Environment
Environment

Tribes Release 1st Salmon Into Upper Columbia Since Dam Construction
Salmon are now swimming in the upper Columbia River for the first time in decades. For regional Native tribes, Friday’s ceremonial fish release is a big step toward catching fish in traditional waters. Cheers erupted from the crowd as the first salmon was released since 1955 into the Columbia River above Chief Joseph Dam. Continue Reading Tribes Release 1st Salmon Into Upper Columbia Since Dam Construction

Careful With Those Birthday Candles, Smokey: Beloved Wildfire-Prevention Bear Turns 75
The longest-running public service campaign is tied to a reduction in wildfires, but in some ways Smokey’s message may have worked too well. Here’s how he’s changed. Continue Reading Careful With Those Birthday Candles, Smokey: Beloved Wildfire-Prevention Bear Turns 75

Residents Of Warm Springs Reservation Still Without Clean Water After 3 Months
The Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Central Oregon has been without safe drinking water all summer. Some people don’t have running water at all. In May, a burst pipe led to a cascade of infrastructure failures. That leaves around 4,000 people improvising for an essential human need. Continue Reading Residents Of Warm Springs Reservation Still Without Clean Water After 3 Months

New Evidence Shows Popular Pesticides Could Cause Unintended Harm To Insects
A new study is just the latest evidence that a family of pesticides called neonicotinoids, sometimes just called “neonics,” can pose risks to the insect world that are not fully understood. Continue Reading New Evidence Shows Popular Pesticides Could Cause Unintended Harm To Insects

Plastic’s New Threat: Indestructible Rafts For Ocean-Crossing Invasive Species
The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Fukushima, Japan, also triggered tsunami warnings for our coastlines here in the Pacific Northwest. And while the resulting waves did not turn out to be catastrophic when they reached our local shores, those same forces delivered a wake-up call. Continue Reading Plastic’s New Threat: Indestructible Rafts For Ocean-Crossing Invasive Species

Trouble In Paradise: Water Uncertainty Frustrates Victims Of California’s Devastating 2018 Wildfire
After the 2018 Camp Fire, scientists detected dangerous levels of cancer-causing benzenes from burned plastics in some water lines. Recent tests show the problem has not gone away. Chronic exposure to benzenes can heighten the risk of blood cancers such as leukemia. Continue Reading Trouble In Paradise: Water Uncertainty Frustrates Victims Of California’s Devastating 2018 Wildfire

Lawsuit Seeks To Block Washington State From Killing Wolves
A lawsuit filed Thursday seeks to prevent the state of Washington from killing more wolves from a pack that is preying on cattle. The Maryland-based Center for a Humane Economy filed the suit in King County Superior Court, contending too many wolves have been killed as a way to protect livestock at a single ranch in the Kettle River Range in Ferry County. Continue Reading Lawsuit Seeks To Block Washington State From Killing Wolves

Plastics Or People? At Least 1 Of Them Has To Change To Clean Up Our Mess
As consumers rebel against plastic waste, there’s a growing question: Do we invent something people can toss without harming the environment or do we change people by giving them a chance to reuse? Continue Reading Plastics Or People? At Least 1 Of Them Has To Change To Clean Up Our Mess

Scientists Warn Oregon Lags Behind Other West Coast States In Disaster Preparedness
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who included the $12 million in funding for the projects in her proposed budget last year, has told reporters the decision not to expand the early detection systems was one of the “biggest disappointments” of this year’s legislative session. Continue Reading Scientists Warn Oregon Lags Behind Other West Coast States In Disaster Preparedness

Hey, That’s My Grass! Goats Chomp Fire Fuels Around Previously Burned Wenatchee Neighborhood
A fire district around Wenatchee has come up with a new way to make wildland fires less severe. Chelan County Fire District 1 is ditching the hand tools and machinery that firefighters traditionally use to thin overgrown brush. Instead, they’re turning to a more natural approach to thin out fuels around the Broadview neighborhood that burned in the 2015 Sleepy Hollow fire. Continue Reading Hey, That’s My Grass! Goats Chomp Fire Fuels Around Previously Burned Wenatchee Neighborhood

Pateros And North Central Washington Continue Rebuilding 5 Years After Carlton Complex Fire
Five years later, the Carlton Complex is still the single largest fire in Washington state’s history. By the end of summer, the Okanogan Long Term Recovery Group will have rebuilt 39 homes. The group’s contractors are putting the finishing touches on the final two homes now. They’ve held a ribbon cutting at nearly each spot. Continue Reading Pateros And North Central Washington Continue Rebuilding 5 Years After Carlton Complex Fire

Radioactive Waste Shipped From Idaho To New Mexico For Permanent Storage
Radioactive waste shipped to Idaho during the Cold War has been compacted and sent out of state for permanent disposal, officials said Wednesday. Continue Reading Radioactive Waste Shipped From Idaho To New Mexico For Permanent Storage