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. […]
Every spring and fall, a silent tragedy unfolds beneath the glass canyons of our cities. While we sleep, Birds perish by the dozens all across the United States after striking illuminated windows [1]. On the Atlantic Flyway, the density of cities like New York and Boston creates a lethal gauntlet that claims upwards of 300 […]
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 […]
by Kirk Kirkland A 110-year-old federal refuge is currently the center of a jurisdictional tug-of-war. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) shifted management of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe through a co-stewardship agreement. This move coincides with tribal plans to install a 50-acre industrial oyster farm within refuge boundaries. […]
by Kirk Kirkland Despite the chaos that resulted when the U.S. government started a war against Iran, there is the good news that shows how our state legislature, our Governor and the state’s Attorney General have pushed back against the ICE raids in our state. State Governor bans masked policing Last month we reported on […]
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 […]
Join your neighbors and friends at the No Kings Rally. We will meet at the entrance of Point Defiance Park near the Goldfish Restaurant. On March 28, rise up and join the crowd on Pearl Street. Say it loud: no thrones, no crowns, no kings. We are not watching history happen. We are making it. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
by Kirk Kirkland This is the critical time to contact your legislators and let them know which of these issues are important to you. In the last few weeks the 2026 state legislature has voted these important bills out of committee and now go to the floor of each house.. Before the cutoff date I […]
