WACD Reading List

GREENVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire raging in Northern California exploded in size overnight, becoming the third-largest wildfire in state history amid high temperatures and strong winds. Better weather conditions were expected to aid the firefight on Friday. The Dixie Fire grew by 110 square miles (285 square kilometers) between Thursday night and Friday morning, making the blaze the largest wildfire currently raging in the nation.

NCW — Tuesday’s lightning storms started a slew of small wildfires across North Central Washington. Firefighting crews across the region are scrambling to contain the damage as another potentially dangerous weather system moves in. At least nine fires have started in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest since Tuesday, all of which appear to be lightning-caused, said Victoria Wilkins, Forest Service spokesperson.

Aug 5 (Reuters) - The United States hit a six-month high for new COVID cases with over 100,000 infections reported on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant ravages areas where people did not get vaccinated. The country is reporting over 94,819 cases on a seven-day average, a five-fold increase in less than a month, Reuters data through Wednesday showed. The seven-day average provides the most accurate picture of how fast cases are rising since some states only report infections once a week or only on weekdays.

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. – The Whatcom County Health Department is echoing the governor and the CDC in advising everyone to wear masks indoors in public places regardless of vaccination status. The health department also recommends everyone wear masks in crowded outdoor settings due to the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant.

The Cedar Creek Fire near the Methow Valley in Okanogan County is growing in size and is now burning almost 49,000 acres. Michael Davis with the response team says they’re trying to prevent any spread into communities. “We’re really working hard to keep the fire out of the Twisp River Drainage,” said Davis. “We really don’t want to let the fire get down into there and potentially threaten Twisp or the communities between here and the town.”

SEATTLE — The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) held a briefing Monday to discuss COVID-19 vaccines and the impact of the now-dominant delta variant on the state’s strained health care system. The briefing was led by WSHA CEO Cassie Sauer, who was joined by Dr. John Lynch of UW Medicine and Florence Chang, executive vice president and COO of MultiCare Health System.

Aug 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. states of Florida and Louisiana were at or near their highest hospitalization numbers of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, driven by the still-spreading Delta variant, as one doctor warned of the "darkest days" yet. More than 10,000 patients were hospitalized in Florida as of Sunday, surpassing that state's record. Louisiana was expected to break its record within 24 hours, prompting Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, to order residents to wear masks again indoors.

Over the next few years, Moore expects extreme rhetoric over state and national climate policy to seep into lower profile races. He pointed to the worsening droughts, wildfire seasons and tensions over irrigation channels in southern Oregon. This year’s charged discourse in school races are tomorrow’s acrimonious back-and-forths in water and soil conservation district elections, Moore said. “We’re going to start seeing it in more and more places,” he said.

Pierce Conservation District is government that works. We work strategically, diligently and passionately to conserve and restore the natural resources of Pierce County. The Water Quality Specialist works to increase watershed health knowledge and positive behavior change through action projects, workshops, trainings, and community outreach.

Endangered killer whales received new habitat protections from the U.S. government Friday. The National Marine Fisheries Service finalized rules to expand the Southern Resident orca’s critical habitat from the Canadian border down to Point Sur, California, adding 15,910 square miles (41,207 square kilometers) of foraging areas, river mouths and migratory pathways.

Many of you will need umbrellas during the next week. And perhaps a lightning rod.

WINTHROP – The Cub Creek 2 Fire, one of several blazes burning in Okanogan and Ferry counties, grew to 52,387 acres as of Wednesday morning, July 28. The blaze north of Winthrop is 13 percent contained, according to the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Gov. Jay Inslee says we should start masking up again in public indoor spaces.

WINTHROP – Firefighters from all over the West plus the Washington National Guard have joined the fight against fires burning on opposite sides of Okanogan County and into neighboring counties. Level 3 (get out now) evacuation notices went out Sunday night, July 25, for residents of several roads in the Wolf Creek area below Sun Mountain Lodge and for the lodge itself. Firefighters ran hoses through Wolf Creek neighborhoods and around the lodge in defense against the Cedar Creek Fire.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected to backpedal Tuesday on its masking guidelines and recommend that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging, a federal official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss details of the new policy. The CDC was expected to make an announcement later in the day.

WASHINGTON – Democrats and Republicans who represent Western states in Congress called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday to provide more aid to farmers and ranchers battling historic heat, drought and wildfires across the region. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, lawmakers from nine states asked the USDA chief to “explore all potential flexibilities for additional relief,” noting that some Northwest berry growers have reported losing up to 80% of their crops to the heat wave that saw temperatures in the region reach as high as 120 degrees in June. “Although the extent of damages relating to the extreme heat has yet to be fully determined, agricultural producers expect these impacts to be severe,” the lawmakers wrote. “As producers continue to assess losses over the next 18 months, it is likely that the total impact of the heat wave will be much higher than current estimates.”

CNN — The US could see nearly four times the current rate of Covid-19 cases in the next four to six weeks as the Delta variant spreads and the population hits a wall on vaccinations, a former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told CNN. That warning comes as the CDC is expected to change its masking guidance Tuesday – by recommending that vaccinated people in certain parts of the country resume wearing masks, and that everyone in K-12 schools wear masks regardless of vaccination status – according to sources familiar with the decisions.

The Washington state Department of Health reported 3,073 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths Monday. Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are 469,308 and 6,089 deaths. Those numbers are up from 466,235 cases and 6,078 deaths as of Friday. The case total includes 39,971 infections listed as probable. DOH revises previous case and death counts daily.

A pair of bills seeking to expand broadband access in Washington state went into effect on July 25. The bills, HB 1336 and SB 5383, will allow not-for-profit, community-owned public utility districts (PUD), ports, and counties to provide retail broadband service directly to customers. Under previous legislation enacted in 2000, PUDs have been able to build out the infrastructure for broadband internet, but were required to let private internet service providers deliver service.

NESPELEM — All evacuation levels at the Chuweah Creek Fire in Nespelem have been removed. The towns of Nespelem and Keller, as well as several surrounding areas, were under varying evacuation levels since a lightning strike started the fire July 12. On Monday, Level 1 notices — be aware — were lifted, according to a news release from Northwest Incident Management Team 12.

The situation is much the same all around Puget Sound. Providence Medical Center in Everett is operating at capacity. Harborview Medical Center is as well. As the region's level one trauma center, Harborview is receiving patients from other states -- people with serious burns and complex injuries. Ambulances have been forced to wait up to 90 minutes, at times, to unload their patients.

OLYMPIA — The Public Broadband Act, HB 1336, took effect Sunday to help ensure families and businesses throughout Washington state have access to high speed internet. “Washington state now joins the majority of states that allow unrestricted public broadband. This is long overdue. It will help people across the state have cheaper and better options for internet access,” said bill sponsor Rep. Drew Hansen (D-Bainbridge Island).

Due to extreme fire danger and ongoing drought, The Nature Conservancy is temporarily closing all recreational and public access to lands it manages in Eastern Washington, effective July 23. This includes Central Cascades Forest lands on both sides of I-90 around Cle Elum and stretching south to Highway 12, the Moses Coulee/McCartney Creek, Beezley Hills complex of preserves, and other preserve lands scattered through Eastern Washington.

The eruption of COVID-19 last year caused the proportion of people working from home in the U.S. to nearly double, with the shift most pronounced among college graduates and workers in such fields as finance and professional services.