2/12 Sand dollar, WA solar grant, climate deadline, BC snowpack, trash talk, Mason Co bird flu, Bainbridge rookery, PBS DEI, Gulf of America, first 100 days

 

Sand dollar

Eccentric Sand Dollar Dendraster excentricus
One of the most characteristic animals of clean sand bottoms in quiet bays everywhere on the Pacific Northwest coast is this flattened relative of the sea urchins. In some sandy areas, these echinoderms are so common as to virtually cover the bottom. This disk-shaped animal grows to about 10 cm in diameter and is gray to brown or reddish in color. The bottom is flattened, the top slightly convex. The test is covered with a profusion of tiny spines that are visible only at close range. The mouth is centered on the under (oral) side, and the anus, which would be on the upper (aboral) side in other echinoids, has moved over evolutionary time to the posterior edge of the disk. (University of Puget Sound)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Families of missing persons call for changes

$156M solar power grant reopened for Washington amid federal funding turmoil
Washington has regained access to more than $150 million in previously frozen federal funds for solar energy projects, state officials said. For at least a week, the state Department of Commerce was locked out of its Solar for All grant money expected to help thousands of residents in low-income communities access solar power. The money was part of $7 billion the federal Environmental Protection Agency awarded last year to 60 recipients nationwide. Jake Goldstein-Street reports. (Washington State Standard)

Most of the world’s big polluters just blew off a major climate deadline
Major polluters including China and the E.U. failed to submit their national emissions plans to the U.N., suggesting that the global climate framework is wobbling. Chico Harlan reports. (Washington Post)

B.C. snowpack at 72% of normal as of Feb. 1 after 'extremely dry' January
Areas with below-normal snowpack show "early concerns" for drought conditions in the spring and summer. Brenna Owen reports. (Canadian Press)

Debris collected from shorelines in Salish Sea region
Workers have recovered nearly 77,000 kilograms [about 85 tons] of debris from shorelines in the central Salish Sea region. Abby McLennan, an environmental consultant with Let’s Talk Trash, said the project had a 53 per cent diversion rate, meaning just over half of the material collected ended up being recycled or upcycled locally in the community. Paul Galinski reports. (Powell River Peak)

What’s in a name? WA wants to officially be ‘The Evergreen State’
“The Chinook State” was the front-runner a century ago, but the Evergreen moniker has been used informally since the state’s founding in 1889. Emma Schwichtenberg reports. (CascadePBS)

Mason County has its first case of bird flu, WA state Department of Agriculture announces
Mason County has its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic birds. The flu was detected in a small backyard flock of ducks, the state Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian)

Bainbridge nonprofit hopes to protect heron rookery from development
The Bainbridge Island Land Trust has launched a campaign to preserve a nesting site for great blue herons that was put up for sale last year. Located on Lovell Avenue, the rookery is one of the few known nesting sites for the birds, containing approximately 30 nests. Marissa Center reports. (Kitsap Sun)

With public broadcasters pressured by the Trump administration, PBS shuts down its diversity office
PBS says it is shutting down its office of diversity, equity and inclusion to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order, firing the two executives brought on when the effort was begun in 2021. The move comes as public television and radio girds for a fight over federal funding likely to be more serious than it has faced in many years. David Bauder reports. (Associated Press)

Associated Press barred from Oval Office for not using ‘Gulf of America’
Agency says its reporter wasn’t allowed into event in effort to ‘punish’ style guide on upholding use of Gulf of Mexico. Jenna Amatulli reports. (The Guardian)

The First 100 Days
Trump Orders Plans for ‘Large Scale’ Work Force Cuts and Expands Musk’s Power (NY Times)
Elon Musk’s DOGE targets U.S. Department of Education for millions in funding cuts (News From The States)
Education Department rescinds Biden memo that threatened to upend college NIL payments (Associated Press)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  206 AM PST Wed Feb 12 2025   SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH  THURSDAY AFTERNOON    
TODAY  E wind 15 to 20 kt, becoming SE 20 to 25 kt with gusts  up to 35 kt this afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: E 5 ft  at 5 seconds and W 3 ft at 14 seconds.  
TONIGHT  E wind 20 to 25 kt, rising to 25 to 30 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft, building to 5 to 8 ft after midnight.  Wave Detail: E 6 ft at 5 seconds and W 4 ft at 14 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)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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