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.

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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

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Salish Sea News Week in Review March 6 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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