From Congressman Kilmer's webpage
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 16/ 17
The House Climate Solutions Caucus was created in 2016 by Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo and Democratic Rep.Ted Deutch. Both represent Florida. From the beginning, the Congressmen decided that membership in the caucus would come in pairs — one Republican and one Democrat at a time. Their aim is to create a bipartisan group to engage in constructive dialogue to propose climate solutions (“Leading on climate change,” Aug. 14). Recently, Rep. Ed Royce, a Republican from California, and Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Democrat from Washington, joined the caucus. The House Climate Solutions Caucus is now 52 members strong.The caucus recently introduced two legislative proposals: Technologies for Energy Security Act (H.R. 1090) and Climate Solutions Commission Act (H.R. 2326). The Technology Act extends tax credits to small scale wind and geothermal energy initiatives. The Commission Act would create a bipartisan panel to propose “economically viable actions or policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Feds award money to boost quake warnings
From Congressman's Kilmer webpage
POSTED 8/ 16/ 17
SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey has awarded $4.9 million to six universities and a nonprofit to help advance an early warning system for earthquakes along the West Coast. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer of Washington state pushed for funding, saying such the early warning system is critical.
Sen. Murray Applauds New Investment in West Coast Earthquake Early Warning System
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 14/ 17
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) applauded an announcement from the U.S. Geological Survey that six universities, including two in Washington state, and one non-profit organization, have been awarded $4.9 million to advance production of an early earthquake warning system currently in development. Sen. Murray, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has consistently advocated for investments to complete and operate an earthquake early warning system on the West Coast to help prepare for and mitigate the human and economic impacts of a major seismic event in the Pacific Northwest. The “ShakeAlert” system, in the works for more than a decade, is designed to detect the first tremors of a major earthquake and provide users with anywhere from seconds to minutes of warning before an earthquake hits, which would provide crucial time for safety precautions.
“In the event of ‘the big one’, this alert system could prevent massive economic losses and save countless lives, so the time to get the technology in place is now, not later,” Sen. Murray said. “As a voice for our state in Congress, I will do everything I can at the federal level to make sure disaster preparedness investments come through so our universities can carry out this critical mission.”
Cantwell: ‘A robust earthquake alert system could provide the needed time to save countless lives and secure property’
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 14/ 17
RICHLAND, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded the announcement that the United State Geological Survey has awarded more than $4.9 million to six universities, including the University of Washington (UW) and Central Washington University (CWU), to support transitioning the west coast “ShakeAlert” earthquake early warning system into a full-scale public alert system. Specifically, UW will receive $898,000 and CWU will receive $250,000.
Additionally, the USGS announced the purchase of about $1 million in new sensor equipment to expand and improve the ShakeAlert system.
Senator Cantwell has been a leading voice to expand earthquake preparedness and resiliency as well as tsunami detection. In 2016, Cantwell fought to increase funding to the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program for ShakeAlert.
“With millions of people living along the Cascadia fault, it’s critical we have early detections to help protect Washingtonians from potentially deadly earthquakes. A robust earthquake alert system could provide the needed time to save countless lives and secure property,” said Cantwell. “I applaud the Washington scientists, including those at the University of Washington and Central Washington University, who continue to lead the nation in research on this topic. I’ll continue to work to ensure that Washingtonians have the resources they need to best protect themselves from natural disasters.”
"The University of Washington, together with our university and USGS partners, will enthusiastically use the resources Congress has allocated to continue to build toward a public rollout of the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning system for the U.S. West Coast. We are grateful to the Washington and Oregon senate and congressional delegations who have worked to support an increased funding level. This brings us halfway to the goal needed to operate and maintain the system. Our team is hard at work upgrading seismic instrumentation, data telemetry, and data processing facilities to ensure the highest-quality warning system possible," said Paul Bodin, research professor of seismology at University of Washington and network manager of Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.
An earthquake early warning system can give people a precious few seconds to stop what they are doing and take protective actions before the severe shaking waves from an earthquake arrive. Under the new cooperative agreements, the USGS and its seven university and non-profit partners will collaborate to improve the ShakeAlert system’s sensor and telemetry infrastructure across the west coast of the United States. ShakeAlert is a new product of the USGS Advanced National Seismic System, a federation of national and regional earthquake monitoring networks throughout the country, including networks in southern California, northern California, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest.
Cantwell has long fought to secure the needed resources to best protect Washingtonians from the natural disasters that impact the Pacific Northwest. In 2005, Cantwell successfully helped secure funding to strengthen the U.S. Tsunami Warning network, including funding to install 10 additional tsunami warning sirens in Washington state. Earlier this year, the President signed her Tsunami Warning, Education and Research Act into law, which made needed investments in State based preparedness programs such as inundation modeling, traffic studies, and improving scientific support for communities planning vertical evacuation infrastructure.
OUR PARKS AND FOREST
US DEPT. of INTERIOR: Gulf of Mexico Region-Wide Oil and Gas Lease Sale Yields $121 Million in High Bids on 508,096 AcresPRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 16/ 17
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced that the region-wide Gulf of Mexico lease sale generated $121,143,055 in high bids for 90 tracts covering 508,096 acres in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A total of 27 companies participated in the sale, submitting 99 bids totaling $137,006,181. The sale offered the largest amount of acreage in the history of the federal offshore program in the Gulf, including parcels offshore Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
“The path to American energy dominance starts in the Gulf, and the hard work of rig and platform workers, support staff onshore, and the industries that support them cannot go unnoticed,” said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. “Today’s results will help secure their jobs and create more good paying jobs while generating $121 million in revenue to fund everything from conservation to infrastructure.”
Lease Sale 249, livestreamed from New Orleans, is the first offshore sale under the National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022. Under this program, nine additional region-wide lease sales that combine all three planning areas are scheduled for the Gulf, where resource potential and industry interest are high, and oil and gas infrastructure is well established.
On June 29, President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Zinke announced a public comment period for a new National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for years 2019-2024. The comment period is the first step in executing the new program. The 2017-2022 Program, which begins with the lease sale held today, will continue to be executed until the new National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program is complete.
Lease Sale 249 offered approximately 76 million acres offshore Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida for oil and gas exploration and development. It included 14,220 unleased blocks, located from three to 231 miles offshore, in the Gulf’s Western, Central and Eastern planning areas in water depths ranging from nine to more than 11,115 feet (three to 3,400 meters). Excluded from the lease sale are blocks subject to the Congressional moratorium established by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006; blocks that are adjacent to or beyond the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in the area known as the northern portion of the Eastern Gap; and whole blocks and partial blocks within the current boundary of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
"Today's lease sale is another important step in this Administration's strategy of responsible resource development and energy dominance,” said Vincent DeVito, Counselor for Energy Policy at Interior. “Investor response reflects our work making the Department of the Interior a better business partner and highlights the optimism in the results of this Administration."
The lease sale terms include stipulations to protect biologically sensitive resources, mitigate potential adverse effects on protected species, and avoid potential conflicts associated with oil and gas development in the region.
Additionally, BOEM has included appropriate fiscal terms that take into account market conditions and ensure taxpayers receive a fair return for use of the OCS. These terms include a 12.5 percent royalty rate for leases in less than 200 meters of water depth, and a royalty rate of 18.75 percent for all other leases issued pursuant to the sale. The 12.5 percent royalty rate for leases in less than 200 meters is lower than the proposed 18.75 percent royalty rate for shallow water leases that BOEM published in the Proposed Notice of Sale.
"Through regulatory streamlining, expanded offshore and onshore opportunities and great cooperation with our stakeholders, we expect to encourage competition while continuing to receive a fair and equitable return on oil and gas resources,” said Katharine MacGregor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management.
The estimated amount of resources projected to be developed as a result of the region-wide lease sale ranges from approximately 0.21 to 1.12 billion barrels of oil and 0.55 to 4.42 trillion cubic feet of gas. Most of the activity (up to 83% of future production) of the proposed lease sale is expected to occur in the Central Planning Area.
As of August 1, 2017, 15.9 million acres on the U.S. OCS are under lease for oil and gas development (2994 active leases) and 4.3 million of those acres (870 leases) are producing oil and natural gas. More than 97 percent of these leases are in the Gulf of Mexico; about 3 percent are on the OCS off California and Alaska.
All terms and conditions for Gulf of Mexico Region-wide Sale 249 were detailed in the Final Notice of Sale (FNOS) information package and available at: http://www.boem.gov/Sale-249/.
US DEPT. of INTERIOR: Secretary Zinke Announces No Changes to Sand to Snow National Monument in California
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 16/ 17
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that California’s Sand to Snow National Monument is no longer under review and that he will recommend no changes be made to the existing monument. The monument was under review in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s April 26, 2017, executive order.
“Today, I am recommending that no changes be made to the Sand to Snow National Monument and that the Monument is no longer under official Department of the Interior review,” said Secretary Zinke. “The land of Sand to Snow National Monument is some of the most diverse terrain in the West, and the monument is home to incredible geographic, biologic, and archaeological history of our nation.”
Sand to Snow National Monument is located just east of Los Angeles in Southern California. The Monument was created by President Barack Obama in February of 2016, and encompasses 154,000 acres of land that is co-managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service.
US DEPT. OF INTERIOR: Deputy Secretary Bernhardt Announces More Than $52 Million in Federal Funding To Bolster Tribal, State Wildlife Conservation Projects
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 15/ 17
WASHINGTON – U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced more than $52 million in funding to Native American tribes and state wildlife agencies through the Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) program and the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program. The funds, which are provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, give support for a diverse array of species and habitats across the country.
Under the SWG program, more than $48 million will support species and habitats listed in approved state wildlife action plans. All 50 state and U.S. territorial wildlife agencies have these plans, which proactively protect species in greatest conservation need. Projects funded through SWG involve research, monitoring, wildlife surveys, species and habitat management and other activities.
More than $4 million in TWG funds to Native American and Alaska Native tribes in 14 states will support fish and wildlife conservation and key partnerships. The awards will benefit 25 projects that encompass a wide range of wildlife and habitats, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished.
“The Trump Administration is working hard with states and local communities to find solutions that are driven at the local level, rather than in Washington, D.C. As a hunter, I know the work of state wildlife agencies is absolutely critical to wildlife conservation in the United States,” said Deputy Secretary Bernhardt. “We're thrilled to be able to collaborate with them, their local communities, and other partners to ensure important fish, wildlife, habitat and cultural needs are met. Tribal and state wildlife grants are foundational to protecting our nation’s wildlife legacy, including game and non-game species.”
Examples of state projects funded with SWG grants include:
North Dakota -- Last year, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department completed a project with SWG funding that restored more than 200 acres of grassland habitat within a priority waterfowl production area. The project included seeding of a diverse mix of native grasses on existing croplands for a variety of tall-grass prairie bird species and other birds valued for public recreation. In addition to habitat creation, the state agency also used SWG funds with matching state dollars for monitoring vegetation species composition and structure and for conducting breeding bird surveys.
Georgia -- SWG awards have funded the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ efforts to conserve the sicklefin redhorse sucker, which was listed by the Service as a candidate species for Endangered Species Act protection in 2005. As a result of voluntary conservation efforts carried out by Georgia and North Carolina state agencies and partners—funded in large part through SWG along with other state monies—the Service determined in 2016 that listing the sicklefin redhorse sucker as an endangered or threatened species is not warranted.
Wyoming -- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department used SWG funds to assess the influence of cheat grass, an invasive plant, on small mammals and other species of greatest conservation need. The study, conducted in partnership with researchers at the University of Wyoming, found it is likely the increased risk small mammals perceive in cheat grass habitats reflects actual risk, with negative consequences for these species. This information helps biologists and land managers understand and address the effects of habitat alteration associated with cheat grass on sensitive species.
SWG funds are administered by the Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program and are allocated to states and territories according to a congressionally mandated formula based on population and geographic area. Grant funds must be used to address conservation needs, such as research, wildlife surveys, species and habitat management, and monitoring identified within state wildlife action plans. The funds may also be used to update, revise or modify a state’s plan. Click here for the complete list of 2017 SWG apportionments. Learn more about SWG program accomplishments here.
The wide variation in the types of projects funded with TWG dollars is highlighted by this year’s awards: In Oklahoma, the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma will receive $155,000 to support a bat conservation project, while in New Mexico, the Pueblo of Tesuque will receive nearly $200,000 for its Mule Deer Management and Habitat Enhancement Program. In Washington, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians will receive nearly $200,000 for habitat enhancement and population monitoring of the South Rainier elk herd. In North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will receive $200,000 to support implementation of their wildlife action plan. In Maine, the Penobscot Indian Nation will receive $200,000 to support Atlantic salmon and other fisheries management on tribal trust lands. A complete list of the 2017 Tribal Wildlife Grant awards can be found here.
TWG funds are provided exclusively to fund wildlife conservation by federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and are made possible under the Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002 through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. Proposals for the 2018 grant cycle are due Sept. 1, 2017.
For additional information about Native American conservation projects and the Tribal Wildlife Grants application process, visit
ON THE STATE LEVEL OUR PARKS AND FOREST
WDFW: Governor makes appointments to Fish and Wildlife Commission
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 15/ 17
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Don McIsaac, a recently retired director of a West Coast regional fishery management council, and reappointed Larry Carpenter to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.
The commission is a nine-member citizen panel that sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Members are appointed by the governor to six-year terms and are subject to state Senate confirmation. Three members must reside in eastern Washington, three in western Washington, and three may live anywhere in the state. No two members may live in the same county.
The governor appointed McIsaac, who lives in rural Clark County, to a term ending Dec. 31, 2022. McIsaac served as the executive director of the Pacific Fishery Management Council from 2000 to 2016. The council oversees fisheries management in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast. He previously worked for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the then-Washington Department of Fisheries.
Inslee re-appointed Carpenter, of Mount Vernon, to a term ending Dec. 31, 2018. Carpenter, who was initially appointed to the commission in December of 2011, currently serves as vice-chair of the commission.
Special day celebrates the National Park System’s 101st birthday
PRESS RELEASE FROM WASH. PARKS dated 8/ 16/ 17
OLYMPIA – Aug. 16, 2017 – To celebrate the National Park System’s 101st birthday, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is offering free entrance to state parks on Friday, Aug. 25. Day-use visitors will not need a Discover Pass to visit state parks by vehicle.
State Parks free days are in keeping with 2011 legislation that created the Discover Pass, which costs $30 annually or $10 for a one-day permit. The pass is required for vehicle access to state recreation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Discover Pass legislation provided that State Parks could designate up to 12 “free days” when the pass would not be required to visit state parks. The free days apply only at state parks; the Discover Pass is still required on WDFW and DNR lands.
WORLD & NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
UN NEWS CENTER:
South Sudan refugees in Uganda exceed one million; UN renews appeal for help
17 August 2017 – As the number of refugees from South Sudan in Uganda passes one million – the vast majority of whom are women and children – the United Nations refugee agency today reiterated its call for urgent additional support.
Racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia are poisoning our societies' – UN chief
16 August 2017 – Urging people everywhere to speak out against hate speech and hate crimes, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today reiterated his call for tolerance, respect for the other and the importance of recognizing diversity.
NATIONAL
WP: Trump calls efforts to remove statues of Civil War generals ‘foolish’
In three tweets, the president said the history and culture of the country was being "ripped apart" and said efforts to remove statues of Confederate generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee could escalate to taking down monuments to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
WP: President’s lawyer jumps into racial controversy by forwarding inflammatory email
John Dowd forwarded an email advocating protection of some Confederate monuments and claiming that the protest group Black Lives Matter had been infiltrated by terrorists.
Daily Bible Verse: But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 10:17-18 NKJV
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Editorial Note: Guess whose birthday!? Yes, readers yours truly, just turn 57 today, now I can safely say I'm rolling around like a 57 Chevy!
Birthdays is a good time to reflect on one's life. Where they are from, Where they are in life, and Where they are heading. I've been doing a lot of reflecting on my life to date. The mistakes, the triumphs, and things denied me because of my disability. Like never finding true love from a woman.
I know I shouldn't make mention these things on here, but then again this is my blog! Despite my misfortunes in life, it's my faith in the all mighty God that sees me through.
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