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Unpublished documents and a helicopter flight into the Tranquil Creek watershed reveal details about renewed exploration at a long-dormant mine, raising concerns about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.



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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? 
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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.



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6/17 Red crossbill, ancient glass sponges, ESA for NW wildflowers, Musk xAI, democracy watch.

 

Red Crossbill [Michael Stubblefield]

Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
A fascinating finch of coniferous woodlands, the Red Crossbill forages on nutritious seeds in pine, hemlock, Douglas-fir, and spruce cones. Their specialized bills allow them to break into unopened cones, giving them an advantage over other finch species. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  San Juan County must address spending

Good News for a ‘Herd of Dinosaurs’ Under the Sea
Scientists believe ancient glass sponge reefs can grow back. If humans let them. Sarah Cox reports. (The Tyee) 

Nonprofit seeks federal protection for two Northwest wildflowers
The Center for Biological Diversity is petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to add two plants native to Palouse and Camas Prairies to the Endangered Species Act list. (NW Public Broadcasting) 

In boost to Musk, Justice Department seeks to dismiss air pollution lawsuit against xAI data center 
The Trump administration is helping one of Elon Musk’s companies fight a civil rights lawsuit that alleges it is illegally running dozens of natural gas turbines to power a $20 billion AI data center in Mississippi. Matthew Daly and Bernard Condon report. (Associated Press) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump ramps up Education Department's dismantling with changes on special education and civil rights (AP) 
• $11M in federal aid for WA flood victims handed out as deadline passes (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-  817 PM PDT Tue Jun 16 2026    
WED  NW wind around 5 kt, rising to 5 to 10 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 10 seconds.  
WED NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to SE after midnight.  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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6/16 Pelican, Longview spill, highway open, BC dams, 'roadless rule,' BC LNG, NWSF job, new spider, democracy watch.

Brown pelican [Blake Matheson]

Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
The Brown Pelican is a comically elegant bird with an oversized bill, sinuous neck, and big, dark body. Squadrons glide above the surf along southern and western coasts, rising and falling in a graceful echo of the waves. 

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Hearing set for Point Roberts burial disturbances 

Another tank spilled months ago at site of Longview disaster, records show 
The Longview paper mill where 11 workers died last month in a chemical tank failure was the site of another spill that Nippon Dynawave Packaging described as a “near miss” earlier this spring, according to newly released public records. Joseph O’Sullivan and Lulu Ramadan report. (Seattle Times) 

Lawmakers fight to stop the Trump administration’s dismantling of a $386M ocean observatory project
A group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally. Annika Hammerschlag reports.  (Associated Press) 

At last, WA’s iconic North Cascades Highway reopens
The North Cascades Highway reopened on Sunday, restoring an economic lifeline for small communities east of the Cascades. Aspen Ford reports. (Washington State Standard) 

B.C. eyes two new hydropower dams, including Site E near Alberta border, Dix says
The British Columbia government is looking at building two new hydroelectric dams, including a fourth dam for the Peace River where the Site C project generated opposition and cost overruns. Wolfgang Depner reports. (Canadian Press) 

Senate Republicans propose rescinding ‘roadless rule’ — by tacking it onto federal wildfire bill
A brief moment of bipartisanship in the U.S. Senate turned political on Wednesday, when Republican lawmakers introduced a new provision to a wildfire bill. That bill, called the Wildfire Prevention Act, would mandate increasing prescribed fires and forest thinning in federal forests. That common ground evaporated after Senate Republicans attached a repeal of what’s known as the “the roadless rule” to the bill. April Ehrlich reports. (OPB)

Could B.C.’s LNG boom squeeze the province’s natural gas supply?
As heat waves increase electricity demand, Energy Minister Adrian Dix says Vancouver Island’s gas supply is being squeezed by an LNG plant under construction. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal) 

Ocean Career: NWSF Executive Director
This is a unique opportunity to lead a well-known and nationally recognized marine conservation organization.  (Eco Magazine) 

New spider species discovered in Columbia Gorge gets a name
Greta Binford, a professor of biology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, made a unique discovery near Wahkeena Falls on the Oregon side of the Gorge. The spider, Trogloraptor tulishpun, is only the second known species in the family Trogloraptoridae, which itself is a recent discovery. Nathan Gilles reports. (Columbia Insight)  

Democracy Watch

• Frustrated by Courts, Trump Weighed Suspending a Constitutional Right (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-  216 PM PDT Mon Jun 15 2026    
TUE  W wind 15 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  8 seconds.  
TUE NIGHT  W wind 15 to 20 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 9 seconds.

---


"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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6/15 Black-headed grosbeak, mifepristone, ticks, land stewarship, AI data centers, democracy watch.

Black-headed grosbeak[Bridget Spencer]

 
Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
Black-headed Grosbeaks are hefty songbirds with very large bills that are conical and thick at the base. They have large heads and short, thick necks. A short tail imparts a compact, chunky look. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Commentary: No safe return

Republican attorneys general urge EPA to classify mifepristone as water contaminant
In a letter last Friday, the state officials argued that mifepristone is “a growing threat to the country’s waterways.” A concurrent letter, led by Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, made similar claims and was signed by 18 other GOP members of Congress. Nada Hassanein reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Like it or not, the ticks are advancing and Canadians will have to adapt
Researchers say climate change is the driving force behind the pests' northward push. Kevin Maimann reports. (CBC) 

'The land misses us': How Indigenous land stewardship protects cultural history and forests
Ancestral knowledge indicates that burned forests had better food and medicine. Arden McLeod reports. (CBC) 

Opinion: WA lawmakers should get involved as AI data centers sprout 
Artificial intelligence promises benefits, but its pernicious impacts must be anticipated and mitigated, else vast inequities and disruptions will result. State and local governments must act soon to mitigate these effects, especially in regulating the massive data centers that have blossomed in the Pacific Northwest and across the country to enable AI. Michael Riordan writes. (Seattle Times) 

Democracy Watch
Judge orders Trump administration to restore National Park changes at sites that 'disparaged' US (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-  148 PM PDT Sun Jun 14 2026    

MON  W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 8 seconds.  
MON NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 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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6/12 Frosted nudibranch, heat wave, El Nino, paper mills, chemical safety, nature stories, NE Hawaiian Islands fishing, democracy watch, week in review.

Frosted nudibranch [Vic High Marine]

 

Frosted nudibranch Dirona albolineata
The frosted nudibranch, also called the Alabaster Nudibranch and White-lined Dirona, has frosty white tips lining the leaf-like cerata on their back. They come in a wide variety of colours, including mauve and peach, but for the most part, they’re a translucent whitish-yellow. The frosted nudibranch thrives along the shores of Japan, Siberia, and Southern Alaska, to Southern California. (Vic High Marine)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  San Juan County braces for lower revenues, higher costs

Vancouver’s first summer heat wave is here — and we’re not ready
As climate change reshapes the seasons, extreme temperatures reveal how unprepared we are for a hotter future. Michelle Cyca reports. (The Narwhal) 

El Nino is here and scientists fear it'll be big, bad and costly with heat, floods, droughts, fires
U.S. meteorologists say an El Nino has formed. That's the natural warming of parts of the Pacific that changes weather around the globe. Seth Bernstein reports. (Associated Press) 

Washington paper mills mum about chemical safety after Longview disaster
It's been two weeks since Washington's worst industrial accident in nearly a century. More than a half-million gallons of a caustic liquid known as white liquor flooded through the Nippon Dynawave pulp mill in Longview after a storage tank imploded. Eleven people were killed. Kim Malcolm and John Ryan report. (KUOW) 

After deadly chemical spill, Longview official wants new safeguards
A district in Cowlitz County was key to flushing out the corrosive chemical spill that threatened to contaminate Longview's drinking water after a catastrophic tank implosion. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX) 

From neon mosquitoes to winged migrations, top images captured by scientists
New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines. Ari Daniel reports. (NPR) 

Trump Reopens Protected Hawaiian Waters To Commercial Fishing
Dealing a blow to environmentalists, Papahānaumokuākea and two other Pacific marine monuments will be partially reopened by presidential proclamation. Marcel Honoré reports. (Civil Beat) 

Democracy Watch

• Port of Bellingham passes limits on civil immigration detainments, detention centers on its property (CDN) 
• Ballmer’s philanthropy commits to funding 10,000 affordable housing units in WA (Washington State Standard) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 6/12/26: Superman, Van Is kelp, gray whales and kelp, sea-stars, vibrocompaction, killer tires, killing owls, Brad Pitt, wolf kill, Longview explosion, El Nino.

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-  224 AM PDT Fri Jun 12 2026    
TODAY  W wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft  at 8 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind around 5 kt, backing to S around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 10 seconds.  
SAT  E wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to NE in the afternoon. Seas  3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 8 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  NW wind around 5 kt, veering to NE after midnight.  Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds.  
SUN  E wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt in the afternoon.  Seas around 3 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.



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6/11 Shaggy mouse, warm Wednesday, Longview plant, BC amphibians and reptiles, Horse Heaven project, democracy watch.

 

Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch [Zoe O’Toole]

Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch Aeolidia loui
True to their name, shaggy mouse are covered in two dense rows of cerata that give them a fuzzy appearance. Shaggy mouse nudibranchs can come in several color morphs that range from a dark gray or brown to a light beige. Commonly around 5 cm long, shaggy mouse nudibranchs can grow up to 10 cm. Ranging from British Columbia to Mexico, shaggy mouse nudibranchs live in mid intertidal and subtidal habitats. (Haystack Rock Awareness)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Cascadia Daily signals shift with firing of Judd

Did you enjoy that warmer Wednesday?
Sunny days are here again, and so is a great stretch of weather for getting out and about and thoroughly enjoying that 'So Northwest' lifestyle. We'll head into the low 70s in Seattle and Tacoma on Thursday, and the middle 70s by Friday. Perfection for biking, hiking or just digging around in the garden! By the weekend? Some like it hot. (KOMO) 

Longview plant implosion: A moment-by-moment breakdown of disaster 
Two weeks ago, a tank imploded at a Longview paper and pulp mill, releasing hundreds of thousands of gallons of caustic chemicals that killed 11 people and injured at least a dozen more. The industrial disaster is near the top of Washington’s deadliest in a century. Paige Cornwall reports. (Seattle Times) 

5 million amphibians and reptiles moved for B.C. development, with no requirement to track survival: study
Millions of amphibians and reptiles are displaced and relocated from their habitats because of development projects in B.C., according to a new study. But researchers say there’s no monitoring requirement in place to determine whether the animals survive the move. (CBC) 

Massive clean energy project caught in legal crosswinds at WA Supreme Court
Opponents are challenging aspects of how the state approved the planned 72,500-acre installation in south-central Washington. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Democracy Watch

• Gov. Bob Ferguson announces proposal to ban cellphones in public schools (KNKX) 
• B.C. premier calls Trump's comments on not renewing CUSMA 'lame' sequel to 1987 book (Times Colonist) 
• Billions for Trump’s deportation campaign signed into law (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-  310 PM PDT Wed Jun 10 2026    
THU  W wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming NW 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: NW 2 ft at 4 seconds and  W 3 ft at 10 seconds.  
THU NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: NW 3 ft at 5 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.  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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