The Economic Perspective 1/16/2026

The Latest Trending Economic, Environmental and Infrastructure News Curated for You by The Balmoral Group

The Balmoral Group provides practical, professional and precise Economics, Data Analytics, and Engineering Consulting services and is part of a globally integrated team.

Happy Friday! 

Welcome back to another edition of the Economic Perspective! Ahead of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this weekend, we are wishing you all a restful few days of reflection, inspiration, and hope, as we celebrate his lasting contributions to both history and humanity. If you want to get out and get involved, the Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition is hosting many different Day of Service events on Monday such as habitat restoration, planting, and greeting card crafting. The City of Orlando is also hosting a Million Meal Pack event that they are requesting 5,000 volunteers for! You can head to either of those links to register and learn more about each event!

TBG's Seattle team members Amy Bainbridge, Nicholas Schackel, and Jillian Liebersbach attended the 2026 Northwest Association of Environmental Professionals (NWAEP) Annual Meeting earlier this week, where they had a fantastic evening learning and expanding their environmental professional networks and connections. Amy is a newly appointed board member and is excited to kick off the year with updates on forthcoming networking events, an environmental series, student scholarships, and other activities sure to make this year great!

This week's edition features articles highlighting natural resource news such as potential restoration legislation in Florida, planning efforts in Washington to address both the lack of precipitation and the influx of it, and insight from the USDA on the state's water supply outlook.

Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be interested. If you’d like to view previous editions please click here, or to subscribe please click here!

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Western Washington Forests Focus of New DNR Plan

In response to growing concerns over the health of forests in western Washington, the Washington Department of Natural Resources published a strategic plan that aims to support existing forest health initiatives and advance new ones. It prioritizes resource development for those in tribal and rural communities, expanding natural resource workforce housing and affordability in the areas, while also educating on the history and dangers of wildfire in the state amongst other forest health threats. The plan was informed by public, tribal, academic, and governmental partners, and provides guiding principles for future forest management and health in the state’s western region. You can find the plan here and read more here.

Wooden Debris Benefits WA Habitat Restoration

The United States Army Corp of Engineers’ (USACE) Seattle District removes nearly 900 tons of large woody debris (LWD) from the Puget Sound and surrounding areas during their routine waterway maintenance, and in partnership with the Port of Seattle (Port), have been able to find reuse applications for an estimated 80% of it. Because the logs are often dense, preserved, old-growth wood, LWD is perfect for use in erosion stabilization and assistance in restoration projects, providing habitat complexity and zones for planting. The Port has used nearly 1500 logs provided by USACE in shoreline projects over the course of 20 years, illustrating the possibilities available in natural resource recycling and collaboration. Read more here. (Image source: USACE).

FL Legislation Proposes Water Restoration Act

The Rodman Reservoir consists of 9,500 acres and thousands of petrified trees that are a byproduct of the Cross Florida Barge Canal project, initiated in 1968. The project resulted in the flooding of the Ocklawaha, one of the oldest continuously flowing rivers in Florida, a damaged ecosystem, and a blocked off wildlife corridor. The Northeast Florida Rivers, Springs, and Community Investment Act that was recently proposed by Florida Senate and House members aims to restore the Ocklawaha while still balancing the economic potential and benefits of the barge canal. Restoration of the river would result in a new corridor for marine animals and a new abundance of wildlife but could come at the cost of reduced bass and black crappie numbers. Read more here.

Resilience Funding Awarded to Coastal WA Cities

Following historic flooding in the state, Washington cities Aberdeen and Hoquiam are receiving $17 million from state legislature to support their ongoing flood mitigation project. The project involves the new construction of 11 miles of levees that will act as a barrier for both of the cities, significantly increasing their flood resilience. Once completed, 5,100 properties and 1,354 businesses will be protected, and $1.2 million will be saved in flood insurance premiums. Washington Department of Ecology is currently seeking insight from those directly impacted by the project investment in order to expand their stakeholder engagement. Read more here.

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Data Visualization of the Week

WA Snowpack Levels Impacted by Warmer Temperatures

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service released their first Water Supply Outlook Report of the year, highlighting late precipitation and warm temperatures as contributing factors to the subsequently lacking snowpack. The data visualization below illustrates snowpack levels as a percentage of the median as of January 1st, with the about half of the basin areas below 70% and a number of them below 50%. While the state did experience an active storm system that brought record flooding, due to the warm temperatures that came with it, snowpack accumulation was minimal. However, overall water supply forecasts for the state are either slightly below normal, or normal. You can find the full report here and read more here. (Image source: USDA)