Judge Rejects Challenges On Ruling Halting Southeast Alaska Salmon Troll Fishing; Parties’ Appeals Now Move To Ninth Circuit
June 8th, 2023
All parties, both plaintiffs and defendants, along with the State of Alaska, have unsuccessfully challenged the results of a recent lower federal court decision that vacated a part of NOAA Fisheries’ 2019 biological opinion governing Southeast Alaska’s summer and winter commercial troll fishing for Chinook salmon. The litigation now moves to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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Once Again, Federal ‘Listening Session’ On Columbia Basin Salmon Recovery Focuses On Breaching Lower Snake Dams
June 1st, 2023
Representatives of Columbia and Snake river ports and grain shippers, as well as Oregon, Idaho and Washington public utilities, lined up to oppose breaching the four lower Snake River dams last week in the fourth and, perhaps, the last listening session sponsored by the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
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Citing Washington DOE’s Failure To Protect Fish, EPA Takes Over Setting Water Quality Standards For Toxic Pollutants
June 1st, 2023
A federal government agency will set water quality standards for nine toxic pollutants in Washington, effectively taking over the job generally relegated to the state’s Department of Ecology, even though Ecology is in the rulemaking process to set the standards.
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Court Order Has Corps Drawing Down Two Willamette Reservoirs To Historically Low Levels To Increase Juvenile Salmon Passage
May 18th, 2023
Beginning in June, the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin to gradually drawdown Lookout Point and Green Peter reservoirs to historically low levels.
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Federal Judge’s Rejection Of NOAA BiOp May Shut Down SE Alaska Commercial Troll Fishery For Chinook Salmon; Alaska Seeks Stay, Appeal
May 5th, 2023
A federal court this week rejected a NOAA Fisheries’ biological opinion allowing the Southeast Alaska commercial troll fishery to harvest Chinook salmon, effectively shutting down that summer and winter fishery. The ruling will be challenged by the State of Alaska, including a request for a stay so the fishery can go ahead this summer.
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Yakama Nation Announces Intent To Sue Feds Over Lack Of Cleanup Action At Bradford Island (Bonneville Dam) Superfund Site
May 5th, 2023
Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that Bradford Island and surrounding waters of the Columbia River were officially added to the nation’s Superfund List. Bradford Island is part of the Bonneville Dam complex operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This week the Yakima Nation announced an intent to sue over lack of cleanup action.
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Judge Rules NOAA Fisheries Failed To Protect Humpback Whales When Issued Take Permit For Sablefish Pot Fishery
March 16th, 2023
A federal court this week ruled in favor of the Center for Biological Diversity in a lawsuit arguing that the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to protect endangered Pacific humpback whales from deadly entanglements in sablefish pot gear off California, Oregon and Washington.
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Science Panel Gives Thumbs-Up On Fish Response Models Corps Used To Develop Draft Willamette River Basin EIS
March 9th, 2023
A panel of scientists put their stamp of approval on four fish response models the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used when developing a draft environmental impact statement to assess the effects of operating its Willamette Valley System of 13 dams on threatened Chinook salmon and winter steelhead.
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Pending Court Decision Could Decide Fate Of SE Alaska Chinook Trolling Seasons, Increased Salmon For Endangered Killer Whales
January 27th, 2023
Commercial fishers in Southeast Alaska waters may soon lose two trolling seasons for Chinook salmon in order to provide more fish for endangered Southern Resident killer whales in Puget Sound. As a result of the possible termination of that fishery, the whales could gain nearly 5 percent in available prey, according to a judge’s recent report in a Washington federal court.