Trains carrying garbage from Hawaii would pass under Cape Horn. Photo by Aubrey Russell

UPDATE: The Oregonian reports that a federal judge in Spokane has blocked the garbage shipments until the end of August. The O quotes the judge as writing, “There are serious questions relating to whether the USDA adequately analyzed the environmental impacts of shipment and receipt of Hawaiian waste.”

EARLIER:

A coalition of environmental groups, and the Yakama Nation, are suing to stop Hawaii from shipping garbage through the Columbia River Gorge.

The garbage shipments received final approval this week from the Agriculture Department.

The suit says USDA didn’t do a good enough job studying the risks – which the groups say include invasive plants and insects that could damage rare ecosystems and the area’s fruit crop.

In a press release, the coalition says its particularly concerned about the Mediterranean fruit fly, which has been eradicated on the mainland U.S., and the spotted winged drosophila, an Asian species currently entering Oregon from California. Oregon State University is leading efforts to control the spread of the drosophila.

“The Columbia Gorge region should not be used as the garbage can for Hawaiian trash,” writes Michael Lang, Conservation Director of Friends of the Columbia Gorge. “Federal agencies have failed to ensure the protection of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area from invasive plants and insects that would be transported via Hawaiian garbage through the Gorge and dumped in an open landfill.”

The plan is to ship garbage from Hawaii to Longview, Washington where it would be loaded on trains that would carry the garbage through the Gorge and dumped at a landfill in Klickitat County. The first shipment could arrive as soon as Friday.

Other groups joining the suit are the Northwest Environmental Defense Center and Columbia Riverkeeper.

Trash from the island of Oahu is piling up at an industrial park near Honolulu where it awaits shipment to the mainland. The trash is wrapped in large plastic bales that are breaking apart and leaking.

Didemnum vexillum can grow into colonies resembling soft coral. Photo by Vallorie Hodges, Oregon Coast Aquarium.

One of the state’s most feared invasive species has arrived.

The most immediate threat is to our coastal shellfish. The species, known as Didemnum vexillum, can form huge colonies that cover shellfish beds and literally smother them to death.

It competes with shellfish for plankton and eats the larvae of mussels and oysters.

Researchers with Oregon State University say Didemnum vexillum was discovered in Winchester Bay and Coos Bay earlier this year. But they think the organisms may have been established about two years ago.

“It appears that the infestation is growing rapidly,” says Lorne Curran, one of the people who discovered the colony at Winchester Bay in February. Curran does marine life surveys for the diving organization REEF and made a follow up dive this spring.

A colony in Winchester Bay. Photo by Lorne Curran of REEF.

“Where in February I saw mostly one-foot-square colonies, this time I encountered more colonies that were two-foot to three-foot square.” The tunicates were found on both jetty rocks and on some of the mooring lines and “stringers” of an oyster-growing facility in the triangle.”

ODFW is doing a risk assessment and wants to have a plan to combat the invader soon. In a couple of months the coastal waters will be warm enough to allow Didemnum vexillum to begin reproducing and spreading.

“We’re reviewing the literature for successful eradication projects on rocky outcrops or jetties, but we’re not finding a lot,” says Rick Boatner, ODFW’s aquatic invasive species coordinator. “This is new ground for Oregon, and we’ll have to be creative with our solutions.”

Some methods used in other areas include applying a solution of vinegar and bleach to the colonies or smothering them in clear plastic wrap. While that may sound low tech, it can be expensive. Washington State has spent about $850,000 over the past couple of years trying to control the organism in Puget Sound.

It’s believed Didemnum vexillum is from Japan and may have arrived here through the ballast water of ocean going cargo ships.

For more information:

Pacific Northwest Scuba: Didemnum vexillum
Oregon: 100 Most Dangerous Invaders

Related Stories:

The Goldfish Are Taking Over!
Stopping A Tiny Invader At The Border
Wild Boars And The Threat To Oregon’s Environment

Mann Lake, on the eastern side of Steens Mountain, was famed for its crystal clear waters and large Lahontan cutthroat trout. But the trout fishery started going downhill about five years ago. ODFW Biologist Shannon Hurn thinks the goldfish were accidently released into the lake in 2001, probably from an angler who was using them as live bait.

Wildlife officials hoped the trout will gobble up all the goldfish. But that’s not how things are working out. Instead the trout are disappearing and fishermen are reeling in goldfish more than a foot long.

In August, ODFW plans to spread rotenone across Mann Lake to kill off the goldfish. This is the same chemical used at Diamond Lake a few years ago to get of the tui chub. But before doing that, the agency is asking for the public’s help in removing as many lahontan trout as possible. The trout will be held at a nearby pond until Mann Lake is safe enough for restocking – probably in late fall or early spring.

ODFW is holding a meeting on May 12 to explain the plan to the public. It starts 5:30 pm at the Oregon State Offices, 7809 W. Jackson, Suite 500, Burns.

If you want to volunteer for the trout round up, call Hurn at at the ODFW Hines office, 541-573-6582.

State parks face cuts of up to $8.65 million. Photo from Oregon Parks and Recreation

If Measures 66 and 67 fail in next month’s special election, it could mean major reductions in how much money the state spends on monitoring pollution, protecting and restoring streams, maintaining state parks, and fighting wildfires.

These two measures raise about $733 million for state government by increasing incomes taxes on high earning Oregonians, and raising minimum taxes paid by corporations. Business groups have been fighting hard against the measures. About a month ago, Oregonian’s environmental community stepped into the fight. The Oregon League of Conservation Voters endorsed Measures 66 and 67 and warned that if they’re defeated the state’s natural resources would take a serious hit.

Now we have some actual numbers to examine that claim.

It comes from state agencies. This week, they released new data showing how they might handle budget cuts of 5% and 10%.

A few “let the reader beware” warnings.

I’m using the 10% cut numbers because in the past, agencies that handle natural resources tend to be cut deeper than other parts of state government. If the pain was shared equally, all agencies would be cutting about 5%. My experience tells me that lawmakers are likely to protect spending on education, law enforcement and human services at the expense of wildlife, parks, pollution and water quality.

Remember these are suggested cuts only. If Measures 66 and 67 are voted down, agencies’ priorities might change when faced with making actual cuts instead of hypothetical ones.

The numbers are spread out over two years. These potential cuts cover spending for 2010 and 2011.

Finally, I’m no budget expert. But I’ve done my best to look at the material online and tried to figure it all out. If I’ve made a mistake, please don’t hesitate to correct me.

-See the Legislative Fiscal Office webpage and follow the Budget Reduction Options link to do your own calculations.

With that in mind, here we go!

Parks and Recreation: Faces cuts of about $8.65 million, much of it coming from putting off maintenance at state parks. The agency warns that park facilities will look shabbier and more rundown. The department is also trying to take a lot of money out of office operations.

Forestry Department: Could lose the equivalent of 47 full-time jobs within the department and see its budget cut by about $7.8 million. Most of the money would come from fighting wildfires, including the initial attack units that have been given lots of credit for putting out wildfires before they get out of control. Dozens more temporary wildfire fighting positions would also be cut.

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Probably the most important agency the public doesn’t know about. Every year OWEB funds hundreds of projects including dam removal, improving fish habitat and restoring streams and rivers. A 10% cut would mean OWEB would have about $6 million less to spend on these projects during 2010 and 2011.

Environmental Quality: DEQ would lose about $3.3 million under this scenario and the equivalent of about 15 full-time jobs. The department says efforts to monitor air and water quality would probably suffer the most. One possible casualty, an air monitoring station in either Salem or Medford.

Fish and Wildlife: This agency would have to trim about 1.9 million, with a lot of the cuts coming from the monitoring of steelhead and salmon, fish screening projects and hatchery maintenance.

Agriculture: Could lose about $979,000 with a lot of the money coming from cuts in programs to control noxious weeds, invasive species and soil and water conservation.

A Greater Sage Grouse. Photo by Terry Steele.

Take a good look at that photo.

This relatively harmless looking bird, the greater sage-grouse, may become the focal point of a new debate that could dramatically alter the economy and environment of Oregon, as well as more than a dozen other western states.

The debate could put two strongly held green values in opposition to each other. Will we have to choose between renewable energy and protecting an endangered species?

Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the status of the sage-grouse to see if it should be listed under the Endangered Species Act. The process means collecting information from a variety of sources.

On Wednesday, we heard from the U.S. Geological Survey.  USGS released a massive report, known as a monograph, detailing the decline of the sage-grouse. The data will be used by Fish and Wildlife as it considers the bird’s status.

The picture painted by USGS isn’t very good.  The sage-grouse is found in only half of the territory it occupied before white settlers moved into the region.  From 1965 to 2003, sage-grouse numbers dropped an average 2% per year.  And while the population appears to have stabilized in the past two decades, some of the recent news isn’t good.

Estimates from Oregon Fish and Wildlife show a 50% decline in our state from 2005 to 2008. In Idaho, the numbers in the south central part of the state dropped 6% from 2008 to 2009.

The sage-grouse thrives in large areas dominated by sagebrush. A home range can cover 230 square miles. The USGS report says not only are we losing sagebrush habitat, but what’s remaining is increasingly fragmented into smaller and smaller sections. The number one culprit? Converting sagebrush areas into cropland.

Other factors include:

• Energy development, including wind, geothermal, oil and natural gas. Everything from turbines to transmission towers can remove small chunks of sage-grouse territory.
• Fire management, recent trends towards suppressing fires has allowed more growth of juniper and pinyon and the crowding out of sagebrush.
• Cattle grazing.
• Rural sprawl, as increasing numbers of humans move closer to wilderness areas they are taking away sage-grouse habitat.

But it’s the possible conflicts between renewable energy development and sage-grouse protection that pose the most troubling questions. The Obama administration is working hard to open up public lands as possible sites for wind farms and geothermal wells. Nine federal agencies recently signed an agreement that will speed up the process of placing transmission lines on federal lands. A decision to list the bird could dramatically slow down this development.

And here’s a tidbit that can’t be ignored. The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for about half of current sage-grouse habitat. The BLM is a grizzled veteran of the Spotted Owl wars.

So as we used to say in televsion, let’s go right to the highlights.

Field Burning Ban

Those late summer smoky skies over the Willamette Valley should pretty much disapear over the next few years thanks to Senate Bill 528.  The bill, passed today by the House, phases out most field burning by 2013.  Now it goes to Governor K.  The bill exempts about 15,000 acres of hilly terrain.

According to the Department of Environmental Quality, current law allows for about 65,000 acres of field burning, but over the past few years the actual number of acres burned is closer to 50,000.  But in the mid 1980s, as many as 250,000 acres were burned each year.

Invasive Species

The final passage of House Bill 2020 means state officials will be able to move faster against outbreaks of invasive species.  The bill sets aside $350,000 that can be tapped for such things as rapid response to outbreaks, inspections and eradication of invaders.  Today’s approval by the Senate puts this bill into the hands of the Governor.

Coal Burning Power Plants

Senate Bill 101 makes it harder for electric utilities to get power from coal burning power plants.  It says the coal burning plants have to meet certain standards for greenhouse gas emissions before utilities can enter into long term contracts for their power.  In addition, it says Oregon utilities can’t sign long term contracts with any kind of power plant, unless the plant’s emissions are as clean as ones that run on natural gas.  This bill goes to the Governor after getting final passage by the House.

Renewable Energy

This is one area where the environmental agenda has taken some hits, including today’s final passage of House Bill 2940.  The bill means utilities won’t have to work so hard to meet Oregon’s Renewable Energy Standard.  By law, utilities have to get 25% of their power from renewable sources by the year 2025.

Originally, the law said anything built before 1995 didn’t count towards meeting that standard.  But HB 2940 creates an exception for nine older biomass plants that were built before the 1995 deadline.  By letting utilities include them as renewable sources, enviros say it makes it too easy to meet the Renewable Energy Standards.

The renewable standard has been credited with helping create the boom in renewable energy projects around the state, especially wind and solar.  So if this bill becomes law, the fear is that it will slow the growth of renewable energy and the slow the growth of green jobs in the state.

The Oregon League of Conservation Voters is hoping Governor Kulongoski will veto the bill.  One of his spokesman told the Oregonian last week it would be hard for him to support it.

Thanks to Evan Manvel of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters for today’s updates.

Invasive Species

The Senate approved a bill that creates a system of mobile checkpoints, where vehicles hauling boats and trailers will be stopped and inspected for invasive species. If necessary, the boats and trailers will be disinfected before resuming travel. This bill gives wildlife officials an important tool to keep nasty invaders such as quagga and zebra mussels out of Oregon. House Bill 2220 also increases penalties for people who knowingly transport invasive species.

Status: Goes to Governor Kulongoski for his signature.

Recycling Paint

Leftover paint is the biggest hazardous waste problem for Oregon. But with House Bill 3037 passing the Senate, recycling paint will be easier than ever. It allows the paint industry to create a paint recycling and disposal program. The goal to is establish more places where old paint can be dropped off by consumers and contractors. While many environmental bills are controversial, this one was supported by the paint industry.

Status: Goes to Governor Kulongoski for his signature.

Promoting Energy Efficiency

Oregonians will be getting some help to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient. House Bill 2626 allows us to finance energy efficient improvement with low interest loans. The money has to be repaid through an extra charge in our monthly utility bills. But if we’re using less energy to heat, cool and light our buildings, then the extra charge may not hurt so much. The Senate approved this bill Saturday.

Status: Goes to Governor Kulongoski for his signature.

Educating Our Kids

The last of the four bills approved this weekend is House Bill 2544. It creates the Oregon Environmental Literacy Task Force. The group’s goal will be to create a plan to educate our school kids about the environment, get them outside more often to experience it, and includes professional development for teachers on environmental issues. It’s better known as the “No Child Left Outside” law.

Status: Goes to Governor Kulongoski for his signature.

House Bill 2220B allows state officials to set up check points where they can inspect boats and trailers for invasive species, and if necessary, decontaminate them. Anyone who’s caught knowingly transporting invasive species can be fined up to $6,250.

Quagga mussels on a boat propeller in Lake Mead. Courtesy Utah Division of Wildlife.

The bill now goes before the Senate.

Wildlife officials have been watching nervously as quagga mussels move closer and closer to Oregon. Twice in the past year, boats carrying quagga mussels have been stopped in Washington. But as far as anyone knows, they have not established a foothold in the Northwest.

Quagga mussels are prolific breeders that can take over lakes and streams, pushing out native wildlife and destroying the natural food chain. They also clog water intake pipes. In Northwest rivers, a mussel invasion could increase the costs of electricity by reducing the flow of water into hydropower dams. A 2005 study by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission says the start up costs of installing mussel control systems on the dams of the Columbia River would be $23 million.

Recently, we joined researcher David Wiens of Oregon State University on a field trip in the forests near Veneta, Oregon. He and his team are studying the competition between the Northern Spotted Owl and the Barred Owl, a relative newcomer to the state. We got some amazing close up views of Spotted Owls, including a fledgling. You’ll see those images in our video.

As Wiens reminds us, the loss of old growth forest habitat is still the top reason for the decline in Spotted Owl numbers. But the Barred Owl is only making things worse. When Barred Owls move in to old growth areas, the Spotted Owls are almost always driven out, never to be seen again. Where they’re going, and what’s happening to them, are just some of the questions Wiens is trying to answer.

He’s also trying to learn more about how the two species compete. Are they fighting over the same territory? Are they fighting over the same food? Do Barred Owls deserve some of the blame for the Spotted Owl decline? Or are they just taking advantage of it?

Barred Owls have the upper hand in this fight. They’re bigger, stronger and more aggressive. They’ll eat just about any small animal in the forest, including mice, voles, squirrels, fish, snails and crayfish. Native to eastern forests, they migrated across Southern Canada before invading the Pacific Northwest.

Spotted Owls are fussier eaters. They’ll travel far and wide for their preferred prey, Northern Flying Squirrels and Tree Voles. They’re also more dependent on old growth for places to nest.

The results of Wiens studies could have major implications for how old growth is managed in the Northwest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering shooting Barred Owls to keep their numbers in check, and help Spotted Owls survive. But Wiens research may lead to non-lethal ways to control Barred Owl populations.

Wiens primary sponsor for this $850,000 research project is the U.S. Geological Society. Other agencies contributing include the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Park Service and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The field work wraps up by the end of summer.

A key bill to help stop the spread of invasive species is making progress in the Oregon Senate. SB 571 was approved by the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and will soon be voted on by the full Senate.

The bill increases penalties for anyone caught introducing invasive species into the state. In some cases, they can be charged with a Class C Felony. Perhaps more importantly, ODFW can sue the person for the costs of removing the invader.

In September of 2206, ODFW treated Diamond Lake with rotenone to kill an estimated 90 million Tui Chub.

That can be a substantial amount of money. The state spent almost $6 million to remove the Tui Chub from Diamond Lake in 2006. The chub are native to the Klamath Basin. But in Diamond Lake they’re invaders leading to the collapse of rainbow trout fishery. Water quality got so bad that the normally clean lake suffered from toxic algae blooms. The state carried out a similar program in 1954.

Wildlife officials believe the chub were introduced into Diamond Lake by fishermen who were using them as bait.

For more information see this post on the Oregon League of Conservation Voters blog.

By the way, we’re also following HB 2220. That bill creates a system of border checkpoints where boats and trailers coming into Oregon have to stop and be inspected for invasive species. The bill has received one hearing and is still awaiting action in a committee of the Oregon House.