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The Trump administration has withdrawn its plan to rewrite a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the United States.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.

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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