Through interagency work between USDA Agriculture Research Service and USACE Seattle District, new greenhouses with climate control systems and screenhouse facilities are now complete at ARS’ National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Ore., essential for preserving plant genetic material.

Photo of Montana State Fish, Wildlife and Parks Biologist Sam Martinez teaching a group of elementary school-aged students about 'hooves, horns and hides' during Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness (FSPW) 12th annual “Winter Tracks” event, Jan. 23, 2026 and Jan. 29, 2026, at Libby Dam, Libby, Montana. The annual event teaches students about outdoor cooking, bear awareness, primitive fire making, how to track various animal signs and to identify native trees.

When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, ramped up its emergency operations in response to atmospheric rivers in December 2025, a small, specialized group of individuals stepped into one of the most critical and least understood roles in disaster response: the liaison.

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-owned barge is stacked with large woody debris, recovered by Seattle District's Motor Vessel (MV) Puget. The vessel patrols the inland waters of Puget Sound, collecting debris and obstructions to navigation. This continuous maintenance yields vast quantities of durable wood, which local environmental and conservation organizations focused on shoreline and riverine habitat restoration, like the Port of Seattle, can use for fish and wildlife habitat and shoreline stabilization projects.

After relentless rainfall in December 2025, the swelling rivers, in Northwest Washington, threatened nearby infrastructure, highlighting the immense challenges faced during the emergency.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, JBLM Army Garrison, and 1st Special Forces Group leadership joined together to celebrate the Department of War's largest-to-date construction project using mass timber structural materials during a groundbreaking ceremony, Dec. 12, 2025.