Salish Sea News Week in Review October 6 2023

 

Aloha Badger Friday!
The American badger is a mid-sized (10 to 11 pounds), burrowing mammal of the weasel family that uses underground burrows for resting, denning, and prey caching. They are well-suited for burrowing and digging: they have large, powerful shoulders; stout front legs and feet; large front claws; and short ears. They are a solitary species, and they use large home ranges that may overlap with other American badgers of either sex. The current distribution of American badgers includes portions of eastern Washington from the eastern Cascade foothills to the Idaho border. They have also been detected in the high-elevation parklands of the North Cascade Ecosystem. (WDFW)

Most of Western Washington's largest Caspian tern colony is dead. Can the seabirds rebound?
More than 1,500 adult Caspian terns made Rat Island, near Port Townsend, their home. Now 80% of them are dead. See also: Avian flu comes to the Salish Sea A new strain of avian flu has been sweeping the globe since 2020, leaving thousands of dead seabirds in its wake.

Salish Sea on cusp of losing tufted puffins
Endangered in Washington state since 2015, there was only one confirmed tufted puffin nesting pair active on Protection Island this breeding season. Smith Island, roughly northeast of Protection Island, now has about 27 nesting pairs.

Northwest's pond turtles to get federal protection
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed protecting the turtles as a threatened species on Friday. Fewer than 1,000 pond turtles are thought to live in Washington state. Populations in Oregon’s Willamette Valley have plunged 99%, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Millions of dollars for ‘tree equity’ head to Snohomish County
Federal grants are giving the Snohomish Conservation District and the city of Lynnwood a total of $3.7 million for separate urban forestry projects. The new trees are going to areas with little canopy cover. 

Washington state is trashy, and there's a study to prove it
Cigarette butts, construction and demolition debris, and food wrappers. That's what Washingtonians are littering the most across the state.

Squamish Nation asks for Mount Garibaldi to be officially renamed Nch'ḵay̓
The Squamish Nation is asking for Mount Garibaldi be officially recognized by its historic Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim name "Nch'ḵay̓" (in-ch-KAY), which has been used for thousands of years. 

Deadly bird flu jumps to harbor seals in Salish Sea, first for West Coast
Bird flu, already killing seabirds in the Salish Sea, has jumped to harbor seals in the first documented instance of marine mammals dying from the disease on the West Coast.

Coastal Gaslink Is Facing 11 More Potential Fines
The company’s current total for penalties is $800,000. But that number is likely to grow.

Massive dam removal project spurs hope in the Klamath Basin
As four Klamath River dams come out over the next year, many seek solutions to chronic environmental problems.

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 mikesato772 at gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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