5/8 Flicker, geoducks, BC clean power, Harcourt ousted, BC fish kill, WA Ecology monitoring, WA wildfire budget, GOP land sale, 'flying' ferry, slow-speed chase, democracy watch

 

Northern flicker

Northern flicker Colaptes auratus
The Northern Flicker is one of the largest woodpeckers in the region and is typically found in semi-open or open habitats with scattered trees. It is  a year-round resident in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Coastal and extreme south British Columbia. During the Spring and Summer months the Northern Flicker expands its range to Central Alaska, Yukon, The Northwest Territories, and Alberta.

Today's top story in Salish Current: It's 'time to warrior up for trees,' author says

How a Chinese delicacy got caught in the crossfire of Trump’s trade war
In recent years it has also become a delicacy in China, with Washington state sending 90% of its geoducks there, creating a niche yet lucrative American seafood export. But the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China is now crippling an entire industry that hand-harvests geoducks, leaving Washington state divers without work, Seattle exporters without business and Chinese aficionados with fewer of these prized clams. Sally Ho and Manuel Valdez report. (Associated Press)

BC’s Latest Clean Power Project Call Wins Support
First Nations leaders and environmental groups welcomed this week’s announcement that British Columbia will seek more clean energy projects. But some are concerned the power will be used to expand fossil fuel production. Andrew MacLeod and  Zoë Yunker report. (The Tyee)

Bellingham community praises ousting of Harcourt waterfront developer
Whatcom County community members praised Port of Bellingham commissioners on Tuesday for their decision to terminate Ireland-based Harcourt Developments’ development rights along Bellingham’s waterfront after significant delays and contract defaults. Harcourt now remains solely responsible for completing its condo development and maintaining ownership of the Granary Building, making room for a new development vision of Bellingham’s waterfront. Rachel Showalter reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Mass fish kill on Burnaby-Coquitlam border under investigation
Approximately 100 young fish were found dead Tuesday in Stoney Creek, located on the border of Burnaby and Coquitlam, prompting both cities to investigate water contamination. Residents say it's a frequent occurrence in the area.  Michelle Gomez reports. (CBC)

Department of Ecology members get all the dirt around the Sound
For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound. Eliza Aronson reports. (Everett Herald)

WA lawmakers slash wildfire budget in half
Lawmakers tussled with a four-year, $16 billion budget shortfall...Their proposed budget now under consideration by Gov. Bob Ferguson cut in half the $125 million previously promised per biennium for wildfire response and preparedness. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

House Republicans push to sell thousands of acres of land in Utah, Nevada
House Republicans added a provision to their sweeping tax cut package authorizing sales of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Nevada and Utah, prompting outrage from Democrats and environmentalists who called it a betrayal that could lead to drilling, mining and logging in sensitive areas. Matthew Daly and Matthew Brown report. (Associated Press)

‘Flying’ passenger ferry sails Puget Sound
The boat — made by Northern Ireland’s Artemis Technologies — is in town simply to show off, and to help drum up some business for Artemis and its new partnership with Delta Marine, a local maker of luxury yachts. Nicholas Deshais reports. (Seattle Times)

Boldt 50.
Cecilia Gobin, Conservation Policy Analyst, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission will discuss "Boldt at 50 Years: Tribal Sovereignty, Resources Management, & the Boldt Decision’s Continuing Influence." May 10, 2 p.m. Padilla Bay Reserve. Reservations

Slow-Speed Chase
Across the sandy seafloor off the coast of Hawai‘i, a high-speed chase unfolds—or at least, what amounts to high speed for an echinoderm and a gastropod. The prey, a red pencil urchin (Heterocentrotus mamillatus), is ready for battle with its coat of thick spines. The predator, a type of sea snail known as a horned helmet (Cassis cornuta), carries its own armor: a helmet-shaped shell that protects the mushy mollusk within. Krista Langlois reports. (bioGraphic)

Democracy Watch

• Trump taps influencer Casey Means, ally to RFK Jr., as surgeon general (Associated Press)
  
• Congressional budget agency projects sweeping Medicaid cutbacks in states under GOP plans (Washington State Standard)
  

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  251 AM PDT Thu May 8 2025    
TODAY  S wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to NE late this morning and  early afternoon, then becoming NW 10 to 15 kt late. Seas 3 to  5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 11 seconds.  
TONIGHT  NW wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 10 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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