Salish Sea Communications: 2025

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.

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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

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.

Friday, June 20, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 20 2025

Aloha Summer Solstice
The First Day of Summer, also known as the Summer Solstice, takes place when either of the Earth's poles reaches their maximum tilt towards the Sun. This happens twice a year, once in each hemisphere. The First Day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is on the June solstice, with the season running until the September equinox, while the First Day of Summer in the Southern Hemisphere is on the December solstice, with the season running until the March equinox.

The president just unraveled years of work on tribal rights, salmon and clean energy. So what happens next?
Less than two years ago, the administration of President Joe Biden announced what tribal leaders hailed as an unprecedented commitment to the Native tribes whose ways of life had been devastated by federal dam-building along the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest...The agreement is now just another of those broken promises.

Washington’s climate pollution data slow to see light of day, despite new law
In Washington state, it is hard to know how well climate solutions are working. The state takes up to four years to disclose whether it is keeping its promise—and legal mandate—to slash its climate-damaging pollution.

Wildfire Smoke May Be Disrupting Ocean Carbon Storage
New research from the University of British Columbia reveals that wildfires could be fundamentally altering how our oceans store carbon, potentially turning a crucial climate ally into a source of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Many Hoped Senate Republicans Would Save Clean Energy. They Mostly Didn’t.
A Senate tax package softens some blows imposed on renewables by a House version of the bill. But it still terminates many credits for clean power.

A Canadian company is first in line as Trump vows to fast-track deep-sea mining
The bottom of the ocean is rich with minerals — as well as life forms scientists haven’t even named yet. Vancouver-based The Metals Company is asking for American permission to mine in international waters.

Banning plastic bags works to limit shoreline litter, study finds
Using crowdsourced data from shore cleanups, researchers found that areas that enacted plastic bag bans or fees had fewer bags littering their lakes, rivers and beaches than those without them.

A Spanish Lagoon Was Granted Legal Personhood. Then What Happened?
The protection of Mar Menor was a huge step for the pioneering Rights of Nature movement. But three years on, little has changed.

Trouble in the Headwaters: the hidden impacts of clear-cut logging in B.C.
New documentary follows a scientist on a mission to prove industrial forestry is implicated in a cycle of flooding, landslides and drought. Jacqueline Ronson reports.

Friday, June 13, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 13 2025

Aloha World Softball Day
Softball is popular around the world, particularly in the United States. It is a variation of baseball, where the field is smaller and there are only 7 innings. It contrasts with baseball in that the ball is larger, usually 12 inches in circumference, and pitching is underhand, not overhand or sidearm. Slow-pitch softball is a common version of the game. The game is derived from indoor baseball, which was first played in 1887 in Chicago. Early on, softball was also known as kitten ball, diamond ball, playground ball, mush ball, and indoor-outdoor.

Skagit River dams relicensing process again granted extension
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently issued a temporary annual license to Seattle city Light to operate the dams from May 2025 until April 2026. The utility has requested and been approved for extensions in February 2024, January 2025 and June 2025.

Northwest tribes: Treaties mean Trump can’t ax salmon funding
Northwest tribal officials say the Trump administration’s latest budget proposal would violate their treaty rights to catch salmon.

PNW leaders warn that federal cuts could hurt salmon recovery
A leaked Trump administration budget proposal completely scraps a key Columbia River salmon recovery program as the administration seeks to slash the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration budget.

Washington scientists say ‘brain drain’ has begun as researchers consider moving abroad amid Trump cuts
Washington state and the rest of the nation face a “brain drain” with the potential exodus of scientists, which could impact domestic medical innovation for generations to come.

‘Horrific impacts’: as B.C. prepares to fast-track projects, a mining watchdog warns past mistakes could be repeated
Mining regulations and environmental assessments were developed to protect the environment and public health and safety. If projects are allowed to forego those processes, B.C. could set the stage for catastrophic impacts.

US Justice Department says Trump can cancel national monuments
Lawyers for President Donald Trump’s administration say he has the authority to abolish national monuments meant to protect historical and archaeological sites across broad landscapes, including two in California created by his predecessor at the request of Native American tribes.

The Potential and Perils of AI for Conservation
AI can help experts sift through datasets that are otherwise unmanageable, but the technology threatens to undermine other ways of knowing.

A century of warming has reduced dissolved oxygen in Puget Sound
A University of Washington study outlines the strong link between dissolved oxygen declines and increasing water temperatures, raising questions about the effect of future climate change on Puget Sound.

New honey bee energy bar tested in Washington offers hope for struggling hives

An international team, including researchers at Washington State University, has developed a new supplemental food source that could keep hives strong when deployed on agricultural land.

Friday, June 6, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 6 2025

Remembering D-Day —Defeat Fascists, Destroy Dictators

On 6 June 1944 – 'D-Day' – Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. Codenamed Operation 'Overlord', the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy marked the start of a long and costly campaign to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation.

Loss of USGS program could hamper salmon research critical for Puget Sound
About 1,200 scientists work in the biological arm of the United States Geological Survey, known as the Ecosystems Mission Area. President Trump’s budget would likely eliminate their work nationwide, if passed as proposed. That includes some work that is crucial to saving salmon in Puget Sound.

Most of Western Canada's glaciers 'doomed' to disappear, researchers find
Climate change has locked in at least 75% of glacier loss in Western Canada and U.S., raising concerns for downstream environments, electricity generation and the wider economy.

Trump Administration to Open Alaska Wilderness to Drilling and Mining
The Interior Department plans to repeal Biden-era protections across the state’s ecologically sensitive North Slope.

Shipping vessels agree to slow down in B.C. waterways to protect whales
The Vancouver Port Authority says numerous shipping companies have agreed to slow down until November to protect the endangered whale species swimming in the nearby waterways.

Pollution rules targeted by EPA are projected to save billions of dollars and thousands of lives
When the head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced a wide-ranging rollback of environmental regulations, he said it would put a “dagger through the heart of climate-change religion” and introduce a “Golden Age” for the American economy. What Lee Zeldin didn’t mention: how ending the rules could have devastating consequences to human health.

Did Congress just revoke WA’s gas car ban?
As goes California, so goes Washington. At least in the realm of vehicle-emissions standards. That’s why Congress’ move to revoke a waiver for California under the federal Clean Air Act last month also jerked back Washington’s ability to mandate the sale of electric and hybrid cars by next decade.

Friday, May 30, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 30 2025

Aloha Sun Ra

Sun Ra, who died on this day in 1993, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific output, and theatrical performances. For much of his career, Ra led The Arkestra, an ensemble with an ever-changing name and flexible line-up. (Wikipedia)

How we pushed the Columbia, the great river of the West, to its limit
Changes made by humans have pushed this river to the brink. We’ve hammered the habitat. Overfished the salmon. Mismanaged hatcheries. And most of all, harnessed the immense power of this river, turning its cold, fast waters to miles of warm, slackwater reservoirs.

Snow melting fast in WA, American West
On the heels of a winter that left Washington’s mountaintops relatively bare, warm spring temperatures are melting off remaining snowpack far earlier than normal, heightening drought concerns across the state.

GOP megadonor planning new round of initiatives on taxes, parents' rights
Brian Heywood, the founder of Let’s Go Washington, has filed new proposals to curb property taxes, create a new school choice funding program, target trans student athletes, and repeal the state Legislature’s recent changes to the “parents’ rights” law.

Grizzly reintroduction to North Cascades stalls
The plan was approved last summer, but some northeast Washington residents say their concerns were not represented in the decision-making process. Connor Zamora reports.(CascadePBS)

Planning to dredge the Burrard Inlet to maximize oil shipments is underway
UBC ocean pollution researcher and Tsleil-Waututh Nation concerned about environmental impact.

B.C. NDP government narrowly passes controversial bills to fast-track projects
Bills received major pushback from First Nations and business groups alike; Speaker cast tiebreaking vote.

Hawaiʻi Makes History As First State To Charge Tourists To Save Environment
A Hawaiʻi vacation will cost you more in the near future thanks to a new “green fee” that the governor signed into law today. Marcel Honoré reports. (Honolulu Civil Beat)

Thousands mark 5th anniversary of George Floyd’s murder as they call for justice and decry Trump
Police reform and civil-rights activists joined thousands of ordinary people Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder and decry the Trump administration for actions they say set their efforts back decades.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 23 2025

Aloha World Turtle Day!

World Turtle Day aims to encourage humans to take action to help turtles and tortoises survive by protecting their habitats and stopping their illegal trade and sale. There are approximately 330 species of turtles and tortoises. Turtles are aquatic or semi-aquatic, while tortoises live on land. Both turtles and tortoises live long lives, although tortoises can live much longer, reaching up to 200 years. Turtles and tortoises have shells that are covered by scutes, which are hard scales. Turtles shed their scutes, but tortoises do not.

U.S. Sen. Murray says Trump zeroes out $500M for WA fish passage project
Washington’s U.S. Sen. Patty Murray is raising the alarm over a new spending plan by the Trump administration that doesn’t include $500 million in funding for a fish-passage project on the Green River near Seattle.

Trump orders the government to stop enforcing rules he doesn’t like
Critics say the administration is breaking the law and sidestepping the rulemaking process that presidents of both parties have long followed.

Billy Proctor, ‘Heart of the Raincoast,’ dies at 90
Billy Proctor, a fisherman known for his work to restore Pacific salmon and his personal museum featuring artifacts gathered from a lifetime in the Broughton archipelago, died Tuesday at 90 years old.

New WA law increases penalties for litter, delays plastic bag requirements
A new law signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on Saturday toughens the punishment for littering and delays requirements for retailers to offer thicker bags for sale from Jan. 1, 2026 until 2028.

What Experts Want You to Know About Microplastics
Scientists say it could be years before we have a full understanding of how these tiny plastic particles are affecting human health. But we do know they have been found from the depths of the Mariana Trench to the heights of Mount Everest. And we know that plastic is accumulating in our bodies, too.

A Home Made of Microplastics
Caddisfly cases from museum collections reveal that microplastics infiltrated “pristine” freshwater environments far earlier than suspected.

Logging protest continues with climber in tree
An injunction hearing regarding the parcels has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday in Clallam County Superior Court. If a 90-day injunction is issued, the tree climber will remove themselves from the tree. If the decision is not in favor of the environmentalists, the climber likely will stay up there indefinitely.

Wildfire season in WA: Above-normal risk in forecast
The summer is anticipated to bring above-normal fire risk, beginning in June, in the more arid grass- and shrublands and ponderosa pine forests of Central and Eastern Washington, and by July, creeping into wetter Western Washington.

How BC Wildfire Service is fighting misinformation with compassion
As more people engage with posts about wildfires on social media, the government agency is trying a new approach to combat the spread of misinformation. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Pink salmon return expected to boost local fisheries, wildlife
Pink salmon are set to return to the Fraser River in record numbers this year, with the run expected to begin in August.

Friday, May 16, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 16 2025

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur:
smallest and most endangered primate species,
weighing only 30 grams.

Aloha Endangered Species Friday!

The United States Congress created Endangered Species Day in 2006 with the adoption of Senate Resolution 431. The resolution encouraged "the people of the United States to become educated about, and aware of, threats to species, success stories in species recovery, and the opportunity to promote species conservation worldwide." It also encouraged schools to spend at least 30 minutes teaching students about the day; encouraged groups such as businesses, organizations, private landowners and agencies to collaborate on educational information for the schools; and encouraged people of the United States "to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities."

Washington state sues to block Trump order expediting fossil fuel projects
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is suing over what he says is President Donald Trump's unlawful declaration of an energy emergency, which is intended to speed up permitting procedures for fossil fuel projects.

How the Pacific Northwest’s dream of green energy fell apart
Oregon and Washington passed aggressive goals to decarbonize their power supply but left it to the Bonneville Power Administration to build the transmission lines needed for wind and solar. The agency hasn’t delivered.

B.C., federal government support dredging Vancouver's Burrard Inlet, others opposed
British Columbia's energy minister is backing plans to dredge and deepen Vancouver's Burrard Inlet to accommodate fully loaded oil tankers, despite concerns from environmentalists, experts and First Nations.

New energy secretary supports Snake River hydropower dams
The nation’s new energy secretary is “passionately in support” of leaving the four lower Snake River dams in Eastern Washington intact.

EPA announces rollback for some Biden-era limits on so-called forever chemicals in drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some so-called forever chemicals in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones.

Higher prices, rolling blackouts: The Northwest is bracing for the effects of a lagging green energy push
Northwest leaders pushed strict green energy mandates but neglected problems with the electrical grid. Residents are already feeling the consequences.

NOAA senior scientists in Seattle depart amid Trump cuts
Scientists behind some of the most important breakthroughs in Northwest scientific research over the past two decades have left their jobs in the wake of budget cutting by the Trump administration.

Snohomish County Council passes controversial critical habitat ordinance
Despite overwhelming opposing testimony, the Snohomish County Council passed a controversial amendment alongside its new Critical Areas Regulations ordinance.

Friday, May 9, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 9 2025

Aloha Fintastic Friday!

Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks a Voice Day celebrates and raises awareness for sharks, and is geared towards children. It encourages them to get involved in shark conservation efforts and to help change public opinion about sharks—from fear to appreciation and from hate to love. Not only is the day dedicated to sharks, but to other elasmobranchs like rays and skates as well.

WA lawmakers approve $1.1B for salmon habitat restoration
The state Legislature approved an additional $1.1 billion for court-ordered Department of Transportation culvert replacement projects, bringing the program’s roughly two-decade total to $5.2 billion.

One year after the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, why isn't it full?
The Canadian oilpatch has a brand-new pipeline, something it's pleaded for year after year, and it offers a relatively quick route to the West Coast and overseas markets. But a year in, the newly expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline still isn't running at full capacity — though the CEO of the Crown corporation says he doesn't think it's a problem.

Are you recycling the right things? New cameras, tech will let you know
The city of Olympia is launching a recycling contamination reduction project this month to help people improve their recycling efforts. It will use cameras and other technology to monitor what people are putting into their curbside recycling carts.

E.P.A. Plans to Shut Down the Energy Star Program
Employees were told that the popular energy efficiency certification program would be “de-prioritized and eliminated,” according to documents and a recording.

States sue Trump administration for blocking the development of wind energy
Attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., are challenging an executive order Trump signed during his first day in office, pausing approvals, permits and loans for all wind energy projects both onshore and offshore.

Coastal mayors call on province to intervene amid ongoing B.C. Ferries disruptions
Mayors say accountability is confusing when multiple entities oversee B.C. Ferries operations.

How a Chinese delicacy got caught in the crossfire of Trump’s trade war
In recent years it has also become a delicacy in China, with Washington state sending 90% of its geoducks there, creating a niche yet lucrative American seafood export. But the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China is now crippling an entire industry that hand-harvests geoducks.

WA lawmakers slash wildfire budget in half
Lawmakers tussled with a four-year, $16 billion budget shortfall...Their proposed budget now under consideration by Gov. Bob Ferguson cut in half the $125 million previously promised per biennium for wildfire response and preparedness.

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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Friday, May 2, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 2 2025

Aloha Tuba Friday!

The tuba is the the powerful “oompah” instrument in a band and International Tuba Day celebrates the depth and diversity of sound that this beautiful brass wind is capable of producing. The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. It anchors the harmony in orchestras, wind ensembles, and marching bands. Joel Day first established this holiday in 1979 while part of the Lower Merion High School Band.

Forested swamps on the Northwest coast are some of the biggest carbon storehouses around, new research finds
These tidal swamps were once the primary type of coastal wetland in Oregon, but development since European settlement has destroyed more than 90% of that original habitat. Jes Burns reports. (OPB)

Despite global opposition, Trump just fast-tracked deep-sea mining
Trump issued an executive order Thursday declaring that U.S. policy includes “creating a robust domestic supply chain for critical minerals derived from seabed resources to support economic growth, reindustrialization, and military preparedness.”

Trump administration deciding on PFAS drinking water limits
Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency set the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS. The Trump administration is expected to soon say whether it intends to stand by those strict standards and defend the limits against a water utility industry challenge in federal court.

Proposed change could reshape Endangered Species Act. Here’s how it affects WA
In mid-April, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to change how the term “harm” would be defined in the Endangered Species Act.

Baby salmon head out to sea. Then they do something unexpected, new research shows
The long-held understanding that baby salmon emerge from the streams where they hatched to head out to sea actually is missing a far more complex story. It turns out the intrepid baby fish, no longer than a pinkie finger, explore multiple streams miles apart, traveling from river mouth to river mouth, in what amounts to a connected meta-nursery.

The fight over Pierce County’s largest geoduck farm is over.
Taylor Shellfish Company has reached a settlement with nearby homeowners and environmental advocates that will allow a large proposed Pierce County geoduck farm to move forward, subject to several restrictions.

Electricity demand in Northwest could double in next 20 years, forecast finds
Data centers, electrifying transit and buildings and producing hydrogen will drive demand, according to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

The EPA is canceling almost 800 environmental justice grants, court filing reveals
The agency is sending out notices of termination to 781 awardees, almost twice the number of canceled grants that had been previously reported.

BC Admits It Won’t Come Close to 2025 and 2030 Climate Goals
The province’s new climate report walks back last year’s positive forecasts.

New law requires sewage spills to be revealed to the public through a new statewide website
The Washington Legislature has passed into law the Sewage Spill Right to Know Act, which requires the Department of Ecology to set up a website to rapidly notify the public of sewage spills that occur anywhere in the state.

A big Pacific Northwest quake could cause land to sink in minutes
Scientists say the region is overdue for a major tremor, and a new study predicts serious flooding would result along with shaking and a tsunami.

Friday, April 25, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 25 2025

Aloha Penguin Day!
World Penguin Day takes place on April 25 because it is around this time each year that the Adelie penguins of Antarctica begin migrating north. The word "penguin" first appeared in print in the 1500s, and was originally applied to a black and white seabird called an auk that is now extinct. Some believe the name comes from the Welsh words "pen" and "gwyn" that mean "head" and "white." Penguins are nonflying birds that are native to the Southern Hemisphere.

Melting Arctic sea ice spurs gray whale die off along West Coast
Gray whales, a signature of the Washington coast, are dying by the thousands, victims of declines in Arctic sea ice.

Anti-Trump protests build momentum in WA: ‘We’re just getting louder’
Standing Saturday on Broadway in Everett, where crowds of people on either side waved signs opposed to President Donald Trump as nonstop car honking urged protesters on, it was possible to feel that a groundswell against the federal administration was underway.

E.P.A. Set to Cancel Grants Aimed at Protecting Children From Toxic Chemicals
The cancellations, set to apply to pending and active grants, also affect research into “forever chemicals” contaminating the food supply.

Up a creek: $5B culvert removal plan appears dead in WA Legislature
A Senate plan for new borrowing to pay for the tear-out and replacement of pipes and other fish barriers ran into opposition from local governments and the governor.

Edmonds launches technology to destroy PFAS
Edmonds is the first city in the country to implement new technology at a wastewater treatment facility that eradicates “forever chemicals,” otherwise known as PFAS.

EPA to fire or reassign more than 450 staffers working on environmental justice, DEI
The move is part of the Trump administration’s push to close the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.

UW climate research group braces for Trump cuts
The University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group is raising alarm and bracing for the elimination of two federal climate research programs they run from the university campus.

Interior Department to Fast-Track Oil, Gas and Mining Projects
The Interior Department said late Wednesday that it would fast-track approvals for projects involving coal, gas, oil and minerals on public lands, arguing that President Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency allowed it to radically reduce lengthy reviews required by the nation’s bedrock environmental laws.

LNG could help break Canada's dependence on the U.S. energy economy — but there are no guarantees
With the backing of Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation and the Korea Gas Corp., the $40 billion Canada LNG project has been described by the federal government as the "largest single private sector investment in the history of the country."

Friday, April 18, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 18 2025

Aloha Piñatas Friday

Piñatas are thought to have originated in China. There they were used in New Year celebrations. They were formed into buffaloes, cows, and oxen, filled with seeds, covered with colored paper, and decorated with ribbons. After being hit with sticks until they opened, their remnants were burned, and the ashes were saved and used to bring good luck throughout the upcoming year.

Trump’s NOAA firings raise doubts for PNW fisheries
These scientists inform and set salmon fisheries quotas and identify priority salmon habitat recovery work. They were hired to forecast climate impacts, like low-oxygen conditions and marine heat, on fisheries and provide data to reduce the risk of whale entanglements, among other things.

Protecting B.C. old-growth forests could yield $10.9B in benefits, report finds
That number could quadruple to $43.1 billion over the next century if 100% of old growth trees were protected in the Okanagan and Prince George timber supply areas.

Inside the fight to save California’s dying sea lions from toxic algae: ‘We’re like 911 operators’
An animal’s chance of survival after domoic acid poisoning is 50-50, and this year an outbreak has sickened hundreds.

Trump proposed cutting the Northwest’s national forests. So what happens next?
President Donald Trump’s executive order last month laid the groundwork for wholesale changes in national forest management. Here at home, that means timber managers are under a directive to help contribute to a 25% increase in logging volume over the next several years.

NOAA scientists are cleaning bathrooms in Seattle
Federal scientists responsible for monitoring the health of West Coast fisheries are cleaning office bathrooms and reconsidering critical experiments after the Department of Commerce failed to renew their lab’s contracts for hazardous waste disposal, janitorial services, IT and building maintenance.

State recommends keeping pinto abalone on endangered species list
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday that it recommends keeping the state’s only native abalone on its endangered species list.

Proposed rule change on endangered species triggers alarm for environmentalists
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service said in a proposed rule issued Wednesday that habitat modification should not be considered harm because it is not the same as intentionally targeting a species, called “take.”

New study shows increased pathogens near B.C. open-net salmon farms
A new study led by the Pacific Salmon Foundation and four northern Vancouver Island First Nations suggests that water collected near active open-net salmon farms contains four times more pathogens harmful to wild salmon than samples collected near inactive salmon farms.

Trump Lifts Commercial Fishing Ban On Key Protected Area In Central Pacific
President Donald Trump has opened one the largest protected swaths of the Central Pacific Ocean to commercial fishing, lifting a ban that sought to help conserve the region’s imperiled fish, shark, sea turtles, marine mammals and other species. Papahānaumokuākea, the protected area around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, could be next.

Friday, April 11, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 11 2025

Aloha International Louie Louie Day
Louie Louie Day celebrates "Louie Louie," one of the most recorded songs in rock and roll history. It takes place on the birthday of Richard Berry, the writer of the song, who was born on this date in 1935. Many other important events surrounding the song took place in April as well, making it fitting the song is celebrated when it is.

More details surface in Trump administration plan to cut national forests
A Trump administration memorandum issued Thursday declared a state of emergency in domestic timber supply and national forest health, directing the Forest Service to suspend normal environmental reviews and increase logging on more than 100 million acres of national forest, including in the Pacific Northwest.

Trump administration funding freeze of $27B clean-energy program strands local projects
A multibillion-dollar Environmental Protection Agency program designed to spur investment in energy-efficiency improvements nationwide is tied up in a legal battle that threatens to upend planned projects across the United States focused on affordable housing, the adoption of electric vehicles and more.

Researchers look to larvae for answers about Washington’s most lucrative fishery
One of Washington’s most lucrative commercial fisheries is also one about which the least is known. Unlike numerous salmon runs in the state, data about Dungeness crabs is scarce – leaving managers with little to go on when projecting future harvest levels.

17 government inspectors, 170 companies and more than 9,000 potential infractions: inside B.C.’s oversight of the oil and gas sector
Notes made by regulator officers during thousands of inspections that were marked in compliance with provincial rules offer a glimpse behind the scenes of government oversight of the fossil fuel industry — and the companies doing business in B.C.

Trump signs orders targeting revival of ‘beautiful, clean coal’
President Donald Trump signed four executive orders Tuesday aiming to invigorate the U.S. coal industry. Trump said the orders would revitalize an industry pushed to the brink by Democratic policies that encourage renewable energy.

Another baby orca spotted with Northwest's endangered J Pod
A Center for Whale Research crew spotted the baby, still ruddy from the womb, from a boat near Victoria, British Columbia, on Sunday. It is the fourth calf born to the southern resident orcas since December. Two of the four have died already.

EPA withholds $85 million meant to fund environmental justice projects in Oregon
Ten Oregon projects are among more than 470 across the country stuck in limbo, with recipients denied access to millions in funding.

Has a Tacoma wastewater plant threatened this endangered species?
Two environmental groups say they plan to sue Tacoma for allegedly discharging toxic materials from the city’s Central Wastewater Treatment Plant that are poisoning Puget Sound chinook salmon — a federally protected species.

Trump Threatens Climate Policies in the States

After halting federal attempts to combat global warming, President Trump is now targeting efforts by states to reduce greenhouse gases, setting up a legal clash.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 4 2025

Aloha MLK, Jr. Memorial Day
On this day in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., a leader of the American civil rights movement who was in Memphis, Tennessee, to support a strike by the city's sanitation workers, was assassinated by James Earl Ray.

Budget woes, federal cuts puts WA plans at risk as wildfire season nears
In Washington, a $12 billion budget shortfall prompted majority Democrats in the Legislature last week to propose slicing spending on wildfire prevention and fighting by one-third to two-thirds.

New $5B plan to fund culvert removals unveiled by WA senators
Washington state senators revealed a proposal Monday to raise billions of dollars to pay for the court-ordered removal of culverts blocking the migration of salmon and other fish. The plan included in the Senate’s capital budget would bond up to $5 billion over the next 15 years and repay the debt with revenue from an existing tax on electrical utilities. housing-school-environment-0

Lower Mainland flood prevention work must wait, province admits
Three years after one of the costliest disasters in Canadian history, the provincial government now says it doesn’t have the money to fully fund critical flood-prevention work in the Lower Mainland.

Lee Zeldin, E.P.A. Head, Shuts National Environmental Museum
The exhibits were dedicated to the agency’s history. Mr. Zeldin said closing the collection would save $600,000 annually.

What cutting the consumer carbon tax means for Canada's emissions
The federal government has ended its carbon pricing for consumers, and that's expected to lead to savings at the gas pump. But what did the carbon tax and rebate actually do for the climate? And now that it's gone, what impact will that have on emissions?

B.C. quietly allowed an oil and gas giant to sidestep rules for more than 4,300 pipelines
B.C.’s energy regulator has the power to grant exemptions — without notifying the public. Experts are raising the alarm about the process, saying the regulator is playing soft with fossil fuel companies that break rules.

Canada and B.C. finalize agreement to fund Metro Vancouver Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
The governments of Canada and British Columbia have finalized an agreement for the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, providing CAD 250 million (about USD 173 million) in federal funding over five years for the first phase of the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade.

These sea stars were nearly wiped out — but B.C. researchers say fiords provided refuge
Researchers say sea star wasting disease, whose exact cause is unknown, may be affected by water temperatures.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review March 28 2025

Aloha Piano Day!
There are 88 keys on a piano, hence Piano Day takes place on the 88th day of the year. Created by Nils Frahm, a German pianist and composer, and celebrated by piano lovers of all ages and abilities, Piano Day celebrates pianos and everything in their orbit: composers, performers, listeners, builders, tuners, and movers.

Judge overturns Washington natural gas measure approved by voters
Opponents argued Initiative 2066 was unconstitutional because it dealt with multiple unrelated subjects. Supporters say they’ll appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.

Can the rush for clean energy overcome a legacy of pollution?
The technologies needed to usher the world into a new energy paradigm require minerals: Copper. Lithium. Cobalt. Nickel. Manganese. Graphite. Mining these materials is an inherently dirty and extractive process. It comes at a steep cost, disproportionately paid by communities that have dealt with legacies of contamination.

‘Absolute self-destruction’: David Suzuki has bad news about the environment
In 1962, a young Canadian geneticist started reading “Silent Spring,” Rachel Carson’s damning treatise about the dangers of using pesticides to control insects...Six decades later, Suzuki stands at the precipice of an ecological catastrophe clanging alarm bells as Carson once did.

US Supreme Court declines to revive landmark climate suit brought by young Oregonians
The decision ends a decade-long fight led by 11 young Oregonians and 10 of their peers across the nation against the U.S. government over climate inaction.

‘Metals are the new oil’: B.C. fast-tracks critical minerals projects to counter tariffs
Premier David Eby says the province has ‘unlimited’ potential when it comes to critical minerals. Used to make everything from weapons to renewables, critics question whether B.C.'s rush to mine copper, lithium and more could impact the environment and Indigenous Rights.

Comment period open on Growler operations
The U.S. Navy is accepting public comments regarding a draft of its amended analysis to the final environmental impact statement for EA-18G Growler aircraft operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island through April 28. The amended analysis was mandated by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

Abundance of pink salmon may be harming orcas
Pink salmon now comprise nearly 80% of all adult salmon in the North Pacific. This record abundance is coming at a cost to other salmon species such as threatened Chinook, and a new study shows that the ecological toll may extend all the way to endangered southern resident killer whales.

B.C. scrapping consumer carbon tax altogether on April 1, government says
The B.C. government has announced it will completely scrap the provincial consumer-facing carbon tax on April 1 and is urging gas companies to remove tax from pricing.

Documents suggest B.C.'s hydrogen plans under threat as uncertainty halts 'large-scale' projects
Documents released through a freedom of information request reveal that B.C.'s former energy minister was told last September that at least seven "large-scale hydrogen projects" were being cancelled or paused because of issues including electricity supply, high cost and transportation.

Trump tariffs, ‘attacks’ over water complicate Columbia River Treaty negotiations
Attacks by President Donald Trump on Canada’s water and sovereignty, and a full-on trade war, have not only upended relations between the countries but have also threatened negotiations over a crucial treaty that governs use of the Columbia River.

The Fraser Valley's supersized goose problem
As communities spend money to addle goose eggs, they're paying the price for a previous breeding experiment gone wrong.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review March 21 2025

Aloha World Poetry Day
World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO in 1999, "with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard."

After Cuts, Former NOAA Chief Scientist Says U.S. Science Risks Becoming a “Backwater Enterprise”
With its first wave of firings, the new Trump administration has decimated NOAA.

Here’s where Canada’s new prime minister stands on the future of oil and gas
Prime Minister Mark Carney has been a key international deal maker on climate action.

U.S. pauses Columbia River water-sharing negotiations with Canada amid Trump threats
The nations were trying to finalize updates to the 61-year-old Columbia River Treaty governing shared, cross-border water and hydropower management.

Half of 2021 landslides in B.C. linked logging, wildfires: study
Study finds nearly half of 1,300 landslides that occurred during B.C.'s November 2021 atmospheric river event started in areas burned by wildfire or disturbed by logging.

B.C. spent $3.5B to reduce carbon emissions over 7 years. That plan has failed
CleanBC sought to cut greenhouse gases, but emissions are the same as they were in 2007. The province says emissions targets are no longer ‘workable’ — advocates say B.C.’s push for LNG projects is part of the problem.

Makah Tribe applies for permit to resume its traditional whale hunt
The Makah Tribe has applied for a permit to resume its traditional whale hunt this July.

Plastic Meals Leave Seabirds with Brain Damage
Sable shearwater chicks are developing Alzheimer’s-like symptoms and other hidden health impacts.

Northwest research reveals some whales avoid detection from predators by keeping their songs reeaaal low
New research from University of Washington marine scientist Trevor Branch has revealed a defense mechanism some baleen whales appear to use to protect themselves against attack. They’ve evolved to become baritones — essentially the Paul Robesons of the whale world — they sing really, really low.