Friday, July 10, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 10 2026

 




Aloha Blueberry Friday!
One of the most common species of blueberries, a native to North America, is highbush blueberries, which are prevalent in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and beyond. Plants usually grow to about six feet but can reach twelve feet. Blueberries were first commercially grown in the early twentieth century, and today they are produced commercially in 26 states, with 98% of production taking place in 10 states: Minnesota, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Oregon, Washington, California, and New Jersey.

Proposed oil pipeline to B.C. coast spurs alarm in Washington state
Increased tanker traffic could threaten orcas and raise spill risks in the Salish Sea, according to tribes and environmental advocates. 

Why expansion of Delta, B.C., container port is going hand-in-hand with Alberta pipeline
Federal funds for Roberts Bank Terminal 2 come despite environmental concerns. 

The Pacific Ocean is running a fever. Why that’s an ominous sign
Across the Pacific Ocean, there’s a massive marine heat wave covering an area more than eight times the size of the contiguous United States — and it could have profound ripple effects for weather events around the globe in the coming weeks and months.  

How a Northwest tribe and an endangered sea creature are helping each other
One of the most endangered sea creatures of the Pacific Ocean is getting a leg up in the kelp forests of Washington’s San Juan Islands: a 24-armed sea star called the sunflower star. University researchers and the Samish Indian Nation are working to bring this pizza-sized predator back from the brink of extinction after a vast underwater pandemic nearly wiped it off the face of the earth. 

How Washington is working to get rid of lead contamination in public school drinking water 
If lead contamination is found in an outlet, such as drinking fountains or sinks, the water source has to be fixed, replaced or shut off, which is already happening around the state. As of the state deadline, 91% of schools required to complete testing had done so: 1,645 out of 1,806. 

Expert breaks down the physics behind the World Cup
Every goal is a lesson in physics. Michigan State University physicist Stuart Tessmer explains how forces, momentum, and even air pressure shape the world’s most popular sport.

BC Announces Plans for Three New Indigenous-Led Conservation Areas
Small patches of wilderness are ‘lifeboats for wildlife,’ says one advocate. ‘But you also need the arks.’  

Groundwater is definitely declining. What now?
“We need to protect water supplies,” says Wash. Gov. Ferguson. But conservation alone won’t solve the problem.  

Study finds dangerous chemicals in the breast milk of Seattle moms
Breast milk samples from moms in the Seattle area contained chemicals linked to health problems, new research has found. 

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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Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 2 2026

 



Aloha Alice in Wonderland Day (July 4)
On July 4, 1862, Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, gave the first telling of what would become Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Carroll was on a boat trip on the Isis—also known as the River Thames—from Oxford to Godstow, with his friend Robinson Duckworth, ten-year-old Alice Liddell—who would become the namesake of his book—and her two sisters, Lorina and Edith. The girls were the daughters of Henry Liddell, the dean of Church Christ, Oxford. This was also the school where Carroll taught mathematics.

Oregon lawsuit could upend federal management of public lands
A new lawsuit challenging a logging project in Oregon threatens to unravel the management plans governing hundreds of millions of acres of federal public land. At stake are thousands of leases and permits covering billions of dollars of economic activity. 

Skagit governments, state agency reach agreement on salmon recovery planning
Tribes, county officials, dike and drainage districts and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will now meet regularly to coordinate major habitat projects. 

Energy minister names 5 priority power-line projects for federal backing
These new intertie projects come as Ottawa set the ambitious goal of doubling Canada's electric grid by 2050 to meet the growing demand from industry, electric vehicles, heat pumps and artificial intelligence. 

Lasting about a week, the late June 2021 heat dome was Washington’s deadliest weather disaster. It delivered the highest temperatures ever recorded in Oregon (119°F), Washington (120°F), and Canada (121°F).

Plenty of food and conservation have turned B.C. waters into whale-sighting hot spot
A recent surge of sightings of orcas, humpback whales and other cetaceans along B.C.’s southern coast is in line with scientific studies that show populations have increased.

Indigenous-led whale watching tour now offered in Seattle
‘First Stories of the Salish Sea,’ a collaboration with Taproot Travel Co. and FRS Clipper, took its inaugural voyage on June 16, offering the first Indigenous-led whale watching tour in Elliot Bay off of the shores of Seattle.

Using Salmon Guts to Map Forage Fish Populations
A new study examined thousands of chinook stomachs to track a vital and often overlooked part of the Salish Sea’s food chain. 

The Vancouver Company Working with Trump to Mine the Deep Sea
As the US snubs international law, experts say Canada has a duty to step in. 



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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Friday, June 26, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 26 2026

 


Aloha Food Truck Friday!
Historical predecessors of food trucks were horse-drawn chuckwagons and lunch wagons of the 19th century. By the early-to-mid-20th century, trucks and vans were being used both as mobile canteens in the military and as "roach coaches" that traveled to worksites and primarily catered to blue-collar workers.

WA’s snowpack zapped as drought looms, reservoirs sink
Washington’s snowpack is all but finished, weeks before normal, and some major reservoirs are starting to dip as much as a month early. 

First invasive European green crab discovered on Orcas Island
A male European green crab was captured at Deer Harbor last week, the first of the invasive species to be found on Orcas Island. 

New southern resident orca calf spotted as another vanishes
Calf L130 was seen for the first time Sunday traveling with the female L91 near East Sooke, B.C.  Biologists could not locate L129, an L pod calf that was first spotted in February. Biologists could not locate L129, an L pod calf that was first spotted in February.

What a ‘very strong’ El Niño could mean for WA
Meteorologists fear this year’s El Niño will further heat a planet already warmed by fossil fuel pollution and lead to billions of dollars in damages from heat waves, floods and droughts.

Group sues federal government over failure to protect sunflower sea star
The Center for Biological Diversity announced Monday it is suing the federal government over a delay in protecting a sea star species devastated in the Salish Sea by disease. 
WA to agree to link carbon markets with CA, Quebec 
After years of careful planning, public outreach and coordination, Washington, California and the Canadian province of Quebec have agreed on how best to merge their carbon markets.
A number of tribes in the Salish Sea and coastal waters seek to transfer ownership of National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and incorporate them into their tribal reservations. 

Interior Department Moves to Relax Rules for Drilling on Public Lands
The Interior Department, which oversees federal lands, said that it would propose to loosen two Biden-era regulations that sought to rein in planet-warming methane and ensure that energy companies are on the hook to clean up their used-up wells.

Vancouver port receives permission to dredge Burrard Inlet, allow big oil tankers to increase load
Dredging underneath Second Narrows bridge will start in September.

Supreme Court ruling blocks thousands of lawsuits against the maker of Roundup weedkiller
The Supreme Court sided with the maker of Roundup weedkiller Thursday in a ruling expected to block thousands of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people the product could cause cancer.

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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Friday, June 19, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 19 2026

 



Aloha, Juneteenth!
Although Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, it was not until after the war was over that slaves became free in Texas, possibly because the Proclamation could not be enforced there, or because news of the Proclamation had not been spread there. The war ended in April of 1865, but word did not reach Texas until the following month, and it was not until June that the Confederate Army in the area surrendered. On June 19th, Union General Gordon Granger read "General Order No. 3" in Galveston, which said all slaves were free. The next year freed slaves began celebrating not only the proclamation, but the freeing of all slaves in general, and gave the day the name Juneteenth. 

Republican attorneys general urge EPA to classify mifepristone as water contaminant
In a letter last Friday, the state officials argued that mifepristone is “a growing threat to the country’s waterways.” A concurrent letter, led by Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, made similar claims and was signed by 18 other GOP members of Congress.

Like it or not, the ticks are advancing and Canadians will have to adapt

Researchers say climate change is the driving force behind the pests' northward push. 

Another tank spilled months ago at site of Longview disaster, records show 
The Longview paper mill where 11 workers died last month in a chemical tank failure was the site of another spill that Nippon Dynawave Packaging described as a “near miss” earlier this spring, according to newly released public records.  

Lawmakers fight to stop the Trump administration’s dismantling of a $386M ocean observatory project
A group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally. 

B.C. eyes two new hydropower dams, including Site E near Alberta border, Dix says
The British Columbia government is looking at building two new hydroelectric dams, including a fourth dam for the Peace River where the Site C project generated opposition and cost overruns. 

Good News for a ‘Herd of Dinosaurs’ Under the Sea
Scientists believe ancient glass sponge reefs can grow back. If humans let them. 

New calf born to endangered southern resident orcas
Researchers are still trying to determine the mother of the newborn spotted June 14 with members of L-Pod.

Weakened BLM ‘reassigns’ PIOs ahead of fire season
Public Information Officers (PIOs) and Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) are the Bureau of Land Management’s public-facing employees that disseminate important information about federal lands, including updates on wildland fire activity. 


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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Friday, June 12, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 12 2026

 


Aloha Superman Day!
Superman was created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, but it wasn't until 1938 that the Superman we know of today appeared, and made his debut in Action Comics #1. It was so popular that Superman got his own comic book the following year.

UVic data highlights devastation of Vancouver Island kelp forests from climate change
New research from the University of Victoria has revealed that kelp forests around Vancouver Island started disappearing far earlier than scientists previously thought.

The unexpected connection between gray whales and kelp on the Oregon Coast
Why a population of grey whales lives off the Oregon Coast year-round instead of migrating, and their unexpected connection with kelp.

A record die-off of sea stars was followed by something that stunned biologists 
Six months ago, Bruce Menge’s team published exciting research – five-legged sea stars were undergoing a significant “baby boom.”

WA oyster farmers say ‘vibrocompaction’ may help control ghost shrimp
Biologists at the University of Washington have been testing equipment used in large-scale concrete pours on shrimp-filled mudflats in southwest Washington.

Tire companies race to replace deadly tire chemical
A chemical found in tires is leading to the deaths of untold numbers of coho salmon in Puget Sound every year. Chemical companies are searching for an alternative but say the unique chemistry and function of 6PPD are major challenges.

Controversial plan to kill owls is underway in WA. Here’s who’s leading the way 
Two years since the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife released its barred owl management plan, only the Yakama Nation Tribe in South Central Washington has initiated barred owl management on reservation lands and is actively killing the once-protected species.
In Pursuit of a Tiny Owl Nicknamed Brad Pitt
Western screech owls are disappearing from BC. Join researchers on a tricky night mission to find out why.

State order to kill wolf in northeast Washington is canceled
Agency Director Kelly Susewind authorized staff on May 22 to kill one wolf. A week later, on May 29, he withdrew the order and moved the agency into an evaluation period.

Longview plant implosion: A moment-by-moment breakdown of disaster 
Two weeks ago, a tank imploded at a Longview paper and pulp mill, releasing hundreds of thousands of gallons of caustic chemicals that killed 11 people and injured at least a dozen more.

El Nino is here and scientists fear it'll be big, bad and costly with heat, floods, droughts, fires
U.S. meteorologists say an El Nino has formed. That's the natural warming of parts of the Pacific that changes weather around the globe.


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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Friday, June 5, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 5 2026

 


Aloha World Environment Day!
In 1972, the first major conference on environmental issues took place. Organized by the United Nations, it was known as the Conference on the Human Environment and has also informally been known as the Stockholm Conference. Later that year, on December 15, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 2994, which created World Environment Day. The date of June 5 was chosen because that was the date that the Stockholm Conference had started on. World Environment Day was first held in 1974.

Trump Lifts Restrictions on Off-Road Vehicles on Public Lands
President Trump on Friday rescinded two decades-old executive orders that restricted off-road vehicles on public lands, in a move that could lift prohibitions on their use in most national parks. 

Ksi Lisims project would increase B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions

The Ksi Lisims LNG project, from which liquefied natural gas would be sold to a German utility under a deal announced Wednesday, would increase B.C.'s annual greenhouse gas emissions by between six and eight per cent.

Gray whales are declining at an alarming rate. Why? 
So far this year, 25 gray whales have been found dead in Washington, making this year’s count the third highest in a half century, and the migration season is not over yet. 

Seattle bird populations, diversity are declining, new study finds
Average bird counts across Seattle dropped by 21% from 2005 to 2023, according to a new study from Birds Connect Seattle. 

Skagit County temporarily bans data centers to protect farmland, water
Data centers won’t be allowed in unincorporated Skagit County for at least the next six months, and the county will spend the time refining its development regulations around data centers in order to protect farmland and water resources.

The ‘Reckoning’ Coming for BC Logging Licences
Corporations have logged less than they’re entitled to for years. Here’s why. And what it means for the future of forestry. 

Trump Administration to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System
The $368 million network of instruments collecting data in both the Atlantic and Pacific has been critical to climate and ocean research. 

Oregon petition to ban hunting and fishing moves closer to November ballot
Initiative Petition 28, led by Portland-based animal rights activists, aims to expand animal cruelty laws and criminalize injuring, breeding or killing animals except in cases of self-defense or for veterinary care, such as spaying, neutering or administering euthanasia. 

Bipartisan deal restores safety board funding after Longview implosion 
Congressmembers struck an eleventh-hour deal to preserve funding for the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the independent agency charged with determining what caused the catastrophic implosion at the Longview paper mill. 


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)rockisland.com .Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Friday, May 29, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 29 2026

 


Aloha Paper Clip Friday
Fastening papers together was first done in the thirteenth century. Short pieces of ribbon were put through parallel cuts that were made in the upper left-hand corners of paper. In 1835, John Ireland Howe, a New York physician, invented the machine for the mass production of straight pins. These pins were designed to be used with cloth, but people also used them to fasten paper together. At the end of the nineteenth century, steel was new and the machines used to make large quantities of paper clips were invented.

Tiny birds, and their tiny superfood, could decline due to ‘irreversible’ effects of Vancouver port expansion
A republication of a Nov. 3, 2026 feature story by Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood with new photographs by Isabelle Groc. 

‘Going green now for who?’ Yakama protest clean energy project on sacred site to power data center
Supporters of the Goldendale pumped-hydro energy storage project have said it will help meet growing regional energy demand, but mounting evidence shows a large data center campus could be among the main beneficiaries of that power. 

‘One of the Strongest Marine Protected Areas in the World’
Six First Nations, BC and Canada will preserve and steward a large chunk of the Central Coast. That means no pipelines. 

The past, present and future of protecting Skeena salmon
Ten years ago, Indigenous leaders led allies in protecting Lelu Island. In Prince Rupert, B.C., this month, a group took a moment to celebrate, before facing the challenge of future stewardship. 

Carney will give tax breaks to oil companies that capture carbon … to pump more carbon
Critics warn Canada’s plan to subsidize companies that capture pollution only to use it to produce more oil is counterproductive. 

Landmark LNG deal between Canada and Germany to be announced: sources
Deal will see Ksi Lisims LNG in northwestern B.C. sell 1 million metric tonnes per year to German buyer. 


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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Friday, May 22, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 22 2026

 



Aloha Sherlock Holmes Day!
Sherlock Holmes Day celebrates Sherlock Holmes and the author who created him, Arthur Conan Doyle, who was born on today's date in 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Watson, were introduced in the novel A Study in Scarlet, which first appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887. It was with this novel that Doyle's writing career finally began taking off. Sherlock Holmes, a "consulting detective" who pursued criminals in London, around England, and throughout Europe, has endured as perhaps the most noteworthy detective character of all time.

High fuel costs are testing Washington and Oregon's fishing industry
To find salmon, Oregon fisherman Jesse Coon has to travel miles offshore, searching for dense shoals and burning lots of fuel. It’s still early in the season, and it's hard to know how good the fishing will be. Since the war in Iran began in late February, diesel costs have surged, cutting thousands of dollars from already thin margins. 

Whale washed ashore on Whidbey is 19th this year, marks ‘decimation’ of population
On May 13, a deceased 39-foot gray whale washed ashore at West Beach County Park in Oak Harbor around midday. The male is the 19th dead gray whale to wash ashore in the state this year, already surpassing last year’s tragic toll. 

Where does the water go? Nooksack River flood recovery is complicated
Smaller cities like Sumas and its neighbor Everson want to increase the river’s capacity. But doing so could risk sending more water to downstream communities like Lummi Nation. 

Washington DNR asks for grace this camping season amid budget cuts
The budget for the DNR’s recreation program was cut by over 20% in 2025 — and this year, another $580,000 of maintenance funding was eliminated. All told, the program has seen $8 million of cuts in less than two years. 

E.P.A. to End Some Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
The Trump administration announced Monday that it will drop some limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water that officials had determined can cause cancer and other serious health problems — angering some key activists who had supported President Trump’s campaign. 

E.P.A. Clears a Weedkiller, Saying It Won’t Push Species to Extinction
The finding effectively paves the way for continued use of atrazine, a widely used herbicide that has been linked to birth defects and cancer in humans. 

Ottawa proposes $164M in whale protection funding for B.C. coast
Ottawa says it has proposed spending about $164 million to protect whales and their habitat off British Columbia, including working with B.C. Ferries to reduce underwater vessel noise by half. 

Super Cool: Alaska Cruise Line Experiments with new Fuel
The newest cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises is the first oceangoing vessel to be refueled in Seattle with liquefied natural gas (LNG). 



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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Friday, May 15, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 15 2026



Aloha Endangered Species Day!
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." The day is for learning why it's important to protect endangered species, for learning how to take part in protection efforts, and for celebrating species that have recovered as a result of these efforts.


Washington tribe seeks control of Dungeness Spit refuge
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is pushing for federal legislation to take over the Dungeness and Protection Island national wildlife refuges.

Feds Won’t Recommit to the BC Salmon Farm Ban
As lobbying intensifies, the Carney government is ‘considering how it can best move sustainable aquaculture forward.’  

Trump is lifting restrictions on hunting in national parks, refuges and wilderness areas
President Donald Trump's administration is pushing federal land management officials to lift restrictions on hunting and trapping in national parks, refuges and wilderness areas. 

As drought worsens, Western states brace for wildfires, water shortages
This year, Western states are heading into the summer with a desperately low balance — threatening wildfires, drinking water, crops, electricity and more. 

WA public lands agency confronts operating cash crunch, as logging revenue lags
A key account is expected to have a deficit by June. Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove argues his decision to set aside some older forests is not to blame. 
$4B Seattle City Light hydropower deal gets Mayor Wilson’s signature 
Mayor Katie Wilson signed a historic $4 billion agreement Tuesday, marking a turning point in Seattle’s hydropower operations on the Skagit River. It lays out a road map over the next half-century, including investments in salmon passage, habitat and cultural resources. 

What do Chinook salmon eat? BC anglers and scientists map the Salish Sea food chain 
The Adult Salmon Diet Program, led by UVic biologist and Liber Ero Chair for Fisheries Research Francis Juanes and PSF biologist Will Duguid, is a citizen science initiative that analyzes the stomach contents of adult Chinook salmon caught by recreational anglers. 

Fish take a spin at Cle Elum Dam’s spiral helix
The Yakima River Basin project aims to provide gentler and more adaptable fish passage as snowpack melts and the climate warms.

Fundraising effort saves patch of state-managed forest in western WA from logging
Environmental activists have raised the $32,000 needed to spare the trees surrounding a campground on the northern end of the Olympic Peninsula from logging. The Elwha Legacy Forests Coalition paid Webster Logging to halt the cutting of a two-acre state-managed parcel around the Sadie Creek campground. 



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

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Friday, April 24, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 24 2026



Aloha Arbor Day
Many holidays commemorate some event from the past, but National Arbor Day is about investing in the future. It focuses on the care and preservation of existing trees, as well as on the planting of new ones. The holiday's name comes from the Latin word arbor, which means tree. In 1594, the mayor of the Spanish village of Mondoñedo organized a tree-planting festival—the first festival of its kind. Another Spanish village, Villanueva de la Sierra, held the first Arbor Day in 1805.

Can Nature Help Solve the Flood Threat Humans Created?
Constraining the Nooksack has had devastating, costly results. US officials aim to give it more space to flow. 

B.C. government pulls back on DRIPA suspension again amid First Nations opposition
Province walked back proposed amendments to the law again after public appeal from First Nations leaders. 

UW prof in political storm as Trump targets national weather lab
An expert on extreme weather, Shuyi Chen currently chairs the academic nonprofit that manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research. That means she and like-minded scientists are now in a battle with President Donald Trump. 
Ex-consultants now drafting B.C. mine permit they once promoted
Former consultants helped advance the massive KSM mine in the private sector. Metadata shows they are now drafting its permit from inside the B.C. government. 

Parasite found in Western WA coyotes puts dogs and humans at risk
A new study by a team of University of Washington researchers recently has revealed that over one-third of the coyotes studied across Western Washington carry a deadly tapeworm that can be transmitted to pets and, in some cases, to humans. 
Tending to Paradise
A rare prairie ecosystem shaped by humans in Washington State exemplifies a shift in how conservationists envision our relationship with the natural world. 

The Forest Quietly Removed from BC’s Old-Growth Deferral List
Most of Vancouver Island has been logged. Now, one of the last ancient forests, in the Tsitika River watershed, is on the chopping block. 
BP refinery incident being inspected by state labor and air agencies 
The industrial accident at BP Cherry Point Refinery in Blaine on Saturday, April 18, is being inspected by multiple agencies, including the Northwest Clean Air Agency and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. 

Trump canceled the National Nature Assessment. Scientists will publish it anyway
Now independent and rebranded as The Nature Record, the assessment was first launched through an executive order signed by then-President Biden in Seattle. 

WA wolf numbers jump after slight decline
Washington’s wolf population grew by 17% last year, resuming an upward trend following a momentary decline in 2024. At the end of 2025, Washington had an estimated minimum wolf population of 270 individual animals living in 49 packs with 23 breeding pairs.  


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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Friday, April 17, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 17 2026



Aloha Haiku Poetry Day!
Haiku is a Japanese verse form most often composed, in English versions, of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. A haiku often features an image, or a pair of images, meant to depict the essence of a specific moment in time. (Poetry Foundation) 


Every tire produces a chemical that kills coho salmon. Can scientists pump the brakes?
6PPD-quinone, a chemical produced by tires to protect rubber from degrading, is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic animals, even in microscopic doses. Placing a single drop of the chemical in an Olympic swimming pool would kill at least half of the coho salmon in that pool. 

Trump approves disaster declaration for WA flooding
President Donald Trump has approved opening up federal funding to deal with the aftermath of historic flooding that hit Washington in December, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Saturday. The much-anticipated decision makes money available for individuals, nonprofits and state, tribal and local governments. 

The Climate Commitment Act Five Years Later 
This week, ahead of Earth Day, we’re focusing on stories about the environment, starting with a look at how Washington’s Climate Commitment Act is playing out 5 years after it was created. The law aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by allowing companies to buy into a cap-and-invest auction system. 

NDP government to pause DRIPA amendments amid caucus divisions
The NDP government is pumping the brakes on its plan to suspend sections of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, as a growing number of NDP MLAs were concerned with the proposed changes. 

Bessent Questions the Cause of Climate Change and Its Economic Toll
The Treasury secretary said it is “difficult to deconstruct” the reasons for global warming, which he described as a belief of the “elite.” 
Can one of the most endangered grizzly bear populations on the continent be brought back?
In the cross-border North Cascades mountain range, First Nations in B.C. are working to restore an ecological and cultural relationship with grizzlies. 

Vancouver approves 250-room floating hotel in Coal Harbour
Sunborn Group and local seaplane terminal Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, received approval from the Vancouver City Council to build a low-carbon vessel with 250 hotel rooms and 200 new jobs in Coal Harbor. 

BC’s Toxic Drug Crisis Hits a Grim 10-Year Anniversary
More than 18,000 British Columbians have been killed and there’s no end in sight.  



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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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.


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, 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. 


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, 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. 


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