Mission Statement: Sustainable Tri-Cities provides opportunities for people of the Tri-Cities to learn about and act on ways to protect our environment for a healthy and rapidly changing future.

EVENTS

Jan. 3. First Saturday Bird Walk. Lower Columbia Audubon Society Meet at the North entrance of the W.E. Johnson Park, Richland. The south end of the park is periodically flooded. From Van Giesen, turn south on Hall Rd at Wood’s Nursery. Go to the parking lot at the archery range. We begin promptly at 8am!

Jan. 8. Hibernation Station. REACH Museum Little Explorers program. 10:15–11:15 am. How do animals survive winter? Preschoolers ages 3-5 explore dens, burrows, and hibernation habitats through winter-themed stories, song, and more. https://visitthereach.us  1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland.

Jan. 10. Adventures Underground Book Swap. Bring a book, take a book! (Limit 2). On the 2nd Saturday of each month. 10am – 2 pm. 1391 G. W. Way, Richland.

Jan. 12.  Sustainable Tri-Cities Board Meeting. Monday, 6:30pm at Jenni’s. RSVP. Celebrating and Planning for 2026.

Jan. 17. Third Saturday Bird Walk. Half-day trip to McNary National Wildlife Refuge and Hood Park with a focus on waterfowl. Check website for details:  Lower Columbia Audubon Society

Jan. 21. Badger Bioblitz Recap – Citizen Science Discoveries.  7-8 pm.  Join CBW Native Plant Society Restoration Chair Al Spencer for a recap of April 2025’s BioBlitz on Badger Mt. An overview of what species were observed during our citizen science efforts. Register here.  

Jan. 25. Tri-Cities Distribution at the Food Co-op. 1420 Jadwin Ave. Now on the last Sunday of the month, 1–2 pm. A community cabinet with free food, water, hygiene and other essential supplies for all who need.

Jan. 28. TC Chapter Citizens’ Climate Lobby monthly meeting. 7pm. Shalom UCC church and via Zoom. Participate on climate solution teams: Carbon Pricing, Healthy Forests , Building Electrification and Efficiency, Clean Energy Permitting Reform and help plan local educational events.

ACTIONS FOR JANUARY

Richland Parks 2^nd Survey Closes January 2. Help shape the future of Richland’s parks and recreation!

Public Hearing RE: Off-Street Parking City of Richland. Tuesday Jan. 6, 2026, Council Chambers, City Hall, 625 Swift Blvd, Richland, 6 pm. Comment on proposal to amend Chapters 23.06, 23.22, and 23.54 of the Richland Municipal Code, Ordinance 2026-01, RE: off-street parking minimums.

Council meeting information here.  Or email your comments to planning@ci.richland.wa.us or mail to the City of Richland c/o Planning Dept, 625 Swift Blvd. MS-35, Richland, WA 99352. All comments must be received by 4 pm on January 6.

The WA State 2026 Legislative Session begins January 12. Read about the Environmental Priorities Coalition 2026 priorities here. Sign up for the EPC action alerts.

BF Transit Public Hearing Jan. 15. 6 pm. Annual Service Plans for 2026 service initiatives. BFT Board Room, 1000 Columbia Park Trail, Richland. In-person and Zoom. Meeting ID:  227 388 001 437 1 Passcode: Xj3sF96A. By phone: 253-527-1980 or email input to planning@bft.org 

Fix our Forests Act– bipartisan federal legislation. Supported by the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and American Forests. Call Sen. Murray: 202-224-2621; Cantwell: 202-224-3441.

Rare Care/ Rare Plant Monitor – Volunteer Application. This program is run through the University of WA and trains volunteers to monitor rare species in the State. Apply by mid- January: scroll down to the title “Rare Care Rare Plant Monitor” on this page , then scroll down to “Apply for volunteer positions”.

Reminders…………

See the Sustainable Tri-Cities Resource Directory  and let us know what needs to be added.  

Send your events and volunteer opportunities to SustainableTricities1@gmail.org  so we can post them on our website and put them in this newsletter.

NEWS and THINGS to READ

Judge orders Trump administration to reinstate disaster preparedness grants. That includes projects in Washington, Oregon. Northwest Public Broadcasting. By Courtney Flatt. Published Dec. 23, 2025. “One such project is a planned microgrid in south-central WA. The goal for the Goldendale microgrid is to build solar and battery storage that would connect the local hospital and school district.”

Tri-Cities residents take a stroll around Bateman Island before a salmon-killing causeway comes out. Northwest Public Broadcasting. Article and photo by Courtney Flatt. Published Dec. 22, 2025.

Soaring electric prices, blackout threats? Energy permit reform still needed. Tri-City Herald.  Opinion. By Steve Ghan. Updated December 5, 2025.

Boots in the Basin – December Tumbleweird magazine:

Pg. 16. How to slow time. By Pauline Schafer. “The new year lies before you, full of potential, like the clean, empty pages of a blank journal. How will you choose to spend your precious time in 2026? What will fill your journal?”

Pg. 17. Shrub steppe native species. How does each species survive through the winter? What will happen in the spring? friendsofmcrwr.org/education

Pg. 18. Balancing work with play. By Steve Ghan. “Work can be demanding and exhausting. But if we set up our lives so we can play when taking care of necessary tasks like riding a bike to work,… we can balance work and play.”

WHAT WE DID in 2025

December 19, 2025. STC Monthly Meeting and Potluck. Discussed ways to involve the public, including a STC workshop for the local 2026 comprehensive plans now being updated.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Promoted local events, online webinars, and suggested reading on our Face Book page and monthly newsletters, including several contributions to Tumbleweird magazine.

Tabled at events: March -Teacher’s Open House at the REACH Museum; April- Earth Day; May- CBC Wellness Fair; Sept. – Home School Night at the REACH; Oct.- Riverfest, Nov.- Chief Jo MS Science Fair.

Created a Resource Directory for the STC that defines and lists who is working on sustainable living in the Tri-Cities. (Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability).

Guest speakers at the STC meetings: Sept.- Tax incentives for electrification (buildings and EVs), Oct. Tri-Cities Distribution: clothing, food, and more for the unhoused and those with limited resources.

Created a Heritage Garden ‘Pollinator Patch’ at the REACH Museum. It is the start of a demo garden to inspire cities and homeowners to save water by planting natives instead of lawns.

Col. Basin Community College Enviro Club meetings. They are working on ride share for the campus.

Blue Mountain / Merit Badge Extravaganza.  As a Boy Scout Sustainability Merit Badge Counselor, Bill hosted a workshop on 1/25/2025. Great response. One discussion topic was “too much stuff”.

Local High School Student Project. Helped a student doing research on how humanity has affected the Earth and how to help the community make smart choices to improve our environment.

SUPPORTED PARTNERS

BF Conservation District. Attended May meeting and signed up to be on the community partners list

Ben Franklin Council of Governments

BF Transit.  “Moving Transit Forward” survey.

Mid-Columbia Electric Vehicle Assoc. (MCEVA) EV showcase at the REACH Museum. (Sept.)

ADVOCACY:

Told the FTC we want honesty and transparency in recycling labels. Ongoing. (January)

Provided opportunities to testify during the 2025 WA legislative session for Environment Priorities Coalition and Climate Solutions priorities. (Jan. – April)

Promoted the Kennewick  visioning survey for their next comprehensive land use plan (Aug.) and the

City of Richland’s community survey on parks & open spaces (survey I- Aug. 29, survey II- 1/3/26)

City of Richland Parking Regulation Reform. Attended a virtual workshop with members of Strong Towns Mid. Col. to develop parking code options based on public feedback, SB 5184, and industry best practice. (June). Parking lot minimum requirements City Council meeting (9/10/25).

Wrote to pass Wild Olympics to permanently protect Olympic National Forest, and 19 rivers and major tributaries, as Wild & Scenic Rivers. Due 3/17/25.

Clean Vehicles Program Rulemaking. Ecology considered  amendments to the Clean Vehicles Program rule. Reviewed and provided comments. (due 7/3/2025).

Federal Action for Passenger Rail Success. Wrote to Rep. Newhouse: ask the House Transportation committee for federal funds (Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill), for Amtrak in WA state. (July)

STC submitted feedback regarding RCW 82.19.020 Litter Tax Modernization  to increase revenue by adding new categories to be taxed. STC Feedback letter. (Including Tri-Cities Litter Report) (Aug.).

WA Dept. of Commerce Public Hearing on Cooling Assistance. Asked Commerce to devote some of their planned budget for the 2026 LIHEAP program for cooling and summer crisis assistance.

Protect cool water in Western WA’s forest streams. Commented. See forestry webpage. (Aug.)

Clean Energy Siting. Commented to the  Interagency Clean Energy Siting Coordinating Council on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of clean energy siting & permitting in WA.

EPA Endangerment Finding Reconsideration comments on the proposal- protect the EPA (Sept).

Dept of Ecology battery recycling program: Aug. and Sept. virtual public hearings. STC comments on implementing a mandatory statewide program. (due 9/10/25).

For more news and events, see the Sustainable Tri-Cities website  www.alsctc.org/events

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