5/9 Pileated woodpecker, WA logging protest, 'Oakville blobs,' extreme climate costs, Tofino dead whale, democracy watch, week in review

Pileated woodpecker

Pileated woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
The Pileated Woodpecker is typically found in mature deciduous or coniferous forests with large trees. It uses semi-open woodlands in suburban areas. The Pileated Woodpecker is a year-resident in most of Alberta and British Columbia. It also occurs in West Montana, the northern half of Idaho, and in most of Washington and Oregon. It is absent from the central mountains of the latter states.

Today's top story in Salish Current: St. Joseph Medical Center employees plan strike / County asking for public comment on new environmental regulations

Activist climbs tree near Port Angeles to block cut of older WA forest
An activist has spent the last couple nights perched on a chilly, wind-rocked platform in a grand fir near the Elwha River, in the latest flare-up in the escalating conflict over logging of older state forests. Demands of the protest include immediate cancellation of this cut, called the Parched timber sale; a pause on all logging in the Elwha watershed; and a permanent ban on logging the remaining mature forest on state lands in Western Washington. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Return of the blobs: SW Washington revisited by decades-old gooey mystery
A curious phenomenon known as the “Oakville blobs” appears to have returned to a small southwest Washington community, 31 years after the first reports of an unidentified gelatinous substance fell from the sky. This time, the goo fell on Rochester, Wash. Libby Denkmann reports. (KUOW)

US will stop tracking the costs of extreme weather fueled by climate change
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change. Alexa St. John reports. (Associated Press)

Necropsy planned for dead grey whale found near Tofino
The carcass that washed up near Tofino this week could be part of a troubling trend of spring stranding events along the North American coast. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Democracy Watch

• Trump Declares Biden’s Digital Equity Act ‘Racist’ and ‘Unconstitutional’ (NY Times)
  
• Gulf of Mexico to be renamed 'Gulf of America' under bill passed by U.S. House (Washington State Standard)
  
• Trump tells Congress to raise taxes on the rich in budget bill (Washington Post)
  
• President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden (Associated Press)
  
• FEMA's acting administrator is replaced a day after congressional testimony (Associated Press)
  
• Trump asks Supreme Court to allow him to end humanitarian parole for 500,000 people from 4 countries (Associated Press)
  
• Trump Seeks to Strip Away Legal Tool Key to Civil Rights Enforcement (NY Times)
  
• Transgender troops being moved out of the military under new Pentagon order (Associated Press)
  

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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  205 AM PDT Fri May 9 2025    
TODAY  W wind around 5 kt, veering to NW this afternoon. Seas  3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 11 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft  at 10 seconds.  
SAT  SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at  7 seconds and W 3 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of showers.  
SAT NIGHT  S wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to SE after midnight.  Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of  showers.  
SUN  SE wind around 5 kt, veering to SW in the afternoon. Seas  3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 8 seconds and W 2 ft at  11 seconds. A chance of 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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5/8 Flicker, geoducks, BC clean power, Harcourt ousted, BC fish kill, WA Ecology monitoring, WA wildfire budget, GOP land sale, 'flying' ferry, slow-speed chase, democracy watch

 

Northern flicker

Northern flicker Colaptes auratus
The Northern Flicker is one of the largest woodpeckers in the region and is typically found in semi-open or open habitats with scattered trees. It is  a year-round resident in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Coastal and extreme south British Columbia. During the Spring and Summer months the Northern Flicker expands its range to Central Alaska, Yukon, The Northwest Territories, and Alberta.

Today's top story in Salish Current: It's 'time to warrior up for trees,' author says

How a Chinese delicacy got caught in the crossfire of Trump’s trade war
In recent years it has also become a delicacy in China, with Washington state sending 90% of its geoducks there, creating a niche yet lucrative American seafood export. But the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China is now crippling an entire industry that hand-harvests geoducks, leaving Washington state divers without work, Seattle exporters without business and Chinese aficionados with fewer of these prized clams. Sally Ho and Manuel Valdez report. (Associated Press)

BC’s Latest Clean Power Project Call Wins Support
First Nations leaders and environmental groups welcomed this week’s announcement that British Columbia will seek more clean energy projects. But some are concerned the power will be used to expand fossil fuel production. Andrew MacLeod and  Zoë Yunker report. (The Tyee)

Bellingham community praises ousting of Harcourt waterfront developer
Whatcom County community members praised Port of Bellingham commissioners on Tuesday for their decision to terminate Ireland-based Harcourt Developments’ development rights along Bellingham’s waterfront after significant delays and contract defaults. Harcourt now remains solely responsible for completing its condo development and maintaining ownership of the Granary Building, making room for a new development vision of Bellingham’s waterfront. Rachel Showalter reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Mass fish kill on Burnaby-Coquitlam border under investigation
Approximately 100 young fish were found dead Tuesday in Stoney Creek, located on the border of Burnaby and Coquitlam, prompting both cities to investigate water contamination. Residents say it's a frequent occurrence in the area.  Michelle Gomez reports. (CBC)

Department of Ecology members get all the dirt around the Sound
For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound. Eliza Aronson reports. (Everett Herald)

WA lawmakers slash wildfire budget in half
Lawmakers tussled with a four-year, $16 billion budget shortfall...Their proposed budget now under consideration by Gov. Bob Ferguson cut in half the $125 million previously promised per biennium for wildfire response and preparedness. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

House Republicans push to sell thousands of acres of land in Utah, Nevada
House Republicans added a provision to their sweeping tax cut package authorizing sales of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Nevada and Utah, prompting outrage from Democrats and environmentalists who called it a betrayal that could lead to drilling, mining and logging in sensitive areas. Matthew Daly and Matthew Brown report. (Associated Press)

‘Flying’ passenger ferry sails Puget Sound
The boat — made by Northern Ireland’s Artemis Technologies — is in town simply to show off, and to help drum up some business for Artemis and its new partnership with Delta Marine, a local maker of luxury yachts. Nicholas Deshais reports. (Seattle Times)

Boldt 50.
Cecilia Gobin, Conservation Policy Analyst, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission will discuss "Boldt at 50 Years: Tribal Sovereignty, Resources Management, & the Boldt Decision’s Continuing Influence." May 10, 2 p.m. Padilla Bay Reserve. Reservations

Slow-Speed Chase
Across the sandy seafloor off the coast of Hawai‘i, a high-speed chase unfolds—or at least, what amounts to high speed for an echinoderm and a gastropod. The prey, a red pencil urchin (Heterocentrotus mamillatus), is ready for battle with its coat of thick spines. The predator, a type of sea snail known as a horned helmet (Cassis cornuta), carries its own armor: a helmet-shaped shell that protects the mushy mollusk within. Krista Langlois reports. (bioGraphic)

Democracy Watch

• Trump taps influencer Casey Means, ally to RFK Jr., as surgeon general (Associated Press)
  
• Congressional budget agency projects sweeping Medicaid cutbacks in states under GOP plans (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-  251 AM PDT Thu May 8 2025    
TODAY  S wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to NE late this morning and  early afternoon, then becoming NW 10 to 15 kt late. Seas 3 to  5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 11 seconds.  
TONIGHT  NW wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 10 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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5/7 Hairy woodpecker, Energy Star, wind energy, Red Dress Day, BC Ferries, hidden streams, Chuckanut Drive, democracy watch

Hairy woodpecker

 

Hairy woodpecker Leuconotopicus villosus
The Hairy Woodpecker is larger and longer-billed than the downy woodpecker. Hairy woodpeckers use a variety of forest types, but they tend to prefer mature forests where wood boring beetle larvae are readily found. It is a year-round resident in all of the Northwest Region.

Today's top story in Salish Current: Wordsmith and comic superfan: an origin story

Editor's note: I'll ask again if you'd GiveBIG today to support our partners publication Salish Current. You'll be supporting independent community journalism, fact-base and free to read without paywall. Please GiveBIG. Thank you. Mike.

E.P.A. Plans to Shut Down the Energy Star Program
Employees were told that the popular energy efficiency certification program would be “de-prioritized and eliminated,” according to documents and a recording. Lisa Friedman and Rebecca F. Elliott report. (NY Times)

States sue Trump administration for blocking the development of wind energy
Attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., are challenging an executive order Trump signed during his first day in office, pausing approvals, permits and loans for all wind energy projects both onshore and offshore. Jennifer McDermott reports. (Associated Press)

Swinomish tribe holds Red Dress Day event
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community recognized Red Dress Day on Monday by honoring those who had missing or murdered Indigenous people in their families.  Ava Running reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Coastal mayors call on province to intervene amid ongoing B.C. Ferries disruptions
Mayors say accountability is confusing when multiple entities oversee B.C. Ferries operations. Courtney Dickson reports. (CBC)

Chilliwack looks to uncover hidden streams
The city is creating a formal system to 'daylight' the watercourses currently moving through pipes and culverts. Grace Kennedy reports. (Fraser Valley Current)

Chuckanut Drive remains closed as WSDOT clears debris
Chuckanut Drive will be closed for several more weeks south of Bellingham as road crews remove debris and stabilize a sheer rock wall after an April 22 rockslide. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Democracy Watch

• U.S. Supreme Court lets Trump ban transgender people in military while case continues (Washington State Standard)
  
• States win a legal injunction against President Trump, pausing library funding cuts (NPR)
  

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-  227 AM PDT Wed May 7 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PDT TODAY THROUGH  THIS EVENING    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 15 to 20 kt with gusts to 25  kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: NW 4 ft at 6 seconds and W 7 ft  at 12 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 20 kt, easing to 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: NW 4 ft at 7 seconds and W  7 ft at 12 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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5/6 Downy woodpecker, enviro sail, recycling tech, wildfire 'spring dip,' mitten crab, democracy watch

Downy woodpecker

 

Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
The Downy Woodpecker is a familiar sight at backyard feeders and in parks and woodlots, where it joins flocks of chickadees and nuthatches, barely outsizing them. An often acrobatic forager, this black-and-white woodpecker is at home on tiny branches or balancing on slender plant galls, sycamore seed balls, and suet feeders. Downies and their larger lookalike, the Hairy Woodpecker, are one of the first identification challenges that beginning bird watchers master. (All About Birds)

Editor's Note: Today and tomorrow I ask you to make a one-time or monthly recurring donation to our partner publication Salish Current during the GiveBIG campaign. You'll be supporting independent community journalism, fact-base and free to read without paywall. Please GiveBIG. Thank you. Mike.

Today's top story in Salish Current: Neighbors helping neighbors against wildfire risk

Vessel sets sail from Anacortes on 14-month expedition
About 100 loved ones and visitors gathered on the docks of Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes on Saturday to wave goodbye to a small crew that will travel around North and South America over the next 14 months. The Skagit Valley College Foundation partnered with the Around the Americas project on the environmental sailing expedition. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Are you recycling the right things? New cameras, tech will let you know
The city of Olympia is launching a recycling contamination reduction project this month to help people improve their recycling efforts. It will use cameras and other technology to monitor what people are putting into their curbside recycling carts. The city will use global positioning systems, computers and cameras on city recycling trucks to check the contents of curbside recycling carts and provide residents feedback, household by household. Ty Vinson reports. (The Olympian)

Uptick in active wildfires is caused by 'spring dip,' say B.C. fire officers
The number of wildfires in British Columbia has roughly doubled over the past several days, but an information officer with the BC Wildfire Service says the activity can be attributed to the annual "spring dip"...a  phenomenon caused by a decrease in moisture in the needles of coniferous trees. (Canadian Press)

Chinese mitten crab could be trouble for Oregon, Washington, if there are more
Oregon and Washington wildlife officials are asking people to keep an eye out for hairy-clawed mitten crabs in the Columbia River. In April, a commercial fisher caught a Chinese mitten crab along the river that borders both states. It’s the first recorded instance of this species in the Pacific Northwest, besides a Japanese mitten crab caught in the same area in 1992. April Ehrlich reports. (OPB)

Democracy Watch

• WA law mandating clergy report child abuse to be investigated by DOJ (Investigate West)
  
• Trump budget would slash money for housing programs in WA (Seattle Times)
  
• Trump administration asks to dismiss suit trying to limit abortion pill (Washington State Standard)
  
• Trump denies posting image of himself as pope, laughing off critics  (NY Times)
  
• Trump’s Return to Power Elevates Ever Fringier Conspiracy Theories (NY Times)
  

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-  309 AM PDT Tue May 6 2025    
TODAY  E wind around 5 kt, backing to NW late. Seas 3 to 5 ft.  Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 12 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 11 seconds. A chance of showers 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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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


5/5 Sapsucker, TM pipe, salmon restoration, immigrant policy, Red Dress Day, sand mine, Oly housing, Perkins Coie, student debt, democracy watch

Red-breasted Sapsucker [Grace Oliver]

Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
The Red-breasted Sapsucker cuts a dramatic profile with its brilliant scarlet head and dapper checkerboard pattern on the back. Sapsuckers are named for their habit of drilling rows of shallow wells in shrubs and trees, and then lapping up the sap with their brush-tipped tongues. Sapsuckers are important members of their ecosystems, because many species of insects, birds, and mammals use the sapwells to supplement their own diets. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Environmental nonprofit aims to recoup after funding cut

One year after the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, why isn't it full?
The Canadian oilpatch has a brand-new pipeline, something it's pleaded for year after year, and it offers a relatively quick route to the West Coast and overseas markets. But a year in, the newly expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline still isn't running at full capacity — though the CEO of the Crown corporation says he doesn't think it's a problem. Paula Duhatschek reports. (CBC)

WA lawmakers approve $1.1B for salmon habitat restoration
The state Legislature approved an additional $1.1 billion for court-ordered Department of Transportation culvert replacement projects, bringing the program’s roughly two-decade total to $5.2 billion. At least for now. Gov. Bob Ferguson still has until May 20 to review and veto items in the budget. Mike Reicher reports. (Seattle Times)

WA farmers reckon with Trump’s immigration policies
On his Skagit Valley dairy farm bordering tulip and daffodil fields, Jason Vander Kooy called President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown a touchy subject. While Vander Kooy supports deporting immigrants who have committed crimes, he’d like to see workers with a clean record given a path to staying legally in the U.S. Nina Shapiro reports. (Seattle Times) 

Here's how the 15th Red Dress Day is being marked in B.C.
Monday marks 15 years of Indigenous people and their allies gathering, marching and holding ceremony for the hundreds of Indigenous women and girls who are missing or have been murdered in Canada. The national day of awareness and remembrance, known as Red Dress Day, was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black after she created the REDress project — an art installation of red dresses hanging in public spaces that serve as a visual reminder of the Indigenous women and girls who are no longer with us. Santana Dreaver reports. (CBC)

B.C. company wants to open $300M made-in-Canada sand mine to fuel anticipated fracking, LNG boom
A B.C.-based company wants to open a sand mine north of Prince George to provide a made-in-Canada solution to an anticipated boost in liquefied natural gas production. Vitero Minerals' proposed silica sand mine, about 60 kilometres north of the city, near Bear Lake, would produce sand used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to prop open the fractures that are created during crude oil and natural gas extraction. Andrew Kurjata reports. (CBC)

West Bay site of proposed housing complex needs environmental cleanup, state says
A West Bay site in Olympia, which is planned to be the future home of a mixed-use development called West Bay Yards, needs more environmental cleanup, the state Department of Ecology has announced. The site off West Bay Drive was once the site of Hardel Mutual Plywood, which operated there from 1951 to 1996. The wood milling activities released hazardous substances into the environment, according to Ecology. Rolf Boone reports. (The Olympian)

Judge blocks Trump executive order targeting elite law firm
A federal judge on Friday permanently blocked a White House executive order targeting an elite law firm, dealing a setback to President Donald Trump’s campaign of retribution against the legal profession. U.S. District Beryl Howell said the executive order against the firm of Perkins Coie amounted to “unconstitutional retaliation” as she ordered that it be nullified and that the Trump administration halt any enforcement of it. Eric Tucker reports. (Associated Press)

Student Debt Collections Restart on May 5. Here’s What to Know.
More than five million borrowers are in default, and millions of others are projected to be on the precipice. Tara Siegel Bernard reports. (NY Times)

Democracy Watch

• Trump, in a new interview, says he doesn't know if he backs due process rights (Associated Press)
  
• Kennedy Orders Search for New Measles Treatments Instead of Urging Vaccination (NY Times)
  
• Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security systems (Associated Press)
  
• Sweeping cuts hit NEA after Trump administration calls to eliminate the agency (NPR)
  
• Judge blocks Trump executive order targeting elite law firm (Associated Press)
  
• Medical journals hit with threatening letters from Justice Department (NPR)
  
• Trump asks Congress to cut $163B in non-defense spending, ax dozens of programs (Washington State Standard)
  
• Trump budget puts clean-energy spending in crosshairs (Washington State Standard)
  
• Trump Administration Slashes Research Into L.G.B.T.Q. Health (NY Times)
  
• Democratic senators press Trump administration on how it will protect endangered species (Associated Press)
  
• Donald Jr. and Eric Trump Pursue New Deals That Would Enrich President Trump (NY Times)
  
• Trump’s HUD retreats from long-standing housing protections for transgender people (Associated Press)
  

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-  244 AM PDT Mon May 5 2025    
TODAY  E wind around 5 kt, backing to NE around 5 kt early this  afternoon, backing to NW late. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: NW 2 ft at 4 seconds and W  4 ft at 9 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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5/2 Brook trout, pink salmon, BC fast track, BC energy regulator, 'Nechako,' public broadcasting, sewage spill, MRC volunteers, seaweed harvest, 'How Birds Fly,' democracy watch, week in review

                                                    Brook trout [Nevada Dept. of Wildlife]


Brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis
Brook trout are a popular and widely distributed game fish in Washington and although they are called a trout, they are actually a char, closely related to lake trout and bull trout rather than rainbow or cutthroat trout. Average 12-16 inches. Brook trout can grow to 18+ inches (and several pounds) in quality populations. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: State service award winner fights hunger

A record-size run of pink salmon may be headed toward Washington state
Biologists expect a record number of pink salmon to return to Puget Sound and Washington rivers and streams this year. And while that may seem like a good signal about salmon habitat, it's also raising some concerns. Kim Malcomb and John O'Brien report. (KUOW)

‘Cutting corners’: B.C. takes next step to fast-track wind, North Coast transmission line projects
The B.C. government plans to make it quicker and easier for renewable energy projects to get shovels in the ground. Critics say the move could erode environmental standards. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal)

The B.C. agency overseeing oil and gas is about to get more powerful. Here’s why you should care
A guide to the BC Energy Regulator: what it is, what it does and why it matters. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

A dam destroyed their river. 61 years later, two First Nations fought for justice
A new documentary, Nechako: It Will Be a Big River Again, dives into how two First Nations sought justice for damage to one of B.C.’s biggest rivers. Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood reports. (The Narwhal)

Trump orders federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting. (Associated Press)

Sewage spill leads to no-contact advisory for Liberty Bay, Keyport shoreline
Approximately 15,000 gallons of sewage spilled in the waters of Liberty Bay near Keyport Wednesday, causing the Kitsap Public Health District to issue a one-week no-contact advisory and a shellfish harvesting advisory for three weeks. Peiyu Lin reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Volunteers contribute to marine stewardship
The Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee outlined work it performed last year in several categories for the board of county commissioners. A total of 95 volunteers contributed to the MRC’s marine stewardship projects in 2024. It was estimated that was 2,246 hours worth about $78,000. Elijah Sussman reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Can you harvest seaweed in Washington state?
You need a license to harvest seaweed from Washington beaches. Once you’ve obtained a license, RCW 79.135.410 still limits the amount of seaweed someone can harvest from a Washington beach to 10 pounds a day.You’re not allowed to sell or barter seaweed, use any instruments to cut it other than a knife, scissors, or something similar and you have to bring your own scale to measure it. You’re also not allowed to take any seaweed with herring eggs on it. Daniel Schrager report. (Bellingham Herald)

Flying. Peter Cavanagh and Ann Vandervelde will share their new book, “HOW BIRDS FLY: The Science and Art of Avian Flight” on May 9 at the Lopez Center, 5:30 p.m. Free. Information and reservations.  (Also June 9 at Griffin Bay Bookstore, Friday Harbor)

Democracy Watch

• Justice Department sues Hawaii, Michigan, Vermont and New York over state climate actions  (Associated Press)
  
• Trump administration asks Supreme Court to strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelan migrants (Associated Press)
  
• Army plans for a potential parade on Trump's birthday call for 6,600 soldiers, AP learns (Associated Press)
  
• Trump says he's 'taking away' Harvard's tax exempt status (ABC News)
  

Salish Sea News Week in Review 5/2/25: Tuba Friday, NW forested swamps, Trump's deep-sea mining, PFAS, ESA "harm," baby salmon travel, geoduck farm, electricity demand, enviro justice grants, BC climate goals, sewage spills, The Big One.

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 weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PDT Fri May 2 2025    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to N late this morning,  backing to W early this afternoon, becoming SW 10 to 15 kt late.  Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 13 seconds. A slight  chance of showers late this morning. A chance of showers early  this afternoon, then showers late.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W  5 ft at 12 seconds.  
SAT  NW wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming W 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 11 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 15 to 20 kt, easing to 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at 10 seconds.  
SUN  W wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 10 seconds.  
SUN NIGHT  W wind 15 to 20 kt, easing to 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 10 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.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


 

5/1 Brown trout, May Day, BC climate goals, auto rebate, sewage spill reporting, Big One, walls, democracy watch

Brown trout [Wikipedia]

 
Brown trout Salmo trutta
Brown trout are a popular and widely distributed game fish in Washington.   The Salmo genus name indicates they are not closely related to our native trout and salmon but rather are most closely related to Atlantic salmon, and like Atlantic salmon, they are of European origin. Average 12-18 inches. Brown trout can grow to 20+ inches (and several pounds) in quality populations. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Healing grief, connecting with closure

What is May Day? Marches, rallies planned around Puget Sound
Tens of thousands of immigrants and their supporters in U.S. cities are set to protest against immigration policies to mark the day. It's an event that will also generate heated protests around the world as unions push for better rights for workers. This year, event organizers are broadening their focus to demand dignity for immigrant communities. (Associated Press/KOMO)  Upstart unions at Seattle’s Amazon, Starbucks, REI enter the Trump era Alex Halversom reports. (Seattle Times)

BC Admits It Won’t Come Close to 2025 and 2030 Climate Goals
The province’s new climate report walks back last year’s positive forecasts. Zoë Yunker reports. (The Tyee)

B.C. to end zero-emission vehicle rebate program
The program, which mirrored a similar federal program, offered $4,000 rebates on new ZEVs. Rafferty Baker reports. (CBC)

New law requires sewage spills to be revealed to the public through a new statewide website
The Washington Legislature has passed into law the Sewage Spill Right to Know Act, which requires the Department of Ecology to set up a website to rapidly notify the public of sewage spills that occur anywhere in the state. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

A big Pacific Northwest quake could cause land to sink in minutes
Scientists say the region is overdue for a major tremor, and a new study predicts serious flooding would result along with shaking and a tsunami. Angie Orellana Hernandez reports.(Washington Post)

Walled Off
As barriers to control human migration rise around the world, animals suffer. Phoebe Weston reports. (bioGraphic/The Guardian)

Democracy Watch

• Trump administration investigates WA education agency over trans youth protections  (Seattle Times)
  
• Trump's VA strands thousands of veterans by ending a key mortgage program (NPR)
  
• Musk defends his work as he prepares to wind down at DOGE but gives hazy answers on future (Associated Press)
  

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  235 AM PDT Thu May 1 2025    
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to NE early this afternoon,  backing to NW late. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at  10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft  at 9 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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