by Kirk Kirkland Ten years ago, in a conference hall on the outskirts of Paris the leaders of almost every country agreed to try to slow down global warming. The new idea was for each country to set its own targets to reduce climate pollution in ways that made sense for them. So, here we […]
by Brett Johnson With most of the ballots now counted for the 2025 local election, turnout in Pierce County topped out around 34%–a strong turnout for an off-year election. We are incredibly proud of our endorsed candidates for running effective campaigns, and in many cases winning. Well done! Bryan Yambe secured over 57% of the […]
Protestors on Saturday October 18 were calling for No Kings in the kingdom of the once United States of America. In small and large towns on this Saturday the reigning King in Washington D.C was introduced to the U.S. Constitution and the Rule of Law and a government by the people. This was not a […]
by Kirk Kirkland During the first week of the shutdown of government by the Republicans in Congress, it was difficult to find successful ways to push back the polarization that has occurred between these two political parties. But in this dark hour several leaders in both parties spoke out about violence and called for people […]
By Kirk Kirkland The bad news is that the Chambers Creek Dam is not going to be removed until the bridge upstream is funded. With two county bridges closed and needing priority funding over the White River and the Carbon River, the Chambers Creek bridge is going to remain a low priority for the foreseeable […]
Voters shuffled the candidates around bringing some exciting people forward after the August primary election. The City of Lakewood will have some close races if the voters want to make some changes and turn out in force. Ellen Talbo in position 1 ran away from the field with over 41% of the vote in Lakewood. […]
After the first 500 salmon were released above the Chambers dam it has been a long wait to see them upstream. Summer drought has affected the creek. Will the fish make it, were our previous restoration efforts enough? Online comments discuss the past efforts describe the next phase of creek restoration. In August we learned […]
On August 16, the Guardian reported that President Trump declared at a White House press conference that Washington DC had been ‘overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals’” – a typical flourish untethered from reality – and announced he would seize control of the city’s police force. By Tuesday night, national guard troops were patrolling the […]
County environmental groups oppose the repeal of the EPA’s Endangerment Finding ordered by President Trump. During August two environmental groups in Pierce County joined forces to express their concern regarding the repeal the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding” for greenhouse gases. Their letters urged the Federal agency to uphold its legal and scientific integrity by rejecting […]
By Kirk Kirkland At the final public hearing held in the Dupont City Council Chambers, over 70 people filled the room. For a Friday morning, this is a significant number. The proposal for mine expansion prompted a record of over 85 written responses to be submitted. The hearing began at 10 o’clock in the morning, […]
What has our state government done for people that counters some to the destructive things that President Trump has done to medical research in colleges, reducing staff and funding for the research arm of Environmental Protection Agency, and stopping the funding in 20 states that needed funding for FEMA Disaster Mitigation for hurricanes and floods? […]
The public hearing to review the Final Impact Statement on the expansion of the Dupont gravel mine turned into a circus The seventy-two members of the public in attendance had to wait four hours before given an opportunity to speak. By 2 PM, only a dozen or so people had returned after the lunch break. […]
by Kirk Kirkland For each issue of the newsletter I scan the New York Times and other internet sites for evidence that the tide of chaos created by Trump was turning and there was hope that the madness would be stopped by a well-organized resistance by our elected leaders. This week an e-mail from the […]
Futurewise gave Pierce County the “Excellence in County Planning” award at their annual meeting in May at their Spring Celebration. The award recognized the county’s stewardship of the land and celebrated on-going partnerships for habitat conservation and connectivity. In particular the award recognized Pierce County based on its innovative approach to land use, regional coordination, […]
Volunteers gather each summer to restore the fish ladder at Chambers Bay. County staff have funding and will remove the dam at the same time that the upstream bridged is replaced. ____________________________________________________________________ Each fall Al Schmauder gathers volunteers and Puyallup Tribe employees to repair “his” fish ladder at the Chamber Bay Dam. The ladder was […]
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 […]
Complete the Streets By Kirk Kirkland Streetscapes can make all the difference in a community. Just look at what University Place has done, creating a tree-lined boulevard and walkable community on Bridgeport Way. A three year effort by Futurewise activists finally passed legislation in Olympia, implementing “Transit Oriented Developmen.” in cities and unincorporated areas. At […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
