Salish Sea News Week in Review June 11 2021

 

Kamehameha I

Aloha King Kamehameha Day!
King Kamehameha Day is a public holiday in Hawaiʻi that honors Kamehameha I, the Hawaiian king who was also known as Kamehameha the Great and the Napoleon of the Pacific. Kamehameha is known for establishing the unified Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810, which brought together the islands of Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. He was monarch of Hawaiʻi from 1782 until his death on May 8, 1819.

Dam relicensing process delayed for additional comment
In response to some indigenous people in Canada saying they were left out of the early review process for the relicensing of Seattle City Light’s Skagit River dams, finalizing the relicensing study plan has been delayed.

Monuments and teams have changed names as America reckons with racism. Birds are next
...America is trying to come to terms with its complicated racial past by changing the names of institutions, ranging from military bases to baseball teams. Now efforts are also underway to change the names of some living monuments — birds.

Alaska Native corporation to protect its land, dealing blow to massive gold mine project
The deal will make it difficult for backers of a massive open-pit gold and copper mine to carry out their project because the new protections cover a portion of a critical route the Pebble Limited Partnership plans to use to transport ore from the mine.

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Fueling Climate Change Hits A Four Million Year High
The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere reached 419 parts per million in May, its highest level in more than four million years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Monday.

Canada eyeing multi-stage approach to reopening the border to travellers
Canadian officials are looking at a multi-phase approach to reopening the border that would begin with allowing fully vaccinated travellers to enter starting this summer.

Feds could restrict West Coast salmon fishing to help orcas
Federal officials are proposing to curtail nontribal salmon fishing along the West Coast in especially bad years to help the Northwest’s endangered killer whales.

Dam operator fined $501,000 for polluting Puyallup River with artificial turf, crumb rubber
The Washington Department of Ecology has fined Electron Hydro, LLC, $501,000 for discharging discarded plastic field turf into the Puyallup River last summer.

Indigenous group seeks full ownership of Trans Mountain Pipeline
Project Reconciliation, a Canadian Indigenous group seeking a stake in the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, is now aiming for a path to full ownership, the group’s new chairman said.

Keystone XL pipeline developer pulls plug on controversial project
The firm behind the Keystone XL pipeline officially scrapped the project on Wednesday, months after President Biden revoked a cross-border permit for the controversial pipeline and more than a decade after political wrangling over its fate began.

B.C. agrees to defer old-growth logging for 2 years in Fairy Creek and central Walbran areas
British Columbia has approved the request of three First Nations that want old-growth logging deferred for two years in part of their territories, including at the site of ongoing protests and arrests.

Biden pushes protection for more streams and wetlands, targeting a major Trump rollback
The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers said in a joint statement they had determined that the Trump administration’s rollback is “leading to significant environmental degradation.”

Squamish Nation calls for old-growth logging moratorium in its territory
The Squamish Nation says it has notified the B.C. government that it intends to defer old-growth logging in its territory while it develops long-term sustainability plans, following a similar request from three Vancouver Island First Nations this week.

Vancouver Council Votes Against Delay for Climate Emergency Plan
City bylaw will require new homes built after Jan. 1 to use zero-emissions heat and hot water systems, effectively banning natural gas hookups.

Maps Show the Severe Drought Gripping California and the West
 An intense drought is gripping the American West. Extreme conditions are more widespread than at any point in at least 20 years, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the government’s official drought-tracking service. And the hottest months of summer are still to come.

Coast Salish Place Names of the San Juan Islands
An ongoing project of a present day look at historic Coast Salish locations throughout the San Juan Islands and Strait of Georgia.

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 or to this weekly compilation, send your name and email to mikesato772 at gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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