4/7 Red slug, halibut fishing fighting bald eagles, AP news, democracy watch.

European red slug

       
European red slug Arion rufus 
The European red slug is common to sites in the Pacific Northwest. It can be distinguished from other slugs by the placement of the respiratory pore (the round hole on the right side near the head) before the mid-point of the mantle; a back without a keel (ridge); and heavily wrinkled skin. It is generally 70-100 mm in length and variable in color ranging from reddish, orange, brown or black. (Oregon State University)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Terry Tempest Williams finds wonder in unexpected places

Halibut fishing underway in Puget Sound and the straits
The 2026 halibut fishing season got underway in several Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca marine areas on Thursday, April 2, with the coastal halibut season for Marine Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4 opening on April 30. (Daily World) 

2 fighting bald eagles freed from power line in Surrey
A pair of bald eagles found themselves in a tangle in Surrey, B.C., before power and fire crews helped a local wildlife rehabilitation group free the birds. (Canadian Press) 

AP says it will offer buyouts as part of pivot away from newspaper-focused history
The Associated Press, one of the world’s oldest and most influential news organizations, said Monday it is offering buyouts to an unspecified number of its U.S.-based journalists as part of an acceleration away from the focus on newspapers and their print journalism that sustained the company since the mid-1800s. Devid Bauder reports. (Associated Press)  See also: What will happen to the “Why” in journalism? Al Bergstein comments. (Rainshadow Journal) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump threatens to jail reporters if they don’t turn over Iran source (Washington Post) 
• Hegseth Likens Easter Rescue of U.S. Airman to Resurrection of Jesus Christ (NY Times) 

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Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  146 PM PDT Mon Apr 6 2026    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON    

TUE  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at  10 seconds.  

TUE NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to E after midnight. 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. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here 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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4/5 Red-winged blackbird, dead gray whales, Starbucks cup, swans, democracy watch.

 

Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. Their early and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Inspired by Skagit Valley / The living legacy of Caroline Gibson

A gray whale that swam 20 miles up a Washington state river is found dead
A juvenile gray whale that amazed Washington state residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river was found dead, and an official with a marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale to new hunting grounds as the species’ population declines. The whale was discovered Saturday near Raymond, Washington, in the Willapa River, which feeds into the ocean at Willapa Bay. Mark Thiessen reports. (Associated Press) 

Malnourishment, possible ship strike led to death of gray whales in Ocean Shores
Two gray whales found on Ocean Shores beach were malnourished, with one possibly struck by a ship, according to biologists. Adel Toay reports. (KING) 

Your ‘widely recyclable’ Starbucks cup is still trash 
Just because a product can be collected for recycling doesn’t mean it actually gets recycled. To imply otherwise is to conflate two very different numbers: the access rate and the real recycling rate. The former describes the number of people who are told they have “access” to a recycling program for a given product. The latter — the amount of plastic that is ultimately turned into new things — is what really matters, from an environmental standpoint. There’s not much evidence to suggest that the recycling rate for plastic cups is above 1 or 2 percent. Joseph Winters reports. (Grist) 

Thousands of swans descend on Vanderhoof, bringing birdwatchers with them
Thousands of trumpeter and tundra swans have been spending their days at Riverside Park, drawing birders, photographers and nature enthusiasts to the banks of the Nechako River. Large numbers of swans gather at the park each year from March to early April during their bi-annual migration in the spring and then again in the fall.  Hanna Petersen reports (CBC) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump budget seeks 43% boost in defense spending, cuts in many domestic programs (Washington State Standard) 
• Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone (AP) 
• Trump administration agencies post Easter messages celebrating Christ’s resurrection (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-  202 PM PDT Sun Apr 5 2026    SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH  TUESDAY AFTERNOON    
MON  W wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 7 seconds and W  4 ft at 10 seconds.  
MON NIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: NW  7 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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/3 Cherry blossom, microplastics, BC Indigenous Rights, Nootka Is land title, WSF reservation system, BC bat fungus, Trump's logging, Welcome the Whales, democracy watch, week in review.

 Cherry blossom
The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in Prunus subgenus Cerasus. Sakura usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of Prunus serrulata, not trees grown for their fruit (although these also have blossoms). Cherry blossoms have been described as having a vanilla-like smell, which is mainly attributed to coumarin. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Counties worry about long-term funding under state’s public defense mandate

EPA flags microplastics, pharmaceuticals as contaminants in drinking water
Responding to public health concerns about microplastics and pharmaceuticals in the nation's drinking water, the Trump administration for the first time has placed them on a draft list of contaminants maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency. Will Stone reports. (NPR) 

An ‘awful’ year for reconciliation as B.C. moves to change historic Indigenous Rights law
First Nations rejected the B.C. government’s plan to permanently change the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Now, Premier David Eby is proposing to suspend parts of it instead. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal) 

B.C. Court of Appeal overturns B.C. Supreme Court ruling on Nootka Island title
A three-judge panel says the B.C. Supreme Court made three legal errors when limiting the Nuchatlaht Nation's claim over a 201 square kilometre portion of the island, finding the nation had met the test for "sufficient occupation" when the British Crown asserted sovereignty. Darryl Greer reports. (Canadian Press) 

Washington State Ferries terminates contract for streamlining reservations
Ferry stakeholders feel the pain as nearly $3 million in public spending may come up empty. Toby Cooper reports. (Salish Current/Washington State Standard)  

A Deadly Fungal Invader Is Threatening BC’s Bats
But a probiotic developed in the province might be able to save them if the government moves quickly. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee) 

Trump wants to log old growth. These two brothers are out to stop him
After years spent promoting public lands, Will and Jim Pattiz are trying to save them. Chuck Thompson reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Welcome the Whales
Come celebrate the return of the “Sounders,” a group of gray whales who divert from their northern migration along the Washington coast each spring to spend a few weeks feeding on the ghost shrimp that occur along Whidbey shorelines. Parade and festival brought to you by Orca Network and the Langley Chamber of Commerce, April 10-12. Information. 

Democracy Watch

• Pam Bondi, a Trump loyalist who oversaw Justice Department upheaval, is out as his attorney general (AP) 
• Who is Lee Zeldin, the head of the EPA and Trump’s rumored pick to replace Bondi as attorney general? (AP) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review, April 3, 2026: Cellphone Day, pink salmon, Arctic ice, El Niño, "God Squad,"Trump's war, Tacoma trash, terminal expansion, Amazon's pollution, ship pollution.

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-  230 AM PDT Fri Apr 3 2026    
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 10 seconds. A chance of showers early this morning, then  showers likely late this morning and early afternoon. A chance of  showers late.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 9 seconds.  
SAT  NE wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft  at 9 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  N wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to NE after midnight.  Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 10 seconds.  
SUN  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at  11 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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/2 Millipede, AltaGas permit, Amazon pollution, ship pollution, democracy watch.

Millipede

 

Yellow-spotted millipede Harpaphe haydeniana
The yellow-spotted millipede, also known as the almond-scented millipede or cyanide millipede, is a species of polydesmidan ('flat-backed') millipede found in the moist forests along the Pacific coast of North America, from Southeast Alaska to California. The dark coloration with contrasting yellow-tipped keels warn of its ability to exude toxic hydrogen cyanide as a defense. The cyanide secretions are not dangerous to humans, but can cause irritation and pain if it contacts sensitive areas such as the mouth, eyes, or nose. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  When the tide recedes

Whatcom County hearing examiner halts Ferndale Terminal expansion
The Whatcom County Hearing Examiner has sided with a coalition of environmental groups in ruling that the county must conduct analyses of the expansion of the ALA Energy Ferndale Terminal before any projects can continue. Hannah Edelman reports. (Bellingham Herald)  Hearing Examiner scolds Whatcom County for AltaGas permitting process, orders redo The Whatcom County planning department failed to adequately exercise its discretion and decision-making powers when it approved 33 project permits for the Ferndale Liquid Petroleum Gas Terminal at Cherry Point. Isaac Stone Simonelli reports. (CDN) 

Amazon to pay $20.5 million settlement over Oregon nitrate pollution 
Tech giant Amazon will pay $20.5 million to settle with northeast Oregonians living with contaminated groundwater in exchange for no admission of guilt in the polluting. Alex Baumhardt reports. (Oregon Capital Chronicle) 

Policies meant to limit air pollution allow toxic dumping in Salish Sea
Washington state is facing a conundrum on the open water. A tool to reduce air pollution from ships can result in water pollution. And a proposal to untangle that paradox ran aground this winter in the Washington Legislature for the second year in a row. Paige Browning, Tom Banse and John O'Brien discuss (KUOW) 

Democracy Watch

• Ferguson signs controversial law tightening standards for WA sheriffs (Washington State Standard) 
• WA decertifies about 47 cops accused of misconduct a year. Here’s how it works (Tacoma News Tribune) 
• FACT FOCUS: False claims Trump made as he addressed the nation about Iran (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-  723 PM PDT Wed Apr 1 2026    
THU  W wind around 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft  at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning.  
THU NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming SW 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 7 ft, subsiding to 3 to 5 ft after midnight.  Wave Detail: W 7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain likely 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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/1 False Solomon's-seal, fossil fuel era, Tacoma litter, I-5 landslide closure, democracy watch.

 

False Solomon's-seal

False Solomon's-seal Smilacina racemosa
Growing from the ground every spring, this three foot tall, graceful, arching perennial makes a grand show in mid spring with fragrant, tightly massed tiny flowers followed by redish berries. It prefers moist streambanks, meadows and clearings and looks best planted in large masses. In the fall, the leaves turn a tawny brown and gradually melt into the duff. (King County)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Collision course: Washington State Ferries terminates contract for streamlining reservations

Trump’s Iran war and drilling push show ‘dangerous volatility’ of fossil fuel era 
Critics say president is locking into 20th-century energy systems even as his ‘bet’ on oil and gas ‘isn’t going so well’ Oliver Milman reports. (The Guardian) 

Millions of pounds of trash. Is there hope for Tacoma’s litter problem? 
More than 26 million pounds of litter end up on Washington roadways every year, see some of the weirdest. Bonny Matejowsky reports. (Tacoma News Tribune) 

Interstate 5 south of Bellingham remains closed to northbound traffic
Interstate 5 south of Bellingham remains closed to northbound traffic as the state Department of Transportation continues its work to clear landslide debris. There is no estimate as to when the stretch of I-5 will reopen. Milo Whitman reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) 

Democracy Watch

• Citing First Amendment, federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS (AP) 
• Washington adds safeguards for Flock cameras (Washington State Standard) 
• Trump signs order directing creation of a national voter list, a move sure to face legal challenges (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-  243 PM PDT Tue Mar 31 2026    
WED  SE wind 20 to 25 kt, becoming SW 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: SE 4 ft at 5 seconds and  W 5 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
WED NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: SE  2 ft at 6 seconds and W 5 ft at 10 seconds. Rain likely, mainly  in the evening.

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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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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3/31 Trowbridge's shrew, BC conservation, 'God Squad', Murrow Fellowship, democracy watch

Trowbridge's shrew

 

Trowbridge's shrew Sorex trowbridgii
Trowbridge's shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in southern British Columbia and in Washington, Oregon, and California . Trowbridge's shrew was first described in the scientific literature in 1857 by Spencer Fullerton Baird, in a report of surveys and explorations conducted to find a suitable route for a railroad from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  ‘No Kings’ rallies see record attendance

Hummingbird?
Yesterday's hummingbird item prompted Richard Wright of San Juan Island to say that Jenn's photo was of a Rufous hummingbird, not an Allen's hummingbird. If it were, its back would be green. See? 

‘Creative math’ or conservation loophole? B.C. rethinks 30-by-30 after industry push
Following lobbying by a mining group, B.C. is reviewing how it defines conservation across the province — raising concerns about weaker protections and stalled new protected areas. Cameron Fenton reports. (The Narwhal) 

U.S. could exempt oil industry from protecting Gulf animals, for 'national security'
National security has never been used to call a meeting of the "God Squad." But other federal agencies have been citing the "energy emergency" to avoid rules meant to protect endangered animals. Chiara Eisner reports. (NPR) 

WSU Murrow News Fellowship fights news deserts across Washington
In recent decades, many local newsrooms in Washington state - and nationwide - have shrunk or disappeared. Now, an effort to bring more journalists to Washington state communities has a new goal of placing reporters in all 39 counties over the next 3 years. Ryan Famuliner reports. (CascadePBS) 

Democracy Watch

• Can you pass the new U.S. citizenship test? (Washington Post) 
• New York Times accuses Pentagon of flouting judge's order blocking its press access policy (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-  213 PM PDT Mon Mar 30 2026    
TUE  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft  at 4 seconds and W 2 ft at 7 seconds.  TUE NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 2 ft or less, then  around 3 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: SE 2 ft at 5 seconds and  W 3 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain.

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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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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3/30 Allen's hummingbirds, 'No Kings,' humpies, mystery orcas, arctic ice, warm weather, BC pipelines, Columbia R dredging, sea lion frolic, floating hotel, democracy watch.

Allen's Hummingbird [Jenn Varno]

Allen's Hummingbird Selasphorus sasin
Jenn Varno from Lummi Island writes: "Two beautiful hummingbirds have been flitting around my studio window - both with brilliant yellow-orange breast feathers. There's a mature Japanese Maple right there that they love to sit in the branches and assess the territory. Here's a photo I took
last year. For a being that zooms around at high speed with a wing beat of 50/second, it doesn't seem possible they could just 'sit.'" 

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Dredging up risk: what’s at stake in Burrard Inlet

Seattle police estimate at least 75K 'No Kings' protesters marched through downtown Seattle
Dozens of rallies took place across western Washington, including in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Olympia and Bellingham. (KING) 

Why pink salmon are climate winners
Humpies, or pink salmon, are among the world’s so-called climate winners. About 8 million were forecast to return to Puget Sound watersheds last fall. They are the top salmon in the North Pacific, their surging abundance fueled in part by ocean heating and hatchery production. Fiona Martin and Isabella Breda report. (Seattle Times) 

Mystery orcas return to Seattle area
A trio of unidentified orcas, never observed in the Pacific Northwest before, showed up in early March, first in Canada’s Vancouver Harbour, then in the busy ports of Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia. The mystery trio showed up again Thursday morning, cruising along the downtown Seattle waterfront in Elliott Bay and the mouth of the Duwamish Waterway, beneath the giant cranes and cargo ships of the Port of Seattle’s Harbor Island. John Ryan reports.(KUOW) 

Arctic sea ice hits lowest winter level as unprecedented heat hits smashes records all over Earth 
Vital Arctic sea ice shrank to tie its lowest measured level for the winter, the season when ice grows, as a warming Earth shattered records across the continents. Seth Borenstein reports. (Associated Press) 

El Niño, marine heat will likely make Washington's warm year even warmer 
This winter has been one of Washington’s warmest and driest on record. Despite the wet weather we have experienced recently, the state’s snow pack remains much lower than normal. And climate observers say conditions are likely to get worse. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX) 

LNG Canada, Coastal GasLink sign pipeline deal, bringing projects closer to reality
The companies behind the Coastal GasLink pipeline and the massive LNG Canada facility in Kitimat, B.C., have signed agreements bringing both of their second phases closer to reality. TC Energy says the agreement to establish a "comprehensive commercial framework" is an important milestone for advancing its Coastal GasLink Phase 2, while supporting LNG Canada's pathway to a final decision on its second stage. Wolfgang Depner reports. (Canadian Press) 

Corps of Engineers’ plan to address Columbia River dredge spoils could cost Southwest Washington ports millions
The federal agency that maintains the Columbia River’s shipping channel is proposing to build seven giant in-water pens as part of a $377 million project to manage dredge spoils. Henry Brannon reports. (NW Public Broadcasting) 

Sea lions feast and frolic in Port Madison 
Sea lions were seen playfully swimming in Port Madison, Kitsap County, last weekend. James Anderson, a fisherman and member of the Suquamish Tribe, says they have been here for the past several weeks feasting on herring and will be heading back toward the Columbia River once the herring are done spawning in about a week. Karen Ducey reports. (Seattle Times) 

Floating hotel with 250 rooms proposed for Vancouver's Coal Harbour
Floating hotel would include bar, shops, restaurant and water-level dock with public walkway. Lauren Vanderdeen reports. (CBC) 

Democracy Watch

• 'No Kings' rallies draw crowds across US, in Europe. Springsteen headlines Minnesota demonstration (AP) 
• Washington farmers feel the pain of Iran war (KUOW) 
• As Washington gets an income tax, the fight to overturn it begins (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-  146 AM PDT Sun Mar 29 2026    
MON  N wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to E in the afternoon. Seas  4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 8 seconds. MON NIGHT  NE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 8 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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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