8/4 Northern alligator lizard, Baker R sockeye, bye-bye Big Bird, Trump's environment, LOTT wastewater, logging input, WA forest management, 'Bee Atlas,' democracy watch

 

Northern alligator lizard [WDFW]

Northern alligator lizard Elgaria coerulea
The northern alligator lizard inhabits grassy, brushy or rocky openings within forested landscapes. They have also been observed along road corridors and near lake edges. They can persist in low to moderately developed landscapes where they are typical seen in rock retaining walls, rock piles, woody debris and along building foundations. Northern alligator lizards occur in the Pacific Coast, Puget Trough, North Cascades, East Cascades, West Cascades, Okanogan and Rocky Mountain ecoregions. The species enters the Columbia Plateau ecoregion in Spokane and Whitman counties. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  A grand opening on Grand

Baker River sockeye storm back in record run — overcoming 2 dams 
...The Baker [River] was beckoning in a record run this summer. At least an estimated 90,000 sockeye will return from their high-seas journey to feed the land, forest, bears, osprey, human families — and spawn the next generation. It was an extensive intervention over decades after Puget Sound Energy’s largest hydropower operation nearly drove these fish to extinction. The complex series of concrete ponds, chutes — and even an elevator, a fish taxi and a hatchery — that the salmon need to navigate are far from what the river’s original runs traversed, but it’s working. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times) 

Not just Big Bird: Things to know about the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and its funding cuts
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps pay for PBS, NPR, 1,500 local radio and television stations as well as programs like “Sesame Street” and “Finding Your Roots,” said Friday that it would close after the U.S. government withdrew funding. The private, nonprofit corporation was founded in 1968 shortly after Congress authorized its formation. It now ends nearly six decades of fueling the production of renowned educational programming, cultural content and emergency alerts about natural disasters. Audrey McAvoy reports. (Associated Press) 

How Trump Is Transforming the U.S. Government’s Environmental Role 
The E.P.A. said this week it would revoke its own ability to fight climate change. It’s the latest move in an extraordinary pivot away from science-based protections. David Gelles and Maxine Joselow report. (NY Times) 

LOTT Clean Water Alliance wants to make wastewater drinkable. Are you ready for that?
The wastewater utility in downtown Olympia that treats millions of gallons of sewer water per day, in partnership with the South Puget Sound Community College’s brewing and distilling program, aims to use about 500 gallons of that treated water to make beer and other beverages for the public to try. Rolf Boone reports. (The Olympian) 

Oregonians could soon have less input on more than half the land in the state
The Trump administration has proposed drastically limiting the public’s say in how federal lands are used at a time when the president is pushing to fast-track logging, mining and oil extraction. People have until Monday to comment on a Trump administration proposal to drastically limit public input on logging in Oregon and Washington. April Ehrlich reports. (OPB) 

In wildfire-prone Washington, ‘collaboration’ on forest management gives way to timber interests
Forest collaboratives formed in the wake of the Pacific Northwest’s “Timber Wars” have become major power players operating largely out of the public eye. Moe K.Clark reports. (Investigate West) 

‘Bee Atlas’ project turns up 26 new or rare species buzzing around Washington
The Washington State Department of Agriculture is seeking new bee collection volunteers as its Bee Atlas initiative enters its second year.... The Washington Bee Atlas is modeled after the Oregon Bee Atlas, which began in 2019 as part of the broader Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas. That program began in 2018 and monitors bumble bee activity in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Emily Fitzgerald reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Democracy Watch

• Justice Department's requests for voter data raise alarm in some states (AP) 
• Supreme Court signals it may rule on law protecting power of minority voters (Washington Post) 
• Senate confirms former Fox News host Pirro as top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital (AP) 
• Judge Declines to Order Trump Administration to Restore Research Cuts (NY Times) 

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  200 AM PDT Mon Aug 4 2025    
TODAY  SE wind around 5 kt, backing to NE late this morning,  backing to W this afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft  at 7 seconds. Widespread dense fog early this morning, then  patchy fog late this morning.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft in the evening,  then around 2 ft or less. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at 6 seconds. A  chance of 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)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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