Beal recorded 37 points (13-23 FG, 2-5 3PT, 9-9 FT), six rebounds and four assists across 38 minutes in Sunday's 149-146 win over the Nets.
Beal and Russell Westbrook pulled off a stunning win with two three-pointers in the final seconds. As the NBA's current scoring leader, Beal's been a bright spot for the Wizards, who are struggling with the league's worst record. Now that Westbrook is healthy, Beal will delegate some responsibility to the All-Star point guard and provide a more balanced offensive attack. Together, they could be the most productive backcourt tandem by season's end.
Global blow-fill-seal technology market is set to witness a substantial CAGR of 7.45% in the forecast period of 2019- 2026. The report contains data of the base year 2018 and historic year 2017. Rising demand for pharmaceutical and growing popularity of ascetic packaging are the factors for the market growth.
Data Bridge Market Research, the fastest growing market research company, released a report on the Blow-fill-seal technology Market. This market report offers an overall scope of the market which includes future supply and demand scenarios, changing market trends, high growth opportunities, and in-depth analysis of the future prospects of the market. The report discusses the competitive data analysis of emerging and leading market players. Further, it offers comprehensive data analysis on risk factors, challenges, and possible new routes in the market.
The report has been prepared using a solid research methodology to cover the market in detail. In order to publish a premium Blow-fill-seal technology market report, the market report has been subjected to extensive primary and secondary research. The dedicated research team conducted interviews with delegated industry experts to gain a comprehensive overview of the market. This market research report covers product price drivers, revenue drivers, and growth. Additionally, it can potentially help new entrants and even existing industry players develop a strategic business strategy for their products.
Few of the major competitors currently working in the global blow-fill-seal technology market Catalent, Inc; Unipharma, LLC.; GlaxoSmithKline plc., Recipharm AB, SALVAT, Amanta Healthcare, Asept Pak, Inc., SIFI S.p.A, BREVETTI ANGELA S.r.l., Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Curida AS, Rommelag Kunststoff-Maschinen Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, Horizon Therapeutics, Unither, The Ritedose Corporation., HANSHIN GROUP, Unicep, Plastikon, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V. among others.
Global Blow-fill-seal technology market research report endows with the most suitable and specific information to the decision makers in the Blow-fill-seal technology industry which saves their time and give excellent output. With the systematic study performed by the experts, of all these parameters are used to offer best solution. The report analyses the potential of the market with respect to current scenario and the future prospects by considering several industry aspects. Blow-fill-seal technology report explains several market factors such as market estimates and forecasts, entry strategies, opportunity analysis, market positioning, competitive landscape, product positioning, market assessment and viability studies.
What is more, Blow-fill-seal technology market research report provides details about historic data, present market trends, future product environment, marketing strategies, technological innovation, upcoming technologies, emerging trends or opportunities, and the technical progress in the related industry. The market drivers and restraints have been examined using SWOT analysis. With the appropriate utilization of excellent practice models and brilliant method of research, this wonderful market report is generated which supports businesses to unearth the greatest opportunities to prosper in the market.
Blow-fill-seal technology Market Report Scope
Report Attribute
Details
Blow-fill-seal technology Market size available for years
2021 – 2027
Base year considered
2021
Historical data
2015 – 2020
Forecast Period
2021 – 2027
Quantitative units
Revenue in USD million and CAGR from 2020 to 2027
Segments Covered
Types, Applications, End-Users, and more.
Report Coverage
Revenue Forecast, Company Ranking, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends
Regional Scope
North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa
Customization scope
Free report customization (equivalent up to 8 analysts working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope.
Pricing and purchase options
Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options
The research provides answers to the following key questions:
What is the expected growth rate of the Blow-fill-seal technology market?
2. What will be the market size for the forecast period 2021-2027?
3. What are the main drivers of change in the industry?
4. What are the major suppliers that dominate the Blow-fill-seal technology industry in different regions?
5. What are your winning strategies for staying ahead of the competition?
6. What market trends can entrepreneurs build on in the years to come?
7. What threats and challenges are likely to limit the progress of the industry in different countries?
8. What are the main assets that business owners can count on for the forecast period 2021-2027?
Key Questions Answered In This Blow-fill-seal technology Market Report
How much revenue will the Blow-fill-seal technology Market generate by the end of the forecast period?
2. Which market segment is expected to have the maximum market share by 2027?
3. What are the influencing factors and their impact on the Blow-fill-seal technology market?
4. Which regions are currently contributing the maximum share of the overall Blow-fill-seal technology market?
5. What indicators are likely to stimulate the Blow-fill-seal technology market?
6. What are the main strategies of the major players in the Blow-fill-seal technology market to expand their geographic presence?
7. What are the main advances of the Blow-fill-seal technology market?
8. How do regulatory standards affect the Blow-fill-seal technology market?
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Blow-fill-seal technology Market Global Industry Latest Research And Developments 2020 To 2027 | – KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper
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Puget Sound businesses excited to move to Phase 2 of state's reopening plan Monday - KING5.com
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Governor Tom Wolf is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel and encouraging employers to offer telework options if possible, as winter weather conditions are expected to worsen Monday.
“As this winter storm continues, the best plan of action is to stay home,” Gov. Wolf said. “If you are required to travel, have all the proper safety precautions in place and stay alert for rapidly changing conditions.”
Vehicle restrictions are currently in place on several Pennsylvania interstates that align with Tier 1 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) anticipates that additional restrictions will be added as conditions warrant. It is possible that a Tier 4 restriction could be enacted in the Harrisburg, Lehigh Valley and Pocono regions. Under a Tier 4 restriction, no commercial vehicles are permitted.
Motorists are encouraged to sign up for personalized alerts and find the latest restriction and travel information at www.511pa.com.
Strong wind and blowing/drifting snow are expected with this storm and reduced visibility is expected in some areas. Motorists always should be alert for sudden white-out conditions during the storm, virtually eliminating a driver’s visibility.
If travel is necessary, to help make decisions regarding winter travel, motorists are encouraged to “Know Before You Go” by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. Users can also see plow truck statuses and travel alerts along a specific route using the “Check My Route” tool.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Motorists are reminded that roadways will not be free of snow while precipitation is falling. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may actually be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form without warning.
If you must travel, slow down and increase your following distance. Most collisions in snowy and icy conditions are the result of driving too fast for the conditions or following too closely. Four-wheel drive may help with driving in the snow, but it does nothing to help with stopping, so leave plenty of room. And remember, speed limits are designed for ideal conditions. Drivers can be cited for driving too fast for the conditions, even below the speed limit.
Drivers should prepare or restock their emergency kits with items such as non-perishable food, water, first-aid supplies, warm clothes, a blanket, cell phone charger and a small snow shovel. Motorists should tailor their kits to any specific needs that they or their families have such as baby supplies, extra medication and pet supplies.
Motorists should be extra cautious around operating snow-removal equipment. When encountering a plow truck, drivers should:
Stay at least six car lengths behind an operating plow truck and remember that the main plow is wider than the truck.
Be alert since plow trucks generally travel much more slowly than other traffic.
When a plow truck is traveling toward you, move as far away from the center of the road as is safely possible, and remember that snow can obscure the actual snow plow width.
Never try to pass or get between several trucks plowing side by side in a “plow train.” The weight of the snow thrown from the plow can quickly cause smaller vehicles to lose control, creating a hazard for nearby vehicles.
Never travel next to a plow truck since there are blind spots where the operator can’t see, and they can occasionally be moved sideways when hitting drifts or heavy snowpack.
Keep your lights on to help the operator better see your vehicle. Also remember that under Pennsylvania state law, vehicle lights must be on every time a vehicle’s wipers are on due to inclement weather.
Astonishing footage has emerged of a shark hunting down a seal near a popular swimming spot off Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.
A group of mates enjoying a day on a boat filmed the encounter with a bronze whaler that was violently thrashing around just metres away from them off Portsea on the weekend.
'Oh my God! Dad, stop, stop!' a man is heard exclaiming in the footage. 'It's chasing a seal! Oh my God! Holy moly, this is crazy!'
A group of men enjoying a day on Port Phillip Bay filmed their encounter with a shark as it aggressively chased its prey
The men get a better look at just how big the predator is as the shark swims closer to the boat while chasing its prey.
'What is this! Oh my God, that's massive!' the man excitedly says. 'It's right there!'
Another mate suggested the shark may be chasing fish rather than a seal.
'Well, whatever it is, it's chasing it,' the first man replies.
Another video shows the men's horror as the shark closes in on the boat.
The men are heard exclaiming that they'd never seen a bronze whaler so big
'Oh s**t, I've never seen one that f**king big,' another man says.
'That's enough for me! As long as he stays down there.'
Despite their size and aggressive behavior, bronze whalers - also known as copper sharks - aren't usually a threat to humans.
The species is responsible for just one fatal attack in Australia, at Bunker Bay off Western Australia's coast in 2011.
The extraordinary footage of the massive shark (pictured) was filmed off Portsea
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TikTok shows massive shark chasing a seal in Mornington Peninsula bay popular with swimmers - Daily Mail
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Brazilian side Chapecoense sealed the second division Serie B title on goal difference on Friday after a last gasp Panenka-style penalty from Anselmo Ramon gave them a 3-1 win over Confianca.
Chapecoense, who lost most of their squad in an air crash in 2016, secured promotion earlier this month after spending a year in the second tier when they were guaranteed a top-four finish with four games remaining.
The club were second going into the final matchday behind America-MG who beat Avai 2-1 to finish with 73 points and a positive goal difference of 20.
Chapecoense were leading 2-1 in stoppage time, enough for second place with an identical goal difference but fewer goals scored, when they won a penalty and Ramon stepped up to lob the ball into the net.
Com vocĂȘs, o gol do tĂtulo mais emocionante que eu jĂĄ vi.
52 do segundo tempo.
PĂȘnalti.
E o Anselmo Ramon fez ISSO AĂ! ❄️
Though the game ended with Chapecoense's Denner Fernando Melz and Confianca goal scorer Isnairo Reis Silva Morais being sent off, it did little to dampen their spirits.
"By merit, by right, with a lot of fight, Chapecoense are champions of Brazilian Serie B," the club wrote on Twitter.
"Rain in the Arena Conda at the moment when Chapecoense prepares to lift the trophy. Our strength comes from above."
Alan Ruschel, who was one of the survivors of the 2016 crash, lifted the trophy amid emotional scenes.
The team also held an open top bus parade in the small southern city of Chapeco as fans poured into the streets to celebrate their victory.
Although their budget is a fraction of Brazil's big city clubs, Chapecoense's hastily rebuilt side remained competitive in the top flight until they were relegated in December 2019.
Chapecoense's fightback against adversity continued on Saturday when they clinched the Brazilian Serie B title - which was sealed with a Panenka penalty.
The club have a huge amount of goodwill around the world after the plane crash that took the lives of 19 players in 2016 - with only six of the 77 onboard the flight surviving.
The team fought on and finished a brilliant eighth in the top-flight table in 2017, but the magnitude of the crash took a toll and they slipped to 14th in 2018 and suffered relegation in 2019.
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But they have bounced back and will be in the Brazilian top flight again next season. Promotion had already been secured ahead of the final game of the season against Confianca, but the prospect of silverware was standing before them.
They took an early lead through Anselmo Ramon, but were pegged back when Isnairo Reis Silva Morais netted on 55 minutes for Confianca.
Pedro Henrique Perotti fired Chapecoense back in front on 79 minutes and they were holding on for the win when they were awarded a penalty deep into injury-time.
It was a soft spot-kick, but it handed Chapecoense the chance to seal the win and the title. The goal was needed as they trailed America Mineiro on goal difference.
Ramon was charged with the task of converting, and he did not let his team-mates down. Whether planned or a spur-of-the-moment decision, Ramon stepped up and dinked the coolest of Panenka penalties to secure the title.
Chapecoense need to score in the last minute to win Serie B.
The game ended on a sour note as Denner Fernando Melz of Chapecoense and Confianca’s goalscorer Morais were shown red cards shortly before the final whistle, but that did not detract from the win.
Upon the final whistle, the club wrote on Twitter: "By merit, by right, with a lot of fight, Chapecoense is champion of Brazil’s Serie B.
“Our strength comes from the top.”
There were wild celebrations upon the presentation of the trophy and despite coronavirus, the players took to an open-top bus for a ride through the city.
Chapecoense topped the standings with 73 points, the same as America Mineiro, but they had a superior goal difference of one thanks to Ramon’s Panenka.
The Arctic has seen rapid transformation in recent years as a result of climate change, with rising temperatures and significant fluctuations in sea ice thickness. Those changes could be causing three species of Arctic seals to lose body mass at alarming rates, according to a new study.
Researchers from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries studied ribbon, spotted and harbor seals in the Bering Sea and Aleutian islands from 2007 to 2018. They tracked changes in how heavy the seals were in relation to their length, a metric known as "body condition."
The researchers found that the seals' body condition declined in almost all age and sex classes in every studied species. Only two groups, spotted seal subadults and adults, did not experience a decline in body condition.
"Our findings point strongly to climate-related impacts. We saw declines in seal condition that coincided with recent pronounced warming," lead researcher Peter Boveng said in a statement. "Warming conditions in the Arctic seem to be affecting the condition of individual seals in a way that could impact their populations."
For ribbon and spotted seals, the decline in body condition is likely related to their reliance on an icy environment during pregnancy and nursing cycles, the authors said. These species usually gather near the edge of sea ice in the spring to give birth between April and May, and the mothers have "very high" energy needs during this time.
Where they gather in the Bering Sea has historically had plenty of food available for that time, researchers said. But throughout the study period, sea ice decreased by 47,000 square kilometers a year — forcing the mothers to search for food in areas that may have been less favorable.
Researchers only gathered data for harbor seals between 2014 to 2016 — but they found a "striking" decrease in body condition. An average-sized individual seal, researchers said, saw a decrease in body composition of roughly 13 pounds a year. Male harbor seals weigh about 265 pounds on average, and females weigh about 220 pounds, according to the ocean advocacy group Oceana.
The study did note that the Aleutian Islands population of harbor seals have undergone a "long-term decline" between 1980 and 1999 when the population dropped by 86%. The cause of the decline is not known.
Researchers said they do not think that decline is linked to the lower body condition.
"We suspect that the recent declines in body condition during our study are an acute response to the very strong North Pacific marine heat wave," Boveng explained, "rather than a continued chronic response to whatever has caused the long-term decline in numbers."
The findings are especially alarming due to the species' position on the food chain. The authors noted that climate change has often been shown to impact fish and other animals low on the food chain who are less able to switch between sources of prey as ecosystems change. But when animals like the ribbon, spotted and harbor seals — described as "resilient, long-lived predators that eat a variety of prey" — are facing physical decline, the authors wrote, "it likely reflects broad underlying ecological shifts in multiple prey species."
During the time of the study, there were two unusual mortality events in Alaska that impacted all of the ice seals in the area, including the ribbon and spotted seals. The first event, from 2011 to 2016, revealed seals having sores, hair loss and lethargic behavior, but in good nutritional condition. No definitive cause was ever determined, researchers said.
A second event began just two years later in which large numbers of bearded, ringed and spotted seals, most of which were young or emaciated, were found stranded or dead. This mass mortality, researchers said, "strongly suggests a climate-related impact."
The research shows a grim outlook for seal populations in these areas should temperatures continue to increase and ice continues melting, the authors said.
The Arctic saw some of its highest temperatures yet in 2020. Since the '70s, sea ice volume has been reduced by two-thirds. Sea ice extent, areas of the ocean that have at least some of the ice, hit its lowest numbers in October.
In their study, NOAA fisheries reported that these environmental changes have been "extremely rapid," and marine heat waves are happening more often and more intensely around the world.
"Warm conditions like those recorded in 2018 and 2019 are predicted to become more frequent," Boveng said. "If they do, impacts from loss of sea ice on the condition of seals are likely to become clearer."
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Arctic seals experiencing dramatic weight loss as temperatures rise, study warns - CBS News
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Photo taken in Paris, France, on Jan. 30, 2021 shows a screen displaying French Prime Minister Jean Castex addressing a news conference and photos of French border signs. "We will do everything we can to avoid a new lockdown," said French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday when announcing a new raft of tighter restrictions including border control to contain COVID-19. In a bid to complement a nightly curfew, which "produces real effects but insufficient," France would close borders to non-European Union countries except for essential travel starting from Sunday. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
PARIS, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- "We will do everything we can to avoid a new lockdown," said French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday when announcing a new raft of tighter restrictions including border control to contain COVID-19.
Speaking after a defense council on the epidemic, Castex admitted that "the question of confinement is a legitimate one" as "the development of (the virus) variants poses a high risk of accelerating the epidemic."
"But we know the very heavy impact (of lockdown) for French people. We believe that we can still give ourselves a chance to avoid it," he said.
In a bid to complement a nightly curfew, which "produces real effects but insufficient," France would close borders to non-European Union countries except for essential travel starting from Sunday.
"Any entry into France and any exit from our territory to or from a country outside the European Union will be prohibited, unless there is a compelling reason, from 00:00 on Sunday," he said.
All visitors from other EU nations would have to show a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test except for cross-border workers, Castex said.
Non-food shopping malls with a surface area of more than 20,000 square meters will be closed, and police controls will be intensified against people breaking the curfew and testing will be reinforced, he added.
"Our duty is to do everything possible to avoid a new confinement and the coming days will be decisive," Castex said. "Let's be very vigilant."
France went into a strict national lockdown from March 17 to May 11 2020 to contain the first wave of the epidemic. From the end of October to mid-December, a less strict lockdown was put in place. On Jan. 16 2021, the curfew in force since mid-December was brought forward by two hours.
Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, France has lost 75,620 people to the virus, the seventh highest death toll in the world, with 820 new deaths recorded in the past 24 hours alone, the country's health authority said on Friday.
Also in the 24 hours, the country registered 22,858 new infections, taking the caseload to 3,153,487. The number of patients hospitalized went up by 142 to 27,308, with the number of those in intensive care increasing by 19 to 3,130.
Like other European countries, France also faces delays in deliveries of vaccines like Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. The government predicted that in February only one million people would receive the first of two necessary vaccine doses, after more than 1.4 million in January.
As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.
Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Jan. 26.
As an avid runner, I go through a pair of shoes about every 6-7 weeks. The shoes are still good, but the cushioning is no longer conducive for running injury-free. Part of my weekly routine is running down the San Gabriel River path where you are bound to come across tents and tarps filled with people who have fallen on hard times.
I started to give my shoes to the people I would see along the path and would notice them wearing the donated items the next day/weeks ahead – smiling and waving to me with gratitude. After seeing how useful this was, I started taking them shoes, new socks and other essentials. I continued doing this for a few years before this past summer when I noticed the increase in people, as we all have.
In July of 2020, with the help of the community, family and friends, I delivered 78 bags of food, toiletries, and clothing to the LA Mission. The LA Mission is a place for people to go shower, clean up and get a clean outfit. I chose the LA Mission due to the disproportionate number of the Black community represented in the homeless community. The Black community represents eight percent of the LA County population, but is a staggering 34 percent of the homeless population.
There are approximately 59,000 people experiencing homelessness in LA with six out of 10 being their first time in this position. Among the 59,000, 75 percent lack permanent shelter and rely on tents, makeshift shelters, or their cars for shelter. The root causes of these alarming numbers can be traced back decades, even centuries, with education disparities, income/job inequalities, and redlining of communities.
Additionally, homelessness is chronic in three out of five unhoused individuals with many having coexisting disabilities or mental health issues.
After researching the above statistics, and visiting the LA Mission, it was time to make this a permanent part of giving back. I found the LOV Movement through social media research of groups doing the “hands on” work. The LOV Movement and B.A.R.E. Truth spend every Sunday on Skid Row feeding, clothing and passing out necessities to the unhoused community.
Once again, the community came together and a group of us went down there with a couple car loads of items to donate. This one volunteer opportunity has turned in to five months of my family and many members of the community making sandwiches, donating money for pizza and water, donating blankets, sleeping bags, clothing, toiletries and basic essentials to give the unhoused community of Skid Row to survive.
I’m not sure what the answer to solving the homelessness crisis is, but after going down to Skid Row at least once a week for the past five months, I’ve met some wonderful people who just need a little help. Sometimes the needs are toiletries, shoes, clothing, a blanket and food, but many times it’s just a sandwich and a conversation.
Lately Sundays are spent seeing familiar faces who ask about my daughters’ schooling or how we are doing. With the increased unhoused population, compassion is essential to our fellow humans. Donating food, clothing, hygiene and monetary donations can save lives, especially during these trying times. Organizations like B.A.R.E.
Truth Inc. not only spend Sundays on Skid Row, they also provide mentorship, independent living assistance and wellness services to impoverished individuals and families, helping them attain healthy, purpose-driven lives. Their work truly changes the economic and living conditions of local communities. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s we can and should lookout for one another. Let’s keep it up in 2021 by getting more involved.
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Washington state has approved a request to use multiple Washington state parks to train Navy SEALs. But the move Thursday came with significant amendments to what the Navy requested.
The permits would expand the five parks previously used for Navy SEAL training to 16 or 17. The Navy had requested access to 28 state parks as a way to diversify its training sites. Officials had said a small number of sites can become too familiar to trainees over time.
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The commissioners called their move “difficult,” “hard” and “probably the toughest decision” of a 10-year commission career.
The director of the Washington State Parks Commission can now issue the Navy’s permits.
Public pushback
The requests received a great deal of pushback. A public comment meeting Tuesday saw more than 50 of the 62 commenters strongly opposed to the Navy using state parks as training grounds. A large majority felt they’d unwittingly be surveilled, something the Navy said wouldn’t happen.
But some commenters and commissioners said just the perception of being watched might cause more harm than whether the SEAL trainees actually watched the public.
“I do believe, even if they’re not actually being surveilled, even if it is a misconception, I believe there is actually an impact to knowing this is happening. … I believe that people go to these parks to release their anxiety and that this increases their anxiety,” said Seattle commissioner Sophia Danenberg, who has several close family members in the Navy.
State parks commissioners approved the permits in a 4-3 vote, with measures to protect plants and animals of concern, important cultural areas and spots where people camp. For the first nine months, an amendment to the permits will also limit when the SEAL trainees are allowed in the parks — a direct result of public concerns.
Changes to permit request
Navy trainees can’t be in the park in the daytime. They’d be allowed to enter permitted areas under cover of darkness and must leave the parks as daylight dawns. Commission chair Steve Milner of Chelan proposed the amendment because he said it would limit the majority of potential interactions between day-use recreationists and SEAL trainees. He said day-use outweighs overnight park use by nine to one.
“(It’s) not 100%, there are local and regional visitors who camp in these parks. I don’t mean to say otherwise. I think that this creates a partition allowing those people who object to the presence of the military to be in the park during the day and gives us a trial period,” Milner said.
But the restriction could be lifted after nine months. The Navy could also lose its permits at any time, if any restrictions to protect the environment and public aren’t followed.
Why Washington state parks are ideal
The Navy says Washington’s coastline provides challenging, cold water training for its elite SEAL program.
At night, around eight SEAL trainees would likely dive out of a submersible vessel. They’d then swim onto a beach and head into the park to disappear. The trainees would carry simulated weapons that cannot fire live ammunition but would appear real. Over the course of a year, there could be 50-75 training exercises, spread out over all the permitted areas, State Parks staff said.
According to the Navy, the only other cold-water training is based in Alaska, but that is limited in scope. At a November 2020 meeting, Navy officials told parks commissioners that no other place provides the types of conditions present in Puget Sound.
They say current Navy property is too smooth and wide, for the safety of other vessels. Puget Sound’s natural currents and coastlines, on the other hand, make up a “critical cornerstone for (the Navy’s) overall development of our SEAL operators,” Warrant Officer Esteban Alvarado said last year.
The Navy says they’ve never had complaints about their previous training in Washington’s state parks. But if a park guest happened upon their training exercises, they would tell the recreationist what they’re doing and leave.
Commissioner Mike Latimer, of Yakima, a veteran Navy officer, said in the Navy’s 30-year history of using Washington state parks as training grounds, there has never been a complaint about seeing trainees. He said they’re trying to be covert.
Latimer strongly opposed “the misconceptions, stereotypes and negative biases” that he said spread fear among the public.
“It is a fact that you are under more surveillance with the use of your cell phone, your computer, your smart TV and other electronic devices that you have in your home and in your vehicles,” he said.
Still, Seattle Commissioner Ken Bounds said the Navy could — and should — find other places to train. The Navy is also looking at private property, potentially around 60 or 70 sites, according to State Parks staff.
Bounds said the question to the commission was: Is this activity appropriate at state parks? His answer was no.
“The military owns a lot of property (from the Baja Peninsula to Alaska). They can purchase other property, as they have done. So the question I ask is: Why pick state parks to conduct training, where there are opportunities elsewhere?” Bounds said.
Other commissioners said state parks serve other special use permits, such as cell phone towers, PUD easements and wildfire, search and rescue and law enforcement training.
SEPA review
Under a State Environmental Policy Act review, known as SEPA, State Parks staff tried to determine what types of environmental and public harm could come from the Navy’s permit request. Each park was reviewed separately, and restrictions were placed in sensitive areas or where the public might be made aware of the trainees’ presence.
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Staff said the Navy paid Washington State Parks more than $29,000 for work that went into the three-year review process.
The Navy previously said it would move operations if members noticed any sensitive species nearby. There would also be restricted times on certain areas, like during nesting windows, and spots where the trainees could only travel by trail, so as to avoid sensitive species.
Any whales sightings must be reported to the Ocean Wise Research Whale Alert System.
The permits also require the Navy to let park staff know when training would happen and to meet with them on-site after training to assess any harm caused.
Any climbing exercises at Deception Pass must stick to established routes. Removing vegetation, like moss and lichen, is prohibited.
Staff requested a 1,000-foot buffer around any campsites, creating overnight exclusion areas.
More public feedback
Members of the public noted that’s about 0.2 miles, which could be walked in about four minutes.
“Will campers be informed that if they wander more than four minutes from camp, they might end up in a military incursion?” asked Seth Roland, who often takes groups of kids on night hikes while camping at state parks.
Roland spoke at a recent State Parks public comment meeting, where the thought of being observed had many members of the public on edge.
The large majority of commenters asked to deny the Navy’s permit request, many referring to the training exercises as “war games.”
David Jones, a self-described “Navy brat,” who said his father and son are Navy officers, said he valued the institution but also depended on state parks for his “health and renewal.”
Speaking to the commissioners, Jones said, “Protecting (the feeling at state parks), that’s your responsibility. … I know the Navy has to continually train to stay sharp. … This is not a problem that you need to solve for the Navy.”
Laurie Keith called South Whidbey State Park “my gym, my health spa and my church.” She said that feeling would be disrupted, particularly for women who had previously experienced trauma, especially sexual abuse.
“I can accept that these SEAL trainees are highly trained and will not come after me, but that doesn’t matter to my nervous system,” Keith said.
Sarah Griffin, with the Seattle Aquarium, said the aquarium was concerned increased vessel traffic could harm Puget Sound’s already endangered resident orcas. She said 15 of the proposed training sites are within the orcas’ critical habitat. A 2019 proposed critical habitat expansion would envelop all of the requested 28 training sites.
“Increased noise and disturbances from Navy vessels will detract from orcas’ foraging time, reducing their food intake when they are already struggling to find salmon,” Griffin said.
Griffin asked the Navy to consider the orcas’ seasonal movements so it can avoid areas when orcas are nearby. She also asked to require the Navy to use whale report alert systems and sighting networks to be able to “adjust activities on real-time information.”
Some people worried that park attendance would drop, which would in turn decrease revenue. Others said it would be “unacceptably cruel” to limit certain park usage during the pandemic, just as parks have seen an exponential increase in recreationists looking for an escape.
Opponents said the Navy should use its own shoreline or private lands instead of public recreational areas.
Steve Erikson, with Whidbey Environmental Action Network, said the group would pursue litigation if the Navy's permits were approved. A change.org petition by the group has so far garnered more than 6,600 signatures.
Those in favor of the program said sailors have to train to stay safe – and after around 30 years of prior training exercises, there haven’t been any complaints. Out of 62 commenters, only eight voiced support for the training program expansion.
Mike Spence said he lived near one of the five parks that have previously been used for training. Spence said sometimes, after the park has closed at night, he thinks he’s seen “Navy special forces boats and divers working in the waters adjacent to the park.” He said he didn’t realize what he’d seen until this SEPA process came across his radar.
“I am witness to the Navy taking effective precautions to ensure there was no chance of public interaction. … The Navy’s long history of using five state parks was a proving ground for this expansion request, and they passed with flying colors,” Spence said.
Joe Kunzler said he enjoys state parks – and even though this decision is “a tough one,” he said it’s important to consider the real lives of the SEAL trainees.
“If they don’t train properly, things can happen to them, where they don’t come back the same – or not at all. … We should be honored to provide that training and not complain. We should always smile and know that those are ‘our guys,’” Kunzler said.
George Renquist, a Marine veteran whose family has served in the military for four generations, said they’d offered their own beachfront property in the San Juan Islands as a place for SEALs to train.
“That offer still stands. We may have been visited. We’d never know it,” Renquist said.
Courtney Flatt covers natural resources and environmental issues for Northwest Public Broadcasting. She is based in Washington's Tri-Cities. On Twitter:@courtneyflatt
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