Anji Scalf is going to run for Greg Brotherton‘s seat. Anji one of the good ones. She’ll be a great replacement for Greg . Looking forward to supporting her in the campaign.
Filed under: Government, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: County commissioner, elections | 2 Comments »
The U.S. Navy has finally, under court order, released its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Growler jets at Whidbey Island. As usual, according to the Navy, there is “nothing to worry about. Just go along with our preferred plan.”
You may remember that the Navy was ordered to complete this EIS because of the lawsuit brought against it by the long running court battle between it and the local people who oppose the expansion of the base. The never ending rounds of jets roaring off into the night up to midnight in many cases (I have been kept awake when I lived west of the Jefferson County Fairgrounds many nights in the summer at that time of night), and the unmuffled nature of the jets has been a point of contention for decades. Along with that, poisoning of wells in the vicinity of the bases has been an established fact, as PFAS studies by the Navy showed conclusively. PFAS is the ‘forever’ chemical that is has been found in an enormous array of common items such as food packaging and consumer goods. Twenty states have now banned PFAS. The Navy used fire fighting foam to cool the jets, which has PFAS in it, and that foam leaches into the groundwater over decades. I don’t think I’ve read that the Navy is going to do anything but pay the homeowners, not sure whether the chemical will continue to leach into more wells further afield, or even poison the water supply of the town nearby. But hey, that’s the price the people living near the base have to pay, right?
I have not yet read the full 800 page EIS, but I have in the past on other EIS that they have filled out and won. It’s always the same formula. Multiple choices, including no action, but the Navy action is more jets. Go through some court battles and then the courts cave. Am I cynical? Sure. But we now will await the court’s reaction to the Navy. This is the way the game of environmental protection is played. We usually if not always lose when it’s the military. Given the current administration’s apparent belief that they can create a new Monroe style doctrine, invading South American countries at will for their oil we assume that even more jet pilots are to go and be trained sooner than later on Whidbey.
While on the subject of the use of the Navy in our current military engagement in the Caribbean over Venezuela.
Venezuela is already working closely with Chevron, and has for decades.
Chevron is a major player in Venezuela’s oil sector, operating joint ventures with the state-owned PDVSA, producing significant output (around 200,000 barrels/day, a large chunk of the nation’s total), and exporting crude to U.S. refineries under special U.S. licenses, despite broader sanctions, acting as a vital economic link between the two nations and a stabilizing force amidst geopolitical tensions and U.S. crackdowns on Venezuelan oil flows.According to the compiled answer by Gemini 3
Key Aspects of Chevron’s Presence:
- Joint Ventures: Chevron partners with Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, in several projectshttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/chevron-steers-risky-path-oils-143008982.html.
- Production & Exports: They produce a substantial portion of Venezuela’s oil (around a quarter to a third) and are crucial in getting it exported, primarily to the U.S..
- U.S. Sanctions Exemption: Chevron holds special licenses from the U.S. Treasury to operate and export, allowing it to navigate sanctions, a policy shift under the Biden administration aimed at fostering political change.
- Economic Role: Their operations provide much-needed hard currency for Venezuela’s struggling economy and contribute to U.S. energy security.
- Political Sensitivity: Chevron’s presence is complex, facing scrutiny from both Venezuelan opposition and U.S. political factions, yet it maintains operations by working with the government and benefiting from U.S. policy.
Recent Developments (Late 2025 Context):
As of late 2025, tensions have escalated with increased U.S. pressure and blockades on Venezuelan oil shipments, putting Chevron in a precarious but central position, as their tankers continue to move oil to the U.S.. (So are we actually seizing our own ships? Author note)
Answer provided by Gemini3
The gunboat diplomacy that the current administration’s is pursuing, which appears to simply be a realigment of American political dominance of Latin American countries (remember United Fruit’s banana empire, our overthrow of the Cuba revolution in 1899, and many other intrigues) alongside the massive funding by the oil companies to our political right, can be easily lead one to conclude we, like many countries, have been overthrown by a consortium of oil companies. Followed by the elimination of wind and EV government funding, there appears to be nothing that the oil cartels of America are not willing to do expand their immense profits.
Back here, we will be looking forward to expansion of jet noise, with no way to demand that we can sleep at night before midnight, nor that our children won’t be impacted for life by the noise that the EIS clearly states is affecting them but is only calling for “more study”. I’ve watched for twenty years as that phrase has been used to slow any attempts at harm reduction by the corporations that have manipulated the process we put in place to protect citizens.
Same as it ever was, but what can you do? Let’s ask Gemini 3 again:
Opposition to jet noise on Whidbey Island centers on the intense, disruptive sound from Navy EA-18G Growler training, leading to health concerns (sleep loss, stress, hearing issues) and legal challenges against the Navy, with groups like Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER) and the Sound Defense Alliance (SDA) pushing for noise reduction, better studies (EIS), and potential relocation, highlighting impacts on over 74,000 residents despite Navy justifications for training.
Are there alternatives? Sure. It’s right in the EIS. However, the Navy does not want to even consider them. It’s not about “Not in my Backyard” so much as “There are better alternatives that actually are workable, you just don’t want to consider them”.The people opposing this expansion are Americans and are not opposing the Navy or its mission. We all understand that the U.S. needs a trained military. What we see is an unending appetite to turn the Puget Sound into a training ground for anything the Navy wants. We have the legal right to challenge that. So says the Constitution and virtually all of our judiciary.
You can follow those links above and donate to the fight for our health. Write our state representatives, who do agree with us that the Navy needs to be better regulated on environmental concerns. Reducing the need for oil in your life, using electric vehicles, bicycles etc help push their impact down. But obviously, the Navy is an economic engine, one that is a false economy because it is simply our tax dollars recycled into the Whidbey Island economy, not actual job creation by industry. The belief that the military “produces” anything is simply false. Given that the Navy is being used not for protection but as a tool of an administration that is going to war and committing what many ex-Navy officers have clearly stated are war crimes and doing so without Congress’ approval, we can and should stand up for our rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It’s easy to define “Life” in that phrase to include our long term health, which produces that life.
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Comments Off on Navy releases long awaited EIS on Whidbey jets
The Washington State Standard is reporting that not only did we finish the year with the warmest year on record but our recent rain will not do much to help the ongoing drought in central and eastern Washington. Why? Because it’s falling as rain and not as snow.
This record warm spell includes all temperature data going back to 1880. These floods, this warming, is exactly what scientists have been predicting for decades. Now we reap what we have sown in fossil fuel use. So what is the government doing? It’s shutting down research on the atmosphere.
The Trump Administration has announced the closing of the greatest atmospheric research lab in the world, at National Science Foundation’s National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the largest federal climate research lab outside Boulder in Colorado. This cynical ploy to rob of us global climate data is directly linked to the fossil fuel industry that underpins this administrations every action. Every drop of gas one buys is funding this destruction of our most valuable commodity, the scientific research to understand the processes of our planet. The announcement was made by OMB chair Russell Voight, the author of Project 2025. His statement said, “This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country…” without providing any evidence except his own opinion.
The Governor of Colorado stated, “Climate change is real, but the work of NCAR goes far beyond climate science,” Polis said. “NCAR delivers data around severe weather events like fires and floods that help our country save lives and property, and prevent devastation for families. If these cuts move forward we will lose our competitive advantage against foreign powers and adversaries in the pursuit of scientific discovery.”
If you supported Trump and the politicians who make up his sycophant society you are helping support these disastrous decisions that continue to destroy our country and turn us into something resembling the Soviet Union or worse. Clearly our Senators and House members do not support this shut down of NCAR Colorado. Is this the kind of country you want to leave to your children and grandchildren?
This is not Making America Great Again, it’s an attempt to create a totalitarian government based on the beliefs of the fossil fuel industry. Better rethink your support of this maniac and act now to stop him before it’s too late. Send your donations to the ACLU and other organizations fighting for out rights. Contact friends in Red states to make sure they have heard this news and tell them to contact their Federal representatives to overturn this insane dictate.
You can support a green economy now by buying or leasing electric vehicles, walking and biking whenever possible, donating to the national organizations fighting the administration in court and supporting local farmers who strengthen our resilience to the effects of climate change .
Our hope is when this administration is finally out of office, that we can rebuild better the destroyed institutions that they have worked to eliminate in the name of the gas station of yours down the street. But that will take more than words on a blog. It takes every one of us doing something to change the direction of this out of control ship of state.
Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Activism, Environmental Law, Environmental Science, Global Warming, Government, Olympic Peninsula, Politics | Tagged: Era of Trump, NCAR, Trump Administration | Comments Off on Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report and NCAR Research shutdown
from the Olympic Peninsula Environmental News
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | 2 Comments »
From Angela at the Puget Sound Partnership’s Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network (ERN)
Here’s the good news in a very soggy week: In less than two weeks, the days will start to get longer! I tell myself this every morning when I open the blinds to darkness.
In this newsletter, you will find news about funding, volunteer opportunities, events, training and conferences, jobs, and more! As always, we welcome your events and successes for our website and future newsletters:
Funding
The Puget Sound Partnership (Partnership) gathers public and private funding opportunities in the Recovery Acceleration Funding Tool (RAFT). The National Wildlife Federation hosts a database for Nature-Based Solutions Funding. If you see an opportunity that feels too big to do alone, contact us! Strait ERN can help coordinate and write regional grant applications. The Partnership also has grant-writing assistance available.
Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program Grants – RFPs RELEASED NOV 19th
This grant program, administered by the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) provides grants and technical assistance for projects that restore and conserve near-shore areas in Puget Sound. Match requirements have been eliminated for 2026 grants! There are multiple grant areas and application dates vary. Learn more and see RFPs as they are released HERE.
Temper of Times Foundation
Small grants can fund production of advertising or materials and distribution that will lead to measurable outcomes for wildland ecosystem conservation and restoration. Learn more HERE.
Date: Proposals due December 15th
MJ Murdock Charitable Trust Strategic Grant Program
The Trust funds conservation, environmental education, natural resource protection, and wildlife preservation projects. The grants can fund capital projects, equipment and technology, or staff. Learn more and apply HERE.
Date: Applications are due December 26th
National Fish Passage Program
This program aims to improve habitat for federal trust species and support infrastructure improvement for communities nationwide. Eligible projects provide benefits to aquatic habitats and infrastructure resiliency. Expected to fund $10M in awards. Learn more HERE.
Date: Proposals due December 31st
Western WA Fish and Wildlife: National Fish Passage Program
This funds projects outside of the Columbia River Basin. Project Summary Forms are due by January 16th. Learn more and apply HERE.
Date: Project Summary Forms due January 16th
Floodplains by Design
Floodplains by Design grants are targeted at reducing flood risks and restoring river functions along Washington’s rivers. The pre-application period for the new grant round opens November 1st and closes January 23rd, 2026. Learn more about the grants HERE.
Date: Pre-applications due January 23rd
Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board Grants
This grant program supports work to identify and remove barriers for salmon and steelhead migration. Learn more about this program HERE.
Date: Applications due January 26th
ESRP Pre-Design (Learning) Program
Regional Pre-Design (Learning) Proposals support restoration of complex ecosystems or improve effectiveness/efficiency of restoration projects. Learn more about this opportunity and apply HERE.
Date: Proposals due February 9th
Streamflow Restoration Competitive Grants
The application period for these grants will be January 15th to March 17th, 2026. Learn more about the grant program and register for a January informational workshop for applicants HERE.
Date: Applications due March 17th
National Sea Grant Law Center
Letters of Interest for small projects that address legal questions related to ocean or coastal laws. Learn more and apply HERE.
Date: LOIs accepted on a rolling basis through August 1st, 2026
Volunteer Opportunities
PSEMP CalendarDo you collect data about the Puget Sound? The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) provides a forum for consolidating data-gathering efforts and conversation. Check out their calendar HERE to see their committee schedules. All are welcome at their meetings!
Stormwater Work Group SurveyThe Stormwater Work Group and PSEMP are collecting information on successes and needs for stormwater monitoring. Fill out the 10-15 minute survey HERE.Date: Survey closes December 17th
Volunteer Your Expertise!
The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) is seeking input for the updates to the Land Development and Cover Implementation Strategy and the Floodplains and Estuaries Implementation Strategy. You can provide feedback via Google Form: Land Development | Floodplains and Estuaries.
Date: Land Development Form closes December 19th
Date: Floodplains and Estuaries Form closes January 9th
Provide Feedback to the Jefferson Land Trust
The Jefferson Land Trust is working on a new five-year Strategic Plan and is seeking community input. Take a 10-minute survey HERE to share your priorities.
Community Events & Learning Opportunities
Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird CountJoin Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society for their 50th annual Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count! Track the birds in our neighborhoods. Learn more HERE.Date: December 15th
Wednesday Morning Bird WalksEvery Wednesday, join a band of birders on a 3/4-mile bird survey along the Olympic Discovery Trail. Bring your binoculars and meet in the Dungeness River Nature Center’s parking lot.
Date: December 17th and every WednesdayTime: 8:30 amPlace: Dungeness River Nature Center, Sequim
Native Plant Sale
The Clallam County Conservation District’s Native Plant Sale is currently open for plant orders. See the selection and place your order HERE.
Date: Pre-orders end January 20th
Shoreline Management Act Open House(s)The Department of Ecology is hosting one more virtual Open House to discuss changes to the Shoreline Management Act. Translation services available. Learn more and register HERE.
Date: December 16thTime: 6:00 to 7:00 pmPlace: Virtual; register for link
North Olympic Land Trust’s Open HouseCelebrate NOLS’s 35th Anniversary at their Annual Open House! Enjoy a celebratory slice of cake and swap stories of 35 years of land conservation. Learn more HERE.Date: December 30thTime: 2:00 to 5:00 pmPlace: NOLS Office, Port Angeles
Winter Birding and IllustrationLearn more about the birds of the Salish Sea with the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. Practice scientific illustration, then head outside to look for birds. Learn more and RSVP HERE.Date: January 10thTime: 10:00 am to 12:00 noonPlace: PTMSC Aquarium classroom, Fort Worden
Floodplains and Estuaries LIO/LE Coffee ChatThe Habitat SIL is hosting a coffee chat to talk about the Floodplains and Estuaries Implementation Strategies. This virtual chat is open to members of LIOs and LEs. Register HERE.Date: January 13thTime: 9:00 am to 12:00 noonPlace: Virtual; register for link
Land Development and Cover LIO/LE Coffee ChatThe Habitat SIL is hosting a coffee chat to talk about the Land Development and Cover Implementation Strategies. This virtual chat is open to members of LIOs and LEs. Register HERE.Date: January 15thTime: 1:00 to 4:00 pmPlace: Virtual; register for link
Alternatives to BulkheadsThis self-paced online course is part of Ecology’s Coastal Training Program. Learn about shorelines and stabilization in this 101 offering. Register HERE.Date: January 13 to February 25Place: Virtual
Blueprints for Community-Led Blue CarbonThe focus for this Blue Carbon Collaborative meeting is small-scale blue carbon restoration projects focused on key single-species efforts. Learn more and register HERE. Date: February 5thTime: 10:00 amPlace: Virtual; register for link
Training and Conferences
Forestry 101 Workshop
Come learn about forest stewardship and health with the Jefferson County Conservation District. Learn more and register HERE.
Date: December 13th
Time: 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Place: Jefferson County Library, Port Hadlock
Roads and Resilience: Integrating State Transportation, Hazards, and Nature-Based Solutions
Join the Shoreline and Coastal Planners Group for a webinar on natural hazard impacts to state roads. Learn more and register HERE.
Date: December 16th
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Place: Virtual
NW Land Camp
NW Land Camp brings together land trust leaders and conservation partners for networking and training. In June 2026, Land Camp will be in beautiful Florence, OR. Mark your calendars and watch for more information!
Jobs
Natural Resources Program AssistantThe Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is hiring an administrative program assistant for their Natural Resources Department. Learn more HERE.
LIO Program ManagerThe Puget Sound Partnership is hiring a Local Integrating Organization Program Manager to lead the Partnership’s LIO Program. The position is largely remote, with some on-site work required. Learn more HERE. News 2025 State of the Sound ReleasedThe Puget Sound Partnership has released the 2025 State of the Sound report. This is an assessment of the results of all our work around the Puget Sound towards ecosystem protection, restoration, and recovery. There is, of course, both celebration of success and the sobering reality of how much more still needs to be done. Read the report HERE.
2024 Puget Sound Marine Waters OverviewThe PSEMP Marine Waters Workgroup has released it’s 14th annual Marine Waters Overview, collecting data from across the greater Puget Sound. Read about and download the report HERE.
Filed under: Environmental Activism, Events, Government, Olympic Peninsula | Comments Off on EVENTS, GRANTS ETC
here we go again…thank you for the Peninsula Daily News for covering this story. The whole story link is found at the bottom of this article.
While I normally in the past would’ve suggested you send in your comments, it’s been my experience that the Navy takes them says thank you very much and then totally ignores them. The only thing that stops them are court orders, but send your comments in nevertheless. It might be useful in court.
SILVERDALE — The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard are accepting public comment regarding the environmental impact of at-sea military training activities through Jan. 19.
The services are jointly preparing a supplement to the 2015 Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) final environmental impact statement (EIS) and the 2020 NWTT final supplemental EIS to assess the potential environmental effects associated with continuing at-sea military readiness activities, according to a press release from Navy Region Northwest.
At-sea military readiness activities include training, research, development, testing and evaluation activities, and range modernization and sustainment.
Those activities would occur on and beneath the water surface and in the airspace within the study area.
The study area, which does not include any land or overland airspace, consists of areas offshore of the Washington, Oregon and Northern California coasts, inland waters of Washington and the western Behm Canal in Southeast Alaska.
Comments may be submitted via the project website at www.nepa.navy.mil/nwtteis or by mail to: Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Northwest; Attention: NWTT SEIS/OEIS Project Manager; 1101 Tautog Circle, Room 102, Silverdale, WA 98315-1101.
Read the rest of the story in the Peninsula Daily News today at the following link. please subscribe to the Peninsula Daily News to support local journalism like this .
Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, Endangered Species, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, Olympic Peninsula, Salish Sea, Straits of Juan de Fuca, Washington State | Tagged: Navy EIS | 1 Comment »
Senator Murray’s Wild Olympics Bill Advances Through Senate Hearing on Wave of New Sportsmen Endorsements Calling for Permanent Protection of Wild Olympics.
from the Wild Olympics Coalition:
Dear Wild Olympics Supporter,
We’re excited to share the great news that Senator Murray’s Wild Olympics bill advanced through a key senate hearing this week on a wave of new sportsmen endorsements who sent a letter to the Committee calling for swift passage of the Wild Olympics Act. This brings the total number of Sportsmen endorsements backing Wild Olympics to nearly 40. The successful hearing is a testament to the fact that your calls, letters, emails and social media posts continue to power the Wild Olympics forward. But above all it’s a testament to Senator Murray’s tenacity and her commitment to getting her and Representative Randall’s Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild & Scenic Rivers Act across the finish line this congress. So please take a moment to like her facebook post on the hearing and thank her in the comments for fighting to protect the Wild Olympics, and then read her full press release on the successful hearing at the bottom of this email below.
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) advanced her Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act through a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Public Lands Subcommittee, a key milestone in the legislative process toward becoming law. The hearing came after a wave of new endorsements from sportsmen organizations—including the Washington Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited—who sent a letter urging the Committee to pass Wild Olympics to protect hunting, fishing and salmon streams for the future against the increasing threats to public land. The new endorsements bring the total number of sportsmen organizations backing Wild Olympics to nearly 40.The Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which Senator Murray reintroduced in May with U.S. Representative Emily Randall (D, WA-06) would permanently protect approximately 125,000 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries—a total of 464 river miles—as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
“The movement behind our Wild Olympics legislation continues to grow year after year thanks to the tireless work of our coalition of sportsmen, conservationists, Tribes, businesses, local leaders, timber communities, shellfish growers, and so many others,” said Senator Murray. “Today’s Senate hearing is a significant step forward for our effort to permanently protect key areas of the Olympic National Forest—a crown jewel in Washington state—while preserving world-class recreation opportunities and supporting local economies. As long as I’m in the Senate, I won’t stop fighting to win the support we need to get our Wild Olympics bill across the finish line and protect these treasured areas on the Olympic Peninsula for generations to come.”
The bill’s inclusion in the hearing came after Senator Murray took to the Senate floor in August to block a public lands package that did not include the Wild Olympics bill. On the Senate floor, Murray said about the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act: “It is a carefully drafted, it’s a thoughtful piece of legislation and the grassroots support for this bill has only grown over the years. That is exactly the kind of bill which should be included in a bipartisan public lands package. I would invite the Senior Senator of Utah to visit the land this bill covers to help protect our Olympic National Forest… I hope in the future we can work together in drafting a public lands bill that does include legislation like my Wild Olympics bill.” Video of Senator Murray’s remarks on the Senate floor is HERE.
Designed through extensive community input to conserve ancient forests and pristine rivers, protect clean water and salmon habitat, and enhance outdoor recreation, the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act would set aside the first new wilderness on Olympic National Forest in over four decades and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. With a strong foundation of overwhelming local support, the bill has made steady progress each successive Congress—passing the House with bipartisan support twice before and passing out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last Congress for the first time in the bill’s history.
“The forests, rivers, and wilderness of our region shape how we live, work, and play. And for communities around the Olympic Peninsula, access to these resources can make or break local economies,” said Representative Randall when the bill was introduced in May. “This bill protects the remote wilderness we treasure while ensuring access where it is essential for livelihoods, recreation, emergency response, and cultural practices. Protecting our natural resources also means protecting local economies, livelihoods, and Tribal Sovereignty. I’m grateful to all who have shaped this bill and Senator Murray for her leadership to secure the future of the community we proudly call home.”
Senator Murray and former U.S. Representatives Norm Dicks and Derek Kilmer spent years gathering extensive community input on the Olympic Peninsula to craft the carefully balanced legislation, which was first introduced in 2012. It would permanently preserve ancient and mature forests, critical salmon habitat, and sources of clean drinking water for local communities, while also protecting and expanding world-class outdoor recreation opportunities like hiking, camping, boating, hunting, and fishing. No roads would be closed, and trailhead access would not be affected.
Senator Murray worked extensively with local and regional timber interests to remove any currently viable timber base from the proposal to ensure the legislation would have no impact on existing timber jobs, as confirmed in a 2012 Timber Impact Study by the respected independent Forester Derek Churchill.
Aberdeen Forest Products Consultant and Former Timber CEO Roy Nott said in his July 10th 2019 testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee, “My own experience as a CEO and Entrepreneur is that our area’s natural treasures—which provide world-class outdoor recreation, clean water and our area’s high quality of living—are what give us a competitive edge over other regions in attracting and retaining the talented people new companies require. Wilderness and wild and scenic river protections would help protect and grow the local jobs that depend on our ability to compete for talent against other regions, and they would enhance our recruitment efforts as we work to grow new businesses in the future. And as a former Timber Industry Executive, I appreciate that (the) final compromise proposal was scaled-back to ensure it would not impact current timber jobs.”
Today’s committee hearing came on a recent wave of other new local endorsements also rallying behind the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act against the backdrop of increasing threats to public land. The new additions bring the total number of local Olympic Peninsula & Hood Canal region endorsements to more than 800 endorsers, including the Quinault Indian Nation, Quileute, Lower Elwha Klallam and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribes; now nearly 40 local sportsmen organizations and fishing guides; the mayors of Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Westport and other local elected officials; businesses and CEOs; farms and faith leaders; conservation and outdoor recreation groups; and many others. Additionally, more than 14,000 local residents have signed petitions in support.
Below are just a few of many local testimonials in support of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act:
Chairman Ron Allen, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe: “As stated in the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission’s “Treaty Rights at Risk” report, “Salmon recovery is based on the crucial premise that we can protect what habitat remains while we restore previously degraded habitat conditions. Unfortunately, significant investments in recovery may not be realized because the rate of habitat loss continues to outpace restoration. The resulting net decline in habitat demonstrates the federal government’s failure to protect the Tribes’ treaty-reserved rights.” In an era where we are witnessing unprecedented rollbacks of environmental safeguards on federal public lands, the Wild Olympics legislation would permanently protect some of the healthiest, intact salmon habitat left on the Peninsula. It is our heritage and cultural principles to protect the lands and waters Nature provides, as well as the natural resources she sustains. Therefore, we do continue to support and urge swift passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.”
Chairwoman Frances Charles, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe: “The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (“Lower Elwha”) strongly supports the proposed Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. We believe that it represents a fair compromise between potentially competing interests of preservation, economic use, and recreation. This legislation creates 126,600 acres of new wilderness and nineteen new wild and scenic rivers designations in the Olympic National Forest, the Olympic National Park and Washington State Department of Natural Resource-managed land. For Lower Elwha, the most important aspect of these new designations is the increased protection for salmon habitat. And we appreciate that it expressly acknowledges the fundamental interests and expertise of all treaty tribes in the restoration of fish habitat. This is an important complement to our ongoing successes, along with our federal and State partners, in restoring Elwha River fisheries in the aftermath of dam removal.”
Connie Gallant, Chair, Wild Olympics Campaign (Quilcene): “We are so grateful for Senator Murray and Representative Randall’s leadership at this critical time for our public lands. The local momentum for the Wild Olympics Act has never been stronger and the need for its protections for our ancient forests & salmon streams has never been greater.”
Bill Taylor, President of Taylor Shellfish Farms (Shelton): “The Wild Olympics legislation will help protect our state’s shellfish industry, including hundreds of shell fishing jobs in Hood Canal alone – and many more in related industries like processing, shipping, and sales. It protects the rivers and streams vital to the health of our hatcheries and to the health and restoration of Puget Sound. Our oyster beds depend on the clean, cold, silt-free water that drains off Olympic National Forest into Hood Canal. Protecting these watersheds allows our industry to grow, expand and continue to benefit the economy and ecology of Washington State.”
Ashley Nichole Lewis, Bad Ash Outdoors (Taholah), Sportsmen For Wild Olympics and Member of the Quinault Indian Nation: “Wild Olympics protects the Olympic Peninsula’s ancient forests, free-flowing rivers and salmon streams for the future,” Nichole Lewis stressed. “It will protect fishing, boating and hunting access without closing any roads, but it also permanently protects some of the last healthy upstream salmon and steelhead habitat left on the peninsula.”
State Representative Steve Tharinger, 24th Legislative District (Sequim): “It is easy to see and understand the ecological value of the Wild Olympics idea, conserving clean and free-flowing rivers, but what is sometimes missed is the economic value that maintaining places like Wild Olympics brings by attracting people to the special outdoors of the Olympic region. I want to thank REI and Patagonia for engaging local community leaders like myself to help design the map, and for recognizing that encouraging people to get out and enjoy the special places in the Wild Olympics proposal brings economic benefits to the communities I represent.”
Fred Rakevich, Retired logger and 49-year veteran of the timber industry (Elma): “I am a retired logger who worked for fifty years in the timber industry. I have also fished and kayaked most of the major rivers in the Olympics. I was born and raised in Grays Harbor, but have traveled halfway around the world. In all my travels, nothing impressed me more than the natural beauty of the Olympic Mountain Range and the clear running waters that begin their journey flowing toward the lands below. Timber is and always will be part of the Olympic Peninsula’s proud heritage. But our ancient forests and wild rivers are the natural legacies we will leave to our children and grandchildren. The bill protects our natural heritage while respecting our timber heritage.”
Casey Weigel, Owner & Head Guide of Waters West Guide Service (Montesano) and member of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “Through hard work and our passion for our rivers and fishing, my wife and I have grown our small business enough to be able to help 3 other year-round and seasonal local guides support families, who love fishing just as much as we do. I support the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild & Scenic Rivers Act because our rivers and our salmon are our lifeblood and, without them, businesses like ours, the local jobs they support, and the dollars they bring into our local economy would dry up. The Wild Olympics proposal would simply make the current safeguards protecting our rivers on the Olympic National Forest permanent. That’s all it does. It doesn’t change access or cost timber jobs. And if it did, I wouldn’t support it, because my family works in the timber industry. There are many challenges facing our rivers and salmon, with lots of debate and millions of dollars spent trying to help restore clean water and habitat downstream. But one basic, simple piece of the foundation we can put in place now that won’t cost any of us anything, is to permanently protect the healthy habitat on the federal lands upstream against any misguided attempts to develop them in the future. That’s why I am a proud supporter of the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. For Our Future.”
State Senator Mike Chapman, 24th Legislative District (Port Angeles): “I have been very excited about the economic & recreational opportunities Wild Olympics will bring to the Olympic Peninsula. With REI and Patagonia’s support, our corner of the world is now attracting visitors from all over. Wild Olympics is our future, for fresh air, clean water, pristine forests, and future generations!”
Dave Bailey, former President of the Grey Wolf Fly Fishing Club in Sequim, WA & co-founder of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “People think that because our salmon streams on Olympic National Forest appear as they’ve always been, that they are safe. Unfortunately, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. There are determined threats underway to sell-off public land, roll back current safeguards and open these sensitive spawning streams to small hydropower development, industrial clear-cutting and more road building once more. That’s bad for fish, game, and sportsmen. This legislation is critical to preserve what we have.”
Douglas Scott, Owner of Exotic Hikes and The Outdoor Society (Hood Canal): “Outside my door, the river, forests and mountains of the Olympic Peninsula beckon me to hike and climb. In the Northwest corner of the contiguous United States, far from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, our glacial-fed rivers, full of salmon and surrounded by majestic eagles constantly inspire millions of locals and visitors to the region. Each year, over four million outdoor recreation enthusiasts head to the region, hoping to find a slice of natural beauty in pristine forests and impossibly gorgeous river valleys. As an author, tour guide and advocate for the Olympic Peninsula, I have witnessed the importance of nature and outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to the support outdoor enthusiasts from all walks of life, passing the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act will help ensure that even more of the stunning scenery will be protected and accessible for all. I am proud to Support the Wild Olympics. Come visit and fall in love with the beauty of rainforests, wild rivers, and breathtaking adventures and you will too.”
A fact sheet on the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is available HERE.
Filed under: Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, Jefferson County, legislation, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: Congress, Senator Patty Murray, Wild Olympics Act, wild olympics coalition | Comments Off on Update on Sen. Murray’s Wild Olympics Bill Advances Through Senate Hearing
Jamestown S’Kallam elder Marlin Holden passed away peacefully at home on November 11th. Marlin was a former Tribal Council member during the incredibly important work that created the Tribe’s first Tribal Constitution in 1975. His work helped the Tribe get federal recognition, a reversal of the mark of shame on our country that negotiated the Treaty with the S’Kallam peoples and other Tribes in 1855. But there was so much more to this man.
Marlin’s heritage was a Northwest mix of Jamestown and Norwegian. His mother’s side of the family traced back through her parents, David and Elizabeth (Hunter) Prince, and he was the great-great grandson of Chief Chetzemoka, the signer of the 1855 Treaty of Point No Point. Marlin was very proud of this fact and felt his life needed to honor that legacy and also the future generations of the Tribe.
While you can find a full official obituary at this link, I want to focus on my experience being a filmmaker who worked with Marlin, and the friendship he and I had starting around 2010.
I met Marlin while filming the documentary “Voices of the Strait”, funded by the Puget Sound Partnership. The goal of the film was to interview people who had been raised and lived their whole lives on the Olympic Peninsula, and have them describe the changes to the environment that they had seen. Marlin was recommended to me as someone that was worth interviewing.
Marlin was a natural storyteller. By his own words, he never was a good reader, a fact he admitted to some laughter at a lecture he gave at the Centrum Writers Workshop one year. But Marlin had many great stories, and they often reflected the tribal worldview of being in touch with nature. I chose his story of two seagulls fighting over a piece of bait as the final word in Voices. When I heard it I instantly knew that it represented exactly the way to end the film on a positive and happy note. You can hear that segment here.
Marlin’s deep voice and commanding presence conveyed an authority. He was also a very deeply religious man. He not only strongly believed in his faith but gave an enormous amount of himself to his Tribe and community.
In his “retirement” he felt the need to honor the tradition of shellfish harvesting, and was very proud of his small allotment of beach in Sequim Bay where he harvested oysters. It was hard work and even as he turned 80 he was still out there, buckets, boots and shovel in hand. He refused any help to carry the heavy full buckets back to his pickup, laughing that it was his only form of exercise.
He also was a founding member of the Tribal Canoe Journey not only training crew and skippering the canoes, but in his later years would be part of the greeting ceremony on the beaches at Fort Worden and Sequim Bay. It was a task of great pride for him. He believed it was a way to help the younger generation focus on their heritage and avoid drugs and alcohol. Marlin knew full well what lay down that road for them, as he had been a correctional officer for the State and befriended many who were behind bars. He worked very hard to reach out to kids who were at risk, and help them find their way into the tribal circle. We often talked about the pain he felt when he would hear of a youth that was arrested for drugs, or one that had died in a car accident. The tribe is small enough that every single lost life is a major tragedy. Marlin felt those losses deeply.
He was incredibly proud of his life with his wife Patty, a nurse and master quilter who ran a “long-arm”in their home outside of Sequim. He would tell me the stories of them running short 3 and 5k runs in their sixties together. His small dog was always nearby when he was at home.
As we got to become friends after the filming of “Voices” he talked to me over coffee one day of how cool he thought it would be if there were films of the Tribes’ peoples harvesting the various natural resources back at the time of the Treaty signing. We discussed making a film that would be a snapshot of the current natural resource usage by tribal members, and I said I was excited to think about doing the project. He helped shepherd the proposal through the Tribal Council, insisting that I should be the filmmaker. Obviously, it was beyond an honor as many native filmmakers existed in the region he could have chosen. We scripted and he insisted on narrating “Treaty Resources”. The film can be viewed at the Jamestown S’Kallam library but the opening sequence is here.
Over the ensuing years I would get an occasional call from Marlin for help with his computer, since he admitted he was a luddite and did his best to get by with them, and we would go out for coffee and a chat every six months or so. Once I called asking to buy a bucket of his clams for a party we were hosting but he insisted on simply giving me two buckets. He would never take my money, even though he was giving up selling it to the restaurants he contracted with in the area. During the canoe journeys I would always swing down to the beach to say hi. I called him in late July but he never returned my call. I wondered if he was ok, as it was not like him to not call back, but forgot to get back to him to try again.
Marlin was one of the generation of Tribal peoples who fought against incredible odds to take back their rightful place in America and especially the Pacific Northwest. He told me of the green cards that the State required for Tribal members to carry to prove that they could legally fish, and how people like himself would sneek around these outrages carried out by the powers in Olympia and elsewhere that wanted to keep them in poverty and shame. He told me that his grandmother insisted that he not speak the S’Klallam language, likely for fear of him being taken to one of the notorious boarding schools. It was a very real concern as we all have found out. But he told me he was sad that he was not taught the language of his ancestors.
I will miss not hearing his booming voice and his hearty laugh over coffee or out at the beach digging for clams. But he and the others of his generation have taken the Tribe to a point of leadership and strength; in its restoration of fishing and aquaculture in the area, the financial strength of their various enterprises and healthcare center that they open to the county residents and many other accomplishments.
Marlin will sorely missed by his family and tribe. It was an honor to have called him a friend.
Filed under: First Nations, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: aquaculture, jamestown s'klallam, marlin holden, tribe | 2 Comments »
The United Nations 30th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) talks in Brazil ended Saturday night. The takeaway is that there is nothing going to be stopping our addiction to fossil fuels. In fact, the dealers of this addictive drug are now running the UN Climate show.
The solution they come up with is to continue to not talk about the additive drug, nor how to get off it. They will simply send money to the victims of the crime.
Are you an island nation that has been around for millennia and find yourself sinking out of sight? No worries, we’ll send you billions to move your butts to some other place where you are simply refugees.
Are you an industrial nation choking in your car and coal pollution? We don’t really care. Fix it yourself or not.
The U.N. continues to sink into irrelevancy, whether it’s trying to do something about global warming, the Ukraine war, the West Bank violence or the never ending terrorism of the Palestinian movements of Hamas and Hezbollah. As usual, we are all left to solve our problems for ourselves and luckily that does seem to happening without the U.N. in small ways around the globe. China continues to migrate to solar, cities like Paris and London convert inner cities to bike and pedestrian walkways significantly lowering air pollution.
Panama negotiator Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez railed against the deal in Brazil as COP drew to a close.
“A climate decision that cannot even say ‘fossil fuels’ is not neutrality, it is complicity. And what is happening here transcends incompetence,” Monterrey Gomez said. “Science has been deleted from COP30 because it offends the polluters. – The Associated Press
Here we are, 30 years into COP and we hear this kind of nonsense about the very people who claim to be wanting and in charge fixing this problem.
The clear takeaway is that we are on our own, and if you live in a place most affected by climate change, you better build your own ark, because no one is coming to save any of us.
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: climate change, Environmental Protection, global warming | 1 Comment »
Another day, another threat from the Trump administration to open public lands, revoke roadless areas to open them to cutting on Federal forests. This press release is from the Sportsmen for Wild Olympics.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 8th, 2025
QUILCENE, WA—September 8th, 2025: Today, Sportsmen for Wild Olympics released a new map with photos illustrating the devastating impacts that developing key roadless backcountry public lands on Olympic National Forest could have on critical headwaters of prime trophy fishing rivers and public access on the Olympic Peninsula. The group is calling on Congress to pass the Wild Olympics Act as a proactive solution to permanently protect these lands.
“This map tells Congress and the Administration: protect the Olympic Peninsula’s public lands—don’t privatize or develop them,” said Ashley Nichole Lewis, a Quinault Indian Nation fishing guide and spokesperson for Sportsmen for Wild Olympics. “It gives our fellow sportsmen and women something to fight for, not just against—a lasting solution to threats we are confronting right now.”
The urgency comes as the Trump Administration announced a shortened comment period ending September 19th on their plans to rescind the Roadless Rule in order to log & develop sensitive spawning habitat on public lands, a key federal safeguard for undeveloped backcountry areas across national forests, including Olympic National Forest. The new map with photos highlights & names the critical ancient forest roadless headwaters & salmon streams on Olympic National Forest that are now threatened by the Trump Administration’s plan to lift protections for these backcountry public lands prized by Olympic Peninsula sportsmen for the clean water, critical habitat & access they provide.
What is the Roadless Rule?
The Roadless Rule, established in 2001, protects undeveloped areas of national forests from new road construction and logging. These “roadless” areas are often rugged backcountry landscapes that provide crucial habitat for fish and wildlife, protect water quality, and offer remote hunting and angling opportunities. Removing these protections opens the door to industrial development in some of the last remaining intact, healthy forest lands in the country.
“Rescinding the Roadless Rule is yet another attempt to hand over our essential public resources to special interests—at the expense of salmon, clean water, and future generations,” Lewis said.
The coalition—comprising thousands of local and regional hunters and anglers, and over 30 leading sportsmen organizations—has already punched well above their weight earlier this year playing an outsized role in the national backlash opposing the unprecedented threats to public lands coming from both Congress and the Administration. Lewis says these threats highlight exactly why the group supports the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, recently reintroduced by Senator Patty Murray and Representative Emily Randall.
“The different public land sale efforts in Congress and the new plan to strip protections from 59 million acres of core forest headwaters nationwide—including lands on the Peninsula—show that they will use any tactic to privatize or exploit our public lands,” Lewis said. “This map shows what that would actually look like. Congress & the White House must reverse course and pass Wild Olympics to permanently protect these critical salmon streams instead.”
The Wild Olympics Act, developed with years of local input, would enhance hunting and fishing access while permanently protecting some of the last, best intact salmon-spawning habitat left in the Lower 48. Importantly, it would not close existing roads or cost timber jobs. It has broad local support with over 800 local endorsements.
The new map & photos show how the Wild Olympics proposal would protect key areas such as South Quinault Ridge, Moonlight Dome, and other core ancient forest headwaters & rivers vital for hunting & fishing on the Peninsula —areas the Administration now plans to open for logging by rescinding the Roadless Rule.
(The steep forested slopes of the Moonlight Dome Roadless Area forms the critical headwaters for both the East and West Forks of the Humptulips River (seen ok the left), one of the top ten Trophy Fishing Rivers in Washington State).
The map also reveals that 300,000 acres of Olympic National Forest have been identified as eligible for sale under different plans by the Administration and some members of Congress during earlier drafts of the budget bill passed earlier this year. While the land sale provision was struck from the budget, proponents continue to push this idea forward.
The unprecedented threats to public lands recently sparked Senator Murray to throw down the gauntlet in the Senate, announcing she will block any public lands legislative package that comes out of Utah Senator Mike Lee’s Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee unless it includes her Wild Olympics bill, a move that galvanized local supporters to pull out all the stops to get it done this Congress.
Lewis hopes the map inspires more hunters and anglers to join the thousands who have already signed their petition.
“The outdoor community is powerful. Our fishing and hunting guides are pillars of this community. The same places we work the hardest are the ones we return to after the day is done—because we love them. Let’s use that collective power to ensure a single pen stroke can never take our public lands away. Let’s pass the Wild Olympics Act.”
###
HOW TO FIGHT BACK.
1) Sign the WildOlympics.org/wild-olympics-petition/ telling Congress ancient temperate rainforests of the #WildOlympics aren’t for sale & to permanently protect Olympic Peninsula #publiclands & rivers against travesties like this in the future.
2) Those who can afford it PLEASE WildOlympics.org/DONATE to fuel our fight. We helped defeat this four years ago. Help us defeat it again & pass the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild & Scenic Rivers Act to permanently protect ancient forests & salmon streams once & for all.
3) SUBMIT A COMMENT AT PORTAL LINK Comment Period Ends Sept 19th. Tell USDA to uphold the Roadless Rue to protect Olympic Peninsula Ancient Forests & critical salmon nurseries that were already centuries-old when our nation was born.
For more information, including a rolling list of articles from sportsmen outlets covering the threats to public lands, visit: SportsmenForWildOlympics.org/threats
Waters West Guide Service (Montesano)
Bad Ash Outdoors (Tahola)
Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association
Northwest Guides & Anglers Association
The Washington Wildlife Federation,
Izaak Walton League (Gr. Seattle Chapter) Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, (Washington Chapter)
Association of Northwest Steelheaders,
The Gray Wolf Fly Fishing Club (Sequim)
SAGE Fly Rods
Doug Rose Fly Fishing (at request of family)
Bad Ash Fishing (Tahola)
Washington Council of Trout Unlimited
Little Stone Fly Fisher (Port Townsend)
Johnson Guide Service (Sequim)
Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics (Forks)
Able Guide Service (Seiku)
Mike Z’s Guide Service (Forks)
Brazda’s Fly Fishing
Angler’s Obsession (Forks)
Sea Run Pursuits
Peninsula Sportsman Guide & Outfitting Service (Port Townsend)
Waters West Fly Fishing Outfitters (Port Angeles)
The Wild Steelhead Coalition
Piscatorial Pursuits (Forks)
Able Guide Service (Sekiu)
LimbSaver
Oly Women On The Fly
WA Council of Fly Fishers International
Puget Sound Fly Fishers
Coastal Cutthroat Coalition
Filed under: Clallam County, Environmental Protection, Government, Jefferson County, legislation, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: Era of Trump, Roadless Rule, Trump Administration, Wild Olympics Act | 3 Comments »
More attacks on our local environment. This, if enacted will likely open up a great deal more logging destruction in our nearby National Forests.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture, parent agency of the U.S. Forest Service, announced Wednesday that it is moving ahead with plans to rescind a rule that has restricted logging and construction on millions of acres of federal lands in the American West for more than two decades.”
Read and subscribe to The Washington Standard.
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: Canada, Environmental Protection, Olympic Peninsula | Comments Off on Trump administration advances plan to reverse federal rule that limits logging in national forests
A few years after Alexandra Morton was successful in getting the BC government to end fish farms, which she proved were causing great harm to native runs, there is a massive return of native fish.
A reminder to any new readers, that over the last 15 years, I personally was present as employees of Taylor Shellfish did everything they could to discredit anyone challenging the fish farms. They disrupted a presentation by a leading scientific researcher in Port Angeles, Dr. Larry Dill and they routinely called Alexandra Morton a non scientific fraud in public meetings of the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee. I was chair of the committee during these moments and was routinely needing to stop the outbreaks by a representative of the company who presented falsehoods about her credentials. I never knew whether they represented the management of the company, but since one of them was a manager of a local location of Taylor, it seemed reasonable to assume they did. Perhaps the time has come to have management at Taylor apologize for the behavior of their employees.
I am grateful to see the success of wild salmon returning to areas that just a few years ago were littered with the bodies of fish that died of parvovirus before being able to spawn.
“…Miller detected piscine orthoreovirus, or PRV, a new virus discovered only a few months earlier, as the cause of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation—HSMI—a disease spreading unchecked through the salmon farming industry in Norway. “ From The Georgia Strait newsletter.
From The Tyee, a B.C. newsletter this week.
“But in late July of this year, he said, the number of returning sockeye suddenly spiked.”
“That was incredible,” he said. “That was the most fish that’s ever been caught on that date, since test fishing began.”
While the nation was still waiting to hear on a commercial fishery, Svanvik said that each household was able to get 15 fish to fill their freezers — still a far cry from more than 100 in previous decades.
Svanvik also credits the spike in salmon to the removal of more than 40 fish farms from the salmon’s migration route.
While Taylor cautioned that “correlation is not causation,” he did say that this year’s positive returns shift responsibility onto government to prove that the aquaculture industry hasn’t been harming wild salmon.
“You don’t want to go back to those poor returns,” he said. “I think the onus shifts with this, and I think that’s the most important part of it.”
https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/08/14/Fraser-Sockeye-Returns-Prompt-Fishery-Openings/
Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, fishing, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: Canada, Net Pens Aquaculture, Salmon | 2 Comments »
From Jefferson County Public Health: There is a summer surge of Covid nationally and here. ( I know two friends that recently got it.) There have been 3 people hospitalized in Jefferson county because it has been a long time since the last vaccines. There also has been a pediatric hospitalization. Public health are recommending a second booster for those over 65 with underlying conditions. If you haven’t had a second booster QFC has the vaccine now, the new vaccines should be available in October. The vaccines are covered by Medicare.
On covid–if you got all the vaccines you should have, are you still protected in any way? Yes, your risk of serious disease is less. The virus is just as dangerous as it always was, but most of us have some level of immunity. Babies are at the highest risk. Folks over 65 have a harder time holding onto their immunity. If you’re under 65 do you need an annual vaccine? Yes.
The Canadian broadcasting Company (CBC) had a show recently on new research that is showing that the long-term effects of Covid are perhaps much worse than we have originally thought. Titled:
“Beyond long COVID — how reinfections could be causing silent long-term organ damage
Even if you think you’re done with COVID, COVID might not be done with you”
One of the takeaways:
“There is no such thing as a COVID infection without consequence,” says long COVID researcher, David Putrino, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
The long-term effects can show up as long COVID, with symptoms such as shortness of breath, digestive problems, fast or irregular heartbeats, extreme fatigue and brain fog, or as silently accumulating cellular or organ damage.”
It is worth a quick read or listen to at this link:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/beyond-long-covid-1.7485888
Also. Pertussis transmission is up – two diagnosed here, 30 in Clallam. Only about 10% of active cases get detected, so the numbers are more like 20 here and 300 in Clallam, and school has not started yet.
There were two cases of vibrio (a bacteria in brackish water) in raw shellfish. The food safety team got on it really quickly and no one had done anything wrong, it’s just a side effect of raw oysters in hot weather. Best to avoid oysters when the weather is hot.
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | 2 Comments »
The Peninsula Daily News reported that Protection Island is seeing what may be the last breeding pair of Tufted Puffins. Smith and Protection Islands were what state officials believe to be the last islands with nesting pairs.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in 1909, there were an estimated 25,000 Tufted Puffins across 44 nesting sites on the coast of Washington and in the interior Salish Sea. By 2009, the population had plummeted to less than 3,000, with only 19 nesting sites remaining and only two in the Salish Sea.
Tufted Puffins are still thriving in Alaskan waters, however …”a troubling mass die-off event on St. Paul Island in 2016 raises significant concern for the species’ future. Over 350 severely emaciated carcasses washed ashore, underscoring the urgency for further research and conservation efforts to safeguard these remarkable birds.” (as reported in https://www.adventuresnw.com/rare-birds-the-endangered-puffins-of-the-salish-sea/)
The loss of Puffins may be from a wide variety of causes, including habitat loss and the loss of species of fish they eat.
Salish Sea on cusp of losing tufted puffins
also check out “Dispatch from the Last Colony”
https://www.eopugetsound.org/magazine/field-dispatch-last-colony
Filed under: Endangered Species, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: protection island, Tufted Puffins | 1 Comment »
There is only one voting choice to be made on the primary ballot: city council. My choice is Fred Obee. Fred has a long history in this community and has a lot of experience following the City Council.
The fact that Dylan Quarles is a young, inexperienced person in local politics along with some of the city council members and mayor coming out in favor of him, make me wonder if he is simply being viewed as a rubber stamp for their ongoing spending habits, which have been called into question by many people in this city.
Fred did very well in the recent League of Women Voters debate. (listen to it on KPTZ.ORG)
Fred will be a critical voice on the council and will stand up against the go along, get along nature of the current city council.
I look forward to Dylan spending more time around the politics of this city and continuing to participate in the issues.
Vote for Fred Obee.
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend | Tagged: Fred Obee | Comments Off on Port Townsend City Council Election- Vote for Fred Obee
This has been called off. The water has been declared safe.
A tragic truck crash poisons a key drinking water source for Port Angeles and destroys a salmon bearing stream.
Not sure when the oil will wash through the system. Check with local web sites for updates.
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: Port Angeles, Salmon Recovery, Water Pollution | 2 Comments »
If you find you have a rat problem, you may be tempted to either contract with a pest service or purchase those black bait boxes at a farm supply store. However, here is the story on that bait box and its dangers to our local population of rat predators, meaning the owls, hawks and eagles we have in our area.
The most common poison for rats these days is bromadiolone. I queried the Ai program, Perplexity about the dangers of bromadiolone to predators. Here’s its answer.
Even at a mix rate of 0.005% per 1 oz. block, it poses a significant danger to owls that eat rats poisoned by it. Bromadiolone is a second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR), which is known for its high risk of secondary poisoning—when a predator like an owl consumes prey that has ingested the poison.
Key points:
• Bromadiolone is classified as a moderate to high secondary poisoning risk for birds, including owls.
• Residues of bromadiolone can persist in rodent carcasses for over 100 days, meaning poisoned rats can remain toxic to predators long after death.
• Owls and other birds of prey have been found with bromadiolone residues in their livers, and studies show widespread contamination among wild owl populations.
• Owls are particularly vulnerable because they have a limited ability to detoxify anticoagulant rodenticides, making them more susceptible to poisoning than some other birds or mammals.
• Even sub-lethal doses may impact owl health and survival, especially during periods of stress or food scarcity, though the exact effects of low-level, chronic exposure are not fully understood.
In summary: Using bromadiolone as a rodenticide creates a real risk of harming owls and other predatory wildlife through secondary poisoning, regardless of the specific concentration in bait blocks. Safer alternatives or non-chemical rodent control methods are recommended to protect owls and other non-target species.
Filed under: environmental education, Olympic Peninsula | 1 Comment »
In what might be the final blow to the solar industry of the United States, Trump and the Republicans are planning to essentially kill it and hand all the production to China.
How this makes America great again is beyond me, except for the fact that this country seems to have had a coup d’etat pulled off by the oil industry. That is usually what happens when the fossil fuel industry is the main industry in a country. Look at any country around the world, perhaps other than Sweden that hasn’t had a political takeover by pro fossil fuel politicians.
This won’t cure the move to solar and wind, because the economics of it is already overtaken fossil fuels. It simply destroys the manufacturing capacity of the United States to be a leader here.
This is going to put people out of business,” said Mike Carr, the executive director of Solar Energy Manufacturers for America, which represents more than 15 companies and 6,100 manufacturing workers. “This is going to devastate the industry.”
The utter stupidity of these politicians is truly beyond comprehension, other than the fact that they keep lining their pockets with the money from the petroleum industry.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/business/energy-environment/trump-bill-solar-panels-china.html
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: climate change, environment, goverment, Government Legislation | 4 Comments »
There is so little real documentation of what happened in the 1960s and 1970’s known as the “fish wars” in the Pacific Northwest. Now a new documentary is out that I highly recommend. The Boldt Decision was perhaps one of the most important legal decisions of the 20th century. It re-established Treaty Rights in a totally new way that impacted tribes across the country and influenced indigenous leaders around the world.
The award-winning documentary FISH WAR, tells the story of tribes’ fight to secure their fishing rights — and the monumental Boldt decision that reaffirmed those rights — is available to buy. You can find the feature-length film on Amazon, Vimeo, Google Play, Apple TV+ and Fandango at Home here.
Filed under: Environmental Law, First Nations, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: boldt decision, Puget Sound, tribes | 2 Comments »
Last week I received info from a friend that U.S. Representative Emily Randall did not vote during the key vote to “claw back” monies already allocated to a variety of important causes, including U.S. food and health aid to many foreign countries, along with the funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which includes funding for PBS, StoryCore, NPR and funding for many stations around the U.S.
It was hard to believe that Rep. Randall would miss such a key vote.
What did this vote affect? From Congress.gov:
This bill rescinds $9.4 billion in unobligated funds that were provided to the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), various independent and related agencies, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The rescissions were proposed by the President under procedures included in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Under current law, the President may propose rescissions to Congress using specified procedures, and the rescissions must be enacted into law to take effect.
Specifically, the bill rescinds funds that were provided to the State Department or the President for
The bill also rescinds funds that were provided for
The vote came down to a simple majority needed. As you can see, it passed by only 2 votes.
Four Democrats did not vote. One was Emily Randall. With her vote and only one other, the bill would have failed.
Why did she not vote on this key piece of legislation that all the other Democrats voted on as a party? Where was Emily that night and what caused her to miss this? I have reached out to her office, identifying as a member of the press and asked for someone to get back to us and give us an answer. No one has returned our calls. I’ve been in touch with other members of the Democratic party in this county/district and they too have gotten no feedback. In addition to this bill, Randall has not voted on 11 bills in total in June! Of course, some bills are very low priority. But her record is becoming a question.
Another question is “Where was Democratic Whip Katherine Clark? “ She is supposed to be in charge of getting out the parties votes? Why did she not get Randall there?
This is an unacceptable situation . Randall ran as the darling of the left, with huge support from unions and the LGBTQ wing of the Dems. This support helped many of us, who were unfamiliar with her background support her, as she did not represent this district in her prior roles in government.
We have waited 13 days to get an answer to our questions. It’s time her staff and her went public about this. We will not drop this issue until an explanation is forthcoming. There is a Jefferson County Democratic fundraiser in July and if answers are not here by then, it is going to cause some problems for the fundraiser. How many are willing to give money when the results are a person that does not vote for key legislation?
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | 2 Comments »
