7/8 Honeysuckle, SRKW, Carey Island, Chief Dsta’hyl, sea otters, orphan orca, Nooksack adjudication, Abbotsford firefighting foam, Oly oak tree, picas, killing wolves, tribal salmon reintroduction

Trumpet Honeysuckle

Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera ciliosa
The common name, honeysuckle, comes from the fact that children enjoy sucking nectar from the base of the flowers for a sweet treat. This species is also known as Orange Honeysuckle, Northwest Honeysuckle, or Western Trumpet.  (Native Plants PNW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Coast Salish tribes enjoy the sweet revival of a camas harvest /  Mayor Korthuis vetoes Lynden fluoridation ban

Southern resident orca numbers decline during census year; Bigg’s orcas continue to expand
Preliminary results are now available from the annual orca census from the Center for Whale Research. At least two southern resident killer whales have died over the past year, with one of them being a little more than a month old. Meanwhile, sightings of Bigg’s killer whales have increased to record numbers.  Christopher Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Environmental group buys Fraser River island to protect salmon
The Nature Conservancy of Canada says Carey Island is one of the Fraser's last salmon habitat strongholds. (Canadian Press)

Court Rejects Jail for Wet’suwet’en Chief Who Defied Injunction
Chief Dsta’hyl sentenced to house arrest, but plans to appeal criminal conviction. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Sea otters spotted off Oregon coast, a rare sight after a century of near-extinction
Two male sea otters appear to be calling Cannon Beach home, providing a rare sight for Oregonians visiting Ecola Point. Even so, biologists aren’t expecting a bigger population boom in the near future, since female sea otters don’t usually migrate far from home. The nearest population is about 100 miles away. April Ehrich reports. (OPB)

Orphan B.C. orca calf not spotted since May 10 despite family sightings: researchers
A whale research group says the two-year-old female killer whale could be travelling with an unsighted pod or moving between groups of orcas. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Applications open for steering committee to help manage Nooksack water rights lawsuit
The Whatcom County Superior Court ordered the creation of a steering committee to assist in managing the water rights lawsuit for the Nooksack Basin, which is expected to impact up to 30,000 people. Isaac Simonelli reports. (CDN)

'It's killed everything:' City staff addresses firefighting foam spill in Abbotsford creek
The City of Abbotsford said firefighting foam was accidentally released from a disconnected hose into the sewer system. Cheryl Chan and Gordon Hoekstra report. (Vancouver Sun)

Fifth tree expert to weigh in on health of Tumwater oak
The Tumwater City Council has sent out a Request for Qualifications for another risk assessment of the historic Davis-Meeker Garry oak, bringing a fifth tree professional to help decide whether to cut down or save the 400-year-old tree. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

State wants public's help in tracking pikas
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking the public’s help in tracking pikas — the small, hamster-like mammals related to rabbits. Pikas live in rocky talus slopes throughout the state, including those in the North Cascades. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Northwest ecosystems changed dramatically when wolves were nearly exterminated, study finds
The wolves kept other species in check, like deer and elk, and maintained a healthy environment, researchers found. Alex Baumhardt reports. (Washington State Standard)

How Native nations forced federal investment in salmon reintroduction
Work above the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams has proven that salmon will return home, pressuring the government to uphold obligations to Upper Columbia United Tribes. With further litigation on hold, the federal government has committed more than $200 million for salmon reintroduction efforts led by Native nations. Luna Reyna reports. (ICT News)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  211 AM PDT Mon Jul 8 2024    
TODAY  Light and variable winds, becoming SW around 5 kt late  this morning, backing to SE early this afternoon, becoming NW  10 to 15 kt late. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at  7 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt.

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



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