NEWS

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- The Skagit County Commissioners will host a post-adoption hearing regarding Ordinance #20240001 at 11:30 a.m. on Monday March 25, 2024. The Ordinance imposed a temporary moratorium on events and certain other activities on lands zoned Agriculture-Natural Resources (Ag-NRL). The purpose of the hearing is to take public comment regarding the moratorium, existing business activities and enforcement, and the Administrative Official Interpretation directed by the Ordinance. The Board will not consider comments regarding a permanent ordinance applicable to new business activity, which will be discussed at a later date, according to a news release from the county. The public may provide     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– The California Air Resources Board on behalf of the state of California, the Gouvernement du Québec, and the Department of Ecology representing the state of Washington each recognize that fighting climate change requires sustained collaboration by all governments. Today they are officially expressing their interest in the potential formation of a shared carbon market between the three jurisdictions. California, Québec and Washington share a common interest in drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions in response to the global threat to well-being and prosperity posed by climate change. This threat demands significant and immediate collaborative action. California, Québec     (read more)

(MOUNT VERNON)- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced that the Pacific Northwest Maritime Education Alliance (PAC Maritime) is among 32 entities designated as Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (COE). PAC Maritime is an alliance of seven community and technical colleges and one maritime training entity in Washington and Oregon – including Skagit Valley College, North Seattle College, Seattle Central College, South Seattle College, Clark College, Peninsula College, Portland Community College and Crawford Nautical Training, according to a news release from Skagit Valley College. PAC Maritime is one of six designees in     (read more)

(PORTLAND, OR)- The USDA Forest Service honored two groups of Pacific Northwest Regional employees for their contributions and accomplishments toward meeting strategic goals during the 2023 Chief’s Honor Awards held on March 13, 2024. The Pacific Northwest Region’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscapes and the Office of Communication and Community Engagement Team received awards during the national event, according to a news release from the Forest Service. Award recipients were among 128 nominated across the agency, with only 37 final groups receiving awards. Nominees were considered based on five criteria: Mission, Outcomes, Work Environment and Culture, Initiative and Ingenuity, and Customer Experience. “The     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– It’s time for airports to submit their applications for the second round of 2023-2025 Airport Aid Grant Program. The Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation Division anticipates awarding $2 million in funding. Airports can only apply for projects previously submitted through the Statewide Capital Improvement Program (SCIP). The SCIP is an unconstrained prioritized list of projects entered by Washington’s 132 public-use airports that captures project requirements for airports to address individual airport needs, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. To apply, airports can fill out the online application and airport aid application checklist.     (read more)