12/26 Golden dirona, 10 big stories, dying loons, Everett frigates sunk, climate grief, democracy watch, week in review

 

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Golden Dirona [Samantha Claver]

Golden Dirona Dirona pellucida
Golden dironas live in the intertidal zones of the oceans, to depths of 60 meters. They can be found in tides from North Sound, Alaska to Puget Sound, Northern Washington, across the Bering Sea until the eastern seas of Japan, Korea and Russia. (Vic High Marine)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Big money to come for free preschool 

10 biggest environmental stories of 2025
In February, Columbia Insight reported on ways the Forest Service is manipulating the threat of wildfires to meet logging targets. In July, the USDA announced a plan to move the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region Headquarters from Portland to Fort Collins, Colo. July brought confirmation of a mating pair of spotted owls in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Big news, no doubt, but each item was edged out by 10 others on our annual list of the year’s top environmental stories. Chuck Thompson curates. (Columbia Insight) 

Why Are Loons Still Dying from Lead Poisoning
In the United States, efforts to save a beloved species face pushback from a surprising foe: gun rights advocates. Krista Langlois reports. (bioGraphic) 

Secretary of the Navy sinks plan for new frigates at Naval Station Everett
A plan to house a dozen guided missile frigates promised for Naval Station Everett is dead after Secretary of the Navy John Phelan scrapped a contract to build the Constellation class ships. Phelan announced on social media and in a statement back on Nov 25, that he wanted to reshape “how the Navy builds and fields its fleet.” Plans to house the 12 Constellation class vessels appeared to still be on track as late as October 2024.Randy Diamond reports. (Everett Herald) 

The Sky Is Falling; How Does That Feel?
Climate change is creating a new form of grief. Here’s how people are dealing with it. Steven Closon reports. (The Front) 

Democracy Watch

• Federal judge says Trump administration must restore disaster money to Democratic states (AP) 
• Trump administration to garnish wages for defaulted student loans (Washington State Standard) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 12/26/25: Kwanzaa! baby bull kelp, gray wolf ESA, PFAS, Snohomish rezone, BP pipeline spill, Roadless rule recission. 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  305 PM PST Thu Dec 25 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH  LATE FRIDAY NIGHT    

FRI  W wind 20 to 25 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft, building to 5 to 7 ft  in the afternoon. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at 8 seconds. Rain.  
FRI NIGHT  NW wind 20 to 25 kt, easing to 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 6 to 9 ft. Wave Detail: W 9 ft at 10 seconds.  
SAT  N wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to E in the afternoon. Seas  5 to 7 ft, subsiding to 3 to 5 ft in the afternoon. Wave Detail:  W 7 ft at 10 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 9 seconds.  
SUN  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft at  3 seconds, W 3 ft at 8 seconds and W 2 ft at 14 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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12/23 Mistletoe, Canada's oil and gas, Snohomish rezone, barge trouble, BP pipe leak, roadless rule, Trump's windmills, democracy watch

 

Editor's note:  Have a happy and safe holiday. News and Weather will be back on Friday. If you have any spare change left after holiday gifts, please make a recurring monthly donation or a one-time donation to support local news that is free for all to read. More than ever, local news in these troubled times is important. Please donate. Thank you. Mike

Mistletoe

Mistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemiparasitic plants in the order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they extract water and nutrients from the host plant. There are hundreds of species which mostly live in tropical regions. There are 1500 species of mistletoe, varying widely in toxicity to humans; the European mistletoe (Viscum album) is more toxic than the American mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum). Pagan cultures regarded the white berries as symbols of male fertility, with the seeds resembling semen. The Celts, particularly, saw mistletoe as the semen of Taranis, while the Ancient Greeks referred to mistletoe as "oak sperm". Also in Roman mythology, mistletoe was used by the hero Aeneas to reach the underworld. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Ferndale’s 'Metallica Bridge' offers 'a bit of light' for all

Will anyone want Canada’s oil and gas? Energy regulator delays forecast due to shifting policies
Canada and the U.S. have been changing their energy and climate policies, making it harder to predict just how much demand there will be for fossil fuels in the coming years. Carl Meyer reports. (The Narwhal) 

Snohomish County Council passes 3,000-acre rezoning plan
The area south of Everett is expected to grow from over 500,000 people to almost 750,000 by 2044. Taylor Scott Richmond reports. (Everett Herald) 

Seattle Firm Has Second Barge Hit Trouble on BC Coast
For the second time in less than a month, a barge operated by the same Seattle-based shipping company encountered serious trouble on B.C.’s north coast. On Dec. 14, a barge called Arctic Provider ran aground near the abandoned cannery town of Butedale, about 165 kilometres southeast of Prince Rupert. It has since been towed out of Canadian waters, according to its owner, Alaska Marine Lines. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee) 

Lawmakers seek answers about BP’s Olympic Pipeline leak in Snohomish County
Washington congressional lawmakers are seeking answers from oil giant BP following the Olympic Pipeline’s 2,300-gallon leak east of Everett in November, which caused an almost 2-week shutdown of the system and forced Gov. Bob Ferguson to issue a state emergency regarding travel disruptions at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Eliza Aronson reports. (Everett Herald) 

The Road To Ruin
Hidden among the flurry of policy changes by the Trump Administration, the rescission of the Roadless Rule may have far consequences for our public lands. Aidan Byrnes reports. (https://www.theplanetmagazine.net/nostalgia/the-road-to-ruin

Trump Halts 5 Wind Farms Off the East Coast
The Interior Department said the projects posed national security risks, without providing details. The decision imperils billions of dollars of investments. Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman report. (NY Times) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump announces plans for new Navy ‘battleship’ as part of a ‘Golden Fleet’ (AP) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  225 PM PST Mon Dec 22 2025    
TUE  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft  at 12 seconds. Rain likely, mainly in the morning.  
TUE NIGHT  E wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E 3 ft at 5 seconds, W  5 ft at 11 seconds and W 5 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain in  the evening, then rain likely after midnight.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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12/22 Decorator crab, bull kelp, gray wolf, forever chemicals, Owls killed, abortion pills, Indigenous rights, animal pix

 

Editor's note: It's a simple ask—Once a year I ask the readers of News and Weather to join with the readers of Salish Current to make a recurring monthly donation or a one-time donation to support local news that is free for all to read. More than ever, local news you can turst in these troubled times is important. Please donate. Thank you. Mike

Decorator crab [Gustav Paulay]

Decorator crab Oregonia gracilis
There are many species of decorator crabs worldwide, all belonging to one of eight families in the superfamily Majoidea. A few of these species occur in Puget Sound, but the graceful decorator crab, Oregonia gracilis, is our most flamboyant decorator. O. gracilis occurs from the Bering Sea to Monterey, CA, gracing the intertidal zone and deeper — to 400 meters or 1,300 feet — with its cheery presence. In Puget Sound, it prefers mixed composition bottoms with plenty of rocks, sand, shells, and seaweed. (Danny Burgess, Dept. of Ecology) 

Today's top story in Salish Current: ‘Two-headed hydra’ worsens regional flooding 

Thousands of baby bull kelp planted on new rock reef in North Vancouver
On a rainy December day, divers braved the currents of the Burrard Inlet to plant thousands of microscopic bull kelp onto a new underwater rock reef. The reef, which spans about 1,800 square metres, at the Lynn Creek Estuary in North Vancouver, was completed earlier this month in a partnership between Neptune Terminals and the University of B.C. Lauren Vanderdeen reports. (CBC) 

US House passes bill to remove gray wolf from Endangered Species Act list 
The U.S. House on Thursday passed, 211-204, a bill to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf outside Alaska. The bill, sponsored by Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert, would direct the Interior secretary to reissue a 2020 rule removing ESA protections that delisted wolves other than the Mexican wolf in the lower 48 states, while stipulating it could not be challenged in court. Jacob Fischler reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Washington wants to get rid of 'forever chemicals' in firefighting foam. So it’s shipping the foam to an incinerator in Utah
A new program from Washington’s Department of Ecology is helping get rid of firefighting foam that could be toxic. The foam contains what are commonly called “forever chemicals." Courtney Platt reports. (NW Public Broadcasting) 

Trust of First Nations 'fragile' as B.C. government considers changes to UN law
The chief of a First Nation in the Great Bear Rainforest says B.C. Premier David Eby risks losing the trust of Indigenous people and could fuel racism if he changes the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. (Canadian Press) 

EPA, state lawmakers could consider regulating abortion pills as pollutants in 2026
As multiple lawsuits over the abortion drug mifepristone unfold, state and federal proposals to regulate and restrict medication abortion are expected to continue in 2026. Abortion opponents argue that medication abortion, despite its strong safety record, is dangerous to patients and the environment. Sofia Resnick reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Bird flu kills barn owls at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Two barn owls were found dead in one of the Twin Barns in the Billy Frank Jr. National Wildlife Refuge in Thurston County. The two owls died of avian influenza, or bird flu, according to a social media post from the wildlife refuge on Dec. 19. (The Olympian) 

Photos of animals and nature captured by AP photojournalists in 2025
The Associated Press’ most striking images from nature in 2025 show existence as fragile as an albino turtle hatchling among its peers or a cicada’s translucent wings. Beyond the headlines and sometimes dangerous human impacts on their worlds, animals and other creatures persist. (Associated Press) 

Democracy Watch

• U.S. plans to stop recommending most childhood vaccines, defer to doctors (Washington Post) 
• Two lawmakers seek to find Bondi in contempt over Epstein files (Washington Post) 
• US Coast Guard pursuing another oil tanker off coast of Venezuela (The Guardian) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  236 PM PST Sun Dec 21 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE  MONDAY NIGHT    
MON  S wind 20 to 25 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft, building to 5 to 7 ft  in the afternoon. Wave Detail: SE 4 ft at 5 seconds, SW 6 ft at 9  seconds and W 3 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
MON NIGHT  SW wind 20 to 25 kt, becoming S 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: S 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  7 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the evening, then rain after  midnight.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


12/19 : Haida ermine, border flooding, WA carbon market, Oly oyster pilot, pipeline tax, coal mining pollution, deer birth control, kestrels, democracy watch, week in review

 

Editor's note: I've been curating News and Weather for almost 20 years and co-founded Salish Current five years ago. Both are openly accessible without paywall, and I've done it as a voluntary community service and will continue to do it as long as I can. I'm asking you, as a reader, to support nonprofit local news and Salish Current which pays its editors and freelancers. Please do it before the end of the year and your donation is matched by our 2X NewsMatch Campaign. Thank you! Mike Sato.

Haida ermine [Wikipedia]

Haida ermine Mustela haidarum
The Haida ermine is a mustelid species endemic to a few islands off the Pacific Northwest of North America, namely Haida Gwaii in Canada and the southern Alexander Archipelago in Alaska. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Post Point to upgrade, seek further pollution controls

Cross-border flood reduction plan to aid B.C., American communities not expected for two years
A cross-border plan to reduce the impact of flooding in B.C. and Washington, where major rainfall hit again last week in the Fraser Valley, is not expected to be ready for “about” another two years, according to Washington State officials. That will be six years after a transboundary group tasked with finding solutions to reduce cross-border flooding was resurrected following devastating floods on both sides of the border in 2021. B.C. officials had no response on the timing of the completion of a cross-border plan. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun) 

WA carbon market revenue hits $4.3B as prices reach record 
Prices in Washington’s carbon market have continued to trend upward as the price of emission allowances reached an all-time high this month. The state held four auctions between September and December and raised just over $1.1 billion by selling over 16 million carbon emission allowances. The latest auctions bring the total amount raised by the program to over $4.3 billion. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times) 

Olympia oyster restoration bolstered with partnership
A regional partnership will put Olympia oysters at the center of science, restoration, hands-on learning and ocean stewardship. Starting early next year, Northwest Maritime (NWM) will host a small oyster rearing operation on its Port Townsend campus at 431 Water St. The operation, in its pilot year, will be a collaboration between NWM, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (JST) and Puget Sound Restoration Fund. Elijah Sussman reports. (Peninsula Daily News) 

BC Backpedals on Pipeline Assessment Reductions
Pipeline companies won’t be getting a massive property tax break for Christmas at the expense of some rural homeowners. At least not this year. Tyler Olsen reports. (The Tyee) 

B.C. government ‘lagging way behind’ on coal mine pollution research
In neighbouring Alberta, government scientists are producing peer-reviewed studies on the impacts of coal mining. Why isn’t B.C. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal) 

Esquimalt won’t continue deer contraceptive program 
Esquimalt is shifting to a monitoring-only approach for deer management instead of continuing a contraceptive program for the animals that a recent study found reduced fawn births. The move will save the township about $75,000 annually. Andrew A. Duffy reports. (Times Colonist) 

American Kestrels put the Cherry on Top
The diminutive falcons keep pests and poop away from one of Michigan's prized crops. Benji Jones reports. (bioGraphic) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump administration moves to cut off transgender care for children (AP) 
• Trump’s handpicked board votes to rename Washington performing arts center the Trump-Kennedy Center (AP) 

Salish Sea News and Weather Week in Review 12/19/25: Evergreen tree, BC flood, Clean Water Act, AK oil gas plan, warmest fall, WA coal plant, BC forest protection, Trump's climate fight. 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  302 PM PST Thu Dec 18 2025    
FRI  W wind 15 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: SW 4 ft  at 8 seconds and W 7 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the morning,  then rain in the afternoon.  
FRI NIGHT  SW wind 20 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: SW  3 ft at 8 seconds and W 7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
SAT  SW wind 20 to 25 kt, easing to 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: SW 2 ft at 8 seconds and  W 7 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the morning, then rain in the  afternoon.  
SAT NIGHT  S wind 15 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: S  3 ft at 4 seconds and W 6 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.  
SUN  SW wind 15 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: S 4 ft  at 5 seconds and W 6 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


12/18 Mountain goat, levees, Trump's climate, Arctic warming, democracy watch

 

Editor's note:  Take a minute to read Tom Banse's story in Salish Current, listed below. That's the kind of reporting that's done and made available without paywall when you donate to nonprofit local news and Salish Current. More than ever, local news in these troubled times is important. Please donate. [salish-current.org/donate] Thank you. Mike

Mountain goat [Cassia Carpenter]

Mountain goat Oreamnos americanus
The mountain goat occurs only in northwestern North America from Colorado to Alaska, and is the only genus and species of its kind in the world. Its closest relatives are the chamois of Europe and the goral and serow of Asia. Fewer than 3,000 mountain goats likely reside in Washington currently, the majority of those in the Cascade Mountains from the Canadian border south to around Mount Adams. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Cross currents create quandaries in cleaning ship exhaust

An emerging threat as WA flooding continues: saturated levees 
River waters ripped through a second levee in Western Washington on Tuesday, forcing more evacuations and emergency repairs as the deluge of rain continues. Since the arrival of back-to-back the atmospheric rivers, the region’s swollen rivers have saturated these earthen barriers, which are crucial defenses near populated areas that often keep the rising and surging waters at bay. Conrad Swanson report. (Seattle Times) 

Trump targets premier U.S. weather and climate research center
The Trump administration said it will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, one of the world’s leading Earth science research institutions. Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, called the center “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country” and said that the federal government would be “breaking up” the institution. Lisa FriedmanBrad Plumer and Jack Healy report. (NY Times) 

Arctic Warming Is Turning Alaska’s Rivers Red With Toxic Runoff
Record-setting temperatures and rainfall in the Arctic over the past year sped up the melting of permafrost and washed toxic minerals into more than 200 rivers across northern Alaska, threatening vital salmon runs, according to a report card issued by federal scientists. Eric Miller reports. (NY Times) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump’s push to make oil drilling cheap again squeezes some states more than others (Associated Press) 
• Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship (NY Times) 
• Senators freeze Coast Guard admiral’s promotion over swastika, noose policy (Washington Post) 
• American Academy of Pediatrics loses HHS funding after criticizing RFK Jr. (Washington Post)

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  248 PM PST Wed Dec 17 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON    
THU  SE wind 20 to 25 kt, becoming SW 25 to 30 kt. Seas 6 to 9  ft. Wave Detail: SE 5 ft at 6 seconds and W 9 ft at 11 seconds.  Rain.  
THU NIGHT  W wind 25 to 30 kt, easing to 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 7 to 10 ft, subsiding to 5 to 8 ft after midnight.  Wave Detail: S 3 ft at 8 seconds and W 10 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


12/17 Ptarmigan, warmest fall, WA flooding, TransAlta coal plant, Indigenous Rights law, BC forest conservation, democracy watch

 Editor's note: There are many immediate needs facing our community, and I hope you can see your support of local news as a community good serving the health and well-being of our community. Please support local news and Salish Current. Thank you! Mike

 

White-tailed ptarmigan [Timo Mitzen]

White-tailed ptarmigan Lagopus leucura
White-tailed Ptarmigan are small, tubby grouse, snow-white in winter and twig-brown in summer. They’re famous for being virtually invisible when they stand still against the windswept rocks, low shrubs, and snowbanks of their high-mountain habitat. They nest above timberline in the alpine tundra of western mountains, and are the only birds in North America that spend their entire life cycle in these very high elevations. Their feathered feet and dense plumage enable them to walk on top of snow and even roost inside snowbanks. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Behind closed doors, Part 2: Port of Bellingham and its contractors

Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report
Across the Northwest, a record warm fall and lack of snowpack going into the winter is putting more drought pressure on Oregon, Idaho, Washington and western Montana. Despite record rain in western Washington recently, and earlier this year in central and southern Oregon, the showers are filling up already overdrawn reservoirs in many areas. Alex Baumhardt reports. (Washington State Standard) 

WA flooding among the 'most devastating' natural disasters in state history
Gov. Bob Ferguson told Washingtonians to brace for a lengthy recovery, and announced $3.5 million in state assistance for short-term needs such as groceries and hotel stays. (KNKX) 

DOE orders WA coal plant to continue operating despite state ban 
The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order Tuesday evening directing power generation company TransAlta to continue operating a coal plant in Centralia, despite a state law that requires utilities in Washington to stop using coal for power generation beginning next year. The state’s last coal plant was scheduled to close at the end of this year and Puget Sound Energy, which had bought coal-fired electricity from the plant, had agreed to convert the plant to burn natural gas. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times) 

‘Extremely offensive’: B.C. premier’s plans to change Indigenous Rights law met with frustration
If the Declaration Act was a milestone for reconciliation, how could Premier David Eby’s amendments change B.C.’s relationship with First Nations? Here’s what you need to know. Shannon Waters and Matt Simmons explain. (The Narwhale) 

Major conservation of B.C. forestry land totalling 45,000 hectares announced 
The Nature Conservancy of Canada says it has reached an agreement with the federal and British Columbia governments as well as other private and public sector partners to conserve 45,000 hectares, or 450 square kilometres, of timberland in the province. (Canadian Press) 

Democracy Watch

• Coast Guard enacts policy calling swastikas, nooses ‘potentially divisive’ (Washington Post) 
• Hegseth Declines to Show Lawmakers Boat Strike Video (NY Times) 
• Trump expands travel ban to 39 countries after shooting of Guard members (Washington Post) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  449 PM PST Tue Dec 16 2025    
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING    
WED  W wind 25 to 35 kt. Seas 9 to 13 ft, subsiding to 7 to  10 ft in the afternoon. Wave Detail: W 13 ft at 11 seconds and SW  2 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the morning, then rain in the  afternoon.  
WED NIGHT  S wind 20 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft. Wave Detail: S  3 ft at 4 seconds and W 8 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


12/16 Snowberry, Skagit dams, Abbotsford flooding, F-150 Lightning, democracy watch

 

Common Snowberry [Native Plants PNW]

Common Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus
Common Snowberry is found from southeast Alaska to southern California; all across the northern United States and the Canadian provinces. Snowberries are high in saponins, which are poorly absorbed by the body.  Although they are largely considered poisonous, (given names like ‘corpse berry’ or ‘snake’s berry’), some tribes ate them fresh or dried them for later consumption. (Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Could Mount Baker be tapped for geothermal energy?

Army takeover of Skagit dams lowers flood waters
As the Skagit’s flood waters were building, the Army Corps took over Ross Dam, a 540-foot tall concrete dam owned by Seattle City Light, and Upper Baker Dam, a 300-foot high concrete dam, owned by Puget Sound Energy. As flows surged into the reservoir known as Ross Lake, engineers turned off Ross Dam spigot.The dam held back 99% of water flowing into the reservoir, according to Army Corps officials. (John Ryan reports. (KUOW) 

Feds defend response to flooding in B.C. after Abbotsford mayor slams inaction 
The federal minister responsible for handling natural disasters defended her government in the wake of criticism about how it has responded to flooding in B.C.'s Fraser Valley. At a news conference on Friday, Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens accused the federal government of inaction following the 2021 floods and failing to address mitigation needs and prevent a similar disaster. Nick Logan reports. (CBC) 

Ford pulls the plug on the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck
Ford Motor Company has ceased production of the F-150 Lightning, its flagship full-size electric pickup, and will focus instead on hybrid vehicles and a future line of smaller, cheaper EVs. Battery plants once intended to supply Ford trucks will now be sending batteries to bolster the electric grid instead. Ford says the move is following customer demand, and reflecting the reality that the Lightning was a money-loser — and Ford, concluded, it always would be. Camila Domonoske reports. (NPR) 

Democracy Watch
Trump 'very strongly' considering loosening federal marijuana regulations (Washington State Standard) 
Pentagon plan calls for major power shifts within U.S. military (Washington Post) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  520 PM PST Mon Dec 15 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING  
GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY  MORNING    

TUE  SW wind 15 to 20 kt, becoming S 25 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: S 4 ft at 5 seconds and W  7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
TUE NIGHT  W wind 30 to 40 kt with gusts up to 50 kt. Seas 7 to  10 ft, building to 10 to 14 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: SW  4 ft at 8 seconds and W 14 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the  evening, then rain after midnight.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told