6/26 Snapdragons, SRKWs, humpback calf, Centralis coal plant, Columbia R fisheries, Roundup, democracy watch, week in review.

 

Snapdragons

Snapdragons Antirrhinum
Antirrhinum is a genus of plants in the Plantaginaceae family, commonly known as dragon flowers or snapdragons because of the flowers' fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed. They are also sometimes called toadflax or dog flower. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Local groups promote green boating during World Cup traffic

Study of 50 Years of Data Shows Southern Resident Orcas Are Increasingly Absent From Puget Sound
Researchers analyzing nearly 50 years of data have identified distinct shifts in the movement patterns of two killer whale populations within the Salish Sea. The study tracks the behavioral ecology of the endangered southern resident killer whales and a separate group of transient orcas, noting that the southern residents are increasingly absent from their traditional habitats in Puget Sound. (GeneOnline) 

Humpback calf struck by Hullo ferry returns to Salish Sea after months-long absence 
A young humpback whale that was believed to have been struck by a Hullo Ferries vessel in October was spotted in the waters of the Salish Sea this week, which came as a relief to whale watchers who had not seen the animal in months. Adam Chan reports. (CHEK) 

The tab to keep a Pacific Northwest coal plant on standby keeps rising. Who will pay?
Utilities are spurning attempts by the facility’s owner to have them share in the costs stemming from a federal directive. Meanwhile, the plant sits idle. Tom Banse reports. (Washington State Standard) 

BPA abruptly pulls funding from Columbia River fisheries program
The Bonneville Power Administration isn’t going to put any more money into a fisheries program operated by state wildlife management agencies of Oregon and Washington and Clatsop County Fisheries in Oregon. BPA has provided funding for the program for decades. Kendra Chamberlain reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Supreme Court ruling blocks thousands of lawsuits against the maker of Roundup weedkiller
The Supreme Court sided with the maker of Roundup weedkiller Thursday in a ruling expected to block thousands of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people the product could cause cancer. Lindsay Whitehurst and David A. Lieb report. (Associated Press) 

Democracy Watch

• Mount Vernon City Council votes to turn off Flock cameras, mayor concerned with process (Skagit Valley Herald) 
• Trump order limiting voting by mail halted by federal court (Washington State Standard) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 6/26/26: Food truck Friday, WA snowpack, Orcas green crab, L130/129, El Niño, sunflower star, carbon market, wildlife refuges, drilling on public lands, Burrard dredging, Roundup.

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 weeekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  113 AM PDT Fri Jun 26 2026    
TODAY  S wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming W 10 to 15 kt this  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: S 2 ft at 3 seconds and W  4 ft at 9 seconds. Rain.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 9 seconds. A  chance of rain.  
SAT  W wind around 5 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 9 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W  6 ft at 10 seconds.  
SUN  SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at  9 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.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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6/25 Honeysuckle, Big Tech, AK orcas, single-use plastics, Burrard Inlet dredge, democracy watch.

 

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle Lonicera
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus Lonicera of the family Caprifoliaceae. The genus includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Honeysuckle derives its name from the edible sweet nectar obtainable from its tubular flowers. The name Lonicera stems from Adam Lonicer, a Renaissance botanist.(Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Bright spot for salmon — sockeye fishing open on Skagit River

Big Tech is bankrolling the clean energy transition... while emitting more than ever
Pacific Northwest scientists and engineers are chasing a watershed moment in clean energy. These projects have something in common: They are all being bankrolled by tech, an industry with an insatiable appetite for energy thanks to the artificial intelligence boom. That these carbon-free energy gambles are being built in Washington and Oregon is no accident. The states have some of the most aggressive decarbonization laws on the books. Monica Nickelsberg reports. (KUOW) 

Famous Orcas from Alaskan Rescue Effort Pop Up on Oregon Coast, Blowing Up Social Media
Not since “Free Willy's” freedom trip from the Oregon Coast Aquarium back in the '90s has there been a visit from such a famous whale (or two). Oregon's Keiko made worldwide news then for being the first whale in captivity to be freed in such a grand manner, but some 20 years later the names T049A2 and T051 became almost as well known for getting stuck in an Alaskan Lake and then freed by rather elaborate means. (Oregon Coast Beach Connection) 

17 GOP AGs sue California over single-use plastics law
Seventeen Republican attorneys general have sued California over a state law that requires plastic packaging producers to move away from single-use plastics, alleging that the law will raise costs for consumers across the country. Nada Hassanein reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Vancouver port receives permission to dredge Burrard Inlet, allow big oil tankers to increase load
Dredging underneath Second Narrows bridge will start in September, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says.  Wolfgang Depner reports. (Canadian Press)  

Democracy Watch

• Federal judge bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote (AP) 

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-  145 PM PDT Wed Jun 24 2026    
THU  NW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at  7 seconds. Rain likely in the afternoon.  
THU NIGHT  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 2 ft or less, then  around 3 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: S 2 ft at 6 seconds.  Rain.

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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.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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6/24 Clematis, carbon market, nat'l refuges, drilling, CA offshore wind, CA emissions, enviro podcast, wool weaving, hybrid ferries, democracy watch.

Clematis [Chris Alberti]

 

Clematis 
Clematis are perennials in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) some of which are climbers and others are spreading subshrubs or groundcovers. There are nearly 400 species and many more cultivars and hybrids. They are cosmopolitan in distribution. The genus name derives from the Greek word klēmatis, meaning broken branches, perhaps owing to its fragile stems. (North Carolina Extension)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Commentary: Cascadia legacies are key to World Cup success

WA to agree to link carbon markets with CA, Quebec 
After years of careful planning, public outreach and coordination, Washington, California and the Canadian province of Quebec have agreed on how best to merge their carbon markets. Their agreement marks the most tangible progress to date in what is meant to be the ultimate realization of the Climate Commitment Act, a landmark Washington law that aims to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from the biggest polluters in the state. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times/paywall)  

Tribes seek ownership of National Wildlife Refuges in the Salish Sea
In a surprising statement Monday in a meeting of the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, Jamestown S’Klallam Chairman and CEO Ron Allen stated that a number of tribes in the Salish Sea and coastal waters seek to transfer ownership of National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and incorporate them into their tribal reservations. Al Bergstein reports. (Olympic Peninsula Environmental News) 

Interior Department Moves to Relax Rules for Drilling on Public Lands
The Interior Department, which oversees federal lands, said that it would propose to loosen two Biden-era regulations that sought to rein in planet-warming methane and ensure that energy companies are on the hook to clean up their used-up wells. Rachel Frazin reports. (The Hill) 

Kitimat LNG Plant Asks for Massive Flaring Permit Increase
Racked by technical problems, LNG Canada has applied to be allowed to flare far more gas into Kitimat’s airshed. Zoë Yunker reports. (The Tyee) 

California intends to sue Trump administration over deal to end offshore wind project
State officials said they are combating the administration’s attacks on their offshore wind industry by sending a notice of their intention to sue to the Department of the Interior on Tuesday. Tuesday’s action is focused on the administration buying back the lease for Golden State Wind, a floating offshore wind project off California’s central coast. Jennifer McDermott reports. (Associated Press) 

California lawsuit challenges Trump’s effort to revoke auto emissions rules
The state of California and the Trump administration are on course for a major legal clash that could determine whether the state will continue to have unique authority to shape the American automotive market. On Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s attempt to roll back California’s vehicle emissions standards. Alex Brown reports. (Washington State Standard) 

New podcast covers environmental disasters in PNW
“The earth doesn’t forget and neither should we” say founders of Ecocide, which launched this month. Kendra Chamberlain reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Burke Museum Special Exhibit Highlights Coast Salish Wool Weaving
Woven in Wool: Resilience in Coast Salish Weaving is a special exhibition at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle, Washington. The exhibit is a testament to the creativity and tenacity of Coast Salish weaving culture, a love letter to the plants, animals, and community that go into every weaving, and a touchstone for modern cultural-exhibition collaborations. (Burke Museum) 

Washington State Ferries Builds a Hybrid Electric Future
At the head of the U.S.’ largest ferry system is Steve Nevey, Deputy Secretary, Washington State Ferry (WSF), which is engaged in a historic modernization to a hybrid-electric fleet. Nevey gives a candid look inside problems during the Wenatchee conversion, with insights on the hybrid electric direction and pace for newbuilds at Eastern Shipbuilding. Greg Trauthwein reports. (MarineLink) 

Democracy Watch

• Whatcom County temporarily bans immigration detention centers (CDN) 
• How Trump Turned America’s Refugee Program Into a Pathway for White People (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-  214 PM PDT Tue Jun 23 2026    
WED  W wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 8 seconds.  FFWED NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W  5 ft at 8 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.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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6/23 Columbine, Bellingham Port contracts, Point Roberts burials, El Niño, forest 'enhancement,' pickup pollution, sunflower sea stars, pika watch, democracy watch

 

Columbine

Columbine Aquilegia
Aquilegia, commonly known as columbines, is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae (buttercups). The genus includes between 70 and 400 taxa (described species and subspecies) with natural ranges across the Northern Hemisphere. Natural and introduced populations of Aquilegia exist on all continents but Antarctica. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Bellingham Festival of Music creates community from around the world

Records raise questions about how $100K Bellingham Port PR contract was managed 
The Port of Bellingham dropped $100,000 on a yearlong public relations campaign, but its response to a public records request raises questions about what the port gained from the expense and how the contract was managed. Sydnee Chapman reports. the contract was managed. (Salish Current)

Hearing set for Point Roberts burial disturbances 
Lummi Nation suing telecom company, government agencies over trenching tribal members say unearthed ancestral remains. Richard Arlen Walker reports.(Salish Current) 

What a ‘very strong’ El Niño could mean for WA
Meteorologists fear this year’s El Niño will further heat a planet already warmed by fossil fuel pollution and lead to billions of dollars in damages from heat waves, floods and droughts. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times/paywall) 

Millions in Forest ‘Enhancement’ Funds May Be Spurring More Logging
BC subsidizes trucking logs far distances. Some worry it leads to cutting down remote, rare forests. Ben Parfitt reports. (The Tyee) 

Justice Department makes it easier to bypass pollution controls on pickups 
It was one of the easiest ways to make a diesel truck faster, more powerful and more reliable: Pay a local shop to quietly gut the emissions controls with an illegal “defeat device.” Now the federal government has largely stopped prosecuting the people who sell and install them. Karen Zraick reports. (NY Times/paywall) 

Group sues federal government over failure to protect sunflower sea star
The Center for Biological Diversity announced Monday it is suing the federal government over a delay in protecting a sea star species devastated in the Salish Sea by disease. The sunflower sea star is a once-abundant species of sea star that lives along the West Coast. It is a key predator of sea urchins. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall) 

Do you like tiny, furry, squeaky animals? Cascades Pika Watch wants your help
Cascades Pika Watch already has over 400 trained volunteers out looking for pikas this summer, but the group is still looking for more. Participants can train online for free.  Kristian Foden-Vencil reports. (OPB) 

Democracy Watch

• Judge blocks use of federal database to check citizenship, saying it could wrongly purge voters (AP) 
• Postal Service skips hearing with WA lawmakers on mail-in ballot rules (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-  244 PM PDT Mon Jun 22 2026    
TUE  E wind around 5 kt, backing to N around 5 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 7 seconds.  
TUE NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W  5 ft at 9 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.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


6/22 St. John's wort, WA snowpack, Orcas green crab, McKinley mill, L130/L129, 'Try Wait' marine protected area, democracy watch.

St. John's wort

 

St. John's wort Hypericum perforatum
St. John's wort, perforate St. John's wort or common St. John's wort is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. H. perforatum is the type species of its genus, known for its historical use in folklore and traditional medicine. (Wikipedia)

WA’s snowpack zapped as drought looms, reservoirs sink
Washington’s snowpack is all but finished, weeks before normal, and some major reservoirs are starting to dip as much as a month early. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times/paywall) 

First invasive European green crab discovered on Orcas Island
A male European green crab was captured at Deer Harbor last week, the first of the invasive species to be found on Orcas Island. Kenedy Sanchez reports. (CDN/paywall) 

Northwest company purchases former McKinley mill property
A Washington-based company has agreed to purchase the former McKinley mill property and will undergo an evaluation to determine opportunities to return the industrial area to use. Candelaria Industries LLC, an ownership group led by Rob Janicki, will purchase the property located at 1902 Marine Drive, subject to government approval. (Peninsula Daily News) 

New southern resident orca calf spotted as another vanishes
Calf L130 was seen for the first time Sunday traveling with the female L91 near East Sooke, B.C., by Center for Whale Research biologists, who estimated the young whale was between 1 and 3 months old...Biologists could not locate L129, an L pod calf that was first spotted in February. Greg Kim reports. (Seattle Times/paywall) 

Decade Of Big Island’s ‘Try Wait’ Moratorium Spurs Plenty Fish — And Poaching
Ten years of no fishing has led to a huge recovery on a stretch of the Kona Coast. Now comes the hard part: Protecting those gains.  Marcel Honoré reports. (Civil Beat) 


Democracy Watch

• Battle ramps up over WA ballot measure to bar transgender students from girls’ sports (Washington State Standard) 

Here's your tug weather— West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  153 PM PDT Sun Jun 21 2026    

MON  NE wind around 5 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft  at 7 seconds.  
MON NIGHT  W wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 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.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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6/19 Barn swallow, L130, ocean monitoring, battery farms, B'ham sewer plan, Tofino gold, democracy watch, week in review.

Barn Swallow [Jeff Dyck]

 

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Glistening cobalt blue above and tawny below, Barn Swallows dart gracefully over fields, barnyards, and open water in search of flying insect prey. Look for the long, deeply forked tail that streams out behind this agile flyer and sets it apart from all other North American swallows. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Commentaries: This Juneteenth, practice joy as defiance? / A proclamation is just the beginning

Center for Whale Research confirms new southern resident orca calf in L Pod
The Center for Whale Research has confirmed the sighting of a new calf, designated L130, among the endangered southern resident killer whales of L Pod. (KOMO) 

Trump administration abandons plans to remove ocean monitoring system
The National Science Foundation this month began dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative system, a system of sensors that provide data on ocean conditions. The move was a part of a broader push by the Trump administration to cut climate science operations. But after an intense bipartisan response, the federal science agency said Thursday it would halt its plans and work to redeploy the instruments it had removed.  Mia Maldonado reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Big battery farms encounter resistance across western Washington
Neighbors fear toxic fires. Clean energy advocates and frustrated developers warn that stifling the projects could slow the clean energy transition. Tom Banse reports. Tom Banse reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Bellingham starts sewer system planning process 
Bellingham is about to start reviewing the city’s wastewater system in its entirety, from when waste leaves a home or business all the way to its eventual outflow in Bellingham Bay. But for now, the city will continue burning its waste. Julie Tellman reports.(CDN) 

Near Tofino, a push for gold is colliding with efforts to protect a rare coastal ecosystem
Unpublished documents and a helicopter flight into the Tranquil Creek watershed reveal details about renewed exploration at a long-dormant mine, raising concerns about B.C.’s mining laws, water and Indigenous Rights. Zoë Yunker reports. (The Narwhal) 

Democracy Watch

• WA’s vote-by-mail elections could be reshaped by Trump-backed changes (Seattle Tims) 
• Obama Center opens in Chicago with a call to defend democracy and a celebrity crowd (AP) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review, June 19, 2026: Juneteenth!, mifepristone, ticks, ocean monitoring, BC dams, glass sponges, L-pod calf, BLM 'reassignments'

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-  153 PM PDT Thu Jun 18 2026    
FRI  W wind around 5 kt, rising to 5 to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 9 seconds.  
FRI NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to SW after midnight.  Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at 10 seconds.  
SAT  S wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at  10 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W  5 ft at 9 seconds.  
SUN  W wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at  8 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.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


6/18 Greater scaup, L-pod calf, BLM 'reassignment,' crab season, democracy watch.

 

Greater Scaup [Frank King]

Greater Scaup Aythya marila
The only circumpolar diving duck, the Greater Scaup breeds across the tundra regions in North America and Europe. They congregate by the hundreds and thousands along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts during winter. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Records raise questions about how $100K Bellingham Port PR contract was managed

New calf born to endangered southern resident orcas
Researchers are still trying to determine the mother of the newborn spotted June 14 with members of L-Pod. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist) 

Weakened BLM ‘reassigns’ PIOs ahead of fire season

Public Information Officers (PIOs) and Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) are the Bureau of Land Management’s public-facing employees that disseminate important information about federal lands, including updates on wildland fire activity. On May 18, the agency sent a “reassignment letter” to at least 13 such workers located in district offices in the Pacific Northwest, removing them from their roles as carriers of vital information. Kendra Chamberlain reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Puget Sound Summer 2026 Crab Seasons Announced
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today that summer crab fishing seasons will get underway July 2 in several Puget Sound marine areas. Other marine areas will open later in July or in mid-August. (NW Sportsman)

Democracy Watch

• 'We will hunt you down,’ Trump says in pre-movie ad that stunned Portland theatergoers (Oregon Live) 
• That Bible verse San Francisco Giants players wrote on Pride caps does not say what they think it does (MSN) 

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-  241 PM PDT Wed Jun 17 2026    
THU  E wind around 5 kt, backing to NW in the afternoon. Seas  3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 10 seconds.  
THU NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 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.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. 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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