Washington environmentalists respond to Trump’s rollbacks

EVERETT — President Donald Trump signed numerous executive orders weakening national environmental protections before his first week back in office has even ended.

The orders align with Trump’s agenda of supporting fossil fuel production and curbing emission regulations.

Trump also withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement — the international treaty aiming to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. He withdrew from the treaty during his first term in office, but President Joe Biden rejoined when he took office in 2021.

Washington state has some of the strongest climate policies in the nation, and over 61% of Washingtonians voted down I-2117 in 2024, a state initiative that attempted to repeal the Climate Commitment Act.

The Herald reached out to groups working on environmental and climate protections across Snohomish County and the state. Here is what they have to say about the national rollbacks and the work they’re doing under the new administration:

Skip Short and Mark Rohde, co-leaders of Snohomish Citizen’s Climate Lobby

Citizen’s Climate Lobby is an international bipartisan organization working to pass climate policy. There are over 400 chapters across the United States.

Skip Short and Mark Rohde are the co-leaders of Snohomish County’s chapter. They write that Trump’s executive orders “often demonstrate bravado” and exceed his actual authority.

Rohde and Short believe the immediate impact of orders aimed to stimulate fossil will be minimal due to ongoing legal challenges, lengthy processes needed to develop new resources and a surplus of unused drilling permits. They also believe the economic pragmatism within the business community will limit the power of Trump’s will to rely on fossil fuels.

“The declining costs of renewable energy continue to outpace fossil fuels, making the transition to cleaner energy sources both logical and inevitable,” Short and Rohde said.

But they believe the orders send a strong signal that it is now up to the states and local efforts to address climate change, and there is no help coming from the White House to help combat this global crisis.

Trump alone cannot enact his wishes laid out in the orders, they said. Congress also plays a critical role.

The Citizen’s Climate Lobby works with representatives across the political spectrum.

“Thanks to CCL’s non-partisan approach, we’ve built strong relationships with senators and representatives on both sides of the aisle, where there is growing recognition of the economic and environmental necessity of renewable energy,” Short and Rohde said.

Locally, the group will continue to collaborate with other climate advocacy groups, such as the Climate Alliance of Snohomish County. Group members will be on the ground, meeting with business professionals and hosting tabling events at farmers’ markets, making the economic case for transitioning to renewable energy.

Now more than ever, this work is critical, Short and Rohde said.

Bill Derry, president of Pilchuck Audubon Society and leadership member of Edmonds Marsh Estuary Advocates

Bill Derry is the president of the Pilchuck Audubon Society and a member of the Edmonds Marsh Estuary Advocates Team. He previously served six years on the board of directors for People for Puget Sound.

“While we knew this was coming, it is even more sweeping than we expected,” he said in an email. “It’s devastating to see.”

The hope is that Trump’s executive orders will motivate multiple states to follow Washington, California and Quebec in forming carbon markets and encouraging electrification, Derry said. Additionally, Derry believes there will be pushback from Republican states that have growing economies based on solar and electrification.

“Meanwhile, in Snohomish County, we have a PUD [Public Utility District] that is supporting solar and electrification, but we have County Council members trying to weaken protection for streams and wetlands,” he wrote. “The fight is never-ending.”

Derry said work to restore the Edmonds Marsh will continue, and hopefully grant funds will still be available from existing laws passed by Congress.

“In the first Trump term, donations to environmental organizations increased,” he said. “That will probably happen again and will allow resistance to Trump’s policies and more positive actions at the state and local levels.”

Cynthia Jones, David Jones and Nancy Johnson, Sno-Isle Sierra Club

Cynthia Jones, David Jones and Nancy Johnson are part of the Sno-Isle Sierra Club’s leadership team. The local chapter of the Sierra Club has volunteers across Snohomish and Island County who work on climate action including conservation, social, and racial justice projects.

“Effectively addressing our world’s climate crisis requires dependable international coordination,” they said. “Withdrawing the U.S. from that work is like a cancer victim postponing treatment.”

Sno-Isle will continue its work to protect Washington state’s progressive climate policies, and members will continue to endorse and support climate champions for public office, the leaders wrote.

“We will continue to promote clean energy options, and to oppose increased fossil fuels extraction or transportation through our state,” the three said in a joint statement. “We know that clean energy is the future and that this is, in reality, the last gasp of the fossil fuels industry.”

While Washington representatives and senators can be counted on to reject Trump’s policies and vote against the measures of their Republican counterparts, The Sno-Isle leaders wrote that state lawmakers need support as they demonstrate “courage in this fraught politicized climate.”

Clifford Traisman, state lobbyist for Washington Conservation Action

Clifford Traisman has been a contracted, full-time state lobbyist for both Washington Conservation Action and Washington Conservation Action Education Fund since November 2002. The Washington Conservation Action advocates for environmental progress and justice through policy work.

“We obviously cannot count on the new administration in D.C. to ensure clean air and a healthy environment. Taking aggressive actions at the state level is more critical than ever to tackle climate change and safeguard environmental protections,” he wrote. “We are counting on Governor Ferguson and the state legislature to do just that.”

Nancy Hirsh, executive director, NW Energy Coalition

Nancy Hirsh is the executive director of the NW Energy Coalition, an alliance of over 100 environmental, civic, and human service organizations, utilities and businesses in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. Hirsh was the Coalition’s policy director from 1996 to 2014, and before that, she spent 12 years working on national energy policy issues for the Environmental Action Foundation and the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, DC.

“The impacts of climate change are being felt now in Washington communities and the Northwest broadly,” she said. “We remain focused on supporting new clean and renewable energy resources investments that are needed to provide a reliable, affordable and resilient energy system.”

Hirsh wrote that Trump’s intentions do not roll back existing Washington state laws and policies which she believes are vital to environmental and human health protections and ensuring progress to address climate change and energy system resilience.

“Washington’s electric utilities are leading the way in expanding their community-based clean energy projects and helping their customers use the next generation of renewable energy and storage resources,” she said. “We expect this leadership to continue.”

Elle Hultz and Simone Lobdell, co-chairs for Green Snohomish

Elle Hultz and Simone Lobdell co-chair Green Snohomish, a local organization that works on climate-friendly campaigns throughout the county, including volunteering at farmers’ markets and conducting community education on river health.

“Our priority is local and regional advocacy — working to shape environmental policies that reflect the values and priorities of our community, ensuring that Snohomish remains a model for environmental stewardship and resilience,” Hultz and Lobdell said. “We continue to collaborate with other organizations handling regional efforts, but our work remains rooted in creating positive, lasting change within Snohomish.”

Eliza Aronson: 425-339-3434; eliza.aronson@heraldnet.com; X: @ElizaAronson.

Eliza’s stories are supported by the Herald’s Environmental and Climate Reporting Fund.