Conservation

Spawning king salmon have been sighted twice upriver from the former dam sites on the newly free Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula. photo courtesy U.S. Geological Survey

By their very nature, dam-removal projects require a certain amount of faith. Fisheries biologists can guess how fish stocks will react to freed sections of river, but no one really knows if the fish will come back—especially if they have been gone for almost a century. The recent destruction of two dams on Washington’s Elwha River is a case in point. But in this situation, it seems that, if biologists’ predictions were wrong, it’s that they. . .

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Against the Current from Metamorph Films on Vimeo.

Here’s a great video—made by Metamorph Films for Trout Unlimited—that explores the issue of water rights and trout conservation in the West. Using the Yellowstone River as an example, the film shows how ranching and trout conservation are often in conflict. But there are ways to irrigate crops and maintain stream flows, allowing ranchers and environmentalists to work together. It actually ends up working better for the ranchers, but it requires a willingness to look for solutions.

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Watch Alaska Gold on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

If you didn’t get a chance to watch PBS’s “Frontline” last night, they’ve put the whole thing online. This is a great exploration of the issues involved, both pro- and anti-mine. But there’s plenty here to scare the crap out of anyone who understands how valuable the Bristol bay ecosystem is for salmon, trout, and ever other species in the region. Take some time tonight or over the next few days to watch this, and if you feel. . .

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Watch Alaska Gold Preview on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

Pebble Mine is receiving a lot of attention from the national press of late. Two weeks ago, Dan Rather reported live from King Salmon, Alaska, with a panel of experts. (You can dowload the program here for $1.99) Tonight, television’s best investigative-journalism show, PBS’s “Frontline,” takes a hard look at the issues raised by the proposed open-pit mine. The episode, called “Treasure Hunting: The Battle Over Alaska’s Mega Mine,” lays out the. . .

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Return of the River trailer, April 2012 from Jessica Plumb on Vimeo.

Earlier this year, we posted a trailer for Jessica Plumb’s upcoming documentary “Return of the River,” which explores the events leading up to and the ramifications of the removal of two dams on Washington’s Elwha River. Here’s a longer version that gets deeper into. . .

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DamNation | Trailer from FELT SOUL MEDIA on Vimeo.

Travis Rummel and Ben Knight, better known as
Felt Soul Media, have released a trailer for their upcoming film, DamNation. The film itself won’t be available until early next year, but it’s clear from the trailer that it will address both sides of the dam-removal debate head on. Here’s a passage from the online synopsis: . . .

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Tiger numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss and poaching. photo via worldmostamazingthings.com

Around the world, tiger numbers are at an all-time low—dropping from 100,000 to as few as 3,200 over the last century. Demand for tiger parts in some Asian countries is resulting in poaching and trade that will empty forests of. . .

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A project that Orvis supported through major grant programs in 2008 and 2009 is finally coming to fruition, as removal of the Great Works Dam on Maine’s Penobscot River has begun. The removal of the dam will open thousands of miles of habitat to anadromous fishes and specifically help to bring back. . .

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Bristol Bay Treasure from Renewable Resources Foundation on Vimeo.

Here’s a great video from the Renewable Resources Foundation that explains how important sockeye salmon are to the entire ecosystem of Alaska’s Bristol Bay. The video makes no mention of the proposed Pebble Mine project, which threatens salmon stocks, but anyone who understands what’s at risk will surely see how. . .

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About half the crowd that attended last night’s important EPA hearing in Seattle. photo by Leland Miyawaki

Last night, approximately 300 people gathered at the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle for a meeting hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to present information and hear thoughts about the draft Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment that EPA has released for public review and comment. This meeting was one of a series of public meetings to be held during the public comment period and the only. . .

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