News from the Puget Sound Partnership Local Team

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Al Bergstein

Volunteer Opportunities  

Streamkeepers of Clallam County (Ongoing!)Streamkeepers monitors water quality and stream flow of Clallam County streams. Volunteers receive one-to-one training and are key to the success of the program. No prior experience necessary! Current opportunities include:

  • Summer Quarterly Monitoring throughout August
  • Pollution Investigation and Correction Stream Flow Team
  • Public outreach and education
  • Data entry

Please contact Joel Green, Streamkeepers Coordinator, for more information.

Salmon-Friendly Volunteers Needed at Jefferson County Fair

Help the North Olympic Salmon Coalition with their interactive salmon education activities, including Fin the Giant Migrating Salmon. Learn more and RSVP HERE.

Date: August 8th and 9th

Time: Varies

Place: Jefferson County Fairgrounds

Volunteer Training: Spawner Surveys

The North Olympic Salmon Coalition is offering training to participate in their Hood Canal Summer Chum surveys in Chimacum Creek. The training is mandatory if you want to join this citizen-science effort! Learn more and RSVP HERE.

Date: August 28th

Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Place: Finnriver Farm and Cidery, Chimacum

See “Training” section for information about NOSC’s Stream Stewards Training

Forever StreamFest 2025

The Fourth Annual Forever StreamFest will bring together environmental organizations to connect with the public, including potential new volunteers and supporters! Strait ERN has had a booth in the past and would be happy to support a booth this year if members were interested in sharing a space. I will likely be out of town, unfortunately, but please let me know if you’re interested in a shared booth.

Date: September 20th

Time: 10:00 am to 3:30 pm

Place: Pebble Beach Park, Port Angeles

  Community Events  

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: August 13th and every WednesdayTime: 8:30 amPlace: Dungeness River Nature Center, Sequim

Trees: Weavers of the ForestLearn about the wonders of trees and never look at a forest the same way again. More information and registration HERE.
Date: August 16thTime: 1:30 to 3:30 pmPlace: Fort Flagler, Nordland

Lecture: Vegetation Zones of the Olympic Peninsula

Learn about native plant communities of the Olympic Peninsula from sea level to alpine summits with botanist Dr. Fayla Schwartz. Register HERE.

Date: September 20th

Time: 4:00 to 6:00 pm

Place: Fort Flagler Hospital, Nordland

  Training and Conferences  

PSEMP Communication Training with Message Box

Learn how to use and leverage the communication tool Message Box. This hands-on training will help you build your skills in communicating your work effectively. Register HERE.

Date: August 12th

Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 noon

Place: Virtual

Opening the Gates: Solutions for Fish Passage and Flood Control

Join speakers and a panel discussion for a half-day virtual workshop on the latest science, tools, and innovation for improving fish passage at tide gates. Register HERE.

Date: September 10th

Time: 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Place: Virtual (Zoom)

Pacific Northwest Indigenous Aquaculture Summit

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship Foundation will provide a forum for Indigenous peoples to learn from each other about aquaculture operations. Learn more and register HERE.

Date: September 15th to 18th

Place: 7 Cedars Resort, Blyn

Stream Stewards Training

The North Olympic Salmon Coalition is offering their annual Stream Stewards training for anyone wanting to learn more about our streams and rivers. This five-week course will prepare you to actively support healthy riverine ecosystems. Learn more and register HERE

.

Date: Wednesdays, September 17th to October 15th

Time: 9:00 am to 12:30

Place: Varies across Clallam and Jefferson Counties

Salmon Summit 2025: Reconnecting Habitat, Restoring Rivers, Recovering Salmon

Call for abstracts! Submit an abstract for this year’s Salmon Summit in Bellingham, WA. Submit an abstract HERE. Learn more about the summit HERE.

  Jobs  

Project Manager | North Olympic Salmon Coalition

NOSC is hiring a new project manager to lead salmon habitat restoration projects across the North Olympic Peninsula! Learn more about the position with this great team HERE.

Washington Conservation Corps

The WA Conservation Corps is currently hiring! This program helps young adults (18-25) jumpstart careers in the environmental field. Local organizations like the North Olympic Salmon Coalition and many others use WCC crews to help with noxious weed control and habitat restoration projects. Learn more and apply HERE.

Executive Director, Puget Sound Partnership

The Puget Sound Partnership works to collectively recover and protect Puget Sound, partnering with Tribes, state and federal government, nonprofits, businesses, and local communities. The Executive Director is part of the Governor’s Cabinet. Learn more HERE.

Date: Applications close August 19th  News  

Field and Flow Recap: Floodplains by Design ConferenceIf you missed the Floodplains by Design conference in June, you can now have a virtual experience through presentation videos and slide decks. Check them out!

Filed under: education, environmental education, Events | Comments Off on News from the Puget Sound Partnership Local Team

The pathogen killing starfish is found

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Al Bergstein

From The Tyee this morning. Article authored by Kristen de Jager for the Tyee.ca

Sea star wasting disease has devastated marine ecosystems for over a decade. Scientists in British Columbia have identified Vibrio pectenicida FHCF-3, an infectious bacterium, as the cause of the disease.

Read the whole story and donate to the work of Tyee.ca

https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/08/04/We-Finally-Know-What-Killing-Starfish/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=040825

Filed under: Environmental Science, Global Warming | Tagged: | Comments Off on The pathogen killing starfish is found

Port Townsend City Council Election- Vote for Fred Obee

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Al Bergstein

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.

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Port Angeles tanker crash prompts ‘Do Not Drink’ order for residents -rescinded

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Al Bergstein

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: , , | 2 Comments »

Event: Lecture – Vegetation Zones of the Olympic Peninsula

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Al Bergstein

Saturday, September 20 · 4 – 6pm PDT

Registration:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1471644390989

Fort Flagler Hospital

10541 Flagler Rd Nordland, WA 98358

From crashing ocean waves to alpine peaks, the Olympic Peninsula is home to a stunning array of native plant communities. In this dynamic presentation, botanist Dr. Fayla Schwartz will guide us from west to east and sea level to summit, revealing how elevation, soil, moisture, and temperature shape each vegetation zone.

Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or just plant-curious, you’ll walk away with a new appreciation for the Peninsula’s unique habitats—and maybe even a few new favorite species!

About the speaker:Dr. Fayla Schwartz earned her Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Washington with a specialty in plant taxonomy. She taught biology and botany at Everett Community College until retiring to the Olympic Peninsula in 2017. Now Chair of the Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society, she also teaches plant ID at Peninsula College.

Don’t miss this chance to deepen your connection to the natural world right in our own backyard!

Friends of Fort Flagler is a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoring, preserving and protecting the natural and historic resources of Fort Flagler State Park.  Please support our state park by becoming a member, volunteering, or donating to our organization.  To learn more, visit https://friendsoffortflagler.org

Filed under: environmental education | Comments Off on Event: Lecture – Vegetation Zones of the Olympic Peninsula

Legal Settlement Reached for Endangered Species Act Decision Deadline for Olympic Peninsula Steelhead

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Al Bergstein

This just in from the Wild Fish Conservancy

Contacts:
Emma Helverson, Wild Fish Conservancy, 484- 788-1174, emma@wildfishconservancy.org
John McMillan, The Conservation Angler, 360-797-3215, john.mcmillan@theconservationangler.org    
Brian Knutsen, Kampmeier & Knutsen PLLC, 503-841-6515, brian@kampmeierknutsen.com

For Immediate Release
July 16, 2025

EDMONDS, Wash.— The Conservation Angler and Wild Fish Conservancy reached a settlement agreement with NOAA Fisheries establishing a deadline requiring the agency to issue its long-overdue finding on whether Olympic Peninsula steelhead warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Under the court-ordered deadline, NOAA Fisheries must complete its 12-month finding on the organizations’ petition to list Olympic Peninsula steelhead under the ESA by December 1, 2025. The decision was originally required by August 1, 2023, following the agency’s initial positive finding that Olympic Peninsula steelhead may require federal protection.

The settlement was reached in a lawsuit filed by the conservation groups challenging NOAA Fisheries for delaying ESA protections to Olympic Peninsula steelhead. At the time of filing, the agency’s determination was 535 days overdue.

“This settlement finally puts an end to the federal government’s inexcusable delay in deciding whether these magnificent fish deserve protection,” said John McMillan, Executive Director of The Conservation Angler. “Olympic Peninsula steelhead have been waiting for this decision for nearly two years beyond the statutory deadline. Every day of delay puts these fish at greater risk.”

Olympic Peninsula steelhead are a distinct population segment that occurs in the remote northwest corner of Washington State. Once numbering in the tens of thousands, these iconic fish have steadily declined throughout their range for decades due to commercial harvest, mismanaged recreational fisheries, hatchery operations, climate change, and legacy and contemporary effects from habitat degradation.

“We’re pleased to reach this agreement, but the real work is just beginning,” said Emma Helverson, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy. “NOAA has already acknowledged Olympic Peninsula steelhead face a moderate risk of extinction. This agreement ensures the agency can no longer delay action. We expect the agency to follow the science and provide these fish with the protections they desperately need.”

The Conservation Angler and Wild Fish Conservancy submitted a petition to list Olympic Peninsula steelhead under the ESA on August 1, 2022. Following the agency’s positive 90-day finding in February 2023, NOAA had one year from the petition submission date to complete a final determination.

In October 2024, NOAA released a status review report confirming that Olympic Peninsula steelhead are at moderate risk of extinction. However, the agency still failed to issue the required decision on the need for ESA-listing, prompting the lawsuit on January 17, 2025.

“The science is clear – Olympic Peninsula steelhead populations are in trouble and need immediate protection,” said John McMillan, Executive Director of The Conservation Angler. “This settlement ensures NOAA can no longer ignore its legal obligations to protect these imperiled fish.”

Olympic Peninsula steelhead face mounting pressures across their range. Commercial and recreational fisheries continue to target these fish during their most vulnerable life stages. Hatchery operations threaten the genetic integrity of wild populations. Climate change has altered freshwater and ocean conditions, and decades of logging have degraded spawning and rearing habitat.

“These fish are indicators of ecosystem health throughout the Olympic Peninsula,” added Helverson. “Protecting Olympic Peninsula steelhead means protecting the entire web of life that depends on healthy rivers and forests in this unique region.”

###

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The Conservation Angler and Wild Fish Conservancy are represented by Kampmeier & Knutsen PLLC.  kampmeierknutsen.com

The Conservation Angler fights for the protection of wild Pacific anadromous fish populations and their watersheds throughout the Pacific Northwest and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. theconservationangler.org

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

Photo: Olympic Peninsula steelhead jumping. Photo by © John McMillan

Filed under: Endangered Species, Environmental Law, fisheries | Comments Off on Legal Settlement Reached for Endangered Species Act Decision Deadline for Olympic Peninsula Steelhead

Tribes exempted from Trump Bill

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Al Bergstein

From Ai today.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” includes several exemptions and protections for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribal communities, particularly related to Medicaid and SNAP (food assistance) programs:

  • Exemption from Medicaid and SNAP work/community engagement requirements: AI/AN beneficiaries, including those served by Indian Health Service (IHS), Tribal, Tribal Organization, and Urban Indian Organization programs, are exempted from new work requirements that apply to other Medicaid and SNAP recipients. This exemption recognizes the economic challenges and limited job opportunities in many tribal communities, especially on reservations[1][3][5].
  • Protection of cost-sharing exemptions: The bill maintains existing exemptions for AI/AN individuals from Medicaid cost-sharing when they receive services directly from IHS or tribal health providers or through contract health services[3][5].
  • Exemption from more frequent Medicaid eligibility redeterminations: AI/AN beneficiaries are exempt from the requirement that Medicaid expansion adults undergo eligibility redeterminations every six months, reducing administrative burdens on tribal members[5].
  • Recognition of tribal governments for tax credit purposes: The bill grants tribal governments parity with state governments in determining whether a child has “special needs” for adoption tax credits, supporting tribal families[7].
  • Delays and flexibilities for Alaska Native communities: The bill includes delayed cost-share penalties and additional flexibilities in SNAP for Alaska Native beneficiaries to ensure continued access to benefits[8].

These provisions aim to uphold federal trust and treaty obligations to tribal nations, recognizing the unique circumstances of tribal communities and their reliance on federal health and nutrition programs. The exemptions help protect thousands of Native Americans from losing critical benefits due to work requirements or administrative changes included in the broader bill[1][3][5][8].

Sources
[1] Big, Beautiful Bill Act passed, Native American benefits protected https://knpr.org/politics/2025-07-03/big-beautiful-bill-act-passed-native-american-benefits-protected
[2] Final Reconciliation Bill Permanently Expands LIHTC, NMTC and … https://www.novoco.com/notes-from-novogradac/final-reconciliation-bill-permanently-expands-lihtc-nmtc-and-oz-incentive-but-does-not-include-htc-provisions
[3] House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Including AI/AN Protections for … https://www.nihb.org/house-passes-reconciliation-bill-including-ai-an-protections-for-tribal-medicaid/
[4] [PDF] 1 This Act may be cited as the ”One Big Beautiful Bill 2 Act”. 3 4 The … https://rules.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/rules.house.gov/files/documents/rcp_119-3_final.pdf
[5] Senate Passes Reconciliation Bill with Exemptions for American … https://ncuih.org/2025/07/02/senate-passes-reconciliation-bill-with-exemptions-for-american-indian-and-alaska-native-people-from-community-engagement-requirements-for-snap-and-medicaid/
[6] What’s in Trump’s Big Policy Bill? – The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/30/upshot/senate-republican-megabill.html
[7] [PDF] The One, Big, Beautiful Bill – House Ways and Means Committee https://waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-One-Big-Beautiful-Bill-Section-by-Section.pdf
[8] U.S. Senate Votes to Approve ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ – Native News Online https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/u-s-senate-vote-to-approve-big-beautiful-bill-heads-back-to-the-house-for-vote
[9] H.R.1 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): One Big Beautiful Bill Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1
[10] Senate GOP Passes Sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act | Insights https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/07/senate-gop-passes-sweeping-one-big-beautiful-bill-act

Filed under: legislation | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

Glass Recycling Returns

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Al Bergstein

Jefferson County Public Works has announced that glass collection will resume on July 15 with two drop off locations: the County transfer station off Jacob Miller Road and the Quilcene Rural Drop Box just south of the US Forest Service Ranger Station on Highway 101.  

 

Says Al Cairns, Solid Waste Manager, “We chose these two staffed sites for glass drop-off to lower the rate of contamination in order to gain a higher commodity value and reduce the cost of the overall recycling program.  Unstaffed sites have seen contamination rates of up to 30% and illegal dumping outside of the bins at those sites totaled 41 tons in 2024 which also adds to recycling program costs.”

 

According to Cairns, glass is the most expensive material type to recycle because of the high transportation costs due to material weight and because the commodity value is low. “At an average value of $15 per ton, recycled glass doesn’t even cover the transportation costs to get it to the buyer in Seattle.  When the loads are highly contaminated the value drops even more.  Presently the cost of recycling glass and the other materials accepted as part of the County’s recycling program are part of the rate paid for garbage disposal at the County’s solid waste facilities. We have a responsibility to those customers to reduce costs for the programs funded with the tipping fee.”

Filed under: Environmental Protection, Government, Jefferson County | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

Don’t Poison the Owls

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Al Bergstein

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 »

Conservation Groups Sue Over Aquaculture Pollution of Columbia River

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Al Bergstein

Press Release from Center for Food Safety and Wild Fish Conservancy

Pacific Seafoods’ so-called “sustainable” fish farming facilities in violation of Clean Water Act permits daily since at least 2020

Portland, OR – Today, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Wild Fish Conservancy(WFC) filed a lawsuit against Pacific Seafood Aquaculture, LLC, for multiple violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) at three commercial netpen aquaculture facilities on the Columbia River raising rainbow trout, often marketed as ‘steelhead.’ The filing, along with the prior 60-day notice of intent to sue, details how the company has repeatedly violated the terms of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The plaintiff nonprofits are represented by Kampmeier & Knutsen PLLC and CFS counsel.

In sharp contrast to the products’ marketing as sustainably raised, government records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) revealed that the Pacific Seafood facilities have actually been in continuous violation of their NPDES permit conditions since at least April 2020 when the permits were reissued. This includes both pollution discharge violations exceeding Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-set limits, as well as monitoring and reporting violations. The unlawful pollution harms wild fish and the surrounding river ecosystem. The Columbia River is home to several endangered fish species protected under the Endangered Species Act.

“Despite ‘sustainable’ marketing claims and third-party certifications, government records tell a different story— one of chronic noncompliance and ecological harm,” said Emma Helverson, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy. “In the face of the public’s sustained, long-term efforts to protect and restore the Columbia River and its ecosystems, Pacific Seafood has repeatedly violated the Clean Water Act, undermining public trust, degrading water quality, and threatening the survival of wild salmon and steelhead. Local communities and economies should not be left to shoulder the costs of cleanup and ecological damage while a billion-dollar corporation cuts corners on basic environmental protections.”

“These confined industrial fish farming operations have been unlawfully and egregiously polluting the Columbia River for years,” said George Kimbrell, CFS Legal Director. “Fish feed, fish waste, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants released by these facilities threaten water quality and native fish populations. We’re taking this action to ensure compliance with environmental laws designed to protect our waterways and the species that depend on them.” 

Background

Industrial netpen aquaculture is known to cause adverse environmental and intertwined socioeconomic impacts, including pollution from drugs, chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, pharmaceuticals, and other inputs; nutrient pollution from uneaten fish food and fish waste; the spread and amplification of parasites, viruses, and disease from farmed fish to wild fish; overfishing of forage fisheries in order to make fish meal and oil to grow aquacultured fish; adverse ecological effects on surrounding marine wildlife from the facilities; harm to traditional and indigenous fishing cultures and communities; and harm to recreational and commercial fisheries. Chronic fish spills, caused by equipment failure, human error, or weather, are among the worst causes of harm. Escaped fish harm wild fish by competing for food and habitat, spreading viruses and disease, and inbreeding, thus reducing genetic diversity and resilience. In August 2017, a devastating netpen aquaculture collapse at a facility maintained by Cooke Aquaculture in Puget Sound released an estimated 250,000 non-native and viral-infected Atlantic salmon into Puget Sound. Washington has subsequently removed the industry and permanently banned netpen aquaculture in its state marine waters. Globally, more than 25 million aquacultured fish escaped between 1996 and 2012. 

# # # 

Center for Food Safety and Wild Fish Conservancy are represented by Kampmeier and Knutsen, PLLC of Seattle and Portland and counsel from Center for Food Safety 

Filed under: Environmental Protection, Salmon | 2 Comments »

Trump works to kill solar industry in US

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Al Bergstein

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: , , , | 4 Comments »

“Fish War” is now available online

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Al Bergstein

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: , , | 2 Comments »

Where was US Rep Emily Randall?

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Al Bergstein

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

  • Contributions to International Organizations;
  • Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities;
  • Global Health Programs;
  • Migration and Refugee Assistance;
  • the Complex Crises Fund;
  • the Democracy Fund;
  • the Economic Support Fund;
  • Contributions to the Clean Technology Fund;
  • International Organization and Programs;
  • Development Assistance;
  • Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia;
  • International Disaster Assistance; and
  • Transition Initiatives.

The bill also rescinds funds that were provided for 

  • USAID Operating Expenses,
  • the Inter-American Foundation,
  • the U.S. African Development Foundation,
  • the U.S. Institute of Peace, and
  • the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
  • CPB also includes StoryCorp, and others.

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 »

Trump White House Plan Calls for NOAA Research Programs to Be Dismantled

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Al Bergstein

A Trump administration budget proposal would essentially eliminate one of the world’s foremost Earth sciences research operations the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research office at NOAA.

The insanity of this move is breathtaking.

“This Administration’s hostility toward research and rejection of climate science will have the consequence of eviscerating the weather forecasting capabilities that this plan claims to preserve,” Representative Zoe Lofgren, the senior Democrat on the House Sciences Committee, said in an emailed statement.

As stated some months ago, we are witnessing the death of the environmental movement, and our scientific supremacy. There have only been a few times in human history of a similar dismantling of the key scientific expertise: The fall of Rome along with the sacking of the Library at Alexandria (done by Christians against the ‘Pagan” religion of the Roman elite class); the execution by guillotine during the French Revolution of the country’s key scientists; and Nazi Germany’s purge of all scientists who were not willing to tow the party lines. The current administration most closely resembles Nazi Germany’s purge.

It’s up to all of us to stand up to this outrageous behavior, before the sun sets on the American era. It could not have been better done if the Russians themselves had invaded. Maybe they have and we just don’t know it yet.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/climate/noaa-research-budget-cuts.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | 2 Comments »

Words of William O. Douglas

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Al Bergstein

As members of our current Supreme Court validate kidnapping by anonymous masked men and shipping of their prisoners to foreign countries that they never originally came from, dropping them into hellholes around the world with no visible means of support, or knowledge of the language spoken, I’m reminded of the words of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.

Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | 5 Comments »

ICE panics Seattle immigrants

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Al Bergstein

This is happening in our state. ICE appears to be employing tactics to require immigrants to suddenly have to come in to the office or face deportation. Little time is given to comply.

“Svendsen arrived first at 7:30 a.m. on a Wednesday. Her client, an El Salvadoran woman who asked to be identified only by her first name, Veronica, walked up to her in tears and gave her attorney a long hug.

In Veronica’s hands were the medical records of her 8-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen who has autism. “She needs me all the time,” Veronica said. Her daughter doesn’t speak and cannot eat or use the bathroom by herself.

Since receiving the summons two days before, Veronica had worried she might be detained and separated from her family, which also includes a 17-year-old daughter. Her daughters were upset too, the crying of the oldest prompting her sister to do the same.”

How is this helping make America great again?

As pushback grows to WA immigration court arrests, ICE changes tactics

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/as-pushback-grows-to-wa-immigration-court-arrests-ice-changes-tactics/

Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | 2 Comments »

Your backcountry for sale

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Al Bergstein

The Trump administration said that it would open up 58 million acres of back country in national forests to road construction and development, removing protections that had been in place for a quarter century. Read more: https://nyti.ms/4k6iKKa

“President Trump has called on cabinet secretaries to bypass endangered species laws and other environmental protections in order to boost the domestic supply of timber.”

Maybe you should do something about it?

Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | 1 Comment »

A win for saving Dungeness Spit

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Al Bergstein

                                                                                                    

The battle over keeping industrial aquaculture out of our National Wildlife Refuges, is still being played out in the courts. Recently three environmental organizations have successfully sued to get the US Fish & Wildlife Service to complete a “compatibility determination (CD)” for the industrial operation. The court has ruled that a CD must be performed. It is not clear whether the company must now stop any work in the refuge.

Here is the press release from the plaintiffs. Please consider donating to any of them to help offset the costs of the lawsuit. It’s *our* wildlife refuge at stake.

In 2023, Protect the Peninsula’s Future, Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat, and Beyond Pesticides sued the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for its failure to conduct a compatibility determination (CD) for a proposed industrial shellfish operation at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR). The case is being reviewed by the U.S. Federal District Court in Tacoma. 

USFWS regulations state that for any project on or near one of its refuges, a CD must be written.  These cases are not unusual, and the Dungeness case is especially important because if the case is lost, industrial shellfish operations might be free to open at other Refuges. 

Last year the Court ruled the case should proceed because it is clear the USFWS must write a CD.  

The industrial shellfish operator – the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (JST) – sought to moot the plaintiffs’ case due to potential financial impact to the JST.  The JST received various agency permits to plant 80,000 non-native oyster spat (larvae) in large plastic bags to be anchored to the substrate in the refuge area on 34 acres. The then manager of the DNWR had determined the shellfish operation was incompatible with the mission of the refuge, but higher ups in the agency overruled her and refused to write a CD. In the meantime, the JST started planting oyster spat. 

The federal court allowed the JST to present arguments against the plaintiffs’ suit.   

On 15 May 2025, the court responded in our favor.  The case will not be mooted; the USFWS must follow its regulations.   

From the Court documents:

“Compliance with the statutory procedures in the Refuge Act is undoubtably a  public right that safeguards environmental protection. 

Only the public right to administrative compliance with the Refuge Act procedural requirement to complete a compatibility determination and/or require a special permit are ripe for adjudication. 

Drawing all reasonable inferences in favor of plaintiffs, Jamestown appears to have planted seeds after it was aware that it was probable the Service would conduct a compatibility determination. 

Therefore, it is hereby ORDERED that Jamestown’s motion to dismiss, Dkt  44, is DENIED. “

The plaintiffs now wait for the Court’s final ruling against the USFWS, ordering it to write a CD. 

Filed under: Aquaculture, Clallam County, Environmental Activism, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, Olympic Peninsula, Straits of Juan de Fuca | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Al Bergstein

This just in from the Puget Sound Partnership’s Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network (ERN). Want to create a rain garden? Or other neighborhood storm water program? Get together with your town or county peeps and apply!

The RFP for the Neighborhood Stormwater Education and Assistance grants will open on May 7th and there are informational webinars on the horizon. These funds can support projects including:

  • Developing tools, resources, or programs to educate landowners and influencers (real estate agents, Homeowners Associations (HOAs), land use consultants, contractors, and others) about stormwater practices; 
  • Providing technical assistance such as pre-application and compliance support and incentives for landowners, developers, and residents to implement and maintain green stormwater infrastructure; 
  • Community outreach events, such as restoration plantings or Low Impact Design (LID)/Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) educational seminars and trainings; 
  • Developing long-term plans, agreements, and funding mechanisms for developing and maintaining stormwater infrastructure within local individual catchments (including systems owned by HOAs); or 
  • GSI training and/or certification programs aligned with community affordable housing, workforce development, and environmental justice goals
Neighborhood Stormwater RFP Opening Soon

Filed under: Clallam County, Environmental Protection, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on

Cold Water Connection Campaign Reopens Rivers for Olympic Peninsula Salmon and Steelhead

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Al Bergstein

From a NOAA Press Release:

With $19 million in NOAA funds, nonprofit and tribal partners plan to remove 17 barriers blocking fish passage on critical spawning rivers originating in Olympic National Park, Washington.

The cold water rivers of Western Washington descend from the glaciers and snow-capped mountains of Olympic National Park. They hold some of the last, best freshwater habitat for salmon and steelhead in the lower 48 states. Despite a warming climate, their high-elevation headwaters are predicted to remain cool enough for salmon and steelhead for at least the next 50 years.

However, the region’s roads—some a legacy of the logging industry—crisscross the watersheds. They often force streams to flow underneath them through small, poorly designed tunnels called culverts that block fish passage. There are more than 4,000 culvert barriers on the Olympic Peninsula. Salmon and steelhead are often unable to reach the historical habitat they need to spawn and produce the next generation.

In response to declining fish populations on the Olympic Peninsula, NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation is supporting the Cold Water Connection Campaign. This partnership will reopen 125 miles of critical spawning and rearing habitat over the next 10 years. With $19 million in funds through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, project partners plan to:

  • Remove 12 high-priority barriers in the Hoh, Quillayute, and Quinault watersheds
  • Finalize designs for 5 additional culvert replacements
  • Expand the ability of tribes to perform restoration work 
  • Inject money into the regional economy by hiring local and tribally owned contracting companies
  • Mitigate flood damage risks by installing culverts built to handle high flows from the region’s increasingly heavy rain storms

“We are running out of time to recover and protect these salmon and steelhead populations,” says Luke Kelly, Western Washington Program Director for Trout Unlimited. “We need to pull out all the stops now, so it’s been great to see all of our government, tribal, nonprofit partners, and private landowners coming together to get this done.”

Cold Water Connection Campaign partners include:

The campaign has support from local, state, and federal agencies including NOAA. In past years(PDF, 8 pages) project partners have also repaired instream and riparian habitat damaged by road building and destructive logging practices.

Also;a new short video looking at the Cold Water Connection Campaign on the Olympic Peninsula . It really celebrates the extensive work the partners have done to make sure they are prioritizing the most impactful barriers for removal, and the benefits this work provides to local communities above and beyond the important benefits to fish and coastal watersheds.

You can watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YhmFosupPM

Read the whole press release here before the Trump administration pulls it down:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/cold-water-connection-campaign-reopens-rivers-olympic-peninsula-salmon-and-steelhead

Filed under: Clallam County, Endangered Species, First Nations, fisheries, Jefferson County | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on Cold Water Connection Campaign Reopens Rivers for Olympic Peninsula Salmon and Steelhead

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