9/3 Sea squirt, Blaine Harbor cleanup, oil sands pipe, glacier collapse, coho art, Wild Olympics bill, democracy watch.

Sea squirt

 
Sea squirt Pyura haustor
Sea squirts live in coastal waters in the north-eastern Pacific Ocean, attached to rocks or artificial structures. Common names for this species include the wrinkled seapump, the wrinkled sea squirt and the warty tunicate. Like other tunicates, this sea squirt draws in large quantities of water through its buccal siphon, filters out the edible particles and expels the water through the atrial siphon. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Drier summers push Bellingham to rethink Padden Creek water use 

Blaine Harbor cleanup project on hold due to funding issue
The Port of Bellingham learned earlier this summer that anticipated funding to clean the former Westman Marine site did not get approved by the Washington state Department of Ecology. Reallocating funds from other port projects wasn’t an option, as other projects were listed as higher priorities. Dianna Hawryluk reports. (My Bellingham Now/CDN) 

San Juan County, Islands Trust join forces against proposed oil sands pipeline
San Juan County Council is preparing to link arms with British Columbia’s Islands Trust in formal opposition to a proposed Canadian oil pipeline that would send more than a million barrels of Alberta oil sands crude a day to a marine terminal on the Strait of Georgia. Darrell Kirk reports. (San Juan Journal)  See: Orca Pass International Stewardship Area 

What the devastating glacier collapse in Nepal tells us about Canada’s rapidly changing ice
As experts work to understand a devastating Himalayan disaster, a Canadian hydrologist says the impacts of melting glaciers here include worsening wildfire, drought and threats to blocked highways. Sara King-Abadi reports. (The Narwhal) 

Author-illustrator wins award for coho salmon artwork
The National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) in Jackson, Wyo., has awarded author and illustrator Annie Chen its 2026 Bull-Bransom Award for her mesmerizing illustrations for "Salmon Run," the first children’s book that she both wrote and illustrated. Kendra Chamberlain reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Sen. Patty Murray rallies support for Wild Olympics bill in Sequim
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray met with about 20 advocates for her Wild Olympics bill in the kind of place her legislation is meant to protect — a wooded spot in the Olympic National Forest south of Sequim — to discuss the status of the bill, which would safeguard wilderness areas and salmon-spawning rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. Paula Hunt reports. (Peninsula Daily News) 

Democracy Watch

• Record number of WA mail-in ballots uncounted after primary election, report finds (KNKX/KUOW) 

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Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  210 PM PDT Wed Sep 2 2026    
THU  SE wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming N in the afternoon. Seas 3 to  5 ft. Wave Detail: SE 2 ft at 6 seconds and W 5 ft at 11 seconds.  A chance of rain in the afternoon.  
THU NIGHT  NW wind around 5 kt, backing to SW around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 10 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/2 Ocean spray, first fall storm, air pollution permits, food safety net holes, democracy watch.

 

Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray Holodiscus discolor
There are seven to ten species of Holodiscus, all native to the Americas; from British Columbia to Bolivia. It is native from southern British Columbia to southern California, east to western Montana, Colorado and Arizona. The wood, known as “Ironwood” in English, was used for many tools and utensils by natives.  It was made even harder by heating it over a fire and polishing it with horsetail stems.  It was used for roasting tongs “because it won’t burn,” for digging sticks, fishing hooks, needles, canoe paddles, bows, and spear, harpoon, and arrow shafts,  Oceanspray pegs were used in construction, when nails were not readily available. (Native Plants PNW)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Bellingham residents cut Flock cameras, part of a growing trend

Fall-like weather system to hit western Washington this week
Forecasters are expecting widespread rain, gusty winds and possible thunderstorms through Thursday. Jason Upton reports. (My Bellingham Now)  B.C.'s 1st 'fall storm' could bring 'onslaught' of rain to parts of coast Environment Canada is warning that the first "fall storm" of the season is closing in on parts of the British Columbia coast. Simon Little reports. (CBC)

E.P.A. Moves to Curb Public Input on Data Centers
Under the proposal, states would no longer need to provide public notice or solicit comments on air pollution permits for data centers and other projects. Maxine Joselow reports.(NY Times) 

A summer of recalls exposes holes in the nation’s food safety net
The recalls have focused attention on the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding and staff at several public health agencies, and prompted questions about whether those changes have made consumers more vulnerable. Anna Claire Vollers reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Democracy Watch

• Postal Service work to comply with Trump’s executive order is rushed and sloppy, a whistleblower contends (AP) 
• WA officials decry Trump administration’s reported ramp-up in voter fraud investigations (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-  132 PM PDT Tue Sep 1 2026    
WED  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft  at 4 seconds and W 4 ft at 10 seconds. Showers.  
WED NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: SE  2 ft at 5 seconds and W 5 ft at 11 seconds. Rain likely, mainly  in the evening.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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--
Mike Sato, Co-Founder
Salish Current (206) 229-2844
Real journalism. Local. Powerful.

9/1 Sea pen, region power plan, Tilbury LNG expansion, Fire and Ice, Democracy Watch.

 

Orange sea pen 

Orange sea pen Ptilosarcus gurneyi 
The orange sea pen, also called the fleshy sea pen or Gurney’s sea pen, resembles a colorful autumn tree waving in the “breeze” of moving water currents. is actually a colony of tiny animals called polyps working together to form a single organism. As it grows, it adds more polyps, assigned to different jobs depending on their location in the colony. (WA Dept of Ecology)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Dolly Parton’s country legacy sings on in Northwest Washington

Draft NW region power plan lays road map to meet soaring demand 
The Northwest will need a large expansion of renewable energy alongside battery storage, energy-efficiency measures and natural gas to meet growing electricity demand, according to the latest draft of the region’s most comprehensive power plan. The draft plan calls for 11,000 megawatts of new generation capacity across four states in the Columbia River basin through 2032, including: 9,000 megawatts of renewable resources; 5,000 megawatts of storage; 2,100 megawatts of natural gas; and around 1,870 megawatts from energy efficiency and conservation. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times) 

FortisBC wants to dramatically expand the Tilbury LNG facility in Delta, B.C. 
The urban project is raising concerns about air pollution, emissions and impacts on the Fraser River. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal) 

Fire and Ice
David B. William's latest book, "In the Range of Fire and Ice: A Human and Natural History of Washington’s Cascade" is his interpretation of a unique set of environmental and historical conditions and opportunities that illuminate relationships between people and environment, past and present, and natural landscapes and altered ones. For more information. 

Democracy Watch

• Trump officials cut political interference ban after unusual Census Bureau report (KUOW) 

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-  131 PM PDT Mon Aug 31 2026    
TUE  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at  9 seconds.  
TUE NIGHT  S wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming SE 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  3 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening, then rain  after midnight.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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8/31 Bracken fern, Fraser R sockeye, Hood Canal oxygen, lead levels, Protection Island, Jumping orca, democracy watch.

Bracken Fern

 
Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum 
Bracken ferns can be found nearly worldwide (they are considered to be the most widespread fern in the world, and one of the 5 most widespread plants), a testament to the dispersability of their very light spores, and their adaptability to a wide variety of soil types. Mature plants may produce a quarter of a billion spores annually, and when multiplied by the millions of plants in our region, there are phenomenal numbers of spores raining continually raining down, so it’s easy to see why Bracken Ferns are early colonizers of disturbed ground and after fires. (10.000 Things of the Pacific Northwest) 

Today's top story in Salish Current:  New shark research launches decade-long data crusade

'Disastrous': Historic, dominant Fraser River sockeye run collapses
Sixteen years ago the Fraser River saw more than 28 million sockeye salmon return for its dominant run. This year, just four life cycles later, the run has collapsed to 2.8 million fish. Graeme Wood reports. (Times Colonist) 

'This event looks to be extreme’: Low oxygen kills ‘extensive’ Hood Canal marine life
Friday, the Washington Department of Ecology documented a “fish kill,” a sudden and unexpected die-off of many fish and other marine life. Dalton Day reports. (KING) 

Lead levels above hazardous waste threshold found on Seattle roadway
Public Health is recommending alternate routes after tests found elevated lead levels in a roadway and stormwater catch basin. The contamination was found along the 4200 block of 23rd Avenue W. Shawn Garrett reports. (KING) 

Washington state island’s only resident supports transfer from feds to tribe
Tens of thousands of birds touch down here. Rhinoceros auklets. Tufted puffins. Purple martins. Pigeon guillemots. Pelagic cormorants. Great horned owls. Bald eagles. Glaucous-winged gulls. Protection Island is a national wildlife refuge because its bluffs provide some of the Salish Sea’s last undeveloped habitat for burrow-nesting seabirds. It’s especially crucial for breeding pairs of auklets. Daniel Beckman reports. (Seattle Times/The Chronicle) 

Jumpin’ Jack Flash: Orca makes movie-myth-busting leap in B.C. waters
South of Victoria, a Bigg’s killer whale known as Jack (T137A) was caught on camera Aug. 20 launching himself repeatedly from the water, leaving boaters in the area speechless. Ben Fenlon reports. (Goldstream Gazette)  

Democracy Watch

• Noncitizen voting claims animate Trump's attacks on midterms and set up potential result challenges (AP) 
• Trump asks Supreme Court to allow military to discharge transgender troops (Washington Post) 
• Trump says he will report NBC host to FCC for ‘rebuke or punishment’ (Washington Post) 

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-  130 PM PDT Sun Aug 30 2026    
MON  NW wind around 5 kt, rising to 5 to 10 kt in the  afternoon. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 10 seconds.  
MON NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 10 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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8/28 Raspberry, Cosmopolis cleanup, vehicle emission rules, Lake America, Tacoma dead whale, tariff impact, democracy watch, week in review.

 

[King Conservation District]

Blackcap Raspberry Rubus leucodermis
Rubus is a large genus with between 400 and 750 species. In the Pacific Northwest, the three most important native species are Blackcap Raspberry, Salmonberry, and Thimbleberry.  There are several smaller species, as well. Two of our worst nonnative invaders belong to this genus, Himalayan Blackberry, R. armeniacus (R. discolor), and Evergreen or Cutleaf Blackberry, R. laciniatus. (Native Plants of the PNW)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  We must save our school libraries at all costs

EPA is cleaning up hazardous waste at Cosmopolis' defunct pulp mill 
A defunct pulp mill near the coastal Washington city of Aberdeen is now in the hands of the Environmental Protection Agency. Earlier this month, EPA personnel began to clean up Cosmo Specialty Fibers, which sits on the south bank of a bend in the Chehalis River in Cosmopolis. Bellamy Paithorp reports. (KNKX) 

Trump administration relied on flawed logic to justify scrapping vehicle emission rules, study says
The Trump administration relied on flawed logic to justify scrapping vehicle emissions standards this year, making errors in how it accounted for fuel savings, the price of technology and mileage, according to a new study by a group of economists. Alexa St. John reports. (Associated Press) 

Trump directs federal government to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America 
President Trump is escalating his ongoing dispute with Canada over tariffs with a new executive order renaming Lake Ontario, which sits between New York and Canada, to Lake America. The order, which Trump signed Thursday, directs the federal government to rename the smallest of the great lakes "effective immediately." However, the order also outlines administrative steps that must occur first. He made a similar move last year renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. Deepa Shivaram reports. (NPR) 

Cause of death released for whale found in Port of Tacoma
Officials confirmed the dead whale found on a bow of a ship in the Port of Tacoma Monday morning was a 67-foot-long adult female fin whale that was alive when struck by a vessel. Becca Most reports. (Tacoma News Tribune) 

How 50% U.S. tariffs will impact the average British Columbian
B.C. is among the provinces most exposed to the new tariffs, as the newly-tariffed items represent more than 13 per cent of the province's total exports to the U.S., a rate higher than any other province. Akshay Kulkarni reports. (CBC) 

Democracy Watch

• ICE awards $16.7M contract to buy 6,000 pairs of gloves that deliver electric shocks (AP) 
• Stars and Stripes publisher, editor and reporter sue Pentagon to challenge their firings (AP) 
• Postal Service pushes ahead on Trump order limiting vote-by-mail (Washington State Standard) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 8/28/26: Wildfires, hot Earth, climate catastrophe, TM pipe, shellfish testing, BC hatcheries, Longview tank, Berg Glacier. 

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-  303 AM PDT Fri Aug 28 2026    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt late. Seas  around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 7 seconds. A slight chance of  rain early this afternoon.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W  3 ft at 6 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening.  
SAT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft  at 7 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  3 ft at 8 seconds.  SUN  SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at  7 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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8/27 Sculpin, ruptured tank, plastic packaging removed, Berg Glacier, democracy watch.

 

Pacific staghorn sculpin

Pacific staghorn sculpin Leptocottus armatus
The Pacific staghorn sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Leptocottus.  It was first formally described in 1854 by the French biologist Charles Frédéric Girard with its type locality given as San Francisco. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  New technology tracks bumblebees across the Nooksack and Bellingham

Records: Ruptured tank at Longview paper mill was being worked on, scheduled for replacement before incident 
The chemical tank that collapsed in late May, killing 11 people at a paper mill in Longview, Washington, was being worked on and scheduled for replacement at the time of the incident, according to statements from staff at the facility released by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office. According to the documents, a maintenance supervisor at Nippon Dynawave told a deputy the tank “was scheduled to be replaced sometime next year.” Erik Neumann reports. (OPB) (See also: Ecology issues initial determinations of environmental violations following Nippon Dynawave tank failure (WA Dept of Ecology News Release) 

Strangling plastic packaging removed from sea lion at Race Rocks
About 60 per cent of sea lion disentanglements involve plastic packing bands, according to the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist) 

'Visual symbol of climate change': Mount Robson's Berg Glacier no longer reaches lake
Researchers have observed the iconic glacier has separated from the lake and may no longer form icebergs. Hanna Petersen reports. (CBC) 

Democracy Watch

• Michael Shepard declared second-place finisher in 42nd LD Senate race (CDN) 
• WA sues again to stop Trump administration mail-in voting requirements (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-  135 PM PDT Wed Aug 26 2026    
THU  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: NW 2 ft  at 7 seconds and S 2 ft at 7 seconds. Showers likely.  
THU NIGHT  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 7 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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8/26 Dolly, climate catastrophe, testing shellfish, BC hatcheries, BC pipeline cleanup, tariff war, democracy watch.

 

[ABC News]

Good-bye, Dolly. Thank you!
Dolly Parton, the beloved music and film star known for her vibrant personality and poignant songwriting, has died. She was 80 years old. (Associated Press) 

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Creating treasure on Lummi Island

The world inches closer to catastrophic climate events
Earth is being heated by massive amounts of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere, leading to a gradual rise in average global temperature. That increase, 1.44 degrees Celsius (2.59 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer in 2025 compared to the early 1800s, leads to more frequent, and more intense, extreme weather events. Peter Prengaman reports. (Associated Press) 

How a WA lab tests shellfish for dangerous toxins 
At the Washington State Department of Health’s humble (read: small) public health lab, scientists process hundreds of samples of shellfish each week to help keep people safe from illness. If you like to shuck ‘em, enjoy a chowder or geoduck ceviche, these are some of the people you can thank. And their work is becoming more important as Washington warms due to climate change. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times) 

New hatcheries will see up to 1 million more salmon raised and released into Fraser and Skeena Rivers annually
Feds have announced $53M in contracts for hatcheries in Prince George, Gitanyow and Tŝilhqot'in territory. Andrew Kurjata reports. (CBC)  

B.C. regulator let an oil company delay pipeline cleanup. Spills followed 
CNRL has reported 45 incidents since 2020, when B.C. exempted thousands of its pipelines from normal clean-up timelines. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal) 

Canada strikes back at US with retaliatory tariffs as trade war escalates
Canada struck back at the United States on Tuesday with retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment, as the trade war between the once-friendly neighbors escalated sharply. Rob Gillies reports. (Associated Press) 

Democracy Watch

• ICE arrests jumped to nearly 50,000 in July, the highest monthly total of Trump’s second term (AP) 
• DHS acknowledges the noncitizen numbers it touted on voter rolls were inflated (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-  303 AM PDT Tue Aug 25 2026    
WED  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft  at 8 seconds.  
WED NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to S after midnight. Seas  around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at 7 seconds. A chance of  showers after midnight.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



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