Citing declining snowpack and increased winter recreation, 10 environmental groups are planning to force the government to protect these elusive carnivores.
The faults under Eastern Washington aren't as famous as the feared Cascadia Subduction Zone, but they still pose a threat to communities like Walla Walla, Tri-Cities and Yakima.
Despite calls to remove the dams to save salmon and orcas, federal agencies say the risks to hydropower, navigation and electricity costs are too high.
Federal officials say lifting a 25-year-old ban on logging old-growth trees will help manage megafires. But conservation groups think it could damage habitat.