Environment
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Bills push for improving salmon habitat, removing barriers
Starting at the Olympia Ballroom in the state capital's historic district, students from across Washington carried inflatable orcas and salmon and marched through the streets of Oly... — Updated 3/8/2023
Drayton Harbor Oyster Company seeks oyster farm expansion in face of water concerns
Drayton Harbor Oyster Company (DHO) is seeking to expand its oyster growing operations to add an off-bottom farm in a cleaner area of Drayton Harbor as water quality issues... — Updated 2/6/2023
Blaine without a hornet buzz this year as trapping ends
Washington state scientists are wrapping up their search for the northern giant hornet this year without detections in Blaine or statewide, but are asking the public to remain... — Updated 12/15/2022
70 flood-prone properties tabbed for federal aid
WHATCOM - A total of about 70 flood-prone properties have been identified by the county as eligible to be either bought out or have buildings raised with public money. It's... — Updated 12/8/2022
Three controversial battery energy storage facilities proposed in Skagit
As demand on the electric grid continues to rise and state mandates on clean energy use inch closer, utility providers are scrambling to find alternative storage options for clean e... — Updated 12/1/2022
One year into the Methow climate plan
Switching to energy-saving appliances for heating and cooling. Building a water bank to preserve water for local agriculture. Adding charging stations for electric vehicles.... — Updated 11/17/2022
WDFW records cougar attacks on wolves; four confirmed since 2013
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently reported evidence that cougars are killing wolves in Washington. By using radio collar data, WDFW staff were able to... — Updated 11/17/2022
DNR cancels leases for last 2 net-pen salmon farms in Puget Sound
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has canceled the two remaining finfish net-pen aquaculture leases in Puget Sound, officials announced Monday night. The tw... — Updated 11/17/2022
WDFW acquires shrub-steppe lands in Rendezvous area
Mule deer and other wildlife will benefit from an additional 220 acres of protected shrub-steppe in the Rendezvous area recently purchased by the Washington Department of Fish and... — Updated 11/11/2022
Old Cedars golf course reopens as Gordy Jolma Family Natural Area
What was once the Cedars at Salmon Creek Golf Course officially reopened on Nov. 2 as the Gordy Jolma Family Natural Area. The remnants of sand traps were the only clear signs that... — Updated 11/11/2022
Willapa Bay green crab war enters new phase
OCEAN PARK - They can crawl, but they can't hide. The war on an invasive crab wreaking havoc on Willapa Bay has entered a new phase, with scientists implementing an innovative inter... — Updated 10/27/2022
What's the Deal With: Bellingham's plum shortage?
If you were looking forward to a bountiful plum harvest in Bellingham this fall, you aren't alone if your gathering efforts seem fruitless. Local plum trees might produce less... — Updated 10/13/2022
Volunteers tackling growing amount of roadside litter
Conner Smith added another piece of litter to his already packed trash bag. "It hurts my soul to see people take advantage of a place so pristine," he said while pausing his work al... — Updated 10/5/2022
A 'desperate' year for bears in search of sustenance
Hungry bears have been unusually persistent and destructive in seeking food near homes in the Methow Valley this year, in some cases repeatedly breaking through electric fences to... — Updated 9/29/2022
Aleutian Isle fishing vessel recovered after 39 days
The Aleutian Isle fishing vessel has been removed from the waters off San Juan Island after 39 days, the U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday night. Efforts to recover the vessel,... — Updated 9/23/2022
Wildfires close trails, bring smoke to valley
The Methow Valley Ranger District has closed additional trails from the Harts Pass area north to the Canadian border and west to the Ross Lake National Recreation Area because of... — Updated 9/15/2022
Jellyfish Stranded in Staggering Numbers
A mass stranding of lion's mane jellyfish shocked Key Peninsula beach walkers during the second week of August - and made swimmers think twice about getting in the water. "I have... — Updated 9/8/2022
Whidbey Island waters dyed red for shellfish health
The waters around Whidbey Island will be dyed red Monday, Sept. 12, to allow the state Department of Health (DOH) to study wastewater movement in the region. DOH will be working in the waters beginning Friday and will remain until... — Updated 9/8/2022
Aleutian Isle fishing vessel still underwater 10 days later
Ten days after it sank, the Aleutian Isle is still on the seafloor. The 49-foot fishing vessel, which sank off the west coast of San Juan Island on Aug. 13, is sitting in waters... — Updated 8/24/2022
Green burial provides families meaningful experience
WHATCOM - A grassy field, open skies, fresh air and birds in song. Trees and plants whose colors change with the seasons. These are ways someone might describe The Meadow. The... — Updated 8/18/2022
World's largest hornet renamed northern giant hornet
Scientists are now asking the public to refer to the world's largest hornets as "northern giant hornets," opposed to the previously dubbed names "Asian giant hornets" and "murder ho... — Updated 8/11/2022
Fish and Wildlife Commission rejects proposed wolf rule
Washington's wildlife commissioners have chosen not to enact a new rule that was developed with the goal of reducing the number of wolves killed under state orders due to conflicts... — Updated 8/4/2022
Cascade Carnivore Project Reports Wolverines Have Reproduced at Mount Rainier for Third Consecutive Year
Wolverines have reproduced at Mount Rainier National Park for a third year in a row, according to an announcement last week by the Cascade Carnivore Project. The news marks another... — Updated 7/28/2022
Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes launch fish habitat projects
This month, the Yakama Nation and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation began construction for fish habitat restoration projects along the Twisp and Methow rivers. The... — Updated 7/28/2022
Inslee gives Asian Giant Hornets his full attention
Though there are no confirmed sightings of Asian giant hornets yet this year, scientists and entomologists from the Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA) were ready to talk... — Updated 7/14/2022
Flood victims rebuild: Whatcom County seeks money to buy out, elevate properties
This could be the next image of flood recovery: Houses raised up from their foundations to be repositioned several feet higher, if rebuilt at all. Several homeowners in hard-hit Sumas have taken the action already, without knowing... — Updated 7/7/2022
Lummi Nation awarded $595,000 after 2017 salmon pen collapse
The King County Superior Court jury awarded the Lummi Nation close to $600,000 in damages Wednesday over the 2017 collapse of an Atlantic salmon net pen in Puget Sound. The... — Updated 7/7/2022
First Asian giant hornet nest eradicated in east Blaine now on display at the Smithsonian
A piece of Blaine is now displayed for the world to view at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The first Asian giant hornet nest found and... — Updated 7/7/2022
A New Day for Lakebay Marina
Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz visited Lakebay Marina June 4 in part to celebrate the partnership to save the iconic facility and to see for herself... — Updated 7/7/2022
Southern resident orca pod calf identified last week
The latest addition to the Southern Resident orca J pod has been identified as a girl, according to observers from the Center for Whale Research (CWR). This orca, the first calf... — Updated 6/2/2022
A new invader: European green crabs pose a threat
Voracious invaders are seeking a foothold in the region's tidelands. And you've been enlisted in the battle. The enemy is the European green crab - considered one of the world's... — Updated 6/2/2022
Researchers look at salmon habitat above Enloe Dam
Tens of thousands of endangered salmon could access high-quality habitat in the Similkameen River watershed if Enloe Dam were removed, but any plans to demolish the dam would have... — Updated 6/2/2022
Holy halibut: Local charters relish bottom fish bonanza
ILWACO - Fishing roughly 20 miles off the Washington coast near a vast submarine canyon, it took the bait more than two minutes to reach the bottom in an ink-black abyss. It's in th... — Updated 5/26/2022
Kelp help is on the way
Below the surface of Puget Sound, disappearing kelp forests and eelgrass beds are threatening the stability of dependent species. The shrinking population is now drawing the attention of lawmakers, with a variety of approaches... — Updated 5/2/2022
Morel harvesting permits available in May
People hoping for a share of the earthy mushrooms that often pop up after a wildfire can apply for a commercial harvesting permit for morels from the Methow Valley Ranger District starting Monday (May 2). People can collect up to... — Updated 4/28/2022
Oil facilities, transporters to be liable for oil spill costs
The financial responsibility for an oil spill will fall on those who own the facilities and vessels that produce and transport oil, under HB 1691. The bill was passed by the Senate Thursday, March 3. It passed in the House last... — Updated 4/28/2022
State's gray wolf population increased in 2021
The gray wolf population in Washington topped 200 animals last year, with 33 packs in the central and eastern parts of the state at the end of 2021. The Washington Department of... — Updated 4/21/2022
Legislature Funds Increased Derelict Boat Removal on Puget Sound
Removing derelict or abandoned boats from the waters of Puget Sound is a high priority for the Department of Natural Resources. The department's underfunded Derelict Vessel Removal... — Updated 4/21/2022
Where Beaches Are Born
Agates and oysters. A clear tide. Stories. I am south of Driftwood Annie's point, strolling Pitt Passage with two veteran beach walkers. The going is wonderfully slow. "It changes s... — Updated 3/17/2022
Transportation funding package moves to the House
A package that pays for free passes on public transportation for young people and upgrades to major bridges are all part of a 16-year transportation funding plan approved by the Washington State Senate. The Senate approved the prop... — Updated 3/16/2022
Democrats push $16 billion transportation plan
A $16 billion plan, crafted mainly by Democrats, to fund hybrid-electric ferries, high speed rail, highway maintenance is gaining speed in the state Legislature. “‘Move Ahead Washington’ is a promise to put Washingtonians... — Updated 3/16/2022
Salmon habitat rules would restrict agricultural uses
Advocates hope mandatory conservation of key habitat areas will help salmon runs recover, but opponents worry farmers will pay a price. House Bill 1838, to be known as the Lorraine Loomis Act in honor of the late Northwest Indian... — Updated 2/9/2022
New House bill would make oil owners financially liable for oil spills
The financial responsibility for an oil spill will fall on those who own the facilities and vessels that produce and transport oil under proposed House Bill 1691. “The goal is to minimize the permanent long-standing damage that... — Updated 2/9/2022
European green crab erupt in Willapa Bay
WILLAPA - Non-native European green crab are in the midst of a major expansion in Washington coastal waters, including Willapa Bay. The small crab is regarded as a potentially... — Updated 2/2/2022
Salmon bill adding habitat put on hold
On one issue, all in western Washington are agreed. Saving wild salmon runs is a priority. What is not clear cut, as testimony during a virtual State House of Representatives committee hearing indicates, is what sacrifices must be... — Updated 2/2/2022
B.C. government settlement extinguishes Skagit headwaters mining threat
After a nearly three-year process, the B.C. government, Imperial Metals and the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission (SEEC) have come to an agreement to halt mining in the Skag... — Updated 1/27/2022
Colville Tribe working to relocate lynx from Canada
Several lynx have been captured in Canada and relocated to the Colville Indian Reservation in in hopes that a resilient population will be established there in an effort that uses... — Updated 12/15/2021
Coho have banner year
In the complex world of salmon recovery, coho are something of a success story right now. This fall, a record 25,000 coho salmon passed over Wells Dam, the highest number since... — Updated 12/9/2021
'Magic': Peninsula gains acclaim as psychedelic 'shroom' capital
LONG BEACH PENINSULA - There's something magical happening in the sprawling sand dunes in Pacific County. During the dreariest days of fall, an army of furtive fungal foragers... — Updated 12/2/2021
Research locates cold-water areas crucial for fish survival
To humans, rivers in the Methow can seem pretty frigid, even in August. But for fish in the Methow, having cold water – really cold – is a matter of life and death. Aquatic... — Updated 11/17/2021
