Link Source: https://agr.wa.gov/about-wsda/news-and-media-relations/news-releases?article=37536
PASCO, Wash. – A single Japanese beetle was confirmed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) July 12 in Pasco, Washington.
A Franklin County Horticultural Pest and Disease Board trapper found the beetle and state officials responded to the catch, verified the beetle, and set up a delimiting trapping grid around the find.
“This is an excellent example of just how important agency collaboration is,” Camilo Acosta, WSDA Japanese beetle eradication project coordinator, said.
The trap produced a single beetle. WSDA teams began immediately setting up additional traps and checking nearby nurseries for additional detections.
“A single beetle is less cause for concern because one beetle can’t reproduce,” Acosta said. “But we need to be sure there are not more. Last year, a single beetle was found in Richland, but extensive trapping in the area did not detect additional beetles.”
State officials urge anyone in Yakima, Benton or Franklin counties to look for and report these beetles. Growers can consult crop protection specialists and community members can consult WSDA’s website for guidance from Washington State University Extension on protecting their gardens from this invasive pest. WSDA mapping specialists created a real-time detection map that growers can use to determine how close they are to known Japanese beetle detections.
Public participation is key
More than ever, public participation is key in fighting invasive species. With these detections along the I-82 corridor, WSDA is asking residents – especially in Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties – to look for and report Japanese beetles.
If you live in Washington state and think you see a Japanese beetle, please snap a photo and report the sighting online.
Identifying Japanese beetle
Japanese beetle adults are metallic green and brown and have little tufts of white hair on their sides. They emerge – usually from lawns or in other soil – and feed on more than 300 types of plants. From fall to spring the grubs (larvae) overwinter in the soil and slowly develop into mature adults ready to emerge again the next year in the summer as temperatures warm.
How can I help?
To rid the area of the pest, community members can help by trapping, reporting and killing the insects on their properties. Residents that live in an area where the beetles have been detected can limit the spread by not moving plants, yard waste or soil from their property to prevent spreading the beetles.
“We also urge you to leave your plants, or treat them with an appropriate insecticide, before moving from the area,” Acosta added.
Adult beetles can hitchhike on vehicles and on items stored outdoors. When adult beetles are flying, those who live in or visit the quarantine area should take a second to ensure they are not giving a free ride to beetles when they leave the area. This can be as simple as checking the back of your pick-up truck to ensure that no beetles are taking advantage of a free ride.
Eradication
WSDA’s goal is to eradicate this introduction of Japanese beetle to protect Washington’s farms, lawns, parks and gardens. However, if eradication is possible, it will take several years. Each summer, WSDA will conduct extensive trapping to determine the number and location of the beetles. In the fall and winter, the agency uses the summer trapping information to prioritize eradication efforts the following spring.
History
In 2020, WSDA first discovered just three Japanese beetles in the Grandview area. In 2021, the department trapped more than 24,000 beetles, and in 2022, trappers caught A little less than 24,000. So far this year, teams have caught about 6,600 beetles. Japanese beetles are highly invasive pests of more than 300 plants, including roses, grapes and hops. Adult beetles damage plants by skeletonizing the foliage. Adults also feed on buds, flowers and fruit on the plants and are frequently intercepted with air cargo from the Eastern U.S.
If Japanese beetle becomes established in the area, it could have significant impacts on gardens and yards, parks and farms as well as farmers’ ability to move agricultural products out of the area.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS...
Washington Community Economic Revitalization Board invests more than $4.5 million in three counties.--WA Commerce.
Keeping summer traditions alive: Commerce, ArtsWA award over $3 million to support, restart community festivals and events.--WA Commerce
New status, protections proposed for Soap Lake and the Cascade, Green and Napeequa rivers.
OLYMPIA –
In what would be a first for Washington state, the Department of Ecology is proposing to classify four water bodies as “Outstanding Resource Waters” – a special designation under the federal Clean Water Act that carries extra water quality protections and recognition.--DOE
Cleaning up: Early cleanup work continues at historic hospital site in Sedro-Woolley.
Between 1912 and 1973, Washington state treated psychiatric patients at the Northern State Hospital, located on the outskirts of Sedro-Woolley in Skagit County. It was built to be a self-sustaining campus, complete with dairy, steam power plant, staff housing, and a myriad of other buildings.--DOE
Employment growth pushes unemployment rate to pre-pandemic low
OLYMPIA – Washington’s economy gained an estimated 11,900 jobs (seasonally adjusted) and the monthly unemployment rate decreased to 3.8% in June.--ESD
2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION...
KILMER LEGISLATION TO ENHANCE RESILIENCY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES PASSES HOUSE
BIPARTISAN RESILIENT AIRPORTS ACT PASSES HOUSE AS PART OF SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT--Details
KILMER EFFORT TO TACKLE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ACROSS U.S. MILITARY INCLUDED IN ANNUAL DEFENSE BILL. Dated 7/14/23
Cantwell Bill to Spur Economic Development in South Puget Sound Passes Committee
Act would place over 17 acres of land into trust for Puyallup Tribe; Cantwell originally introduced the legislation in September 2022; reintroduced in February 2023--press release
Cantwell Introduces Bill to Defend Voting Rights, Extend Vote-By-Mail & Same-Day Registration Nationwide
Freedom to Vote Act would expand voter-friendly WA policies, implement new election security measures, establish Election Day as a holiday, & ban partisan gerrymandering & anonymous big-dollar donations.--Press release
Senator Murray Secures Over $65 Million for Key Transportation and Housing Projects in WA State, Funding Boost for FAA and Key Housing Programs in Draft Appropriations Bill.--press release
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Energy and Water Development, State-Foreign Operations, and Transportation-HUD Bills.--press release
3) WORLD & NATIONAL NEWS...
Launching New Agenda for Peace Policy Brief, Secretary-General Urges States to “Preserve Our Universal Institution” amid Highest Level of Geopolitical Tension in Decades.--UN PRESS RELEASE
In Meeting Following Russian Federation’s Veto of Cross-Border Aid Text, General Assembly Speakers Highlight Humanitarian Consequences for Millions
Lives ‘Should Never Be Reduced’ to Geopolitical Games, Stresses President.--UN PRESS RELEASE.
Secretary-General Strongly Condemns Russian Federation Attacks on Black Sea Port Facilities--UN PRESS RELEASE.
The United States joins the Joint Statement of Shared Commitments to Advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda--USUN
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani Before Their Meeting--US STATE DEPT.
NATION
U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy Showing Results, Ratner Tells Congress.
The Defense Department is clear-eyed about the challenge to the international rules-based order from the People's Republic of China, Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs told the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party today.--DOD
Justice Department Secures Agreement With Wyoming School District to Address Discrimination Based on Sex and Disability.--DOJ
White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities Names 2023 HBCU Scholars.-Dept. of Education
Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary Fudge Take on Junk Fees in Rental Housing
Major online rental search platforms agree to provide tens of millions of consumers with better information about fees.--HUD
Secretary Haaland Visits Northern Mariana Islands, Highlights Investments to Protect Cultural and Natural Resources.--Dept. of Interior
4) BUSINESS
Interior Department Takes Steps to Modernize Oil and Gas Leasing on Public Lands, Ensure Fair Return to Taxpayers
Proposed rule would improve responsible stewardship of America’s lands, better protect cultural and natural resources, and implement changes directed by Congress--Dept of Interior
USDA Launches Historic Partnership with Bipartisan State Attorneys General to Help Reduce Anticompetitive Barriers Across Food, Agriculture Supply Chains.--USDA
Climate-Related Financial Risks
Michael S. Gibson, Director of Supervision and Regulation
Before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy, Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives.--THE FED
Specially designed Security Summit plan helps tax pros protect data; summer security series begins.--IRS
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION RECOGNIZES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WITH A+ FOR EXCELLENCE IN PROCUREMENT PRACTICES IN SUPPORT OF SMALL BUSINESSES--Labor dept.
5) IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETINGS
IN FOCUS: Senator Murray Secures Nearly $200 Million Funding Boost for Hanford, Over $25 Million for Research and Construction Projects in WA Among Other State Priorities in Draft Appropriations Bill.
Senator Murray: “As long as I am the Senate Appropriations Chair, Congress is not going to shortchange the Hanford cleanup, the workers who power that mission, or the communities living nearby. This bill also makes crucial investments in our national labs, including PNNL, keeping our nation on the cutting edge of research and development and bringing good-paying jobs to the Tri-Cities.”
ICYMI: Chair Murray’s Opening Remarks at Full Committee Markup
ICYMI: Senate Appropriations Committee Unanimously Approves Energy and Water Development Bill
Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Chair Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), voted to advance the Energy and Water Development funding bill for Fiscal Year 2024 that Senator Murray led the committee in drafting. Overall, the draft legislation provides $58.095 billion in total funding for the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and independent agencies to protect our energy grid, improve waterway infrastructure and drought resiliency, maintain our nation’s ports and harbors, propel cutting-edge scientific research, and further our nuclear nonproliferation and essential environmental clean-up efforts across the country, including at the Hanford site in Richland, Washington. The Committee voted unanimously, 29-0, to advance the legislation, where it now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
The legislation includes $3.032 billion for Hanford—an increase of $195 million above last year’s funding level—which includes $1.042 billion for Richland operations (a $35.5 million increase) and $1.89 billion for the Office of River Protection (a $160 million increase). The increased funding for Richland includes $10.7 million in Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for the Tri-Cities communities near the site. The draft legislation also funds a wide array of other programs and projects important to Washington state, including an initial $50 million investment in the construction of the Howard Hanson Dam Fish Passage facility and $38 million for the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan. Additionally, it provides a historic $2.77 billion for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund—a longtime priority for Senator Murray—to invest in our nation’s port and waterway infrastructure, including in Washington state.
In addition, Senator Murray secured more than $25 million in the draft legislation in Congressionally Directed Spending requests for seven critical projects in Washington state. This does not include funding for national programs that will later be allocated on a competitive or formula-specific basis.
“The Energy and Water bill we passed today deals with everything from absolute essentials like getting communities and farmers water, to managing serious threats like the climate crisis and nuclear arms,” Senator Murray said at today’s markup. “The investments in this bill help keep our country competitive by investing in Washington state’s ports, harbors, and waterways, and help secure our energy grid—so we can reduce our dependence on foreign countries, lower energy prices, and make sure our state can stay continue to lead the world in clean energy technology. Whether it’s farmers in the Yakima Valley, workers at the Port of Seattle, or Washington state’s sovereign Tribes—I have made certain that Washington state’s priorities are heard loud and clear in this legislation.”
“Crucially, this bill provides record funding for the Hanford site—more than ever before—in a very challenging year,” Murray continued. “As I have made abundantly clear, as long as I am the Senate Appropriations Chair, Congress is not going to shortchange the Hanford cleanup, the workers who power that mission, or the communities living nearby. This bill also makes crucial investments in our national labs, including PNNL, keeping our nation on the cutting edge of research and development and bringing good-paying jobs to the Tri-Cities.”
In the draft legislation, Murray secured more $25.455 million in Congressionally Directed Spending requests for seven important projects in Washington state:
$500,000 for continued work on a comprehensive village development plan to address impacts to Tribal villages, housing sites, and related structures as a result of the construction of the Dalles, Bonneville, McNary, and John Day dams.
$2.692 million for the Easton Bull Trout Research and Recovery Facility, which continues implementation of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan and supports the research and recovery of Endangered Species Act-listed bull trout. This is a joint project between Kittitas Reclamation District, the Yakama Nation, and the Bureau of Reclamation.
$5.5 million for important maintenance and repairs to the locks at the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
$180,000 for sediment monitoring at Mount St. Helens.
$9.675 million for construction for improvements to drainage of Cascade Creek at Mud Mountain Dam.
$1.9 million to continue pre-construction engineering and design for Tacoma Harbor, including deepening the Blair Waterway and channel widening for improved vessel navigation.
$5 million for the University of Washington’s Tidal-Powered Ocean Observation project to develop and deploy oceanographic sensing packages powered by tidal currents.
The legislation also included important funding and report language for national programs that are particularly important to Washington state, including:
Report language explicitly directing the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to fully implement language Senator Murray championed in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act that requires the Corps to provide additional funding to Donor and Energy Transfer ports, which contribute more to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund than they can access. Seattle and Tacoma are both Donor ports and this language will ensure that they get their fair share from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. This is in addition to $58 million included for Donor and Energy Transfer ports, a $2 million increase over last year’s funding level, also authorized by Senator Murray in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act.
$8.43 billion for the Office of Science—a $330 million increase over last year’s funding level—which supports basic scientific research, including at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
$940 million for Earth and Environmental Systems Science, a $8 million increase over last year’s funding level. The bill includes $65 million for PNNL’s Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory and $10 million for construction of PNNL’s new Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability project. As part of this funding, $30 million was included for observational assets and research on land-water interfaces at national laboratories, including PNNL.
$37 million for Energy Delivery Grid Operations Technology, an increase of $6 million above last year’s funding level. Increased funding would support efforts by PNNL to develop a national platform to host the data necessary for grid reliability modeling and analytics to support the clean energy transition.
$200 million for the Water Power Technologies Office, a $21 million increase over last year’s funding level. Increased funding would support ongoing infrastructure improvement projects at PNNL’s Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory in Sequim and continue the Powering the Blue Economy Initiative.
More information on the bill is available HERE.
CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS.
Clallam County Commission work session for 7/24/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07242023-875
Clallam County Commission meeting for 7/25/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07252023-876
Port of Port Angeles Commission meeting for 7/25/23
https://www.portofpa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07252023-697
City of Sequim Council meeting for 7/25/23
https://www.sequimwa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2875
City of Forks Council meeting for 7/24/23
https://forkswashington.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Agenda-20230724.pdf
Monday, July 24, 2023
Special Meeting of PUD No. 1 of Clallam County re: Water Cost of Service Rates and Capital
Improvement Plan.
JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS
Jefferson County Commission meeting for 7/24/23
https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/d059ac3b-22d6-4a00-b320-00d19e6cd814
PORT TOWNSEND AGENDA (City Council)
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 540 WATER STREET (Special meeting called) for 7/24/23
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=3688
Weekly devotional
