Improve the quality of Washington's natural resources

Description: Carbon dioxide is the dominant greenhouse gas emitted by human activity in Washington. The transportation sub-sector is the primary source of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. In 2000, transportation sector carbon dioxide emissions were 48.8 million tons, over 56 percent of energy-related emissions.

Carbon dioxide emissions for Washington have increased over time, despite improvements in energy efficiency.

Per capita emissions have remained relatively constant over the last 25 years.

Annual emissions per constant dollar Gross State Product (GSP)* have declined significantly over the last 25 years.

Sources:
Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development Energy Policy Division
Washington State's Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Sources and Trends (pdf) June 2004

See also:
Carbon Dioxide Direct Use Emissions by Sector
Trends in Diesel Soot Emissions

Description: Since 1995, water quality data has been systematically collected at 62 long-term stations, which generally correspond to the 62 watershed planning areas (Water Resource Inventory Areas) in the state. This indicator shows the trends over nine years for four parameters: Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Fecal Coliform, and pH (acidity/alkalinity).

Sources:
Department of Ecology
River and Stream Water Quality Monitoring

Description: Facilities in Washington that store a certain amount of a hazardous chemical must report annually to the Department of Ecology. Toxic chemical release reporting is tracked through an annual summary, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Over 600 chemical compounds and/or chemical categories are reported under TRI. Reporting requirements may change over time; reporting thresholds may change and industrial sectors may be added. The large increase in land releases in 2004 was due to the opening of the Pend Oreille mine.

Source:
Department of Ecology
    Link to Annual TRI Reports

Description:The National Resources Inventory (NRI) is a statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. non-Federal lands. Non-Federal land includes privately owned land, tribal and trust land, and lands controlled by State and local governments. The NRI category of "developed land" varies from that used by some other data collection entities. For the NRI, "developed land" is land that has been permanently removed from the rural land base. The developed land category includes: (a) large tracts of urban and built-up land; (b) small tracts of built-up land, less than 10 acres in size; and (c) land outside of these built-up areas that is in roads, railroads, and associated rights-of-way.

Sources:

• Natural Resources Conservation Service
• National Resources Inventory
• Acreage and Percentage of Non-Federal Land Developed

Description: Adult spawners are those adult fish returning to their natal river to spawn; they are monitored by various state, tribal, and federal organizations. A juvenile migrant that hatched in the spring of one year would not be expected to return to the natal stream until 4 or 5 years later. Marine conditions during the intervening time period play an important role in the survival of the salmon.

Juvenile salmon downstream migrant (smolt) production is counted at 22 trap sites distributed across the state. Freshwater productivity is dependent upon adequate spawners and intact instream and riparian habitat.

The Freshwater Production Index is comprised of smolt data that has been summarized for the various salmon recovery regions and indexed to the base period 1991-1998 and represented as 0 on the charts. Trends above zero represent a positive increase in the production of juvenile migrants for that region.

Most of the trend information between the base period and the recovery period indicates a positive improvement over the past few years in juvenile migrants (smolts) statewide, possibly due to habitat protection and restoration actions of recent years.

Sources:
Department of Fish and Wildlife
Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation
  Salmon Recovery Funding Board

Description: "Endangered" species are those seriously threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the state.

A "Threatened" species is one likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout a significant portion of its range within the state without cooperative management or removal of threats.

"Sensitive" species are those vulnerable or declining and likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout a significant portion of its range within the state without cooperative management or removal of threats.

State endangered, threatened, and sensitive wildlife species are listed in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 232-12-011 and 232-12-014. The process for listing a species, as well as definitions for the listing categories, is described in WAC 232-12-297

Sources:
Department of Fish and Wildlife
  Species of Concern