Audubon Holds State Meeting in Bellingham

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Al Bergstein

I just returned from Bellingham where I participated in the state Audubon society that held their annual meeting with chapter leaders and other interested members.

The agenda was to review the successes that Audubon had achieved in 2026 and the policy goals for 2027. Aububon is a powerhouse environmental organization, both nationally and in the state. Given that one of Washington Audubon’s major achievements in the late 1970s and early 1980s was the work to create the Protection Island National Wildlfe Refuge, I was wondering whether there would be any mention of the brewing controversy over the request by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to transfer the refuge to the Tribe. But there was no mention made of it at all.

The primary goal of Audubon nationally is working to reverse the destructive downward trend of wild bird populations . Audubon themselves, though working as best they could, has seen a decline of an estimated 3 Billion birds lost since 1970. Their goal is to reverse this as quickly as possible.

Programs for 2027

Audubon has two main focuses for the state in 2027.

Lights Out Washington Program

A success in 2026 was the adoption of the Lights Out Washington resolution. This program is a state wide effort to educate the public on the issue of mitigating the effects of lights in the night on migratory birds. Huge amounts of light pollution lighten the night sky, whether from cities, harbors, street lights and other general light sources. Anyone walking outside in the middle of the night can likely see stray light sources lighting up the sky. The long term goal is to convince both homeowners, businesses and municipalities to take actions to reduce or eliminate light sources that are not needed. One example discussed was terminal port activities that keep a huge amount of light on all night regardless of whether it is needed or not.

The organization trained the audience to help them prepare for Audubon Lobby Day 2027 to promote additional bills of support for Lights Out Washington and other environmental bills.

Migratory Bird Day

The celebration of World Migratory Bird Day educates the public on challenges of bird migration. Audubon has been promoting an online tool called, “The Migratory Bird Explorer” an amazing compilation of data from scientists and amateur birders across the continent and hemisphere.

Migratory Bird Explorer

Helen Engle Volunteer of the Year presentation

Helen Engle was the president of Seattle Audubon and also Washington State Audubon in the seminal growth period of 1970- 1980s. From Wikipedia: She co-founded various environmental organisations, including the Tahoma Audubon Society, the Washington Environmental council, Washington Wilderness Coalition, The Arboretum Foundation, Nisqually Land Trust, and Citizens for a Healthy Bay in Tacoma. She was a board member of National Audubon Society. The award honors her legacy of environmental activism, a trait sorely missing in so many environmental groups today. I had the honor to meet and travel with Helen to a state convention around 1980. She was a formidable environmental leader.

The Helen Engle Award was given to Alan McCoy from Spokane Audubon. As chapter president he has headed an incredible team of volunteers to expand the chapter and it’s protections for birds in the Spokane area.

Protection Island & Dungeness Spit Land Transfer

I spent a few minutes talking to Csenka Favorini-Csorba, who is the policy director for Washington State Audubon. I asked her about the issue of Protection Island and at first she stated that there is no bill for them to take issue with or support yet so she was not going to comment on it. However as we talked further about the issue, she said that other land transfers, in her opinion, had been very successful. She saw no reason to worry about whether or not the land transfer would be beneficial or not for the birds and the tribes were good stewards of the lands that have been transferred . I reminded her that Jamestown has a significant aquaculture business and that they have already been proposing putting 80,000 bags of oysters on the bottom of Dungeness Bay, right next to the refuge, where diving birds fed .She did not seem to be aware of that or the lawsuit by another environmental organization against the tribe that had stopped this proposal for the time being. Her point of view seemed to be very supportive of tribal land transfers in general saying that the land had been “stolen” (her words) from them long ago and it would be appropriate in some cases to be giving it back to them. (historically it would be more accurate to state that the 1855 treaty that the Jamestown signed along with other tribes ceded land in exchange for the right to hunt and fish in perpetuity. That Treaty and that specific language was the reason for the successful outcome of the Boldt decision in the 1970s for the northwest tribes). I asked her if Audubon Washington might support simply keep things as they were with the tribe co-managing the property so all Americans including the tribe could be able to weigh in on issues of management through the United States Fish and Wildlife. She said that it would be better to wait until the bill came out. It would appear from our conversation that Audubon Washington has little interest in either getting involved in the land transfer when it happens or opposing it in any way shape or form. In her defense, Audubon has to work with many other tribes in the state in order to achieve their goals, and I can understand why they would not be willing to make any statements pro or con until the bill is actually out. I left wondering whether or not Audubon members throughout the state would feel the same way about giving away a refuge that former Audubon leaders including Helen Engle, Hazel Wolf, Lorna Smith (nee Campion in the 1970s), the Nature Conservancy along with thousands of members and the public had spent a huge amount of time putting in the federal reserve system in the first place. That obviously will be a question to be answered next year.

Filed under: Environmental Activism, environmental education, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, Environmental Science, Olympic Peninsula, Protection Island | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Voting guide for Environmental Supporters

Posted on October 7, 2026 by Al Bergstein

It’s time to get out the vote. As the midterm it’s a smaller slate, but the main action is in the Washington State Supreme Court, seeing a lot of judges needing to be re-elected or to fill a seat that has been vacated. Let’s start with the Initiatives.

IP26-645 Trying to overturn the Millionaires tax – VOTE NO

As it states in the voters pamphlet: This measure would decrease funding for public K-12 education, higher education and healthcare. Need we say more?

IL26-001 Would repeal laws establishing children’s rights. VOTE NO

If passed it would remove commonsense protections for child abuse victims. It requires schools to hand over sensitive information to parents who may be under criminal investigation for rape or other abuse of a child. Additionally, it would remove the legal requirement for a school to immediately notify parents when a crime is reported by a child. It would also put LGBTQ+ children at increased danger of violence and homelessness by outing them to potentially abusive families. The WA State Nurses association opposes this bill.

IL26-638 Would prohibit “biologically male” students from competing in certain school athletic activities, even if they are identifying as female. VOTE NO.

It would require verification of biological sex by the students’ healthcare providers. The requirement is only for boys, not girls. Washington state Nurses association, Planned Parenthood and many doctors oppose this. Many girls without a primary care physician would be subject to genital examinations by total strangers.

Representative District 6 – Emily Randall – Vote for her or leave it blank. As disappointing as Emily Randall has been as a U.S. Representative in her first term, we do not want a Republican with no experience and a supporter of Donald Trump to become another House seat. Fox actually went to the Immigrant detention center and argued with protestors. She supports the ongoing kidnapping and deporting of innocent people who have given this country their tax dollars and worked hard to try and establish a home away from violence.

Randall was one of only 4 Representatives to not show up to stop the bill to end PBS and billions of dollars of foreign aid with no excuse for where she was that night. Randall is supporting giving away our wildlife refuges to Tribal interests, locking the public out of a voice in protecting our most crucial environmental lands. She does not deserve to be returned to office. Vote for her if you will, but leave it blank if you wish. She’s likely to win in a landslide so I doubt any vote is going to count much.

These two incompetents should have a real opponent. Unfortunately this is what the Democratic and Republican parties have chosen to shove at us. Pathetic.

Legislative District 24 – Take your pick: Kaylee Kuehn or Marcia Kelbon. I am endorsing both for different types of voters.

Kaylee Kuehn: Democrats will be voting for Kaylee. She is a very nice person, my interview with her is on this site, my concern is that she is very inexperienced in general, with very little background that would recommend her for the position. She is supported by the unions, so you should expect essentially the same votes as all the other Democrats. She did say she does not support giving Protection Island and Dungeness Spit to the Jamestown S’Klallam, favoring the status quo. She says she is in favor of tax overhaul and universal health coverage. So those are some of the positives. If you are a Democrat that expects the status quo in Olympia, continuing the work that Steve Tharinger was successful at, then Kaylee will probably provide you with that. Given the nightmare budget scenario the State is facing, whoever wins will be looking at significant budget cuts to bring back to the district.

Marcia Kelbon – Independent – Marcia has broken from the Republican party, as her views overlap with Democrats when it comes to a woman’s right to choose, and LGBTQ+ rights. (Her interview is also on this site). By her own admission she was a Democrat for part of her life and a Republican in the past more from a pro business perspective. She did not vote for Trump in primaries and she hoped he would be something better than he was. Her pro business stance is aligned with talking point from both parties in our district. She is what used to be called a Moderate Republican, one who went to the legislature to promote business issues and sometimes supported environmental ones as well. We all know what happened to that party and those voters, who are now called “independents”. But Marcia is a very smart, experienced woman, with a great resume of significant achievement. She is critical of the laws such as the Growth Management Act, and Climate Commitment Act, Democratic achievements that are worthy of being questioned or modified at this point (i.e. is the GMA, done in the early 1990s, really still valid for our counties in 2026? Is the CCA actually reducing CO2 or is it raising taxes on gas and spending it on minor issues, like being used to fund electric ferries? Should they be modified?). She opposes giving the wildlife refuges to the tribes.

My recommendation on Marcia is that if you are a moderate Republican or true Independent who doesn’t support either party, then Marcia is a solid vote for you. If she gets elected, she will likely find herself on the outs by both parties, might have a hard time finding committee assignments, but could be an effective independent vote at times. I doubt she will vote for tax increases. She is more likely to support the timber industry. But she is very likely to vote to support women’s issues, healthcare, alternative energy and other areas that are more traditionally thought of as ‘liberal’.

State Representative District 24 Position 1 – Adam Bernbaum (D) Adam has done a solid job as first term Representative. It’s worth giving him another term to expand on his insight into the way laws are crafted. He is supported by Planned Parenthood, Washington State Labor Council and others.

Judges for the Supreme Court:

Colleen Melody – Yes.

Jamie Michelle Hawk – Yes.

Birk or O’Donnell take your pick – Both highly endorsed by powerhouse supporters. Both rated “Exceptionally well qualified” which is a big deal, according to my wife, who was a lawyer who at one time headed that committee!

Theo Angelis – Yes

Deborah Stevens – Yes.

Clallam County PUD: Randy Brackett

Endorsed by the Olympic Climate Action. Sophisticated understanding of the intertwining of science, technology, economy, politics, and culture. Supports reasoned, incremental development of clean tech, local generation & storage. Wants to be an agent for positive change at the Bonneville Power Administration

Filed under: Clallam County, Environmental Law, Government, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

WA public lands commissioner scales back order protecting older forests

Posted on September 26, 2026 by Al Bergstein

The Seattle Times reported on the 24th about the change in rules for older forests, due to the extreme budget problems Olympia is facing. The head of DNR is caught between the legal requirements of his job as currently legislated and the demands of environmental activists wanting to protect remaining older growth forests. The money from this logging helps cities like Port Angeles meet their budgets for critical local services. It will be up to the legislature to fix this problem starting in January. If you care about this, you should write your state Senator and Representatives now.

“Without the (legislative) tools Upthegrove is pursuing, the roughly 55,000 acres could be included in timber sales after 2030. Staff estimates based on similar forests suggest that with no change to state policies, managing these 55,000 acres in ways other than traditional harvest would result in tens of millions of dollars lost.“

Read the whole story in the Seattle Times. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Times.

WA-Public-Lands-Commissioner-Story

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Protection Island: 1st Public Meeting with Randall’s staff.

Posted on September 25, 2026 by Al Bergstein

Read the whole article on my new Substack site: https://olyopen.substack.com

Citizens showed up to be treated to a Zoom rather than a real person in attendance. Photo courtesy of Darrell Smith.

On Wednesday, Sept 23rd, the opponents of the land transfer proposal that U.S. Representative Emily Randall is getting ready to introduce into Congress, finally got an opportunity to talk directly to her staff about their points of view. It did not go well.

Staff members had originally said they would have one person there, so people came expecting to hear them and instead were only allowed a “Zoom” call, and Representative Randall decided not to attend at all. (Congress is currently out so she was in the area). If the staff would have simply started by saying they would not be in attendance, perhaps a larger audience would have attended online.

Her staff gave a short overview of the “process” that the draft bill is going through at the moment, stating that:

  1. It was a process started in 2025. (it was not made public until spring 2026).
  2. It was already going through the backchannels of Congress to prepare for Randall to present it to Congress.
  3. “There is a long way to go”. One staffer said.
  4. Finally, “It’s only the start of the process and you still have an opportunity to put your feedback into it.”

The last sentence received a roomful of boos from the 30 or so people in attendance.

I think that the staff member did not fully understand that a bill that was being discussed behind closed doors for over a year by Ron Allen of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and the Representative of hundreds of thousands of constituents who have not had a chance to comment on it , was not at a point anyone would call, “the start of the process”. The bill is very far along the “process” and Representative Randall still has not held a public meeting with her present to discuss it at all. Once proposed into Congress, the public will have little opportunity to realistically kill this proposal as the meetings are likely to be held in Washington D.C. and Randall is making no promises yet to hold meetings throughout her district.

There is also the small fact that Chairman Allen has donated over $1000 for the last two years, along with the Jamestown S’Klallam donating over $9000 to her campaign. This makes the whole sordid issue seem like a back room deal done for money and votes. No one other than the Tribe has asked for this transfer to happen. Other S’Klallam Tribes apparently were not consulted nor have weighed in as to why they are getting nothing out of this, odd because it is part of the “usual and accustomed” land from the 1855 Treaty that all of them share.

Ron Allen himself has said that other tribes like the Makah and Lummi have been looking at this to decide whether to ask for other National Wildlife Refuges. When asked whether Representative Randall was in talks with them as well, since the Makah, Quinault, Hoh and Quileute are in her district, her staff did not reply.

The meeting was hosted by Lorna and Darrell Smith. Lorna was one of the original people who worked with Eleanor Stopps to create the wildlife refuge in the 1980s. Without their work, the Tribe would have no opportunity to ask for it back, as it would have become a white man’s subdivision.

Many people got up to ask questions of Randall’s staff. Very few questions were answered. No one asking them was in support of the transfer. One surprise guest was Marcia Kelbon, who is the independent running for the State House position given up by Steve Tharinger. Mrs. Kelbon stated she was opposed to the land transfer. It was gratifying to see a person running for state Congress come out and state a position on the issue.

What is Randall thinking? Neither Clallam nor Jefferson County commissioners have come out in support of this, mainly due to the extremely negative public feedback on this proposal. And Senator Murray and Cantwell have yet to weigh in.

This entire exercise is a P.R. disaster for the young, naive Representative Randall. While she has been anointed the Representative of the 24th district, she is a shadow of the former representative, Derek Kilmer. Kilmer had better political instinct than to take on an issue like this without getting significant public input first. Unfortunately, no one was willing to run against Randall, so the Democrats gave us no choice but to not vote or support her.

Filed under: Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, First Nations, Jefferson County, legislation, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Beach cleanup event at multiple locations Saturday 

Posted on September 17, 2026 by OlyOpen

from the Washington State Parks

OLYMPIA — Washington State Parks will co-host the International Coastal Cleanup at beaches on the Pacific Coast and Salish Sea on Saturday.

The annual event, co-sponsored by Washington Coastsavers, is conducted on the third Saturday in September.

So far this year, Coastal Cleanup volunteers have collected more than 162,000 pounds of debris from Washington beaches.

Events will take place at the following locations: 

• Fort Flagler State Park, with check-in from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Resort at Port Ludlow, 1 Heron Road, Port Ludlow.

• Fort Worden, with check-in from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, 502 Harbor Defense Way, Port Townsend.

A Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to state-managed lands.

Washington Coastsavers also will support cleanups at: 

• The western Strait of Juan de Fuca, with check-in at the Clallam Bay/Sekiu Visitor Center, 16753 state Highway 112, Clallam Bay, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• The eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, with check-in at Harborview Park, 700 Ediz Hook Road, Port Angeles, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Volunteers should come prepared for variable weather conditions, wear sturdy footwear and bring a packed lunch with plenty of water.

To ensure a successful cleanup please be prepared to:

-spend time walking over uneven and slippery surfaces

-be able to walk over 1-mile carrying debris (some beaches will require more walking)

-wear proper footwear, layers and plan for inclement weather

-bring water, snacks and your own gloves if you have them

For more information, visit www.coastsavers.org

The following link has specifics for where to go at all different locations on the western coast, as well as along the Strait of Juan de Fuca

ICC 2026

ICC 2026

Media contact

Name Emily Masseth
Department Communications
Email media@parks.wa.gov

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A talk with Kaylee Kuehn

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Al Bergstein
Photo provided by the campaign.

I sat down over coffee in Port Townsend with the Democratic candidate for the 24th District Position 2, Kaylee Kuehn. We had a candid talk on a wide range of issues. The following interview was edited for brevity.

Kaylee Kuehn (pronounced Keen) is running for the open seat vacated by long time Olympia powerhouse Steve Tharinger. Kuehn was raised in Sequim, attended Evergreen college, and has a Masters in Education from Grand Canyon University. She is a mother and her husband is a former prosecuting attorney and now serves as an Assistant Attorney General for Clallam and Jefferson counties. She beat out two other Democrats and one Democratic Socialist of America for her place in the fall elections.

The defining factor in her running is her youth. At 28, she does not bring huge range of experience to the position, but does bring a youthful energy and has worked in education as a high school teacher and as a volunteer for a regional union, the Association of Western Pulp & Paper Workers in partnership with Pacific Northwest Regional Strategies. She is the first to admit that she does not have a lot of background on the issues facing the Peninsula.

KK: When I decided to run for this seat I wasn’t spending years of my life planning and prepping for doing this. I’m not trying to sell myself as more knowledgeable or experienced than I am. I can ask questions gather all the information and hopefully make the right decisions. That’s what I’m hoping to bring to this seat. I understand that a lot of people want a politician to come in and make all these sweeping changes and solve everything, and I just don’t view politics that way. I think that is very rare. I think there is a lot of value in pragmatism and balance to decision making about really important things that affect all of us.

Q: Steve Tharinger has been there for a long, long time. Where do you see your differences from Steve? Do you feel like you just take over where he left off, or do you see some, you see some differences between what you bring versus what Steve brings?

K.K: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Steve several times, talking with him, and getting to know him a little bit more, and now that I’ve made it through the primary, he’s now gotten involved in the race. I see that we’ll be similar in a lot of ways, how we treat people.

I think where we differ is just our perspectives. I think the biggest difference will be that I am a young working mom. I’ve been riffed from a union job before. I know what that feels like. I know what it’s like to move every single year because of the rising costs of rent. But I would also like to bring my voice to this because I think that in the 24th, we’ve had nobody liked me before. With so many more working families living throughout the district, I think it’s good to have someone who actually has experience with the challenges that we face.

Q: What committees are you wanting to be assigned to if you win?

KK: I don’t have specific committees I am targeting. I think what’s important as a legislator is understanding how the process works. I would like to be on a fiscal committee, maybe on a policy committee. I was thinking about education, coming from that world. Adam (Bernbaum, the other Representative in the 24th) is going to be on healthcare and transportation, they don’t put freshmen on appropriations, so the capital budget makes sense for me. And perhaps housing. I think that would be a really impactful way that I could make a difference for our district, because it does come up so much.

Q: What do you think that you can actually address in housing?

KK: I do think we get very focused on process over outcome. So with housing in particular, I talked to so many people who said, I want to be able to make my property livable for somebody. I want to be able to rent it out. But the financial and timeline barriers are too much for virtually every person I talked to. And I think at the state level, we can ease those requirements. There’s probably something in between that just gets people housed and gets people into a situation where they can work towards.

Q: That sort of circles to the Growth Management Act (GMA).What do you think that needs to be fixed or changed in it?

KK: It’s pretty important. I’m not a planner. I don’t have those answers right now. I would like to understand it. There are definitely areas where I am not there yet about knowing the specifics of what I would like to propose or change, but I will learn it, and do what’s right for folks.

OPEN: What are your priorities?

KK: Number one, I would like to talk to the cost of living, affordability. I know that it’s a very big area. I am supporting the millionaire’s tax. I do think that it’s horrific that we have the second most regressive tax system in the United States. I don’t want to push business out. I feel like I want to be a friend to business and to understand the issues and want to keep them here. I also think that there have to be decisions that ultimately level the playing field. We need to be a lot more open to embracing just everyone having an equitable share so the burden isn’t more on working folks.

Q: The Climate Commitment Act (CCA) has been very controversial. We’re using the money (from the CCA) to build new electric ferries. That great. But I thought that the goal was to reduce carbon? And it’s causing the state to add more taxes to gas for blue collar people. So what do you say to those people?

KK: I was one of the only ones in the primary other than Marcia to be critical of the CCA. With the CCA, this is something that people have very strong feelings about. I just think that we have to look at, like, practical outcomes. It would benefit us politically, to not keep raising regressive taxes. We say there are benefits, but actually, a lot of people, especially out here, don’t see them. They feel they get hurt by them.

Q: So where do you cut the budget?

KK: I’ll bring up a kind of controversial thing, you know? One of the best things that we’ve done in Washington, I think, is implement paid family medical. It’s also a massive part of our budget. People say, why did the budget get so, so much higher? It’s because of things like this that are really good. I got a benefit from that (law), to stay home with my daughter for a long time and my husband did also.

But that’s a giant part of our budget. I think we shouldn’t be cutting from anything that has to do with children. Cutting the budget, it’s not just numbers to me, it’s real outcomes.

Q: So where do you cut? I mean, you have a pie that’s just so big. Right? We just don’t have the revenue stream to be able to do everything that we used to do or want to do, and so where do you see yourself supporting cuts? Former Governors Gregoire and Locke along with Ferguson say you have to cut. Would you support an across the board 5% of everything? Or only a specific cuts?

KK: I think I think it would come down to what makes the least direct impact? So unfortunately, if there’s some type of subsidy or something, or a decision like taking away spots that kids would have had to transition into kindergarten. I would not want to cut there. I am obviously not against kids getting school lunches. In an ideal world, we just would have all kids get free lunches all the time. But we probably need means testing. I work and I can afford to give my child lunch and pack their lunch for school. I think most people, that are lower middle class can do that. And I’m gonna piss some people off, saying that, but why not?

Q: On the environment, there is this whole issue of forest cutting. Out in Port Angeles right now there’s many environmentalists I know fighting for saving these small older growth parcels. $40,000, I think, is what Port Angeles would have gotten or will get, whatever, from that cut. So that’s something that they needed to budget for, and now that’s $40,000 out of their budgets for schools and police and all the rest. That’s mainly handled by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) but I would assume that the legislature has some impact in being able to talk to DNR about budgeting issues.

KK: I think that one thing that’s kind of misunderstood is that a lot of this land, when it’s being sold, was already designated as needing to be sold. I’m kind of unsympathetic, because I understand that people want to protect these old growth trees. I would also like to, but to what extent, to what end? And what are we missing by doing that?

Q: Have you talked to those folks that are opposing the cut out there?

KK: You mean has every side has been talking to me? Yes. I had lunch this past weekend with Dave UptheGrove (the director of DNR). It was a great chance to sit down, ’cause I’m getting pressured on both sides. I agreed not to take timber money, and now I’m getting timber folks saying, can we send you campaign money? You know, for me, the funding thing. I’ll take all the campaign contributions I can get because now I’m not bought and I don’t care what anybody thinks. My vote is not bought by anybody. Someone wants to help me pay for my childcare (by donating to my campaign). They can. They get a meeting just as much as any other constituent would get a meeting and small business owner. Nothing comes above my constituency, if I’m elected.

Q: So have you made a decision yet on this issue?

KK: I just haven’t made up my mind yet. This is probably the biggest area out of any other policy area where I feel like I cannot, in good conscience, make a firm decision right now about what type of policy I’m gonna make, because I want to look it. I with talked with our mills and the industry and union were very aligned. because they’re concerned we’ve had so many mill closures.

Q: What are your thoughts about the Protection Island / Dungeness Spit Land transfer. Have you come down, one way or another, on what’s going on with this possible land transfer, that U.S. Representative Emily Randall is promoting?

KK: I know. I heard her talk about it at the little recent meeting. Yeah very contentious right now. I understand that.

I haven’t got the tribal perspective from it. I was hoping to sit down with Ron Allen but we haven’t managed to get together yet. The biggest concern is that it’s their sovereign status. Once they get the land they get to make their own decision and we don’t have any way to have input. Emily Randall said that there’s going to be a lot of conversations before this happens. It is not going to pass for several years if it even does, and we’re really going to work on it and get a lot of public comment. And at the end of the day, it is just the fact that it’s transferring it over and we’ll have no say. The US government would have no say in it.

I’m interested to hear different perspectives. I’m not saying I don’t have an opinion on it. One issue that I really do understand, and I take it very highly right now. is that I don’t I don’t trust the Trump administration.

Q: No, I don’t either.

KK: I don’t trust them (the Trump Administration) to manage it properly. What is great is that, like you said, it’s a co-management right now.

OPEN: What are your thoughts about your opponent, Marcia Kelbon?

KK: I really respect her independence. But to do this job, to be effective, to be able to secure funding for, is it a department or a district, to be able get in the majority caucus room and have be a voice for our district. You have to play the system. You have to. You have to understand it.

Last night (at the Marrowstone debate) she was very optimistic. That whole thing (about having a voice in Olympia) came up, and she said, “Well, I think that I can build a relationship with people.” I don’t doubt that. But Olympia is a machine. It’s serious. I mean no disrespect to my opponent. But no one cares about one person’s agenda. They really don’t. They have stuff to get done. Everyone’s got their own little game. And it’s sad, I think, but that that’s how it works.”

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Trout Unlimited & the Hoh Tribe restore Owl Creek

Posted on September 2, 2026 by OlyOpen

Some good news for all of us. Restoration is one wing of the environmental movement (activism is the other). This is good restoration work. From the Trout Unlimited web site.

On the Olympic Peninsula, Owl Creek, a tributary of the iconic coastal Hoh River, lost its natural logjams after immense flooding over two decades ago.

This past year, Trout Unlimited and the Hoh Tribe brought them back. Twenty-two engineered logjams, over a mile of stream, were built by helicopter to restore stream habitat and function. These logjams slow the water, capture sediment, sort spawning gravel and carve out the pools young salmon and steelhead need to thrive.

Almost immediately, Hoh Tribe and TU staff found Chinook and coho salmon taking advantage of the new habitat soon after the first autumn rains

“Kʷokʷolísdo Ḳ̓á yika xa’bil-ts” means “restoring Owl Creek” in Quileute, a Chimakuan language traditionally spoken in coastal indigenous communities. The translation was provided by the Hoh Tribe. The Hoh watershed—including Owl Creek—is part of the Hoh Tribe’s Treaty-reserved Usual and Accustomed area. The Tribe has been fishing for salmon and steelhead, and stewarding these lands, since time immemorial.

For the video only:

https://youtu.be/lwvEiLY_Gns?is=_WBCcnjF1MliUwUp

Here’s the blog on from Trout Unlimited.

Restoring Owl Creek |  Kʷokʷolísdo Ḳ̓á yika xa’bil-ts

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How a WA lab tests shellfish for dangerous toxins

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Al Bergstein

The Seattle Times covers an incredibly important but little known lab that checks local shellfish for toxins. Given the recent closing of virtually all shellfish harvesting in the Hood Canal and nearby, this is worth reading. One of the scientists in the lab is quoted as saying that the recent closure was the worse outbreak he’s seen in 25 years. Another small example of the issues we face with global warming from our never ending use of fossil fuels.

The story is behind the Seattle Times paywall, but I recommend supporting the work of the Times.

Here at the Washington State Department of Health’s humble (read: small) public health lab, scientists process hundreds of samples of shellfish each week to help keep people safe from illness. If you like to shuck ‘em, enjoy a chowder or geoduck ceviche, these are some of the people you can thank. And their work is becoming more important as Washington warms due to climate change.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/how-a-wa-lab-that-tests-shellfish-for-dangerous-toxins

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Science, Global Warming, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula, Shellfish, Washington State | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

An Independent Challenges Democrats On The Olympic Peninsula

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Al Bergstein

Over coffee in Port Townsend, I met with Marcia Kelbon, the independent candidate for State House of Representatives in Washington’s 24th Legislative District. The district spans the liberal stronghold of Port Townsend, the retirement community of Sequim, blue-collar Port Angeles, multiple Tribal reservations, and the economically struggling region of Grays Harbor County. She arrived on her Harley, from her home in the small town of Quilcene along Hood Canal. The Harley is not the only unusual thing about Mrs. Kelbon. She is a former Republican who has left the party to challenge for a State House seat that has been solidly in Democratic control for a couple of decades.


Mrs. Kelbon has an extensive professional background which includes work as a civil engineer, senior executive for a biopharmaceutical company and as a patent attorney. Her law degree is from the University of Washington. She currently serves as Fire Commissioner in Quilcene. She describes her family home as a “tree farm” located next to Rayonier forests whose clear cutting has raised concerns from her about the herbicides used after harvest.


Kelbon left the Republican party over platform disagreements in order to launch an independent bid for the open seat vacated by retiring Representative Steve Tharinger. She won a spot on the November ballot primarily because the Democrats split their vote between three candidates and a Democratic Socialist of America.


Q: What caused your split from the Republican party”


MK: “Well, I always disagreed with a number of issues, including hard-right stances by some in the party on abortion and marriage, and the party’s enthusiasm for Donald Trump. Contrary to what some claim, I did not vote for Donald Trump as a candidate in the primaries of 2016, preferring instead John Kasich of Ohio. I am dissatisfied with party extremes on both sides. As an independent I aim to bring a moderate point of view to the race and the legislature.”


Q. I understand that you support abortion access and LGBTQ+ rights. Those are positions usually thought of as Democratic positions. Are there other issues related to this that are not aligned with the Democrats?”


MK: “I don’t support minors undergoing gender-affirmation surgeries. I believe children are too easily swayed into irreversible decisions before knowing who they truly are.”


Q. What is your position on immigration?


MK: “I support closing the borders to stop illegal drug and human trafficking. But I don’t support the deportation of immigrants who aren’t criminals – we should instead create paths to green cards. We need immigrants in many sectors.” She named high tech and medicine as areas needing more immigrants to fill roles.


Her position on healthcare comes from personal experience.
MK: “I raised three children, all of whom were adopted including one through the foster care system. Two of our adult children have used the Affordable Care Act.”


She advocates the idea of a base support of government provided healthcare without insurers making profit in the mix, allowing everyone to get some coverage. She believes that would save a huge amount of money while obtaining better outcomes by getting insurance companies out of the job of providing basic healthcare insurance. While a great goal, that has proven to be almost impossible for either party to get close to doing.


Q. “What new ideas would you bring to the issue of criminal justice and the linked issue of addiction?”


MK: “Some people on the streets, not all – truly have had a stroke of bad luck or bad experience. But for many, there are issues of addiction and mental illness. Our current approaches… don’t appear to be effective in stabilizing people and preventing them from getting worse. Sheriffs and police chiefs tell me that the current gross misdemeanor penalty is not enough. I would like to restore a felony penalty for knowing possession of hard drugs – not so we can lock people up and throw away the key, but so that we can convince people to get into drug court and treatment rather than jail. I would also like to fund adequate facilities for addiction and mental health treatment.”


Q. “We have a lot of people wanting solutions to entry level homes for lower income people. What concrete ideas do you have for helping get more homes built here on the Peninsula?”


MK: “My father-in-law was a union electrician, and we have completed several builds, including with solar, so I do understand the issues facing the building trades. I would support revising the latest energy code applying to residential construction based more on a cost/benefit analysis. We have to lower the cost of buying homes for young buyers. I would also like to modify the Growth Management Act to make it easier to build in village centers.”


Q. “Taxes are something that Republicans always are complaining about, wanting to drive down taxes. What’s your position on taxation. What makes you different?”


MK: “Our current tax structure is inequitable, but layering an income tax on top of the current regressive sales tax system is not the answer. While voters have time and again rejected an income tax, I suspect they might support a comprehensive restructuring of state taxes that does not increase the overall tax burden. I am willing to collaborate with either party on meaningful tax changes.”


Kelbon remains opposed to the proposed land transfer of Protection Island and Dungeness Spit to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

Mk: “I am not in favor of that transfer at this time,” she explained. “I am concerned about commercial oyster farming and potential herbicide applications on Protection Island.” She also wondered about whether the Elwha and Port Gamble S’Klallam are supporting this land transfer.


Her path to victory is uncertain. She is banking on the fact that while Jefferson County remains solidly Democratic, Clallam and Grays Harbor counties are more conservative.

Even if she does win, it is unclear what she can accomplish in Olympia. Committee assignments are assigned by the two main parties. With the Democrats holding a large majority, it could be very hard to find an assignment. But that’s a long ways off. Until November, she needs to convince independents, disillusioned Republicans, as well as the people who never vote to turn out for her in this huge geographic district. She is trying to do that with a minimal campaign staff. That is not a small challenge. But if she can win and bring an ability to force the Democrats to modify positions to accommodate her vote, it could see some new policies that bring change to the Peninsula.

Filed under: Government, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Election: Low voter turnout – usual results, some surprises

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Al Bergstein

As usual at this moment the Democratic Party is sweeping the primaries with better turnout than Independent or Republican candidates. However, in the multi-county race for State Representative, Independent candidate Marcia Kelbon is heading to a run off with Kaylee Kuehn.

Even though ballots are mailed directly to the home only 31% of the population that could vote did in Jefferson County.If I were the Democrats I’d be asking why they can’t turn people out to vote.

US Representative Emily Randall easily defeated all other candidates. This bodes ill for saving Protection Island and Dungeness Spit. Randall got 6400 votes as of this moment.

State representative Adam Bernbaum also managed to crush all opposition with 76% of the votes counted.

The more interesting race for state Representative position two so far appears to be going to Kaylee Kuehn with independent candidate Marsha Kelbon scoring an impressive 36% of the vote. Mrs. Kelbon in an interview with this reporter, stated that she is not in favor of giving away Protection Island or Dungeness Spit. Her moderate stance on many issues led her to break away from the Republican Party and this blog is supporting her candidacy as an independent. Our feeling is that with a moderate Republican representing this district it will force the Democrats into more of a negotiating position on many issues. The Democratic Party has become too lopsided in Olympia and the results of their dominance are not impressive at all. Social services have been cut including support for foster care, education is still not in even the top 10% of the United States, and the massive budget cutbacks by the governor are not what many voters expected from Ferguson when he ran.

In Jefferson County, Anji Scalf defeated Jean Ball, and will face Republican Stephen Nieman .

Another surprise is that Independent candidate for County Commissioner Jake Seegers is currently leading Democrat Mike French. There has been a concerted efforts to discredit French in the Clallam blogs and it appears to have been successful.

Thank you to those who have actually filled out a ballot and please talk to your friends and ask them whether they did as well and if they didn’t, why didn’t they. There are so many important issues facing us right now, and we should be seeing more turnout rather than less. Ultimately I think the turnout is because their really is not a lot of choice. Our two party system is so skewed that people that don’t buy into their platforms simply feel left out. That’s one reason we have decided to support Marsha Kelbon as an outsider, who we may not totally agree with, but will bring a fresh perspective to Olympia. It is worth saying that we do support Adam Bernbaum. As a junior member of the state legislature he has done a good job of listening.

Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | 2 Comments »

Appeals Court Says E.P.A. Cannot Block Billions in Climate Grants NY Times

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Al Bergstein

While the northern hemisphere burns with thousands of people losing everything both here in Canada, and we sit around breathing the air of the fires, there is some good news on the environmental front. It’s small but somewhat significant.

“An appeals court on Tuesday handed a victory to a group of federal grant recipients that the Trump administration has prevented from spending billions of dollars in climate funding for over a year.

In a split decision, 10 judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld an earlier injunction that said the Environmental Protection Agency could not terminate $20 billion in climate grants, and that the recipients should have access to the funds as their case proceeds.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/climate/epa-climate-grants-appeals-court.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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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 »

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 »

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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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

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KPTZ Interview with Al Bergstein re:Protection Island

Posted on May 20, 2026 by Al Bergstein

Here is the interview I did with Phil Andrus last week. While I didn’t get every point across I wanted I got the jist of it for you. We discuss the proposed land transfer of Dungeness Spit and Protection Island to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. Is this good or not for the bird sanctuary? Do we give away a National Wildlife Refuge with no guarantees of what might happen to it in the future? You decide. The devil as usual is in the details of the proposal.

260517 cats-al bergstein.mp3Download

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Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Proposes Land Transfer of National Wildlife Refuges

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Al Bergstein

This was in the weekend edition of the Peninsula Daily News. Please read the previous posts here to understand our opposition to this proposal.

Filed under: Jefferson County, legislation, Olympic Peninsula, Straits of Juan de Fuca | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Proposes Land Transfer of National Wildlife Refuges

Future of Protection Island deserves more public scrutiny before transfer – Port Townsend Leader

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Al Bergstein

This week I wrote an Op-Ed piece that was published in the Port Townsend Leader. In case you don’t have access to the Leader I have included what I wrote below with minor updates. Unfortunately, the Leader only allowed a 700 word limit on the editorial. Obviously, there are many more words to be said about this proposed transfer. A few of them would be: if you agree that more needs to be clarified, and that the process ought to be slowed down, please contact our city, county, state and federal representatives and make your point of view known.

Your comments might be to oppose or simply slow the process to make sure that the island is never to be used for any commercial activity. That is currently not a part of this discussion between the Tribe and the State and Federal Government.

I want to clarify that I do not support efforts I’m hearing about in Clallam County from a group who oppose this and appear to be anti-Tribal in nature. I am not anti-Tribe.

You might ask: Why should I have any credibility to discuss this issue at all?

I have worked for the Tribe, creating two films over 5 years. I worked closely with the late Tribal Elder, Marlin Holden, a close friend, for “Treaty Resources: Legacy of Our Ancestors” that is viewable at the Tribe’s library. I have interviewed the late Kurt Grinnell and Ron Allen. I have presented in front of the Tribal Council a number of times. I was trusted by the Tribe to video tape tribal meetings, something I was told had never been allowed by anyone outside the Tribe. As a member and chair of the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee I supported efforts led by the Tribe and other aquaculture companies to reestablish Olympia Oysters in Discovery Bay. The Tribe has done an outstanding job under Ron Allen and Kurt Grinnell’s leadership to forge new economic engines for the Tribe and Clallam County’s benefit, including an active aquaculture industry that sells geoduck to China along with oysters and clams regionally.

Promotional poster for Legacy of Our Ancestors

I produced a second film, paid for by the Tribe about the Dungeness River Management team on the restoration of the Dungeness River, called “Working for the River”.

Promotional poster for “Working for the River”

But I also was there at the efforts to create a wildlife refuge at Protection Island. In late 1970s, I was a professional photographer who volunteered for Seattle Audubon, the organization leading national efforts organized by Jefferson County locals Zella Schultz and Eleanor Stopps over a 20 year period. I traveled to John Wayne Marina where Fish and Wildlife staff took me to the island to photograph. The island had been under threat of having 800 lots developed, with no protection for the rare bird habitat that did and does exist there. Through all the efforts by Zella, Eleanor, Lorna Smith, Hazel Wolf and thousands of others, Congress finally established the Refuge, especially with the help of Republican Slade Gordon and Governor John Spellman, Democratic Senators Scoop Jackson and Warren Magnuson & Governor Dixie Lee Ray, along with the entire Washington State delegation who convinced the Reagan administration to sign the bill, the only such refuge established during his eight year presidency.

I have read a lot of what the Tribe wants to do with Protection Island. On the surface, with little detail, it seems benign. I have read a draft of a possible Congressional Bill that would establish the handover. But I am very troubled by the possible use of this island refuge for commercial aquaculture. Destroying the nearshore for commercial purposes would impact the habitat that these birds need to feed and survive. My concern is that we are rushing into an irreversible action with very little forethought and this legal business decision is not clearly defined at the moment. Now is the time to do the right thing and ensure that Protection Island is protected for *all time and all people* of the United States. That is what currently exists.

To hear more on this issue, I will be on KPTZ (91.9 locally on the Olympic Peninsula and kptz.org online) at 9PM Sunday May 17th on Phil Andrus’ “Cats in our Laps” show for one hour to discuss this in even more detail and answer questions from Phil. The show will be podcast later.

With that background, here is the 700 words that were published today in the Port Townsend Leader. I have expanded on this original letter today slightly to include a few issues that I was forced to edit out due to space constraints.

If I told you that a prized National Wildlife Refuge was going to be handed over to an aquaculture company, what would be your reaction? If I told you it was going to be handed over to The Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe, would your reaction be different? Would it be different if you knew that the Tribe runs an expanding aquaculture company?

What if I told you that in a few years, you will not have any say in what the aquaculture company does with the Refuge? That is exactly what is happening.

Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge is being considered for transfer to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to add to their reservation. Protection Island is currently owned by all of the citizens of the United States. Why does the Tribe want it for their exclusive use? And what is the importance of Protection Island?

The U.S. Department of the Fish and Wildlife has this to say about Protection Island:

Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge provides some of the last remaining undeveloped habitat for many burrow-nesting seabirds in the Salish Sea, but is of particular importance to the rhinoceros auklet. Scarred by over a hundred years of farming and grazing, and carved up for a summer home subdivision in the late 1960’s, it was finally recognized in 1982 with a National Wildlife Refuge designation before irreversible damage occurred. 

It supports thriving wildlife populations, including what is thought to be the third largest rhinoceros auklet colony in North America, one of the last two breeding sites for tufted puffins in the Salish Sea, and the largest glaucous-winged gull colony in Washington state.

Over the last year, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe have been working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Representative Emily Randall to transfer the title of the island, with its nesting habitat, to the Tribe. At this time, the proposal does not specify the aquatic lands, which remain with the State, but mentions a path to the state relinquishing them to the Tribe in the future.

There is a draft bill that will soon be introduced to make the transfer happen. This work has been done by the Tribal attorneys without any public input. It oddly goes along with the Trump administrations goals of getting the United States of out management of Federal Lands. Project 2025, specifically the “Mandate for Leadership” document, proposes restructuring federal land management by prioritizing energy production, expanding logging, and increasing state or private control over public lands. (highlight is mine). Key proposals include Chapter 13 (Interior Department) for dismantling conservation agendas…

We have already transferred the Dungeness Spit Wildlife Refuge to the Tribe with an understanding that the Tribes aquaculture business was going to drop 80,000 bags of oyster spat on the bottom of the bay. This transfer was opposed by the wildlife biologist that worked at the Spit at the time that the transfer was proposed.  There is currently a lawsuit in progress to challenge the process that was used to do this transfer.

Question: “Is the proposed transfer of Protection Island really the best thing for us to do?” 

Protection Island refuge was established after a national campaign led by two local women, Eleanor Stopps & Zella Schultz, and the work of the Seattle Audubon Society led by Helen Engle and  Hazel Wolf  one of the legendary environmental leaders in our state. It was a work that took tens of thousands of volunteer hours with help from National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy. (You can listen to an interview I conducted with Eleanor Stopps in 2010 for my film “Voices of the Strait” at the following link.)

https://on.soundcloud.com/uV2PCxSpOmPDvmMeVX

Transferring the Island to the Tribe means that it becomes part of it’s reservation and sovereign territory of the Tribe, no longer forced to follow the rules and regulations of the US Wildlife Refuge Acts of 1966 and 1997 There is no provision made for any public input into future tribal decisions on the use of the island, or it’s shores. There are vague references to the tribe continuing “conservation efforts” without specifying what they are. It will be up to the Tribe in concert with the State Department of Natural Resources to decide if they want to use the island’s shoreline for commercial aquaculture. DNR has been promiscuous in its granting of aquaculture permits. Can we trust that this commercially driven Tribe will make the right decisions on behalf of our Refuge when we will have no voice in decisions moving forward?

Also, the great work that the Tribe has done in restoring environmental places like Jimmy Come Lately Creek, the Dungeness River and other locations was done with Federal and State grants or funds. If the Federal Government is attempting to rid itself of Federal lands like this, who is going to pay for the ongoing management the Tribe claims they will do?

There are many who trust Ron Allen. What about future Tribal leaders after him? 

What protection do we have if the Tribe’s plans dramatically shift towards commerce than protection? Can we effectively veto or alter the Tribes’ activities on the island? How? The act of moving this crown jewell of wildlife will place it beyond the jurisdiction of local or state officials forever. In fact, it makes enforcement by the Federal government a nation to nation affair that leaves our voices out of the regulation process.

I suggest we start by stopping. There is no need for speed in this process. If Republicans want to get rid of Wildlfe Sanctuaries and Democrats want to support whatever the Tribes want, none of that will change with another year or two of public input. Pause this transfer while we figure out how all of us and not just one Tribe, will have a voice in the future of Protection Island if we relinquish control over it to the Tribe.

Listen to me Sunday night on KTPZ.ORG at 9PM Pacific

Original Leader article

https://ptleader.com/articles/columns/future-of-protection-island-deserves-more-public-scrutiny-before-transfer/

Filed under: Clallam County, Endangered Species, Environmental Activism, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, First Nations, Government, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula, Straits of Juan de Fuca, Washington State | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Future of Protection Island deserves more public scrutiny before transfer – Port Townsend Leader

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