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

 

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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)

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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.



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