Remnants of red dye released to help check shellfish health on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022 in Oak Harbor, Washington. (Penn Cove Shellfish)

Local News

Follow that plume: Scientists dye Whidbey waters to protect shellfish

Red dye was released from the Oak Harbor wastewater treatment plant on Monday for a study on shellfish…

Casey Katims (U.S. Climate Alliance)

Local News

Edmonds native directs U.S. Climate Alliance

In a fight to reduce greenhouse gases, Casey Katims and staff draw a roadmap for the national organization.

U.S. 2 remains closed east of Gold Bar due to the Bolt Creek fire Monday morning near Index, Washington on Sept. 12, 2022. (Kevin Clark / The Herald

Local News

Bolt Creek wildfire stalls at nearly 8,000 acres, 2 percent contained

Shifting winds and rain showers will likely lower the risk for homes in Index. Rocks have toppled on…

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. Highway 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Local News

Bolt Creek wildfire grows to nearly 8,000 acres; US 2 closed indefinitely

Evacuation orders remained in place. Only 50% of residents asked to leave had gone, according to the sheriff’s…

State Trooper Isaiah Oliver speaks to a BNSF worker at mile marker 31.7 as road closures and evacuations mount in response to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Local News

Bolt Creek wildfire explodes to over 3,000 acres, prompts US 2 evacuations

Evacuations were mandatory from Index to Skykomish. In 12 hours, it grew to an estimated 3,000 to 5,000…

Cars drive along a smokey Mountain Loop Highway on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022 in Granite Falls, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Local News

Wildfires flood Western Washington with smoky skies

Air quality in Darrington was ranked the worst in the state Friday. Most of the region was in…

Logo for news use featuring Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. 220118

Local News

Whidbey Island waters to be dyed red for shellfish study

The study will help scientists evaluate the affects of a sewage spill on shellfish safety.

Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin along side land located in north Darrington that could potentially be used to build a 30-acre Wood Innovation Center, which will house CLT manufacturing and modular building companies on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2020 in Darrington, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Opinion

Comment: Darrington leading way in climate-saving technology

The timber town’s embrace of cross-laminated timber can reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.

A helicopter drops water on one of three wildfires burning east of Darrington. (Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest - US Forest Service)

Local News

Wildfires grow east of Darrington, closing trails ahead of Labor Day

Several thousand acres in the Cascades — over 180 near Darrington — were burning this week as a…

The map shows the location of three wildfires burning in remote forested areas northeast of Darrington. (Washington State Department of Natural Resources)

Local News

Trails close as 3 wildfires burn on slopes northeast of Darrington

There was no immediate threat to populated areas. Multiple trailheads and campgrounds have been closed for public safety.

Egyptian grasshopper (Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Local News

Egyptian grasshopper, a nonnative insect, spotted in Everett

The public is asked to report any other sightings. The grasshopper can grow nearly 3 inches long and…

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Local News

State’s new Clean Fuel Standard takes aim at climate-changing pollution

As drafted, the standard seeks to improve air quality in high-pollution neighborhoods. Deadline to comment on them is…

The Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, aerial photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard shows a diesel spill off the west coast of Washington state's San Juan Island after a 49-foot (15-meter) fishing vessel sank with an estimated 2,600 gallons (9,854 liters) of fuel on board. A Good Samaritan rescued all five crew members on the Aleutian Isle as the vessel was sinking near Sunset Point, the Coast Guard's 13th District Pacific Northwest district in Seattle and KIRO-TV reported. (U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

Northwest

Coast Guard responds to small oil spill near San Juan Island

A Good Samaritan rescued all crew members on the Aleutian Isle as the vessel was sinking Saturday.

Teresa Reynolds sits exhausted as members of her community clean the debris from their flood ravaged homes at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Opinion

Editorial: How many billion-dollar disasters will it take?

A tally of climate disasters shows an ever-increasing toll of costs and lives. Congress must act.

Forest ranger Justin Sundstrom looks over a newly reported broken rail at the Ice Cave trail Saturday morning near Granite Falls, Washington on July 23, 2022. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Local News

On Mountain Loop, crew of 5 rangers covers a mountain range of work

Ranger Justin Sundstrom spends his days patroling for illegal shooting, picking up trash — and exploring a slice…

A gray whale has lingered around Possession Sound in July 2022. (Sara Montour Lewis / Our Wild Puget Sound)

Local News

Scientists: Gray whale spotted at Mukilteo waterfront was a newcomer

The whale has lingered around Possession Sound. It’s unclear if it will join a group of regular visitors…

Ian Terry / The Herald

From a research boat on Wednesday, Oct. 12, Tulalips Tribes treaty rights commissioner Terry Williams points out a steep hillside near Mission Beach that has been gradually eroding for years.

Photo taken on 10122016

Local News

Terry Williams, Tulalip’s ‘champion of climate issues,’ dies at 74

The bolo tie-wearing elder shaped state and national environmental policy. He was both soft-spoken and a powerful advocate.

Two EV charging stations are unveiled at a ribbon cutting outside of PUD headquarters on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Local News

PUD fast-charging EV stations in Everett ready for drivers

A state grant with money from the Volkswagen emissions cheating settlement helped fund the the project.

Remis Jankauskas, left, and Trent Pickford of CM Heating move a heat pump into place while working on a home’s HVAC system Friday, July 15, 2022, in Woodinville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Local News

Climate change prompts a push away from natural gas

What’s an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Heat pumps, advocates say. And new building codes could…

Workers install two new EV charging stations along California Street on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at the PUD headquarters in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Local News

Public electric vehicle chargers come to downtown Everett

They’re the first Level 3 chargers in north Everett and the Snohomish County PUD’s first for public use.…