News of the Week - February 16, 2015

Summit at Snoqualmie Temporarily Closes for Lack of Snow

The ski resort Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington called it quits on their season last week, at least for now. Unless snow and freezing temperatures return, the four lifts at the resort will no longer be run. With warm temperatures and almost no snow, efforts to keep even one of the four lifts open proved to challenging for the resort's operator.

New Levee Program Reduces Flooding Risks While Improving Salmon Habitat

Joachim Pestinger, the mayor of Orting in Washington's Pierce Country recounts the success of efforts to tame flooding and improve salmon habitat at the same time. The town has worked with The Nature Conservancy on the Floodplains by Design project, which has reduced flood risks and increased salmon habitat by 101 acres.

Former Limestone Mine Converted to Huge Underground Bike Park

A developer has converted a massive defunct limestone mine in Louisville, Kentucky into the world's largest underground BMX and mountain bike park. The park features 45 trails for all skill levels, measuring over 320,000 square feet. It's an interesting form of upcycling, and the owners are hoping to draw tourists to the cavern.

National Academy of Sciences Weighs in on Geoengineering Tactics to Offset Climate Change

Geoengineering encompasses many different tactics available to address climate change. Some involve sequestering carbon emissions while others include adding particulates to the atmosphere to reflect sunlight. The National Research Council, the research arm of the National Academy of Sciences, last week released the first of two planned reports on the feasibility and risks associated with various geoengineering tactics.

First Wolf to Visit Grand Canyon in 70 Years Killed by Mistake by a Utah Hunter

In one of the sadder new stories to accompany the wolf recovery efforts in the western U.S., a hunter mistakenly killed Echo, famous for being the first wolf seen at the Grand Canyon in over 70 years. The female wolf was killed in Utah when the hunter mistook her for a coyote. She had roamed from Yellowstone National Park down to Arizona before returning back north.

Conservation Groups and Canadian Government At Odds Over Herring Fishing in British Columbia

Pacific Herring play a critical role along the ocean waters near British Columbia for migrating whales, killer whales, seals and many other species. They are pivotal to the whole food chain, and the population has seen widespread collapse. So when the Canadian government recently decided to open the waters to commercial fishing, going against the recommendations of expert scientists, a coalition of conservation groups and native tribes began fighting back.