Environmental justice assessment notices

Capital construction project to support DNR’s wildland firefighting, forest resiliency, and other programs in the northeast region of the state. This project will improve DNR’s ability to mitigate and fight wildland fires that threaten local communities, trust resources, and wildlife habitat. Completion of this project will assist DNR in limiting economic losses, reduce threats to public safety, and will support long-term health and resilience of forests and other landscapes.

Information on the Capital Budget Request and opportunities for public comments will be posted on the DNR Environmental Justice and Legislative Priorities webpages. Please submit a public comment on this proposed action online.

Ecology is considering amendments to Chapter 173-460 WAC, Controls for New Sources of Toxic Air Pollutants. Toxic air pollutants (TAPs), also known as air toxics, are pollutants known or suspected of causing cancer or other adverse health and environmental impacts when emitted in significant quantities. Ecology’s rule reduces health risks from TAPs by limiting emission concentrations and requiring pollution controls for new and modified commercial and industrial sources.  This rulemaking will consider updates to the emission thresholds, known as acceptable source impact levels (ASILs), used in permitting review of new and modified TAP sources. Ecology is also considering updating the list of TAPs and establishing multiple averaging times for certain pollutants. Together, these amendments are intended to align Ecology’s rule with the latest risk assessment standards and strengthen statewide protections against air toxic exposure. Ecology is also considering updates to its process for considering background concentrations of TAPs during permitting approvals, with the aim of creating a more comprehensive review process that improves protections for areas facing significant air pollution risks. Other changes may include clarifying rule language about emissions offsets, establishing toxic equivalency factors for certain pollutants, and making other changes to improve implementation of the rule.

Ecology plans to hold virtual public workshops and informal comment periods to discuss the rulemaking and solicit public feedback. During these meetings, staff plan to share methods used for calculating the revised ASIL values, discuss potential methods of assessing background risks during the permitting process, and explain how Ecology is considering other potential updates to the rule. Through notices published on its website and email distribution list, Ecology will offer opportunities to overburdened communities and vulnerable populations to participate in these workshops and comment periods.

In addition to the scheduled engagement opportunities, staff will also be available for one-on-one or small group meetings with interested parties. A formal public hearing and comment period will be held once the rule is proposed. Public engagement opportunities are tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2027. Details will be shared via Ecology’s rulemaking website and email list. For more information, please contact Adam Saul, Rule Lead, at adam.saul@ecy.wa.gov or (360) 742-7998.

Replace all 75 open-grid deck panels at the end of their service life along northbound SR 99, between MP 26.83 to MP 26.88, to extend the lifespan of the structure.

Agency, Tribal and community engagement will be conducted throughout the project. Specific engagement opportunities will be updated as the project advances.

Change registration fees for new fertilizer products in statute from $150/biennium to $200/biennium, registration renewal fees from $120/biennium to $200/biennium, allow for WSDA to set rule-based fee changes, clarify heavy metal testing requirements and add agricultural amendments as regulated materials that require registration.

Email to: envjustice@agr.wa.gov

Change registration fees in statute from $325/yr to $500/yr and allow for rule-based fee changes up to $650/year.

Email: envjustice@agr.wa.gov

Repair and rebuild a 4-mile stretch of southbound Interstate-5 in Ridgefield, using a crack, seat and overlay method.

• The final Environmental Justice Assessment will be posted on the project webpage and maintained throughout the life of the project. Tribal consultation will be conducted to provide an opportunity for review and comment on the assessment.
• Because this work involves construction along I-5 with construction-related travel impacts, communications best practices will be used throughout the project, including:
  • Create and maintain a project webpage with current construction schedules and travel information.
  • Distribute a news release ahead of construction.
  • Issue travel advisories as needed for significant traffic impacts and closures.
  • Post construction impacts and closures to WSDOT’s real-time travel map.
  • Share social media updates at key project milestones, including the start and completion of construction, and amplify significant travel advisories through regional social media channels.
  • Coordinate construction activities, when feasible, to minimize impacts during major cultural and community events.

The Forest Fire Protection Assessment (FFPA) provides a crucial source of revenue for DNR, paid by private forest landowners and certain exempt entities, to cover the costs of preparing to fight forest fires rather than the actual suppression costs. The state’s contributions toward forest fire protection have significantly increased over the last 21 years, while the rates for FFPA have not changed since 2005. The revenue generated from the FFPA does not adequately cover the cost for protection. DNR is pursuing agency request legislation to adjust the FFPA rates to provide a dedicated source of revenue to fund DNR’s forest fire protection priorities including training wildland firefighters, equipping wildland firefighters through the DNR fire cache, keeping wildland firefighters safe, and preventing forest fires with wildfire prevention programming. This proposal will also align the FFPA with statutory requirements for the State and private forestland owners to cover an equitable share of the forest fire protection costs in the state. This proposal will make more resources available to enhance forest fire protection across the state and better position DNR to implement the Washington State Wildland Fire Protection 10-Year Strategic Plan. Wildfire disasters and poor air quality often hit marginalized populations the hardest. This proposal will better ensure protection resources are available, helping to reduce wildfire related health impacts for overburdened communities, vulnerable populations, and all Washingtonians.

Information on the Forest Fire Protection Assessment (FFPA) is available on DNR’s website and the Environmental Justice and Legislative Priorities webpages. Please submit public comment online.

House Bill 2338, recently passed during the 2026 Washington State legislative session, added a section to the existing weatherization statute in RCW 70A.35 establishing a pathway for new community scaled weatherization projects to be funded through the existing Commerce weatherization program. A community scaled project is a weatherization project that includes multiple dwelling units in the same neighborhood or area where overlapping factors such as environmental, social, or economic conditions may adversely impact residents, as determined by Commerce. Commerce received 11M in capital funding for FY 27 to grant via this new program.

Tribal Briefing and Community Involvement Sessions are scheduled for October 2026.

Additional questions can be answered by Nick Manning at nick.manning@commerce.wa.gov.

This bill would expand access to the Multi-Use Roadway Safety Account (MURSA) to the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for management of Green Dot Roads. This is aimed at increasing available maintenance funds for roads open to motorized recreation in Yakima, Kittitas, and Chelan counties. Improved maintenance would reduce environmental resource damage, improve public access, improve safety, and enhance the visitor experience.

Information on the bill and opportunities for public comment will be posted on the DNR Environmental Justice and Legislative Priorities webpages. Please submit a public comment online on this proposed action.

Agency-request legislation to amend RCW 79.10.460, RCW 79.15.080, and RCW 79.15.100 to clarify DNR’s authority to establish payment terms for timber sale contracts. The proposal would allow DNR and the Board of Natural Resources to use tools such as periodic payments, advance payments, security, or other financial assurances when appropriate. This would help reduce revenue volatility, improve predictability for trust beneficiaries and junior taxing districts, and maintain transparency through existing Board approval and timber sale notice processes.

Information on the bill and opportunities for public comment will be posted on the DNR Environmental Justice and Legislative Priorities webpages. Please submit public comment online.

The DNR Recreation Program does not have a dedicated account in the State Treasury for donations or collected fees for permits or other activities. This creates issues with transparency and accounting. The Department proposes agency request legislation to create this account. The legislation will not create any fees, nor will it generate revenue; it is just the creation of the account.

Information on the bill and opportunities for public comment will be posted on the DNR Environmental Justice and Legislative Priorities webpages. Please submit public comment online.