Table Rock Wilderness, Oregon. Photo: BLM
November 16, 2023. The impact of the climate crisis on trees in the Pacific Northwest is the focus of a collaboration between Columbia Insight, The Associated Press and the Global Climate Desk. Today, the first of three stories was co-published by the collaborating newsrooms delving into issues affecting the trees of the Pacific Northwest due to the changing climate. The stories explore the extent of native tree die-off and its long-term implications on forestry, assisted migration of native trees and the continuing impact of record-high heat on trees.
“This is an exciting series for Columbia Insight as it’s at the core of our coverage area. Collaborating with The AP on other elements of this story, such as video, photos and data really strengthens our approach to covering our region,” said Susan Hess, the publisher of Columbia Insight.
The collaboration, which was developed over a six-month period, is part of The AP Global Climate Desk’s approach to building joint reporting collaborations on climate coverage in the United States and globally. Columbia Insight, an independent newsroom based in Hood River, Ore., covers environmental issues affecting the Columbia River Basin and Pacific Northwest, specifically the connection between environment and people.
“This series once again demonstrates the value of newsroom collaborations in climate journalism. AP Climate continues to build on the strengths of local newsrooms to tell the nuanced story of climate change,” said Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, Climate Collaborations Editor for AP.
The series is written by science journalist Nathan Gilles of Columbia Insight, edited by Chuck Thompson of Columbia Insight with AP editing by Tim Reiterman and Peter Prengamann. The collaboration also features video by Manuel Valdez, photo oversight by Alyssa Goodman and data by Caleb Diehl and Camille Fassett of The AP Climate data visualization team.
