environment Archives - Page 4 of 8 - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Biden Administration Launches Website To Provide Real-Time Climate Data, Predict Future Scenarios

By Courtney Flatt September 9, 2022

A new climate assessment website could help communities better understand their chance of facing climate risks, such as wildfires.

A first-of-its-kind climate resiliency website will help communities understand climate-related risks, the Biden administration said. The new website, launched Thursday, provides real-time information and predictions for local communities that are more vulnerable to disasters, such as wildfires, heat waves and droughts.Read More

B.C. Tailings Dam Failure Could Spell Disaster For Canada, Washington, Studies Say

By Courtney Flatt September 1, 2022

A map of Copper Mountain Mine and the potential path sludge could take if either tailings dam failed.

If two British Columbia tailings dams fail, it could spell disaster, according to two reports that analyzed the chances of the dams failing.Read More

Animal Crossings Over And Under Highways Can Save Big Dollars — Not Just Lives — Says New Study

By Tom Banse September 1, 2022

This landscaped overpass allows wildlife to safely cross newly widened Interstate 90 near Keechelus Lake in the Washington Cascades.

Collisions between vehicles and large animals, like deer, are not only scary. The medical, car repair and cleanup costs really add up. That is according to a new study out of Washington State University that supports the case for building more wildlife crossings on highways.Read More

Breaching The Four Lower Snake River Dams Not An Option Right Now, Say Murray, Inslee

By Courtney Flatt August 27, 2022

Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said removing the four dams on the Lower Snake isn't feasible right now.

A much-awaited report said removing the four Lower Snake River dams shouldn't happen right now, but dam removal is the best way to protect Snake River salmon.Read More

Scientists Work To Protect Indoor Air Quality From Wildfire Smoke

By Courtney Flatt August 20, 2022

Smoke from a wildfire. It’s tough to keep wildfire smoke out of homes. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory give some practical tips to help.

Even with smoke, you can breathe easier. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have practical tips to keep the air clean inside homes despite the smoke in Northwest skies.Read More

Scientists Release Plan To ‘Rewild The American West’

By Lauren Paterson August 11, 2022

A brown beaver sits near a wooden dam above the water.

Professor William Ripple says the wetlands and streams created by beavers act as firebreaks that could slow wildfires, a big issue in the West. Listen Amid droughts, wildfires, and climate […]Read More

Some Otterly Pleased By New Report On Bringing Sea Otters Back To Oregon Coast, Others Paws Down

By Tom Banse August 5, 2022

Applause and concern are swirling around a new feasibility assessment of restoring sea otters along the 900 miles of vacant historical range in Oregon and northern California.

A federal study ordered by Congress concluded it would be feasible to reintroduce sea otters to the Oregon and northern California coasts. However, that finding doesn't mean the super-cute predators will be relocated into their former ocean habitat anytime soon.Read More

‘It’s Putrid.’ Yakima County Neighbors Raise Air, Groundwater Concerns About Nearby Landfill

By Courtney Flatt August 2, 2022

While hiking, Nancy Lust, with Friends of Rocky Top, watches a truck dump waste into a landfill in Yakima County. Lust lives near the landfill and has fought to learn more about what's getting disposed of near her home.

Up on a hilltop in Yakima County, Carole Degrave used to spend hours outside, watching wildlife, eating an apple, and enjoying the calm. In her backyard, wind chimes blow softly in the breeze. A 30-year-old apricot tree shades the center of her yard.Read More

CTUIR Scientists Snorkel Rivers To Help Save Freshwater Mussels In The Northwest

By Courtney Flatt July 28, 2022

Alexa Maine surveys the Middle Fork of the John Day River, searching for freshwater mussels.

Checking every inch of a streambed for freshwater mussels requires a snorkel and a wetsuit. It’s a messy job, but it’s vitally important as these keystone species are declining throughout the West.Read More

Scientists Use Tiny Tags To Learn How Young Lamprey Travel Through Dams

By Courtney Flatt July 26, 2022

Kate Deters, a scientist with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is about to make an incision in a juvenile Pacific lamprey so that she can insert an acoustic tag, which is about the size of a long grain of rice. The tag will allow scientists to track this lamprey as it travels downstream.

Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are tagging and releasing lamprey to learn more about their journey to sea from inland rivers.Read More

Federal Report Recommends Breaching Lower Snake River Dams To Restore Salmon

By Courtney Flatt July 14, 2022

To recover healthy salmon populations, one or more of the Snake River dams must be breached, in addition to other actions, according to a new draft report released Tuesday by federal officials.Read More

Unlocking the Ocean’s Black Box With Science

By Courtney Flatt July 11, 2022

Part 1: To Unravel Some Of The Ocean’s Mysteries, Scientists Head To Sea At least twice a year, scientists board the Bell M. Shimada, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration […]Read More

Comments Sought On ‘One Of Best Pumped Storage Sites’ In Washington

By Courtney Flatt June 30, 2022

Erik Steimle, vice president of Rye Development, stands near where his company would like to build an upper reservoir for a pumped storage project near Goldendale, Washington.

Storing renewable energy is critical in the Northwest. A draft review for the region’s largest proposed energy storage project is available for public comment.Read More

More Than Work: Living On A Ship, Crew, Officers Become Friends, Family

By Courtney Flatt June 24, 2022

The deck crew on NOAA's Bell M. Shimada hauls the CTD machine back on deck after it collected water samples from the ocean.

The Bell M. Shimada is designed to gather scientific information. But the collaborative effort of the crew and officers makes scientific endeavors at sea possible.Read More

This Single-Celled Sea Critter Could Help Scientists Learn About Climate Change

By Courtney Flatt June 23, 2022

Jennifer Fehrenbacher looks at planktic forams under a microscope. The research is part of a two-week survey of the Northern California Current ecosystem.

One single-celled oceanic organism could provide big answers to questions about climate change.Read More

Growing Phytoplankton To Learn More About The Ocean’s Food Web

By Courtney Flatt June 22, 2022

Rebecca Smoak, a graduate researcher at Oregon State University, and Maria Kavanaugh, an assistant professor at OSU, place plastic Nalgene bottles in an incubator to grow phytoplankton on the Bell M. Shimada, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel.

Phytoplankton make up an extremely important part of the ocean’s food chain, serving as food for organisms that feed young salmon and other fish in the ocean.Read More

Watching For Whales – And Their Food

By Courtney Flatt June 21, 2022

On top of the Bell M. Shimada's flybridge, scientist Dawn Barlow searches for any signs of whales.

Scientists aboard the Bell M. Shimada keep an eye out for whales. One scientist hopes to help predict where whales will show up by studying the food they eat.Read More

To Unravel Some Of The Ocean’s Mysteries, Scientists Head To Sea

By Courtney Flatt June 20, 2022

At least twice a year, scientists board the Bell M. Shimada, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel, to study the Northern California Current ecosystem.

At least twice a year, a team of scientists on NOAA's research vessel Bell M. Shimada survey waters along the Washington and Oregon coast.Read More

New Draft Report Says Removing The Snake River Dams Would Be Best For Salmon

By Courtney Flatt June 10, 2022

A new draft report says breaching the four Lower Snake River dams would be best for salmon.

Breaching the dams would be the best way to remove Snake River salmon runs from the Endangered Species List and the best way to maintain treaty and trust obligations with tribes, according to the report. It could cost from $10.3 billion to $27.2 billion.Read More

Members Of The Congressional Western Caucus Get A Close Look At Snake River Dams

By Courtney Flatt June 7, 2022

From left, U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington; Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa; Bruce Westerman, R-Arkansas; Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon; and Matt Rosendale, R-Montana. The representatives on Tuesday toured Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River near Pasco, Washington.

Four members of the U.S. Congress recently got a close look at Washington’s Snake River dams.Read More

While Spring Rains Help Most Of Washington, Parts Still Under Emergency Drought

By Courtney Flatt May 27, 2022

As of June 1, the western half of Washington State is no longer part under a drought order, while the rest of Washington is more of a mixed bag.

Eastern Washington is in for another hot, dry summer. But – spring rains mean the west side of the state will no longer face a drought.Read More

Scientists Head To Sea To Learn More About Ocean Conditions

By Courtney Flatt May 10, 2022

Scientists Jennifer Fisher and Clara Bird map out sampling stations along the Oregon and Washington coasts.

The place where salmon spend most of their lives also is the place scientists know the least about: the ocean.Read More

Mentored Hunts Work To Increase Hunters, Solve Fish And Wildlife Funding Problems

By Courtney Flatt May 3, 2022

Keely Hopkins and Aaron Garcia hunt turkeys on a private property in Rice, Washington. Hopkins participated in a mentored turkey hunt, designed to teach people how to hunt.

Fewer people in the Northwest are learning to hunt, which causes funding problems for state fish and wildlife departments. To solve the funding problem, experienced hunters are teaching newbies how to get involved in the sport.Read More

Salmon Summit Teaches Kids About Conservation, Science

By Courtney Flatt April 30, 2022

During the 2022 Salmon Summit, Jennasys Alaniz, 10, a fourth grade student at Cascade Elementary School in Kennewick, releases a newly tagged young salmon into the Columbia River.

A recent salmon field trip has helped students become more curious about salmon.Read More

Report To Washington State Parks Commission Shows Barriers For Black Community Outdoors

By Courtney Flatt April 13, 2022

The Washington State Parks Commission says it wants more Black community members to enjoy the outdoors.Read More

$3 Million Will Help Tribes Study Salmon Reintroduction In The Upper Columbia Basin

By Courtney Flatt April 11, 2022

A line of about a dozen people passed buckets of summer chinook salmon to be released into Hangman Creek.

Bringing salmon back to the Upper Columbia River will take a lot of time and a lot of money, according to the Upper Columbia United Tribes.Read More

Conservation Funding For States One Step Closer To Becoming Law

By Courtney Flatt April 7, 2022

A bill moving through Congress could help state wildlife agencies conserve more species, such as the fisher, a member of the weasel family.

A bill that could provide the most significant wildlife funding in 50 years is a little closer to becoming law, according to conservation groups. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act on Thursday passed out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.Read More

Freshwater Mussels Declining Throughout The Northwest

By Courtney Flatt March 30, 2022

Biologist Jordan Richard pulls a freshwater mussel off the bottom of the Clinch River to see if it's alive. Hundreds of thousands of mussels have perished in the ongoing die-off. CREDIT: Nathan Rott/NPR

The decline of freshwater mussels could have a negative impact of waterways throughout the West CREDIT: Nathan Rott/NPR Listen Courtney Flatt reports on the decline of freshwater mussels in the […]Read More

Visitors React to Palouse Falls Closure

By Murrow News - Jacqueline Thomasson February 24, 2022

For Corey Dembeck, there is something magical about Palouse Falls State Park. “It’s the Grand Canyon of Washington,” said Dembeck, Olympia resident and founder of Sojournlist, a travel blog. Read More

Company wants to expand flow of natural gas through PNW

By NWPB News February 21, 2022

More natural gas could be pumped through Washington State to meet demand Listen Read By Bradley Parks The Canadian company T-C Energy wants to increase the flow of natural gas […]Read More

Northern Pike Suppression Efforts Push Back Invasive Fish In Lake Roosevelt

By Courtney Flatt February 16, 2022

Biologists are catching as many northern pike as they can in Lake Roosevelt, the reservoir held back by the Grand Coulee Dam.

Efforts to keep a toothy, invasive fish behind Grand Coulee Dam are paying off.Read More

Pilot Project Aims To Clean Up Some Central Washington Soil Contamination

By Courtney Flatt January 27, 2022

A Wenatchee sprayer made by A. D. Browning, Wenatchee. Two men, one with bamboo spray pole, and one small boy sitting on top of sprayer pulled by one horse in a fruit orchard in Wenatchee.

New homes built in Central Washington could be constructed on top of old orchards, where soils might contain the remnants of pesticides from the early 1900s.Read More

Washington Commission To Reconsider 2022 Spring Bear Hunt

By Courtney Flatt January 24, 2022

A controversial spring bear hunt in Washington may reopen.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will reconsider a controversial spring bear hunt that the commission had recently postponed.Read More

Washington Bill Aims To Stop Controversial Cougar Hunts In Klickitat County

By Courtney Flatt January 19, 2022

A new bill aims to stop a controversial cougar hunting posse in one Washington county.

A new bill in the Washington Senate aims to stop a controversial policy in Klickitat County, where the sheriff deputized six hound handlers to track and kill any cougars he deemed to be a safety threat.Read More

Around 30 Steelhead Found Dead Near Idaho’s Dworshak Dam

By Courtney Flatt January 13, 2022

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is investigating numerous steelhead deaths on the North Fork of the Clearwater River in Idaho. Pictured here, an adult steelhead jumps in a holding pond at the Coleman National Fish Hatchery.

The Army Corps of Engineers is investigating whether the start-up of Dworshak Dam’s turbines are responsible for the deaths of around 30 steelhead, according to a press release from the Army Corps.Read More

Lethal Removal, Range Rider Concerns Raised At Washington Wolf Advisory Group Meeting

By Courtney Flatt January 9, 2022

For the first time, a wolf wearing a radio collar traveled south of Interstate-90 into Washington’s Southern Cascade Mountains. Photo Credit: Eric Kilby Flickr – Tinyurl.Com/Gngh5n7 Listen Read For the […]Read More

Yakima Water Woes Need More Storage Options, Advocacy Group Says

By Courtney Flatt December 23, 2021

The view of Bumping Lake from the bank near Chris Maykut's cabin. A Yakima Basin water plan could enlarge the central Washington lake, which would flood a small, shoreline community.

Climate change is forcing creative water storage options in the Yakima River Basin to ensure enough water for fish, cities and farmers. Read More

New Survey Shows Support For Snake River Dams, In Contrast To Earlier Survey

By Courtney Flatt December 23, 2021

According to a new survey, a majority of people in the Northwest want the four Lower Snake River dams removed.

Two surveys about breaching the Snake River dams show opposing results.Read More

How Melting Sea Ice Increases Wildfire Risk In The Northwest

By Courtney Flatt December 17, 2021

New atmospheric research has found melting sea ice in the Arctic increases the risks for wildfires on the West Coast.

Recent atmospheric research may help Northwest forest managers better prepare for wildfires.Read More

Will A Shad Horde Take Over The Columbia River?

By Courtney Flatt December 15, 2021

A close-up of an American shad against a black background.

Columbia River fish could have another challenge to their ecosystem. Growing numbers of American shad could challenge salmon and steelhead.Read More

Smaller Fish Tags To Help Sockeye Studies Above Grand Coulee Dam

By Courtney Flatt November 26, 2021

New, tiny batteries, designed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will allow researchers to better study young sockeye salmon above Grand Coulee Dam, part of reintroduction efforts for salmon in the Upper Columbia River.

Soon, it could be easier to track young sockeye salmon around dams.Read More

More Lynx Are Coming Soon To Washington’s Kettle Range

By Courtney Flatt November 23, 2021

A Canada lynx is released into Washington's Kettle River Range. The Colville Tribes are relocating lynx from Canada, with a goal of transporting 10 lynx per year.

This winter, the Kettle River Range in north-central Washington will be a little more wild.Read More

Washington Pauses Controversial Spring Bear Hunt

By Courtney Flatt November 22, 2021

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission suspended the 2022 spring bear hunt season after a split vote to authorize the controversial hunt.

Spring bear hunts in Washington are postponed for 2022, following a vote of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in a meeting on Friday.Read More

Tribes Ask For More Support For Salmon Reintroduction To The Upper Columbia

By Courtney Flatt November 17, 2021

Casey Baldwin, a research scientist with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, points out a salmon nest, or redd, on the Sanpoil River.

Upper Columbia tribes want help to continue reintroducing salmon above Grand Coulee Dam.Read More

During Fire Season, One Family Learns To Save Trees, You Must Cut Some Down

By Courtney Flatt November 9, 2021

Peter and Shannon Polson with their dog, Bonnie. For six years, the Polsons thinned trees, chopped off limbs, and built a home resistant to fire to prepare their property for when the flames would come.

One family’s continuous wildfire preparation paid off this summer in North Central Washington.Read More

In New Climate Order, Inslee Says Washington State Vehicles To Plug In

By Courtney Flatt November 8, 2021

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ordered around 5,000 state vehicles to transition to electric over the next 19 years.

Washington’s state vehicles soon will plug in instead of gas up.Read More

Record Numbers Of Bigg’s Killer Whale Sightings And Humpback Calves In Salish Sea

By Tom Banse November 1, 2021

Salish Sea whale watchers were treated in May 2021 to humpback whale mother Slate surfacing with her young son Malachite.

Whale watchers have spotted a record number of humpback calves in inland Pacific Northwest waters this season. There was also a record streak of Bigg's killer whale sightings that just ended, according to a local whale research nonprofit. Those observations offer some good news to offset the ongoing concern about the survival of the Northwest's iconic, but critically Read More