Washington Department Research Articles

Crowberry Bog (Olympic Peninsula, USA)

Just north of the Hoh River on the western Olympic Peninsula in Washington State lies a unique wetland called Crowberry Bog. What it lacks in size – approximately 12 hectares – it more than makes up for as the southernmost and only documented raised bog in the western contiguous United States. In recognition of its distinctiveness, the bog was designated as a state Natural Area Preserve by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in October of 2019. The 95-hectare preserve protects the bog as well as parts of the surrounding forested area.

Training students from rehabilitation professions on communicating with patients with communication disorders.

FRAME, a mnemonic referring to a program for helping health care providers adapt patient-provider communication when working with patients with communication disorders, improves the knowledge, confidence, and communication skills of medical students for working with this population. However, the impact of the FRAME program for preparing students from the rehabilitation disciplines to work with patients with communication disorders is unknown. To examine the effects of the FRAME program on the knowledge, confidence, and communication skills of students in physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) in terms of how to communicate effectively with patients with communication disorders. An exploratory, quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. PT, OT, and P&O clinical education programs at the University of Washington's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Twenty rehabilitation students (PT=12; OT=7; and P&O=1) participated in the FRAME training. The FRAME program, delivered in a single, 2-hour session teaches students communication skills to use with patients with various types of communication disorders. A quiz of students' knowledge about communication disorders and a self-rating of confidence for interacting with this patient population were used. Speech-language pathology graduate clinicians rated students' use of communication strategies from each area of the FRAME training during interactions with standardized patients portraying aphasia and dysarthria. Student qualitative feedback were also collected. Students' knowledge, confidence, and use of communication strategies improved significantly following training. Greatest gains were observed in students' ability to familiarize themselves with how a patient communicates and establish a method of communication before proceeding with the interview. Qualitative feedback aligned with these findings. The FRAME program increases the knowledge, confidence, and use of communication strategies in rehabilitation students in order to communicate more effectively with patients with communication disorders in their future careers.

Integrating Genetics and Metapopulation Viability Analysis to Inform Translocation Efforts for the Last Northern Leopard Frog Population in Washington State, USA

Population genetic and population viability analyses are powerful instruments that can be used to evaluate the status o populations of conservation concern. However, these two methods are rarely integrated. To better understand the status of the last know Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) population in Washington state, USA, and investigate the potential for translocation efforts we analyzed 96 genetic samples from 2004 and 294 genetic samples from 2014 by using seven microsatellite loci and integrate population genetic data with population viability models. Partitioning of genetic diversity indicated the presence of thre subpopulations in the area, aligning with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife subunit designation within the watershed. I both years, heterozygosity and average number of alleles per locus were low for all subpopulations (0.20–0.36 and 1.86–2.50, respectively) Point estimates of gene flow out of two of the three subpopulations decreased from 2004 to 2014 based on G″ST (a measure of geneti differentiation) and migration estimates from BayesAss. Summed effective population size for the entire area by using tempora estimates was estimated to be small, with large amounts of uncertainty (sum of 98.4 individuals, 95% confidence interval: 15.6–infinit individuals). Population viability models using genetic estimates of number of adults and migration rates suggest that adults may be th optimal life history stage for successful direct translocation; however, because only metamorphs can be routinely collected, translocatio with head-starting was modeled and active management strategies may be necessary to establish new populations.

Reply by Authors.

No AccessJournal of UrologyAdult Urology1 Dec 2020Reply by Authorsis a reply to letterEditorial Comment Peter E. Lonergan, Samuel L. Washington, Janet E. Cowan, Shoujun Zhao, Hao G. Nguyen, Katsuto Shinohara, Matthew R. Cooperberg, and Peter R. Carroll Peter E. LonerganPeter E. Lonergan *Correspondence: Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th St., San Francisco, California 94143 E-mail Address: [email protected] Department of Urology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California Equal study contribution. More articles by this author , Samuel L. WashingtonSamuel L. Washington Department of Urology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California Equal study contribution. More articles by this author , Janet E. CowanJanet E. Cowan Department of Urology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California More articles by this author , Shoujun ZhaoShoujun Zhao Department of Urology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California More articles by this author , Hao G. NguyenHao G. Nguyen Department of Urology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California More articles by this author , Katsuto ShinoharaKatsuto Shinohara Department of Urology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California More articles by this author , Matthew R. CooperbergMatthew R. Cooperberg Department of Urology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California More articles by this author , and Peter R. CarrollPeter R. Carroll Department of Urology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000001186.02AboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail "Reply by Authors." The Journal of Urology, 204(6), p. 1221

Opening the Black Box of Solitary Confinement Through Researcher–Practitioner Collaboration: A Longitudinal Analysis of Prisoner and Solitary Populations in Washington state, 2002–2017

This article presents a rare longitudinal analysis of solitary confinement use in one state prison system: spanning 2002–2017 in the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC). An ongoing partnership with DOC officials facilitated methodological and conceptual improvements, allowing us to construct a dataset that provides a rich description of who is in solitary confinement, for how long, and why. Operationalizing solitary confinement as the intersection of the most serious custody status with the most restrictive housing location, we describe significant changes in ethnic composition and behavioral profiles of people in solitary confinement and in frequency and duration of solitary confinement use. These results suggest how particular policy interventions have affected the composition, numbers, and lengths of stay in solitary confinement. Combining longitudinal analysis and iterative engagement with DOC officials, we provide a roadmap for better understanding solitary confinement use in the United States now and in the future.

The Vexing Problem of Faithless Electors

If the aftermath of the unprecedented lobbying campaign attempting to convince the presidential electors to change the outcome of the 2016 presidential election and deny Donald Trump the White House, legal cases arose challenging the authority of the states to sanction or replace presidential electors who broke their pledges to cast their votes for the party nominee who won the statewide balloting in the general election. Colorado claimed the right to discard the ballots of faithless electors and replace those electors with an alternate who would adhere to their pledge. Washington state claimed the right to impose a civil fine on faithless electors who broke their pledge. The authority of the states to discourage faithless electors had not previously been tested, and in the consolidated cases of Chiafalo v. Washington and Colorado Department of State v. Baca the Court upheld the authority of the states to take such actions to enforce the pledges of presidential electors. The greatest risk raised by the faithless elector cases was the possibility that the justices might throw a monkey wrench into the electoral machinery. They could have made it somewhat more likely that Hamilton Elector-style lobbying campaigns will become regular features of our electoral process, and as a result made it marginally more likely that the country might eventually face the constitutional crisis of the Electoral College denying victory to the declared winner of Election Day. The justices in 2020 instead took care to not further unsettle the political system. In doing so, they did not – and could not – put an end to the possibility that a faithless elector might someday swing an election result, but they did what they could to make sure that such an event was no more likely than it was before they heard the cases. They endorsed the status quo ante, and left it to politicians to take measures that would minimize the prospect and impact of faithless electors. This essay reviews the faithless elector problem and how the Court tried to resolve it. Part I reviews the design of the Electoral College, the problem of faithless electors, and the ways we have tried to contain that problem. Part II notes how this problem of faithless electors reached the Supreme Court. Part III examines the strategy Justice Elena Kagan adopted in the majority opinion for empowering states to discipline presidential electors. Part IV examines the alternative strategy offered by Justice Clarence Thomas in his concurring opinion. Part V considers some implications of the Court’s action in these cases for related controversies.

Abstract IA09: Challenges in the identification of inherited risk of ovarian cancer

Abstract We have come a long way since the 1990s in our understanding of inherited risk and in the genetic testing options that are available to our patients. Despite the clear benefits of identifying inherited risk, there are many barriers in place to genetic testing, and most women with ovarian cancer are still not undergoing these tests. The need for genetic testing currently exceeds the availability of genetic counselors, and creative solutions will need to be explored. The Stand Up To Cancer Ovarian Cancer Dream Team is conducting the MAGENTA (MAking GENetic Testing Accessible) trial. MAGENTA utilizes genetic testing at home with a mailed kit, electronic results delivery, and telephonic genetic counseling. This and other ideas will have to be explored in order to increase genetic testing rates. With the recent publication of SOLO-1 demonstrating a large benefit for PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy in the primary setting for women with advanced BRCA-mutated OC, identifying germline and somatic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations at the time of diagnosis is paramount and likely to soon be considered standard of care for treatment planning. The most optimal method for detecting both germline and somatic mutations is currently up for debate. Our University of Washington Department of Laboratory Medicine is currently offering tumor and germline sequencing in parallel using both tumor and blood samples, allowing for simultaneous detection of germline and somatic mutations, with methods optimized for each approach. Data from this ongoing project will be presented. Finally, in order to optimize the identification of inherited risk, we need to better understand which genes are implicated in ovarian cancer risk and treatment response. The advent of multiplex gene testing has allowed us to detect mutations in many genes using a single test, increasing efficiency and decreasing costs. The primary downside of multiplex testing is that as more genes are sequenced, the likelihood of identifying uncertain results also increases, either in the form of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) or damaging mutations in genes with uncertain contributions to cancer risk. Available data on risks of ovarian cancer with mutations in genes other than BRCA1 and BRCA2 will be reviewed. Citation Format: Barbara M. Norquist. Challenges in the identification of inherited risk of ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 13-16, 2019; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(13_Suppl):Abstract nr IA09.

Evidence for Depressed Reproduction of Golden Eagles in Washington

ABSTRACTBeginning in 1977 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted annual surveys to determine statewide golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) occupancy and productivity. Current interest in the regional and national status of the species prompted our investigation to determine utility of historical data in assessing trends in reproduction, and to test efficacy of a sampling protocol that surveyed randomly selected territories and also accounted for detection probability. We found evidence indicating poor reproduction from 38 annual surveys conducted at 301 known territories statewide between 1977 and 2014. At 256 territories in eastern Washington, USA, apparent occupancy was low ( = 50.9%) and nesting success declined by 22%. All reproductive parameters were higher than at 45 territories in western Washington. We tested efficacy of a sampling protocol in 2013 and 2014 by surveying 108 randomly selected eastern territories. Probability of detecting eagles for these years from ground (= 89%) was greater than from air (= 66%). Our estimate of territory occupancy, corrected by probability of detection, was lower in 2013 (= 56.7%, 95% CI = 46.3–66.7%) than in 2014 (= 73.7%, 95% CI = 64.8–81.7%), as was the estimated number of breeding pairs (2013: = 158, 95% CI = 151–164; 2014: = 187, 95% CI = 182–192). Higher productivity (young/occupied territory) in 2013 (= 0.59, 95% CI = 0.40–0.82) than in 2014 (= 0.41, 95% CI = 0.27–0.59) and lower proportions of ≥1 immature eagle among nesting pairs in 2013 (16%) than in 2014 (31%), suggested higher immature pairing among sampled pairs contributed to inter‐year differences in these reproductive parameters. Current and historical evidence for depressed golden eagle nesting in Washington is consistent with documented effects from habitat conversion, prey declines, lead contamination, and wind power development. We recommend future surveys in eastern Washington adhere to the random sampling protocol and conduct surveys at regular intervals to allow for trend analysis of reproductive parameters to better monitor golden eagle status. Surveys in western Washington, conducted exclusively from ground at all nests, will improve detection and cost efficiency. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Cost of Responding to the 2017 University of Washington Mumps Outbreak: A Prospective Analysis.

To estimate costs of labor and materials by the University of Washington (UW) and state and local public health departments (PHDs) to respond to the February to June 2017 UW mumps outbreak, where 42 cases were identified among students (primarily sorority and fraternity members), staff, and associated community members. We applied standard cost analysis methodology using a combined public health and university perspective to examine the cost of responding to the outbreak. UW's Seattle campus encompasses 703 acres with approximately 32 000 undergraduate students. Nearly 15% of the undergraduate population are members of fraternities or sororities. Housing for the fraternities and sororities is adjacent to the UW campus and consists of 50 houses. During the outbreak, customized costing tools based on relevant staff or faculty positions and activities were provided to the UW and Public Health-Seattle & King County, populated by each person participating in the outbreak response, and then collected and analyzed. Laboratory hours and material costs were collected from the Washington Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Health. Labor and material costs provided by the UW and PHDs during the outbreak were collected and categorized by payer and activity. Total costs to the UW and PHDs in responding to the outbreak were $282 762 ($6692 per case). Of these, the UW spent $160 064, while PHDs spent $122 098. Labor accounted for 77% of total outbreak costs, and UW response planning and coordination accounted for the largest amount of labor costs ($75 493) overall. Given the current university and public health department budget constraints, the response to the outbreak amounted to a significant use of resources. Labor was the largest driver of costs for the outbreak response; UW labor costs-related to campus response planning and coordination-dominated the total economic burden from public health and university perspectives.

Associations of Environmental Conditions and Vibrio parahaemolyticus Genetic Markers in Washington State Pacific Oysters.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a naturally occurring bacterium in estuarine waters and is a major cause of seafood-borne illness. The bacterium has been consistently identified in Pacific Northwest waters and elevated illness rates of vibriosis in Washington State have raised concerns among growers, risk managers, and consumers of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). In order to better understand pre-harvest variation of V. parahaemolyticus in the region, abundance of total and potentially pathogenic strains of the bacterium in a large number of Washington State Pacific oyster samples were compared with environmental conditions at the time of sampling. The Washington Department of Health regularly sampled oysters between June and September at over 21 locations from 2014 to 2018, resulting in over 946 samples. V. parahaemolyticus strains carrying three genetic markers, tlh, trh, and tdh, were enumerated in oyster tissue using a most probable number-PCR analysis. Tobit regressions and seemingly unrelated estimations were used to formally assess relationships between environmental measures and genetic markers. All genetic markers were found to be positively associated with temperature, independent of the abundance of other genetic markers. Surface water temperature displayed a non-linear relationship, with no association observed between any genetic marker in the warmest waters. There were also stark differences between surface and shore water temperature models. Salinity was not found to be substantially associated with any of the genetic variables. The relative abundance of tdh+ strains given total V. parahaemolyticus abundance (pathogenic ratio tdh:tlh) was negatively associated with water temperature in colder waters and decreased exponentially as total V. parahaemolyticus abundance increased. Strains carrying the trh gene had a pronounced positive association with strains carrying the tdh gene but was also negatively associated with the tdh:tlh pathogenic ratio. These results suggest that there are ecological relationships of competition, growth, and survival for V. parahaemolyticus strains in the oyster tissue matrix. This work also improves the overall understanding of environmental associations with V. parahaemolyticus in Washington State Pacific oysters, laying the groundwork for future risk mitigation efforts in the region.

Community Supervision of Probationer

In Harper v. State , 429 P.3d 1071 (Wash. 2018), the Washington Supreme Court considered whether the Washington Department of Corrections' (DOC) supervision of probationer Scottye Miller constituted gross negligence and whether the DOC was liable in failing to prevent Mr. Miller from murdering his

Sustaining Practice Change: How to Prevent Organizational Relapse

Sustaining Practice Change: How to Prevent Organizational Relapse

Are Special Sex Offender Sentencing-Alternative Evaluations Exempt From Public Disclosure Because They Contain “Health Care Information?”

In Doe G v. Dep't of Corr., 410 P.3d 1156 (Wash. 2018), the pro se petitioner Donna Zink and the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) sought the reversal of a published court of appeals decision that affirmed the trial court ruling in favor of the respondents, John Does G, I, and J (John Does

Repatriating Salmon to Point Elliott: Fish and Wildlife in bǝka’ltiu (Mukilteo), 2012 - 2018

In an 1855 treaty at Point Elliott (bǝka’ltiu or Mukilteo, WA) the United States promised Coast Salish nations that they could continue to hunt and fish in their usual and accustomed places in perpetuity; yet logging, stream realignments, military installations, pollution, and transportation infrastructure over the following century disrupted and impeded salmon access to local streams. A railroad spur built in the late 1960s to connect the waterfront railway to a Boeing plant above Japanese Gulch introduced additional barriers and by this time, if not sooner, humans had entirely blocked salmon access to the stream in the very shadows of the historic treaty. Students from Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, WA. joined a collaborative effort in 2012 led by the City of Mukilteo and Snohomish County Airport, in consultation with Tulalip Tribes and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, to remove four major barriers to salmon migration in Japanese Gulch. As its name suggests, this stream is not only important to the First Peoples of this land but also to descendants of immigrants from Japan who lived in lumber company housing in the gulch during the early twentieth century. Urban streams and their associated riparian zones in western Washington contain important fish and wildlife habitat in the midst of extensive human activities. This report summarizes the results of in-stream salmon spawning, wildlife, and water quality surveys in two streams in the heart and edges of Mukilteo conducted between 2012 and 2018. The surveys demonstrate that small numbers of adult coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) have consistently come to Japanese Gulch to spawn for seven consecutive years. Chum returned to Japanese Gulch for just one out of seven years of observation. Coho returned to Big Gulch for four out of six years of monitoring in this watershed. Chum (O. keta) have returned for five out of six years of monitoring but the numbers have been quite variable and were dramatically lower this year than the previous year. The variability of salmon runs in Big Gulch coincides with a similar volatility in water quality samples, suggesting that water quality remains the primary threat to the viability of salmon in this stream. For four out of five years, service-learners have documented pre-spawn mortality in Mukilteo streams. In fact, three out of the four years that coho returned to Big Gulch, necropsies revealed 100% pre-spawn mortality resulting in a cumulative rate of 87.5% over five years of monitoring. Surveyors at Japanese Gulch found pre-spawn mortality rates average just 40% in the recently restored stream over the same five years. These local rates of pre-spawn mortality range from substantially to moderately higher than predicted by new prognostic models developed by scientists at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for forecasting premature deaths. Teams of students, staff, and faculty have confirmed 13 mammals and 22 birds previously reported and added three each of additional mammals and birds as well as one amphibian to the list. At Big Gulch they have also added 11 species of mammals, 17 species of bird, and one each of amphibians and reptiles. Overall, 805 students, staff, and community members have contributed to this community-based service-learning partnership over the past seven years. This project serves as an example of the value of community-based citizen science in filling the monitoring and assessment gap in current salmon restoration projects throughout the Pacific Northwest.

International Spread of Multidrug-Resistant <i>Campylobacter coli </i>in Men Who Have Sex with Men in Washington State and Quebec, 2015-2018

Background: Campylobacter spp. are among the most common causes of enteric bacterial infections worldwide. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk for sexually-transmitted enteric infections, including globally-distributed strains of multidrug-resistant Shigella spp. Methods: Retrospective study of MSM-associated Campylobacter in Seattle and Montreal with phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles and whole genome sequencing. Findings: We report the isolation of two clonal lineages of multi-drug-resistant Campylobacter coli from MSM in Seattle, Washington and Montreal, Quebec. Whole genome sequencing revealed nearly identical strains obtained from the two regions over a four-year period. Comparison with large genomic databases revealed extensive Campylobacter spp. clusters carrying multiple drug resistance genes that segregated with these isolates. Examination of the genetic basis of antimicrobial resistance revealed multiple macrolide resistance determinants including a novel ribosomal RNA methyltransferase situated in a CRISPR array locus in a Campylobacter coli isolate. Interpretation: As previously reported for Shigella, specific multi-drug-resistant strains of Campylobacter are circulating by sexual transmission in MSM populations across diverse geographic locations, suggesting a need to incorporate sexual behavior in the investigation of clusters of foodborne pathogens revealed by whole-genome sequence data. Funding Statement: University of Washington Department of Laboratory Medicine. Declaration of Interests: F.C.F. reports consulting fees and non-financial support from BioFire. No other competing interests for the other authors. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the University of Washington Institutional Review Board and the Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal Research Ethics Committee.

An Academic-Practice Partnership at the University of Washington School of Public Health: The Student Epidemic Action Leaders (SEAL) Team.

In 2015, the University of Washington School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology established the Student Epidemic Action Leaders (SEAL) team to provide public health students with experience in field epidemiology in state and local public health communicable disease divisions. The University of Washington Department of Epidemiology developed the SEAL team in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Health to offer public health graduate students opportunities to contribute to the real-time needs of public health agencies during a communicable disease event and/or preparedness event. The SEAL team combines classroom and field-based training in public health practice and applied epidemiology. During the first 2 years of the SEAL team (2016-2018), 34 SEALs were placed at 4 agencies contributing more than 1300 hours of assistance on 24 public health projects.

The outbreak that changed meat and poultry inspection systems worldwide.

In the course of history, one of the best recognized constants is that change happens most often and most rapidly in response to a dire situation. Even when efforts to introduce improvements have been ongoing for quite a while, it is not until an emergency or a crisis develops that people are ready to accept change to resolve the problem at hand. Such has been the case with meat and poultry safety. Many in the community, whether regulators, the industry, researchers, or advocates would agree that the most significant and impactful such event was the 1993 outbreak of foodborne illness associated with the Jack-in-the-Box restaurant chain. According to the Washington Department of Health (WDOH), where the outbreak was first reported, a cluster of children were suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by infection with Escherichia coli O157:H7, a little-known bacterial pathogen (CDC, 1993). The investigation quickly determined that the regular-sized hamburger patties and jumbo patties produced by Vons’ Companies of California and sold to the public by Jack-in-the Box were the source of the organism. The outbreak resulted in more than 600 illnesses with four children dead from having consumed undercooked hamburgers. To say that this was a scandal is an understatement. This situation was so dire that the outbreak was discussed as an agenda item during President Bill Clinton’s first cabinet meeting in 1993, after his inauguration as the 42nd President of the United States (Cross, Personal Communication, 2018). Many things changed following that meeting, culminating in a regulatory mandate by USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) for industry to implement the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system at every federally inspected meat and poultry slaughter and processing plant in the United States. However, it may come as a surprise to some that the foundation for changes in food safety processes had already been in the works the year preceding the outbreak. A review of the events that took place in 1992 and how those activities had a direct impact on the events to come is justified.

Bycatch of rockfish in spot prawn traps and estimated magnitude of trap loss in Washington waters of the Salish Sea

Derelict fishing gear is a known stressor to rockfish populations in the Washington waters of the Salish Sea, including two species currently federally protected under the Endangered Species Act. In Washington and British Columbia, rockfish bycatch in actively fished (non-derelict) prawn traps has been documented in spot prawn test fisheries conducted by state and provincial government, and both live and dead rockfish have been found in derelict prawn traps encountered during derelict fishing gear removal operations in Washington. This study calculates rockfish bycatch rates in actively fishing prawn traps and provides preliminary trap loss rates for both commercial and recreational fisheries. Rockfish bycatch rates were determined through analysis of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Spot Prawn Test Fishery Data collected from 2004 to 2013. Data from WDFW creel surveys were used to update preliminary prawn trap loss rates. Interviews with WDFW marine enforcement officers were conducted to estimate the number of lost traps that are recovered before becoming derelict. The overall rockfish catch rates in Washington waters of the Salish Sea were 0.023 rockfish per trap drop, with considerable spatial and temporal variability. The lowest catch rates were consistently seen in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands and North Puget Sound); while the highest catch rates were seen in Marine Area 11 (south-central Puget Sound). The trap loss rate estimated for the recreational fishery is 2.33% of all traps fished. We estimate that over the years 2012 and 2013 an average of 653 recreational prawn traps became derelict each year. The accumulation of derelict prawn traps has a mostly unknown effect on benthic habitats of Puget Sound, which warrants additional research. While rockfish bycatch and prawn trap loss rates reported here are low, our findings support evaluating methods to reduce rockfish encounters with prawn traps.

The Technology Requirements of the First Electronic Monitoring Agreement in US for Zappers, Phantomware, and Other Sales Suppression Devices

On August 30, 2017, a plea was entered in the case of case of State of Washington v. Wong, Wash. Super. Ct., No. 16-1-00179-0, and as a result the first electronic monitoring agreement of sales transactions in the US (the “Monitoring Agreement”) was legislatively imposed on a retail business. The Monitoring Agreement was negotiated between the State of Washington Department of Revenue (the “WA DOR”) and the taxpayer over a period of several months and is comprised of two parts: the basic agreement, which covered the obligations and rights of the parties, and an appendix, which defines the scope of sales information to be monitored, and the technological means by which that information is gathered, secured from manipulation, and transmitted electronically to the DOR. This paper focuses upon the technology requirements in this first-of-its-kind electronic monitoring agreement between a revenue authority and a taxpayer in the US. The basic agreement, which not only delineates the specific obligations of the taxpayer to provide the WA DOR with real time access to retail sales information, but also sets out various protections for the taxpayer, such as limitations on possible allegations of breach, rights to cure, and administrative adjudication of material disputes, all designed to protect the taxpayers right to continue in business, will be discussed in a separate follow-up article. The problem this agreement seeks to address is sales suppression at the point of sale (POS). Not traditional sales suppression, or skimming with double tills, but sophisticated technology-assisted skimming. The specific targets are programs known as Zappers and Phantomware, which are used with POS systems or electronic cash registers (ECRs) to manipulate sales figures. Once installed, an electronic monitoring system will solve other types of suppression, like internal theft, open till, misuse of legitimate functions such as training mode, or voided transactions, but those frauds are not its immediate target.

Repatriating Salmon to Point Elliott: Fish and Wildlife in bbkaaltiu (Mukilteo)

In an 1855 treaty at Point Elliot (bǝka’ltiu or Mukilteo, WA) the United States promised Coast Salish nations that they could continue to hunt and fish in their usual and accustomed places in perpetuity; yet logging, stream realignments, military installations, pollution, and railroad and road infrastructure over the following century disrupted and impeded salmon access to local streams. A railroad spur built in the 1960s to connect to a Boeing plant above Japanese Gulch introduced additional barriers and by this time, if not sooner, humans had entirely blocked salmon access to the stream in the very shadows of the historic treaty. Students from Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Washington, joined a collaborative effort in 2012 led by the City of Mukilteo and Snohomish County Airport, in consultation with Tulalip Tribes and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, to remove four major barriers to salmon migration in Japanese Gulch. As its name suggests this stream is not only important to the First Peoples of this land, but also to descendants of immigrants from Japan who lived in lumber company housing in the gulch during the early twentieth century. Urban streams and their associated riparian zones in western Washington contain important fish and wildlife habitat in the midst of intense human activities. Community college students are enhancing their own learning while assisting cities, counties, and tribes with monitoring of plants and animals in these urban ecosystems. This report summarizes the results of an in-stream salmon spawning survey in two streams in the heart and edges of Mukilteo conducted from October 23, 2017 through December 20, 2017. It also reports on wildlife surveys using tracking and camera traps and on monthly water quality sampling from January to December 2017. Additionally, this report draws comparisons and contrasts with previous wildlife surveys that began as early as January 2012 and expanded in scope later in that year to include salmon and in more recent years in water quality. Students, faculty, and staff from Edmonds CC, along with community volunteers, have conducted these surveys in Japanese and Big Gulches in response to requests from the City of Mukilteo and Snohomish County Airport. The data collected help these municipalities preserve and sustain places and species of significant cultural importance to local Coast Salish tribes, Japanese-American communities, and the larger mainstream culture. The surveys demonstrate that small numbers of adult coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) continue to return to Japanese Gulch for the sixth year in a row. For the first time in six years of monitoring, college students have also observed adult chum (Oncorhynchus keta) spawning in Japanese Gulch. Chum have made their first documented appearance since the removal of barriers that had excluded salmon from the stream for approximately fifty years. The viability of coho and chum runs in Japanese Gulch, though, is under threat from an invasive species, bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamera), that has overrun prime spawning habitat in restored sections of the stream. For the third out of five years, coho have returned again to Big Gulch, a neighboring stream that like Japanese Gulch, begins at what is now Paine Field Airport. For the fourth out of five years of monitoring in this second stream, chum have again returned to Big Gulch, this year in the highest numbers yet recorded.