Salish Sea Communications

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review February 6 2026

Aloha Chopsticks Friday!
Chopsticks trace their beginnings to China, to at least 1200 BCE, during the Shang dynasty, when they were used for cooking, not eating. Consisting of twigs from trees, they were used to reach into deep cooking pots to retrieve food. The Chinese philosopher Confucius was an advocate for chopsticks and can be credited for helping raise their popularity. A vegetarian, he thought sharp utensils would remind diners of the slaughterhouse and that knives would bring warfare and violence to their minds. Because of his beliefs, chopsticks became more widespread throughout Asia. By 500 CE they had spread to modern-day Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

Appeals court upholds ban on fish farms in B.C.'s Discovery Islands
Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has upheld Ottawa’s decision to end salmon farming in B.C.’s Discovery Islands.

Olympic marmots under review
The Olympic marmot is being considered for the endangered species list, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service has announced.

B.C. would struggle to contain oil spill off north coast, research suggests
Decades of research shows waves, wind and darkness would defeat containment efforts for much of the year, raising questions about new oil export plans.

The Trump Administration exempts new nuclear reactors from environmental review
The announcement comes just days after NPR revealed the administration had secretly rewritten safety and environmental standards.

BC Halts Plans to Make Polluters Pay for Cleanup Costs
The province billed its Public Interest Bonding Strategy as a key step to protect the public from massive cleanup bills. Now it’s on hold.

MAHA has reshaped health policy. Now it's working on environmental rules
MAHA activists who want to hold corporations accountable for harming Americans’ health have found an unlikely ally in a Republican-led Environmental Protection Agency that has traditionally supported big businesses and less regulation.

Trump Administration Is Delaying Hundreds of Wind and Solar Projects
Federal agencies are delaying approvals for renewable energy projects on both federal land and private property at a time when electricity demand is going up.

9 C in February: Heat records fall across B.C., raising questions about winter's future
Repeated ridges of high pressure have been driving temperatures in B.C. up into the double digits, with daily heat records falling in at least a dozen cities from Vancouver to Cranbrook to Dawson Creek.

Trans Mountain proceeding with first of three expansions of oil pipeline
Trans Mountain is moving ahead with its first project to pump more oil through its pipeline system between Alberta and British Columbia by using drag reducing agents with the goal of moving up to 10 per cent more oil.

The bills that didn’t survive the WA Legislature’s first major deadline
Many policy ideas in the Washington Legislature met their end less than a month in, as they failed to pass the first key deadline on Wednesday to remain in play. Passage of those that survived is far from assured.

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)salish-current.org .Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Thursday, January 29, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 30 206

Aloha Beatles' Last Concert

On 30 January 1969, the Beatles performed a concert from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row, in central London's office and fashion district. Joined by guest keyboardist Billy Preston, the band played a 42-minute set before the Metropolitan Police arrived and ordered them to reduce the volume. It was the final public performance of their career. (Wikipedia)

Legal fight over natural gas initiative crescendoes at WA Supreme Court
The 2024 ballot measure aims to ensure consumers maintain access to natural gas. Voters approved it, but opponents say it’s flawed and should be tossed out.

Augmented reality experience lets museum visitors 'swim' with orcas
A new exhibit titled Critical Distance, which opened Friday, lets visitors dive into the world of a 10-year-old J Pod orca dubbed Kiki.

Tumwater’s historic oak tree protected by court order
Community activists worked for more than a year and a half to protect a Garry oak tree in Tumwater, Washington, that the city estimates is 400 years old. A superior court judge ruled in late December that the city’s Historic Preservation Commission has the final word on what happens to the tree, not the city.

Who will pay to electrify North Coast LNG and mining projects? All of us, it turns out
Energy minister’s order could exempt North Coast transmission line customers from paying millions — and shift the cost to the rest of us.

America Officially Leaves the Paris Climate Agreement. For the Second Time.
As of Tuesday, the United States is no longer a party to the Paris agreement on climate change, becoming the only country in the world to abandon the international commitment to slow global warming.

Major Gorge energy development gets fed go-ahead
The hotly contested Goldendale Energy Storage Project, located near Goldendale, Wash., has been awarded a key 40-year construction and operations license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The decision comes after a five-year application process. Yakama Nation leaders continue to oppose pumped hydropower storage project in Klickitat County.

Federal judge ends oft-used exemption to environmental review for logging on federal land
A 34-year-old rule exempting some commercial logging projects on federal lands from environmental review is unlawful because it lacked statutory limits, a federal judge recently ruled.

Bruce Springsteen releases anti-ICE protest song ‘Streets of Minneapolis’
On Wednesday Bruce Springsteen released a protest song condemning the violence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis. The song wmemorializes the lives of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, who were fatally shot by federal agents this month.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 23 2026

Aloha Pie Day.
National Pie Day was started in 1975 by Charlie Papazian, who later went on to found the Great American Beer Festival. He chose his birthday, January 23, as the day of celebration. (Pie Day is not to be confused with Pi Day, an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π. Pi Day is observed on March 14 since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant figures of π.)

Climate change is killing this PNW tree. In Europe they want to plant it
Western redcedars are declining at home, but they’re climate change winners in Central Europe’s changing climate.

Renewed calls for Moratorium as DFO approves more than 2k tons of herring harvest
Despite the declining numbers of herring, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has approved more than 2,000 tons of herring to be taken from the Salish Sea this winter, an increase in the harvest rate from 10 per cent last year to 14 per cent in 2025.

Canada forecasts 2026 to be among the hottest years on record
The Government of Canada has released its annual global mean temperature forecast, providing early insight into expected global temperature conditions for 2026. Following record-breaking global heat in 2023 and 2024 and a comparably warm 2025, global temperatures are expected to remain at historically high levels.

Why WDFW is bringing eDNA project to Washington rivers
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has begun a wide-ranging study to catalogue all native, freshwater aquatic species found in every river and major drainage in the state. The Aquatic Biodiversity Study is the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, and possibly the nation.

Woodfibre LNG didn’t monitor salmon correctly. B.C. took 4 months to tell the public
The August monitoring lapse didn’t make it into public records until December. One advocate says Canada is spending millions on salmon restoration while B.C. is ‘approving destructive LNG projects that undermine all of that work.’

Testimony in legislative committees focuses on when a toxic tire chemical should be banned
While not exactly a chicken-or-egg debate, when it comes to regulating a deadly tire chemical, Washington state lawmakers are being called upon to decide what comes first in the effort to save salmon.

LNG Canada has been flaring up to 15 times more gas than expected, documents reveal
An issue with the Kitimat, B.C., facility’s flaring equipment has resulted in LNG Canada burning significantly more gas — and it could take three years to fix.

Friday, January 16, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 16 2026

Aloha Prohibition Friday
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. The amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified by the requisite number of states on January 16, 1919.

Knock, knock, who's there? UVic biologists identify unique sounds of 8 fish species
The researchers used an underwater microphone to eavesdrop on rockfish and other species near the community of Bamfield in Barkley Sound, on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island.

Billions at Stake in the Ocean as Trump Throttles Offshore Wind Farms
The Trump administration has repeatedly ordered work to stop on offshore wind farms along the East Coast, pushing at least two projects to the brink of collapse. Offshore wind developer prevails in court as Trump says the US ‘will not approve any windmills’ A federal judge ruled Monday that work on a major offshore wind farm for Rhode Island and Connecticut can resume, handing the industry at least a temporary victory.

Washington state pumps more tax dollars toward green jet fuel
Officials hope a new state-funded “accelerator” can tackle off-putting prices and other barriers to adoption of the fuel, which can reduce air travel emissions by 50-80%.

Study finds juvenile coho salmon at risk from deadly tire chemical
When it was first identified in 2020, the deadly tire chemical 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ) was seen mostly as a threat to adult coho salmon. Washington lawmakers to decide whether to ban a tire chemical shown to be toxic to salmon A new bill introduced to the Washington Legislature, now in session, would require tire manufacturers to reformulate the rubber in their tires to remove a chemical responsible for killing large numbers of coho salmon and other fish.

E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution
In a reversal, the agency plans to calculate only the cost to industry when setting pollution limits, and not the monetary value of saving human lives, documents show.

Court says Trump admin illegally blocked billions in clean energy grants to Democratic states
A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it canceled $7.6 billion in clean energy grants for projects in states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

The Narwhal Is Suing the RCMP. Stakes Are High for Journalism
The judge’s ruling could reinforce the right of journalists to report from inside police ‘exclusion zones.’

2025 among world's three hottest years on record, WMO says
Last year was among the planet's three warmest on record, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday, as EU scientists also confirmed average temperatures have now exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming for the longest since records began.

Friday, January 9, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 9 2026

Aloha Apricot Friday!

The apricot (prunus armeniaca), a small, pitted fruit, is celebrated today with National Apricot Day. Apricots range in color from pale orange to dark saffron, often with a blush of pink or red, and have soft skin with a light fuzz, looking similar to small peaches. They have a short growing season and are delicate. They grow on small trees and have a sweet, tart flavor. There are several different varieties, with Blenheim being the most popular in the United States. Apricots are sometimes crossed with plums: apriums are 75% apricot and 25% plum, pluots are 75% plum and 25% apricot, and plumcots are half apricot and half plum.

Here’s how December’s floods will impact the environment
The floods that drenched western Washington and Oregon this month may be receding, but their environmental impact will reverberate for years, potentially affecting everything from returning salmon to oyster fisheries.

Nuclear power ventures heat up around Washington state
Washington is trying to become a hub for nuclear power. But instead of monster-size reactors, the state is now home to multiple ventures involving smaller reactors — all using technologies unheard of in the 1970s and 1980s.

$126M incentive program for zero-emission trucks nears launch in WA
Washington is close to opening a new incentive program for commercial fleet operators to transition trucks and other vehicles to models that run on electric or hydrogen power.

‘A new reality’: B.C. glacier collapse forces guides to confront risks of rapidly melting world
As glaciers in Western Canada retreat at an alarming rate, guides on the frontlines are not only witnessing the changes, but managing the hazards.

Drift logs destroying intertidal ecosystems in B.C., study finds
University of Victoria study found logs on the shores of B.C. are scraping away valuable food sources.
A new study by biologists at the University of Victoria has revealed why the simple back-and-forth motion of drift logs on B.C. beaches has destroyed critical ecosystems that keep the ocean healthy.

White House completes plan to curb bedrock environmental law
The Trump administration has finalized a plan to rescind regulations related to the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to consider a project’s possible environmental impacts before it is approved.

WA Dept. of Commerce corrects climate report data after error vastly overstates emission cuts
The department originally reported that 7.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced. The actual amount is around 78,000.

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 31 2025

Aloha Hogmanay!
Hogmanay is the Scottish new year celebration. Coinciding with New Year's Eve, it started during ancient pagan times, and may have stemmed from Norse and Gaelic observances—its roots may be in the Winter Solstice and Yule celebrations marked by the Norse, and it may have brought in customs of Samhain, a Gaelic celebration. The origin of the holiday's name is disputed, but it possibly comes from a Gaelic, Norse, or French root. There are many similar spellings and pronunciations of it.

Growler analysis report complete
The U.S. Navy has completed and submitted its Final Amended Analysis for the EA-18G “Growler” Airfield Operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Group warns about flooding impacts on gray whales
The nonprofit Orca Network is noting that the early arrival of gray whales occurred just as contaminated floodwaters flowed into the Salish Sea. Floodwaters can carry pollution and debris, causing concern for the arriving whales and their food.

Probe of WA Fish and Wildlife Commission to stretch into 2026
Gov. Bob Ferguson hired an investigator in June, but they didn’t get started until the agency director requested an inquiry two months later.

Northwest just finished warmest fall on record
Across the Northwest, a record warm fall and lack of snowpack going into the winter is putting more drought pressure on Oregon, Idaho, Washington and western Montana.

9.0 quake in BC would kill thousands and cost $128 billion, report foresees
A British Columbia government report foresees more than 3,400 fatalities and more than 10,000 injuries if an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 strikes off Vancouver Island.

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 26 2025

Aloha Kwanzaa!
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West, East, as well as Southeast Africa.

Thousands of baby bull kelp planted on new rock reef in North Vancouver
On a rainy December day, divers braved the currents of the Burrard Inlet to plant thousands of microscopic bull kelp onto a new underwater rock reef. The reef, which spans about 1,800 square metres, at the Lynn Creek Estuary in North Vancouver, was completed earlier this month in a partnership between Neptune Terminals and the University of B.C.

US House passes bill to remove gray wolf from Endangered Species Act list
The U.S. House on Thursday passed, 211-204, a bill to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf outside Alaska.

Washington wants to get rid of 'forever chemicals' in firefighting foam. So it’s shipping the foam to an incinerator in Utah
A new program from Washington’s Department of Ecology is helping get rid of firefighting foam that could be toxic. The foam contains what are commonly called “forever chemicals."

Snohomish County Council passes 3,000-acre rezoning plan
The area south of Everett is expected to grow from over 500,000 people to almost 750,000 by 2044.

Lawmakers seek answers about BP’s Olympic Pipeline leak in Snohomish County
Washington congressional lawmakers are seeking answers from oil giant BP following the Olympic Pipeline’s 2,300-gallon leak east of Everett in November, which caused an almost 2-week shutdown of the system and forced Gov. Bob Ferguson to issue a state emergency regarding travel disruptions at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The Road To Ruin
Hidden among the flurry of policy changes by the Trump Administration, the rescission of the Roadless Rule may have far consequences for our public lands.