Spillway project will drown wildlife habitat in the Toutle River Valley

I was alarmed to learn today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to begin work on raising the Toutle River Sediment Retention Structure spillway next summer. This will flood and destroy the vibrant ecosystem which has reclaimed the land behind the dam. The landscape behind the dam is a complex and beautiful tapestry of wetlands, forests, and meadows. It is important habitat for migratory birds, elk, and many other species. Huge numbers of birds nest there each spring. That will all be lost, and take decades to recover, if the spillway is raised.

Additionally, having lived here in Toutle my whole life, I’m intimately familiar with the river and the debris field from which the sediment originates. In the past several years, the quantity of sediment transported downstream has decreased significantly, despite no further action being taken by the Corps of Engineers in that time. Additionally, I have observed in the National Monument that landslides and erosion have decreased significantly, that vegetation is rapidly stabilizing volcanic debris, and that the river no longer moves as much in its bed as it did just a few years ago. Essentially, my observations lead me to conclude that the situation will soon resolve itself, and that extreme actions to control sediment are no longer as necessary as they once were.

Downstream dredging and upstream artificial logjams have proven to be effective and reliable methods of dealing with sediment. Spending millions of taxpayer dollars to raise the spillway is a waste of money which would be better used elsewhere. Please write to your elected representatives and the Corps of Engineers and ask them to cancel, or at least pause, the raising of the Toutle River Sediment Retention Structure Spillway.

Support New Protections for Streams in Washington's Forests!

The Washington State Forest Practices Board is considering much needed and long overdue protections for streams in Washington's forests. The streams in question are known as “Type Np streams”. They do not contain fish, but they form the headwaters for our most important salmon habitat, running year-round and flowing directly into waters that do support fish. 

Under the current rules, trees can be harvested down to the edge of the stream for up to 50% of the length of Type Np streams. As a result, there are often areas near these streams that do not have enough trees to provide shade to help prevent the water from warming after harvest. To protect cool water and prevent temperature pollution, the proposed new rule would require more trees around streams. The widths of the proposed buffers vary from 50 to 75 feet, depending on site conditions.

The bad news is that timber industry groups are working hard to block this rule from being implemented, so it’s important that we speak out in support of it during the comment period.

Here’s what you can do:

• Send a written comment supporting the proposed protections for Type Np streams via email to forest.practicesboard@dnr.wa.gov
• Attend and speak in support of protections for Type Np streams at an in-person hearing:

- Wednesday, July 23, 4 p.m. – McClelland Center, 951 Delaware Street, Longview, WA 98632

- July 29, 4 p.m. – Sedro-Woolley Community Center, 703 Pacific St, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284

- August 4, 4 p.m. – Vern Burton Gym, 308 East 4th Street, Port Angeles, WA

- August 12, 4 p.m. – Office Building 2 Auditorium, 1115 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501

Be sure and send your written comments before 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 18, 2025!

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Restoring access to Mowich Lake

When the Fairfax Bridge over the Carbon River was closed, it cut off easy access to the Northwest corner of Mt. Rainier National Park, and it will be many years before construction might even begin on a replacement. There is a very real possibility that it will not be replaced at all, and while there are advantages to making that backcountry a remote and little-visited haven for wildlife, it does mean that more people will be crowded onto the finite number of trails elsewhere in the region. However, there is a solution to this problem which if swiftly acted upon could restore access to Mowich Lake and the Carbon River within just the next few years. It might surprise you to learn that the Mowich Lake Road isn’t the only route accessing this backcountry area, and that not all of Mt. Rainier lies within Mt. Rainier National Park. The western feet of the mountain protrude from the border of the park and onto private land, with clearcuts scarred into the slopes of Mt. Rainier itself. A network of logging roads extends from the Ashford area, all the way to the Mowich Lake Road, crossing both the Puyallup and Mowich rivers on bridges. All we need to do is acquire the commercial timberland adjoining the Western side of Mt Rainier National Park, and we could quickly reopen a public access route to Mowich Lake.

Forest Practices Reform article published in "Works In Progress"

 

Hi Everyone, my article with an in-depth discussion of the problems with current forest practices, and the necessary ways in which forestry needs to be reformed, was recently published in "Works In Progress". It's definitely worth a read: https://olywip.org/forging-an-evergreen-future-for-washingtons-imperiled-forests/

I've also published a documentary video on the topic:

OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.8 II Review

I had the opportunity to test out the new 25mm f1.8 II lens from OM System this month alongside the OM-3, so I decided to produce this hands-on review. It's a really cool little lens, and I've thoroughly enjoyed shooting with it over the course of February. While this was intended primarily as a video review, I will go over very quickly some key things I liked best about it, as well as the few downsides to it in the following article. I will also share some of my best images captured with the lens.