The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) is launching a new emergency notification system for the Washington State Capitol Campus. Public and employee safety are a top priority in DES management of the Capitol Campus.

The new system, called WA Agency Alerts, is launching in the fall of 2020 and replacing the current email notification system (GovDelivery). It uses the Everbridge platform to notify employees and the public on Capitol Campus about emergencies such as imminent threats to health and safety, building closures, severe weather, and police activity.

A grass and gravel area that buffers Percival Cove along Deschutes Parkway that people had been using to park on will remain closed when Deschutes Parkway reopens today following

Road closures along Deschutes Parkway will occur Aug. 24-28 during work that includes replacing expansion joints on both sides of the bridge near Marathon Park. The roadway must be closed during the work for public safety reasons.

Work to lower the water level of Capitol Lake on the evening of Tuesday, July 14 has been delayed until further notice. The Department of Enterprise Services planned to lower the Capitol Lake water level Tuesday to support City of Olympia Public Works Department work to install tide gates. A notice will be sent when this work is rescheduled.

If you have questions about the lake lowering, please call (360) 725-0014.

In the coming days, the Department of Enterprise Services anticipates that several non-permitted events may take place on the Capitol Campus.

As we head into the weekend, the Department of Enterprise Services anticipates several non-permitted events regarding a variety of topics.

The Department of Enterprise Services has issued a permit for an event on the North Steps of the Legislative Building on Friday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Organizers of the Liberty State Lobby Day event have informed DES that some participants will likely openly carry firearms at the event.

State law allows citizens to openly carry firearms in most public areas, including the Capitol Campus. Organizers expect about 250 people to attend.

OLYMPIA - Three new “moon trees” will take root on the Capitol Campus this week.

Department of Enterprise Services (DES) crews are preparing the corner of 11th Avenue and Capitol Way for the trees, which will be ceremonially planted at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 by members of the Washington Community Forestry Council.

To the moon and back

After Thursday, the campus will have four “moon trees.”

As the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) moves forward with a rulemaking effort to consider parking restrictions on Deschutes Parkway and other Capitol Campus roadways, the agency will be engaging affected parkers, community groups, local neighborhoods, campus event organizers and others.

OLYMPIA — Work to complete pruning on two longstanding Norway maples on Capitol Campus will occur on Sunday, Dec. 29. Previous work occurred Sunday, Dec. 22.

One tree that will be pruned is near the sunken garden, and one is by Capitol Way between the Tivoli Fountain and the south diagonal. Work will begin at 7:30 a.m.

The approximately 100-year-old maples have health issues but they are manageable for now. The maples are significantly larger and older than average trees on campus—and branch weight needs to be reduced to extend the trees’ safe, useful life.