My latest for @columbiainsight.bsky.social: A Skamania County commissioner wants mile-wide fuel breaks in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The breaks are being proposed not just for fire safety, but to funnel timber revenue into the county's struggling budget.

Skamania County commissioner wants mile-wide fuel breaks in Gifford Pinchot. The plan to widen cuts along roads in the national forest would redirect federal timber revenue to county coffers. columbiainsight.org/skamania-cou...

Pest prompts emergency for pear growers in #HoodRiverValley. Financially struggling orchardists face an insect that covers trees in goo and ruins fruit. columbiainsight.org/pest-prompts...

Another great story by @andyengelson.bsky.social. Threats to the survival of orchardists already include soaring land costs, an unpredictable labor market, consolidation of the packing, distribution and supermarket industry and climate change.

USFS bans commercial huckleberry picking in Gifford Pinchot for 2026. “The decision reflects the Forest’s commitment to tribal treaty rights and trust responsibility, ecological recovery, and a long-term management approach built on genuine collaboration and long-term sustainability,” said USFS.

Feds could approve new #datacenters even if states don’t want them. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission signals hunger for coming legal fight with local authorities. New proposals have some state regulators bristling. columbiainsight.org/feds-could-a...

A thirsty atmosphere is amplifying effects of a warm winter leading to new understanding of drought. High temps drove the PNW into one of worst snow droughts in recent memory. Most places were too warm for snow to fall, and where it fell, it melted prematurely. columbiainsight.org/could-summer...

At Columbia Insight every day is Earth Day. But today, Columbia Insight is celebrating the environmental warriors who devote their time, energy, and expertise to protecting our clean air, water, and natural resources.

Washington’s last coal-fired plant still in limbo. The feds want to burn coal, the state doesn’t, the facility’s owners are caught in the middle ... columbiainsight.org/washingtons-...

Study: Wolves return might impact ecosystems less than previously thought. Predator effects on habitat are real but context-dependent. How do they apply in the Columbia River Basin? columbiainsight.org/wolves-retur...

The Trump administration wants to cut $400 million from Hanford’s 2027 cleanup budget. Scrambling to fund military campaigns, Trump proposes slackening eforts to address radiation dangers. columbiainsight.org/feds-want-to...

Thanks @ianrosewrites.bsky.social

Your story for #LocalNewsDay - Houses built on rare wetlands? In Idaho it could happen. A decade-long fight to preserve one of the state’s last pristine wetland habitats is picking up steam. columbiainsight.org/houses-built...

We are excited to share the launch of #LocalNewsDay, a new nationwide day of action happening April 9, 2026, dedicated to connecting communities with trusted local news and information. Visit localnewsday.org to explore the campaign and participating newsrooms. @localnewsday.bsky.social

Friends of the Columbia Gorge names new executive director. It’s a turbulent time for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Now, a new figure is arriving on the scene to address the Gorge’s most pressing issues. columbiainsight.org/friends-of-t...

Trump wants to log old growth. Two brothers are to out stop him. BLM calls Oregon’s Valley of the Giants an “Outstanding Natural Area.” Also an “Area of Critical Environmental Concern.” Now it's being reconsidered to increase sustained yield of timber harvest. columbiainsight.org/trump-wants-...

Amazon to pay $20.5 m settlement over Oregon nitrate pollution. Company officials chose to settle early with plaintiffs to avoid lengthy legal battle and to “focus our time and resources on supporting the community rather than on litigation,” said spokesperson. columbiainsight.org/amazon-to-pa...

New gas pipelines in the Columbia River Gorge could directly supply data centers. An Oklahoma company wants to expand its natural gas network in WA as tech companies turn to fossil fuels to power AI. columbiainsight.org/new-gas-pipe...

New dam could imperil one of Washington’s last unobstructed rivers. The #chinook salmon could be a casualty of a flood-control plan. columbiainsight.org/a-new-dam-co...

Opposition to data centers is growing. How far can it go? As big tech eyes public lands in its quest for power, public opinion is souring. Bill that called for transfering 150 acres from Mt. Hood National Forest to The Dalles City made no mention of data centers. columbiainsight.org/opposition-t...

Oregon DEQ issues largest fine for pollutants in agency history. State finds the owners of Coffin Butte Landfill “failed to monitor, capture and control landfill gas emissions”. columbiainsight.org/oregon-deq-i...

Oregon finds a new way to fund wildlife conservation—tax tourists. The state will increase its lodging tax to support wildlife and pay ranchers for wolf kills. columbiainsight.org/oregon-finds...

A California winemaker is fighting to roll back #ColumbiaRiverGorge protections. And winning. A battle between conservation and commerce is underway in the National Scenic Area. At stake is the Gorge’s future. columbiainsight.org/a-california...

In a challenge to federal withdrawal from cooperative deal, court orders emergency measures to protect #salmon and #steelhead. The decision affects 8 lower Columbia and Snake River dams. columbiainsight.org/court-orders...

OPINION: Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Commission is being judged by flawed assumptions. The governor’s office and WDFW continue to rely on a flawed and biased narrative that blames the commission—while ignoring the real sources of instability. columbiainsight.org/washingtons-...

Can we engineer a way out of water shortages and a looming agricultural crisis? As drought fears mount, a team in Idaho proposes a subterranean dam. columbiainsight.org/as-drought-f...

President Trump says he’ll deploy “God Squad” to override species protections. OSU prof calls plan “insanity”. More than 10 times current levels. The BLM indicated it could return three-quarters of federal forest acreage in Oregon to 1960s harvest levels. columbiainsight.org/feds-propose...

If you love unspoiled places on the WA side of the Columbia Gorge, you might have Pat Arnold to thank. For more than 3 decades, she has had a voice, if not a hand, in just about every major conservation debate in the region. Watch video to get inspired! columbiainsight.org/the-conscien...

A Forest Service plan to conduct a woodlands burn in a remote corner of Nevada is raising alarm. Bull trout are caught up in a forest thinning row. columbiainsight.org/bull-trout-c...

It’s easy to take Oregon’s natural spaces and spectacular vistas for granted. But a big reason Oregon looks like Oregon is the state’s unique land use laws. Now those laws are under attack. columbiainsight.org/the-law-that...

There's a controversy in the NW corner of Washington where community members are challenging a petroleum export giant over port operations and their impact on local habitat. columbiainsight.org/on-washingto...

Hanford on the Columbia River in Wash. begins transfer of extremely radioactive material.This massive project is a top priority for Washington and integral to cleaning up the nuclear reserve. columbiainsight.org/hanford-begi...

Why the Forest Service is examining its ban on commercial huckleberry picking. Commercial harvesting was eliminated for 2025. Will the ban be extended in 2026? Gifford Pinchot National Forest wants to gauge public sentiment regarding how well the 2025 ban worked. columbiainsight.org/why-the-fore...

Major Gorge energy development gets fed go-ahead. Yakama Nation leaders continue to oppose pumped hydropower storage project in Klickitat County. Hotly contested Goldendale Energy Storage Project has been awarded key 40-year construction and operations license. columbiainsight.org/major-gorge-...

Chuck Sams on ‘biggest tragedy’ of Trump’s gutting of National Park Service. The former park service director says cuts to agency staff threaten to break emotional bonds Americans have with public land. columbiainsight.org/chuck-sams-o...

Why WDFW is bringing eDNA project to WA rivers. WA state has embarked on a wide-ranging study to catalogue all native, freshwater aquatic species found in all the states rivers and major drainages. columbiainsight.org/why-wdfw-is-...

Climate change is killing this PNW tree. In Europe they want to plant it. Western redcedars are declining at home, but they’re climate change winners in Central Europe. Starting in 2017 western redcedar trees in OR and WA started dying off in record numbers. columbiainsight.org/climate-chan...

Trump kiboshed #salmon recovery deal. Can this plan fill the gap? Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s latest fish program allocates $300 million per year on salmon recovery. columbiainsight.org/trump-kibosh...

Columbia River Gorge commissioner sounds alarm about Scenic Area’s future, resigns. Longtime Gorge advocate Robert Liberty warns “attacks from development interests and ideologues” could degrade the area forever. columbiainsight.org/gorge-commis...

Trump kiboshed salmon recovery deal. Can this plan fill the gap? Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s latest fish program allocates $300 million per year on salmon recovery. columbiainsight.org/trump-kibosh...

New award for innovators. The Schnitzer Prize of the West, launched by the High Desert Museum, Bend, OR and Jordan D. Schnitzer offers $50,000 for individuals and small groups responding to urgent environmental issues. highdesertmuseum.org/schnitzer-pr...

Where are all the young environmentalists? The “gloom” of the political climate has forced youth-oriented conservation organizations to change tactics. columbiainsight.org/where-are-al...

UPDATE: Wood biomass project in Wash. put on hold. Work appears to have stalled on a proposed Columbia River wood biomass energy export project, which Columbia Insight reported on in February 2024. Longview residents hope it,s permanent. columbiainsight.org/wood-biomass...

Great story by Nick Engelfried who is now a contributing editor for @columbiainsight.bsky.social

Here’s how December’s floods will impact the environment. Two centuries of land management have created a landscape maladapted to severe weather events. This months floods will affecting everything from salmon to oyster fisheries. columbiainsight.org/heres-how-de...

Another Washington logging project, another endangered species put in jeopardy: columbiainsight.org/logging-proj...

Up here on the Olympic Peninsula, “really, really deep snowpack deficits” means water restrictions or maybe even water shortages next summer during drought season. Our water supply comes from the Elwha River, and some of that water comes from glacier and snow melt. Some glaciers have melted. Tone.

Been feeling the heat this fall? You're right - the Northwest just finished warmest fall on record. All of Oregon and most of southern Washington are seeing “really, really deep snowpack deficits”. columbiainsight.org/northwest-ju...

We've had a busy year! Let's sum it up. 10 biggest environmental stories of 2025: The federal government launched its War on Nature. Nature soldiered on... columbiainsight.org/10-biggest-e...

A first-of-its-kind survey will improve management of beavers and riparian ecosystems in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. Beavers are a keystone species that provide essential hydrologic engineering to ecosystems across the US. columbiainsight.org/whatare-beav...