4/30 Kokanee, salmon travel, geoduck farm, salmon recovery, electricity demand, Kurt Beckett, EPA enviro justice, BC critical habitat, Idaho logging, plant sex, AmeriCorps cuts, Spokesman-Review, democracy watch

Kokanee

Kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka
Kokanee are the non-anadromous (non-migrating) form of sockeye salmon and spend their whole life landlocked in a freshwater system. They have a limited range and are endemic to the northwest of the U.S., in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia.

Today's top story in Salish Current: Libraries rethink funding strategies after federal cuts

Baby salmon head out to sea. Then they do something unexpected, new research shows
The long-held understanding that baby salmon emerge from the streams where they hatched to head out to sea actually is missing a far more complex story — and a far more interesting one, scientists explain in a new paper.  It turns out the intrepid baby fish, no longer than a pinkie finger, explore multiple streams miles apart, traveling from river mouth to river mouth, in what amounts to a connected meta-nursery. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

The fight over Pierce County’s largest geoduck farm is over.
Taylor Shellfish Company has reached a settlement with nearby homeowners and environmental advocates that will allow a large proposed Pierce County geoduck farm to move forward, subject to several restrictions. Signed by both parties on April 16 and filed April 18 with the state Shorelines Hearings Board, it marks an end to years of dispute between the company and local nonprofits including Friends of Burley Lagoon and the Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat. Julia Park reports. (The News Tribune)

Snohomish County salmon recovery projects receive $1.9M in state funding
The latest round of Climate Commitment Act dollars will support fish barrier removals and habitat restoration work. Eliza Aronson reports. (Everett Herald)

Electricity demand in Northwest could double in next 20 years, forecast finds
Data centers, electrifying transit and buildings and producing hydrogen will drive demand, according to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Alex Baumhardt reports. (Washington State Standard)

New Washington energy chair’s industry ties raise ethics questions
Former energy consultant Kurt Beckett now heads the agency tasked with permitting his ex-clients' wind and solar plants. Brandon Block reports. (CascadePBS)

The EPA is canceling almost 800 environmental justice grants, court filing reveals
The agency is sending out notices of termination to 781 awardees, almost twice the number of canceled grants that had been previously reported. Maxine Joselow and Amudalat Ajasa report. (Washington Post)

B.C. failing to protect 81% of critical habitat for at-risk species: government docs
B.C. allows industrial logging in critical habitat for at-risk species — part of the reason why it’s not meeting federal standards. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Idaho governor gives executive order to ramp up timber harvests on national forests within the state
A new executive order this month from Idaho Gov. Brad Little has been issued to ramp up timber harvests on national forests throughout the state. The executive order, titled “Make Forests Healthy Again Act,” directs the Idaho Department of Lands to expand its partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to reduce fire risks on federal forests in Idaho. Lauren Paterson reports. (NW Public Broadcasting)

Plant Sex and the City
Plants around the world are adapting their reproductive strategies to survive on an increasingly urban planet. Vanessa Minke-Martin reports. (bioGraphic)

WA joins lawsuit against Trump to stop AmeriCorps cuts
President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut the size of the federal government have decimated the three-decade-old agency, according to the lawsuit filed in federal district court in Maryland. At least 85% of AmeriCorps employees have been put on leave and told they will be fired, according to a news release from Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s office. David Guzman reports. (Seattle Times)

Spokane's Spokesman-Review newspaper pivots to a nonprofit model
The 131-year-old publication will be donated by the Cowles family to help preserve a crucial piece of the community’s news ecosystem. Mai Hoang reports. (CascadePBS)

Democracy Watch

• USPS law enforcement assists Trump ‘mass deportation’ effort, sources and records show (Washington Post)
  
• House GOP wants to pump billions into Trump’s deportations and detentions as part of tax bill (Associated Press)
  
• Trump Administration Retreats From 100% Withholding on Social Security Clawbacks (KFF Health News)
  
• Kennedy Advises New Parents to ‘Do Your Own Research’ on Vaccines (NY Times)
  
• Trump says he could free Abrego Garcia from El Salvador, but won’t. (NY Times)
  
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting sues Trump in fight for control (NPR)
  

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-  221 AM PDT Wed Apr 30 2025    
TODAY  NE wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming NW 10 to 15 kt this  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: NW 2 ft at 3 seconds and  W 4 ft at 10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: NW 2 ft at 4 seconds and W  3 ft at 10 seconds.

---


"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.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told