The U.S. Forest Service has announced its intention to update a 30-year-old plan for managing forests in the Northwest. The agency has issued a Notice of Intent to amend the Northwest Forest Plan. .
The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized stronger air quality standards for soot pollution and one regional organization said it is a step in the right direction. Soot is fine particulate matter from power plants, vehicles and refineries, and the EPA revised its National Ambient Air Quality Standards for soot. Willie Dodson, central Appalachian field coordinator for Appalachian Voices, said it reduces the maximum allowable amount of soot in the air from 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air to nine. .
A program in Washington state is helping kids get out and enjoy nature. The No Child Left Inside program funds grants for organizations to ensure underserved youth can get into the outdoors. During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers increased funding to $7 million for the program, helping fund more than 100 additional grant proposals than in its previous cycle. .