Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at [email protected].
Sea change
The Northern Chumash Tribe has a deep connection to the waters off the California coast, and it has been working for decades to establish a massive marine sanctuary. Now, that dream is close to becoming a reality, with the official designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary — home to sea otters, harbor seals, whales, kelp forests and much more — expected before President Biden leaves office. As the Mercury News reports in a story Contributing Editor Michaela Haas shared this week, it will be the first US national marine sanctuary proposed by a Native American tribe.
Michaela says:
The Biden administration is preparing to designate Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the Central Coast, at the Northern Chumash Tribe’s urging. It will be four times the size of Yosemite.
A record run
Some good fish news from the Northwest: Thanks to a well-timed reprieve from the summer heat and some smart management moves by dam operators on both the US and Canada sides of the Columbia River, a “boomlet of baby sockeye” made it to the sea this year. That’s according to a Seattle Times article shared by Executive Editor Will Doig.
Will says:
Undamming rivers is one of our favorite topics, but even where dams persist, better management is leading to improved outcomes for fish that rely on free-flowing rivers. In the Pacific Northwest, changes to dam management on the Columbia River have contributed to “an astonishing 755,909 sockeye over Bonneville Dam this year, smashing the 10-year average return of 329,570.”
What else we’re reading
🧑🌾 ‘The system is the problem, not people’: how a radical food group spread round the world — shared by Michaela Haas from The Guardian
🫧 New washers and dryers in DPSCD schools part of ongoing focus on chronic absenteeism — shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from Chalkbeat
🥕 State Food Waste Bans Aren’t Working. Except in Massachusetts — shared by Audience Engagement Manager Mariel Lozada from Bloomberg
In other news…
We are coming up on Climate Week in New York City, where RTBC is headquartered — the perfect time to celebrate the launch of Our Electrifying World, our new year-long series about how electrification is fueling a more sustainable energy transition. Check out the first story, in which we go deep on the dramatic impacts of switching from diesel to electric school buses.
