washington department of ecology

The Smoke Management Plan regulates prescribed burning on forest land aimed at reducing fuel loading, restoring forest ecosystems, and potentially reducing the risk to communities from catastrophic wildfires, while minimizing air quality impacts from smoke.

The County is proposing to purchase three water rights as well as expand the types of uses the bank will serve and expand the geographic area of the bank.

Despite assurances it would not happen when proposed by Governor Jay Inslee and cleared by the Washington legislature in 2021, cap-and-trade is impacting farmers across the Evergreen State.  While farmers and those that transport food are to be exempt from the 40 cent per gallon tax, many have been paying it since implementation January 1st.  In resp...

Farmers and producers across Washington could be paying higher fuel prices than they should.  The state’s Climate Commitment Act, or cap-and-trade, went into effect January 1st, establishing a cap on emissions and creating a carbon tax of around 40 cents per gallon.  While farmers...

The Department of Ecology says a cool and wet spring brought relief to much of Washington following the drought of 2021, but in a few parts of eastern Washington, the drought lingers. Because of that , the Washington Department of Ecology has issued an amended drought declaration for watersheds in eight eastern Washington counties that will go into effect June 1st ...

Farmers in Northern Whatcom County, in the NW corner of Washington, are calling for comprehensive changes to the Nooksack River Basin's water management system after November's floods. Local farmers say all water storage options need to be on the table, including removing river sediment, protecting farmland and fixes to waterway improvements like dykes, backchannels and floodgates ...

A July op-ed by the Washington Policy Center’s Pam Lewison is very critical of the Governor Jay Inslee’s Office and the Washington state Department of Ecology for failing to protect wheat farmers and other grain growers during this summer’s record heat. In her piece ti ...

On Thursday, the Washington Department of Ecology announced emergency drought grants to help farmers, local pulbic health agencies as well as threatened fish species. The $750,000 in grant funding was made available on July 28th, when Ecology adopted an emergency drought funding rule ...

Washingtonians are encouraged to comment on the state Department of Ecology's proposal to reissue a Statewide General Permit for Biosolids Management. Jean Mendoza, with Sierra Club in Yakima, says biosolids is non-liquid sewage sludge with toxins from medications, dishwater, wastewater that end up down the drain or toilet and then put on cropland. “This may not sound like ...

The Washington Department of Ecology has released the draft Water Supply and Demand Forecast in the Columbia River Basin, which serves as a glimpse ahead for the next 20 years. Ecology’s Joye Redfield-Wilder, said the Department takes a variety of issues under consideration. ...