Photo credit: William Drumm

Entering Mount Rainier National Park I am automatically drawn to the White River; its braided, meandering channels flowing down from Emmons Glacier, sweeping through old growth forest, and Mount Rainier towering above, is a sight of true beauty. As I sat and admired the river, I couldn’t help but ponder its pristine state and the natural habitat it must provide for spawning salmon. This is what a healthy river looks like, I thought to myself, there must be salmon here. In truth, the answer is not as straightforward as I thought.

First the good news: In a recent report, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) concluded that over a 10-year period the White River showed a trend of increasing abundance among Puget Sound Chinook salmon populations. Furthermore, White River salmon populations have some of the highest escapement trends observed; meaning a high portion of salmon escape the commercial and recreational fisheries and reach the White River freshwater spawning grounds. Great, right?

Now the bad news: though abundance trends are increasing, the average historical abundance of Upper White River Chinook was 6,700, today they are estimated at only 500. The White River is a tributary of the Puyallup River, which is heavily diked, leveed, and dammed. White River salmon need to swim up (or as in most cases, be caught and then trucked up) the Puyallup before they start their journey to spawn upstream in the White River. So, how are Puyallup River salmon doing? The answer: Not so good. Moreover, Puget Sound salmon are not doing well either. The overall trend shows that Puget Sound Chinook populations are no better than they were 10 years ago when they were first listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The driving force behind this lack of improvement: habitat loss. In Puget Sound natural habitat is being developed and altered more often than it is restored. Not only can fish not access upper river reaches because of dams and other barriers, but if they get there they find a river no longer in its natural state due to levees and dikes.

Recently, Federal Judge James Redden rejected (for the third time) the federal government’s recovery plan for the Columbia-Snake River salmon, stating it as “arbitrary and capricious” because it failed to identify adequate habitat improvement.  A similar plan in Puget Sound is being implemented to limit floodplain development and reform the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) minimum criteria for eligibility in 122 communities by September 2011. But is all this going to be enough?

Probably not. Though these plans all take into account future development, they do very little to fix past mistakes. In “Is Salmon Extinction the Option” Tom Bancroft comments, “we need the federal government to recognize that their plans for salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest are lacking.” As Billy Frank puts it, “If we are going to recover salmon, we must have stronger and better-coordinated federal leadership to align the policies and actions of all federal agencies and departments that impact salmon.”

What can you do? We all need to work to protect the future of our iconic salmon species. Limiting the impact of development is critical in any highly-urbanized watershed.  Incorporate green development ideas into your next home improvement project and if possible leave previously undeveloped areas undisturbed.

Take action: speak up for endangered salmon by telling your local representative or urging the Obama administration that healthy native habitats and endangered salmon recovery is important to you.

Learn more about NWF campaigns for Puget Sound NFIP reform and salmon restoration and Columbia-Snake River salmon.

Inspiration for post comes from ”Is Salmon Extinction the Option” by Tom Bancroft of People for Puget Sound.

This event is the perfect opportunity for families who have never been camping before to experience the joys of being outside- and this year did not disappoint. Campers learned an array of skills from how to put up a tent and what equipment is necessary when camping outside, to different outdoor activities and cooking on a campfire.

NWF Pacific Regional Staff, partnered with REI and KOA, to host 6 different Great American Backyard Campout locations.  Here are some highlights from each event:

On a sunny day at Redmond’s Farrel-McWhirter park, 65 family campers came together to play, walk trails, BBQ, and visit the farm animals on site.  Kids colored animal masks at the NWF table and ran around chasing each other making animals noises. After dinner the s’more making began, everyone lined up with their sticks waiting for a turn to roast their marshmallows. Families appreciated the opportunity to borrow REI equipment to take their kids camping in a calm and safe environment.

The beach-side event at Silver Lake Park in Mill Creek was a sellout with 141 campers. Activities included classes on Dutch oven cooking, Leave No Trace Behind, and camping safety, as well as night sky viewing through telescopes, pancake breakfast, and canoe and kayaking opportunities. At an NWF table campers were introduced to NWF’s Nature Find website and were excited to learn about more opportunities for hiking and camping in their area. Many families expressed making the Great American Backyard Campout a yearly tradition.

Outside of the Tacoma REI store almost 400 people stopped by activity stations.   NWF helped kids create animal masks, and shared Frisbees and NWF magazines while REI did Leave No Trace and camp food demonstrations. Also, the Tacoma Metro Park and the Natural Resources Youth Camp had tables with activities.

Over  100 families and volunteers participated at three different parks around the Spokane Valley. The NWF Frisbees were a real hit and started flying that afternoon until the campfire beckoned them over to roast marshmallows for s’mores.   The Great American Backyard Campout was a delight for all, and when one young girl who had a strong dislike to bugs exclaimed “Bugs aren’t so bad because nature is where they live and do good!” everyone smiled and sighed with joy knowing that this experience had made a real difference.

Didn’t get to make it to the Campout this year? Don’t worry Hike and Seek is coming up! This event will be held on September 17 in Seward Park, Seattle and is basically a cross between a 2 mile hike and scavenger hunt.

Threatened Chiricahua leopard frog (Rana chiricahuensis), Sycamore Canyon, Arizona. Photo: Jim Rorabaugh/USFWS

Picture yourself taking a beautiful spring hike. As you walk, you notice a clearing and decide to sit down under a small opening of trees, looking out over wildflowers, grasses, and rich pools of standing water. You take in a deep breath and appreciate the solitude and silence. You glance down and notice a small frog watching you before darting away. Your gaze turns toward the water’s edge where you notice several little fishes swimming in-between the reeds. You look up and see a wading bird fishing in the water with dragonflies fluttering all around.  You reflect on how full of life this land really is and realize now, you are not really alone, but where are you?

This place you are in is a wetland, some of the most biologically diverse and ecologically productive systems in the world. Wetlands encompass many different natural environments; from upland springs and raging rivers, to lower catchment marshes, floodplains, lakes, and estuaries. In their natural state wetlands:

• Provide wildlife habitat and diversity,
• Prevent from floods,
• Shelter coasts from hurricanes and storms,
• Protect the quality of water,
• Serve as water storage.

Unfortunately, over 20 million acres of U.S. wetlands are without protection, or are currently in danger of losing their protections.  What does that mean for the species that depend of wetlands for their survival? They are disappearing.

Here are few species that you may have seen on your walk who are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

1. Chiricahua Leopard frog (Rana chiricahuensis) is a medium sized, stout bodied frog with green-brown skin, many spots on its back, and pale yellow to white skin below. It can be distinguished by its strange snoring sound when it wants attention. Once found in more than 400 aquatic ecosystems in the Southwest, the frog is now found at fewer than 80. Since these frogs need permanent water for reproduction the conversion of wetlands to agriculture has been very harmful to their population.

2. Wood stork (Mycteria americana) is one of the largest wading birds and can measure over 3 ft. tall and have a wingspan of about 5 ft. This stork can be found from South America to the Southern US. They have adapted an interesting way to fish by feel; while wading in shallow water they submerge their bill, when a fish comes along it quickly snaps shut. The wood stork was listed as an endangered species in 1984 and because of wetland habitat loss their numbers do not seem to be recuperating.

3. Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in their beginning life stages stop in estuaries to feed, grow and adjust to salt water. Chinook populations in Puget Sound, WA have declined 18-90% since the 1960’s and one major cause is the destruction of wetlands and estuaries. Puget Sound has lost more than 70% of its tidal wetlands to filling, dredging and diking- all crucial areas for developing young Chinook salmon.

4. Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana) measures about 2.5 inches and has a wingspan of about 3.3 inches; it has bright emerald-green eyes and a metallic green body, with yellow stripes on its sides. Hine’s emerald dragonfly are important link in the food chain by being a key food source for larger aquatic animals such as fish and catching smaller flying insects like mosquitoes, biting flies, and gnats. The Hine’s emerald dragonfly’s greatest threat is the loss of wetland habitat they depend on for survival.

Bonus Species: River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) though not endangered depend on wetland for shelter, food, and places for enrichment and play.

Without the protections afforded by the Clean Water Act, crucial wetland habitats for otters and other wetland species can be destroyed. Help protect these species by sending a message to the Obama administration urging them to follow through and restore these Clean Water Act protections.

In fact, toxic stormwater runoff is the number one source of pollution to Puget Sound. Compounding the problem, climate change is projected to bring more intense rainstorms and even more floods to the region, increasing the risk to residents.

So how is Seattle handling the problem? Green Infrastructure.

A street-side swale and adjacent pervious concrete sidewalk in Seattle, WA helps decrease stormwater runoff. Photo: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Green infrastructure is a loose term that can refer to wide range of landscape sizes and settings. Essentially, it encourages restoring natural areas to cleanse stormwater, improve water quality, and control floodwaters. In doing this, communities are also creating wildlife habitat and opportunities for outdoor recreation.

For the home gardener, green infrastructure could mean simple things such as planting trees and tree boxes; or getting a little more complex with methods such as:

• Permeable paving
• Roof gardens
• Rain water collection systems
• Rain gardens
• Green walls

In Seattle, green infrastructure is popping up everywhere; in part, because there are many programs to support the local green gardener.

Seattle Public Utilities has created RainWise, a program for managing rainwater at home. The website offers solutions and step-by-step processes for controlling stormwater, links to other local projects, a vendor directory of certified RainWise contractors, and information on receiving rebates if you live in a targeted sewer overflow basin.

Washington State University and Stewardship Partners have teamed up to create the 12,000 Rain Gardens campaign.  The goal of this program is to filter 160 million gallons of polluted runoff by helping install 12,000 rain gardens in Puget Sound by 2016. You can find everything you need on their website — including a rain garden handbook, YouTube videos, and local workshops.

Incorporating these green infrastructure techniques in your garden is a great first step in certifying your yard as a wildlife habitat. As a small incentive, May is Garden for Wildlife Month and as a special offer, when you certify your yard any time this month, NWF will plant a tree on your behalf.

So get out there. You have nothing to lose — beautify your garden, improve the environment, and create habitat for wildlife simultaneously!

Sunday night at 4 AM, I was awoken by a shrill buzzing noise. My flooding alarm in my basement was going off. Reluctantly, I went downstairs to find about a foot of standing water on my basement floor.

 In the first three weeks of March, we have seen double the amount of normal rainfall (3.6 inches vs. 1.7 inches). There have been 19 days with precipitation and 6 significant storm events. Let’s just say, it is extremely wet in Washington right now.

Unfortunately, daily precipitation is only amplified as a result of global warming, therefore increasing the risk of floods. This change in precipitation events, coupled with inappropriate development in floodplains, is starting to carry serious consequences for Washington State. Since 1990, flooding has been blamed for 71 deaths in Washington State, Interstate 5 has been closed 4 times, and over 1,000 homes have flooded repeatedly.

Once floodplain areas are filled by development, the height of floodwaters rises, spreading the risk of flooding to larger land areas. What does this mean for homeowners? There is a one-in-four chance of a property in the 100-year floodplain being damaged by flooding over the 30-year life of a standard mortgage (compared to 1% chance of fire damage).  With increasingly severe storms due to global warming, if you live near a floodplain, your risk for flooding is now increased.

What many taxpayers don’t know is they are actually paying for these losses whether their home is affected by flooding or not. Seventy percent of Washington taxpayers who don’t experience floods are paying for the preventable damage of the other 30% of the state that does flood. In Puget Sound alone, there have been 14 federally declared flood disasters since 1990, totaling more than $1.4 billion in damage costs.

Originally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), was created to get people out of harm’s way by limiting development in floodplains. In reality, by making insurance widely available, FEMA has been subsidizing and essentially encouraging development in these high risk areas. Unfortunately, money out of our pocketbooks is not the only thing we are losing.

The Pacific Northwest takes great pride in claiming salmon and orca as an iconic species for the region. Floodplains are among the most biologically diverse and productive areas, providing critical habitat for these species.  In 2008, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a scientific and legal finding (called a Biological Opinion, or BiOp) that FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is contributing to the extinction of salmon and orca in the Puget Sound.

Now, 122 Puget Sound communities will have until September 2011 to bring their floodplain management regulations in line with NMFS’s BiOp. Changes to floodplain mapping, local building codes, and other modifications may be required for these communities to remain eligible for federal flood insurance. Some neighborhoods have already started planning and implementing changes; others however, are a little more hesitant or are only now starting to think about it.

Preventing new inappropriate development in floodplain areas through BiOp implementation is only the beginning. We need to work together to fix existing floodplain management problems, restore natural floodplain functions and habitat, and encourage low impact development techniques. We all must act to reduce the affects of flooding, because no one wants their house (or basement) flooded, including me.

Stay informed on important floodplains issues and solutions by visiting the National Wildlife Federation’s Pacific Regional Center website.

As a volunteer at the event, I had to get from Seattle to Olympia especially early, and admittedly was a little weary when I arrived. My district meeting was not until noon and I already knew the environmental priorities pretty well, so I started to mingle. I met people from all over the state — young and old, students, members of conservation groups — all excited to use the power of persuasion on their legislators. Standing in a sea of green scarves, the enthusiasm and anticipation became contagious.

Citizen activists get ready to meet their legislators at Lobby Day in Olympia, Washington.

When it was time for my district meeting, I was greeted by twenty other 46^th district constituents. I was amazed that in my district alone, twenty people drove or bused the sixty miles on a weekday to rally for the environment. We reviewed the four environmental priorities and discussed the major points we wanted to stress. Common themes, including the “polluters pay” principle, restoring Puget Sound, public health, and creating a cleaner Pacific Northwest for our children, were expressed throughout the group and became the focus of our impending debate.

As I walked up the Capitol steps — armed with information from the Environmental Priorities Coalition and backed by my district neighbors — I was ready to take my legislators head-on. But contrary to my expectations, I didn’t need to spend much time making my case, as I learned that my all of my legislators were supportive of the environmental priorities.

In the end, I took away a newfound sense of pride for my local community knowing that I have neighbors who hold the same value in our environment, and policymakers at the Capitol to support those values. I also learned about the power of lobbying to influence legislation and as a tool for change. I want to thank People for Puget Sound for organizing such a great event — I will definitely be attending next year.

Learn more about how YOU can create positive change that helps protect wildlife, natural places and our children’s future by sharing important information with legislators and others in your community.

Stormwater runoff pollutes our waters (Credit: Flickr / Chesapeake Bay Program)

As a new volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium, I am just as amazed and curious as the everyday visitor and always full of questions. Walking into my shift this week was no exception, and I couldn’t help but notice how murky and full of sediment our exhibits were. I promptly asked my shift leader what was going on.

She started to explain, “Our pumps are an open system with the Puget Sound, and when there’s a heavy rain, large amounts of stormwater runs off, polluting the Sound and therefore our exhibits. “

“Gross, so this is what the Sound looks like under the surface,” I responded.

“Probably worse,” she commented as she frowned and walked away.

I really didn’t put much more thought into this and started moving toward my assigned position at the Harbor Seal exhibit. As I walked between Pier 59 and 60, admiring the beautiful views of Alki Beach and the Olympic Mountains, I looked down and was taken aback by the murky waters that Elliott Bay had transformed into, seemingly overnight.

Stormwater runoff is created when rain flows off developed land into nearby streams, rivers, and in Seattle, into Puget Sound.  Piped through drainage systems and streaming along streets, it becomes a contaminated stew, picking up oil, grease, heavy metals, household chemicals, pesticides, bacteria, and other filth. In fact, stormwater runoff from our roads and urban areas carries 75% of the toxic chemicals entering Puget Sound, and is the number one water pollution problem in the state.

Most people understand that development causes runoff, and runoff causes pollution. But because storm drains typically empty underwater, we don’t see the pollution dumping into our local waters. Unlike smokestacks that pump out a scary black plume, it’s more difficult to connect our everyday actions – driving, lawn care, cleaning roof gutters, pet waste, garbage disposal, construction, farming, and paving – to runoff pollution.

Rampant development in floodplains has contributed to this problem because floodplains naturally help manage and cleanse stormwater. High runoff flows can cause flooding, damage property, and destroy habitat. By restoring floodplain functions, it will improve water quality and help to restore Puget Sound.

Usually, all we get to see of the Puget Sound is the surface water, but while looking at the aquarium exhibits that day, I got a small glimpse of what it might be like to live in Puget Sound. While watching the rains subside and the surface waters of Elliot Bay go back to blue throughout the day, I thought about how easy it is to forget that under the surface, a dark stream of polluted runoff empties into the Sound every time it rains.

We all have a responsibility to keep our waters clean for wildlife and people.  At home there are many simple ways to cut down on polluted runoff:

• wash your car at a designated carwash,
• don’t ever dump anything down the stormdrain,
• maintain your car or truck,
• cut down on fertilizers,
• plant more native drought-resistant plants,
• pick up after your pets

If we all make a little change in our daily lives it can result in a huge positive impact on our iconic waters of the Pacific Northwest.

If you would like to learn more about how to reduce stormwater runoff pollution, visit the King County stormwater services or the Puget Sound Partnership websites. Furthermore, to find out what action is being taken locally check out the Environmental Priorities Coalition 2011 Clean Water Jobs Act or National Wildlife Federation Pacific Regional Center Floodplains websites.