Public News Service

The Sea Change, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, took its first trip on July 19. (Pacific Environment)

Revolutionary WA-built hydrogen ferry could jumpstart zero-emission vessels back home

A hydrogen-powered ferry built in Washington state is operating in San Francisco Bay. Clean energy advocates are hoping it spurs action closer to …

A 2018 law in Washington state phased out fish pen farming of non-native species. (cascoly2/Adobe Stock)

Seattle conference inspires push for sustainable fishing in WA

A meeting on sustainable fishing in Seattle could inspire greater protections for Washington state's waters in Olympia. The State Innovation Exchange …

Eelgrass, pictured here at Joemma Beach State Park, provides food, shelter, and nursery habitat for a wide range of creatures, ranging from small invertebrates to commercially important fish species and wading birds. (WA DNR Nearshore Habitat Program)

WA kelp, eelgrass recovery plan tackles big losses in marine habitat

Bull Kelp in South and Central Puget Sound has declined more than 90% over the last 150 years - and eelgrass meadows severely declined as well…

Salmon from the Columbia and Snake Rivers are a crucial food source for Southern Resident orcas. (RKP/Adobe Stock)

WA Orca Births Good Sign but Population Still Threatened

There's good news for orcas off Washington's coast: Two new calves have been spotted among the endangered population. However, the births also …

The Duckabush River is cut off from nearby floodplains and wetlands by roads on the Olympic peninsula. (Washington Department of Ecology)

Orca Action Month: WA Estuary Restoration Project Helps Whale Recovery

It's Orca Action Month and a restoration project in Puget Sound will help provide more salmon to the aquatic mammals. Highway development has …

A new law in Washington state creates a single buffer zone around orcas of 1,000 yards for small vessels. (Scott Bufkin/Adobe Stock)

WA Lawmakers Pass Legislative Wins for Ocean, Marine Wildlife

Advocates for ocean wildlife are touting wins from Olympia this legislative session. Nora Nickum - senior ocean policy manager with the Seattle …

Kelp beds in Puget Sound are important habitat for marine life. (knelson20/Adobe Stock)

WA DNR Seeks Input on Kelp, Eelgrass Conservation

Kelp and eelgrass are in trouble, and Washington state wants help from the public identifying where these marine plant species should be saved…

Whale-watching vehicles in Puget Sound are required to stay 1,000 yards away from Southern Resident orcas. (ronnybas/Adobe Stock)

WA Bill Supports Orcas' Need for More Space from Boaters

Whales are disturbed by vessel noise, but a measure in Olympia would provide a greater buffer for the endangered orcas in Puget Sound. The …

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee established the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force in 2018. (Scott Bufkin/Adobe Stock)

Ships Slow Down for Puget 'Quiet Sound' Program to Aid Orcas

Ships are getting on board with a program to make Puget Sound quieter for the region's endangered orca population. Sixty-one percent of vessels …

Southern Resident orca, which live along the West Coast, have been listed as endangered since 2005. (Valmedia/Adobe Stock)

Young People Gather to Save NW Salmon, Call for Dam Removal

Young people are leading the charge this weekend in the call to remove four dams conservation groups believe will aid the survival of salmon in the No…

Kelp abundance has dropped by 80% from its peak in Puget Sound. (Gina Lusardi/Adobe Stock)

WA Kelp Decline Bad News Culturally, Environmentally for Northwest

Kelp forests in Puget Sound play an integral role environmentally and culturally, but they're in steep decline. There are more than 20 species of …

A new report looks eelgrass restoration projects on the West Coast, including 14 in Washington state. (Danita Delimont/Adobe Stock)

Report: Vital Seagrass Restoration Needs Real Estate to Thrive

EVERETT, Wash. -- Eelgrass plays a vital role in marine habitats, but along the West Coast, it's disappearing at alarming rates. A new study found …

Supporters of the seabed mining ban say the practice would hurt sensitive habitats on Washington's coast. (Ferrous B�ller/Flickr)

Seabed Mining Opponents Off WA Coast Find Win in Legislature

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Gov. Jay Inslee signed a seabed mining ban into law Monday. The measure prohibits mineral extraction within three miles of …

The sockeye salmon runs of Bristol Bay, Alaska, are world-renowned. (BB Armstrong/The Nature Conservancy)

Feds' Approval of AK Mine Raises Concerns for Salmon, Environment

SEATTLE - Conservation, tribal and fishing groups are condemning the Army Corps of Engineers' recommendation to permit the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay…

Commercial and recreational fishing supports about 60,000 jobs on the Washington coast. (Bill Perry/Adobe Stock)

Coastal Restoration: A Lifeline for WA Communities

SEATTLE -- An infrastructure bill in Congress would give a big boost to restoration projects along the Washington coast. Dr. Erin Meyer, director of …

The collapse of kelp forests on the West Coast threatens many commercially important fish species. (Luke McGuff/Flickr)

Climate Change Erasing WA's Kelp Forests, Scientists Say

SEATTLE -- Kelp forests off the West Coast are being decimated at an alarming rate by marine heat waves linked to climate change, according to a …

Dwindling salmon numbers in the Pacific Northwest have hit Southern Resident orca populations hard. (j.c. winkler/Flickr)

Conservation Groups, Utilities Partner Up on Snake River Dams' Future

SEATTLE -- Energy companies and conservation groups want to bridge the divide on a contentious issue in the Northwest: the future of four Snake River …

A new film underscores the plight of the remaining 73 Southern Resident orcas in the Northwest, by examining their primary food source. (Peterson Hawley Productions)

Film Finds Momentum for Removing Dams to Save Orcas

SEATTLE – A new documentary film argues that removing dams in eastern Washington would help the Northwest's dwindling population of orcas…

Nearly three-quarters of western Washington municipalities are making progress toward controlling polluting stormwater runoff. (Seattle.gov)

Scorecard Spurs WA Cities to Control Stormwater Pollution

SEATTLE – After years of work, cities in Washington are doing more to protect Puget Sound from its biggest source of pollution: stormwater …

Salmon recovery in Puget Sound is critical for the survival of Southern Resident orcas. (Puget Sound Partnership)

Puget Sound, Orca Advocates in D.C. to Urge Fed'l. Funding

SEATTLE - Supporters of Puget Sound, salmon and orcas are in the nation's capital to advocate for federal investments in the Evergreen State…

There are 74 Southern Resident orcas in the Northwest, their lowest population in nearly three decades. (Candice Emmons/NOAA)

Public Comment on Orca Saving Recommendations Ends Sunday

SEATTLE – The Washington state Southern Resident Orca Task Force's recommendations for saving the killer whale population are open for public co…

There are only about 75 Southern Resident orcas left in the Northwest. (C. Emmons/NOAA Fisheries)

With Death of Calf, Time Running Out to Save NW Orcas

SEATTLE – The death of a calf among the Northwest's iconic Southern Resident orcas is highlighting the grave situation the whales are in…

Many of the EPA regulations that Scott Pruitt scrapped or delayed as EPA administrator had not yet taken effect before his resignation. (Wikimedia Commons)

Government Watchdog Groups: Pruitt's EPA Exit "Long Overdue"

WASHINGTON – After allegedly overspending on everything from pens to lavish trips and accepting questionable deals from lobbyists, government …

There are only 76 killer whales left in the Northwest's iconic Southern Resident population. (NOAA/Wikimedia Commons)

Governor-Led Orca Recovery Effort to Hold First Meeting

OLYMPIA, Wash. – An orca conservation team convened by Gov. Jay Inslee is holding its first meeting on Tuesday. The Southern Resident Killer …

Shellfish Farmers Collaborate to Fight Climate Change

SEATTLE – For shellfish farmers, climate change isn't a future risk, but a present-day challenge to their industry - and farmers on the West …

The Lower Monumental Dam is one of four Snake River dams that could get protections from Congress. (samonrecovery/Flickr)

Wash. Dams Would Get Federal Protection Under House Bill

SEATTLE – The U.S. House is set to vote on Wednesday on a bill that would add federal protections to four lower Snake River dams. Conservation …

A federal court has mandated that dams in the Columbia River Basin increase spill for salmon four times since 2005. (U.S. Forest Service/Flickr)

Salmon to Get Spring Relief with Added Dam Spills

SEATTLE – A U.S. appeals court on Monday upheld a decision to allow Northwest dams to release more water over their spillways to help young …

Even low levels of three commonly-used pesticides can cause abnormal development of salmon. (William M. Ciesla/USDA Forest Service)

NOAA Says Pesticides Killing NW Salmon, Orca

SEATTLE – A trio of widely-used pesticides threatens Northwest salmon and the orca that rely on them, even with these species on the brink of …

Public hearings are scheduled for a proposal to open up coastal waters around the country to oil and gas drilling. (Doc Searls/Flickr)

Trump Administration Proposes Offshore Drilling, Including in Wash. Waters

TACOMA, Wash. – Conservation groups are raising alarms over the Trump administration's decision to allow drilling off U.S. coasts. The Interior …

Northwest orcas are suffering from a lack of food, particularly salmon. (Ingrid Taylar/Flickr)

2018: The Year Northwest Orcas Recover?

SEATTLE -- The devastating video of a starving polar bear has pulled on Americans' heartstrings this week. And scientists say West Coast orcas are in …

Northwest tribes are fighting the proposed expansion of the TransMountian Pipeline, which would stretch from the Alberta tar sands to Puget Sound. (Stop Carbon Pollution/Flickr)

Wash. Native American Voices 'Ignored' in NW Pipeline Fight

SEATTLE – The mother of all pipelines could be coming to the Northwest, and Native Americans in the region want their voices heard on the …

As the Trump administration pulls back on fighting climate change, national security experts say that puts the U.S. and its military at greater risk. (Expert Infantry/Flickr)

Could Trump's Climate Policy Hurt U.S. Standing in the World?

SEATTLE – An expert on national security is condemning efforts by the Trump administration to reverse Obama-era climate-change policy. Citing a …

The Nature Conservancy has identified an area near the Klickitat River as having the natural ability to sustain itself as the effects of climate change worsen. (Ferrous B�ller/Flickr)

Group Works to Find, Preserve NW Areas Resilient to Warming Climate

VANCOUVER, Wash. – As climate change worsens, certain landscapes could become refuges from the most dramatic effects to nature. One …

Proposed cuts to Puget Sound restoration could hurt Washington's shellfish industry. (Ingrid Taylar/Flickr)

Cuts to Puget Sound EPA, NOAA Programs Could Hurt Businesses

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Trump Administration has proposed cutting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding for Puget Sound restoration by 93 …

Less Dumping, More Pumping: Proposal to Ban Sewage in Puget Sound

SEATTLE – There could be less sewage in Puget Sound if a proposal is approved to ban boats from dumping their so-called "blackwater." Today is t…

Researchers and others believe breaching the four Lower Snake River dams could give Puget Sound orcas more fish to feed on. (Seabamirum/Flickr)

Could Breaching Lower Snake River Dams Help Orcas?

SPOKANE, Wash. – As the public weighs in today in Spokane on the future of the Lower Snake River dams, researchers are calling for their …

Factors such as low runoff from snowmelt could be contributing to low steelhead numbers this summer. (Joseph/flickr)

Warm Waters, Low Rivers Linked to Poor Steelhead Numbers

SEATTLE - The number of steelhead making their way up the Columbia River and into its Northwest tributaries has fallen far below predictions this seas…

The EPA has until November to finalize new rules, known as fish consumption rules, for water quality standards in Washington. (pixabay)

Federal Judge to EPA: No More Delays on WA Water-Quality Standards

SEATTLE - A U.S. federal judge has told the EPA it must finalize new water-quality rules aimed at making Washington state waters cleaner. The rules …

Health officials have temporarily closed Puget Sound beaches to recreational shellfish harvesting. (Mike Fernwood/Flickr)

WA State Closes Beaches to Recreational Shellfish Harvesting

SEATTLE - The Washington State Department of Health has closed beaches along the Puget Sound to recreational shellfish harvesting. Health officials …

The Southern Resident orca population is making its way to the inland waters of western Washington. (Robert Pittman/NOAA)

Awareness Month for Orcas as They Return to Washington's Waters

SEATTLE – June is Orca Awareness Month, the time of year when killer whales return to the inland waters of western Washington. The endangered …

A big crowd turned out Jan. 5 for the hearing on the Tesoro-Savage oil-shipping terminal. (Maddie Foutch)

WA Oil-Shipping Terminals: One Off the Table, More Still in Play

SEATTLE - The year is only a week old, and it's already a big one for opponents of the oil-shipping terminals proposed in the state. They're …

PHOTO: An aerial view of Terminal Five at the Port of Seattle shows the location at the heart of a lawsuit filed on Monday to stop oil drilling ships from being docked and repaired in Puget Sound. Photo courtesy of the Port of Seattle.

Oil Issues Front and Center This Week in Washington

SEATTLE - It's turning out to be a big week for oil transport issues in Washington. On Monday, four conservation groups filed a lawsuit in King …

PHOTO: Of the Washington delegation, 8th District Congressman Dave Reichert's score changed the most in the new National Environmental Scorecard, out this week. Photo courtesy Rep. Reichert's office.

Environmental Scorecard: Congressional Highs, Lows for WA

SEATTLE – Washington's congressional delegation earned some of the highest, and lowest, numbers on an annual scorecard from the League of …

PHOTO: The Navy tries to watch for orcas before blasting sonar during training, but a federal judge says new research must be taken into account that might restrict training in areas while whales and dolphins are present. Photo credit: iStockphoto.com.

Court to Navy: Shhhh! Sonar Disruptive to Sea Life

SEATTLE - Some peace and quiet for Pacific Coast whales and dolphins is the implied promise in a U.S. District Court ruling this week. The judge said …

PHOTO: Divers Crayton Fenn and Eric Hazelton with their most recent

Rounding Up Puget Sound's "Deadliest Catch"

SEATTLE - Puget Sound may have a lot of problems in terms of pollution, but a cure is well under way for one of them. In the last year, about 200 …

PHOTO: Some Northwest fishermen say the 'thrill of the catch' would be a lot less thrilling if coal shipments compromise air and water quality on the Columbia River. Photo credit: Nic Callero.

Fishermen Cast Their Doubts on NW Coal Terminal Plans

SEATTLE – The Northwest fishing community says state and federal agencies ought to be trolling for a lot more information before allowing coal e…

PHOTO: The new documentary Blackfish is about Tilikum, the orca responsible for three deaths while in captivity. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Blackfish: A Different Take on Iconic Orcas

SEATTLE – Should killer whales be kept in captivity and made to perform tricks for humans? That's a question raised in the new documentary "Blac…

PHOTO: Ariel view of Grays Harbor. Photo Credit: Quinault Indian Nation

WA Tribes Hope Earth Day Shines Light on Oil on Rails

SEATTLE - Tens of millions of barrels a year: that's how much crude oil is projected to be rolling by rail to Washington state under a proposal that's…

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WA: Oceans