VANCOUVER, Wash. - Washington state is proposing to increase the volume of water spilled over Columbia and Snake River dams to aid salmon recovery, a plan designed to feed the region's dwindling orca population.

The state Department of Ecology is to hold a public meeting on the proposal today in Vancouver. The agency is responsible for total dissolved gas levels in the rivers, and it's a delicate balance; more spill helps migrating fish navigate the dams, but too much increases gas levels and could hurt some fish.

Robb Krehbiel, a Northwest representative for the group Defenders of Wildlife, said the plan is a recommendation of the state's Southern Resident Orca Task Force.

"Given the task force coming together, the awful images that we saw this summer of orcas dying in the Sound right before our eyes, it really motivated action," he said, "and this is one of the most effective things that the state can do in the near term to provide immediate relief to Southern Resident orcas."

Krehbiel said increasing spill is the safest way to get juvenile salmon to the ocean, and the state estimates the plan would boost salmon numbers by about 145,000. It's a three-year plan for eight dams on the lower Columbia and Snake rivers.

Sristi Kamal, also a Northwest representative for Defenders of Wildlife, is to attend today's meeting in Vancouver. To accommodate the plan, the state would increase its dissolved gas standards to 120 percent before this year's salmon run, and to 125 percent in 2020. Kamal said there's no reason to wait to increase to the higher standard, which could save another 5,000 salmon.

"We are going to urge them to try and increase the standard to 125 percent this year, if possible," she said. "This is a three-year agreement, so we definitely support it, but we would also like it to continue beyond these three years."

Critics of spill have pointed out that the dams will generate less power, but Krehbiel said the plan is flexible, allowing dam operators to reduce spill during peak energy-demand hours.

"It allows sort of a 'best of both worlds' scenario," he said, "where we get more fish without severely impacting the amount of energy being produced."

There are only 75 Southern Resident orcas left, the lowest number in three decades. The public can comment on the Ecology Department proposal through Feb. 28.

In the long run, Krehbiel said, the federal government needs to consider removing four lower Snake River dams to better recover salmon.

The proposal and an opportunity for the public to comment are online at ws.ecology.commentinput.com.


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Conservation groups say the Hawaiian Islands are on the leading edge of the fight to preserve endangered birds, since climate change and habitat loss are making it difficult for many indigenous species to survive.

A coalition of conservation organizations will hold the annual Manu o Ku Festival this weekend to celebrate the islands' myriad species.

John Kantor, a wildlife biologist with the National Wildlife Federation, said the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act has helped preserve many exotic Hawaiian species.

"The federal Endangered Species Act, and the funds that are raised for migratory birds under the various programs there, are funding the frontline researchers and conservationists and folks that are trying to solve this multitude of issues that threaten Hawaii's birds," he explained.

The festival, sponsored by the Conservation Council for Hawaii and the National Wildlife Federation, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Coronation Pavilion of the Iolani Palace in Honolulu.

Kanter said the Migratory Bird Treaty was created in 1918 and updated in 1936. In conjunction with Canada, Mexico and other nations, it limits the taking of certain species for commercial products or as game. He cited the wood duck as one example, which is now plentiful but was almost wiped out a century ago.

"That species was almost extinct," he said, "and it is a hunted species - but there's strict regulations that are developed between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the states every year, based on the number of birds, that then are applied to the following season."

This year's festival celebrates the manu o ku, or white fairy tern, as an ambassador for other native Hawaiian species. Organizers have said conservation groups, educators and others are invited to share games and activities for people of all ages in learning about the manu o ku.

An environmental group is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the Arkansas mudalia snail under the Endangered Species Act.

In Arkansas and Missouri, including along the North Fork River, mudalia are critically endangered freshwater snails.

Trisha Sharma, legal fellow at the Center for Biological Diversity, emphasized the need to save the snail from vanishing entirely. She said freshwater mollusks are the most endangered group of animals in North America, and snails are the most endangered mollusks.

"We've already lost more than 70 species of freshwater snails," Sharma pointed out. "The Endangered Species Act has a very high success rate. So if we can get it listed and protected under the ESA, it's highly likely that the species will survive and be able to continue playing its important role in the ecosystems where it's found."

Sharma noted areas where the Arkansas mudalia can be found have decreased by 90% and the main threat to the species is habitat degradation, primarily from dam construction and operation along the rivers.

Sharma emphasized mudalia is also threatened by habitat loss from grazing, logging and mining. She added climate change is also expected to threaten the species.

"Part of what can make a species more resilient to climate impacts is its ability to disperse as its habitat becomes unsuitable, and to essentially relocate to areas where it can survive," Sharma explained. "But snails have a pretty narrow set of habitat requirements and very limited dispersal capabilities."

Sharma said freshwater snails play a crucial role in managing nutrients by consuming detritus and plant matter, preventing their decay and subsequent disruption of water quality, and snails are vital for food webs, converting unusable food sources into usable ones for birds and turtles.


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Today is Earth Day, and one initiative in southern Arizona is helping build public gardens providing beneficial habitat for pollinators, from Monarch butterflies to bees and bats.

Emily Bishton, founder and coordinator of the Arivaca Pollinator Pathway Project, said the human population depends on these animals and insects, as many of our foods and plant-based products require pollination. But human activity and climate change have put pollinators in jeopardy and Bishton wants to increase awareness of how crucial they are.

"The best chance you have for attracting and nurturing pollinators is with the species that they've co-evolved with," Bishton explained. "They will instinctively know that is food for them, or a place they can lay their eggs. They also are more likely to be able to put up with the way our climate is now and the way it is changing."

Bishton pointed out one focus of the project is to get Arizonans to plant more native species like milkweed, which is especially critical for Monarch butterflies. She would also like people to reconsider the use of pesticides since they do kill pests but also other beneficial insects. She suggested contacting a local county extension service or master-gardener program for alternative methods.

Madian Romero, technical assistant supervisor for the Caviglia-Arivaca Library, has been responsible for getting teenagers in the area to participate in the Arivaca Pollinator Pathway Project. They not only help build garden spaces around town but grow their knowledge behind the importance of pollinators, as well as community building.

"The teens, they've come up with ideas on how to fundraise for the projects," Romero emphasized. "Each business that agrees to have a garden, it can be free."

Romero added the project has also been a character-building exercise for the young people of Arivaca, and hopes it is an experience they will cherish.