Today's headlines:
- Spokane County Commissioners have signed off on a temporary compromise on data center permitting.
- Spokane County’s August election is now in the books. We learn more about one of the ballot measures that passed.
- President Trump proposes to open up more public land to multiple uses, to the delight of some and the chagrin of others in the Northwest.
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Spokane’s county commissioners have voted to put a pause on any land use or permit applications for data centers. The pause will last until December 15.
Commissioner Chris Jordan said this decision probably would not have happened had the public not made such a strong showing in both public meetings and through phone calls and emails.
JORDAN: I say this is not a partisan issue. It’s about our community. So I welcome any change of heart on a permit pause, but mostly I give credit to the many people in the public who have made your voices heard in recent days.
During the pause, the commissioners will forward a draft ordinance about the data centers to the planning commission. Both the planning commission and the County Commissioners will each have a public hearing about this draft.
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Spokane County’s canvassing board has certified the August 4 primary election.
That locks in the one-on-one candidate matchups for the November election for Spokane County offices, as well as legislative and state Supreme Court races.
Only one race is close enough for a mandatory recount. That’s for a Republican precinct committee officer position in the 9th Legislative District. One vote separates Tanya Noble and Shelly Clark. The recount will be done on Thursday morning and that race will be certified about an hour later.
Voters said yes to an extension of a Spokane Transit sales tax, yes to a county library district tax measure. They said no to a tax that would fund a West Plains aquifer protection area.
Voters in Cheney have approved a proposition to renew and increase the city’s existing utility tax.
The Residential Street Utility Tax goes toward repairing Cheney’s streets and sidewalks. Voters previously approved the tax in 2012. This year’s version is a two percent increase over the previous tax. It will expire in another 14 years.
Dan Ferguson is Cheney’s public works director.
FERGUSON: For the department, it’s critical and very important that it did pass, as it’s our only funding source to do residential street preservation work.
According to the Spokane County Elections office, the measure received 57% voter approval.
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Democratic Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and eastern Washington Republican U.S. Congressman Michael Baumgartner are asking for a meeting with President Donald Trump.
The request comes as the state deals with one of its worst fire seasons on record.
In a letter to the President, Ferguson and Baumgartner say they will, "soon be requesting a Major Disaster Declaration to assist" thousands of people in Spokane and in other parts of the state.
The letter says many of these individuals have lost everything. In Spokane more than 800 structures have been destroyed.
Ferguson and Baumgartner say they want to share information directly with Trump and answer any questions he might have.
Trump has already approved *emergency* funding for the Eastern Washington wildfires.
If the major disaster declaration is approved, it would unlock federal dollars for more long-term recovery efforts for things such as rebuilding homes and medical expenses.
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The Trump administration is moving ahead with a plan to open more forests to logging and other development. It’s publishing the details of its proposal today [Wednesday]. Oregon Public Broadcasting's April Ehrlich reports.
Since 2001, the "roadless rule" has mostly prohibited new road construction in 30% of national forest lands.
They include almost two million acres in each of Oregon and Washington.
The Trump administration first announced plans to rescind the rule last year.
Now it is outlining what those forest lands could look like if the roadless rule goes away.
New roads could bring more logging, mining and other development to these largely undisturbed forests.
Roads can also increase traffic, raising the risk of air pollution, water pollution and wildfires.
Timber leaders and rural counties hope the change could bring more logging revenue. Environmentalists worry it will pollute drinking water and harm wildlife — like spotted owls and salmon
People have about a month to review and weigh in on the roadless rule proposal.
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As crews fought wildfires near Spokane, planes dropped fertilizer-based fire retardant. Now, people can start to remove the bright pink or red substance from their properties.
The U.S. Forest Service says that retardant does not pose a direct health risk to humans. But it can be toxic to aquatic life. Kelli Hawkins with the Spokane Regional Health District says people can take steps to protect waterways while cleaning.
Kelli Hawkins: Try to avoid creating standing puddles, and direct the runoff into dirt or soil or gravel areas rather than into a drain that goes back to the river, or waterways.
Fire retardant can also irritate people’s skin and eyes. Hawkins says residents should cover exposed skin while cleaning their homes. Never use bleach-based cleaners, which can react toxically with retardant. Instead, Hawkins says, use mostly water and Borax. Pick up a brush, not a power washer, for particularly stubborn stains.
Check the Spokane County Emergency Management Facebook page for more information on retardant cleanup. If you have exposure-related questions, you can call HealthLink at 811.
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In Washington state, climate change is expected to bring lower stream flows, warmer winter temperatures and less snowpack in lower elevations. That’s according to a presentation from the state’s climatologist. Courtney Flatt from Northwest Public Broadcasting reports.
It’s not often that you get a peek into the future. But climate scientists say Washington state glimpsed into the crystal ball in 2015 with its lowest snowpack on record.
Guillaume Mauger is Washington’s state climatologist. At the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s August meeting, he said the conditions in 2015 led to hundreds of thousands of fewer sockeye. Major crops with poor yields and millions spent on fire suppression.
MAUGER: “ From a weather nerd perspective, it was something I never expected to see in my lifetime.”
Mauger says he expects those conditions to be normal by the 2070s or 2080s.
This year, he says it’s highly likely the region will experience a “very strong” El Niño. Mauger says there isn’t much data for this strong of an El Niño. But in the Northwest, El Niños often mean higher winter temperatures and less snow fall.
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SPR News Today is a production of Spokane Public Radio.
Reporting today was contributed by Lisa Leinberger, Audrey Nelson, Jennifer Wing, April Ehrlich, Courtney Flatt and Doug Nadvornick, today’s host and producer.
Web support is provided by Anna Gyure Havlek.
