contribute to fish and wildlife conservation and as well as public access.  The proposals encompass about 13,749 acres with acquisitions in Asotin, Benton, Douglas, Jefferson, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Pacific, and Thurston counties.  The pr

According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, homeowners who live in a previous Japanese beetle treatment area in Yakima or Benton counties can now give consent and sign up for 2025 Japanese beetle treatments.  WSDA said southcentral Washington homeowners can get these free treatments by getting a consent form, either in English or in Spanish, filling it out and returning it to the

Late last week, the USDA designated Yakima County as a Primary Natural Disaster Area for Drought.  The designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from drought through emergency loans.  Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certa

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has expanded the Japanese beetle quarantine in the south-central portion of the state.  The original quarantine was established in 2022 and included 49 square miles in the Grandview area.  But, be...

FSA has designated half a dozen Washington counties as primary natural disaster areas due to drought.  The designation allows for the FSA to send emergency credit through emergency loans to producers in Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Okanagan and Skagit counties.  According to the ...

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Pest Program is now seeking treatment consent from residents of Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties.

WSDA Pest Program Manager Sven Spichiger says the community is the solution to eradicating the beetle, and that working together is necessary. Reports suggest WSDA is making progress with approximately half of the proposed treatment areas allowing them to treat properties for the beetle.

Authorities say there is a very low risk to humans

Because of ongoing problems with the Japanese beetle, the Washington state Department of Agriculture has adopted a quarantine for the Grandview area.  Starting September 15th, the movement of certain items will be limited in the infested area, in an effort to prevent the spread of the invasive pest.  Those i...