3/21 Narcissus, AK drilling, climate grants, BC leaks, BC carbon tax, Trump's logging, carbon storage, Ralph Munro, first 100 days, week in review

 

Narcissus

Narcissus
Narcissus is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil, narcissus, and jonquil, are used to describe some or all members of the genus. Wikipedia

Today's top story in Salish Current: Neighbors offer vision for Samish Crest / Hidden in plain sight

Interior reopens millions of acres in Alaska for energy development
The Interior Department on Thursday said it will expand drilling opportunities for fossil fuels in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the neighboring National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to support President Donald Trump’s vision of “American energy dominance.” David Jordan reports. (QC-Roll Call/Seattle Times)

Court blocks EPA attempt to cancel $20B of climate grants, protecting tribal energy funding
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from terminating billions in climate funding awarded during the Biden administration, a decision that protects $1.5 billion committed for tribal energy projects alongside other clean energy initiatives. The ruling delivers a setback to the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle key climate programs. Brian Edwards reports. (Tribal Business News)

44 ‘serious’ leaks reported at B.C. oil and gas sites in the past year
Hydrogen sulphide, methane and potentially contaminated water leaks from natural gas wells in B.C. were all registered in an obscure government database. Matt Simmons and Zak Vescera report. (The Narwhal)

End of consumer carbon tax leaves $1.5-billion hole in B.C. budget
British Columbia's budget shows that the impending end of the province's consumer carbon tax will leave a roughly $1.5-billion hole in its revenue streams, with one expert saying "there will be both winners and losers" from the change.make sure B.C. is "able to accommodate this commitment within the budget." Brenna Owen reports. (Canadian Press)

Trump wants to log more trees. He’ll need states’ help
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders to increase logging in national forests and on other federal lands. Trump’s orders direct federal agencies to set aggressive targets for timber harvests and to circumvent environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act that protect critical habitats. Alex Brown reports. (Washington State Standard)

How much carbon is stored in B.C.'s forests? Audit finds government data is lacking
A new report from B.C.'s auditor general has found that some of the Forests Ministry's carbon modelling practices for how carbon in B.C. forests is stored and released were not adequately documented and not transparent. The audit, which was released Tuesday, said the government's lack of a defined methodology to calculate the carbon benefit of forest investment projects had a negative effect on the credibility of the ministry's reporting. (CBC)

Remembering Ralph Munro, five-term Washington secretary of state and statesman
Ralph Munro, Washington’s longest-serving secretary of state and a moderate Republican who achieved unusually broad popularity across the political spectrum, died early Thursday at his convalescent home in Lacey. He was 81 and had struggled with multiple health issues for the past several years. Tom Banse reports. (Washington State Standard)

The First 100 Days

• Trump orders plan to dismantle Education Department (Associated Press)
  
• Colleges facing Trump crackdown on DEI cut ties with The PhD Project (Associated Press)
  
• Pentagon Set Up Briefing for Musk on Potential War With China (NY Times)
  

Salish Sea News Week in Review 3/21/25: Poetry Day, NOAA science, Carney on climate, BC landslides, carbon emissions, Makah whaling, plastic birds, whale songs.

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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  216 AM PDT Fri Mar 21 2025   SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING    
TODAY  SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 10 ft decreasing to 5 to  8 ft. Wave Detail: W 8 ft at 12 seconds. Showers early this  morning. A slight chance of tstms until late afternoon. Rain late  this morning and afternoon.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W  7 ft at 12 seconds. Rain likely, mainly in the evening.  
SAT  SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at  12 seconds. Rain.  
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: SE 2 ft at 5 seconds and W  6 ft at 13 seconds. Rain.  
SUN  SE wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 4 seconds and  W 5 ft at 13 seconds. Rain.

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