WACD Reading List

WASHINGTON, Mar. 10, 2021 – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021...Specifically, provisions within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will reduce hunger across the country, strengthen the food supply chain, invest in rural America, and provide long awaited support to underserved, socially disadvantaged farmers.

While only three amendments passed, none was more consequential than Sen. Steve Hobbs’s amendment 413, which removed the emergency clause from the underlying bill...But, the impact was more profound — for political, electoral and legal reasons.

Pandemic relief, climate change, taxes and more — here’s what we’re watching halfway into the session.

In the 1990s, Washington lost 86,000 acres a year to wildfires. By 2015 the average had climbed to nearly a half million acres a year. Last year? 812,000 acres of forests and grassland were destroyed by wildfires, not to mention homes, businesses, and lives.

Cyberattacks always happen when you least expect them. And when they happen, they happen quickly. Responding appropriately is not just the responsibility of your cybersecurity team; everyone in the organization has a role to play.

Microsoft has released its regularly scheduled March Patch Tuesday updates, which address 89 security vulnerabilities overall. Included in the slew are 14 critical flaws and 75 important-severity flaws. Microsoft also included five previously disclosed vulnerabilities, which are being actively exploited in the wild.

At least 30,000 organizations in the U.S. have been hacked by a Chinese cyber espionage unit, known as "Hafnium." The group is targeting and exploiting security vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server email software.

Franz says the dedicated fund will fund projects that help rural towns that are vulnerable to wildfires. They include treating forests to lessen the density and creating fire breaks to direct flames away from populated areas.

Video tools take a toll on both kinds of personalities—sometimes in surprising ways

"Many companies succeeded working remotely in 2020 largely because everyone was doing it -- there was no built-in preference for office workers or stigma against remote workers," said Andrew Hewitt, senior analyst at market research firm Forrester. "Hybrid is going to make managing this difference harder."

From country towns to South Seattle, activists say the government must listen to long-marginalized communities that feel climate change’s biggest impacts.

There is, however, evidence that some people experience “managerial blues,” or disenchantment with their managerial job, viewing it as less meaningful than their previous one. Such disenchantment can easily push people to exit the managerial ranks not long after joining them, creating potentially a huge loss for the employee’s career and the organization.

$5 billion would go to farmers of color, who have lost 90 percent of their land over the past century because of systemic discrimination and a cycle of debt

Washington State is ranked #1 overall

The San Juan County Land Bank is offering a rare opportunity to purchase locally grown wildflowers native to San Juan County. Reserve plants online at sjclandbank.org, March 5 to 12, and pick them up on Saturday, March 20 at locations on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan islands.

There has been a 1.6% reduction in the total number of butterflies observed west of the Rocky Mountain range each year since 1977, researchers calculated, which amounts to a staggering loss of butterflies over the timespan of the study period.

Staying in is the most effective way to protect yourself during the pandemic, and that means a lot more time online at home. A VPN can help secure that critical connection.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest $285 million to help the Forest Service address critical deferred maintenance and improve transportation and recreation infrastructure on national forests and grasslands.

The CDC has issued new guidance for vaccinated people, giving the green-light to resume some pre-pandemic activities and relax precautions that have been in place.

“NRCS wants to ensure that the standards used to carry out the conservation practices are relevant to local agricultural, forestry and natural resource needs,” Acting NRCS Chief Terry Cosby said. “We are revising conservation practice standards to make sure they are the best technology and address the needs of producers and the natural resources on their land.”

People who are fully vaccinated can safely have private visits with unvaccinated people who have a low risk for severe COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today in highly anticipated guidance for vaccinated people.

A South Dakota rancher and former head of the Intertribal Agriculture Council has been tapped as the first Indigenous person to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency.

If you’re a mother or father struggling to get by, who didn’t always know when or where the next meal would come from, you will rest easier tonight knowing help is on the way. The bill not only boosts SNAP benefits through September, it also increases targeted nutrition assistance to mothers and young children and expedites more nutrition aid to U.S. territories. Farmers, business owners, and workers across the food supply chain will see additional assistance to respond to market disruption, as well.

“I really enjoyed the project on the Skookumchuck River as a first planting project. Serving with Thurston Conservation District was a joy as well,” shared AmeriCorps member Kylie Rench. “It was wonderful to have our sponsors with us directly at the site and to plant the beginnings of an oak woodland. I am excited to see how well it does over the years!”

It’s frustrating when a member of your team has mentally checked out. In some cases, this person does only the bare minimum. In other cases, they fail to meet important deadlines, or they drop the ball on critical projects.

From Tuesday to Friday afternoon, zebra mussel sightings have popped up in Washington state, as well as Wyoming, Oregon, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, New York, Pennsylvania and Montana. “This has blown up,” Anderson says. A USGS employee said the agency has heard that at least 12 states have been affected as of Friday afternoon.

This week is the second week in a two week stretch of floor action in the House and Senate.