The 580,000-Pound Marine Debris Problem in the San Juans
The effort, led by the Samish tribe, is generating interest and winning awards on its way to cleaning up the San Juan archipelago
By Megan Toal April 23, 2018
This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the April 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.
580,090. That’s the number of pounds of marine debris, beach litter and chemically treated wood (creosote) removed over the past four years from Samish traditional territory in the San Juan archipelago in a joint project between the Samish Indian Nation Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
The effort has been so productive that a map to track its progress (samishtribe.nsn.us) has won a barrel of awards.
“When it started, I didn’t know it would be such a powerful tool,” says map creator and Samish DNR geographic information systems analyst, Casey Palmer-McGee, who uses the data “to prioritize our clean up efforts and remove debris from the largest contaminated areas.”
The cleanup project continues into 2018.
An interactive map at samishtribe.nsn.us is color coded by year to show the pounds of debris collected since 2014
Follow Us
Barnes & Noble Is Coming Back to Downtown Seattle
The bookseller will open a new flagship at 520 Pike, marking the largest retail lease in downtown Seattle since 2020.
Barnes & Noble is returning to downtown Seattle for the first time since early 2020. The national bookseller has signed a 10-year lease for a new flagship at 520 Pike Street, a 29-story tower, taking over 17,538 square feet on the corner of Pike and 6th Avenue. The store is expected to open in the…
Le Petit Chef Makes a Big Splash in Seattle
The immersive, whimsical dining experience debuts at the Kimpton Palladian Hotel.
At a recent dinner, I sat across from a friend, smiling as a tiny orange-and-black butterfly landed on my empty plate. Just inches away, a small figure in chef whites and red boots strolled out of a greenhouse with a rake perched over his shoulder. He then proceeded to work a patch of dirt, plant…
A Citywide Toast to Sockeye
40 Seattle-area restaurants are teaming up for the fourth annual Bristol Bay Salmon Week.
Seattle’s fishing culture is something to be proud of. Drive over the Ballard Bridge on any given day and you’ll see the fleet docked below. The weathered, working boats stacked with gear, waiting for their next trip north, are striking, aren’t they? It’s hard, dangerous work, and there’s something so compelling and fierce about the…
Restaurant Roundup: Halal Bagels and Mario Party
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
OK, we’ll say it—we love Seattle Restaurant Week, but it also gives us a little bit of anxiety and a lot of FOMO. There are just so many choices. Hundreds of restaurants, food carts, cafes, and bars can be a tad overwhelming, but 10? That’s a much more manageable number. Thankfully, Secret Seattle put together…