Raining Microplastics: Flathead Lake May Look Clean, But Study Details Microplastic Pollution And Its Sources
June 30th, 2022
While researchers have known for years that microplastics exist in Flathead Lake, the concentrations and origins of the microplastic pollution have remained a mystery.
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Scientists, Policymakers Meet To Discuss Startling Decline Of Western Monarch Butterfly; USFWS To Establish Pollinator Conservation Center
June 30th, 2022
The first-ever Monarch Butterfly Summit was held in Washington, DC, on June 22-23, a two-day gathering to share the latest science and conservation actions being taken to address the long-term population decline of the western monarch butterfly.
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Biden Administration Rescinds Trump Rule Limiting Habitat Protections For Endangered Species
June 30th, 2022
The Biden administration has finalized a rule rescinding a Trump-era regulation that limited the government’s ability to protect habitat that imperiled animals need to survive and recover.
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Washington Begins Process To Update Rules For Protecting Salmon, Steelhead, Orcas From Toxic Chemicals
June 24th, 2022
The Washington Department of Ecology has started the rulemaking process to update the state’s aquatic life toxics criteria to reflect new information about toxic chemicals. Among the species of aquatic life that needs protecting are endangered chinook salmon, steelhead and Orca whales.
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Infrastructure Bill Funds Go To Projects To Restore, Conserve West’s Sagebrush Ecosystem; Largest Contiguous Ecotype In U.S.
June 23rd, 2022
The Biden Administration will invest more than $9 million in fiscal year 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to support over 40 projects in Idaho and seven other western states to restore and conserve strategic areas within the sagebrush ecosystem.
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Washington Implements Incident Command System To Battle Habitat-Destroying Invasive Green Crabs: 64,000 Removed This Year
June 23rd, 2022
Deployment of emergency measures to control invasive European green crabs on the Washington Coast and at sites within the Salish Sea is well underway, including the implementation of an Incident Command System to facilitate statewide coordination between various agencies, tribes, and partners.
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Placing Large Wood In Streams Isn’t Just About Fish; OSU Study Looks At Impacts Of Log Jams On Land-Based Animals
June 23rd, 2022
Land managers have invested millions of dollars annually since the 1980s to place large pieces of wood back in streams, owing primarily to its importance for fish habitat. But little is known about how large wood in streams impacts birds and land-based animals.
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USFWS Seeks ESA Rule Change To Allow Listed Species Impacted By Climate Change To Be Introduced Outside Historical Ranges
June 8th, 2022
In the first Endangered Species Act interpretive rule produced under the Biden Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to revise regulations under the ESA to better facilitate recovery by allowing for the introduction of listed species to suitable habitats outside of their historical ranges.
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Washington Seeks Comment On Draft EIS For Proposed ‘Pumped Storage’ Project Near John Day Dam; Tribal Resources Would Be Impacted
June 8th, 2022
The Washington Department of Ecology is seeking comment on a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Goldendale Energy Storage Project adjacent to the Columbia River near the John Day Dam. The document details the project’s negative impacts to tribal cultural areas.