Faced with a difficult decision about protecting – or not protecting – the Greater sage-grouse, Interior says it’s going to split the difference.

Secretary Ken Salazar announced Friday morning that the sage-grouse deserves to be listed by the Endangered Species Act, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. The official label is that listing is “warranted, but precluded.”

So it becomes a candidate species. The bird’s status will be reviewed yearly. But Interior says it can’t protect every species that deserves it, and it has to set priorities. The sage-grouse falls into the bottom third of the candidate list.

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I wasn’t able to make it to the DEQ meeting on Bradwood Landing LNG in Astoria this week.

Too bad, because it sounds like it was an interesting event.

So I’ll point you to two stories about what happened. Both say the room was packed, mostly with anti-LNG people. They were supportive of DEQ’s decision not to rush the permitting process. Gary Coppedge with NorthernStar, the company developing Bradwood also spoke for about ten minutes.

Daily Astorian: Knappa LNG meeting heats up

Oregon Sierra Club: Activists Pack Hearing to Tell the DEQ: No Permit for Bradwood Landing LNG

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has scheduled a news conference for 10:30am Pacific time Friday, when he’s expected to make an announcement about the status of the greater sage grouse.

This is one of the most highly anticipated environmental decisions ever for Western states.

The greater sage grouse has been in seriously decline for decades. In Oregon, the numbers are off 50% from 2005 to 2008. In Washington, they’re almost entirely gone.

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An interesting story is playing out in Northwest Portland, where Oregon DEQ has seriously backpedaled on a statement it made about air toxins from the ESCO foundry.

According to the NW Examiner, DEQ told residents almost a year ago that air pollution from the foundry was “only a sliver of the area’s air pollution.” But now DEQ is saying that it’s much higher, and for people who live close to ESCO, 95% of the toxins they breathe come from the foundry.

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If we’re ever going to restore the Willamette River basin, it’s going to cost a huge chunk of money.

Anywhere from about $593 million to $1.2 billion, according to Oregon DEQ.

In a new report, DEQ says decades of farming, logging and urban development have degraded the basins streams and rivers.

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Senator Wyden’s logging bill for Eastern Oregon forests picked up the support of Senator Merkley today.

Merkley’s office issued a press release saying he’ll co-sponsor the bill, officially known as the Oregon Forest Restoration and Old Growth Protection Act of 2009. It has a first hearing March 10 with the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests.

The bill has divided Oregon’s environmental community.

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We all know there’s something special about Oregon’s forests.

A new study by the Wilderness Society says if you’re looking for a place to store carbon, Oregon forests are the best in the nation.

Using Forest Service data, the Society says the top ten best forests for storing carbon are all in the Pacific Northwest. Six of them in Oregon, three of them are in Washington and one is in Alaska.

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Although this is listed on my events story of the day, it’s worth a new mention. Oregon DEQ is holding a public meeting tonight in Astoria about the Bradwood Landing LNG project.

Also, I’ve learned a little bit more about the Wyden-Merkley LNG bill.

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Bradwood Landing LNG

Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality heads to Astoria this evening for a public meeting on the Bradwood Landing LNG project. Could be interesting. DEQ is reviewing Clean Air, Clean Water and other permits that Bradwood needs before it can be built. It will explain that process at the meeting.

A recent letter from DEQ revealed that NorthernStar, the developers of Bradwood, have been putting some pressure on the agency to review and approve the permits by this summer. DEQ doesn’t appear to be in any hurry, just to make the company happy.

6:00pm
Knappa High School Gym, 41535 Old Hwy 30, Astoria

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