The Economic Perspective 11/21/2025

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, and happy Manatee Awareness Month! Did you know that manatees, aka "sea cows", can grow up to 13ft long, and weigh as much as 3,500lbs? Make sure to remember that when observing these marine mammals, keep a safe distance and respect their aquatic habitat!

In other news, TBG's President Valerie Seidel presented the Indian River Lagoon Economic Impact Update to Brevard County Commission by invitation on Tuesday. The Commission unanimously approved starting the process of renewing the Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) Project Plan for another 10 years. They are hosting public workshops in January to kickstart public input. This process would lead to a referendum measure on the ballot for the 2026 General Election.

Some of our other economist team members joined a construction site visit on Thursday, where they got to see pond excavation, control structure installation, different types of dewatering, barrier wall construction, bridge cap preparation for placement of the girder, and the preparation for a cofferdam to install a metered end section (MES). What a beautiful day to be out in the field!

In this edition of the Economic Perspective, we feature articles covering riparian buffer requirements and growing resource conservation areas in Washington State, as well as the recent Olympic Pipeline leak and disease preparedness in the dairy industry. We also take a look at potential PPE requirements for wildland firefighters and water quality rulemaking updates, while our data visualization touches on recent trends in grocery prices.

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!

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

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Grant Program at WSU Advances Disease Preparedness in Dairy Industry

The Secure Milk Supply (SMS) grant program in Washington State aims to advance the preparedness of the dairy market against contagious diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), by increasing research and planning efforts. As part of this initiative, Washington State University (WSU) students Elizabeth Worley and Laurin Ogg traveled across the state to over 40 dairies, drafting up preparedness plans for each one, detailing biosecurity weak spots, and potential route adjustments and delivery schedule changes. As the pool of rural Washington veterinarians shrinks, educational and biosecurity planning initiatives are critical to making sure that everyone involved in the industry, students and producers alike, remain ready and prepared. Read more here.

Washington DNR Protects 1,049 Acres in Snohomish County

There are 39 Natural Resource Conservation Areas (NRCAs) in Washington that are managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), for a total of 128,870 acres. 1,049 acres of those were recently added in Snohomish County. NRCAs are home to and protect native and diverse wildlife living in various habitats across the state, as well as the scenic landscapes accompanying them. Both rare and endangered wildlife are living in the now-preserved old growth areas in Snohomish County, contributing to its critical importance. Because of its high ecological and public benefits, valued at $4,556,000, the newly protected property will be a designated revenue-generator for the DNR trust accounts likely as a park, nature preserve, or open space area. Read more here.

Olympic Pipeline Springs Leak Near Everett

Last weekend, near Everett, Washington, a section of the Olympic Pipeline sprang a leak which spilled an unknown amount of material into an agricultural area. The Olympic Pipeline, whose full length extends from Ferndale, WA, in northernmost Whatcom County to Portland, Oregon, is in part used to transport refined petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, etc.) to nearby SeaTac Airport in Tacoma, WA. While the pipeline was initially shut down entirely to examine the source of the leak, sparking fuel supply concerns, the non-leaking 16-inch pipe servicing SeaTac was restarted on November 16th, assuaging fears about fuel stoppages. BP has stated it will conduct excavation to further investigate the leak source starting November 18th, though they have not yet released a timeline for when repairs will be finished. Read more here and here. 

Bill to Require PPE for Wildland Firefighters

A bipartisan Senate bill is being considered that would require the U.S. Forest Service and the Interior Department to have mandatory respiratory protection for wildland firefighters. The Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act will require the usage of masks and respirators during high levels of smoke exposure. Federal fighters have stated they appreciate the changes, but have concerns about gear making the job more difficult. US Forest Service, along with the US Departments of Labor and the Interior, are working along with firefighters to help reduce smoke exposure that has significant impacts on long-term health according to this 2020 report while making sure new gear is practical. Read more here.

Washington Forest Practices Board Votes in Favor of Riparian Buffers

On November 12th, the Washington Forest Practices Board discussed, and approved, the Washington Department of Ecology’s push to implement wider and longer riparian buffers along streams to keep water temperatures from rising. The vote passed at 7-5, with some members concerned about the $2.8 billion decrease in harvestable timber value for forestland owners, as estimated by a Washington State University report. In total, 200,000 acres are now no longer open for production. Another analysis done on the ruling suggests that it will reduce carbon emissions by between .005% and .07%, improve wildlife habitat quality, and provide additional cultural and ecological benefits. Read more here.

Ecology Seeks out Water Quality Wins in New WA Rulemakings

In an effort to update Washington’s water quality standards to reflect the needs of the state’s lakes, rivers and other waterbodies, Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is starting two rulemakings after fielding strong support from Tribes and local government entities. Currently, excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in the water, as well as toxic algal blooms, pose threats to wildlife, water quality, and recreation opportunities in the area. The new rulemakings focus on identification, cleanup, and funding initiatives regarding the polluted waters, by implementing specific algal bloom and nutrient criteria to track and quantify the incidents. Ecology will be hosting an informational webinar in early 2026 to field community input and feedback and will periodically post updates on their website here and here. Read the rest of the article here.

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Data Visualization of the Week

Trends in Average Grocery Prices Across the US

Rising grocery prices have been an ongoing concern for many households across the country for several years now. Over the last year, grocery prices for many items have continued to climb, including a 14% increase for ground beef and 29% for orange juice. While egg prices are lower than they were at this time last year, other common grocery items including bacon, bread, and chicken, have continued to increase in price, as seen in the chart below. You can read more here and go through the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly consumer price index data here.