6/17 Giant hogweed, wildfire smoke, WA natural gas initiative, Senate clean energy, Olympia sea rise, baby heron hunt, H dock sea lions, democracy watch

 

Giant Hogweed

Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum
Giant hogweed forms dense canopies outcompeting native species and increasing soil erosion. It is a public safety hazard as it exudes a clear watery sap which sensitizes the skin to ultraviolet radiation, resulting in severe burns to the affected area causing blistering and painful dermatitis. Scars can last for as long as 6 year and sensitivity to sunlight can continue beyond that.

Today's top story in Salish Current: ‘No Kings’ protests call for upholding the Constitution

Wildfire Smoke May Be Disrupting Ocean Carbon Storage
New research from the University of British Columbia reveals that wildfires could be fundamentally altering how our oceans store carbon, potentially turning a crucial climate ally into a source of atmospheric carbon dioxide. (ScienceBlog)

WA natural gas initiative may go to state Supreme Court
The journey is not over for a voter initiative that took aim at Washington’s natural gas and energy policies. Initiative 2066 was narrowly passed by voters by about 52% in November, but was struck down by a King County Superior Court judge in March. Now, the state Attorney General Nick Brown and the Building Industry Association of Washington have asked the state’s Supreme Court to weigh in. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times)

Many Hoped Senate Republicans Would Save Clean Energy. They Mostly Didn’t.
A Senate tax package softens some blows imposed on renewables by a House version of the bill. But it still terminates many credits for clean power. Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer report. (NY Times)

Federal funding to address sea level rise is uncertain. How will that affect downtown Olympia?
The City of Olympia might not seek FEMA accreditation, which would allow a number of downtown properties susceptible to flooding to bypass insurance requirements and higher building standards...une 6 to discuss a staff recommendation to not pursue accreditation. Natalie Weiss, a Climate Resilience specialist, shared a number of reasons for the recommendation, including federal funding uncertainty and an overall limited benefit to the city’s goal of adapting to sea level rise. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

Eagles hunting baby herons in idyllic Victoria park is just nature at work
Herons nest close to eagles as their presence helps deter other predators from disturbing the heron's nests, according to the Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) in Metchosin. “This strategy comes with risks because eagles are still predators and need to feed their young. Small birds, including baby herons, can sometimes be a part of their diet, and you may see an eagle swooping down and catching a baby heron,” the agency noted. (Goldstream News Gazette)

Sea lions just won’t quit on this Seattle dock
About 50 sea lions were hanging out earlier this month on H dock near the plaza at Shilshole Bay Marina — and they are loud! The sea lions have been coming to the marina for around the past three years.  They usually show up in December and leave around May. Then they head south to San Francisco and San Diego. Ellen M. Banner reports. (Seattle Times)

Democracy Watch

• Trump directs ICE to target 3 big Democratic cities for raids (Washington State Standard)
  
• RFK Jr. fires ‘Washingtonian of the year’ from CDC vaccine panel (Seattle Times)
  
• Trump says he won't call Minnesota Gov. Walz after lawmaker shootings (AP)
  
• President Trump fires a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NPR)
  
• Reagan-appointed judge says some of Trump's NIH funding cuts illegal, cites discrimination (AP)
  

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  219 AM PDT Tue Jun 17 2025    
TODAY  E wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to S late. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of showers.  
TONIGHT  S wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to W after midnight. Seas  around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at 8 seconds. Showers.

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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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