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

March 3. Benton County Planning Commission 2026 Comprehensive Plan Update Workshop – 6pm. To   discuss the 2025-2026 Benton County Comprehensive Plan Update. Presentation on the upcoming County planning process including the Natural Resource element, Economic element, Parks and Recreation element, Capital Facilities element, as well as Utilities element. 7122 W. Okanogan Place, Building E. Room 303 Commissioners’ Hearing Room, 3rd Floor, Kennewick.

March 5. Inhabitants. 6-8 pm. Free. An award-winning feature documentary exploring Indigenous land stewardship across North America.  Seating is first-come, first-served. Donations help support REACH Museum education and community programs. Following the screening, stay for a moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A with local tribal land management professionals. REACH Museum, 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland.

March 7. Seed swap. Set up at 9:30am. Swap at 10am – 12pm. Mark seeds clearly in clear bags or original pack. You do NOT need to bring seeds to come to this swap. There are plenty of seeds to go around. Anything Grows LLC. 1625 Columbia Park Trail, Richland.

March 10. Digging for Energy: Why Critical Minerals Matter. Institute for Northwest Energy Futures. WA State University. tricities.wsu.edu

March 15. Community Art Supply Swap. 2pm-6pm. Frog Patch is partnering with Tri-Cities Food Co-Op to bring you an indoor spring community Art Supply Swap! Share what you can. Take what you need. TC Food Co-op, 1420 Jadwin Ave, Richland.

March 17. Geothermal collaborative process. 1:30pm. Dept of Ecology virtual (statewide) workshop to share information about geothermal energy in Washington. The 2024 WA state bill 6039 directs Ecology to lead a collaborative process to identify risks and opportunities associated with developing geothermal energy resources in Washington. You can provide feedback at the workshop or on their online comment form

March 20-22 Sandhill Crane Festival. Othello, WA. “Wildlife viewing opportunities, engaging talks, fun tours, hikes, and workshops for everyone to enjoy.”

March 21. STEAM Workshop: All Things Spring. 10am – 12pm. Wildflowers, birds, and the return of spring—discover the shrub-steppe waking up! All education programs are free for members. REACH Museum 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland. https://visitthereach.us  .

March 21. Friends of Badger Mt. Annual Celebration. 4-6pm. Hors d’oeuvres, wine, friendship, appreciations, elections, exciting news, and honoring special guests. Richland Community Center. Space is limited. RSVP to sharon@friendsofbadger.org

March 25. TC Chapter Citizens’ Climate Lobby monthly meeting. 7pm. Shalom UCC church and Zoom. Participate in climate solution teams: Carbon Pricing, Healthy Forests, Building Electrification and Efficiency, Clean Energy Permitting Reform, and help plan local educational events.

March 28. Community Coffee Chats.10am. Join STC at the Tri-Cities Food Co-op, Richland. We will take action on any local, state, or federal environmental issues that currently need our support. If you are aware of other opportunities, bring them with you to share. Followed by the STC monthly meeting. Let’s grab coffee, shop, and collaborate.

April 1. Turf Alternatives-Waterwise Landscaping in Eastern WA. 5:30pm-7:30pm. Your lawn is a thirst trap, and we’re in a drought! Join the Benton Conservation District Heritage Garden Program to learn about turf alternatives and waterwise landscaping in our region. Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland. RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/Ani8sbbvYTb1Gszx6

Actions for MARCH

Comp Plans: Benton and Franklin County and each city is working on updating their comprehensive plans which are due December 2026, including adding a climate element. The comprehensive plan is a blueprint and statement of a community’s vision, values, and priorities. It guides decision-making, regulations, and investments towards meeting community goals over the coming 20 years. Public involvement is a requirement. So now is your chance to speak up!

Benton County Comprehensive Plan Updates.   Use planning.department@co.benton.wa.us to add your email address to their distribution list so future notices are sent directly to you.

Kennewick survey closed. Check Here for updates.

Pasco survey: https://bit.ly/m/Pasco2046

City of Richland Transportation Survey for the 2026 Comprehensive Plan. Begins March 1.

WA State 2026 Legislative Session ends March 12. STC is following the priority bills of the WA Citizens’ Climate Lobby, the Environmental Priorities Coalition, and the WA League of Women voters environmental issues team (Agriculture, Climate & Energy, Forests, Waste Management).  By the time you get this, the only bills left to work on will be those necessary to implement the budget or matters that affect state revenue. This includes bills regarding the Climate Commitment Act (HB 2215 and HB 2251), Plastic Bag Bill SB 5965, and the Beverage deposit, aka Bottle Bill. HB 1607. There is still time to ask your legislator to support a bill. A simple way is to call the Hotline: 800-562-6000.

Look for upcoming Action Alerts on the Sustainable TC Facebook page. Next month, there will be a report on our successes. Thank you to everyone who has helped with this effort!

Help Burrowing Owls nest again at McNary National Wildlife Refuge. USFWS was awarded a Wildlife Diversity Grant from WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife to install 20 artificial nest structures at the refuge. We could use your help putting them together, placing them in the ground, and monitoring them. If you are interested, please contact steve_kahl@fws.gov. Thank you!

Reminder…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.

What we did in February

Richland Planning Commission workshop Feb. 11. Bill attended and reported it was a very good introduction to the Richland Transportation Plan and how transportation and landuse link together within any Comp Plan update. There was mention of improving metrics of multimodal contribution to trip reduction, i.e., counting people, not just vehicles. Did a high-level prioritization on a limited number of possible investments: Trails, Bike Path, Transit amenities, EV-charging at the hospital, and wayfinding signage. Suggested to Carlo, Public Works Director, some actions needed at the BFCOG level – i.e., the opportunity to engage the new WSU Energy Initiative using WSU Grad students to establish a solid framework for an emissions database to be housed at BFCOG. Also suggested a Regional Traffic Control Center. Mike Stevens thanked STC for their continued interest in the Comp Plan update process.

Strong Towns of the Mid-Columbia | Richland WA – Facebook   A group of local folks trying to build a better Tri-Cities through transit + city planning advocacy. Bill gave a climate element update Feb. 12.

Monthly Earth Day 2026 planning meetings. Jenni, Bill, and Debbie are on the planning team. Jenni is creating an Earth Day Resource Guide to promote the event: the 4^th Annual Earth Day event at the REACH Museum, April 18, 12pm to 4pm. PLEASE volunteer at STC table.

BFT became a $5K sponsor for Earth Day 2026 at the REACH Museum.

News and Things to Read

Good News on Climate: Part 1: Natural Carbon Sinks and Advanced Technologies are already helping us Limit Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases”. March Tumbleweird. Steve Ghan with Bob Wegeng.

“Landscape designer acquires local native plant nursery”. Tri Cities Journal of Business. 1/15/26.

Recycler avoids $3.4M penalty for collecting, hauling solid waste. Tri Cities Journal of Business 2/10/26.  “DTG Enterprises Inc., which operates two recycling sites in the Tri-Cities, recently reached a settlement …the settlement has no financial penalty. Rather, the company will be required to track and report on recycling rates more closely.”