News
A rushed fix of the Hirst ruling won’t solve Washington’s water woes
Posted at A Rushed “Fix” of Hirst Ruling Won’t Solve Water Woes — 9/13/2017 Counter to the narrative that has been pressed by opposition, the Washington State Supreme Court’s water-availability Hirst decision isn’t in need of a “fix.” What we … Continue reading
Futurewise on KEXP
Futurewise Executive Director, Chris Wierzbicki, and Darcy Nonemacher, Government Affairs Director for the Washington Environmental Council talk with Diane Horn of KEXP about the wrap up of the 2017 legislative session on this “Sustainability Segment.” Click hereto listen.
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