What are some issues for a biology research project in the Northwest (OR or WA)?

Question

I would prefer ones that have multiple sides and it should be understandable to high school students.

Answer 1

One of the issues is happening up in the Columbia Gorge. They have notice a change in the air quality. Has the change come from a new dairy operation, or from the coal fired electric plant. There also more trucks hauling garbage up the gorge to land fills.

The other is water quality in the Willamette River. A good source for information  on thus subject would be  the Willamette River Keepers.

Answer 2

You might consider what happened to the cod fish, Pollock and hake and other species in Puget Sound. Twenty years ago they were plentiful and almost over night they were gone. I think you would find many sides to this question depending on who you ask.