By Phineas Pope and Lauren Gallup

Phineas Pope: “For years, the majority of Tacoma was reserved for single family housing development. But the city, as well as the state of Washington, is moving away from that. NWPB’s Lauren Gallup has been reporting on this, and she joins me now to discuss. Hey, Lauren!”

Lauren Gallup: “Hi Phineas, how are you?” 

Pope: “I’m good. So let’s start with House Bill 1110. Can you explain some of the key provisions of this bill?”

Gallup: “This is a bill that passed last year in the 2023 legislative session. Put really simply, what it does is allow for more housing development and then more housing types in neighborhoods that traditionally would only have allowed for single family housing. Cities of 25,000 to 75,000 people — so some of our like more midsized to smaller cities — have to allow for development of at least two units per lot on all lots zoned predominantly for residential use. So essentially, what that does is say, as a state, all of our cities, we’re moving away from single family zoning.

As the size of the city increases, the number of units allowed per lot increases. There are also more units allowed when the neighborhood is within a certain distance of major transit, and when there are some units reserved for affordable housing.”

Pope: “How does House Bill 1110, then, aim to address the housing crisis in cities like Tacoma?”

Gallup: “It’s really looking to address what we’re calling middle housing. So these are places that are achievable for people with more of a moderate income. Maybe they’re, you know, area median income, they’re hovering right around there. They are not affordable housing. There are provisions to create affordable housing, but that is not the main aim of this bill. So if neighborhoods allow more housing types, like duplexes, for example, the idea is that those are going to be less expensive, more affordable, maybe, you know, as a starter home or for someone to rent while they’re saving up to buy a bigger space.”

Pope: “You’ve attended some City Council meetings in the course of your reporting. What’s been the public’s reaction to all of this?”

Gallup: “The city council held this public hearing to talk about Home in Tacoma phase two, these zoning changes they’re considering. A lot of people showed up, and a lot of people have a wide range of opinions. There’s some that are opposed, there’s some that are in favor of it. But even amongst those two camps, people feel really differently.”

Pope: “I want to talk about one of the pictures you took of a yard sign. It said, ‘save our homes and tree canopy.’ Can you talk about the environmental impacts tied to rezoning for middle housing?” 

Gallup: “So, when I spoke with Lowell Wyse, who’s the executive director of the Tacoma Tree Foundation, he feels really strongly, actually, that the provisions that are included in this phase, phase two, actually really help ensure protection for existing trees, create more tree canopy and green space when we’re developing.”

Lowell Wyse: “Sometimes it comes down to housing versus trees, but we think that that’s a false choice.”

Gallup: “I think people are rightfully worried that more housing development could lead to loss of these green spaces and tree canopy. We have definitely seen that in Tacoma. We have the lowest level of tree canopy in the Puget Sound. But I will say that a lot of people are happy with what is being proposed regarding to this, because it’s the first time that in Tacoma, there would be regulation of existing trees on private property.”

Pope: “All right, last question for you, Lauren. Are there any upcoming policy decisions or votes related to rezoning in Tacoma that residents should be aware of?”

Gallup: “Yes. So, the City Council is going to vote on these proposals in mid-November. That’s what’s scheduled, always subject to change. Over this month and into the beginning of November, city council members will get opportunities — they’re called study sessions — to look over what’s being proposed and, you know, do their homework before they make a vote. There was a lot of opportunity for public input. But of course, you’re always welcome to reach out to city council members in the planning commission and reporters like me, you know, to ask questions and just understand what’s going on in your local government.”

Pope: “NWPB’s Lauren Gallup has been reporting from Tacoma. Lauren, thanks so much!”

Gallup: “Thanks, Phineas!” 

Three wildlife guides are facing possible prison time and fines up to a quarter of a million dollars, after they allegedly ran an illegal hunting enterprise that resulted in the deaths of at least a dozen mountain lions, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

In a 13-count indictment returned at the end of August, a federal grand jury charged Michael Kulow, 44, Andrea May Major, 44, and LaVoy Linton Eborn, 47, with conspiracy to violate a federal act banning illegal trafficking of wildlife and multiple violations of the act itself, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Idaho. The guides are all from Idaho.

The charges stemmed from the trio’s alleged exploits between December 2021 and February 2022. They are accused of working illegally as big game outfitters and guides in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and the Bridger-Teton National Forest, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said, citing the indictment. The national forests are located in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming, respectively.

Kulow, Major and Eborn were employed in Idaho by a licensed outfitter — a company that provides various services to hunters, including guiding — when they began to independently book and accept payments from hunting clients at the end of 2021, the U.S. attorney said. The three of them allegedly guided those clients through illegal hunts for mountain lions, leading to the killings of at least 11 of the animals in Idaho, and one more Wyoming. The mountain lion killed in Wyoming was a cougar recorded by the Boone and Crockett Club.

The trio is also accused of falsifying portions of their big game mortality reports, which Idaho requires them to submit to the state’s fish and game department, after those illegal hunts. At least three of the poached mountain lions were shipped to Texas without proper documentation, officials said, and all the animals were transported from protected land to or from Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, Texas and North Carolina. Each of those transports would violate Idaho state laws as well as federal laws under the Lacey Act.

The Lacey Act prohibits illegal trafficking of wildlife and plants, and regulates how both are traded or moved between states or into the country. Under the terms of the act, it is against federal law “to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any plant, with some limited exceptions, taken or traded in violation of the laws of the United States, U.S. State or a foreign country,” according to Customs and Border Protection.

Amendments to the law in recent decades extended its provisions to bar trafficking of plants or animal products that were illegally harvested, as well as products without a certain kind of declaration, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says.

Kulo and Major were arrested Sept. 24 and booked with the U.S. Marshals Service in Boise, according to Hurtwit’s office. Eborn was taken into custody the following day and booked with the Marshals Service in Pocatello. Each pleaded not guilty during initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham in Idaho district court.

Their jury trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 18 in federal court in Pocatello.

The charges were announced the same week than an 81-year-old Montana man was sentenced to six months in federal prison for violating the Lacey Act. Arthur “Jack” Schubarth was accused of illegally using tissue and testicles from large sheep hunted in Central Asia and the U.S. to create hybrid sheep for captive trophy hunting in Texas and Minnesota.

The San Francisco Giants enter the offseason with just four arbitration-eligible players: Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr., Tyler Rogers, and Camilo Doval. New President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey may opt to retain all four as he looks to build a competitive team under his leadership.

Yastrzemski, a key outfielder for the Giants, provides a strong left-handed bat and valuable defense, while Wade’s versatility at first base and in the outfield has been critical to the team’s success. Both have had strong contributions at the plate and are important for maintaining offensive depth. MLB Trade Rumors projects the duo to receive a combined $14.2M, with $9.5M to Yastrzemski and $4.7M to Wade.

On the pitching side, Rogers, a side-arming reliever, has been a workhorse in the bullpen, offering consistency in both high-leverage and middle-inning roles. His $5.5M award would not be an overpay for his veteran stability.

Doval, the team’s former closer that was briefly demoted to the minors down the stretch, is the biggest question mark of this class. His projection is just $4.6M, a significant increase from his $770k pre-arb salary, but significantly less than a closer with 92 career saves would be expected to receive. The Giants optioned him down to Triple-A in mid-August after a 4.70 ERA, only to see the flamethrower put up a 5.40 after he returned.

In a fortunate bit of “disaster-averted news”, Doval reportedly turned down a $50M multi-year extension offer over the summer, setting his sights on the Edwin Díaz $102M deal that the closer signed with the New York Mets.

Posey will have to navigate the arbitration process carefully, but keeping these core contributors would allow the Giants to maintain a strong foundation for 2025. With all four players being critical to the Giants’ lineup and bullpen stability, retaining them through arbitration makes sense as Posey builds the next phase of the team’s competitive window.