6/13 White-crowned sparrow, Columbia R deal, EV policies. WA carbon market, gray whales, 'tree equity,' public media cut, democracy watch, week in review

White-crowned sparrow [Wikipedia]

White-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
White-crowned Sparrows appear each winter over much of North America to grace our gardens and favorite trails (they live in parts of the West year-round). The smart black-and-white head, pale beak, and crisp gray breast combine for a dashing look – and make it one of the surest sparrow identifications in North America.

Today's top story in Salish Current: A century of drag: Bellingham’s queer legacy on- and off-screen

Trump breaks historic Columbia River deal
In an order issued Thursday, Trump said he would withdraw the U.S. from a 2023 deal made with tribes and environmentalists to end lawsuits over fish losses. Alex Baumhardt reports. (Oregon Capital Chronicle) 

WA, other states sue Trump administration for blocking EV policies
President Donald Trump on Thursday blocked a series of policies across the country promoting electric vehicles, and Washington state joined in a lawsuit attempting to thwart the moves. Trump signed joint resolutions of Congress revoking a series of waivers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that allowed California to promote increased sales of EVs and the phasing out of gas-powered vehicles in the coming years. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)

WA’s carbon market prices tick up
The state’s two most recent auctions in March and June raised just over $552 million by selling over 11 million carbon emission allowances. One allowance represents 1 metric ton of emissions. Allowances cost $58.51 in the June auction and $50 in March, signaling a rebound since the program faced a recall in November. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times)

Gray whales along the Pacific west coast appear to be in trouble
Scientists say they’ve seen a surprising number of gray whale strandings this year during their migration up the west coast – 13 as of late May in Washington alone, which is more than twice the normal average. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Latest federal budget bill would sell Oregon public lands, boost logging
The federal government could start selling off thousands of acres of Oregon public lands if provisions added to the Big Beautiful Bill win Congressional approval. A draft of the legislation was released Wednesday by U.S. Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, who since at least 2022 has repeatedly pushed to sell off public lands for housing development. Courtney Sherwood reports. (OPB)

'Tree equity' on the chopping block in Washington state
The federal government, historically the biggest funder of community tree planting, is no longer a reliable source of cash as the Trump administration seeks to downsize or eliminate many federal programs. The administration aims to stop funding what’s known as urban or community forestry: the planning, planting, and care of trees in the midst of human developments. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

House votes to kill funding for public media
The House of Representatives narrowly approved legislation Thursday to eliminate the next two years of federal funding for public media outlets. The measure passed largely along party lines, 214 to 212, with two key Republican lawmakers switching their votes from "no" to "yes" to push it over the finish line.  Deirdre Walsh and David Folkenflik report. (NPR)

Democracy Watch

• Judge blocks Trump’s election executive order (AP)
  
• Judge questions legality of Trump’s deployment of troops to LA (Washington State Standard)
  
• Appeals court temporarily blocks judge's ruling to return control of National Guard to California (AP)
  
• Trump Tells Farmers ‘Changes Are Coming’ to Immigration Crackdown (NY Times)
  
• A popular climate website will be hobbled, after Trump administration eliminates entire staff (NPR)
  

Salish Sea News Week in Review 6/13/25: Softball, Skagit dam relicensing, tribal salmon, Columbia R salmon cuts, science brain drain, BC 'fast-track' permits, Trump's national monuments, AI conservation, Puget Sound oxygen, honey bee bar

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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PDT Fri Jun 13 2025    
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to W late. Seas 5 to 7 ft.  Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 8 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft  at 7 seconds.  
SAT  W wind around 5 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 8 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 6 seconds.  
SUN  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at  7 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)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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