habitat restoration

Lindsay Chiono, wildlife habitat ecologist for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), does some seasonal maintenance, or spring cleaning, on one of the 180 total artificial nesting structures for burrowing owls at the Umatilla Chemical Depot on March 24.

Ecologists help burrowing owls at former chemical weapons depot

Courtney Flatt

Biologists and technicians help burrowing owls get their underground homes ready for the season at the site of the decommissioned Umatilla Chemical Depot in Oregon.

Puget blue butterfly in Johnson Prairie, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Environment

Butterfly populations have declined, but ecologists say they're resilient

Bellamy Pailthorp

A comprehensive study of U.S. butterfly populations shows dramatic declines in most species, but Pacific Northwest ecologists say swift recoveries are possible.

The golden paintbrush, a bright yellow flower found in Oregon and Washington, no longer needs federal protections.

Environment

A blossoming success: federal protections removed for a once-threatened NW prairie flower

Courtney Flatt

A once-rare flowering prairie plant has recovered enough in Washington and Oregon to be removed from the federal Endangered Species List.

Environment

After the dams: Restoring the Klamath River will take billions of native seeds

Juliet Grable

Restoration contractor Resource Environmental Solutions and area tribes will plant up to 19 billion native seeds as the Klamath Dams come out and reservoirs are drained.

Port of Everett and its partners are nearly done with restoration work on 353 acres of estuary at Blue Heron Slough, located in Snohomish County between Everett and Marysville.

Environment

Port of Everett unveils Blue Heron Slough - one of the region’s largest estuary restorations

Bellamy Pailthorp

Earlier this month, the Port of Everett and Tulalip Tribes celebrated the return of 353 acres of estuary near the mouth of the Snohomish River. Blue Heron Slough will be fully restored in the coming weeks when a final dike is breached and the tides flow in. It will be the first time in 100 years that the land is reconnected to Puget Sound.

Environment

Partnership Aims to Improve Green-Duwamish River Watershed

Bellamy Pailthorp

A local watershed is the first in the Northwest to participate in a federal program that aims to connect people with their waterways. As of today, the…

Environment

Critical habitat for spotted owl still vulnerable, groups say

Bellamy Pailthorp

Dozens of prominent environmental groups including the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth are asking President Obama for help protecting old-growth…

The highly adaptable barred owl has moved in from points east and pushed out the endangered northern spotted owl. Lethal and non-lethal removals are part of the new spotted owl recovery plan announced by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Environment

Spotted owl recovery plan: more active forestry management...and shooting rivals

Bellamy Pailthorp

In the long saga to protect the northern spotted owl, it's now officially "owl vs owl."US Fish and Wildlife says the decline of the iconic northwest…

This marijuana grow site was discovered in Ross Lake National Recreation Area, in North Cascades National Park, in 2008. Many more have been found in the Northwest's national forests, including Oregon's biggest ever last summer, in Wallowa County.

Environment

Pot plantations laying waste to national forests

Bellamy Pailthorp

With its delicate, bright-green leaves, it’s a beautiful plant to look at.And its medicinal qualities are well-known, but it requires huge amounts of…

Environment

Loggers and tree huggers united: feds rewarding cooperation in U.S. National Forests

Bellamy Pailthorp

Restoration projects in Eastern Washington’s Colville National Forest are a model for the nation; that was the word from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom…