WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled a new program to support American wood processing facilities. USDA Rural Development is partnering with USDA Forest Service to provide funding through the new Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP). The program will support the processing and utilization of wood products from National Forest System lands to improve forest health and reduce the risk posed by wildfires, insects, and disease and the detrimental impacts they have on communities and critical infrastructure.

A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife scientist said chronic wasting disease, a brain ailment that afflicts deer, likely will persist in Washington for at least decades. Washington State University in mid-December confirmed three deer harvested in Spokane County and one harvested in Pend Oreille County this fall had the disease.

NRCS updated its regulations for watershed projects to allow Indian tribes or tribal organizations to sponsor needed watershed projects.

Why are farmers burying underwear in their fields?

WHITE SALMON — The air is changing, the mountains are getting early snow, and soon there may be snow in town to enjoy. It’s the perfect time of year to

Applications are now open for the Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program for young adults and military veterans interested in the

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is now accepting grant applications for volunteer projects that benefit the state’s fish and wildlife resources and the public’s enjoyment of them.WDFW estimates having approximately $896,900 available for grants, funded through the state’s Aquatic Land Enhancement Account (ALEA), for projects occurring between July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027.  The final amount available will be subject to legislative appropriation and won’t be finalized unless approved in the 2025 legislative session.

Every farmer can reduce tillage — from the number of passes to the aggressiveness or the depth of the tillage tool. Learn more about reduced tillage practices such as vertical-till, strip-till, zone-till and no-till.

Conservationists are teaming up with the U.S. Forest Service and logging companies to clear scorched land and make room for new reforestation projects.

Washington farmland owners with pastures and relatively low-value cropland stand to make more money leasing property to wind and solar developers, a state Department of Commerce study reports. Solar-power companies typically pay $200 to $350 per acre annually, though payments can be as high as $1,000 an acre. Wind developers typically pay thousands of dollars per megawatt, according to the study.

The Oregon Farm Bureau is the title sponsor for the 2025 Northwest Ag Show.

When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, lava incinerated anything living for miles around. As an experiment, scientists later dropped gophers onto parts of the scorched mountain for only 24 hours. The ...

The Biden administration has finalized its proposal for protecting greater sage grouse, which thrive in Eastern Oregon and in other Western states.

Chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas are a fast-growing food market, with new uses going well beyond bean salads and hummus—think brownies, vegan meats, and salad dressing. Researchers like Chitra Sivakumar ...

New technology called “virtual fencing” is catching on in Idaho and the West.

Groups across the U.S. said nitrate from farm fertilizers, manure, is contaminating water and disproportionately hurting rural communities.

SPOKANE, Wash. - Washington workers will now pay higher premiums in 2025 for paid family and medical leave.

Starting a farm can be a challenging undertaking. As more Oregon farmers age out of the industry, this tax-funded farm incubator helps beginning farmers overcome some of those challenges.

Starting next year, Washington's paid family leave premium rate will be 0.92%, up from the current 0.74% rate.

Bird flu was detected in a small backyard flock in Lewis County, Wash., the third case of avian influenza in domestic birds in the state in the past two weeks. Migratory waterfowl are spreading the virus, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. "Every backyard flock is at risk right now," State Veterinarian Amber Itle said in a statement.

Failure to pass a new farm bill by the end of the year could result in a complete reset of the process if one or both the House and Senate flip majorities as a result of the election, National Association of Wheat Growers Chandler Goule says. "I can see that easily pushing the farm bill into late 2025 or 2026, because it will literally hit the reset button," Goule said. "That's why it's so important we get it done by December ... A lot has to be done very quickly, as soon as the election is over."

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a Department-wide effort increasing wildlife habitat and corridor connectivity on National Forests and agricultural lands.

Four workers at a poultry farm in Franklin County, Wash., tested positive for bird flu, the Washington Department of Health announced Oct. 20. The infected workers had mild symptoms and were treated with medications. Other workers are being tested, according to the department.

Washington farmers and truckers have barely touched a $28.5 million pot of money the state set aside to partially refund them for the cap-and-trade taxes they paid on fuel in 2023. They have claimed $1.86 million, or just 6.5% of the money, the Department of Licensing reported. The department started taking applications Aug. 26. It and farm groups expected the money to go quickly.

Rhe Washington State Department of Agriculture on Oct. 7 was sent a photo of what appeared to be a deceased northern giant hornet spotted in the wild in the Burley region of Kitsap County. The state agency is asking the public to keep their eyes open in that area and report any suspected sightings of the northern giant hornet.

The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service provides funding to help farmers install pollinator habitats on working farms.

A year after a forest wildfire, the U.S. Forest Service assesses the damage but research shows that's not enough time to map restoration.

This blog shares key findings on the nationwide effectiveness of NRCS conservation practices in delivering benefits to pollinators.

More than 205,000 fish passed through Ice Harbor Dam, but more than half originated in a hatchery. Tribes and environmental groups say breaching the four lower Snake River dams will rescue endangered salmon and steelhead from "quasi-extinction" levels, but agricultural stakeholders worry that dam breaching supporters aren't using sound science to guide decision-making.

A 330-page document outlines the Proposed Barred Owl Management Strategy developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.