It is about a gravel quarry in Dupont that has been there since the late 1800’s, so why is it a problem now? The Pioneer Aggregates Project Proposal being considering by the Hearings Examiner in Dupont Friday, June 20 is about 14 years of gravel mining in their southeast parcel that includes dewatering the Vashon […]
by Kirk Kirkland Tucked into a budget reconciliation bill, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee made a recommendation to sell off more than 250 million acres of public lands across the American West to private developers. This proposal was personal and would have had a significant effect on National Forests in Washington. If passed, […]
Sean Arent is the president of the Clover Creek Restoration Alliance. The speech was presented at the public hearing of the Dupont mine’s expansion. The zoom connection failed during his presentation. It is printed here: _______________________________________________________ Let me tell you about the Clover-Chambers-Sequalitchew Watershed. Our watershed, located between the Nisqually and Puyallup watershed, is an […]
by Erik Schneider As spring transitions into summer on Morse Wildlife Preserve, signs of new life are emerging. Fledgling birds are appearing throughout the Preserve, across the diverse habitats of this landscape. The Morse Wildlife Preserve is open to the public on the Second Sunday of each month, from April to October. The next open […]
From the Port of Tacoma to the crop growing farms of Puyallup Valley, this is the diverse County Council 5th District that Bryan Yambe represents. As the previous Deputy Mayor of Fife, he has brought residents, farmers and industry together. Meet Yambe and express your concerns at a fundraising party coming up on Wednesday June […]
In August, Nora Prindle will offer a class in Nature Journaling. This event offers a creative way to capture the essence of any experience in a way that is uniquely yours. Not only are we using words to capture the heart of things, we are also using drawing. It’s a new way of experiencing nature […]
The NO KINGS Day of Protest will be held Saturday, June 14th, Noon-3 PM at the at the entrance to Point Defiance Park, near the old Goldfish Tavern. On this day, Trump planned a military parade. Then the 50501 Movement organized 50 protests in 50 states. The 50501 Movement is a decentralized protest movement built […]
By Kirk Kirkland In the beginning there were four environmental groups working together to stop Taylor Shellfish from getting a permit for the largest Industrial aquaculture proposal in Pierce County. At their first hearing before the County’s Hearing Examiner, these groups presented a long list of issues to stop the permit for a 30 acre […]
by Marianne Lincoln Today at the Sustainability Expo in Tacoma, I worked at the table for the Clover Creek Restoration Alliance. We were next to the booth for the Nisqually Land Trust. Everyone walking by knew of the Nisqually River, yet they looked puzzled at our banner for Clover Creek. So, I asked everyone who […]
Looking for a peaceful, educational Sunday stroll? by Tom Galdabini Spring was vibrant at Morse Wildlife Preserve as we kicked off another Forterra Nature Discovery™ event — “Spring Birding.” There were signs of beaver, deer and, in the middle of our exploring and not very far away, a chorus of coyotes howling to each […]
As far as new environmental legislation goes, the Washington State Legislature’s session this year ended with excitement as troubled ideas like killing ghost shrimp breezed through committees in the last weeks and made it to the Governor’s desk. Futurewise activists did a remarkable job of getting Transit Oriented Development passed. And, while the Rent Stabilization […]
SHB 1309 An association of environmental coalitions in Puget Sound, Hood Canal and Port Angeles worked together to stop SHB 1309. The bill directs over $200,000 of scarce general fund dollars and a budget proviso of $2,000,000 to fund this effort. The bill argues that private business is due these funds since the Department of […]
Review of Thurston County Court permit for the Tiny Home Village? On March 28, the Thurston County Superior Court convened on Zoom with over 60 people attending. Others in the courtroom were not visible on camera. Prior to the meeting, the judge had read the legal briefs about the appeal of the Conditional Use Permit […]
By Kirk Kirkland and Al Schmauder Will Pierce County be able to meet future demand for clean drinking water required by increasing population and development in the Chambers-Clover watershed? Water managers conclude there will be adequate water to supply homes and other uses until about 2040. Lakewood Water District (LWD) committed to sell up to […]
by Claudia Finseth It’s March 25, 2025. Those of us fighting against the destruction of the Spanaway Marsh have been at it for over two years now and spent over $140,000 dollars. Let’s take stock. In December of 2024, the Tacoma Rescue Mission brought in massive equipment, and on the high point in the midst […]
by Claudia Finseth HAPPINESS, FOR ONE THING Last week the annual list of the happiest countries in the world came out. For the eighth time in a row that designation went to Finland. The United States of America came in way down the line. We are not, generally, a happy people. One of the main […]
by Brett Johnson As the 2024 General Election recedes in the rearview mirror, a new year is now well underway. It’s a time to reflect on events of the past year, but also look toward the future. In other posts, the Coalition has detailed some of our legislative priorities in Olympia that we hope will […]
by Kirk Kirkland In both the city of Tacoma and Pierce County, planning departments use a Determination of Nonsignificance to avoid enforcing environmental rules and Growth Management policies. Neighborhoods then must use the court system at great costs. Both Tacoma and the county neighbors had the support of their local Land Use Advisory Commission (LUAC) […]
Friends of Burley Lagoon (FOBL) and Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat (Coalition) have appealed a Conditional Use Permit that would allow the largest geoduck aquaculture installation in the county. A federal judge in Seattle in 2019 revoked 900 permits and asked that all new permits have a Cumulative Impact Analysis. The appeal asks the […]
by Kirk Kirkland It’s complicated: Backhoes dredging in creeks without permits; 900 trees were clearcut; Understory vegetation bulldozed; Exposed soil left to run off into Spanaway Lake; Violation Notice from WDFW ignored; Fill and Grade Permit handed out after-the-fact without a fine. Then a few weeks later, fish in Spanaway Lake started to die. These […]
