Tracking wildlife from a helicopter: How it’s really done. In this book, Chasing Wildlife Secrets, author Scott McCorquodale, offers a firsthand account of the lives of professional wildlife biologists.

In the past three years, scientists have documented a slow but steady increase in the number of Pacific Northwest species that are dying from avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. columbiainsight.org/bird-flu-is-...

Today, in a move that has alarmed conservationists, the Department of the Interior unveiled a proposal to rescind the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule—effectively removing conservation as an equal priority in public-land management. #publiclands #BLM #protectpubliclands #parkchat

Watershed restoration and ecosystem regeneration expert Zach Weiss explains how when it comes to our fresh water, we are taking much more than we are giving back.

New wildlife area would alllow Umatilla Tribes to regain access to ancestral homeland. For the first time the Tribes might co-manage a wildlife area with Oregon for the proposed 11,500-acre Qapqápa Wildlife Area. columbiainsight.org/new-wildlife...

Washington law aims to break link between warming climate, food waste. The Organics Management Law brings big changes in the ways residents and businesses get rid of organic trash.

Washington is about to reform recycling. Revamping the state’s curbside recycling system and lowering garbage bills are part of the program. #recycling #recycle columbiainsight.org/washington-i...

Background - Here's our first story about the Quagga mussels written in October 2023: columbiainsight.org/eradicating-...

Idaho’s effort to eradicate the dreaded quagga mussel invader appears to have backfired, at a cost of $3 million. columbiainsight.org/quagga-fail-...

Here's an interesting opinion piece. When did the betrayal of wilderness programs really start?

Did you read this story by ‪@andyengelson.bsky.social‬ yet?

My story in @columbiainsight.bsky.social on forest collaboratives—quasi advisory groups to the Forest Service designed to get enviros and timber folks talking after the timber wars—covers collaboratives' current funding woes, why some enviros like collaboratives, and why some don't.

Game managers look for bighorn sheep spreading deadly disease. The bacteria causes a deadly pneumonia that has plagued bighorn herds across the West for decades. It's considered one of the biggest obstacles to bighorn populations rebounding across the region. columbiainsight.org/game-manager...

Gov. Ferguson orders investigation of WDFW commissioners following hunting group’s petition, leaked letters. An out-of-state group angry over the end of spring bear hunts says the commission is guilty of “politicking” and “backroom dealing”. columbiainsight.org/leaked-lette...

Divide and conquer: #Trump plan to stop #loggers and #environmentalists from talking. Administration seeks to eliminate #forest collaborative programs intended to ease tensions between #conservationists, timber industry, #USFS columbiainsight.org/divide-and-c...

The secret power of old growth. More than ever, as the Forest Service seeks to undo logging restrictions, we need to embrace the crucial way old-growth forests keep the planet healthy.

USDA proposes closing regional Forest Service offices in Portland. The agency’s Pacific Northwest Region Headquarters would be closed and the Pacific Northwest Research Station moved to Fort Collins, Colorado. columbiainsight.org/usda-propose...

A defunct Washington pulp mill is threatening nearby waterways with hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxins. #logging #timberindustry #toxins #environmentalprotection

How much does your state spend on wildlife? Not what you think. columbiainsight.org/how-much-doe...

Another "in case you missed it": I had fun writing about Lesser Goldfinches' range expansion in Northwest for @columbiainsight.bsky.social. Their huge increase in this region is probably due to a mix of climate change and land use factors. columbiainsight.org/why-a-new-ty...

Another huge fire in the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area. columbiainsight.org/town-of-lyle...

Pacific lampreys are an important food for many animals and are considered a First Food by multiple Pacific Northwest Tribes but this misunderstood fish faces challenges as conservation funding dries up and dams block their path. columbiainsight.org/pacific-lamp...

Pacific Seafood sued over aquaculture permit violations in #ColumbiaRiver. The company is fighting back, saying the plaintiffs’ claims are based on “inaccurate and grossly incomplete information” columbiainsight.org/pacific-seaf...

I had a wonderful time reporting on @critfc.bsky.social and others' efforts to protect Pacific lamprey. It was great getting out in the field to see this important conservation work in action. Read the story @columbiainsight.bsky.social: columbiainsight.org/pacific-lamp...

GOOD NEWS: Lead shot will be banned! RESULT! After years of campaigning, the use of toxic lead ammunition by the shooting industry will be banned. This is excellent news for people's health and for wildlife. Read the Defra press release here: wildjustice.org.uk/general/toxi...

SPECIAL REPORT: PNW hatcheries in danger of mass failure. Hatcheries face rising costs, crumbling infrastructure. For some the strain could be too much to keep operating. columbiainsight.org/pnw-hatcheri...

Will eastern #Oregon become a new hotbed of #geothermal energy? #BLM is auctioning land in Malheur County for geothermal development. #Sagebrush, #steppe and #grassland ecosystems are involved. columbiainsight.org/will-eastern...

Do you have lesser goldfinches in your backyard? This species has seen a remarkable range expansion into the Northwest in the last decade or so, and I wrote about it for @columbiainsight.bsky.social. 🪶 columbiainsight.org/why-a-new-ty...

Why a new type of bird is making its presence felt in the Pacific Northwest. New study takes deeper look at this expansion, shows northern edge of birds’ range has shifted about 260 mls in last 2 decades—driven by changes in climate and land use. columbiainsight.org/why-a-new-ty...

Guilt free sushi? ‘Lab-grown’ coho salmon debuts in #PortlandOregon restaurant. columbiainsight.org/lab-grown-co...

What would have been the largest sell-off of public lands in US history is on hold -- for now. In my latest article for @columbiainsight.bsky.social I look at how environmental groups in Washington and Oregon rallied to oppose Senator Lee's proposal: columbiainsight.org/plan-for-lar...

Plan for ‘largest sell-off of public lands in U.S. history’ rejected, but still not dead. After pushback, Utah Sen. Mike Lee has revised his proposal requiring the sale of Forest Service land to apply solely to BLM holdings. columbiainsight.org/plan-for-lar...

Coffin Butte Landfill in rural Oregon is already a problem. It doesn’t need to get bigger. Residents are pushing back against a garbage giant’s plan to expand a controversial landfill. columbiainsight.org/coffin-butte...

The Columbia River Gorge needs us right now. It's time to come together to defend it. Senator Wyden has a town hall on Sat 21 June at noon. Hood River Valley High School. tinyurl.com/3dtv9zyn

Trump breaks historic Columbia River deal between US, Tribes, Northwest states. Trump says he will withdraw U.S. government from 2023 deal made with Tribes and environmentalists to end lawsuits over fish losses. columbiainsight.org/trump-breaks...

Rowena Fire claims historic house, causes evacuation of animal shelter. Burning more than 3,500 acres in the Columbia River Gorge, the blaze continues to consume resources and Scenic Area land, columbiainsight.org/rowena-fire-...

In an effort to modernize and streamline how state officials allocate what’s left of Oregon’s ground and surface waters, lawmakers are considering a slate of bills meant to get resource agencies collaborating on permitting reform. columbiainsight.org/slate-of-bil...

Yes seriously - this is an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in the environmental issues of the Pacific Northwest and really make a difference. You'll be carrying on a 10 year legacy.

Oregon nonprofit heads to DC to fight firefighter consolidation plan. A proposed Federal Wildland Fire Service is receiving critical reviews from many in the firefighting community. columbiainsight.org/oregon-nonpr...

I have a new piece out in @columbiainsight.bsky.social. Let me know what you think.

Orphaned bobcats on the mend in central Oregon. columbiainsight.org/orphaned-bob...

Here’s what we stand to lose from #NOAA funding cuts. Lower catch limits for fish and compromised maritime safety are just some of the ways Trump’s proposed budget could weaken the #PacificNorthwest. columbiainsight.org/heres-what-w...

Wyoming-based energy company has received USFS approval to pipe natural gas through 18 miles of national forest. Proposed pipeline would cut through roadless area in Caribou-Targhee National Forest. columbiainsight.org/proposed-pip...

How long will the Olympic Peninsula tree-sit go on? columbiainsight.org/how-long-wil...

Repubs, Dems agree: Wetlands need urgent action. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at supporting wetlands habitat restoration across the entire Columbia River Basin and along the OR and WA coasts. columbiainsight.org/repubs-dems-...

Fatal big game illness hits Washington. So far Oregon has been spared, but, surrounded by states with the disease. Ashley Reeder, CWD coordinator #ODFW says the agency is moving forward under the assumption it will eventually make it to the Beaver State. columbiainsight.org/illness-fata...

A little dig into the archive - 9/24 - Transmission development is the biggest obstacle to renewable energy goals. The Bonneville Power Administration is moving on a major initiative columbiainsight.org/therenewable...

In the #BlueMountains - you’ll find OR's largest Wilderness, #EagleCapWilderness, N America’s deepest canyon, #HellsCanyon, largest intact #PacificNorthwest grassland (Zumwalt Prairie Preserve) + one of the longest free-flowing rivers in western US, #JohnDayRiver. columbiainsight.org/oregons-larg...

Federal government appears ready to roll back #salmon protections, shelve deal with Tribes. President #Biden promised to restore salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. President #Trump isn’t having it columbiainsight.org/federal-gove...

Killings of #wolves are on the rise in #Washington. Washington’s #wolf population is in decline for the first time since the species returned to the state. In southwestern Washington they’ve been wiped out. columbiainsight.org/human-killin...