Environment

Environment

Dillon Sanders looks on as a collection of wildland firefighters train for an upcoming season. Sanders is the owner of Inbound LLC in Oakridge, Oregon, which runs 20-person hand crews and 13 engines for fire suppression. CREDIT: TONY SCHICK

Fire Camp Germ Spread Is Dicey In Normal Times. COVID-19 Could Rip Through Crews This Season

This year, fire camp could be as dangerous as the wildfires, and top Western managers are deep in planning how to make fire camps COVID-19 ready for fire crews. Hilary Franz is Washington’s commissioner of public lands. She says state, federal, tribal and local officials are trying to make fighting wildfires safe during a pandemic. Continue Reading Fire Camp Germ Spread Is Dicey In Normal Times. COVID-19 Could Rip Through Crews This Season

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A snow-machine rider takes a snowpack reading as part of Community Snow Observations, a NASA-sponsored citizen science project. CREDIT: Oregon State University/Flickr

Water, Water (Most) Everywhere, As Northwest Snowpack Is Good. But Some Areas Are Low

For much of the Northwest, snowpack is above normal. That’s a good sign this time of year, when snowpack usually reaches its peak. Having enough snowpack is critical for spring and summer runoff that will supply water for irrigation and salmon runs. But that doesn’t mean everywhere has that much snow. Continue Reading Water, Water (Most) Everywhere, As Northwest Snowpack Is Good. But Some Areas Are Low

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File photo. A sign at the property of Eric and Mari Perez in Qunicy, Washington, where houses are surrounded by apple orchards. Some people don't want the pesticide chlorpyrifos drifting from orchards to their property. CREDIT: Megan Farmer/KUOW

Washington Lawmakers Stop Short Of Banning Pesticide Linked To Neurological Problems

Washington regulators must soon consider rules to limit the use of a controversial pesticide that can cause neurological and health problems, especially in young children. A bill passed by state lawmakers this session didn’t outright ban the pesticide, as health and farmworker activists had proposed. Continue Reading Washington Lawmakers Stop Short Of Banning Pesticide Linked To Neurological Problems

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A subalpine meadow on Mount Rainier in the summer. CREDIT: Elli Theobald/courtesy of the research team

The Mountain Wildflowers Are Out (Earlier): How Climate Change May Affect Tourist Season At Rainier

The wildflower season at Mount Rainier National Park was short in 2015. Some of the lupines stopped flowering and didn’t make seeds like they normally do. The shorter season also meant fewer people saw peak blooms. A new study looks at how winter changes may affect tourist season at Washington’s iconic park. Continue Reading The Mountain Wildflowers Are Out (Earlier): How Climate Change May Affect Tourist Season At Rainier

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