Climate Commitment Act

There are a host of issues the Washington farming community is watching very closely this legislative session.  One that sparks some of the strongest emotions has to do with the Climate Commitment Act.  Despite being told the farming community would be exempt from the CCA, the Department of Ecology has yet to implement a system in which farmers and growers get what they were promised.   Jon DeVane

Last week, the Washington Tree Fruit sector took to Olympia to focus on legislative issues and the impact they will have on growers, packers and workers.  Jon DeVaney, President of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association said staff joined 41 volunteers for Tree Fruit Day, an effort to educate lawmakers about an industry that employs over 68,000 people and produces approximately $3 billion in a

Last week, legislation was introduced in the Washington House Environment and Energy Committee that would monitor methane emissions in dairy and beef cattle.  House Bill 1630, introduced by Olympia area Democrat Representative Lisa Parshley, states if Ecology finds an operation produces sufficient methane, they would likely need to come under the Climate Commitment Act as covered entities.   “You'

Legislation introduced in the Washington House Environment and Energy Committee looks to monitor methane emissions in dairy and beef cattle.  House Bill 1630 would require dairy farms and feed lots to report annually to the state Department of Ecology with the total metric tons of methane emitted the preceding calendar year.  The proposal...

The Washington Legislative Session starts January 13th, and already the farming community is preparing for a host of issues that will have major impacts now and well into the future.  Bre Elsey, Director of Governmental Affairs at the Washington Farm Bureau, said when looking at the data, labor will be one of the most pressing topics.  She not...

In late August, the Washington Farm Bureau Legal Foundation and the Washington Trucking Association filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court for the recent dismissal of their litigation against the state Department of Ecology.  The appeal follows Thurston County Superior Court Judge Lanese’s dismissal of the case which sought to reopen rulemaking for the recently implemented Climate Commitment A

In 2023. farmers and truckers of agricultural goods in Washington started paying a Climate Commitment Act fuel tax that, even through, by law, they are exempt.  Since then, Ag groups have been pushing for a fix to this exemption problem, with little help from the Department of Ecology.   “So, ...