by Kirk Kirkland Whenever I ride my bike through DuPont and Northwest Landing, I appreciate the intentional design. This town features wide bike lanes, active walking trails, and safe paths. Children can walk downtown or ride their bikes safely to the public library. These livable features now face an immediate threat. The CalPortland gravel operation […]
Congresswoman Emily Randall is drafting federal legislation to transfer the ownership of our National Wildlife Refuges on Protection Island and Dungeness Spit to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. This transfer could open the door for industrial aquaculture, allowing commercial oyster bags to cover our local beaches. This land transfer would remove the public’s role of oversight. […]
Your Pierce County mail-in ballot arrived a few weeks ago. The final deadline is August 4th. Because the voting window is so long, ballots are easily lost under a stack of mail or forgotten on the kitchen counter. This election is critical. Your vote will decide the future of our local landscape. If you are […]
“Our vote is the most powerful non-violent tool we have to create a more perfect union.” — John Lewis Join Grit City Community for a Sign-Waving Rally! Saturday, July 18, 2026 • 1:00–3:00 PM Defiant Goldfish (Point Defiance Entrance) 5310 N. Pearl Street, Tacoma
How to Be Hopeful.. Excerpts from Barbara Kingsolver – Commencement Address at Duke University, Twenty years ago, climate scientists first told Congress that unlimited carbon emissions were building toward a disastrous instability. Congress said, we need to think about that. About ten years later, nations of the world wrote the Kyoto Protocol, a set of […]
By Kirk Kirkland On June 11, 2026, the DuPont Hearing Examiner approved the South Parcel gravel mine expansion. The final decision confirms that this gravel project will create significant, irreversible environmental disruptions. The approved permit completely fails to provide adequate mitigation for the following structural impacts: Catastrophic Stream Loss. Active mining will drain the Vashon […]
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 governance […]
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 […]
by Brett M. Johnson, Political Committee Chair Endorsements have been decided for most County Council and State Legislature races. Previous endorsements were carried over to this year for several incumbents. For those who interviewed with us last month, we truly appreciate their time and willingness to discuss important issues. A few of these races were […]
Last November’s election of a new county executive and two councilmembers represented a sea change in county government. It brought a new level of cooperation not seen in decades. Two Democrats needed for a county council majority were elected and Ryan Mello won the County Executive’s seat. This majority has taken on some major reforms […]
July is one of the liveliest months at the preserve, as native plants flourish and young wildlife begins to explore the landscape. Prairie plants, including Showy Daisy, Common Yarrow, and Harvest Brodiaea, can be spotted throughout the preserve. Native berries such as huckleberry and trailing blackberry are beginning to appear, while brilliant pink rose spirea […]
Brenda Lykins is running for Pierce County Council District 7. She seeks to fill an open seat after Robyn Denson decided not to seek a second term. Brenda and Robyn are close friends, and both served on Gig Harbor City Council together before Brenda moved to North Tacoma recently. by Brett Johnson Brenda would serve the […]
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 […]
The existing Chambers Creek Bridge is structurally deficient and must be replaced. PSRC’s Bridge Pilot Program will fully fund the project’s design phase. Construction is scheduled for 2030. ________________________________________________________________ By Kirk Kirkland The Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) Executive Board approved $7 million in new funding to advance Pierce County’s Chambers Creek Bridge Replacement project. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
by Brett Johnson If you haven’t voted by now, it’s time to look around and figure out what you did with your mail-in-ballot for the April 28th special election next week. That’s next Tuesday. Don’t wait–make sure your vote is counted! Ballots were mailed out to Tacoma voters last week. We haven’t endorsed candidates for the summer […]
This beach on the left side of the logs is for people and the muddy areas on the other side is set aside for wildlife — many of them protected the the International Bird Migration Treaty. ________________________________________________________________ by Kirk Kirkland On April 13, John Garner and I traveled 110 miles to Sequim. We testified at […]
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. […]
