NEWS

(OLYMPIA)– How Washington invests cap-and-invest auction revenues to prepare for climate change will be captured in public reporting that the Department of Ecology is responsible for publishing under the Climate Commitment Act, according to a news release from the agency. Ecology is starting new rulemaking focused on reporting requirements for state agencies that receive and use these auction revenues to fund various climate programs, projects, and initiatives across the state. From this information, Ecology must compile an annual report to the Legislature that shows where funds were spent and, for decarbonization projects, the greenhouse gas reductions they achieved. “The Climate     (read more)

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- Skagit County is looking for two members of the public interested in serving a two-year term on the Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP)’s advisory Watershed Group. Washington State’s VSP enables an enrolled county to protect and restore riparian streams and other critical areas on agricultural land through new voluntary programs and coordination of existing programs, instead of new regulation. The Watershed Group is made up of local producers, partner organizations, and county staff. This group is tasked with advising VSP staff on how best to operate the Voluntary Stewardship Program in Skagit County, including implementation of     (read more)

(SEATTLE)– Ridership aboard Washington State Ferries significantly increases as the weather gets warmer, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. As the busy travel season begins, there are several ways to avoid the potential long lines for vehicles. Hack #1: Customers are encouraged to leave their cars at home, if possible, to save time when catching a ferry. There is plenty of walk-on capacity with minimal to no wait on all sailings. People who ride bicycles or motorcycles can also skip the vehicle line. Hack #2: Travel off-peak. Early in the morning, later at night, or midweek     (read more)

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- Skagit County is in the process of developing an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Transition Plan to guide when and where mobility improvements need to be made. An ADA transition plan is one of the federally mandated requirements for state and local governments under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a news release from the county. This plan focuses on pedestrian facilities in the Public Right-of-Way including curb ramps, sidewalks, crosswalks, and signal push buttons. Through the development of this plan, Skagit County Public Works will: - Inventory existing pedestrian facilities; - Identify     (read more)

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- The annual Skagit County Point-in-Time (PIT) count took place on January 26, 2023, led by Community Action of Skagit County in partnership with Skagit County Public Health, many community partners, and dozens of volunteers. The purpose of the PIT count is to estimate the number people experiencing homelessness in Skagit County based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of homelessness which includes individuals who are unsheltered, and those residing in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and safe havens, according to a news release from the county. It does not include people temporarily living with     (read more)