3/10 Sea biscuit, Sixkiller, herring, bull kelp, Trump's timber, rangers reinstated, SRKWs, mapping from space, 100,000 tires, first 100 days

 

Sea biscuit

Sea biscuit
Sand dollars, also known as sea cookies or snapper biscuits in New Zealand and Brazil or pansy shells in South Africa, are species of flat, burrowing sea urchins belonging to the order Clypeasteroida. Some species within the order, not quite as flat, are known as sea biscuits. Sand dollars can also be called "sand cakes" or "cake urchins". (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Billy Frank Jr.’s teachings endure  /  Ferguson pledges to restore ferry service to pre-pandemic levels by summer

WA Ecology director responds to federal rollbacks
One of the earliest meetings Casey Sixkiller, Washington’s Ecology head, recalls in his career was about the cleanup of the Duwamish, Seattle’s only river. Since that meeting some 25 years ago, a lot has happened.... Sixkiller insists that Washington, the first state in the U.S. to have an environmental regulatory agency, can continue to protect its air, water and land, and its leadership in regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Manuel Villa and Isabella Breda report. (Seattle Times)

Is this fish really disappearing from the Georgia Strait?
First Nations say herring are disappearing. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says they’re stable. So what’s really going on?. Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood reports. (The Narwhal)

New bill aims to protect Washington’s underwater bull kelp forests
Lawmakers seek to raise awareness of the plant’s cultural significance and its role in supporting ecosystems by naming it WA’s official marine forest. Emma Schwichtenberg reports. (CascadePBS)

Trump’s timber directives could sway Oregon forest policy, but market effects remain unclear
New executive orders from the Trump administration last weekend call on federal agencies to fast-track logging projects by circumventing endangered species laws, and to investigate whether lumber imports threaten national security. These directives could influence separate logging policies that are currently in the works. April Ehrlich reports. (OPB)

Washington-based U.S. Forest Service rangers reinstated — for now
Ahead of the busiest season for outdoor recreation, staffing for trail clearing, search & rescue, toilet cleaning and other duties is still uncertain. Dominick Bonny reports. (CascadePBS)

As Southern Resident orca population declines, those who care about them remain hopeful
For Samish Indian Nation Chairman Tom Wooten, the declining population is personal. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

B.C. researcher mapping Vancouver Island spawning grounds from space
Swaths of Salish Sea turned teal by herring milt informs federal fisheries, First Nations. Christine van Reeuwyk (The Free Press)

Sixty years later: More than 100,000 tires from failed reef plan are coming out of Puget Sound
A plan to create artificial reefs in Puget Sound using automotive tires was created by Washington's Department of Natural Resources with the intention of attracting native reef fish in order to bolster recreational fishing opportunities across the state. Tires strung together with polypropylene twine were placed at the bottom of Puget Sound into the 1970s and 1980s. This long stretch of water which varies from one to 5 miles wide, has been home to tens of thousands of car and truck tires. However, the tire reef plan fell flat. Farah Jadran reports. (KING)

The Frist 100 Days

• HHS makes $25,000 buyout offer to most of its employees  (Associated Press)
  
• Elon Musk Proposes Privatizing Amtrak, Calling Rail Service ‘Sad’ (NY Times)
  
• Secretary of State Rubio says purge of USAID programs complete, with 83% of agency’s programs gone (Associated Press)
  

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Mon Mar 10 2025   TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to SE this afternoon. Seas  4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of  showers.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: S 2 ft at 4 seconds and W  5 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of showers in the evening, then rain  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)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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