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Marmot Pass in The Olympics, Photo by Peter Guerrero
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Does DNR Have a Responsibility to Protect Future Generations from Climate Disruption?
Join Us in a Conversation on
January 20, 7PM via Zoom
Guest Speakers: Connie Gallant, President, Olympic Forest Coalition and Patricia Jones, Executive Director, Olympic Forest Coalition (OFCO)
Connie and Patricia will discuss the historic "All the People Case" (Conservation Northwest, Washington Environmental Council, Olympic Forest Coalition, et. al. v. Franz), now before the Washington Supreme Court. The case challenges DNR's narrow interpretation of Washington's Constitution and federal law in managing trust forest lands. Central to this is whether DNR's sole fiduciary responsibility is to generate revenue from timber sales or whether it has other obligations to Washington citizens not now being met (e.g., mitigating the adverse effects of climate change).
RSVP Required:
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The Stink of Convenience: On-Line Delivery
Because U.S. recyclables are often contaminated and of low value, China and other countries have imposed bans or restrictions on our exporting recyclables. Attention has turned to boosting domestic capacity to produce container board and packaging paper and, as a result, both the Port Angeles and Port Townsend paper mills have significantly increased their production.
e-Commerce accounts for this growth--with COVID, we're buying more on-line and having it delivered to our doorstep. More e-commerce means more boxes, more boxes means more demand for mills that turn recycled cardboard into, you guessed it, more cardboard, packaging paper, and paper feedstocks.
Unfortunately, these mills utilize a water intensive process that also produces irritating and harmful sulfur emissions, the rotten egg smell that plagues this industry and it's communities. But communities are fighting back. Time magazine recently reported on communities in South Carolina, New York, and Michigan where residents and state officials have taken actions to address noxious odors and pollution from mills that have ramped up production. Read more here:
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Making Timely Air Quality Complaints is Important
Making timely odor complaints is key to getting regulatory agencies to take action. Here's how:
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Get Involved: State Park Commissioners to Meet in Port Townsend
Speak up to save the 3,000-acre, forested Miller Peninsula State Park from logging and development. While you're at it, speak up to oppose the Navy using our state parks for military training.
When: January 27 Commissioners’ Meeting with Public Input, Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way Port Townsend, WA 98368
Agendas are posted online at least one week in advance of meetings, with information on how to attend virtually and comment. Details here:
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Navy Cherry Picks Data to Minimize Growler Noise
From the Whidbey News-Times:
"A federal magistrate judge ruled in favor of the state Attorney General’s Office and a Whidbey anti-noise group in several critical issues in a lawsuit over Growler aircraft stationed at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
The federal magistrate did not pull any punches in his ruling, writing that the Navy selected methods of evaluating data that supported its goal of bringing more Growlers to NAS Whidbey.
'The Navy did this at the expense of the public and the environment, turning a blind eye to data that would not support this intended result,' he wrote."
Stay up to date on recent developments and find out how to get involved here:
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Lawsuit Filed to Stop Excessive Expansion of Industrial Shellfish Operations
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) from continuing the excessive expansion of industrial shellfish operations without considering the cumulative impacts to Washington's rich and diverse coastal waters. The lawsuit alleges industrial shellfish operations adversely affect Washington's shorelines and estuaries by destroying critical habitat for numerous species, including endangered and threatened salmon and killer whales. It goes on to say these operations harm Washington's aquatic and nearshore areas by increasing plastic netting and debris, microplastics, pesticides, and disturbances in the environment.
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DNR's Termination of Cooke Aquaculture's Port Angeles Lease is Upheld, But Stay Tuned for Further Developements
A Washington state court rejected efforts by the seafood giant, Cooke Aquaculture, to sue Washington's Department of Natural Resources over the termination of the company’s lease in Port Angeles.
The Washington Court of Appeals issued an opinion affirming a lower court ruling upholding the Department's decision to terminate the lease back in 2017. This decision concludes a nearly four-year appeal process that began in early 2018 when Cooke filed suit against DNR, arguing the agency had wrongfully terminated the lease ahead of the 2025 expiration date.
Is that the end of the story? The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, in partnership with Cooke Aquaculture, doesn’t think so. The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Chairman, Ron Allen, recently stated the tribe hopes to establish a fish farm in Port Angeles Harbor despite the Court of Appeals decision upholding the termination of its business partner’s lease.
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Lawsuit Filed to Require Individual Permits for Puget Sound Shellfish Operations
A second federal lawsuit was filed against the US Army Corps of Engineers for its poor regulation of the shellfish industry and circumventing federal court decisions. In June 2020 and February 2021, federal courts ruled the Corps must cease approving general permits for shellfish operators and, instead, require each corporation to reapply for individual permits. The new lawsuit asserts that the Corps, in approving recent shellfish permits, has evaded the court's earlier orders and violated the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Rivers and Harbors Act, and the Administrative Procedures Act.
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Comments or suggestions, interested in volunteering to help protect our beautiful North Olympic environment? Send us a note here:
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The North Olympic Group's website contains a blog that's updated to reflect current environmental issues and events. Members are encouraged to periodically check it out.
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