2020: A better year than you think

Yes, there was plenty to complain about and almost as much to worry about. But people who care about the environment forged partnerships, made contributions and achieved breakthroughs worth remembering

Almost over: The most maligned year in memory did produce reasons to celebrate. Photo Jurgen Hess

By Susan Hess. December 24, 2020. We’ve—you and I—reached the end of year 2020. An accomplishment that feels like a hero’s journey. We swam the icy river, climbed the crystal mountain, crossed the burning sands.

Yet for all we as a society had to face, Columbia Insight had its best year ever, and that was due to the CI team: its board of directors, editors, technical consultants, writers, photographers and you, our readers and supporters.

This year that team’s intent was to be aware of what was happening with the pandemic, the endless political dramas, Black Lives Matter protests, wildfires, but still keep focused on our job, which is keep you informed about environmental issues affecting the Columbia River Basin.

When I was in college, my city planning professor asked our class, “Does politics affect city planning?” We were so naïve, so young. We sat there unsure. Of course, it is politics. Decisions political leaders make affect the environment we live in for good or bad.

Politics played a big role in our reporting this year.

Former CI managing editor Dac Collins wrote about a new rule that undercut the Clean Water Act. He wrote on the controversial compromises in the Owyhee Canyonlands proposed wilderness bill. Ben Mitchell reported on EPA’s decision to relax the enforcement of environmental rules. CI editor Chuck Thompson wrote about the Columbia River Gorge Commission’s decision to expand urban boundaries. Jordan Rane examined the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed elimination of some protections on large trees.

Compromise candidate: Oregon’s senators co-sponsored legislation to create 1.1 million acres of wilderness in the Owyhee Canyonlands. Photo by Greg Burke/ONDA

When the Black Lives Matter protests exploded across the country after the killing of George Floyd, Chuck Thompson searched for someone who could write about racial injustice in the outdoors and found Chad Brown.

Chad wrote from his own experience that for people of color in the Columbia River Basin, the simple act of taking a hike or casting a fishing line into the water can be weighted with danger. “We need equality. We need to be heard. We need a leader who hears the voices of pain. We need true allies and true action to make change,” Chad wrote. After we published his article, he was flooded with offers from you, our readers, to go fishing and hiking with him, and sending him speaking invitations.

We published 76 articles this year written by 35 journalists. The quality of their work brought an invitation to join AP StoryShare where CI’s articles were picked up by other news organizations like The Oregonian.

In March as Oregon and Washington governors issued closure orders to halt the spread of the pandemic, CI was in the midst of looking for an editor to replace Dac Collins, who was returning to Texas. Chuck Thompson stood out. He took over for Dac on May 1.

The editor sets the tone. The two men approached the job with different styles you see reflected in the articles they wrote and in how they guided the writers. But both shared a passion for the environment and for telling stories accurately and with zeal.

Perhaps that is shown most clearly in CI’s articles on wildlife, speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves, like Chuck’s op-ed “Did the Creswell bear need to be killed?” And in the beauty of his writing about the Basin’s warming rivers forcing salmon to race from one isolated “cold water refuge” to another: “Thermal hopscotch: How Columbia River salmon are adapting to climate change.”

At ease: For veteran Chad Brown relaxing in the outdoors isn’t always this simple. Photo by Chad Brown

One wildlife story was CI’s most read article ever and drew readers from across the country: “Inside a Washington community’s war on cougars” by Dawn Stover. That story was in the works for a year and half.

Thirteen-year-old London Fletcher speaks for the struggling orcas of Puget Sound. In a video produced by videographer Deb Bloom, London explains how the lack of chinook salmon that orcas need is exacerbated by four controversial dams on the Lower Snake River.

Jordan Rane investigated how wildlife is coping with 2020’s unprecedented wildfires. Like humans they fled, and returned to homes and habitat destroyed.

One factor that goes into our decisions on what issues to cover is how thoroughly (or not) other media are reporting on them. We looked at that in deciding to write minimally about this year’s massive wildfires. Jurgen Hess wrote about smaller fires in the hills above Mosier, Oregon, and the Trapper Creek Wilderness in Washington.

We think it’s important to report on the good as well as the bad. With its heartwarming video of a mama and kits, Jocelyn Akins’ article “Wolverines break through…finally!” is an example. Jocelyn’s enthusiastic reporting on the return of wolverines to the South Cascades made it CI’s second most popular story of the year, behind the piece about cougars in Klickitat County.

CI senior correspondent Valerie Brown’s story about the restoration of Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge drew numerous requests for reprints. It was an inspiring piece in a dark time, as was a story by Jurgen about the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce’s restoration efforts in the Columbia River Estuary. Similarly, Dana Joseph wrote about Shepherd’s Grain, a company milling grain from product harvested using no-till methods, which farmers are employing to save soil.

Veterinarian Jean Cypher’s selfless dedication shines in Dac’s podcast, “Caring for wildlife at the Rowena Wildlife Clinic.”

Many stories don’t fit in a single category. “Oregon’s agricultural lands face off with the state’s growing urban population” by Valerie was an agricultural story and a climate story. That was one of the features that came from the support of Bob and Barbara Bailey. The climate stories this year came about thanks to the generosity of Eric and Cyndi Strid.

Whale watcher: 13-year-old London Fletcher is working to preserve orcas in Washington. Image by Deborah Bloom

CI is fortunate to have an outstanding Board of Directors, whose monthly input, guidance and expertise is reflected in the best of the work we do. Throughout the year, Chair Buck Parker’s steady leadership provides the kind of foundational confidence and knowledge every successful organization needs. Vice Chair Pat Case is no less a force of ideas and advice. Without Tracey Tomashpol’s tireless networking around the region our stories wouldn’t travel as far as they do. Same for Sonia Marquez, who leads our Spanish-language translation initiative. Jurgen Hess handles treasurer and secretary duties. With their experience and broad knowledge of business, energy, environmental and other issues, Kevin Ricks, Todd Lauble and Bob Bailey bring the kind of balance and deliberation that helps keep CI on track.

Who else made what we do possible? You. CI readers have contributed $5. $100. $7,000. Every donation counts.

It costs on average $1,000 to produce one story. Eight-four percent of CI budget goes to writers, editor, photographers. I draw no salary. Insurance, license fees and supplies all have to be figured in.

Then there’s technical consulting. A website like ours is amazingly sturdy and frighteningly fragile. It takes constant maintenance. The site is complex; the back end looks a bit like the console of a 737. Any new thing we want to do means we need someone who knows how to make it happen. I am grateful for our technical consultants Scott See, Holly Cate and Ross Thyer.

From our remote locations, the CI team is already at work on articles for 2021. Grants from the Society of Environmental Journalists are funding two series: one on air pollution in The Dalles, Oregon, and one on the impact of the Lower Snake River dams. The Collins Foundation is funding a series on environmental issues on Native American lands in the Columbia River Basin.

Your donations to CI this holiday season are being matched by NewsMatch, one of the many benefits of our membership in the Institute for Nonprofit News. We’re excited about the stories we have planned: like stories about the Cascades red fox, a video on the efforts of people at Warm Springs Indian Reservation working to solve the drinking water crisis and a collaboration with InsideClimate News on forestry.

In just days it will be 2021. The vaccine promises an end to the pandemic, but medical experts tell us there will be difficult months ahead before the virus is stamped out. Until then stay safe. We’ll be with you.

Susan Hess is the publisher of Columbia Insight.