Salish Sea Communications

Friday, August 8, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 8 2025

Aloha Zucchini Friday!

Zucchini is a summer squash with a thin, dark, or light green skin. There also is the golden zucchini, a deep yellow or orange hybrid. The lineage of zucchini, like all squash, starts in America, but zucchini was developed in Italy in the second half of the nineteenth century. Cucurbits were introduced to Italy in the sixteenth century, and the zucchini developed from them. In fact, the name "zucchini" comes from the Italian word for squash: zucca. Zucchini was introduced to the United States in the 1920s, likely being brought there by Italian immigrants.

Baker River sockeye storm back in record run — overcoming 2 dams
At least an estimated 90,000 sockeye will return from their high-seas journey to feed the land, forest, bears, osprey, human families — and spawn the next generation. It was an extensive intervention over decades after Puget Sound Energy’s largest hydropower operation nearly drove these fish to extinction.

How Trump Is Transforming the U.S. Government’s Environmental Role
The E.P.A. said this week it would revoke its own ability to fight climate change. It’s the latest move in an extraordinary pivot away from science-based protections.

LOTT Clean Water Alliance wants to make wastewater drinkable. Are you ready for that?
The wastewater utility in downtown Olympia that treats millions of gallons of sewer water per day, in partnership with the South Puget Sound Community College’s brewing and distilling program, aims to use about 500 gallons of that treated water to make beer and other beverages for the public to try.

Unmasking the Sea Star Killer
After a decade of carnage, we finally know what’s devastating sea stars along North America’s West Coast. Does that mean scientists can save them?

Two WA oil refineries fined over $1.3M each for mishandling of sludge and acid waste
Washington’s Department of Ecology said Tuesday that HF Sinclair would be penalized $1,303,000 and Tesoro $1,397,000 for violations of dangerous waste laws. Both companies run refineries located in Anacortes.

Another B.C. fault can produce megathrust earthquakes
Confirming the megathrust fault line off Haida Gwaii offers a path to improve tsunami modelling in a zone that has produced Canada's two largest recorded earthquakes.

Mount Polley Can Continue Tailings Expansion, BC Supreme Court Says
A B.C. Supreme Court justice has dismissed the Xatśūll First Nation’s request to overturn a provincial decision allowing the expansion of the Mount Polley mine’s tailings facility.

Great Barrier Reef records largest annual coral loss in 39 years
The Great Barrier Reef has experienced its greatest annual loss of live coral across most of its expanse in four decades of record-keeping, Australian authorities say.

These news clips are a selection of weekday clips collected in Salish Sea News and Weather which is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe at no cost to the weekday news clips, send your name and email to msato(at)salishseacom.com .Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Friday, August 1, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 1, 2025

Aloha World Wide Web Day!
The World Wide Web, often simply called the Web, is "a global information medium which users can read and write via computers connected to the Internet." World Wide Web Day marks the birth of the World Wide Web at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and honors and celebrates people being able to browse freely over it. The first website was published on August 6, 1991. It explained what the World Wide Web project was and how users could search the Web, set up their own web server, and create their own websites and web pages. After the Web's creation, its development was shared with other research institutes and organizations. On April 30, 1993, CERN made the World Wide Web public domain.

Where did the birds go? Why Oregon’s spring was quieter than usual
Some Oregon birdwatchers say this spring was strangely quiet – and the data backs that up.

Clearcutting tied to 18-fold increase in flood risk: UBC study
A new study from the University of British Columbia suggests that clearcut logging can make catastrophic floods up to 18 times more frequent. The study, published in the Journal of Hydrology, analyzed long-term data from one of the world's longest-running forest research sites in North Carolina, the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory.

EPA set to unravel U.S. authority to regulate greenhouse gases
The Trump administration is set to announce its plans to abolish the U.S. government’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, threatening to strike a deep blow at Washington’s ability to fight climate change.

Canada wants cities to start filtering toxic forever chemicals from public drinking water, but that’s no easy feat.
Jaela Bernstien reports on the challenges facing water utilities as they try to adapt to new PFAS guidelines.

What we know about fossil fuel subsidies in Canada
Billions are given to oil and gas corporations each year, including loans, tax breaks and more. Exactly how many billions is a matter of debate.

Poll: Washington voters are ‘pretty pessimistic’ about the future
For only the second time in Cascade PBS/Elway poll history, respondents anticipate things will get worse for the country, the state and themselves.

Federal government rescinds Oregon’s offshore wind energy area
The Trump administration is rescinding more than 3.5 million acres of designated wind energy areas nationwide, effectively ending a yearslong effort to generate wind energy off the Southern Oregon Coast — for now. Nearly 195,000 acres off the Southern Oregon coast were previously identified as sites for offshore wind development.

Everett-based Helion breaks ground on ‘world’s first fusion power plant’
On the banks of the Columbia River in the small town of Malaga, Washington, Everett-based Helion has broken ground on what it says is “the world’s first fusion power plant.”

Friday, July 25, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 25 2025

Aloha Carousel Friday!
National Carousel Day, or National Merry-Go-Round Day, is celebrated at many carousels, particularly at antique wooden ones, and locations that house carousels, on the anniversary of the date that William Schneider of Davenport, Iowa—considered to be the inventor of the modern carousel—was issued a patent for his carousel.

‘Devastating’ spill in salmon habitat near Port Angeles: What to know
Hundreds of dead juvenile fish. An oily sheen. The overpowering smell of gasoline. These were the scenes over the weekend near where a fuel tanker truck crashed Friday off Highway 101, spilling some 3,000 gallons of fossil fuels into Indian Creek and prompting a “do not drink” order for Port Angeles tap water that ended Sunday evening.

EPA eliminates research and development office, begins layoffs
The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is eliminating its research and development arm and reducing agency staff by thousands of employees.

Here’s how Canada’s LNG exports could make your heating bill go up
Canada’s LNG industry is just getting going, but one expert says the ‘party is almost over’ when it comes to economic benefits.

Washington’s outdoor school programs reel from state funding cuts
The Outdoor Learning Grants program, established by the state Legislature in 2021, offered subsidies for schools to send fifth- and sixth-grade students to the outdoor school programs. But lawmakers zeroed out the grants as they worked to solve a budget gap this year. Enrollment is expected to drop as a result.

Plans to shoot thousands of barred owls in doubt after feds cancel grants
A controversial plan to kill up to half a million invasive barred owls to protect endangered spotted owls is in jeopardy after the Trump administration terminated three critical grants funding the program.

E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change
The Trump administration has drafted a plan to repeal a fundamental scientific finding that gives the United States government its authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions and fight climate change, according to two people familiar with the plan.

Deadline set to declare steelhead protection
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has until Dec. 1 to issue its long overdue finding on whether Olympic Peninsula steelhead warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, according to a recent court order.

Cleaning up toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in Washington isn’t easy
They get the nickname for a reason: PFAS, manmade chemicals linked to health concerns, don‘t break down easily. But limiting their use is complicated.

Port Angeles wants full site cleanup
The Port Angeles City Council is in favor of a complete, timely cleanup of the Rayonier Mill site. The council voted 5-0 to direct staff to write to the state Department of Ecology following a special meeting Tuesday night.

AI Observers Hit the High Sea
New AI analysis systems can count fish and identify species. Could they be key to making fisheries safer and less destructive?

Friday, July 18, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 18 2025

Aloha Nelson Mandela Day
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, born on this day in 1918, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. (Wikipedia)

Will the pinks arrive on schedule?
Twenty-nine million pink salmon could be swimming in the salt water off British Columbia’s coast, waiting for their chance to journey up the Fraser and spawn. Canada’s Department of Fisheries is anticipating a record-breaking number of pink salmon to enter the Fraser River this August.

Washington state bans the sale of common ivy varieties starting in August
The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced it was adding the English (also known as common) and Atlantic varieties of ivy, among other plants, to its noxious weed seed and plant quarantine. On Aug. 9, the sale of the ivy varieties will no longer be legal in Washington.

Trump administration says it won’t publish major climate change reports on NASA website as promised
Earlier this month, the official government websites that hosted the authoritative, peer-reviewed national climate assessments went dark. The White House said NASA would house the reports to comply with a 1990 law that requires the reports, which the space agency said it planned to do. But on Monday, NASA announced that it aborted those plans.

Cowichan River could see another mass fish die-off
Warm temperatures, low river flows and declining water quality are sparking fears of another mass fish die-off in the Cowichan River this summer.

Poopy beaches? Three-quarters of tested WA shores saw unsafe fecal contamination
About 76% of tested Washington beaches showed potentially unsafe fecal-contamination levels on at least one testing day last year, according to the findings by Environment America Research and Policy Center.

Annual orca count grows by one, as the Puget Sound whales stay on the hunt for food
Although an official census report is not due until October, it appears that the population of our southern resident killer whales has increased by one over the past year.

Trump administration hints at a lifeline for embattled Pebble mine project
After a landmark veto, Trump administration officials say they’re “open to reconsideration” and are negotiating a potential settlement of a lawsuit filed by Pebble’s developer.

Friday, July 11, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 11, 2025

Aloha Rainier Cherry Day!
Rainier is a cherry cultivar developed in 1952 at Washington State University by Harold Fogle, and named after Mount Rainier. It is a cross between the Bing and Van cultivars. Rainiers are considered a premium type of cherry. They are sweet with a thin skin and thick creamy-yellow flesh. The cherries are susceptible to temperature, wind, and rain, and the flesh is generally more watery than other sweet cherries. (Wikipedia)

WA’s drought deepens and the summer forecast offers no respite
This is summer and it’s supposed to be hot and dry. But this year we’re much drier than normal and, fresh off major droughts in 2024 and 2023, the effects of these lingering dry spells is compounding. (Seattle Times)

E.P.A. Suspends 144 Employees After They Signed a Letter Criticizing Trump
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday placed 144 employees on administrative leave and opened an investigation into their decision to sign a letter https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/climate/epa-employees-warning-letter.html accusing the Trump administration of politicizing the agency. (NY Times)

Act Now to Save Killer Whales, Urges New Report
In March, nearly three dozen scientists gathered over three days in Vancouver with a single focus — to evaluate the state of the southern resident killer whale and figure out how to prevent its likely extinction. Today (July 7) they issued their report, “Strengthening Recovery Actions for Southern Resident Killer Whales.”

Trump Administration, Reversing Itself, Won’t Rewrite a Ban on Asbestos
The Trump administration has withdrawn its plan to rewrite a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the United States.

A photographic tour of the entire Puget Sound shoreline by watercraft and aircraft
Kayaker-scientist Brian Footen is back on the waters of Puget Sound this summer, paddling through inlets and circling islands on a 2,700-mile journey to photograph the shoreline and document natural and human-caused changes to the habitat.

Increasingly Acidic Seas Threaten Oyster Farming
Researchers and hatcheries are exploring new ways to protect shellfish in the Pacific Northwest, although Trump budget cuts may thwart their efforts.

Thousands expected for canoe journey this month
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Chair Frances Charles told the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce that more than 100 canoes are expected to land during Paddle to Elwha later this month, and 4,000 people are expected to participate.

State proposes keeping marbled murrelet on endangered list
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to keep the marbled murrelet, a small seabird that forages on open waters throughout the Salish Sea, but nests in inland old-growth forest habitat. on the state’s endangered species list.

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 3 2025

Fireworks!
The earliest fireworks came from China during the Song dynasty (960–1279). Fireworks were used to accompany many festivities.[5] In China, pyrotechnicians were respected for their knowledge of complex techniques in creating fireworks and mounting firework displays. During the Song dynasty, common folk could purchase fireworks such as firecrackers from market vendors.The Chinese pyrotechnics were described by the French author Antoine Caillot (1818): "It is certain that the variety of colours which the Chinese have the secret of giving to flame is the greatest mystery of their fireworks." (Wikipedia)

EPA employees send 'declaration of dissent' over policies under Trump
A group of Environmental Protection Agency employees on Monday published a declaration of dissent from the agency’s policies under the Trump administration, saying they “undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.”

WA lawsuit says Trump order disrupts clean energy, conservation
Fifteen states claim the administration has fabricated a “national emergency” as cover to boost fossil fuels.

No bones, no scales, no problem: The first lab-grown salmon sold in the U.S.
Wildtype’s cell-cultivated salmon is the first seafood to earn FDA approval, marking a significant milestone for the alternative protein industry. Allyson Chiu reports. (Washington Post)

These orcas have been trying to feed people, new research shows
Wild orcas on more than 30 occasions in four oceans have attempted to share their prey with people, potentially to develop relationships with humans, researchers have found.

'Terrible setback': Indigenous tourism industry says it's suffering as U.S. bookings decline
Almost 70% of Indigenous tourism businesses in Canada are reporting a drop in U.S. bookings.

California Democrats Agree to Roll Back Landmark Environmental Law
California leaders on Monday rolled back a landmark law that was a national symbol of environmental protection before it came to be vilified as a primary reason for the state’s severe housing shortage and homelessness crisis.

Legal Victory: U.S. Supreme Court declines review of Port of Tacoma v. Puget Soundkeeper
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with Puget Soundkeeper in rejecting an appeal by the Port of Tacoma and their tenant, the multinational shipping corporation SSA Terminals.

Friday, June 27, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 27 2025

Aloha IWW Day
Industrial Workers of the World Day commemorates the day in 1905 when a group of organizers who would become the IWW had their first meeting. The IWW, whose members were sometimes known as "Wobblies", have been one of the more radical labor unions in the United States, and have had ties to anarchists and socialists. The goal of the IWW was to form "One Big Union" with workers from different industries and trades, and to break down the barriers between race and sex to unite all workers in a common cause.

Scientists warn that greenhouse gas accumulation is accelerating and more extreme weather will come
Humans are on track to release so much greenhouse gas in less than three years that a key threshold for limiting global warming will be nearly unavoidable, according to a study to be released Thursday. The report predicts that society will have emitted enough carbon dioxide by early 2028 that crossing an important long-term temperature boundary will be more likely than not.

Researchers aim to fill data gaps about Dungeness crab amid concerns of declining population
Lauren Krzus, a research technician at the Hakai Institute, says they're hearing anecdotally that Dungeness crab stocks are declining, and says climate change is poised to further impact them. Dungeness Crab light trapping project aims to fill knowledge gaps about larvae.

Trump Administration to End Protections for 58 Million Acres of National Forests
The Trump administration said on Monday that it would open up 58 million acres of back country in national forests to road construction and development, removing protections that had been in place for a quarter century. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the Clinton-era rule barring road construction and logging was outdated and “absurd.”

Killer whales seen grooming each other with kelp in first for marine tool use
A group of killer whales, which are also known as orcas, have been biting off short sections of bull kelp and then rolling these stems between their bodies, possibly to remove dead skin or parasites. The behavior is the first such documented mutual grooming in marine animals and is outlined in a new scientific paper.

Judge un-freezes environmental justice funds for Northwest
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release $180 million in federal funding for environmental justice projects, including $60 million in the Pacific Northwest.

Uncovering the Secrets of BC’s Controversial Trawl Fishers
Dragging nets along the ocean floor is like ‘clearcutting an old-growth forest,’ Pacific Wild says. An industry group disagrees.

New paper continues debate over link between lice from salmon farms and B.C. wild salmon
A new paper on sea lice from fish farms and wild salmon in B.C. shows a significant relationship between the two and critics say that contradicts a report from the federal government, which regulates the fish farms.

Western Canadian glaciers melting twice as fast as they did a decade ago, research shows
Researcher says loss is equivalent to a billion pickup trucks worth of water annually.

How Wildfires Are Speeding the Shrinking of BC’s Glaciers
Researchers with a new study on smoke and the ‘ice albedo effect’ are startled by the quick pace of melting.