Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has proposed an ambitious package of legislation aimed at tackling climate change .

GRAYS HARBOR, WASH. — An oyster shack tops the list of offerings in the local farm fresh guide here. No visit would be complete without exploring the shellfish industry. The region, together with Willapa Bay, produces 25 percent of all oysters in the country. But currently, growers are facing a big challenge.

A coalition of state legislators, environmental groups and retailers have proposed a sweeping ban on single-use plastic bags. If approved, Washington would join just two other states in the nation to impose the statewide restriction.

Oyster growers on the Washington coast will have a chance to convince regulators to let them use a controversial pesticide to control native burrowing shrimp. The shrimp can infest oyster beds and turn them into quicksand. Members of the Willapa Bay Grays Harbor Oyster Growers Association say they’ve lost hundreds of acres of tidelands to the problem.

For the fourth year running, employees of Seattle-based REI have the day off on Black Friday. The co-op’s stores are all closed on the biggest retail day of the year – and its website won’t process any sales. REI says its #OptOutside movement is growing.

The state Department of Natural Resources is asking the Legislature for nearly $90 million dollars to protect and improve aquatic lands. DNR chief Hilary Franz says the package will support the work of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force.

It may seem like nothing is happening to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state, especially after the failure of the carbon-fee measure, Initiative 1631. But work is progressing on a regional " clean fuel standard ."

Gov. Jay Inslee received a final report and recommendations from the Orca Recovery Task Force he appointed in May. The group suggests 36 action items to keep the Southern Resident killer whales from going extinct. Among the most controversial is a temporary ban on whale watching of the endangered orcas, for three to five years.

The state’s Orca Recovery Task Force will deliver its final recommendations to Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday. Among the controversial items on the list is a last-minute proposal for a temporary ban on whale watching tours near the endangered Southern Resident orcas. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife suggested it as an alternative to a no-go zone west of San Juan Island. It’s proposed to last three to five years. But some whale-watch companies are concerned it would create false impressions

Anyone living in the Puget Sound region has likely seen stories about prescription and illegal drugs polluting local waterways . Scientists have found traces of opioids and other pharmaceuticals in shellfish – and they're believed to also harm salmon and other fish. Yet the Food and Drug Administration continues to advise people to safely dispose of many leftover meds by flushing them down the toilet .