Salish Sea Communications

Friday, April 10, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 10 2026

Aloha ASPCA Day!
The American Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the first animal welfare organization of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, was created on April 10, 1866. It works with shelters and humane societies across the country, with the mission of preventing cruelty to animals. Its founder, Henry Bergh, was inspired to create the organization after seeing a carthorse being beaten by its drivers.

A gray whale that swam 20 miles up a Washington state river is found dead
A juvenile gray whale that amazed Washington state residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river was found dead, and an official with a marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale to new hunting grounds as the species’ population declines. The whale was discovered Saturday near Raymond, Washington, in the Willapa River, which feeds into the ocean at Willapa Bay.

Your ‘widely recyclable’ Starbucks cup is still trash
Just because a product can be collected for recycling doesn’t mean it actually gets recycled. To imply otherwise is to conflate two very different numbers: the access rate and the real recycling rate. There’s not much evidence to suggest that the recycling rate for plastic cups is above 1 or 2 percent.

Seattle reaches $4B deal to keep Skagit River dams, truck salmon
The Seattle City Council approved a landmark $4 billion agreement Tuesday laying out a road map for the city’s next half-century of hydropower on the Skagit River.

Federal government puts out $412.9M to renew Pacific Salmon Initiative
The federal government is spending $412.9 million over five years to renew the Pacific Salmon Strategy in a plan to protect and rebuild wild populations.

Statewide drought declared due to dismal snowpack
After a warm winter left Washington’s mountains largely bare this spring, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a statewide emergency drought declaration as projected water supplies are likely to fall far short of the state’s summer demand.

Why are you mostly being sold Alaska-caught salmon in British Columbia?
Many critics argue Alaska takes too many salmon and is harming populations — but it’s easier to find Alaska-caught fish in B.C. stores and Alaskan salmon fisheries have global sustainability certification that B.C. salmon fisheries don’t.

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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Friday, April 3, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 3 2026

Aloha Cellphone Day
On April 3, 1973 Motorola engineer Martin Cooper made a phone call from a New York City sidewalk to his rival Dr. Joel Engel at Bell Laboratories to tell him he was calling from a real cellular telephone - a handheld unit. The prototype was the size of a brick, weighed about 2 1/2 pounds, and had a battery life of only 20 minutes.

Why pink salmon are climate winners
Humpies, or pink salmon, are among the world’s so-called climate winners. About 8 million were forecast to return to Puget Sound watersheds last fall.

Arctic sea ice hits lowest winter level as unprecedented heat hits smashes records all over Earth
Vital Arctic sea ice shrank to tie its lowest measured level for the winter, the season when ice grows, as a warming Earth shattered records across the continents.

El Niño, marine heat will likely make Washington's warm year even warmer
This winter has been one of Washington’s warmest and driest on record. Despite the wet weather we have experienced recently, the state’s snow pack remains much lower than normal. And climate observers say conditions are likely to get worse.

U.S. could exempt oil industry from protecting Gulf animals, for 'national security'
National security has never been used to call a meeting of the "God Squad." But other federal agencies have been citing the "energy emergency" to avoid rules meant to protect endangered animals.

Trump’s Iran war and drilling push show ‘dangerous volatility’ of fossil fuel era
Critics say president is locking into 20th-century energy systems even as his ‘bet’ on oil and gas ‘isn’t going so well’

Millions of pounds of trash. Is there hope for Tacoma’s litter problem?
More than 26 million pounds of litter end up on Washington roadways every year, see some of the weirdest.

Whatcom County hearing examiner halts Ferndale Terminal expansion
The Whatcom County Hearing Examiner has sided with a coalition of environmental groups in ruling that the county must conduct analyses of the expansion of the ALA Energy Ferndale Terminal before any projects can continue.

Amazon to pay $20.5 million settlement over Oregon nitrate pollution
Tech giant Amazon will pay $20.5 million to settle with northeast Oregonians living with contaminated groundwater in exchange for no admission of guilt in the polluting.

Policies meant to limit air pollution allow toxic dumping in Salish Sea
Washington state is facing a conundrum on the open water. A tool to reduce air pollution from ships can result in water pollution. And a proposal to untangle that paradox ran aground this winter in the Washington Legislature for the second year in a row.

Friday, March 27, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review March 27 2026

Aloha M.C. Escher Day

Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher, who died on this day in 1972 at the age of 74, was a Dutch graphic artist who created mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. His work is known for its optical illusions, impossible architecture, and paradoxical patterns. (Wikipedia)

New study finds artificial turf fields in Metro Vancouver releasing chemicals harmful to salmon
A new study from the University of British Columbia is raising concerns about the environmental impact of artificial turf fields across Metro Vancouver, which, it says, is leaching a chemical that’s deadly to coho salmon.

WA, Trump administration standoff continues in fight over coal plant
The U.S. Department of Energy renewed an emergency order this week directing the state’s last coal power plant to remain available for operation, continuing a legal fight between the Trump administration and state leaders.

Environment and climate bills that passed and failed in WA’s legislative session
What passed, what didn't in this past legislative session.

At 90, David Suzuki says he has done everything he could to protect the Earth, but fears he has fallen short
The iconic Canadian environmentalist says it may be too late for humanity to stop the worst of climate change.

Why a Seattle cement plant burns a million tires a year and wants to burn more
For anyone crossing the Duwamish River on the West Seattle bridge, the Ash Grove Cement plant is hard to miss. Every day, to heat that kiln and turn limestone into “clinker,” a key ingredient of cement, the plant burns natural gas and thousands of old tires for fuel.

Reflecting on the legacy of the last orca capture in Washington state, 50 years later
Ellie Kinley is a mother, fisherman, and a member of the Lummi Nation in the Bellingham area reflects on the orca captures 50 years later.

Meet the Nisqually bullfrog man. Refuge hires pro to take out invasive amphibian
The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge been raided by American bullfrogs, an invasive species not native to the area. Jamie Buchanan is a professional bullfrog hunter.

Amazon and Walmart fined for selling banned refrigerant in WA
Retail giants Amazon and Walmart are collectively facing over a million dollars in environmental fines from Washington state’s Department of Ecology for selling coolant products that contain potent greenhouse gases.

Supreme Court denies Chinook petition for federal recognition
Though the U.S. Supreme Court denied to review the Chinook Indian Nation’s case seeking federal recognition, the nation vows to continue the over a century-long fight, looking toward Congress for next steps.

Friday, March 20, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review March 20 2016

Aloha First Day of Spring

The First Day of Spring, also known as the Vernal Equinox or Spring Equinox, takes place when the Sun crosses the celestial equator—an imaginary line in the sky directly above the Earth's equator—from south to the north. Spring is associated with rebirth, regrowth, and renewal. Plants spring from the ground—which gives the season its name—and blossom. Animals become more active and temperatures begin to warm.

Panel appointed to map B.C.'s old-growth forests say province is failing to save them
Every member of a former panel the British Columbia government appointed to identify old-growth for potential protection in 2021 now say they're concerned about continued logging in those same rare and "irreplaceable" forests.

A new plan is afoot to log Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
One of the most visited national forests in the country is the site of a proposed forest-thinning project that conservation groups fear could give a green light to logging over a vast but loosely defined area.

Trump administration orders restart of California offshore oil operations
The Trump administration on Friday directed Sable Offshore to restart its operations of the Santa Ynez Unit and Santa Ynez Pipeline System off the coast of California.

Industrial chemicals have reached the middle of the ocean, new study shows
New research shows the chemicals we use to kill pests, heal our bodies and package our foods are spread throughout the ocean, intermingling with the microorganisms that feed marine life. They’ve reached even the most distant and remote places on the planet.

When We Revive Buried Urban Creeks, What Can Happen?
Spurred by advocates, Vancouver has ‘daylighted’ some paved-over waterways. Ducks, and people, are flocking.

Seattle’s Only River Comes Alive Again
How one of the largest cities in Salmon Nation has restored the Duwamish River over the past three decades — community-first and one mucky step at a time.

Fewer fish in West Coast waters will be federally regulated
The Pacific Fishery Management Council voted this month to loosen regulations on eight groundfish stocks in Washington and Oregon, after doing the same for 39 stocks last year.

.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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review March 13 2026

Aloha Uranus Day!
William Herschel first observed Uranus on 13 March 1781, leading to its discovery as a planet, expanding the known boundaries of the Solar System for the first time in history and making Uranus the first planet classified as such with the aid of a telescope. The discovery of Uranus also effectively doubled the size of the known Solar System because Uranus is around twice as far from the Sun as the planet Saturn.

State adjusts strategy to address low-oxygen levels in Puget Sound
The Washington State Department of Ecology is responding to new legal rulings and public concerns with changes in planning and potentially future enforcement. In January, the agency decided to abandon its “nutrient general permit,” originally designed to control nitrogen releases from sewage-treatment plants throughout Puget Sound.

Republicans target public lands protections in a new way
Over the past year, GOP leaders and the Trump administration have used a law known as the Congressional Review Act to push for coal mining in Montana, oil drilling in Alaska and copper mining in Minnesota, while also attempting to reverse protections for a national monument in Utah. The rarely used act gives Congress a few months to revoke new federal regulations. Only in the past year has it ever been used to overrule land management plans.

3 unidentified orcas spotted in Vancouver Harbour never before documented in B.C.
Experts say the unfamiliar whales could belong to a rarely seen killer whale population from the high seas.

A marmot puppet is the star of Washington’s new anti-littering campaign, asking people to think before they toss their trashThe star of Washington’s new “We Keep Washington Litter Free” campaign is a marmot puppet who’s reminding people to think before they throw trash out of their car or don’t secure their loads – and let debris fly out the back of trucks.

Nearly 40% of California produce contains PFAS pesticides, report finds
A new report shows that nearly 40% of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables tested by California regulators have residues of “forever” or PFAS chemicals, a family of compounds that can be lasting and harmful.

Port of Tacoma sues to recoup $10M for cleanup of ‘toxic legacies’ at 2 parcels
The Port of Tacoma is seeking to recoup millions of dollars in environmental cleanup costs over previous industrial contamination at sites the port acquired from PQ Corp. in 2008 for more than $8.5 million.

Oregon finds a new way to fund wildlife conservation—tax tourists
The new law will raise the state’s lodging tax from 1.5% to 2.75%, which supporters call a modest increase in a state tax that’ll amount to a substantial chunk of money: an estimated $37 million annually. Most of that money will go toward Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife efforts to conserve habitat for species ranging from puffins to bats to frogs.

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review March 6 2026

Aloha Oreo Cookie Friday!
Oreos were created by Nabisco and first sold on March 6, 1912 by grocer S.C. Thuesen in Hoboken, New Jersey. Nabisco applied for a trademark on March 14, 1912, and received it on August 12, 1913. The current design of the cookie has been in place since 1952.The cream used today was created by Sam Procello, who was Nabisco's principal scientist, known as "Mr. Oreo."

Japanese-beetle pesticide spraying coming to south King County
In a first for western Washington, the Washington State Department of Agriculture aims to spray up to 2,000 properties, covering about 1,000 acres of lawn in south King County, starting in late March.

Plenty opposed to Washington environmental crimes bill
A parade of union officials, industry association leaders and representatives of landowners and fisheries appeared at a Washington state legislative hearing to oppose a bill, SB5360, that would attach criminal penalties to environmental violations. [The bill died this week.]

Microsoft urges major changes to Washington data center regulations as bill nears final vote
After weeks on the sidelines, Microsoft publicly declared its opposition to a controversial state bill that aims to rein in the environmental and economic impacts of the massive data centers powering the AI boom. [The bill died this week.]

B.C. to end time changes, adopt year-round daylight time
March 8 will be the last time most British Columbians have to change their clocks, premier announces.

From Vancouver Island to Howe Sound, spawning herring hit B.C.'s waters
The B.C. coastline is on the verge of one of its biggest natural events of the year: the annual herring spawn.

‘No reason on earth’ to log endangered Canadian rainforest: scientist
Forestry companies hold licences to log in Canada’s inland temperate rainforest, home to endangered caribou and rare lichens. That makes a proposal for a new provincial park more urgent than ever.

Hummingbird Hill in Metchosin to be a bird sanctuary, research centre
The 21-hectare Hummingbird Hill will serve as the Rocky Point Bird Observatory headquarters.

Canada signs Aboriginal rights, fishing and marine management agreements with Musqueam
The federal government has released details of recent agreements with the Musqueam Indian Band recognizing Aboriginal title over an area potentially covering much of Metro Vancouver. The agreements do not have any effect on privately owned land, according to the government.

The sea is higher than we thought and millions more are at risk, study finds
Climate change’s rising seas may threaten tens of millions more people than scientists and government planners originally thought because of mistaken research assumptions on how high coastal waters already are, a new study said.

Seattle City Light proposes $4 billion for Skagit River hydropower dams
Seattle City Light, the city’s electric utility, has agreed to commit about $4 billion to continue to operate its hydropower dams on the Skagit River over the next 50 years.

Friday, February 27, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review February 27 2026

Aloha Polar Bear Friday
The polar bear is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear and land carnivore by body mass, with adult males weighing 300–800 kg. (Wikipedia)

Trump administration eases limits on coal plants for emitting mercury, other toxins
The Environmental Protection Agency last Friday weakened limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants, the Trump administration’s latest effort to boost the fossil fuel industry by paring back clean air and water rules.

Feds propose opening millions of acres of western Oregon forests to 1960s logging levels
The Bureau of Land Management on Thursday shared in a notice of intent that officials will propose new updates to the Western Oregon Resource Management Plans that have governed logging and conservation on 2.5 million acres of forests in 17 Oregon counties for decades, and that were last updated in 2016.

Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission denies petition to alter Dungeness crabbing rules
With whale entanglements on the rise, last December, a petition to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recommended a suite of sweeping new deployment and equipment rules intended to prevent whale entanglements.

B.C. moves at ‘warp speed’ to change landmark Indigenous Rights law
B.C. plans to amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act by June. Opposition is growing — will the government listen?

WA proposes tighter rules on harvesting shellfish, including geoducks
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to increase the minimum harvest size for cockles from one and half inches to two and a half, decrease the limit of geoducks that can be gathered daily from three to one and modify harvesting seasons for certain beaches.

Supreme Court agrees to hear from oil and gas companies trying to block climate change lawsuits
The Supreme Court said Monday that it will hear from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change.

First signs of herring spawn spark excitement on Vancouver Island
The herring spawn attracts wildlife and onlookers to witness an increase in marine activity.

Vancouver port applies to dredge Burrard Inlet this year to fuel oil exports
An application to federal authorities contemplates deepening a navigational channel starting in September 2026. Stefan Labbé reports. (BIV)

Conservation Enters a New Era
One year after the Trump administration slashed biodiversity protections at home and abroad, people and organizations are figuring out where to go from here. A four-part series. (bioGraphic)

Judge orders protective measures for Columbia River salmon after Trump canceled historic deal
A federal judge in Oregon has ordered dams that operate on the Columbia and Snake rivers to generate less hydropower and allow more water to pass in an effort to keep salmon populations from dying out.

Bird Flu Strikes California Elephant Seals for the First Time
Thirty seals, primarily weaned pups, have died since late last week, scientists said.