EVENTS

April 12 – Drip Irrigation 101. Master Gardeners class at the Demonstration Garden.Learn how drip irrigation can help you water more efficiently in your garden. 1620 S Union St., Kennewick.

April 18 – STC monthly meeting. 12:30pm. Prepare for Earth Day and more at Bill’s place. Contact Bill.

April 19 – Tri-Cities Earth Day: Healthy People, Happy Planet. Noon – 4:00 pm. Connect with your community and with nature as we celebrate the legacy of Earth Day and share environmental solutions. Explore over 30 booths with hands-on activities and learning opportunities led by local organizations dedicated to sustainability, conservation, health, and education, such as Sustainable Tri-Cities! Food trucks, music and more. 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland.  visitthereach.us/events

• J&S Dreamland Express Train Rides. Start your visit with a ride on the J&S Dreamland Express! The train will shuttle guests from the event parking area to the museum entrance and offer scenic loops around the museum grounds throughout the day — a favorite for kids and kids-at-heart.
• Student Poster Session. Support student-led projects highlighting environmental science, activism, and innovation.
• Poetry Workshop For All Ages Led by A Spoken Space
• Earth-Friendly Art Activities Join ABCDino Academy, SageFen Maker Fest, and others for sustainable, hands-on art making using upcycled and eco-conscious materials.
• Healthy Cooking Demos Learn how to make plant-based smoothies and veggie wraps
• Climb Through FIN the Salmon. Step inside FIN, a giant 25-foot salmon exhibit brought by the Benton Conservation District! Learn about salmon habitat, life cycles, more.
• Earth Day Treasure Hunt.  Pick up a map and explore the REACH Museum’s indoor and outdoor exhibits while solving clues and earning prizes!
• Bee-Shaped Labyrinth Explore a bee-inspired walking labyrinth designed by Labyrinth in a Bag — a peaceful, symbolic space highlighting the role of pollinators in our ecosystem.
• Tour a New Electric Bus. Get a peek inside one of Ben Franklin Transit’s electric buses and learn how clean transportation is shaping the region’s future.
• Electric Vehicle Show. See a variety of electric cars up close in the REACH parking lot, hosted by the Mid-Columbia Electric Vehicle Association— no sales pitch, just real talk from the EV owners.

April 25 – Arbor Day. Pasco: 10am. Tree planting, and the Grand Opening of the Interactive Tree Walk at Volunteer Park. Kennewick: 1pm at Craighill Park. Richland: Jefferson Park. TBD.

April 26 –TC Chapter Citizens’ Climate Lobby monthly meeting. 7pm. Reduce GHG emissions. Contact Steve about writing to Rep. Newhouse to save IRA funding for local renewable energy projects.

ACTIONS FOR APRIL

Volunteer with us at the Earth Day event at the REACH. Sustainable TC and CCL both need more people at their booths, so we can take a break and take part in the event. Will train. Contact Lora.

BFCOG Coordinated Safety Action Plan and Safe Routes to School Plan. These plans focus on reducing crashes, enhancing walkability, and ensuring safer routes for students traveling to and from school. Public input is essential in shaping the final versions to ensure they align with the future needs of our region. Your feedback wanted. Review the drafts and share your thoughts by attending an open house or visiting the BFCOG website.

Open House Dates: April 8 – Richland (Hybrid), April 14 – Pasco (In Person), April 17 – Virtual

BFCOG  Tri-Cities Climate Survey

Share your experience and your ideas for addressing local weather and climate impacts. Benton County and the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, and West Richland are working together to develop a regional strategy to reduce weather and climate impacts and reduce emissions. More information at www.bfcog.us/climate-change . For the question “which types of strategies do you support for increasing the Tri-Cities region’s preparedness for weather and climate hazards…?” Suggestions for “other”: provisions for reverse metering for solar homes, funded preservation of tree canopy, grid reliability, micro grids. For the question “What types of strategies do you support for reducing emissions?” Suggestions for “other”: Incentives for heat pumps, EV charging infrastructure, especially in multifamily housing, and community solar. Vehicle and natural gas emissions testing; Ban fireworks.

Help pass WA state laws:

The Washington 2025 Legislative session ends April 27. You can quickly sign in pro for these bills:

HB 1183 Concerning building code and development regulation reform. Sign in Pro by noon, April 3. Revises the Growth Management Act allowing changes to enable energy efficiency retrofits for some houses and buildings currently at the building code limits.

SB 5033 Testing for PFAS in biosolids.  PFAS (i.e., the forever chemicals) in biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities, are spread in forests and on farms. Sign in Pro by noon, April 3.

1154 Adding Ecology approval for landfill permits Sign in Pro by noon, April 4.

1491– Promoting transit-oriented housing development. Provides guidelines & assistance to cities.

To help increase affordable housing and promote use of transit. Sign in Pro by noon, April 4.

If the site is down, try again later. For other bills call the legislative hotline (1-800-562-6000).   We’re following the Climate Solutions, Environmental Priorities Coalition, and LWV WA priorities.

WHAT WE DID in March

Tabled at the Teachers Open House at the REACH on March 5. Our NW Sources of Electricity workbook was a popular handout.

Contacted our legislators asking them to support our priority bills. It looks like these may pass:

1539   Addressing wildfire protection and mitigation

5466  Improve reliability and capacity of the electric transmission system.

1819   Increasing Transmission Capacity.

5284 Recycling Reform Act – Establishes an extended producer responsibility program for covered

STC resource directory. Going live on the STC website soon! Find who is doing what for sustainable living in our region. There will be a separate resource page for sustainable living tips and articles.

Climate policy advisory team (CPAT) BFCOG & Michelle Mercer, Benton Co. STC President Bill Barlow, Jim Coleman (BFHD) and Steve Ghan (TC CCL) are on the team, which includes a diverse representation of local stakeholders.  The local COAP planning team meets monthly to plan for CPAT meetings.

WA Statewide Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP).  Attended the Buildings advisory meeting that will help set short term policy and funding strategies. The Dept. of Commerce’s Buildings Virtual Roadshow Folder contains a recording of the presentation, the slide deck. Bill Barlow’s notes on the electric power roadshow is on the STC articles page.

NEWS and THINGS to READ

April issue of Tumbleweird

How do we learn to care? By Jenny Rieke. Pg. 20.

Wildflowers of Spring by Renee Struthers, Columbia Basin WA Native Plant society. Pg. 20

The Living Land. By Pauline Schafer, REACH Museum Education Manager. Pg. 20

Ever Heard of a BioBlitz? By Mickie Chamness, Columbia basin WA Native Plant Society Pg. 21

Earth Day section by Jenni H.

Pg 27. Year in Review/ Local Food

Pg 28. PFAS goes Around pg. 28.

Pg. 28. What’s for School Lunch?

Pg. 29. Backyard Bounty: creating a safe space for pollinators.

Pg. 29. Honoring First Foods. Achieving 100% Nematode Control with Marigolds.

Pg. 30. Who is Who on Earth Day

Benefits of Bicycling. By Steve Ghan. Pg. 32.  On page 33 is a bicycle map of the Tri-Cities.

Fresh, free-range eggs at Tri-Cities Food Co-op. by Ginger Wireman.

Tri-City Herald. This is no way to run a country | Opinion by Steve Ghan.

Flatt named in 2025 WSU Tri-Cities Women of Distinction class. CourtneyFlatt’s work has been featured on NPR  Living on Earth . March 22, 2025 article: Where have all the sage grouse gone?

For more news and events, see the Sustainable Tri-Cities website  www.alsctc.org/events and Like the Face Book page !