Indigenous Affairs Native nations lead salmon restoration efforts in Columbia Basin The number of returning adult salmon and steelhead has doubled since the 1990s, but is still only halfway to the NWPCC’s goal of 5 million. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore + ICT / February 10, 2025
Environment Should WA’s foresters harvest timber or sell it for carbon credits? Small farmers and policy makers work to balance the environment and timber jobs as the emphasis shifts to preserving trees for carbon sequestration. by Ashli Blow / August 30, 2024 / Updated September 3, 2024
Environment King County’s landfill is scrambling to solve its methane problem Cedar Hills in Maple Valley is ranked among the top 50 methane-producing landfills in the country. But new science and policy breakthroughs could help. by Ashli Blow / August 1, 2024
Indigenous Affairs Cowlitz Tribe youth help lead this year’s First Salmon Ceremony “It’s what we do to thank the salmon for what they give,” said Lydia Hodges, 15, part of the new generation carrying on the sacred ritual. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore + ICT / June 24, 2024
Indigenous Affairs Yakama Nation’s new public safety campus gives justice room to grow The tribal court system, which had occupied a cluster of trailers since the ’50s, plans to add services like a mental health or a veterans court. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore News and ICT / January 9, 2024
Environment Are WA forests worth more as carbon sponges or timber harvests? ‘Working forests’ like state-run Tiger Mountain retain greenhouse gases — but logging is deeply entrenched in Northwest economies. by Ashli Blow / August 22, 2023 / Updated at 9:20 a.m. on Aug. 25
Equity Snoqualmie Tribe starts land protection sales tax at Salish Lodge The 2% tax will preserve ancestral sites such as Snoqualmie Falls, and could be a model for other Indigenous nations. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore/ICT / July 17, 2023
News The Washington mental health lifeline made for and by Native people The Native and Strong Lifeline provides connection and culturally specific care to callers in crisis. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Indian Country Today and Underscore News / June 19, 2023
Environment Washington’s first carbon auction sold pollution for $300 million Under the Climate Commitment Act, the money will go toward funding climate solutions and investing in communities that face environmental injustice. by Ashli Blow / March 16, 2023
Environment Rainier's largest glacier is melting. Here's what that means downstream Scientists are studying the evolution of Emmons Glacier and its implications on watersheds throughout the Pacific Northwest. by Ashli Blow / August 10, 2022