Environment

Environment

The Goldendale Energy Storage Project would be built just outside Goldendale in Klickitat County. If built, it would be the largest pumped storage facility in the Northwest. The lower reservoir is proposed in the flat area below this image, by John Day Dam on the Columbia River. Courtesy of Rye Development

Northwest Clean-Energy Advocates Eye Pumped Hydro To Fill Gaps, With Tribes Noting Concerns

Many states – including Oregon and Washington – have set renewable energy goals. But, there’s a problem. The wind isn’t always blowing, and the sun isn’t always shining. That’s why wind and solar power are variable, or intermittent. Enter pumped hydro. It’s not a new technology, but it is gaining more interest regionally. Continue Reading Northwest Clean-Energy Advocates Eye Pumped Hydro To Fill Gaps, With Tribes Noting Concerns

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Prairie strips in fields of corn or soybeans can protect the soil and allow wildlife to flourish. This strip was established in a field near Traer, Iowa, in 2015. Omar de Kok-Mercado, Iowa State University

How Absentee Landowners Keep Farmers From Protecting Water And Soil

Cover crops are a vegetation that farmers can plant in the off-season to protect and enrich the soil. It’s great for the environment — and in the long run, for crops, too — but it costs money upfront. Farmers who rent land, and who may not have access to that land in the long run, are reluctant to spend that money. Continue Reading How Absentee Landowners Keep Farmers From Protecting Water And Soil

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OSU scientists detect a tagged hermit warbler in the canopy of an old growth grove in the Oregon Cascades. Learning how the small song birds travel over the course of a day could provide insight into why bird populations are doing well in old growth forests while declining in other warming landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. CREDIT: GREG DAVIS

Forest Service Considers Rule Change That Prevented Logging Of Some Northwest Old-Growth Trees

The land management plans, known as the “Eastside Screens,” came about in 1995 to protect old growth trees east of the Cascades. The rules were meant to be temporary. The Forest Service wants to amend a section of the policy called the “21-inch rule,” which prohibits harvesting trees that are greater than 21-inches in diameter. Continue Reading Forest Service Considers Rule Change That Prevented Logging Of Some Northwest Old-Growth Trees

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A helicopter uses a bucket to drop water on the Milepost 22 wildfire, Thursday, June 21, 2018, near Vantage, Wash. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/TED S. WARREN

Washington Has Seen A Significant Rise In Wildfire Starts So Far This Year

Washington fire managers say they’ve seen a significant number of wildfires in “every corner of the state.” So far this year, the state Department of Natural Resources says it has responded to more than 468 wildfires of varying sizes – nearly double the 10-year average for an entire fire season. But this year’s unprecedented uptick in the number of fires has an unforeseen culprit: people cleaning their yards during the pandemic. Continue Reading Washington Has Seen A Significant Rise In Wildfire Starts So Far This Year

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Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, left, speaks as Gov. Jay Inslee looks on during a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, in Seattle, where Ferguson announced a lawsuit against agrochemical giant Monsanto over pollution from PCBs.

Monsanto To Pay Washington State $95M Over PCB Pollution And Dangers From Weedkiller Roundup

The announcement Wednesday from Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson came as Bayer, which acquired Monsanto two years ago, said it would pay $820 million to resolve PCB pollution claims and up to $10.9 billion to resolve many claims, both current and future, over contamination from or exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller. Continue Reading Monsanto To Pay Washington State $95M Over PCB Pollution And Dangers From Weedkiller Roundup

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