Environment

Environment

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

Read More »
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

Read More »
An otter seen on a trail camera as part of an environmental science course at the Yakama Nation Tribal School. With the coronavirus pandemic, students still monitored the area of study near Highway 97 in Toppenish remotely.

In Toppenish, A Trail Cam Zooms In On Unique Learning Opportunity For Yakama Nation Students

Historically, the Yakama Nation Tribal School was a school “of last resort,” says principal Adam Strom, where students came after they could no longer attend other area schools. That’s changing. He says courses like this one in environmental science and natural resources are a big reason why. Continue Reading In Toppenish, A Trail Cam Zooms In On Unique Learning Opportunity For Yakama Nation Students

Read More »
A sea otter in the waters off Vancouver Island

Does Cuteness Count? A Cost-Benefit Analysis Encourages Backers Of A Northwest Sea Otter Return

A study of sea otter restoration in British Columbia is giving encouragement to a group that wants to bring sea otters back to the Oregon Coast. The research team led by the University of British Columbia analyzed the rebound in sea otters off the coast of Vancouver Island. Continue Reading Does Cuteness Count? A Cost-Benefit Analysis Encourages Backers Of A Northwest Sea Otter Return

Read More »
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

Research From Northwest Scientists Shows Negative Climate Change Effects On Old Growth Forests

Deforestation, climate change and the disturbances it can exacerbate – like wildfires, extreme droughts and insect outbreaks – are decimating old growth forests across the globe. That means forests worldwide are filling in with younger and shorter trees, according to a new study. Continue Reading Research From Northwest Scientists Shows Negative Climate Change Effects On Old Growth Forests

Read More »