Tag Archives: buffers

Members of the state agricultural industry that participated in the Riparian Taskforce recently submitted a letter providing an agricultural perspective in response to some of the recommendations released earlier this summer by Plauche and Carr, the Seattle law firm that led the taskforce. The final report recommends funding and implementation of voluntary restoration efforts and acquisition of riparian areas through ... Read More »

From the Capital Press A Seattle law firm, leading a state-funded study, tentatively recommends Washington use eminent domain to forcibly buy farmland if voluntary programs fail to meet goals for enlarging riparian buffers. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the Capital Press A bipartisan riparian buffer bill supported by farm groups and many tribes but opposed by Gov. Jay Inslee has failed to get out of the House Capital Budget Committee. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Feb. 19 marked the 40th day of the 2023 Legislative Session and the first deadline: policy committee cutoff. This means all bills needed to pass out of their respective policy committees in their house of origin by that date, or they are considered “dead” for the legislative session. However, no bill is ever officially “dead” ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The Inslee administration continues to oppose a bipartisan voluntary riparian buffer bill backed by tribes, farm groups and the entire House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Administration officials complained Monday the bill lacked minimum buffer widths and gave state agencies too little power to oversee grants to plant vegetation and compensate landowners. Read the rest of ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist We have completed the fifth week of the legislative session (Feb. 5-11). Only a week remains until the first legislative deadline on Feb. 17, when all bills must be voted out of their respective policy committees to remain under consideration. Bills that do not meet this deadline will be considered “dead” for the legislative session. ... Read More »

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) has released more information on the completely voluntary FY23 Riparian Buffer Program.  The new fact sheet includes information on four “tiers” of riparian buffers, with examples of associated practices and estimated payment scenarios – to include many with foregone income to help compensate landowners for income lost if they install a riparian buffer.  ... Read More »

The Washington state office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is launching a new voluntary Riparian Buffer Program in fiscal year 2023 that will compensate producers not only for things such as time, materials, labor and equipment required to install the buffers, but also for the income the land put into buffers would have produced. According to NRCS in ... Read More »

From the Capital Press A House bill to require publicly funded projects to benefit salmon did not have enough support Monday to pass the Senate Ways and Means Committee, blocking the legislation, which was opposed by farm groups. House Bill 1117 was scheduled for a vote by the Senate committee, but was skipped over. Committee Chairwoman Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Mandatory riparian buffers sought by Gov. Jay Inslee could take up more than 11,000 acres of farmland in Skagit County and nearly 5,000 acres in Lewis County, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »