For decades, transforming Puget Sound’s forest lands, fields and shorelines into places for new homes and businesses often has come at the expense of the environment. While development reduces fish and wildlife habitat, it can also have other negative environmental effects such as diminishing the effectiveness of wetlands and floodplains to filter, cleanse and control polluted runoff – also known as stormwater – which is the number one pollution threat…
Community and region-wide broadband planning efforts get an assist from new grant funds available through the Washington State Broadband Office. The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced that applications are available for the 2013 Local Technology Planning Team grant program. The grants awards will range from $50,000 to $100,000 and are part of the work of Commerce’s Washington State Broadband Office. This is the second year of the grant program and last…
Public hearing set for March 28 in Olympia The Washington State Department of Commerce will conduct a public hearing from 11 a.m. to noon, March 28, 2013, in Olympia to receive comments on its waiver request for additional federal funds to weatherize homes. The hearing will be in the 2nd Floor Conference Room 207 of the Town Square Complex, Building 5, 1011 Plum Street SE, Olympia. Each year, the state receives federal…
Healthy Youth Survey explores attitudes and behaviors among 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders Fewer students are smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol, according to a recent survey of kids in our state. At the same time, a large number of students seriously considered suicide in the past year. The number of secondary school students who believe using marijuana is risky dropped to the lowest level since the state started collecting…
Funds go to higher education institutions and local governments across Washington OLYMPIA, WA – Governor Jay Inslee today announced nearly $18 million in grants to create jobs and to lower energy costs for 12 higher education institutions and 37 local governments. An estimated 543 jobs will be created by this construction spending. The total cost for all the projects is more than $66 million, including more than $48 million in…
Fourteen delegates join Commerce at JEC Composites show in Paris OLYMPIA, WA – A select group from the 100 companies that make up Washington’s $3.3 billion composites industry will join a Washington State Department of Commerce delegation to the JEC Composites trade show in Paris from March 12-14. The still-young composites industry, which has sparked a resurgence of quality manufacturing jobs in the state, provides products, parts and services to a broad range of…
Essential planning funded to guide future rural community development. Olympia, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced nearly $500,000 in Community Development Block Grants to 21 rural cities and counties. The grants, ranging from $22,000 to $24,000, will fund crucial development plans for new or improved water and wastewater systems, community centers, growth management plans and feasibility studies across the state. Town of Almira – $24,000 for water system…
Companies look to the global market for new business opportunities. OLYMPIA, WA – From gaming and shopping apps to development platforms and analytics, Washington’s leading mobile technology companies head to the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from February 25-28 for the industry’s largest annual trade show. The 17 companies in the delegation, assembled with the support of the Washington State Department of Commerce and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), will be among…
Newly released report reveals increased housing stability and less likelihood of incarceration OLYMPIA, WA – A Housing and Essential Needs report for the Washington State Department of Commerceshows recipients have greater housing stability and are less likely to be incarcerated compared to similar peers who do not receive Housing and Essential Needs services. The Housing and Essential Needs Program provides non-cash rent assistance and other support – such as personal hygiene and bus tokens –…
Part of HUD & HHS initiative to provide permanent, supportive housing to prevent homelessness or institutionalization of the low-income disabled SEATTLE – The Washington State Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) has been awarded $5,580,280 to provide project-based rental assistance to up to 275 units for extremely low income people with disabilities as part of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services effort…