Hirst doesn’t need to be “fixed” – it needs support to be implemented locally.

Posted at Seattle Times – Op-Ed – Implement Hirst decision to allocate state’s water rights cautiously and fairly — 8/7/2017

The Hirst Decision applies common sense to our state’s growth and water resources. Read this piece by Timothly Ballew II, Chairman of the Lummi Nation, in which he brings the complexity of water management to a place of clarity and argues in favor of thoughtful water management.

Read at Seattle Times – Op-Ed – Implement Hirst decision to allocate state’s water rights cautiously and fairly »

Category Archives: News

Hirst doesn’t need to be “fixed” – it needs support to be implemented locally.

Posted at Seattle Times – Op-Ed – Implement Hirst decision to allocate state’s water rights cautiously and fairly — 8/7/2017 The Hirst Decision applies common sense to our state’s growth and water resources. Read this piece by Timothly Ballew II, … Continue reading →

Legislators use Hirst to hold WA taxpayers hostage

Local legislators are frustrated with their inability to work through a negotiation on Hirst that would better plan water resources for rural communities. There are many paths forward that would continue to protect farms, wildlife and property owners.

As legislative session ends, the public loses out to special interests

With the closing of the 2017 legislative session on July 20th – after three overtime sessions – it’s clear  that the people of Washington lost out to the power of special interests on a number of fronts. On the Hirst decision – … Continue reading →

Superior Court Judge Denies Okanogan County Motions to Dismiss and Stays Appeals

On June 21, 2017, Okanogan County Superior Court Judge Christopher Culp denied motions by Okanogan County to dismiss Futurewise and the Methow Valley Citizens Council appeals of the Okanogan County comprehensive plan and zoning regulations. If granted, these motions would … Continue reading →

Join us at the Growing Seattle Candidate Forum!

The next four years of Seattle’s City Council and Mayor’s Office will have a lot to contend with as our region continues to grow, especially in terms of housing and transportation. Come join us and other local groups to make your … Continue reading →

Don’t blame GMA for supressing housing in Washington

If someone tells you the Growth Management Act is responsible for a housing shortage, do not believe them. According to just issued Census data, Washington State ranked sixth in the number of total building permits issued in 2016 –  see a … Continue reading →

Futurewise releases Climate Challenges Atlas

As the federal administration is considering turning their backs on climate science with the potential pull-out of the Paris Climate Accord, Futurewise is recognizing that the impacts of climate disruption are very real, particularly as they relate to vulnerable communities.  … Continue reading →

Pierce County Farm Land Under Threat

Despite years of work on behalf of Futurewise and the Puyallup Watershed Initiative partners, and thousands of dollars of investment, the Pierce County Council is ready to scrap protections for local farms.  This piece from King 5 tells the story. We’ll be … Continue reading →

A letter from our Executive Director

Believe it or not, I started out my career by determining how to best pave over farmland to make room for new big box retail stores.  This was New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the late 1990’s, and the “birthplace of … Continue reading →

Futurewise spring breakfast features race and equity keynote

On March 2, 2017, Futurewise hosted our annual spring fundraising event – which this year was a breakfast hosted at the Westin hotel in downtown Seattle.  We were please to host 350 guests, and honor a number of partners with … Continue reading →