Salish Sea Communications: 2025

Friday, August 22, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 22 2025

Aloha Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker, born on this day in 1893, was an American poet, literary critic and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Quotable Parker.

Drought is a big problem in Canada — and it’s getting worse
A rush of water-hungry AI data centres is just one reason to rethink industrial water use, as drought becomes a real, year-round problem across Canada.

Dwindling kelp beds gain protection with partnership between Squaxin Island Tribe, DNR

DNR’s Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove met with Squaxin Island Tribe chairman Kris Peters to sign an order creating the Squaxin Island Kelp Protection Zone, in an effort to bring the kelp bed and others around Puget Sound back to full health.

UW lab's seaweed-infused cement could slash carbon emissions
Cement is the source of as much as 10% of all carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. That’s according to materials scientists at the University of Washington who are aiming to reduce that carbon footprint, by adding seaweed to the mix.

Study finds impacts of colonization destroyed nearly 90% of Burrard Inlet food ecosystems
A new research study, in partnership with the səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nation and the University of B.C., has found the impacts of colonization from as early as 1750, including smallpox, overfishing and industrialization, destroyed nearly 90 per cent of the food systems and sources in the Burrard Inlet in Metro Vancouver.

Salmon habitat is destroyed for development. Is it possible to replace what’s lost?
A human-constructed marsh in B.C.’s Fraser River was meant to mimic natural feeding and breeding grounds. Offset projects can succeed — if someone sticks around to care for them.

Well-known orca dies in Johnstone Strait surrounded by family, dolphins
There was no immediate word on what caused the death of the killer whale known as I76, but threats to the species include lack of prey, toxin accumulations and vessel impacts.

BC’s Coastal Fires Have Entered a New Era
The Mount Underwood fire near Port Alberni wasn’t your typical Vancouver Island blaze. But what is normal is changing. Thanks to droughts and heat waves, tiny fires that crews were once able to extinguish in a matter of hours are now ballooning into major blazes.

Monsanto settles with over 200 exposed to chemicals in Monroe school
This week’s announcement marks the largest, and only significant, PCB personal injury settlement since Monsanto was acquired by Bayer Pharmaceuticals in 2018, Bayer said. And it appears to be among the largest, if not the largest, PCB settlement stemming from a single site containing the pollutant.

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, August 15, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 15 2025

Aloha Woodstock Friday!
The iconic music festival, popularly known as Woodstock, opened on this day in 1969 in Bethel, New York at the 600-acre farm of farmer Max B. Yasgur. Over 450,000 people attended the festival, and the festival has become widely regarded as a pivotal moment in popular music history, as well as a defining event for the silent and baby boomer generations.

Rising electric bills: How states are tackling Big Tech's energy demands
Amid rising electric bills, states are under pressure to insulate regular household and business ratepayers from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.

Site C dam energy project now fully operational, B.C. Hydro says
Power utility says sixth and final generating unit on hydroelectric megaproject in northeast B.C. now online.

AI images of B.C. wildfire fuel misinformation
Experts warn of a 'supercharged' era of misinformation, as AI-generated images—including over a half-dozen found by BIV—are increasingly shared on social media.

B.C. to appeal landmark Aboriginal title ruling over Fraser River land in Metro Vancouver
The most recent Indigenous rights and title ruling in B.C. is heading back to court after the province released a statement saying it plans to appeal the decision.

Plight of the Bumblebees
A journey into the wild and not-so-wild world of bumblebees and the unintended consequences of domestication.

Gen Z wants to work outside, but PNW conservation jobs are vanishing
Young people, eager to work outside, are facing the fallout of cuts to federal programs that have developed the next generation of workers for decades.

People often make wrong climate choices, a study says. One surprise is owning a dog
A study recently published by the National Academy of Sciences found that when asked to rank actions, such as swapping a car that uses gasoline for an electric one, carpooling or reducing food waste, participants weren’t very accurate when assessing how much those actions contributed to climate change.

The Fraser’s Impressive Sockeye Returns Prompt Fishery Openings
Wild salmon lovers in the province are expressing cautious optimism as Fraser River sockeye returns significantly exceed expectations.

Restoring the natural order
The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians partners with natural resource groups to resurrect the Stillaguamish River delta. Eliza Aronson reports.

Seeing the Fungi for the Trees
Mycorrhizal fungi help plants thrive, and sequester a lot of carbon. But a new atlas shows these climate warriors need urgent protection.

Friday, August 8, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 8 2025

Aloha Zucchini Friday!

Zucchini is a summer squash with a thin, dark, or light green skin. There also is the golden zucchini, a deep yellow or orange hybrid. The lineage of zucchini, like all squash, starts in America, but zucchini was developed in Italy in the second half of the nineteenth century. Cucurbits were introduced to Italy in the sixteenth century, and the zucchini developed from them. In fact, the name "zucchini" comes from the Italian word for squash: zucca. Zucchini was introduced to the United States in the 1920s, likely being brought there by Italian immigrants.

Baker River sockeye storm back in record run — overcoming 2 dams
At least an estimated 90,000 sockeye will return from their high-seas journey to feed the land, forest, bears, osprey, human families — and spawn the next generation. It was an extensive intervention over decades after Puget Sound Energy’s largest hydropower operation nearly drove these fish to extinction.

How Trump Is Transforming the U.S. Government’s Environmental Role
The E.P.A. said this week it would revoke its own ability to fight climate change. It’s the latest move in an extraordinary pivot away from science-based protections.

LOTT Clean Water Alliance wants to make wastewater drinkable. Are you ready for that?
The wastewater utility in downtown Olympia that treats millions of gallons of sewer water per day, in partnership with the South Puget Sound Community College’s brewing and distilling program, aims to use about 500 gallons of that treated water to make beer and other beverages for the public to try.

Unmasking the Sea Star Killer
After a decade of carnage, we finally know what’s devastating sea stars along North America’s West Coast. Does that mean scientists can save them?

Two WA oil refineries fined over $1.3M each for mishandling of sludge and acid waste
Washington’s Department of Ecology said Tuesday that HF Sinclair would be penalized $1,303,000 and Tesoro $1,397,000 for violations of dangerous waste laws. Both companies run refineries located in Anacortes.

Another B.C. fault can produce megathrust earthquakes
Confirming the megathrust fault line off Haida Gwaii offers a path to improve tsunami modelling in a zone that has produced Canada's two largest recorded earthquakes.

Mount Polley Can Continue Tailings Expansion, BC Supreme Court Says
A B.C. Supreme Court justice has dismissed the Xatśūll First Nation’s request to overturn a provincial decision allowing the expansion of the Mount Polley mine’s tailings facility.

Great Barrier Reef records largest annual coral loss in 39 years
The Great Barrier Reef has experienced its greatest annual loss of live coral across most of its expanse in four decades of record-keeping, Australian authorities say.

Friday, August 1, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 1, 2025

Aloha World Wide Web Day!
The World Wide Web, often simply called the Web, is "a global information medium which users can read and write via computers connected to the Internet." World Wide Web Day marks the birth of the World Wide Web at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and honors and celebrates people being able to browse freely over it. The first website was published on August 6, 1991. It explained what the World Wide Web project was and how users could search the Web, set up their own web server, and create their own websites and web pages. After the Web's creation, its development was shared with other research institutes and organizations. On April 30, 1993, CERN made the World Wide Web public domain.

Where did the birds go? Why Oregon’s spring was quieter than usual
Some Oregon birdwatchers say this spring was strangely quiet – and the data backs that up.

Clearcutting tied to 18-fold increase in flood risk: UBC study
A new study from the University of British Columbia suggests that clearcut logging can make catastrophic floods up to 18 times more frequent. The study, published in the Journal of Hydrology, analyzed long-term data from one of the world's longest-running forest research sites in North Carolina, the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory.

EPA set to unravel U.S. authority to regulate greenhouse gases
The Trump administration is set to announce its plans to abolish the U.S. government’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, threatening to strike a deep blow at Washington’s ability to fight climate change.

Canada wants cities to start filtering toxic forever chemicals from public drinking water, but that’s no easy feat.
Jaela Bernstien reports on the challenges facing water utilities as they try to adapt to new PFAS guidelines.

What we know about fossil fuel subsidies in Canada
Billions are given to oil and gas corporations each year, including loans, tax breaks and more. Exactly how many billions is a matter of debate.

Poll: Washington voters are ‘pretty pessimistic’ about the future
For only the second time in Cascade PBS/Elway poll history, respondents anticipate things will get worse for the country, the state and themselves.

Federal government rescinds Oregon’s offshore wind energy area
The Trump administration is rescinding more than 3.5 million acres of designated wind energy areas nationwide, effectively ending a yearslong effort to generate wind energy off the Southern Oregon Coast — for now. Nearly 195,000 acres off the Southern Oregon coast were previously identified as sites for offshore wind development.

Everett-based Helion breaks ground on ‘world’s first fusion power plant’
On the banks of the Columbia River in the small town of Malaga, Washington, Everett-based Helion has broken ground on what it says is “the world’s first fusion power plant.”

Friday, July 25, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 25 2025

Aloha Carousel Friday!
National Carousel Day, or National Merry-Go-Round Day, is celebrated at many carousels, particularly at antique wooden ones, and locations that house carousels, on the anniversary of the date that William Schneider of Davenport, Iowa—considered to be the inventor of the modern carousel—was issued a patent for his carousel.

‘Devastating’ spill in salmon habitat near Port Angeles: What to know
Hundreds of dead juvenile fish. An oily sheen. The overpowering smell of gasoline. These were the scenes over the weekend near where a fuel tanker truck crashed Friday off Highway 101, spilling some 3,000 gallons of fossil fuels into Indian Creek and prompting a “do not drink” order for Port Angeles tap water that ended Sunday evening.

EPA eliminates research and development office, begins layoffs
The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is eliminating its research and development arm and reducing agency staff by thousands of employees.

Here’s how Canada’s LNG exports could make your heating bill go up
Canada’s LNG industry is just getting going, but one expert says the ‘party is almost over’ when it comes to economic benefits.

Washington’s outdoor school programs reel from state funding cuts
The Outdoor Learning Grants program, established by the state Legislature in 2021, offered subsidies for schools to send fifth- and sixth-grade students to the outdoor school programs. But lawmakers zeroed out the grants as they worked to solve a budget gap this year. Enrollment is expected to drop as a result.

Plans to shoot thousands of barred owls in doubt after feds cancel grants
A controversial plan to kill up to half a million invasive barred owls to protect endangered spotted owls is in jeopardy after the Trump administration terminated three critical grants funding the program.

E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change
The Trump administration has drafted a plan to repeal a fundamental scientific finding that gives the United States government its authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions and fight climate change, according to two people familiar with the plan.

Deadline set to declare steelhead protection
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has until Dec. 1 to issue its long overdue finding on whether Olympic Peninsula steelhead warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, according to a recent court order.

Cleaning up toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in Washington isn’t easy
They get the nickname for a reason: PFAS, manmade chemicals linked to health concerns, don‘t break down easily. But limiting their use is complicated.

Port Angeles wants full site cleanup
The Port Angeles City Council is in favor of a complete, timely cleanup of the Rayonier Mill site. The council voted 5-0 to direct staff to write to the state Department of Ecology following a special meeting Tuesday night.

AI Observers Hit the High Sea
New AI analysis systems can count fish and identify species. Could they be key to making fisheries safer and less destructive?

Friday, July 18, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 18 2025

Aloha Nelson Mandela Day
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, born on this day in 1918, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. (Wikipedia)

Will the pinks arrive on schedule?
Twenty-nine million pink salmon could be swimming in the salt water off British Columbia’s coast, waiting for their chance to journey up the Fraser and spawn. Canada’s Department of Fisheries is anticipating a record-breaking number of pink salmon to enter the Fraser River this August.

Washington state bans the sale of common ivy varieties starting in August
The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced it was adding the English (also known as common) and Atlantic varieties of ivy, among other plants, to its noxious weed seed and plant quarantine. On Aug. 9, the sale of the ivy varieties will no longer be legal in Washington.

Trump administration says it won’t publish major climate change reports on NASA website as promised
Earlier this month, the official government websites that hosted the authoritative, peer-reviewed national climate assessments went dark. The White House said NASA would house the reports to comply with a 1990 law that requires the reports, which the space agency said it planned to do. But on Monday, NASA announced that it aborted those plans.

Cowichan River could see another mass fish die-off
Warm temperatures, low river flows and declining water quality are sparking fears of another mass fish die-off in the Cowichan River this summer.

Poopy beaches? Three-quarters of tested WA shores saw unsafe fecal contamination
About 76% of tested Washington beaches showed potentially unsafe fecal-contamination levels on at least one testing day last year, according to the findings by Environment America Research and Policy Center.

Annual orca count grows by one, as the Puget Sound whales stay on the hunt for food
Although an official census report is not due until October, it appears that the population of our southern resident killer whales has increased by one over the past year.

Trump administration hints at a lifeline for embattled Pebble mine project
After a landmark veto, Trump administration officials say they’re “open to reconsideration” and are negotiating a potential settlement of a lawsuit filed by Pebble’s developer.

Friday, July 11, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 11, 2025

Aloha Rainier Cherry Day!
Rainier is a cherry cultivar developed in 1952 at Washington State University by Harold Fogle, and named after Mount Rainier. It is a cross between the Bing and Van cultivars. Rainiers are considered a premium type of cherry. They are sweet with a thin skin and thick creamy-yellow flesh. The cherries are susceptible to temperature, wind, and rain, and the flesh is generally more watery than other sweet cherries. (Wikipedia)

WA’s drought deepens and the summer forecast offers no respite
This is summer and it’s supposed to be hot and dry. But this year we’re much drier than normal and, fresh off major droughts in 2024 and 2023, the effects of these lingering dry spells is compounding. (Seattle Times)

E.P.A. Suspends 144 Employees After They Signed a Letter Criticizing Trump
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday placed 144 employees on administrative leave and opened an investigation into their decision to sign a letter https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/climate/epa-employees-warning-letter.html accusing the Trump administration of politicizing the agency. (NY Times)

Act Now to Save Killer Whales, Urges New Report
In March, nearly three dozen scientists gathered over three days in Vancouver with a single focus — to evaluate the state of the southern resident killer whale and figure out how to prevent its likely extinction. Today (July 7) they issued their report, “Strengthening Recovery Actions for Southern Resident Killer Whales.”

Trump Administration, Reversing Itself, Won’t Rewrite a Ban on Asbestos
The Trump administration has withdrawn its plan to rewrite a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the United States.

A photographic tour of the entire Puget Sound shoreline by watercraft and aircraft
Kayaker-scientist Brian Footen is back on the waters of Puget Sound this summer, paddling through inlets and circling islands on a 2,700-mile journey to photograph the shoreline and document natural and human-caused changes to the habitat.

Increasingly Acidic Seas Threaten Oyster Farming
Researchers and hatcheries are exploring new ways to protect shellfish in the Pacific Northwest, although Trump budget cuts may thwart their efforts.

Thousands expected for canoe journey this month
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Chair Frances Charles told the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce that more than 100 canoes are expected to land during Paddle to Elwha later this month, and 4,000 people are expected to participate.

State proposes keeping marbled murrelet on endangered list
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to keep the marbled murrelet, a small seabird that forages on open waters throughout the Salish Sea, but nests in inland old-growth forest habitat. on the state’s endangered species list.

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.

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.

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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.