Although I am sure everyone across the state is ready for the 2026 fire season to be over, sadly it is not. Several fires have popped up in eastern Washington over the weekend. It seems Mother Nature is constantly reminding us that nothing is over until she says it is.
As I mentioned this summer, we are pivoting The Rural Exchange to better fit the needs and constraints of rural communities and partnering with WSU Extension to host our first half-day workshop around the state (rather than add one more annual conference to everyone’s calendar). Although anyone can register, The Rural Exchange is focused on topics and solutions tailored to fit small rural communities with fewer than 1,500 people, and attendees from those communities will have priority seating should any venue go over capacity.
The first Rural Exchange will be held Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a focus on community disaster preparedness. You can sign up for any of the six locations (listed below) on our registration page or visit our website, where there’s a pop-up page.
Speakers include:
Mike Jensen, a former firefighter and EMT and director of WSU Extension in Pend Oreille County, who will discuss what rural communities can do to mitigate the threat of wildfires.
Michael Gaffney, WSU Extension associate director, who will discuss Community Wildfire Mitigation Planning
Christina Sanders, director of WSU’s Division of Government Studies and Services and the Office of Emergency Management, who will talk about Community Resilience and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), applicable in any natural disaster or community emergency
Registration is free, and lunch will be served to those who register by Oct. 26. Capacity is limited to 20-25 people at most locations:
- Stevens County Extension – Colville
- Jefferson County Extension – Port Townsend
- Yakima County Extension – Union Gap
- Heritage Farm Clark County Extension – Vancouver
- Snohomish County Extension – Snohomish
- Whitman County Extension – Colfax
Please share this email with anyone that you think may benefit from attending. And here’s hoping Mother Nature decides to bestow a snowy winter upon us, despite what the forecasts say.
Take care,
Jody
