3/4 Fairy tern, tariffs, Bigg's whales, Indian County cuts, fed forest logging, EFSEC, Thurston County climate, first 100 days

Fairy tern [Honolulu Zoo]

Fairy tern Cygis alba rothschildi
Fairy terns (Manu-o-ku) possess black eyes and a long, conical beak. Their feathers are completely white and they fly on sleek, blade-like wings that can stretch 2 feet from tip to tip. They spend the day hunting at sea as far as 120 miles from their roost, before returning home in the afternoon. Ancient voyagers relied on sightings of these birds as a sign that land was close at hand. (Honolulu Zoo)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Postal Service to address Whatcom mail delays / The rule of law

US tariffs take effect and Mexico, Canada and China retaliate with their own tariffs on the US
President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, putting global markets on edge and setting up costly retaliations by the United States’ North American allies. Josh Boak, Paul Wiseman and Rob Gillies report. (Associated Press)

U.S. tariffs on Canada set to take effect today. How will they affect B.C.?
The B.C. government has estimated that tariffs could lead to a cumulative loss of $69 billion in economic activity in the province between 2025 and 2028. It has also estimated that tariffs would result in 124,000 job losses by 2028, an annual decline in corporate profits of between $3.6 billion and $6.1 billion and a reduction in annual government revenue between $1.6 billion and $2.5 billion. (CBC)

Killer whales amaze Seattle onlookers with a rarely seen bird hunt
A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird. The pod of Bigg’s killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle’s maritime industrial docks. Manuel Valdez reports. (Associated Press)

For Indian Country, federal cuts decimate core tribal programs
President Donald Trump’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce and government spending have reverberated across Indian Country, leaving tribes with deep uncertainty about their health clinics, schools, police agencies and wildfire crews. Native officials say the cuts could hit a vast array of core public services in tribal communities — even though the federal government is legally required to provide those services. Alex Brown reports. (Stateline)

What Trump’s order on cutting federal forests could mean for the Pacific Northwest
It’s unclear what direct effect the order will have on forests of the Northwest — or anywhere. The order contradicts federal laws for management of federal forests, and protection of species. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

The obscure state agency that referees WA’s green energy battles
The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council has power to overrule local zoning laws – putting it at the center of a backlash to renewable energy. Brandon Block reports. (CascadePBS)

Thurston County falling short of key climate goal, open letter warns
The Thurston County region is not on track to reach its greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030 and 2050. Rebecca Harvey, the county’s Climate Mitigation Senior Program Manager, shared the news with the Board of County Commissioners during a briefing earlier this month. Martin Bilbao reports. (The Olympian)


The First 100 Days

• Linda McMahon confirmed as Trump’s secretary of Education (News From the States)
  
• US tariffs take effect and Mexico, Canada and China retaliate with their own tariffs on the US (Associated Press)
  
• For Indian Country, federal cuts decimate core tribal programs  (Stateline) 

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  309 AM PST Tue Mar 4 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT    
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 15 to 25 kt late this  morning and early afternoon, then becoming SW 10 to 15 kt late.  Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: SE 4 ft at 4 seconds and W 4 ft at 14  seconds. A chance of rain early this morning, then rain late this  morning and afternoon.  
TONIGHT  SW wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  5 ft at 12 seconds. 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)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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