6/27 Western toad, selling fed land, UBC free speech, Inidgenous control, sovereignty, BC tanker ban, Tacoma dirty dozen, democracy watch, week in review

Western toad [Andrew Nydam]

Western toad Anaxyrus boreas
The Western Toad has all the qualities of a typical toad: warty skin, a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle, and a large toxin-exuding parotid gland just posterior to each eye. Western Toads reach a maximum length of around 12 cm and have a base color that can be any number of shades of green, yellow, black, or brown. The presence of a pale dorsal stripe is a reliable way to identify this toad. Outside of the breeding season, Western Toads are most active at night, occurring in a variety of habitats including meadows and forests. Breeding takes place in the spring when female Western Toads deposit long strings of eggs in shallow ponds that are then fertilized by the male. Western Toads are active for most of the year, depending on the weather, and can be out of hibernation from January through October. (Save The Frogs)

Today's top story in Salish Current: The bee beat: Threats to our bees

If Congress tries to sell WA federal lands, buyers may hard to come by
Hundreds of thousands of acres in Washington could hit the market if Congress approves a proposal to sell off Bureau of Land Management property. However, with restrictions on what the land can be used for and which parcels can be sold, people in the state’s real estate business doubt there’ll be many buyers for the land if the bill passes. Claire Bernard reports. (Seattle Times)

Free Speech at UBC: ‘We're Watching This Case Very Closely
Profs petitioned BC’s Supreme Court to stop land acknowledgments and other ‘political’ statements by the university. That’s dangerous, says a BCCLA lawyer. Katie Hyslop reports. (The Tyee)

What it looks like when Indigenous people take control of climate stewardship on their land
B.C.'s Tsleil-Waututh nation is slowly restoring the health of its local waters, after decades of industry and development in the Burrard Inlet. (CBC)

Here’s what you need to know about Indigenous sovereignty
Indigenous sovereignty and Indigenous-led conservation are both crucial to Canada’s future — but they’re also widely misunderstood. L. Manuel Baechlin reports. (The Narwhal)

B.C. Premier David Eby says he supports the tanker ban on the province's North Coast
Despite Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's push to pump crude oil to British Columbia, B.C. Premier David Eby says his government backs the federal tanker ban that prohibits oil tankers from stopping, loading, or unloading at protected area ports on the province's North Coast. Edzi'u Loverin reports. (CBC)

Are these Tacoma-area industries to blame for pollution in Commencement Bay?
Communities for a Healthy Bay published a “Dirty Dozen” report last month identifying 12 facilities in the South Sound that have violated environmental safeguards required by the Washington Department of Ecology and contributed to stormwater, air, soil and hazardous-waste pollution in and around Commencement Bay.  Becca Most reports. (Tacoma News Tribune) 

Democracy Watch

• Supreme court paves way for South Carolina and other states to defund Planned Parenthood (The Guardian)
  
• With Flu Shot Vote, RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Skepticism Comes Full Circle (NY Times)
  

Salish Sea News Week in Review 6/27/25: IWW Day, greenhouse gas, Dungeness crab, opening national forests, orca grooming, enviro justice funds, BC trawl fishers, salmon farm lice, glacier melt, wildfires. 

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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  214 AM PDT Fri Jun 27 2025    
TODAY  E wind around 5 kt. Seas around 2 ft or less. Wave  Detail: W 2 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of showers early this  morning, then showers late this morning and afternoon.  
TONIGHT  S wind around 5 kt, veering to W after midnight. Seas  around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 8 seconds. Showers likely in  the evening.  
SAT  W wind around 5 kt, rising to 5 to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 9 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 9 seconds.  
SUN  NW wind around 5 kt, rising to 5 to 10 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 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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