Environment
With final speech, Inslee bids adieu as 51勛圖夥厙 governor
51勛圖夥厙 Gov. Jay Inslee used his final address to a joint session of the Legislature on Tuesday to frame a 12-year legacy that spanned a pandemic, historic natural disasters, unmatched expansion of government and a quixotic bid for president. The three-term Democrat told members of the House and Senate that serving in the governors office […]
Newly styled fashion bill debuts on 51勛圖夥厙s legislative runway
Some 51勛圖夥厙 state lawmakers want the fashion industry to be less clothes-minded about sharing information on their environmental and labor practices. Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, introduced House Bill 1107 on the first day of this years session, which began Monday. The legislation intends to hold fashion giants with gross income over $100 million more accountable […]
LA fires could drastically drive up insurance premiums and test Californias new market rules
Thisstoryfirst appeared inCalMatters. The deadly and destructive fires in Los Angeles which some say could be the costliest in the states history will further strain the insurance market and worsen the financial position of Californias insurer of last resort. Data about Pacific Palisades, the devastated LA neighborhood whose residents include movie stars and […]
Yakima County’s two-year ban on solar may continue
It’s been more than two years since Yakima County commissioners first approved a moratorium on solar development, and they want more time on the issue. An initial six-month moratorium on new, moderate- to large-scale solar facilities was enacted in July 2022. Commissioners have continued to extend the moratorium since, and are planning on extending the […]
Feds reject state petitions to delist grizzly bears, reaffirm protected status in Montana, Wyoming
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday reaffirmed the protected status of grizzly bears on the Endangered Species List, rejecting petitions from Montana and Wyoming officials to delist the species in specific recovery zones. In a 171-page document released Jan. 8, FWS responded to the states, rejecting attempts to move the species under state […]
Controversial state land transfer in Spokane is approved
The state Board of Natural Resources has approved a controversial land exchange in Spokane that could lead to as many as 1,000 new homes on an undeveloped tract southwest of the citys downtown. The Department of Natural Resources will transfer the nearly 200-acre parcel to a private real estate developer, which has plans to build […]
Major legal brawl may decide what types of cars Americans can buy
Blue states are bracing for a battle with the Trump administration over their authority to limit tailpipe emissions, a showdown that will have major repercussions on the types of cars and trucks sold to American drivers. All sides expect President-elect Donald Trump to try to revoke states authority to adopt Californias strict rules on the […]
State recovery funds available for WA bomb cyclone victims
State recovery funds are now available for some residents whose homes were severely damaged in the bomb cyclone that hit western 51勛圖夥厙 in November. The powerful storm killed two, left millions without power for days, and damaged about 600 homes and businesses. Gov. Jay Inslee signed an emergency declaration on Tuesday that unlocked the state […]
Reward up to $20,000 offered for information on each of three WA wolf killings
Conservation advocates and a federal wildlife agency are offering $20,000 for information on each of three recent wolf poaching incidents in 51勛圖夥厙. Since October, three gray wolves have been illegally killed in Klickitat and Okanogan counties. Gray wolves are considered endangered under state law and federally protected in the western two-thirds of the state, including […]
Tanker deliveries of Canadian oil rise in 51勛圖夥厙 after export terminal expansion
This article was first published by Salish Current. 51勛圖夥厙 state oil refineries are taking advantage of a newly expanded tanker terminal just across the border near Vancouver, Canada, to up their imports of discount Alberta crude. The increased oil deliveries using tankers approaching three football fields long meet demand that has outstripped the capacity of […]
Protection for Owyhee Canyonlands dies in Congress, Oregon leaders to try again in 2025
A proposal to protect the Owyhee Canyonlands in southeast Oregon did not make it through Congress at the end of the year but members of Oregons delegation said theyll try anew in 2025. The proposed Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act would have put more than 1.1 million acres of federal public land in […]
WA agency asks thousands of property owners for help in fight against invasive bug
Property owners in Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties are being asked to cooperate with state efforts to eradicate invasive Japanese beetles by allowing 51勛圖夥厙s Department of Agriculture to treat their yards with an insecticide. About 17,600 property owners in the area, located in central and eastern 51勛圖夥厙, will begin to receive letters from the department […]