By Levi Pulkkinen Five months after twin tragedies cast a spotlight on the state’s ailing orcas, Washington plans to spend more than $1bn to stave off extinction. If enacted, a proposal from the governor, Jay Inslee, would knock down two dams, repair habitat and place a three-year ban on orca watching. Crucially, Inslee hopes to shore up salmon runs that feed …
By Lynda V. Mapes ,Seattle Times environment reporter Originally published November 16, 2018 at 10:49 am Updated November 28, 2018 at 1:47 pm Gov. Jay Inslee’s task force on southern resident orca recovery released its first recommendations Friday to help Puget Sound’s orcas, on the brink of extinction. From dam teardowns to a temporary moratorium on whale watching of southern residents …
On March 14, 2018 the governor signed Executive Order 18-02 designating state agencies to take several immediate actions to benefit southern residents, and establishing a Task Force to develop a longer-term action recommendations for orca recovery and future sustainability. The governor invited members of the Legislature, the Government of Canada, representatives from tribal, federal, local and other state governments, the private …