Latest news with #WashingtonStateDepartmentofAgriculture
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Washington bans sale of a common plant, deems it noxious weed
This story was originally published on The sale of a common plant will soon be illegal in Washington. Washington added Common (English) Ivy and Atlantic/Boston Ivy to its list of noxious weeds, which prohibits the sale and distribution of the plants, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) website. The weed threatens trees by taking away sunlight, Susan Hutton, executive director of the Whatcom Million Trees Project, told The Bellingham Herald. 'English ivy is kind of an equal opportunity creeper,' Hutton said, according to the media outlet. 'It will come to a tree and it will start to climb it, and as it climbs the tree, it starts to compete with the tree's leaves for sunlight, and in the process, it gradually weakens the tree. Once ivy gets up into the crown of a tree, it's almost certain to kill the tree in a short period of time.' Ivy also increases the risk of trees falling in storms, as the vines add extra weight, King County stated on its website. Common and Atlantic Ivy can outgrow native plants on the forest floor, shrub layer, and canopy. 'When ivy takes over, it reduces animal foraging habitat,' King County wrote on its website. 'It makes it difficult for understory plants to grow and kills understory and overstory trees by shading them out.' The sap of ivy stems can also cause skin irritation for some people. Although the plant is quite a nuisance, it stemmed an idea to solve another annoying issue. A few years ago, former KIRO Newsradio host Dave Ross had the idea to use ivy to prevent graffiti. 'I noticed that along I-5 downtown, the areas with no graffiti have one thing in common: ivy. Ivy has spilled over the top of the retaining wall! Vandals want a clear canvas, and the ivy ruins that. So what we need is to cover everything with ivy,' Ross wrote on MyNorthwest. The idea stuck with KIRO Newsradio Traffic Reporter Chris Sullivan, who brought it to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) last year. He found out the City of Tacoma tried installing fake ivy in a handful of spots to combat graffiti. 'We had what we call the panels, which are a one-by-one foot panel of ivy, and then we have individual strands of it as well,' Rae Bailey, a Public Works Division Manager in Tacoma, said. 'We tried both of them in various areas throughout the city to mixed reviews.' Unfortunately, the panels didn't work well, but the individual strands of the fake plant did. 'We've had a couple of the strand areas get tagged in the last year or two, but for the most part, everything that we put up by the strands is doing its job,' Bailey said. Tacoma was planning to continue the fake ivy project, but then the pandemic hit, and it was no longer a top priority. The city was looking to start the project again, but the vendor went out of business, and unfortunately, the material was too expensive to install in large sections. As for the real plant, the ban will go into effect on Aug. 9. Contributing: Chris Sullivan, KIRO Newsradio Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Washington state bans the sale of common ivy varieties starting in August
A common yard plant could be on its way out of Washington parks and gardens. On July 9, the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced it was adding the English (also known as common) and Atlantic varieties of ivy, among other plants, to its noxious weed seed and plant quarantine. When the change goes into effect Aug. 9, the sale of the ivy varieties will no longer be legal in Washington. According to Susan Hutton, executive director of the Whatcom Million Trees Project, the banned varieties of ivy pose a threat to trees by depriving them of sunlight. 'English ivy is kind of an equal opportunity creeper,' Hutton said in an interview. 'It will come to a tree and it will start to climb it, and as it climbs the tree, it starts to compete with the tree's leaves for sunlight, and in the process, it gradually weakens the tree… once ivy gets up into the crown of a tree, it's almost certain to kill the tree in a short period of time.' Whatcom Million Trees Project, which promotes the conserving and planting trees in Whatcom County, has been pushing for the ban for two years, according to founder Michael Feerer. 'Approximately two or three years ago, we started getting involved with partnering with local agencies such as Bellingham city parks and Whatcom County parks to remove ivy. And the more and more we got involved and focused on it, we realized that one of the big facets of the problem was that nurseries, amazingly, were still selling English ivy throughout the state,' Feerer said. According to Feerer and Sutton, the plants became popular in Washington yards and parks as ground cover, before becoming widespread enough to pose a threat to the area's trees. 'People bought it innocently. Nobody knew that it was going to become this invasive problem that it has become,' Sutton said. Feerer said that WSDA reviews the list of banned plant and seed varieties twice a year, and advocates began working to get the ivy varieties added. 'English ivy and Boston and Atlantic ivy, which is the other ivy we have commonly out here impacting trees, was not on the prohibited plants and seeds list. So it's quite an involved process to try to petition to add something to the list, but we decided about two years ago to take on that process,' Feerer said. Whatcom Million Trees Project wasn't the only organization pushing for the ban. Nine different groups, along with several individuals, took part in the public comment process as WSDA considered the proposed amendments. According to WSDA, there was support for banning English ivy throughout the public comment period. 'Most commenters expressed appreciation and strong support for the proposed inclusions, particularly English ivy (Hedera Helix) and its cultivars,' the department said in its explanatory statement regarding the changes. Washington is now the second state, after Oregon, to ban English ivy, according to Feerer, but he hopes other states take notice and follow suit. The ban doesn't impact ivy that's already been planted. 'Nobody's going to come police your backyard, or anything like that. It's just no more selling it,' Hutton said. If you have ivy in your yard that you'd like to remove, Hutton said the process is relatively simple. 'It's actually really easy to do,' Hutton said. 'You stand in front of a tree, and you kind of go all the way around the tree, a 360-degree tour around the tree, and you identify Ivy that's between waist and shoulder height, so within easy range. What you're trying to do is just separate the ground from the ivy that's in the tree. So you make cuts in the ivy all the way around the tree, and then you just pull it down.' According to Hutton, once the plant is uprooted, you don't need to remove the rest of it from the tree. 'You don't have to worry about anything up in the tree, because once it's disconnected from the earth, that ivy will die because it's no longer being nourished,' Hutton said. The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board notes that it's important to wear gloves and protective clothes while removing ivy, since its sap can irritate sensitive skin. The board also recommends disposing of the vines or letting them dry out on a tarp, logs or hard surface, so they can't re-root. The ban only affects two varieties of ivy: Hedera helix, often called common or English ivy, and Hedera hibernica, known as Atlantic ivy. According to the Noxious Weed Control Board, English ivy is marked by alternating lobed leaves along its vines in its juvenile form, and a shrub-like adult form with egg and diamond-shaped leaves. Atlantic ivy has wide, dark green, five-lobed leaves, according to the United Kingdom-based Royal Horticulture Society. However, according to Feerer, there's an easier way to identify the invasive forms of ivy. 'Basically, if people see ivy climbing a tree trunk, that's one of the tree-impacting ones,' Feerer said. You can find more information on how to identify and remove ivy on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board's website. In addition to the two varieties of ivy, 17 other plants were added to the list of banned species. Here's the complete list: Common (English) Ivy (Hedera helix) Atlantic/Boston Ivy (Hedera Hibernica) Spotted Touch Me Not (Impatiens capensis) Cape Pondweed (Aponogeton distachyos) Hanging Sedge (Carex pendula, Carex pendula subsp. pedula and Carex pendula subsp. agastachys) Green Alkenet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) Common Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare, except bulbing fennel, F. vulgare var. azoricum) European Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) Herb-Robert (Geranium robertianum) Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale) Sulfur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) Wild basil/basil savory (Clinopodium vulgare) Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) Camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum) Russian Knapweed (Rhaponticum repens) Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) Rough Chervil (Chaerophyllum temulum) Turkish Thistle (Carduus cinereus) Palmer's Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Recall issued for smoked salmon sold at Port Angeles butcher shop
A Port Angeles butcher shop was forced to pull salmon from its shelves and coolers after the products positive for Listeria. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) flagged the smoked wild white king salmon sold at Sunrise Meats Inc. for possible contamination. 'Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms,' according to WSDA. It primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns, according to the USDA. The recall was based on routine sample testing done by WSDA. Sunrise Meats and the WSDA are still investigating the source of the problem. People who purchased the salmon with a sell by/use by date of July 21, 2025 are asked not to eat the product and return it to where they purchased it from for a full refund. For more information, visit the WSDA website. Sunrise Meats has not reported any illnesses associated with this recall.
7NEWS
01-06-2025
- General
- 7NEWS
250 million bees released onto road on the Canadian-US border as truck overturns
A semi-truck carrying 250 million bees and their hives overturned on the Canadian - US border on Friday, unleashing an ominous cloud of unhappily buzzing insects. But more than two dozen volunteer beekeepers from the region of Whatcom County, snuggled along the U.S.-Canada border, may have saved the day, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said. They helped restore hives that had become dislodged in the crash on a Washington state roadway, it said. 'Hive boxes from the overturned truck were recovered, restored and returned to use,' the sheriff's office said. 'By morning, most bees should have returned to their hives and those responsible for their delivery will be in charge.' It appears the driver did not navigate a tight turn well enough, causing the trailer to roll into a ditch, county emergency management spokeswoman Amy Cloud said. The driver was uninjured. 'The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible' The workday started with more uncertainty than optimism, as the crash shut down a roadway and inspired the sheriff's office to warn residents it could take a few days to corral the escapees. 'The plan is to allow the bees to re-hive and find their queen bee,' the office said. 'That should occur within the next 24–48 hours. The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible.' Katie Buckley, the pollinator health coordinator for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, indicated many of the bees will not only survive but reconnect with their hives and travel on to their destination. 'Bees are actually surprisingly sturdy,' she said. Locals were still urged to avoid the bees, and the area of the overturned semi-truck, because they were probably unhappy about being ejected, even if separation from their hives is temporary. 'They're also probably having a bad day,' she said. Sheriff's deputies were seen diving into their squad cars at times to avoid being stung. The sheriff's office, meanwhile, said the roadway could reopen Saturday morning, when the insects' owners would most likely take over, according to a statement. A local news outlet said it was working to determine where the bees were headed. The sheriff's office did not say. The sheriff's office thanked 'the wonderful community of beekeepers', saying that its members 'showed up to help ensure the rescue of millions of pollinating honey bees would be as successful as possible'. Honeybees are crucial to the food supply, pollinating over 100 crops including nuts, vegetables, berries, citrus and melons. Bees and other pollinators have been declining for years, and experts blame insecticides, parasites, disease, climate change and lack of a diverse food supply. Beekeepers often transport millions of bees from one location to another because leaving them in one location for too long can deplete resources for other pollinators. -With AP
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Seattle weather: How to prepare for predicted thunderstorms, large hail
Weather agencies around Western Washington are warning residents to brace for severe thunderstorms on Wednesday. KIRO 7 Meteorologist expects thunderstorms could pop along the Cascade crest in the afternoon hours, but as the disturbance moves north, thunderstorms will fire down in Oregon and southern Washington through the mid-afternoon hours, moving north quickly. Large, damaging hail is the greatest threat from these storms, with hail sizes possibly exceeding official Severe Thunderstorm criteria, which is wind gusts of 58 mph or greater and/or hail of one inch in diameter or larger. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is possible late Wednesday, meaning that the conditions for severe thunderstorms exist. Seattle has never been in a Severe Thunderstorm Watch area, and only parts of the South Sound were in such a watch area back on May 4, 2017. ⚠️ We have an unusual risk of severe thunderstorms Wednesday, primarily in the late afternoon through the evening. The... Posted by US National Weather Service Seattle Washington on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 The U.S. National Weather Service, Seattle, warned residents of the possible risks for large hail, strong wind gusts, and isolated tornadoes. They added a 'Storm Planning Timeline', asking community members to remain vigilant and aware of any storm warnings or notices. Other tips include reminding family of the communication plan, knowing how to evacuate and/or get to safety from where you're from, and being ready to take action at a moment's notice. Also outlined: Adjusting plans, ensuring a clean and accessible shelter, and making sure your phone can receive weather emergency alerts. The Washington State Department of Agriculture reminded residents to bring animals into sheltered areas, as hail up to 1 inch in diameter — the size of a golf ball — is possible. Additionally, make sure to batten down the hatches and secure loose materials that could break away during the storm. This includes any furniture or anything that could break outdoors. Stay indoors and seek shelter if the hail starts coming down. It's also advised to stay away from windows. If you are able, put your car into a garage or covered parking spaces to prevent damage. Be cautious of parking under trees as additional damage from falling branches is a possibility. If you are unable to cover your vehicle, consider a hail-resistant car cover. These are layered with extra padding to act as a shock absorber when the hail hits. However, these can get a bit pricey, with a generic starting price of around $50. For those looking for a more cost-effective way to protect their car, several auto experts say you can use heavy blankets or cardboard as a makeshift shield. Drivers should also consider folding in their mirrors to reduce a point of impact for damage. The Washington Emergency Management Division asked neighbors to reach out to neighbors, and make sure everyone was prepared for the incoming storms. 'Knock on some doors, talk to folks in your lobby, wave at neighbors in yards and just give them a heads up. And Seattle, in particular, this is your permission to ditch the Seattle freeze attitude and just talk to folks around you,' read the post from the Public Information Officer. Not everyone knows that a storm is coming Wednesday afternoon and into the evening. The weather today is GREAT & it's... Posted by Washington Emergency Management Division on Tuesday, March 25, 2025
