skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, December 1, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

On World AIDS Day, New Mexico activists say more money is needed for prevention; ND farmers still navigate corporate land-ownership policy maze; Unpaid caregivers in ME receive limited financial grants.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Israel to protect civilians amid Gaza truce talks, New York Rep. George Santos defends himself as his expected expulsion looms and CDC director warns about respiratory illness as flu season begins.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Congress has iced the Farm Bill, but farmer advocates argue some portions are urgent, the Hoosier State is reaping big rewards from wind and solar, and opponents react to a road through Alaska's Brooks Range, long a dream destination for hunters and anglers.

Lawmakers, Locals Tout Practical Aspects of Wild Olympics Bill

play audio
Play

Friday, August 22, 2014   

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. - A push to add new wilderness acreage to Olympic National Forest gained some momentum Thursday, as members of Congress invited supporters and reporters to the area for an update on the legislation.

The "Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act" lost some steam when its original sponsor, U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, retired. Now Rep. Derek Kilmer and Sen. Patty Murray, both D-Wash., say it's time to move it forward again.

Port Townsend city councilwoman Michelle Sandoval said adding new protections for 126,000 acres and parts of 19 rivers are important for the area's future.

"As a Realtor, I can tell you that it is our incredible quality of life that attracts prospective new home buyers," she said. "We should and we can do much to protect and promote these natural treasures, and the Wild Olympics legislation will do both."

Sandoval said the area to be protected is in the watershed that provides Port Townsend's drinking water. She and other speakers at Thursday's event said the practical combination of clean, safe water and more tourism and recreation should spark renewed interest in the legislation.

Water quality also is a chief concern for Bill Taylor, vice president of Taylor Shellfish. As part of the state's $270 million shellfish industry, he said the water upstream from the beds where they are grown has to be clean, cold and plentiful.

"That really is one of the critical things in protecting water quality for shellfish," he said. "We face many other challenges, but it's one less challenge we have to worry about. So yeah, having good water quality is absolutely critical to our success."

The current Wild Olympics bill was hammered out in a three-year public process. It still has detractors, who want more timber harvest on that land and fewer protections in Olympic National Forest. Its supporters say it won't negatively affect the timber industry in the region or limit public access to the land.

The legislation is S 1949 and HR 3922.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to the National Family Farm Coalition, the average U.S. farmland value is now $3,800 per
acre, the highest since the 1970s. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

North Dakota's farming landscape is seeing policy shifts dealing with corporate ownership of agricultural interests. Now, there's fresh debate at the …


Social Issues

play sound

Advocates for unpaid family caregivers in Maine say they'll need continued support beyond the recently passed paid family and medical leave program…

Social Issues

play sound

The Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida are filing lawsuits against the deacti…


An estimated 40% of recent college graduates in the U.S. are underemployed, according to Statista. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

A new report from WGU Labs, a nonprofit affiliate of Western Governors University based in Millcreek, Utah, is shedding light on the importance of …

Social Issues

play sound

Many older residents of Washington state are facing strains on their budgets -- and the government programs that could assist them are underused…

The Thrive Indianapolis Annual Report 2022 says Indianapolis has been recognized as a Tree City USA for 35 consecutive years. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Bloomington and Indianapolis are getting some international recognition for the work they're doing to help the environment. The two have been named …

Health and Wellness

play sound

New Mexico activists are tapping today's World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, to announce they'll ask the State Legislature to provide more money for treatment …

play sound

Bipartisan legislation that proposes the installation of solar panels in schools across Pennsylvania awaits a vote in the state Senate. The Solar …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021