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Photo: Peter Guerrero
Meet Jennifer Johnston, WWU Program Assistant, College of the Environment
7PM, Thursday, June 15 on Zoom
RSVP Required
Jennifer Johnston is the Program Assistant at Western Washington University, College of the Environment, at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, WA. She has over 20 years of experience as an instructor in higher education. She has taught grant writing, technical writing, and the personal essay to students at Johns Hopkins University, American University, Chemeketa Community College, and Hillsborough Community College. Her graduate work at Harvard University and at the University of Oregon focused on public policy, adult education, and creative writing. In her spare time, she enjoys running on the Discovery Trail and walking on the Dungeness Levee Trail.
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Help Jump Start Our Outdoors Program
Once upon a time the North Olympic Group had an outings program with monthly hikes in our beautiful Olympic Mountains and National Park. Now that we're back with our outings program we need volunteers to make it work. Want to explore the wildness of the Olympic Peninsula with other like-minded persons, visit alpine lakes, the rugged Pacific coast, and Marmot Pass when the wildflowers are in bloom? Volunteer to help us make it happen. We'll train you and get you on the trails! |
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Sierra Club Gets Kids Outdoors
Getting kids outdoors makes future environmentalists, and we all know how badly the planet needs them. Each year the North Olympic Group sponsors at least two outdoor youth scholarships. This year we have awarded scholarships to Port Townsend's Marine Science Center's Coastal Explorers program and the underwater robotics program at the Feiro Marine Life Center in Port Angeles.
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Free the Salmon, Remove the Dams!
The Biden Administration just opened a formal public comment period on the Lower Snake River dams. Removing the Snake River dams is the only realistic option to recover Snake River salmon and honor tribal rights. Make your voice heard. |
Along these lines, the Clallam County PUD #1, on April 10, became the first public utility district in the region to come out in favor of restoring a free-flowing lower Snake River. The utility serves citizen-owners on Washington State’s North Olympic Peninsula. The commissioners unanimously approved a resolution that minced no words, stating: "The scientific case for breaching the lower Snake River dams is conclusive." Earlier, the City of Port Angeles, with its own municipal electric utility, sent a letter to Senator Murray and Governor Inslee supporting breaching the lower snake dams and replacing their services. Hats off to Marc Sullivan, Western Washington Coordinator for Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, for his work making this happen.
Next month's newsletter will contain an action item asking the Jefferson County PUD to follow suit. |
Clallam County Fails to Stop Destructive Elwha DNR Clearcuts
Thank you to everyone who made public comments at last month's Clallam County Commissioner meeting. There were 22 people who spoke either in person or on zoom (with many more comments via email) about the need to pause the TCB23 and Power Plant timber sales in the Elwha watershed. Despite all the community input, the commissioners decided not to support a pause at this time.
Good news: the Port Angeles City Council is continuing to put pressure on the county to use their power and responsibility as beneficiaries to pause these sales. They voted recently to send another letter in support of pausing these sales, this time addressing it to the commissioners and county directly.
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Summer's Here But Don't Go Swimming!
Jefferson County Public Health reports levels of the potent nerve toxin anatoxin-a in a water sample taken from Anderson Lake on April 17th at levels above Washington State health criteria. Anatoxin-a can result in illness and death in people and animals when ingested. Washington State Parks has posted “Danger – Keep Out of Lake” signs at access points to the park alerting visitors of the potential hazards. Recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming are prohibited. Concerned about other popular swimming holes? Don't count on getting the latest as Washington hasn't tested many locations for years. But try checking here: |
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Celebrate Solstice Salmon Days, June 22-24
Inspired by the long-standing traditions of local communities honoring the salmon lifecycle, Finnriver, North Olympic Salmon Coalition and Port Townsend's Marine Science Center have joined together to offer three days of all-ages fun. Join us for Salmon Hats & Trivia Night, playtime in Fin the Salmon, an Orca-themed children's book reading, Salmon Shorts Movie Night, educational salmon crafts, and an all-ages Salmon Dance Party with DJ Lunch Lady!
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Photo: Wild Fish Conservancy
Goodbye Net Pens!
Thanks to the dedication and hard work of thousands of citizens, hundreds of businesses and organizations, tribal nations, elected officials, scientists, and so many others, the commercial net pen industry is pulling up stakes, hitting the road, and leaving Puget Sound forever.
All week, local residents and members of the public stood on the shores watching workers operating loaders and cranes packing up nets, removing debris, and pulling up anchors and chains that have been holding the industry's net pens in place for over forty years. Across the Sound, in Kiket Bay, people watched in celebration as the Hope Island net pen was rigged up to a towboat and pulled out of sight and away from the Skagit River that it polluted for years.
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Wildlife, Look Out for the Humans!
People are the biggest danger for bobcats and coyotes. Humans, not other carnivores, caused the overwhelming majority of bobcat and coyote deaths according to a Washington State study. During the observation period, researchers confirmed that 49% of tracked bobcats and 69% of tracked coyotes died because of humans. Drive carefully this summer. |
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