Our role in helping protect our species

By Ann Briggs and Mike Allende

Today, April 22, is Earth Day and the subject matter this 12 months is "Protect Our Species." The purpose of the crusade is to increase awareness of the accelerating price of loss in plant and wildlife populations on account of habitat destruction, pollution, local weather change, pesticides and different human-related activities.

Restoring native vegetation – like this along SR 542 Anderson Creek in Whatcom County – is a key part
in maintaining a healthy ecosystem in construction areas.

The transportation sector is guilty for extra than 42 percentage of the state's carbon emissions - a challenge for all people as we see, trip and plan for the results of local weather change. Here in Washington state, we're typically reminded of the have got to defend our resident orca whales, salmon, pollinators and different wildlife as properly because the habitats they rely on for his or her continued existence.

Building wildlife connections helps keep animals and people safe by limiting the possibility for vehicle/wildlife collisions.

Being nice stewards of the environment is vitally most very very main to our agency. But how are we doing that? Here's only a quantity of examples of how we assist hold and boost habitats to defend our species:

We use native vegetation to repair components disturbed throughout construction to determine wholesome plant groups that out-compete unwanted vegetation and supply pollinator habitat. Just east of Snoqualmie Pass, we teamed up with the united states Forest Service to acquire native seeds and cuttings to broaden at native nurseries. Once the vegetation matured, we planted them alongside the Snoqualmie Pass East venture to repair the habitat we affected throughout the primary stages of the project.
In fall 2018, we started testing a type of seed mixes and soil education ways on the Scatter Creek Rest Area alongside I-5 north of Centralia. We're tracking the web web website for a hit establishment of flowering vegetation and greater pollinator activity. The effects will assist us broaden recovery and repairs practices that supply destiny habitat for pollinators alongside roadsides.
We're operating with Washington State University on a examine of SR 20 North Cascades Highway Wildlife to acquire news in regards to the styles of deer crossings alongside SR 20 among Twisp and Early Winters Campground. The objective of the examine is to acquire figuring out of the environmental points that have an effect on deer-vehicle collisions and to supply tips that may scale back the quantity of collision every year.

Improving fish passages – we've corrected more than 300 so far – has improved
fish migration and the environment in those areas.

• Since 2018, we have been exploring recommendations to quiet our ferries to assist defend orca whales, adding ambient sound ranges from ferries with the aid of way of slowing down in Haro Strait whilst whales are present.
• To enhance air great and scale back emissions, our ferries use B5 biodiesel - a mix of 5 percentage biodiesel and 95 percentage ultra-low sulfur diesel. This yr we are able to growth use of B10 biodiesel. We also are operating with the Governor and Legislature to transfer ahead with converting vessels to hybrid-electric propulsion, which might scale back carbon emissions from our recent fleet with the aid of way of 25 percent.
• We've already corrected extra than 300 obstacles to fish passage, improving entry to 1,000 miles of stream habitat. We're continuing our work to perfect an further 415 barriers, restoring entry to 90 percentage of blocked habitat within the northwest edge of the state with the aid of way of 2030.

Encouraging active transportation by improving facilities – like the SR 520 trail across Lake Washington – helps
provide safe options for everyone, regardless of mode of transportation.

• Promoting energetic transportation similar to strolling and bicycling with the aid of way of investing in hooked up infrastructure to present of us extra - and safer - thoughts for getting around. For example, the SR 520 path throughout the brand new SR 520 bridge saw extra than 328,000 journeys in its first year, giving bicycle riders, runners and walkers a secure selection for crossing Lake Washington.
• We retain to work to update petroleum-fueled firm cars with hybrid and electrical vehicles. As of past due 2018, we had 45 plug-in hybrid electrical vehicles, 20 all-electric cars and a hundred hybrids. Last yr we also grew to become the primary state firm in Washington to start utilizing a hybrid work truck.
• We're elimination and replacing street lighting with extra energy-efficient LED lights. A undertaking in 2017 converted 1,974 excessive force sodium lights with LED technology, ensuing in power financial savings of extra than 68 percent.

We became the first state agency in Washington to begin using a hybrid work truck,
helping to cut down on our carbon footprint.

This is simply the tip of the iceberg of the various methods we help a sustainable and environmentally pleasant transportation system. We're pleased with the work we do as an firm and can retain to seem for methods we are able to make a difference, on Earth Day and each day.