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Penrose Point State Park Closed Until May for Septic Repairs
All day-use areas, trails, and camping at Penrose Point State Park have been closed since Jan. 15 for sewage system repairs and upgrades, according to the Washington State Parks and Recreation … more
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Is Fusion Power On the Way?
Harnessing fusion energy as a source for carbon-free, near limitless electricity seemed much closer last November when the Department of Energy breathlessly announced a key advance: there was a … more
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Proposed working areas: Leased area marked with green dashes; proposed planting sites marked with red border.
Burley Lagoon Geoduck Battle Enters Next Phase
The Taylor Shellfish Co. plan to convert part of its existing manila clam and oyster beds in Burley Lagoon to geoduck aquaculture has moved forward. Fourteen months after seeking comments on a draft, … more
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The barrier beach at McDermott Point Preserve.
Land Trusts Conserve 323 Key Peninsula Acres Through Community Donations, Partnerships
A shoreline summer camp, the former site of an iconic lighthouse, a working sheep farm and over 1,000 feet of mainstem Minter Creek are among seven properties that two local land trusts worked to … more
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Wandering through a stand of noble fir, like these at McDonald’s Longbranch Tree Farm, searching for just the right tree is a time-honored holiday tradition.
Local Tree Farmers Beat the Summer Heat to Save Christmas
Walking into The Wreath Works gift shop in Port Orchard, the fragrant smell of freshly cut fir boughs is overwhelming. “I bet it smells nice,” said longtime owner Phil Hunter. “I … more
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Scenes like this may be a thing of the past in Puget Sound waters south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Crabbing Not Likely to Return Near KP in Foreseeable Future
A Key Peninsula tradition — rowing to a favorite spot to set out a crab pot or wading during low tide with a net or a pitchfork to scoop up a meal’s worth of fresh crab — came to a … more
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“There’s so many factors that come into play. Maybe the native bees have been killed off by backyard folks spraying the previous summer for yellow jackets.”
Soggy Spring and Low Pollination Lead to Low Fall Fruit
The fruit harvest will be low in home orchards across the Key Peninsula this year. more
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Diseased Douglas fir trees are typically rotten inside.
Trees Come Down at Camp Seymour to Improve the Forest
In 2018 the top broke off a tall Douglas fir and fell into YMCA Camp Seymour’s amphitheater, smashing several rows of benches and destroying the fire pit ring. No campers were present at the … more
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Better Cement Can Save Us
Thin sheets of carbon, one atom thick, called graphene dramatically improve the strength of cement and concrete. A pinch or two of graphene can also improve the properties of other materials — … more
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Longbranch Marina, circa 2003
New Longbranch Pumpout Station Delayed Indefinitely
Plans to build a pumpout station at the Longbranch Marina, designed to give boaters a way to empty their sewage tanks, was halted by an unexpected permitting roadblock because of a shared well that … more
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Natalie Pierson
Climate Change Comes Home
On a hot day last August, the Whitmarsh family took a trip to Seattle to visit the Space Needle. Standing in the viewing area, we were shocked to see a large plume of smoke rising to the west. We … more
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DNR Plans Timber Harvest in Key Central Park
At the Key Pen Parks commissioner meeting held via Zoom April 11, forest managers from the Department of Natural Resources presented its plan to harvest 110 acres of timber from the Key Central … more
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Erden Eruç hoists the Philippine pennant on arrival, delivered by the local kayak club
KP Man Completes First Solo Row from U.S. to Asia
Solo circumnavigator Erden Eruç of Wauna, 60, made landfall at Legazpi City in the Philippines March 24, becoming the first person to row from North America to Asia after launching from … more
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Costly removal of a sinking derelict vessel from Lakebay Marina Jan. 28.
Legislature Funds Increased Derelict Boat Removal on Puget Sound
Removing derelict or abandoned boats from the waters of Puget Sound is a high priority for the Department of Natural Resources. The department’s underfunded Derelict Vessel Removal Program got … more
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North Herron Road
Amplified King Tide Causes Dramatic Flooding
One of the highest tides of 2022 was predicted for just after sunrise Friday, Jan 7. Daylight revealed a tide two feet higher than the prediction. Seawater filled the parking lot of Purdy’s … more
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Lakebay Marina Sold; New Owners to Restore and Partner with State
After two years of negotiation and fundraising, the purchase of Lakebay Marina from owner Mark Scott closed Dec. 28 for $1.6 million in a joint effort by the Recreational Boating Association of … more
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McDermott Point is KP’s Latest Conservation Project
The Pierce County Council voted to adopt the recommendations of the Citizens Advisory Board to the Conservation Futures Program to begin negotiating the purchase of conservation properties. more
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Mussels on a raft in Carr Inlet couldn’t survive the heat.
High Temperatures and Low Tide Take a Toll
Record high temperatures and minus tides spelled disaster for shellfish and other intertidal sea life in Puget Sound in June. more
Algal toxins were responsible for summer shellfish catastrophe.
Cause of 2019 Rocky Bay Clam Die-Off Identified
The cause of the Rocky Bay clam die-off in July 2019 has been identified. Beaches across Puget Sound were affected by similar events in both 2018 and 2019. Yessotoxins, produced by the algae species … more
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State Funds Next Steps in Restoration of Whiteman Cove
Washington State Legislators appropriated $900,000 in the 2022-23 state capital budget for the Department of Natural Resources to advance plans for removal of barriers to fish passage at Whiteman Cove. more
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