Environmental justice assessment notices

Full EJA Notification Linked Here

In March 2024, the board adopted new standards for minimum horizontal setbacks. The setback requirements for surface water used as a drinking water source were increased to proactively protect source water around surface water intakes.

When the rule was implemented, local health jurisdictions notified the DOH and board of unintended consequences resulting from the rule change. The changed setbacks were intended to be measured from the point of the drinking water intake. However, as written, the rule was interpreted as requiring the setbacks from the entire river, regardless of where the drinking water intake is located. In November 2025, the board received a petition for rulemaking from Northeast Tri County Health District and Pend Oreille County Commissioners. The petition requested that the board revert the setbacks for surface water used as a drinking water source to what they had been in the previous version of the rule. The petitioners stated that the new rule impacts the development of lots along the Pend Oreille River system.

At the January 14, 2026 board meeting, the board accepted the petition for rulemaking.

• May 2026 – Informal comment period
• September-November 2026 – Formal comment period
• November 2026 – Public hearing
• December 2026 – Rulemaking complete

WSDA developing rules that allow for mobile processing of big leaf maple sap into maple syrup.

WSDA started rule making after the Snohomish County Conservation and Natural Resources Department petitioned WSDA to open or create food safety rules more specific to processing of maple syrup that allow for onsite processing of sap into syrup.

WSDA posted a public facing blog on its website with contact information for feedback

WSDA sent letters of notifications to all Tribal Nations within Western Washington with contact information

Replace the existing intersections on State Route (SR) 3 at Craig Road, Mill Creek Road, and Arcadia Road with roundabouts, implement access management restricting left turns, and incorporate Complete Streets improvements.

Project webpage, in-person community engagement events, and online open house. Access more detailed information about these opportunities on the project webpage linked above.

The Liberty Park Land Bridge – Reconnecting East Central Spokane project is intended to restore non-motorized connections across Interstate 90 (I-90) that were severed during highway construction in the 1950s. I-90 split the neighborhood, displaced over a thousand households, eliminated most of Liberty Park, and created long-lasting environmental, health, and economic burdens. The project focuses on the East Central neighborhood and includes Liberty Park and connections to the Ben Burr Trail and larger regional trail network.

erconnects@wsdot.wa.gov Agency, Tribal and Community engagement will be conducted throughout the project. Specific engagement opportunities will be updated as the project advances. Find more information on the project webpage linked above.

The goal of this request legislation is to expand membership in the Law Enforcement Officers’ and Firefighters’ System Plan 2 (LEOFF 2) to include full-time firefighters employed by the Department of Natural Resources. DNR has coordinated with the Law Enforcement Officers’ and Firefighters’ System Plan 2 (LEOFF 2) Board, Washington Department of Retirement Services, Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, and legislators to develop the agency – request legislation.

DNR will be using Smart Comment — a software the agency uses to solicit public comments on agency actions. A link to Smart Comment will be posted to DNR’s website.

The Recycling Reform Act (RRA) establishes an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for packaging and paper products sold in Washington State. Under the program, producers of covered materials—including packaging such as boxes, bottles, and cans made from paper, plastic, metal, and glass, as well as printed paper products—must join and finance a nonprofit Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to manage the end-of-life collection and recycling of these materials.

By shifting financial and operational responsibility from residents and local governments to producers, the RRA is intended to create a more transparent, accountable, and cost-effective recycling system statewide. The law applies across Washington, including urban, rural, island, and geographically isolated communities, and is expected to improve recycling infrastructure, reduce service disparities, and increase recycling rates. Intended environmental benefits include reduced landfill disposal, lower greenhouse gas emissions, decreased litter and marine debris, and improved material recovery. Intended health benefits include reduced exposure to pollution associated with waste disposal and incineration.

The RRA also establishes statewide convenience standards to ensure equitable and accessible recycling collection for single-family and multifamily households, expanding services in areas that have historically lacked reliable recycling options. Collection events and expanded drop-off infrastructure will help serve rural and underserved communities.

Additionally, the law creates an Equity Subcommittee to advise on environmental justice, accessibility, and community engagement throughout implementation. Populations expected to benefit include residents of overburdened communities, low-income households, rural residents, multifamily housing tenants, and communities with limited access to recycling services, as the program aims to reduce disparities and promote equitable access to waste management services across the state.

Ecology will provide multiple opportunities for public comment throughout this assessment and the associated rulemaking process.

Public engagement methods will include listening sessions specifically intended for residents of overburdened communities and vulnerable populations. These sessions will provide opportunities for community members to share input, ask questions, or raise concerns about the proposed action. Ecology will also accept public comments during rulemaking comment periods submitted through the comment portal, by email, and during public hearings.

In addition, the Equity Subcommittee will regularly engage with community members to gather feedback on Advisory Council updates, outreach materials, and program implementation considerations. The Subcommittee will relay community questions, comments, and concerns directly to the Advisory Council to help ensure meaningful consideration of public input.

Agency request legislation to update the definition of timberland under the real estate excise statutes to ensure that when private timberland owners sell land to a governmental entity such as a state agency, a local government, or a tribal government, that they are assessed the same 1.28% rate as they would if selling to another private landowner. This will remove tax uncertainty for the seller and governmental agencies that are acquiring working forestland with the intention of keeping it in forestry.

Meetings with forest landowners, the Department of Revenue, rural resoucre dependent counties, consultation with Tribal nations, and public hearings in the House and Senate in 2025 and 2026. Notices posted on the department’s external website and weekly legislative calls.

DNR seeks to clarify the authority of the agency to participate in contracts for payment for ecosystem services in all public lands it manages to generate income.

Meetings with stakeholders and community-based organizations, consultation with Tribal nations, public hearing in the House.

This significant agency action would provide $20 million to Kitsap Public Health District to fund the Onsite Sewage System Regional Loan Program, an existing statewide partnership between local health jurisdictions and the state departments of Ecology and Health. This program provides grants and low-interest loans to homeowners across Washington for the repair or replacement of failing septic systems, or connection to sewer where required. Funding will support efforts to reduce impacts to groundwater and surface waters from bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and nutrients from failing septic systems. This project aids in protecting and restoring water quality, aquatic ecosystems, fish, and shellfish populations. People and communities benefit from this funding through economic incentives, property value protections, and public health protections.

Ecology will host a public comment period Jan. 29-Feb. 28, 2026 for the State Fiscal Year 2027 Draft Water Quality Funding Offer List. We will also hold a virtual public meeting on Feb. 12, 2026, 1 p.m. Though exact methods are yet to be determined, Ecology will identify additional opportunities to engage with people who are impacted by this action and provide methods for their meaningful involvement in this decision. Please contact Faith Wimberley to stay informed on additional opportunities to be involved at faith.wimberley@ecy.wa.gov.

Adds a tribal representative to the Board of Natural Resources appointed by the Governor.

-Smart Comment -Tribal Consultations

This rulemaking is necessary to strengthen the state’s oil spill contingency planning requirements for vessels, facilities, pipelines, and railroads and ensure they continue to maximize the effectiveness and timeliness of oil spill preparedness and response. These updates will help protect Washington’s waters, natural and cultural resources, and significant economic assets by minimizing the impact of oil spills and ensuring the highest level of protection achievable through current technology, staffing, and operational practices.

During rule development, we will offer opportunities for the public to learn about the rulemaking, understand potential impacts, and provide input on what they would like to see in the proposed rule. Ecology will provide opportunities for vulnerable populations and overburdened communities who may be impacted by this rule to meaningfully inform the rulemaking through focused engagement activities from February through October of 2026, including meeting directly with groups that represent some of these populations. We are also available to meet with individual organizations and small community groups upon request throughout the rulemaking process. We will invite government-to-government consultation with potentially impacted Tribes, with particular focus on the mid-Columbia region, at each key phase of the rulemaking (rule announcement, proposal, and adoption) and continue to meet regularly with Tribes across and bordering Washington to answer questions, share updates, and incorporate feedback. A formal public comment period will be held on the proposed changes in 2027, during which all comments received will be reviewed and responded to. For updated information and upcoming engagement opportunities, please visit the rulemaking webpage or contact the rulemaking team at SpillsRulemaking@ecy.wa.gov .