Cascadia today: Battle over US attorney is critical + nobody happy with Seattle nude beach ruling + sex lives of western toads
Good morning. If you haven't read it yet, in this week's feature I wrote about the Trump regime's war on Cascadia's forests. It's a multi-pronged assault, with attacks on the Roadless Rule, a core provision of the Endangered Species Act, and a plan to triple logging in forests of eastern Oregon and Southeast Washington. In addition, the Portland Mercury reports on the the feds efforts to increase mining, drilling and logging on Oregon's Bureau of Land Management lands.
Andrew Engelson
If you haven't yet commented on the Oregon logging plan, take a moment to oppose this attack on Cascadia's environment:
Battle over US attorney critical to anti-fascism fight
The Guardian looks at the battle over the appointment of a US attorney for Western Washington, which is a pivotal moment in whether the those of us in Cascadia will allow fascism or fight back. The Guardian spoke with Roger Rogoff, who was appointed by a panel of judges after Trump has refused to submit his appointment for lead federal prosecutor to be confirmed by the Senate. The feds have attempted to appoint politically loyal lackeys rather than attorneys dedicated to applying the law fairly – a similar situation exists in eastern Washington, where a political appointee is happy to carry out Trump's orders to prosecute protesters for expressing their first amendment rights, while the previous appointee refused to prosecute the Spokane protesters.
This is a critical moment in Cascadia to preserve the right to organize, dissent, and protest.
Is BC premier David Eby done?
The Tyee looks at the political future of British Columbia premier David Eby, who finds his poll numbers collapsing and his tenure plagued by conflicts he didn't anticipate – in particular the fight over First Nation land rights and enforcement of DRIPA, which requires consultations with Indigenous groups. He's also facing a huge budget deficit, and like his center-left counterparts Bob Ferguson in Washington and Tina Kotek in Oregon is taking a fiscally conservative approach rather than a progressive one – and it may be his downfall.
Conflict over Seattle nude beach isn't over
The Stranger reports on a county court ruling on a public Seattle beach that's popular with nude bathers and queers – and the ruling basically makes no one happy. The court ruled that the beach can stay open but that the city needs to deal with "lewd" behavior – but it's not clear if this means sexual activity or actually nudity. Rich, pearl-clutching neighbors with waterfront mansions don't like that the beach has a long history of LGBTQ nudists. Rich people really are the worst.
The sex lives of western toads
OPB has a great report on a research ecologist with the US Forest Service in Oregon, Dede Olson, who has had a lifelong fascination with western toads, and whose research looks at their breeding patterns and how climate change is changing their habitat and viability. The photos are amazing, and the story makes clear how important funding research in Cascadia's mountain ecosystems is.
Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend, and as always, keep loving and keep fighting. --Andy
Do you appreciate Cascadia Journal's exclusive reporting on the ways the Pacific Northwest is pushing back against US fascism? If you have the means, please consider a paid subscription of just $5 per month. Each subscription helps me produce original reporting and opinionated notes on Cascadia's fight to build a more resilient and autonomous bioregion. And to those who already subscribe, thank you! --Andrew
