Commissioners examine costs of solvency and declining taxes.
By Kirk Kirkland The ongoing dialogue in May and June about the proposed Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Land Transfer focused on what the city and County Commissioners could do on the local level. Their concern was to reduce the impact of the decline in taxes and other fees when governance of the Tribe takes over […]
Tribes propose opperating other Wildlife Refuges and adding to land trust.
Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge By Al Bergstein Published by Olympic Peninsula Environmental News On June 23 2026 In a surprising statement Monday in a meeting of the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, Jamestown S’Klallam Chairman and CEO Ron Allen stated that a number of tribes in the Salish Sea and coastal waters seek […]
Visit the Morse Wildlife Preserve on June 14th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Signs of Summer June brings a new wave of activity and growth to the Preserve as spring transitions into early summer. Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows and a Western Bluebird pair are tending to nests and the first few nestlings have already arrived. Migratory birds like Swainson’s Thrush, Western Wood-Pewees, and Cedar Waxwings can be seen […]
Tribe Eyes Wildlife Refuge for Industrial Oyster Aquaculture
By Kirk Kirkland The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and Protection Island are for the birds. They pause here annually to feed in preparation for their migration across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On August 16, 2023, Protect the Peninsula’s Future, the Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat, and Beyond Pesticides sued the U.S. Fish […]
Look for Migrating Birds Passing Morse & Dungeness Refuges
By Kirk Kirkland Millions of birds are flying across Washington State during the spring migration season. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology tracks these overnight movements using advanced weather radar data. Many of these migrating birds travel along the Pacific Flyway passing over Pierce County. They pause to rest and feed in local green spaces before […]
Land Transfer Discussions Fail to Address Taxing Problems
By Kirk Kirkland A well-funded public relations campaign is sweeping the North Olympic Peninsula. It frames the proposed federal land transfer of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge complex to tribal sovereign trust as a conservation-friendly certainty. The narrative claims seamless management. The underlying infrastructure data, however, reveals an entirely different reality. The proposed transfer ignores […]
Spanaway Concerned Citizens to Have Their Day in Tacoma Appeals Court
Spanaway Concerned Citizens to Have Their Day in Tacoma Appeals Court Spanaway Concerned Citizens received notice of their hearing at Division II of the Washington State Court of Appeals. The court scheduled oral arguments for Thursday, April 30 at 10:30 AM. Spanaway Concerned Citizens appealed the Conditional Use Permit granted by Pierce County’s Hearing Examiner. […]
Morse Force Announces Dates for Second Sunday Open House
The signs of spring are growing across the Morse Wildlife Preserve. In the prairie, the swallows have returned and have quickly begun to choose nest boxes and forage above the fields. Camas leaves and other plants are sprouting. Spring has arrived at the Morse Wildlife Preserve, and we’re excited to welcome you back. Join us […]
Radical Hope is Needed in Time of War
by Kirk Kirkland This is the hour when we must recommit to radical hope. Notice how Trump makes headlines and creates chaos. He starts a war, that neither the Secretary of State or the President know how to end. While the administration issues threats, the data shows a lack of actionable recovery plans. The Administration’s […]
Score Card Shows Success in Our Priorities Before State Legislature
by Kirk Kirkland The state legislature session ended with bills sitting on the governor’s desk. High-stakes legislation moved forward despite the lack of funding and the loss of 10% of the state employees due to budget shortfalls Lawmakers navigated difficult decisions in response to limited time and significant fiscal pressure; consequently, even strong policy proposals […]
A Penny for Pierce County’s Justice Tax
by Kirk Kirkland Four Environmental Coalition members appeared before the County Council on March 3 spoke in favor of the “Justice Fund”. It was a new sales tax that would stabilize the 2026-2027 budget. It could also pay for renovation of the jail and the juvenile facility. Seventy people signed up to speak with an […]
Vote YES to Renew Tacoma Parks Bond
People’s Park renewal is one of many project proposals that will be funded when Tacoma Parks District voters renew bond funding for critical park enhancements and replacements. The package will be on a special election ballot is due on April 28th. _____________________________________________________________ by Brett Johnson The $155 million bond package includes more than 100 projects […]
Futurewise Celebrates Remarkable Legislative Session
by Marcella Buser Legislators adjourned on Thursday afternoon, and the 2026 Legislative Session is a wrap! Truly remarkable, every single bill on our 2026 Growing Together agenda passed the Legislature. Seven bills with our fingerprints on them are now on their way to Governor Ferguson’s desk. In a year dominated by a budget crisis and […]
Spring Events begin in April at Morse Wildlfe Refuge.
Forterra land trust stewards more than 150 properties spanning over 17,000 acres across forests, wetlands, and coastal areas throughout the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Many of these lands are tucked away in hard-to-reach places, while others are publicly accessible, offering popular wildlife viewing areas and well-maintained trail systems. As we begin a new season of Forterra Nature […]
Citizens’ Pushback Overwhelms Trump’s Administration and his Attorneys
By Kirk Kirkland and Gemini AI A New Wave of Resistance hits Department of Justice Have you lost hope that the current administration can be stopped from creating chaos and returned to the Rule of Law in our economy, our schools, and our nation’s response to climate change? Each month, I use Gemini, an Artificial […]
Impact of Court’s tariff decision on automobile industry
by Kirk Kirkland How does the Supreme court decision affect the 2026 congressional budget and how will the automobile industry and the major car brands Honda, Nissan and Toyota be affected by the refund of their tariffs? On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the administration’s use of the International Emergency […]
Lakewood Embraces Climate Change with Tree Canopy Goals and Preparation for Climate Extremes
Until earlier this month with the December storms, living in the Northwest in the last 5 years, the Puget Sound area has not experienced many of the extreme weather conditions that cause flooding or extreme heat’s impact on Agriculture production. Many areas of the world are spending their government’s funds cleaning up from hurricanes, flooding […]
Washington Wild Leads the Way in Protecting Lands & Advocacy
Since 1979, Washington Wild has played a key role in protecting nearly three million acres of Wilderness throughout Washington State. They bring people together in the defense of our remaining wild forests, waters, and wildlife area. Chris Chappell frequently asks the Environmental Coalition to join their list of groups that ask Congress, the Forest Service […]
No Secret Police Act is a Path to Accountability
by Kirk Kirkland In Minneapolis, the chief of police took a strong position regarding the federal administration’s handling of apprehensions of immigrants. He stated, “If ICE agents use unlawful force in this city, my officers must intervene.” To translate that into plain, street-fighting English: “The city of Minneapolis does NOT belong to federal bullies.” In […]
Change in Return of Salmon Challenges Clover Creek Restoration Plans
by Kirk Kirkland & Al Schmauder Before the 1970 housing boom in the Pierce County’s Urban Growth Area, Spanaway and Clover creeks had salmon in their streams. After 25 years of restoring the creek by adding fish ladders and implementing various restoration plans for Chambers Canyon and Clover Creek, this summer it was time to […]