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| Vine Maple |
Vine Maple Acer circinatum
There are nearly 150 species of maples worldwide. Most are from eastern Asia. North America is home to about a dozen. We have three native maple species in the Pacific Northwest: Big-Leaf Maple and two more shrubby cousins, Vine Maple, Acer circinatum, and Douglas Maple, Acer glabrum. It is found from Alaska and British Columbia to northern California, from the east side of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific coast. (Native Plants PNW)
Today's top story in Salish Current: The battle of Sudden Valley’s invasive waterlilies
Lakewood waste service fined $1 million for improper hazardous material handling
Crystal Clean, Inc., a national waste management company, was issued $1.04 million in penalties by the Washington Department of Ecology for the improper handling of hazardous waste at its Lakewood location. Bonny Matejowsky reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)
Crystal Clean, Inc., a national waste management company, was issued $1.04 million in penalties by the Washington Department of Ecology for the improper handling of hazardous waste at its Lakewood location. Bonny Matejowsky reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)
Seattle light rail’s electrical system zaps some Lake Washington fish
Sound Transit disclosed Thursday that electric current from light rail operations along the I-90/Homer M. Hadley floating bridge is suspected of killing Lake Washington fish. An estimated 2,000 fish, mostly nonnative species, have died near the bridge. Exact counts are difficult, in part because many have decomposed, transit staff said. Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)
US Forest Service releases long-awaited restructuring plan
After months of uncertainty, researchers with the U.S. Forest Service are learning whether they will have to relocate under the agency's sweeping restructure. It announced it will shutter nearly two dozen facilities. In the Pacific Northwest, at least three locations were being evaluated for closure, of those three, one will be closed: The Pacific Northwest regional headquarters in Portland. Adia White reports. (NW Public Broadcasting)
Washington’s endangered lynx make a breakthrough
The Colville Tribe’s Canada lynx augmentation project, which moved 46 lynx from British Columbia to the U.S. between the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2026, is off to a good start. The new cats add to Washington’s steady population of 40 to 100 lynx living mostly in the northeastern Cascade Range. (Columbia Insight)
Trust land transfer proposals approved by Washington Board of Natural Resources
The Washington State Board of Natural Resources approved a priority list of six parcels for legislative funding to conserve via the Trust Land Transfer program during its meeting Tuesday. The Legislature must fund the transfers before they can be completed. The $30 million request, the highest allowed by state law, would fully fund five of the applications and provide partial funding toward the sixth-ranked proposal, the Tract C proposal to the Yakama Nation. (The Chronicle)
Comox Valley Land Trust crowdfunds for ecologically important Deep Bay property
BC Parks Foundation has launched a campaign to purchase 50 hectares of forest, wetland, estuary and shoreline in Deep Bay, with a remaining $395,000 needed by the Sept. 30 deadline. (Comox Valley Record)
Democracy Watch
Sound Transit disclosed Thursday that electric current from light rail operations along the I-90/Homer M. Hadley floating bridge is suspected of killing Lake Washington fish. An estimated 2,000 fish, mostly nonnative species, have died near the bridge. Exact counts are difficult, in part because many have decomposed, transit staff said. Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)
US Forest Service releases long-awaited restructuring plan
After months of uncertainty, researchers with the U.S. Forest Service are learning whether they will have to relocate under the agency's sweeping restructure. It announced it will shutter nearly two dozen facilities. In the Pacific Northwest, at least three locations were being evaluated for closure, of those three, one will be closed: The Pacific Northwest regional headquarters in Portland. Adia White reports. (NW Public Broadcasting)
Washington’s endangered lynx make a breakthrough
The Colville Tribe’s Canada lynx augmentation project, which moved 46 lynx from British Columbia to the U.S. between the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2026, is off to a good start. The new cats add to Washington’s steady population of 40 to 100 lynx living mostly in the northeastern Cascade Range. (Columbia Insight)
Trust land transfer proposals approved by Washington Board of Natural Resources
The Washington State Board of Natural Resources approved a priority list of six parcels for legislative funding to conserve via the Trust Land Transfer program during its meeting Tuesday. The Legislature must fund the transfers before they can be completed. The $30 million request, the highest allowed by state law, would fully fund five of the applications and provide partial funding toward the sixth-ranked proposal, the Tract C proposal to the Yakama Nation. (The Chronicle)
Comox Valley Land Trust crowdfunds for ecologically important Deep Bay property
BC Parks Foundation has launched a campaign to purchase 50 hectares of forest, wetland, estuary and shoreline in Deep Bay, with a remaining $395,000 needed by the Sept. 30 deadline. (Comox Valley Record)
Democracy Watch
Salish Sea News Week in Review 9/4/26:
Macadamia nut, sockeye run, low oxygen, NW power plan, Tilbury LNG,
data center input, oil sands pipeline, glacier collapse, Crystal Clean
fined.
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Current?
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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 150 AM PDT Fri Sep 4 2026
TODAY E wind around 5 kt, backing to NE early this afternoon, backing to NW late. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt after midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds.
SAT W wind around 5 kt, veering to E in the afternoon. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning.
SAT NIGHT NW wind around 5 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds.
SUN NE wind around 5 kt, backing to NW in the afternoon. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 10 seconds.
SUN NIGHT W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 6 seconds and W 2 ft at 10 seconds.
MON W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 6 seconds and W 2 ft at 11 seconds.
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 150 AM PDT Fri Sep 4 2026
TODAY E wind around 5 kt, backing to NE early this afternoon, backing to NW late. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt after midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds.
SAT W wind around 5 kt, veering to E in the afternoon. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning.
SAT NIGHT NW wind around 5 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds.
SUN NE wind around 5 kt, backing to NW in the afternoon. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 10 seconds.
SUN NIGHT W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 6 seconds and W 2 ft at 10 seconds.
MON W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 6 seconds and W 2 ft at 11 seconds.
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"Salish Sea News
& Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike
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