whatcom county

The Washington state Department of Agriculture’s annual hunt for pests that threaten the agriculture industry, as well as the environment is underway. The Department is setting up thousands of traps statewide to monitor for the introduction or spread of over 130 invasive pests and diseases, including gypsy moth, Asian giant hornet, apple maggot and Japanese beetle. W ...

British Columbia and U.S. federal and state agencies will work together to track, trap and eradicate Asian giant hornets in the Pacific Northwest. The Asian giant hornet species was first spotted in Northwest Washington in 2019 and agencies have since been on the hunt for the invasive hornets ...

On Friday, the Washington Department of Ecology announced that it had secured nearly $3.6 million in federal National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grants to protect about 725 acres of coastal wetlands in Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom counties. Coastal wetl ...

A water rights issue in Northwest Washington could have long-term and damaging impacts on the rights of farmers across the entire state, that according to Gerald Baron, Executive Director of Save Family Farming. The state Department of Ecology is currently moving toward the adjudication of water rights in the Nooksack Basin in Whatcom County ...

Last week, the Washington state Department of Agriculture and the USDA confirmed a fourth Asian giant hornet was recently found in the northwest corner of the state. The queen hornet was reportedly stepped on by a Bellingham resident June 6th, roughly 20 miles from where the first two hornets were discovered in December ...

A bill supporters say will help Washington farmers reduce carbon in the atmosphere, all while improving soil health, was approved by the state Senate on Wednesday. But, paying for “carbon farming” can be challenging for producers who already operate on a thin profit margin. ...

Cattlemen across Washington have expressed frustration regarding challenges when it comes to selling custom slaughter, wrap, and package products across the state as well as across state lines   In response state Senator Doug Ericksen has introduced the Prime Act.  Th...

Earlier this year, Regenis demonstrated a new technique company officials say will help dairy farms reduce water waste and help prevent phosphorus and nitrogen leaking.  Farm to Fresh Water System is a process that was demonstrated at a Whatcom County dairy farm.  Er...

Senator Doug Erickson has introduced legislation prohibiting plant-based products from being called milk in Washington.  The Ferndale Republican said Senate Bill 5349 is not just about protecting the dairy industry, it’s a truth in packaging issue.   “...

Last week, a Seattle U.S. District Court judge certified a class-action lawsuit on behalf of some 600 Mexican workers who have alleged labor abuses at a Whatcom County blueberry farm.  The lawsuit alleges the company violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which forbids  forced labor, through threats and implied threats that the workers would be sent to Mexico if they complained or did no