Amid climate crisis, a proposal to save Washington state forests for carbon storage, not logging – Seattle Times

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Al Bergstein

This is a good idea. Glad that Franz is in this role. She is doing a great job of looking into new ways to envision the public forestlands. 

_____________________________________________

Hilary Franz, state commissioner of public lands, is kicking off an examination over the next three to four months of all older forests on DNR lands west of the Cascades not already in conservation status — about 10,000 acres –to evaluate alternative uses to logging, including biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality and recreation. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/amid-climate-crisis-a-proposal-to-save-washington-state-forests-for-carbon-storage-not-logging/

Filed under: Environmental Protection, Government, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: , , | 6 Comments »

Public invited to weigh in on state marine parks use and fees – Bothell Reporter

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Al Bergstein

Boater? Add your voices to the survey.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is asking the boating public to help the agency better understand how boaters use state marine parks and provide their views on possible changes to fees and policies for next year. Boaters are invited to take an online survey at: www.parks.wa.gov/165/Boating-Fees. The 30-question confidential survey takes about 5-15 minutes to complete. The deadline to complete the survey is June 15. A summary of results will be posted on the same web page in July.

http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/261712291.html

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Public invited to weigh in on state marine parks use and fees – Bothell Reporter

Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines -WDFW

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Al Bergstein

For you wonks of regulations, here’s your bedtime reading…

The final version of the state’s Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines prepared for the Aquatic Habitat Guidelines Program. “The Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines (MSDG) were developed to provide a comprehensive framework for site assessment and alternatives analysis to determine the need for shore protection and identify the technique that best suits the conditions at a given site.”

59MB so it’s a big download.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01583/wdfw01583.pdf

Filed under: Government | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines -WDFW

Coalition Wins Shorelines Hearings Board Geoduck Aquaculture Appeal

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Al Bergstein

The Washington Shorelines Hearings Board ruled in favor of the Coalition To Protect Puget Sound Habitat and reversing and dening the first subtidal/intertidal geoduck aquaculture permit approved in Washington by Pierce County (see attached decision).

The Board concluded that “This farm located on a shoreline of statewide significance means that particular consideration must be given to balancing aquaculture as one statewide interest, with other statewide interests like the ecological values and the public’s recreational use.”

“The careful review required for this shoreline of statewide significance weighs in favor of requiring a cumulative impact analysis of the impacts that might result from granting the first subtidal geoduck farm permit in Henderson Bay-in particular to assess the potential for longer term impacts to fragile resources like eelgrass, as well as unique use of the area by recreationalists like windsurfers.”

For more information on the work of the Coalition To Protect Puget Sound Habitat and the Washington State Sierra Club to protect fragile marine resources, please visit:

http://coalitiontoprotectpugetsoundhabitat.org/

http://washington.sierraclub.org/tatoosh/Aquaculture/index.asp

Filed under: Around the Sound | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

NOAA Releases Marine Mammals Protection Regulations for Navy Training- Navaltoday.com

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Al Bergstein

We’ll see if we can contact USNB Bangor and find out how they may relate to our waters.

Final regulations requiring the United States Navy to implement protective measures during training and testing activities off the coasts of California and Hawaii and on the high seas of the Pacific Ocean to reduce the effects on marine mammals have been released, NOAA Fisheries announced yesterday.

Read the whole story here:

http://navaltoday.com/2013/12/17/noaa-releases-marine-mammals-protection-regulations-during-navy-training/

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on NOAA Releases Marine Mammals Protection Regulations for Navy Training- Navaltoday.com

Possible new protections for Octopus in Puget Sound – Ashley Ahern at Earthfix

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Right now it’s not illegal to hunt octopus in Puget Sound – unless you’re in a marine preserve or conservation area. In fact, if you have a state fishing license you can kill and harvest one every day. But the killing of a giant Pacific octopus off Alki Beach in Seattle last October prompted a public outcry. Hundreds of scuba divers and members of the public submitted petitions to the state of Washington asking for better protection for the giant Pacific octopus in Puget Sound. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has responded, approving four possible management plans for consideration and public comment. Ashley Ahearn reports.

New Protections Proposed For Octopuses in Puget Sound

http://earthfix.opb.org/flora-and-fauna/article/new-protections-proposed-for-octopuses-in-puget-so/

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on Possible new protections for Octopus in Puget Sound – Ashley Ahern at Earthfix

%d bloggers like this: