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...

On this day in 1963 the U.S. Clean Air Act became law. Reminded us of this Op-Ed piece from our archive. columbiainsight.org/mr-trumps-wa...

Bateman Causeway: Decades-old salmon barrier finally being removed. Tribes and conservationists cheer Corps of Engineers decision that brings closure to a hard-fought campaign on the Yakima River. This is a storywe have been watching since 2023. columbiainsight.org/bateman-caus...

The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled against state wildlife officials who tried to quietly weaken protections for migrating salmon. My latest in @columbiainsight.bsky.social on this attempted regulatory sleight-of-hand.

Walla Walla wants to know: Does forest ‘thinning’ work? About 12,000 acres near the town’s water supply will be logged in the name of safety. Critics say that’s just an excuse to cut down trees. columbiainsight.org/walla-walla-...

Oregon court invalidates stealth changes to fish passage rules. Ruling says ODFW violated public notice requirements when it redefined fish passages to include trap-and-haul methods. columbiainsight.org/oregon-court...

A story for #worldwildlifeconservationday - New bill seeks to dismember protections for endangered species. A push to strip the #EndangeredSpeciesAct pits survival against economic interests. More than 50 #PacificNorthwest species are at risk. columbiainsight.org/new-bill-see...

Environmental passion project documents new species in an Oregon County. The survey paints an ecological picture that’s hopeful and alarming, wondrous and worrisome. columbiainsight.org/environmenta...

OPINION: Building more roads in national forests won’t prevent wildfires. The administration wants the public to believe new roads and logging help prevent fires. In fact, they facilitate more. columbiainsight.org/building-mor...

On #givingtuesday help us get the word out! Our reporting doesn’t stop at our website — It’s republished by major regional + national outlets, reaching tens of thousands more readers. columbiainsight.org/donate/

STORY UPDATE: "Low Impact" certification app. for Wells Dam on the Columbia dropped. Maryalice Fischer (Certification Program Dir.) emailed 25+ govt, tribal and nonprofits LHIH would be dropping its dam certification evaluation. columbiainsight.org/should-this-...

Thank you for the shoutout @ianrosewrites.bsky.social

Should this dam on the Columbia River be certified ‘Low Impact’? Tribes, environmental groups and the state of Washington challenge Douglas County PUD’s bid for low impact certification for Wells Dam. columbiainsight.org/should-this-...

@columbiainsight.bsky.social has been tracking WA endangered western gray squirrels since '23. They face threats from logging, especially in the Gorge. New efforts are being undertaken to save their habitat, even as one timber lot goes up for auction today. columbiainsight.org/logging-proj...

Data Center Workgroup convened by WA Gov Ferguson set to release recommendations on industry's future on Dec. 1, Columbia Insight has gotten ahead of the story, exclusively reporting that the group will not recommend measures to require use of carbon-free energy. columbiainsight.org/wash-data-ce...

Banned since 1948, fish traps return to the #ColumbiaRiver. Can they catch hatchery #salmon while protecting wild, endangered species? columbiainsight.org/banned-since...

Your gift to @columbiainsight is matched up to 4X! 🌎 Support independent environmental journalism in the Columbia River Basin. Give now → columbiainsight.org/donate

Wildfire risk is making timberland less valuable. Rising wildfire risk and volatile timber pricing may lower forestland values by as much as 50%. columbiainsight.org/wildfire-ris...

Repeal of roadless rule could mean return of timber wars. Seventeen years ago, Idaho opted out of the national program. Could its foresight provide a template for compromise? columbiainsight.org/repeal-of-ro...

Super Hot Rocks could power data centers in central Oregon. Enhanced Geothermal Systems are breaking new ground. How deep can they go in the quest to satisfy AI? columbiainsight.org/super-hot-ro...

Is Washington's plan to protect 77,000 acres the state's "largest forest conservation action in a generation," or smoke and mirrors? I tackle the hard questions here: columbiainsight.org/wash-says-it... @wadnr.bsky.social

Columbia Insight has delivered news on environmental issues that affect the Pacific Northwest for over 10 years, powered by supporters like you. Now your gift to @columbiainsight is matched up to 4X! 🌎 Support independent environmental journalism. Give now → columbiainsight.org/donate

Washington says it will save 77,000 acres from logging. BUT Don’t applaud yet. Critics say the big plan amounts to “smoke and mirrors” and is “misleading”. columbiainsight.org/wash-says-it...

8 new Washington bee species have been identified. The unexpected finds in Chelan County have important implications for biodiversity and knowledge about expanding ranges. 6 of the 8 bees are pollinators. columbiainsight.org/8-new-washin...