 |
| Mt. Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan |
Mt. Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan Lagopus leucura rainierensis
The Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan is found only in the Cascade
Mountains of Washington State and British Columbia, and one of five
subspecies of white-tailed ptarmigan in North America. The bird is one
of the few animals that lives on mountaintops throughout its entire
life. It is listed as threatened. (FWS)
Today's top story in Salish Current: Lummi celebrates salmon, youth
Where does the water go? Nooksack River flood recovery is complicated
As they race to protect themselves against the next catastrophic flood, communities along the Nooksack River are caught in a pressure cooker. Smaller cities like Sumas and its neighbor Everson want to increase the river’s capacity. But doing so could risk sending more water to downstream communities like Lummi Nation, effectively turned into an island several times a year when flooding swallows its main roads. Kai Uyehara reports. (Seattle Times)
Volunteers remove invasive European green crab
It’s early April, and the hunt for the invasive European green crab began about a full month early. Last year, Refuge Management Program staffers and volunteers collected 1,668 individual crabs. This year, trapping teams collected 315 in the first two weeks alone. Michael Dashiell reports. (Peninsula Daily News)
As they race to protect themselves against the next catastrophic flood, communities along the Nooksack River are caught in a pressure cooker. Smaller cities like Sumas and its neighbor Everson want to increase the river’s capacity. But doing so could risk sending more water to downstream communities like Lummi Nation, effectively turned into an island several times a year when flooding swallows its main roads. Kai Uyehara reports. (Seattle Times)
Volunteers remove invasive European green crab
It’s early April, and the hunt for the invasive European green crab began about a full month early. Last year, Refuge Management Program staffers and volunteers collected 1,668 individual crabs. This year, trapping teams collected 315 in the first two weeks alone. Michael Dashiell reports. (Peninsula Daily News)
Washington DNR asks for grace this camping season amid budget cuts
The budget for the DNR’s recreation program was cut by over 20% in 2025 — and this year, another $580,000 of maintenance funding was eliminated. All told, the program has seen $8 million of cuts in less than two years. In April, the DNR announced that four campgrounds would fully close for the season, and a handful of others will see reduced seasons this year.Sami West, Vaughan Jones and Patricia Murphy report. (KUOW)
How the Morrison Creek lamprey helped create a refuge for salmon during hot summers
The fish a research scientist discovered in Morrison Creek were something never before seen in the world, shining a spotlight on the tiny ecosystem. (Times Colonist)
Cascadia Seaweed set to launch new biorefinery near Prince Rupert
New plant in Port Edward expected to be fully operational in a couple of months. Catherine Garrett reports. (CBC)
The budget for the DNR’s recreation program was cut by over 20% in 2025 — and this year, another $580,000 of maintenance funding was eliminated. All told, the program has seen $8 million of cuts in less than two years. In April, the DNR announced that four campgrounds would fully close for the season, and a handful of others will see reduced seasons this year.Sami West, Vaughan Jones and Patricia Murphy report. (KUOW)
How the Morrison Creek lamprey helped create a refuge for salmon during hot summers
The fish a research scientist discovered in Morrison Creek were something never before seen in the world, shining a spotlight on the tiny ecosystem. (Times Colonist)
Cascadia Seaweed set to launch new biorefinery near Prince Rupert
New plant in Port Edward expected to be fully operational in a couple of months. Catherine Garrett reports. (CBC)
Democracy Watch
- Justice Department announces a $1.7B fund to compensate Trump allies in a deal to drop IRS suit (AP)
- Supreme Court sends closely watched Native American voting rights decision back to lower court (AP)
- Theo Angelis sworn in as WA Supreme Court justice (Washington State Standard)
Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent,
fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties.
Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter
here.
Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 238 PM PDT Mon May 18 2026
TUE W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 12 seconds. TUE NIGHT W wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming SW 5 to 10 kt after midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 12 seconds.
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 238 PM PDT Mon May 18 2026
TUE W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 12 seconds. TUE NIGHT W wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming SW 5 to 10 kt after midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 12 seconds.
---
"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.
Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate,
Advocate
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.