Jefferson County Commissioners Debate & Kill Draft of Wildlife Land Swap Letter

Posted on August 3, 2026 by Al Bergstein

The Jefferson County Commissioners today published a draft of a new version of the letter about their level of support for the proposal to transfer the two National Wildlife Refuges into the sovereign nation of the Jamestown S’Kallam tribe. The final letter would have been sent to U.S. Representative Emily Randall, the politician who has bought into this proposal on behalf of the Tribe, and who has done zero public engagement on this issue. The Commissioners debated the issue and ultimately, after debate, the Commissioners decided not to send the letter and simply pass along the written comments to Representative Randall. This is a positive step, allowing Randall to go get the public input she should have done all along. Randall’s junior status as a Representative has been on display during this entire process, and we are hoping she has learned something from this.

The draft letter significantly tempered their support, clarifying a few key points. For sake of the public understanding the debate, here’s points from the draft letter:

Public Input:

“One central piece of input we’ ve gotten from residents of Jefferson County is a desire for more public engagement about this proposal.” – That is perhaps an understatement.

Importance of the lands in question:

“These sites are not only central to the Tribe’ s heritage but are also integral to the ecological health and quality of life for our entire region.”

Is title transfer necessary?

“…there is concern about losing protections provided with oversight by the USFWS.” Finally the Commissioners are recognizing the very real concerns that moving these lands into sovereign nation status would possibly create.

Hope instead of concrete assurances from the Tribe:

“It is our sense (emphasis mine) that if the island were transferred into trust, the Tribe would continue to manage it to a standard that would meet or exceed federal requirements.” There is absolutely no guarantee that is being given nor could one be enforced if promised once the lands are transferred. It is all based on faith that nothing would ever change. The very fact that this transfer is being considered now is proof enough that some future tribal council would decide on a very different use of Protection Island and Dungeness Spit.

Admission of commercial concerns:

“However, we’ve also heard concerns from several constituents that the Tribe may take a more business- forward approach in managing Protection Island and, in neighboring Clallam County, Dungeness Spit Refuge lands.” Never heard the use of “Business-forward” to describe actual conversion of tide lands into an aquaculture farm before. Also they heard from constituents as if this is a secret project of the Tribe. The Tribe has been very open about this and it has been known publicly for many years. Are the Commissioners that out of touch? Or are they wanting to blame the opposition to the transfer for somehow bringing the Commissioners new information? The answer is “yes” they are trying to blame opponents of the transfer. They did so in the next paragraph:

The Opposition:

“…we have observed a recurring argument among some opponents who use the phrase “public land in public hands” to justify federal retention. Within the context of our region’ s history, there is a certain irony and arrogance in this framing. It overlooks the historical reality of colonization and the systemic dispossession of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands. To claim these areas are only ” public” when under federal control ignores the thousands of years of stewardship practiced by Tribes prior to European arrival.”

The opposition doesn’t claim that the lands are “public lands”, they are public by definition. The legal national definition of “public lands” which the Commissioners themselves should be aware of is this Statutory definition: Under 43 U.S.C. § 1702, “any land and interest in land owned by the United States within the several States and administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management… except... Outer Continental Shelf; and lands held for the benefit of Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos.”, as stated in the U.S. Code. General federal usage: Commonly refers to all real property owned collectively by the American people and managed by various federal stewardship branches.

The opposition doesn’t appear to be ignoring the historical reality, and anyway, what does that have to do with the proposed transfer of these lands to the Tribe? Does the historical reality dictate that we give back the Wildlife Refuges we fought so hard to create by keeping them from “business forward” real estate development? If there is any irony to be found at all in this it is that the Tribe, who claims to have the protection of these wildlife refuges as their reason for doing it, are already engaged in putting a commercial oyster farm of up to 80000 bags of oysters against the very shores of the Dungeness Spit, burying the bottom where many of the birds we are protecting feed.

Who are these two refuges supposed to be for? They were established to recognize that before the Europeans arrived, and actually before the tribes arrived, this island and Spit were “owned” by the wildlife on them. The birds. The American public are currently protecting the habitat of these animals for all of humanity, not just for a “business-forward” entity, no matter who they are or however many generations they have been here.

Given the definition of the Commissioners in this ill worded paragraph, then *all* lands in the U.S. are not public or somehow deserve to be given back to all tribes because we took them all.

The Commissioners should strike that paragraph. It serves no purpose other than add fuel to the idea that somehow anyone opposing this is anti-tribe or racist. The opposition simply wants this co-management to continue.

Finally

“For these reasons, Jefferson County urges the delegation to carefully consider these complexities before advancing the Act.” As usual, when confronted with public opposition, the politicians decided to simply ask for more information and public input by Representative Randall.

To the public and Commissioners, let me simply state that I know the opposition people quite well. Virtually all of them have worked for and possibly even donated to your campaigns. Most of them own homes and businesses in Jefferson County. They pay taxes to this county. They appreciate that you listen to them as well as you listen to the Tribe, a sovereign nation demanding something that no one but them has asked to be given away.

Here is the DRAFT letter

Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, Government, Jefferson County, legislation, Protection Island, Straits of Juan de Fuca, Washington State | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Environmental Voter Guide

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Al Bergstein

The Voters’ Pamphlets are out and soon you will get your ballot. Here are my recommendations for environmental focused voters. There are some surprises.

Federal Representative – Macy Jones – No Party Affiliation.

Representative Emily Randall has shown that she does not represent environmental interests in our two counties. She is the main backer of the giveaway of our federal lands, The Dungeness Spit and Protection Island, to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. No one other than the tribe has asked for this and Randall is acting on behalf of the Tribe and not the other voters of these counties, including the grandchildren of the woman who saved Protection Island, Eleanor Stopps and the other woman who was instrumental in this, Lorna Smith. This reporter also was there at the beginning of the efforts and does not accept the idea that the Tribal Corporation will do a better job than they are doing now, as co-manager of the tribe. If you want to send a message to Ms. Randall, vote for the woman who does not represent a political party, Macy Jones. She is in support of many of the same things the Democrats are in favor, she is against foreign wars, she supports fully funding schools, more infrastructure, more spent on healthcare, senior care, environmental protection, food security and strong local economies. She is currently a Grange member (as my late wife was), specializes in elder care, and is enrolled in Peninsula College. Read her information in the Voter Guide.

Representative Emily Randall was one of two Democrat votes that missed a key vote that would have saved PBS and billions in foreign aid in June 2025. She has never explained her absence from that vote, despite numerous local Democrats asking why she missed this vote. To be clear, the PBS and foreign aid vote would have LOST if she had been there to vote against it. That is why I am not supporting a Democrat in this role because I believe we need to send someone back to Washington D.C. who will represent our needs and not the specialized interests of the current Democratic Party. It is worth shaking things up to actually accomplish the goals we seek. Rep Randall is not that person. I am willing to take a chance on Macy Jones. I hope you will too.

Legislative District 2 – Adam Bernbaum – Democrat

Adam has done a good job in his first term. I have worked with him on a few issues and he has been very open and willing to discuss issues he is not familiar. He is vice-chairman of the Transportation Committee in the House, and has done significant community service. He has supported expanded access to childcare, rural housing, and infrastructure upgrades. He is endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Firefighters, Nurses and Educators. He is a Democrat worth sending back to Olympia.

Legislative District 24 – Marcia Kelbon – Independent

I spent an hour interviewing Mrs. Kelbon. She is a former business woman, patent attorney, and US Navy Civil Engineer. She comes out of the Republican Party but is no longer supporting the policies of Donald Trump. She has a long local history of being on the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity and a Girl Scout leader among other groups. She has been a foster parent and supports the foster community and knows its needs. She is a well respected member of the South Jefferson County community. She rides a Harley. She is willing to wait on deciding about the issue of giving away Protection Island and Dungeness Spit and is inclined not to support this land transfer at this time. She is wanting to promote business (which is needed to generate more jobs here!) and she emphasized to me that she would love to find a solution to homelessness. She is supportive of all people’s personal persuasions, and does not want government involved in peoples personal lives. I was very impressed with Mrs. Kelbon and for the first time since voting for Secretary of State Ralph Munro in the last century, I’m willing to support an ex-Republican over a Democrat. That should say all you need to know. Can she win the general election? I don’t know, but I am fed up with seeing cuts in Foster Care and youth mental health by a Govenor who told me to my face two years ago it was a priority of his. Also, our public schools continue to rank near the bottom of all states, despite decades of Democratic dominance. Mrs. Kelbon will bring an ability to consider both Parties positions, which may be worth debate, rather than dominance.

If you really can’t stomach voting for a former Republican, shame on you. I hear so many people in Washington state always raving about former governor Dan Evans and Ralph Munro. You would think that people would be willing to entertain a moderate Republican. But if you need another candidate to vote for, choose Mark Hodgson. He seemed in the debates to be the most likely to not follow party line of the Democrats, which is what is needed. He was on the Port Angeles City Council, was raised in Port Angeles and has been endorsed by former Senator Kevin Van De Wege, and former Representative Mike Cooper.

UnOpposed candidates. – No recommendation.

Jefferson County Commissioners District 3 – Anji Scalf

Anji has deep roots in the community. Her family has been here serving the county honorably for decades. She has been an ED for a chapter of the Chamber of Commerce, has a degree in environmental science and early childhood education and public administration. She has been a volunteer for the Fairgrounds Association, and 4-H. She has a long list of endorsements including from former County Commissioner Kathleen Kler, and John Austin.

Judicial Non Partisan Offices

State Supreme Court – Position 1 – Colleen Melody

Former Civil Rights lawyer, pro bono lawyer for immigrants and veterans. Former UW teacher. Graduated from UW with high honors.

State Supreme Court – Position 3 – Mike Diaz

Experienced jurist whom Governor Inslee twice appointed to bench, first in Superior Court and then the Court of Appeals. Has over 200 opinions, and on the superior court oversaw 45 trials. Has helped volunteer with the legal clinic of El Centro de la Raza.

State Supreme Court – Position 5 – Theo Angelis

Appointed by Governor Ferguson. Distinguished jurist. Strong human rights record.

State Supreme Court – Position 7 – Deborah Stevens – Current Chief Justice.

Re-elect her. She is doing a great job.

Filed under: Clallam County, Environmental Law, Government, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: | 4 Comments »

Tribes seek ownership of National Wildlife Refuges in the Salish Sea

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Al Bergstein

Exclusive to the Olympic Peninsula Environmental News

Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge

In a surprising statement Monday in a meeting of the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, Jamestown S’Klallam Chairman and CEO Ron Allen stated that a number of tribes in the Salish Sea and coastal waters seek to transfer ownership of National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and incorporate them into their tribal reservations.

This proposed transfer of numerous public lands to private entities like the tribes, is unusual and raises questions about the process of transfer of public lands out of public hands.

Chairman Allen came to the meeting to discuss the proposed “Land Transfer of Dungeness Spit and Protection Island”, and was commenting on this transfer to the three County Commissioners (and public in attendance) when he mentioned that this land transfer is only part of a larger effort by all the tribes to take back public lands that are National Wildlife Refuges. He said that the Makah tribe was seeking land transfers of three properties off the coast, the Nisqually were looking to transfer one adjacent to theirs, and the Lummi Nation or Swinomish (he wasn’t sure which) were looking to transfer the San Juan Islands Wildlife Refuge.

“…Because we know (the) Makah’s going to go after the three (refuges) on the coast. And we’re pretty certain that (the) Lummi or “Swin” (Swinomish) will go after the San Juan (reserve)… We know that that once we get this done they’re gonna go after the other three or four.” Allen said.

He went on about the Nisqually Tribe: “…There’s other tribes doing exactly the same thing just like this…. They’re (The Nisqually Tribe) are always pursuing the refuge in their area in Nisqually Valley area.” It is likely that what Chairman Allen was referring to was the current Nisqually Clear Creek Land Transfer Act of 2026 which is sponsored by Representative Marilyn Strickland and Senators Cantwell and Murray. The tribe is in the process of having U.S. Fish and Wildlife transfer buildings at the hatchery which sits on tribal land to the tribe. It is not seeking to transfer the Billie Frank National Wildlife Refuge to them at this point, but Allen’s comments raise questions about the future of the refuge.

There are six maritime National Wildlife Refuges in Washington State managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. They are considered the Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex:

They include:

The Jamestown S’Klallam currently have been in a co-management agreement with Fish and Wildlife, being paid approximately $800,000 for their work on Protection Island and Dungeness Spit. It is unclear if the Trump administration would be in favor of granting these annual funds if the properties were no longer owned by the Federal Government. It is agreed by all parties that they have been doing exemplary work for the government, and their ability is not being questioned. There have been no calls from the Trump Administration, the Federal government nor the State government to transfer these two particular lands. The request has come only from the Tribe and not from the public. Many public comments ask that nothing change in the relationship.

Washington U.S. Representative Emily Randall (D) has been in talks with the tribe for months if not years, and has openly acknowledged her support of the goal of a land transfer of Dungeness Spit and Protection Island to the Tribe. At a recent public meeting Representative Randall seemed taken aback at the level of public concern over the transfer. The public has only been aware of this land transfer since April. The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, City of Sequim and Clallam County Commissioners meetings have been the only local way for the public to comment in person despite this being a federal issue. The Clallam County County Commissioners meetings have been very contentious. The lack of federal sponsored meetings from Randall on the subject is unusual, given the outpouring of negative comments at both counties meetings.

The Trump Administration has been giving up public lands like these refuges as part of their announced Project 2025, which calls for government to get out of the vaguely worded business of “conservation”. In Texas, the administration is in the process of giving away part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge in south Texas to SpaceX in exchange for other properties by SpaceX. A lawsuit has been filed on June 10th to stop this transfer.

Chairman Allen said that they took a big ad in the Peninsula Daily News and Port Townsend Leader because they wanted to be as transparent as they possibly could be …but he added, “Congresswoman Randall asked us to kind of back off on it and we said, okay, that’s fine.” (emphasis mine) This raises the question of whether Congresswoman Randall asked the Tribe to not advertise their intentions to the public.

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell has also been in discussion with the Tribe but has not yet fully committed to the transfer and would like to see more public input, according to a person who discussed it with her staff. However she has not held any public meetings on this. There has been no mention of the Governor being involved in the discussions at this time, but it could be deduced that this kind of large scale planning would have been mentioned at some point to him.

This reporter has seen the draft bill that has been written by tribal lawyers that is assumed to be entered into the U.S. Congress at some near future date. The draft bill does not contain any legally binding language that would protect the island, spit, nor the nearshore waters that are owned by DNR from the tribe using it for commercial aquaculture. The concern by the environmental community is that the rare protected species on the island feed off the marine flora and fauna of the waters and beaches around the island. Creating a monoculture “farm” could impact the amount of food available for the birds. The current tribal council and Chairman Allen claim they have no plans. But it is easy to petition the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to open privately held shoreline to commercial use. DNR have a long history of supporting aquaculture and the State of Washington legally views aquaculture as a desired commercial priority. Once it becomes part of tribal lands, it would also be exempt from state or federal oversight as negotiations would be nation to nation based on treaty law.

The Protection Island National Wildlife Reserve was created in 1982 after almost 20 years of work by bird lovers Zella Schultz, Eleanor Stopps and the coordination with Seattle Audubon. It is the breeding ground of most of Puget Sound’s glaucous wing gulls as well as rare Tufted Puffins and Rhinoceros auklets. It’s creation was supported by virtually all the Washington State federal and state senators and representatives, including Senators Warren Magnuson, Henry Jackson and Slade Gorton along with Republican governor John Spellman.

The tribe has admitted that they look forward to writing their own rules for use of the island. In an interview in the local Port Townsend Leader Tribal Vice Chair Loni Greninger stated, “If we’re able to have that fuller ownership instead of co-management, then I don’t have to rely on any other government and their rules and regulations. I can take my deeper regulations from an ancestral standpoint and be able to infuse that and implement it.”

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website.

Filed under: Clallam County, Government, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula, Straits of Juan de Fuca, Washington State | Tagged: , , | 12 Comments »

WA shellfish growers worry for future after Hood Canal closure – Seattle Times

Posted on August 1, 2026 by Al Bergstein

A toxin, Alexandrium catenella cells have been found in shellfish in Hood Canal. It’s closed down shellfish harvesting during this summer. The question is, “Is this the new normal”?

“We start to have to plan around this more and think about — going forward — what our business model would look like if we weren’t selling in the hot months anymore at all,” Wight said.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/wa-shellfish-growers-worry-for-future-after-hood-canal-closure

Behind a paywall.

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Science, Jefferson County | Leave a comment »

Trump administration admits grants for clean energy were canceled based on politics- AP

Posted on July 28, 2026 by Al Bergstein

The only ones to “win” by this are the Oil companies. You Republicans out there need to remember that position of a President and his administration is to serve *all* the people. Killing clean energy projects only will hurt your pocketbook. These projects save money for all of us, not just those voting Democratic or Independent. His “clean coal” is going nowhere because solar and wind are now cheaper by far. And your homes may be the next to burn in an uncontrolled wildfire. Our planet is literally burning and he and his supporters do not care. It’s all about them. Not you.


The Trump administration has again acknowledged in court documents that it terminated $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state,” in this case, 16 states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Matthew Daly report. (Associated Press)

Filed under: Alternative energy., Climate Change, Environmental Law | Leave a comment »

Pollinator problem: A new predator is stalking mason bees

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Al Bergstein

As usual, the growth of a pollinator to help honeybees is now bringing its own problems…we know so little about what we are doing. I’m one of the people who bought a Mason bee hotel thinking it would help pollinate my apple trees.


The backyard conservation success of Mason bee hotels brings with it the unexpected consequence of providing infiltration by the parasite Houdini fly. Michael Williams writes. (Columbia Insight)

The houdini fly’s method of infiltration is ingenious. Adult fles inflate their heads to break through the mud wall of the mason bee’s brood chamber. Female flies then lay eggs on the pollen and nectar provisions meant for mason bee larvae. When houdini fly maggots emerge they eat the food meant for the mason bee larvae, causing the young bees to starve.

https://columbiainsight.org/pollinator-problem-a-new-predator-is-stalking-mason-bees

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Washington’s heat wave has marine scientists keeping a close eye on Puget Sound – FOX NEWS

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Al Bergstein

Twice a week this summer, divers from the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium have been surveying bull kelp forests off Owen Beach in Tacoma, documenting the underwater ecosystem and tracking changes from year to year as part of a broader statewide effort to restore 10,000 acres of underwater forest by 2040. Lauren Donovan reports. (Fox 13)

During the FOX 13 dive, Schare recorded a water temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit at a depth of 39 feet.

“During the winter that’s even considered pretty high,” he said. “To see that tens of feet underwater in the summer is quite alarming.”

He said rising surface temperatures are putting additional stress on bull kelp, which thrives in cooler water, generally in the upper 40s to low 50s Fahrenheit.

Good short story reporting by FOX news in Tacoma.

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/warm-weather-puget-sound-ecosystems

Filed under: Around the Sound, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Global Warming, Washington State | Leave a comment »

Looking back over 200 years of the salmon killing tire chemical 6PPD

Posted on July 22, 2026 by Al Bergstein

Fascinating story. Untangling chemical names and looking back over 200 years of 6PPD history.

The tire chemical 6PPD is known worldwide for its deadly effect on salmon, but it also has a complex history. We look at how this history connects to important breakthroughs in modern transportation and medicine and how the unique chemical structure of 6PPD makes it an environmental hazard.

https://www.eopugetsound.org/article/history-and-chemical-structure-tire-chemical-6ppd-q

And for a more comprehensive look at the issue we face with tires killing salmon, read any of the stories at the following link.

https://www.eopugetsound.org/seeking-alternatives-to-6PPD

Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, environmental education, Environmental Science | Leave a comment »

The false promise of Carbon Capture

Posted on July 22, 2026 by Al Bergstein

The politicians have done it again. Promises of gains from an unproven technology to shut up the “greens”. At least with Trump we know we have no chance of any lies from the Federal Government. It’s all up to us. They won’t help.

Canada’s promises to capture carbon span almost 20 years, with little gains.


Stephen Harper swore by it; Mark Carney is ready to invest taxpayer dollars in it. A Narwhal investigation reveals how Canadian politicians have bought into an unproven technology they tout as a climate fix. Carl Meyer reports. (The Narwhal).

Canada’s promises to capture carbon span almost 20 years, with little gains

Filed under: Alternative energy., Climate Change, Environmental Science | Leave a comment »

Washington Wildfires

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Al Bergstein

And in Washington, the recent storm brought thousands of lightning strikes starting multiple wildfires. Here’s the update:

Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Comments Off on Washington Wildfires

Oregon Is Burning

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Al Bergstein

Closer to home, Oregon has numerous wildfires burning, mainly east of the Cascades, but one is very close to Sisters.

Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Comments Off on Oregon Is Burning

Ontario is burning

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Al Bergstein

This is the best daily overview of a totally out of control situation. Nearly 200 fires are burning, more than half are completely out of control. The total area  has already surpassed the total of all fires from last year.  The takeaway from the report is that one of the fires is 5 km from the Transcanada Highway. This would cut off all truck commerce between the providences.  Of course, the people paying the cost for this situation, fueled by climate change and  our use of fossil fuels are the indigenous communities of Canada. They are literally losing everything to these fires. The irony is that the province is governed by a man who denounces climate change and has torn out long standing bicycle lanes in Toronto. 

We are not immune from these dangers to the north of us. Luckily we had a heavy rain this week that dampened a lot of the current red zone warnings. But we are literally “not out of the woods” yet. 

The Canadian military has been deployed. The area of the fires is now larger than Prince Edward Island, which is huge. 

Filed under: Climate Change, Global Warming, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Oregon lawsuit could upend federal management of public lands

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Al Bergstein

From the Washington State Standard.

“A new lawsuit challenging a logging project in Oregon threatens to unravel the management plans governing hundreds of millions of acres of federal public land….“They’ve opened Pandora’s Box here,” said Susan Jane Brown, the attorney who filed the lawsuit and serves as principal at Silvix Resources, a nonprofit environmental law firm.”

If there ever was an environmental reason to make sure Democrats take back Congress this fall, this is it. You likely have never heard of this issue before now, but it’s been used to undue numerous environmental protections across the country.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/06/26/repub/oregon-lawsuit-could-upend-federal-management-of-public-lands/

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Grants Available:

Posted on June 25, 2026 by Al Bergstein

Up to $9,900 in turned-back grant dollars are being made available to new projects by the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee (NPC MRC). Sponsors of past and current NPC MRC projects are invited to apply as well. Projects must promote marine stewardship, restoration and citizen engagement focused on the resources and communities of the North Olympic Peninsula’s Pacific Coast. Please see the attached application or contact me for more information. The deadline is July 17, 2026 by email to tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us. Proposals will be ranked by the NPC MRC at its regular meeting on July 21, 2026, 4-6pm.

For more information, see this file:

NPC MRC 2026 MIni Grant Round Request for ProposalsDownload

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Solar generated more power than coal for the first time in US history

Posted on June 20, 2026 by Al Bergstein

This posted today from the great website Chartr. If you don’t subscribe to it you should. There is nothing that Trump can do to bring back coal, it’s on its way out. Gas fired is replacing it, with solar a distant second.

At the same time that the Trump administration is pushing further toward coal power, announcing plans only last week to invest almost $700 million into reviving the industry, a key renewable energy source has just hit a major milestone in the US.

New data from energy think tank Ember, released Wednesday, shows that solar supplied 12.8% of US energy generation in May — marking not only the highest share ever recorded for the clean energy source, but also the first time that solar has generated more monthly energy than coal in the US, which supplied 12.2%.

The figure for May denotes the fourth-lowest monthly share that coal has ever seen, only slightly greater than the all-time low of 11.7% observed for April. From 1984 until 2010, coal was America’s largest source of energy. However, as the fossil fuel continues to fall out of favor, that share has been almost cut in half in the last five years alone.

Meanwhile, demand for renewables like solar has boomed as America’s energy use keeps surging to new highs. On top of surpassing coal last month, solar became the third-largest source of electricity overall in the US, behind natural gas and nuclear, and remains the nation’s fastest-growing power source, per Climate Central.

Even after the Trump administration terminated $7 billion in solar project funding last August, it seems the energy source remains a clear bright spot. Another report released this week from the Solar Energy Industries Association found that the US added 7.8 gigawatts of new solar capacity in the first quarter of 2026 across more than 6 million solar installations nationwide.

https://sherwood.news/world/solar-generated-more-power-than-coal-in-the-us-for-the-first-time-ever/

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New Orca calf seen

Posted on June 19, 2026 by Al Bergstein

More good news:

Center for Whale Research confirms new southern resident orca calf in L Pod
The Center for Whale Research has confirmed the sighting of a new calf, designated L130, among the endangered southern resident killer whales of L Pod.

Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, Endangered Species, Orcas, Puget Sound, Salish Sea | Tagged: , | Comments Off on New Orca calf seen

Big battery farms encounter resistance across western Washington

Posted on June 19, 2026 by Al Bergstein
Reprinted with permission from the Washington state standard.

Editor: it would seem that the environmentally conscious Washington public does not want to support the industrial needs of putting their “non polluting “ technologies together here. I would think that with the proper legal framework that it would be possible to do these industrial set ups here in the right location. If we’re going to build out the infrastructure to carry us into a carbon free future we’ve got to be willing to find the right locations in our country to do this type of technology.  We cannot be dumping this on the Third World we’ve done it long enough.

by Tom Banse, Washington State Standard
June 18, 2026

Community opposition to big battery farms is spreading across western Washington just as the technology takes on growing importance for the state’s clean energy transition and to stabilize the electric grid.

A multiplying number of cities and counties have enacted moratoriums on permitting for new utility-scale battery storage systems over the past year. Over a similar timeframe, project developers withdrew around a dozen early-stage battery storage proposals from the interconnection queue of Puget Sound Energy, Washington’s largest utility.

Now, green energy groups, electrical trade unions and project developers are redoubling efforts to persuade the public that the big battery arrays are needed to keep the lights on as rising amounts of renewable electricity come onto the grid.

A battery farm basically operates like a giant rechargeable battery. The owner charges the batteries at off-peak times or on sunny, windy days when renewable energy is abundant. Then, when the sun sets, the wind calms, or electricity demand spikes, the operator can send the juice back onto the grid.

“If what the community is really communicating is: We want to pump the brakes a little bit. We want to understand these technologies. We want to understand their safety, their placement in our community… That’s a condition that I think we need to adapt to,” said Scott Bolton, BrightNight Power senior vice president of external affairs.

“If these moratoriums are communicating, we just don’t want these solutions, that’s very troubling at the end of the day because, you know, if not this, then what?” Bolton added.

Opponents of battery farms perceive a threat to their neighborhood safety, their children’s schools and local farmland. A chief concern is that the rechargeable banks of lithium-ion batteries could catch fire and send plumes of toxic smoke drifting overhead and fish-killing runoff into streams. 

The energy industry has a hard sell ahead, judging from the unrest that spread from King County to Skagit, Pierce, Kitsap, Klickitat and Thurston counties — all places where independent developers have proposed commercial battery energy storage systems, or BESS in industry shorthand.

“There’s a dawning awareness of the awful effects of BESS installations such as thermal runaway fires and toxic smoke, and the horrible noise from cooling fans,” wrote Anacortes resident Elke Siller Macartney in a public comment to the Skagit County Commission that she also posted on social media in early June. “It’s the height of arrogance for these companies to pretend to install these things for the supposed good of all.”

Developers of battery farms consistently use the term “rare” to describe the frequency of battery fires and blame first-generation systems that they say have since been improved. 

Critics note that rare is not the same as never. In online forums, they share articles and pictures of batteries of various sorts, or battery manufacturing plants, catching fire on a near-weekly basis somewhere around the world. Large-scale battery fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish.

Insurance underwriter Michael Carrington has studied battery safety closely for his firm Tokio Marine GX, a renewables insurance specialist. He said commercial energy storage systems have reached “a high level of maturity,” giving him confidence to issue coverage with large sums of money at stake.

“The likelihood of any kind of fire is very low,” Carrington said in an interview from London. “How the technology has improved and the regulations have improved is really fantastic.”

Carrington specifically mentioned two safety features that are now industry standards — off-gas sensors and battery spacing. He said off-gas sensors detect early if battery cells are overheating and can automatically trigger a shutdown. Spacing battery modules meters apart outside prevents fire from spreading between adjacent modules.The first large-scale battery energy storage facility in Puget Sound Energy territory is under construction in Sumner, Washington. Developers BrightNight and Cordelio Power expect their Greenwater BESS project (inside the orange fencing) to become operational by the end of 2026. (Photo courtesy of BrightNight Power)

Why do Northwest utilities want battery storage?

Some of the largest utilities in the Northwest, including Puget Sound Energy, Avista and Portland General Electric, publicly solicited battery energy storage proposals in the last couple years.

The first utility-scale battery storage systems in the region were co-located with solar and wind farms east of the Cascade Range. Those sites tend to be less controversial, but expose the utilities to long-distance transmission bottlenecks. Hence, the push for standalone battery farms nearer to cities, which lessens the need to build more cross-state power lines. 

Bellevue, Washington-based PSE has a goal to add 1,500 megawatts of energy storage by 2030. An initial 200 megawatts toward that goal should come from a battery storage project now under construction in Sumner by BrightNight and Cordelio Power. Roughly eight other proposed projects are in various stages of permitting in PSE territory, with the majority facing serious pushback from neighbors, such as near Snoqualmie.

“Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are an important part of PSE’s plans to provide the reliable power our customers expect while delivering more of the clean energy required by Washington’s aggressive clean energy requirements,” utility CEO Mary Kipp wrote in a letter last month to Snoqualmie’s mayor and council.

The Snohomish County Public Utility District is on track to bring the first utility-scale battery energy storage system in western Washington online this fall. The 25-megawatt project near Arlington Municipal Airport is owned by a company named Ameresco.Draft rendering of what a proposed 130 MW battery energy storage system near the city of Snoqualmie could look like. This Jupiter Power project will provide a test of King County’s new battery storage siting standards. (Photo courtesy of Jupiter Power)

A Seattle nonprofit that advocates for decarbonization, Clean & Prosperous, argues that blocking battery storage facilities will eventually hamstring wind and solar farm expansion and prolong dependence on fossil fuel generation.

“This is not infrastructure that is just nice to have. It’s critical infrastructure. We need to develop, particularly batteries in western Washington, to make up for our lack of transmission capacity across the Cascades,” said Isaac Kastama, the group’s government relations director. “We are facing increasing risks of brownouts and blackouts.”

Moratoriums and permit reform

Urged on by skeptical residents, a growing number of city and county councils in Washington are passing six-month or one-year moratoriums on applications for new utility-scale battery storage facilities. This does not affect residential-scale battery installations, often tied to rooftop solar.

“There is tremendous, valley-wide concern related to battery energy storage systems,” Snoqualmie Councilmember Dan Murphy said at a May 26 council meeting. “The moratorium gives cities the time to better study the issue, press pause and look into all of these matters.” 

Snoqualmie was one of at least six jurisdictions where the council voted within the past month to impose or extend a commercial battery storage moratorium. The list also includes Carnation, North Bend, Puyallup, Duvall and Kitsap County. These preemptive and temporary moratoriums aren’t blocking any known battery storage projects.

The recent council actions come on top of earlier votes in the same vein by Bonney Lake, Black Diamond, Covington, Enumclaw, Maple Valley, Mount Vernon, Renton (now expired), Auburn (expired) and Klickitat and Skagit (expired) counties. All of these places wanted to buy time to draft local siting criteria and specific regulations covering such matters as screening, setbacks and fire response.

In Oregon, Marion County passed an outright ban on commercial battery energy storage facilities last year, covering the unincorporated terrain around Salem.

Against this backdrop, Clean & Prosperous organized a study mission to Texas last month for Washington state legislators, utility executives and green energy advocates. The objective was to learn how the Lone Star State got to No. 1 in battery storage, solar and wind power. Washington ranks dead last in clean energy growth, according to an analysis by ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting.

One of the tour stops was a large-scale battery energy storage system in Houston. Project developer Jupiter Power said the Callisto battery farm took 18 months from conception to operation, including about six months in permitting.

“When Jupiter Power gave that stat to our delegation at the BESS facility when we were being briefed, everybody let out like a group-wide, jealous laugh,” said Clean & Prosperous Communications Director Kelsey Nyland, who was there.

“Twelve months later, it was saving taxpayer dollars and doing it with renewable energy,” added tour participant Beth Doglio, a Democratic state representative from Olympia, in an interview with KNKX Radio upon her return. “That is not possible in the state of Washington at this time, and we need to figure out how to make it possible.” 

Besides Doglio, who chairs the House Environment and Energy Committee, Democratic state Reps. Adam Bernbaum, Jake Fey and Republican Andrew Barkis joined the Texas trip with an eye on permitting reform. 

The first big standalone battery storage facility that Puget Sound Energy will bring online — BrightNight’s project in Sumner — will have taken about four years from conception to operation when it enters service at the end of this year.

Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com.

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Meeting held to discuss Protection Island

Posted on June 16, 2026 by Al Bergstein

A large crowd of people gathered at Cape George on Sunday to hear Lorna and Darrell Smith discuss both the history of Protection Island and why they are concerned about the proposed Jamestown S’Klallam Land Transfer that the tribe recently has made public.

In the 1970s and early 1980s Lorna Smith was a key person in the work done to make Protection Island a national wildlife refuge. She acted as the liaison between the Seattle Audubon Society and the two women from Jefferson County that led the battle to get the island designated as a refuge, Zella Schultz and Eleanor Stopps, The thousands of letters of support from both native and non native Americans convinced even normally reticent politicians such as Senator Slade Gorton to help push the legislation through Congress and convince President Ronald Reagan to sign it. It was supported by all members of the Washington delegation and the Republican governor, John Spellman.

Also in attendance on Sunday were two granddaughters of Eleanor Stopps who share Lorna’s concerns. This reporter, who also worked with Audubon photographing the spit in the late 70s, also was in attendance.

The Smiths spent the first hour discussing the rich bird heritage of the island and the Spit, before pivoting to the proposed land transfer and the many questions that need to be answered about this proposal.

The Tribe currently is paid approximately $800,000 a year by the federal government to co-manage the Spit and the island. A month ago the Federal Government authorized over $76 million to support the refuges of the country. Money is there. There is no imminent threat of the government cutting off funds. That would have to be authorized by Congress.

The tribe has already begun requesting the ability to lay 80,000 bags of oysters on the bottom of Dungeness Spit’s inner bay, much to the dismay of bird supporters, who worry that this may cause continued loss of fish and other animals the birds feed upon. Currently, there is a lawsuit moving through the courts to stop this from happening.

In March, tribal Vice Chair Loni Greninger testified in Congress that the co-management has been very successful from both the point of view of the Tribe and the government. So if the working arrangement for co-management is successful, why should the Tribe give up $800k and why should Americans give up one of their 570 national wildlife refuges to the Tribe to become owned by them? How much is the Spit and the island worth to the Tribe and why? The answer might be found in the tribe’s lucrative aquaculture industry, wholly owned by them. While the tribe in their proposal denies having any plans for anything other than the vague term, “conservation” the actual answer to this question might have come from Vice Chair Greninger’s comment to the Port Townsend Leader on April 22nd edition. In it she stated:

“If we’re able to have that fuller ownership instead of co-management, then I don’t have to rely on any other government and their rules and regulations,” she said.

This is exactly what is feared by those who fought so hard to protect this island and Spit. With the tribe in full ownership, we will have no say as to what happens to it, nor if future tribal leaders decide to utilize these environmental treasures for economic gain. While it is understandable that the Tribe once used to forage for seafood there, the differences between subsistence shellfish harvest and modern mechanized aquaculture, with the ability to liquify the bottom with air compressors to get to geoduck, or spread thousands of bags of oysters across hundreds of acres at a time is a far cry from how it once was done.

There is every reason to continue to have the tribe manage the refuges. There is little incentive for Americans to simply hand them over to satisfy a demand. Why is Representative Emily Randall and Senator Maria Cantwell so hellbent on getting this done?

The birds are currently protected, as is the unique ecosystem they rely upon. Why should Americans relinquish this to a tribe that is engaged in the business of oyster, geoduck, crabbing, fish farming and fishing when they themselves are admitting that they want to set their own rules for the use of Protection Island? If the Tribe does get it, will we be on the outside looking in and have no input into protecting birds that live there? Many of us are waiting for more answers.

Filed under: Aquaculture, Around the Salish Sea, Around the Sound, Clallam County, Endangered Species, Environmental Activism, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, First Nations, Jefferson County, legislation, Washington State | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

Are Wildlife Refuges in trouble?

Posted on June 16, 2026 by Al Bergstein

An argument that has been used recently to support the notion of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe taking ownership of our two wildlife refuges is that the current administration is not funding support for refuges. This press release seems to show that’s not quite true.



NWRA_PressRelease_NAWCA_051926.pdfDownload

Filed under: Environmental Protection, Government, legislation, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: | Comments Off on Are Wildlife Refuges in trouble?

Ocean Harvests of Puget Sound Chinook Were Significantly Underestimated for Decades

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Al Bergstein

The Wild Fish Conservancy is highlighting the latest outrage by the very people who were put in charge of protecting wild salmon in Canada. We were hopeful during the last few decades that science based fish monitoring would help produce the right amount of catch to allow the Chinook to recover. Instead, it was all just a ruse to allow the open ocean fishing to continue in larger numbers than were being reported. Many of us following this issue had worries that Canadian Commissioners were in a very cozy relationship with the sports fishing and open ocean industries in Canada. We knew that these commissions were often filled with the very people that were supposed to be managed. As usual, the fox was put in charge of the henhouse. But I’m going to let the press release from Wild Fish Conservancy speak for itself.

While Orcas and Salmon Declined, Ocean Harvests of Puget Sound Chinook Were Significantly Underestimated for Decades


Revised Pacific Salmon Commission data reveal substantially more Puget Sound Chinook were intercepted in ocean fisheries over a twenty-year period, harming local communities and undermining decades of salmon and orca recovery efforts.

For Immediate Release
June 10, 2026

PUGET SOUND, WA—Newly revised data released by Canada at the Pacific Salmon Commission shows that for more than two decades ocean fisheries have killed thousands more Endangered Species Act-listed Puget Sound Chinook salmon each year than previously understood. The corrected estimates reveal far higher harvest mortality in British Columbia’s ocean recreational fisheries, with cascading consequences: lost opportunities to recover Puget Sound Chinook, less prey for endangered Southern Resident orcas, and tighter constraints on local fishing communities.

The scope of the oversight raises hard questions for the fishing families, Tribal Nations, and communities who spent decades accepting closed or curtailed fishing seasons, funding recovery efforts, and backing major conservation measures under the assumption that substantially more Chinook were surviving ocean harvest. It also raises concerns about transparency and accountability, as revisions with major implications for salmon recovery and fishing opportunity were incorporated into technical management processes with little to no public explanation.

For two decades, fisheries managers set salmon recovery targets, determined harvest limits, and assessed prey availability for endangered Southern Resident killer whales while relying on inaccurate data that failed to reflect the true scale of ocean interceptions. In some Central and North Puget Sound watersheds, including the Nooksack, Skagit, and Stillaguamish rivers, revised estimates show that Alaska and British Columbia interception rates exceeded a stunning 60% of returning adult Chinook before those fish reached Puget Sound waters. During this same period, many of these rivers repeatedly failed to meet recovery goals and Southern Resident killer whales continued to decline.

Interception fisheries are an unfortunate product of outdated management frameworks enshrined in the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Even before the revised estimates, distant ocean fisheries were already intercepting far more Chinook from Puget Sound watersheds than fisheries closer to home. According to Pacific Salmon Commission data, ocean fisheries in British Columbia and Alaska harvest roughly four to six times more Chinook from the Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Snohomish watersheds than all local Puget Sound tribal, commercial, and recreational fisheries combined. Meanwhile, many local fisheries in Puget Sound have lost most opportunities to harvest returning Chinook from their own watersheds. For example, in 2025, the Stillaguamish Tribe was limited to a ceremonial harvest of only 26 Chinook salmon. 

The revised estimates followed an update to the accounting method used by fisheries managers in British Columbia. The previous method, in place for two decades, had significantly understated Chinook harvest and mortality in ‘mixed-stock ocean fisheries’, where weak and recovering salmon populations from rivers coastwide are indiscriminately harvested alongside healthier stocks across vast marine areas.

“We already knew Puget Sound Chinook and Southern Resident killer whales were in crisis,” said Dr. Nick Gayeski, Senior Ecologist with Wild Fish Conservancy. “Canada’s underestimate of recreational Chinook harvest show that ocean interceptions were substantially higher than previously understood during a critical period for Chinook and killer whale recovery. These findings expose the profound uncertainty and risk inherent in attempting to manage salmon populations from rivers coastwide in large mixed-stock ocean fisheries.”

More than 25 years after Puget Sound Chinook salmon were listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), many of the populations that make up the listed stock remain far below recovery goals and are now identified as “in crisis” by Washington’s Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office. Southern Resident killer whales were listed as endangered under the ESA in 2005 and have declined approximately 20% over the last two decades to just 76 whales today. Reduced prey availability, particularly large and abundant Chinook, has been identified by killer whale experts and NOAA Fisheries as the leading cause of the whales’ decline. Recent research suggests that reducing ocean interceptions of Chinook salmon before they reach critical Southern Resident killer whale feeding areas could substantially increase prey availability, including modeled increases of up to 25% in Chinook abundance within whale critical habitat.

Importantly, the revised data are not an isolated anomaly or merely a technical correction. They reveal a broader structural problem in attempting to manage salmon populations in mixed-stock ocean fisheries. Despite increasingly sophisticated monitoring and modeling, uncertainty remains high and populations continue to be overharvested under this system.

The new data underscore that uncertainty and raise an important question: if one correction can dramatically change estimates of Chinook mortality, what other sources of uncertainty and risk remain within the management system?

“For decades, fisheries management has prioritized maximizing extraction in mixed-stock ocean fisheries rather than maximizing salmon recovery,” said Emma Helverson, Executive Director for Wild Fish Conservancy. “That approach is failing Chinook salmon, Southern Resident killer whales, tribal treaty fisheries, and fishing communities alike. Ironically, maximizing short-term ocean harvest is reducing long-term fishing opportunities across the coast. Recovering salmon will require transformational changes in where, when, and how fishing occurs to ensure more fish survive to return home.”

This new understanding comes at a consequential time when the U.S. and Canada prepare to renegotiate the Pacific Salmon Treaty, the international agreement that governs coastwide salmon harvest and many of the mixed-stock ocean fisheries now facing renewed scrutiny. Across the Pacific Coast, communities are increasingly calling for major fisheries reforms to reduce interceptions and transition harvest closer to rivers and estuaries, where salmon can be more selectively and sustainably managed as they return home. 

“The Pacific Salmon Treaty renegotiation is happening right now and offers a once-in-a-decade opportunity to redirect salmon management toward a more sustainable and equitable path,” said Helverson. “We do not have another decade to wait. Chinook salmon, Southern Resident killer whales, and coastal communities are already paying the price for a management system that is failing to rebuild abundance. This is the moment for transformational change.”

Updated Chinook mortality distribution tables and stock-specific harvest data are publicly available through the Pacific Salmon Commission Chinook Technical Committee data portal and data application.

Pacific Salmon Commission Chinook Technical Committee. Annual Report of Catch and Escapement for 2024. Appendix C: Comparison of Historic and Updated Canadian Recreational Catch and Release Estimates is available here for download: Pacific Salmon Commission Appendix C Data Tables

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Wild Fish Conservancy is a nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in Washington State and working from California to Alaska to preserve, protect and restore the northwest’s wild fish and the ecosystems they depend on, through science, education, and advocacy. wildfishconservancy.org 

I highly recommend that you support the efforts of the Wild Fish Conservancy.

Filed under: Environmental Activism, Environmental Science, fisheries, Salmon | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Ocean Harvests of Puget Sound Chinook Were Significantly Underestimated for Decades

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