12/5 Green-winged teal, ocean acid, Rustad quits, Ted Yackulic, bumble bee reigns, bears' eyes, Columbia County, democracy watch, week in review

 

Green-winged teal [Lee Barnes]

Green-winged teal Anas crecca 
The smallest dabbling duck, the Green-winged Teal is smaller and more compact than other teals and has a round head and narrow bill. The Green-winged Teal lives in shallow wetlands, preferring fresh water for breeding, but is resident on both fresh and salt water at other times of the year. Tidal mudflats are used by this species more often than by any other duck. (BirdWeb)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Community Voices / The moral comfort of numbers

Tiny cup corals show accelerating ocean acidification in the Salish Sea
Ocean acidification is sometimes described as climate change’s evil twin. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions, causing the water to become more corrosive. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)   

Rustad Quits as Conservative Leader After Day of Chaos
After 24 hours of chaos, John Rustad resigned as BC Conservative leader [Thursday] morning and said he will remain as the MLA for Nechako Lakes. On Wednesday Rustad insisted he was still the leader even after a majority of the party’s MLAs said they had lost confidence in him and the party announced the appointment of Trevor Halford as interim leader. Andrew McLeod reports. (The Tyee) 

Former EPA lawyer based in Seattle fights Trump-related firing
A former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency attorney who was based in Seattle is among those challenging their firings for signing a letter critical of the Trump administration. Ted Yackulic worked for the EPA for nearly 36 years and focused on ensuring polluters paid for environmental cleanup. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times) 

Pollinator reigns supreme in Sidney aquarium’s Salish Sea Idol campaign
The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea in Sidney is abuzz with news of the bumble bee crowned Salish Sea Idol for 2025.  The campaign invited people to back the contender – bull kelp, bumble bee, camas and Pacific herring – they found most compelling, ecologically important or representative of the Salish Sea watershed. (SaanichNews) 

Charting a Course Through Bears' Eyes 
n British Columbia, stewards from the Heiltsuk First Nation are using computational models and Indigenous knowledge to protect bears’ access to salmon. Jane Palmer reports. (geoGraphic) 

Environmental passion project documents new species in an Oregon county
Jon Hakim, Columbia County, Oregon native, has had published in Northwestern Naturalist the most comprehensive reptile and amphibian survey ever undertaken in heavily forested, and intensively utilized, Columbia County. Steve Lundeberg reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Democracy Watch

• Supreme Court allows Texas to use a congressional map favorable to Republicans in 2026 (AP) 
• ICE Arrest Data Shows Many Immigrants With No Criminal Record (NY Times) 
• Trump’s attack on DEI may hurt college men, particularly White men (Washington Post) 
• DOJ orders prison inspectors to stop considering LGBTQ safety standards (NPR) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 12/5/25: Prohibition repeal day, WA pipeline, marmot rebound, orca bird hunt, Canada pipeline, auto fuel standards, wolf recovery, Salish Sea acid. 

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Here's your weekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  200 AM PST Fri Dec 5 2025    

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH  LATE TONIGHT  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING    
TODAY  SE wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming SW 20 to 25 kt late this  morning, then becoming W 25 to 30 kt this afternoon. Seas 5 to 7  ft. Wave Detail: SE 2 ft at 4 seconds, W 7 ft at 7 seconds and W 4  ft at 11 seconds. Rain this morning, then a chance of rain early  this afternoon. Rain late.  
TONIGHT  W wind 25 to 35 kt. Seas 8 to 11 ft, building to 9 to  13 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: W 13 ft at 13 seconds. Rain.  
SAT  W wind 25 to 30 kt, easing to 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 7 to 10 ft. Wave Detail: W 10 ft at 13 seconds.  Rain.  
SAT NIGHT  SW wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  SUN  S wind 20 to 25 kt, veering to SW in the afternoon. Seas  4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: SE 4 ft at 5 seconds, SW 3 ft at  7 seconds and W 6 ft at 10 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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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12/4 Grunt sculpin, wolf recovery, auto fuel standards, no old growth harvest, Carney's corridor, democracy watch

 

Editor's note: Thanks to readers who stepped up on Giving Tuesday to support Salish Current and nonprofit local news that can be trusted and read without a paywall. We met our national NewsMatch challenge and will next meet a $50,000 local challenge put forth by local supporters. Will you help meet that match challenge with a donation to our 2X NewsMatch? [salish-current.org/donate] Please donate. Thank you!

Grunt sculpin [Wikipedia]

Grunt sculpin Rhamphocottus richardsonii
The grunt sculpin or grunt-fish is a small fish mainly found in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The grunt sculpin generally remains close to shore and is often found in empty giant barnacle shells. The common name comes from reports that the fish vibrate or "grunt" when held. Its defining feature is its tendency to "hop" along the ocean floor on its orange fins. The short, stout body of the grunt sculpin has a long, small mouth which is adapted for eating smaller prey. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Behind closed doors: How the Port conducts public business in private

Conservation group to sue feds over lack of national wolf recovery plan
Conservation groups are gearing up to take the federal government to court to preserve the protected status of gray wolves across the country. The Center for Biological Diversity in a Tuesday letter, informed the U.S. Wildlife Service that it intends to file a lawsuit alleging the agency violated the Endangered Species Act by not preparing a national gray wolf recovery plan. Michah Drew reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Trump administration rolls back fuel economy standards
The Trump administration has started the process of dramatically easing fuel economy requirements for new vehicles, part of the administration's broader pivot away from cleaner cars. At the White House on Wednesday, surrounded by the executives from several major car companies, President Trump said the move would save consumers money by making cars cheaper.  Camila Domonoske reports. (NPR) 

Eby says no to harvesting old growth for pulp to extend life of B.C. mill
The British Columbia government is looking for ways to help a pulp mill closing on Vancouver Island, Premier David Eby said Wednesday, but logging the province's old-growth forests for pulp is not an option. (Canadian Press) 

Thinking critically about Carney’s proposed conservation corridor in northwest B.C.
The federal government says both extraction and conservation are key to the B.C. “corridor” it’s focused on. But the scarce information provided focuses on minerals and energy, not wildlife or Indigenous-led protection plans. Matt Simmons writes. (The Narwhal) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump administration puts a hold on immigration applications from 19 nations (Washington State Standard) 
• DOJ announces it’s suing Washington for not handing over voter rolls (The Olympian) 
• White House renames building the ‘Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace’ (Washington Post) 

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-  321 PM PST Wed Dec 3 2025    
THU  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  13 seconds. Rain.  
THU NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


12/3 Yew, stalking seabirds, BC pipe, eelgrass meadow, glacier photos, democracy watch

Pacific yew

Pacific yew Taxus brevifolia
The Pacific Yew is also called the Western Yew or sometimes the Oregon Yew.  Brevifolia means short leaves. The Pacific Yew is found from British Columbia to Northern California from the coast to the Cascades, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas and the western slope of the Rockies in B.C., Idaho and Montana. Yew wood was prized in both the old world and the new world for its strength and elasticity.  Loggers who were after the larger Douglas Fir, Hemlock and other trees of old growth forests did not have much regard for the Pacific Yew and many were destroyed in the process of harvesting the larger trees.  The plight of the Pacific Yew gained attention in the 1980s when it was discovered that its bark yielded the effective cancer-fighting drug, Taxol. (Native Plants of the PNW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Can a new plan help revitalize Point Roberts’ economy?

Orcas stalk seabirds to hone hunting skills: researchers 
Bigg’s orcas were observed stalking seabirds in Puget Sound last month, a behaviour that researchers believe wasn’t hunting, but a practice to help them sharpen their hunting skills — and a form of play. Darron Kloster reports.(Suquamish Chief) 

Assembly of First Nations calls for withdrawal of Canada-Alberta pipeline deal 
Assembly of First Nations chiefs voted unanimously on Tuesday to demand the withdrawal of a new pipeline deal between Canada and Alberta, while expressing full support for First Nations on the British Columbia coast that strongly oppose the initiative. Brett Forester reports. (CBC)  

Snorkeling an Eelgrass Meadow
Apropos to yesterday's bay pipefish critter profile, Chris Rurik shares Part 1 of his survey of the state's most successful eelgrass restoration project to date. (Infinite Peninsula) 

Historic glacier photos hint at the future
One woman's devotion to documenting these huge ice formations in the late 1800s sheds light on what the PNW will look like when they are gone. Knute Berger writes. (CascadePBS) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump administration says it will withhold SNAP from Democrat-led states if they don’t provide data (AP) 
• White House intensifies push for mass deportation after National Guard shooting (Washington State Standard) 
• Trump says he doesn’t want Somalis in the US, urges them to go back to their homeland and fix it (AP) 

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-  259 PM PST Tue Dec 2 2025    
WED  SE wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 14 seconds. A chance of rain.  
WED NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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12/2 Bay pipefish, pipeline restarted, Exxon Valdez spill, oil tanker ban, marmot rebound, democracy watch

 

Editor's note: It's called Giving Tuesday and I hope the day prompts you to make a donation to support Salish Current and nonprofit local news everyone can trust and read without paywall. Please donate. [salish-current.org/donate] Thank you!. Mike.

Bay pipefish

Bay pipefish Syngnathus leptorhynchus
The bay pipefish is a pipefish native to the eelgrass beds of the Eastern Pacific, where its sinuous shape and green color allow it to blend in with the waving blades of eelgrass. They have an elongated, slim body along with weak dorsal fins and pectoral fins for locomotion. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: New story for old newspaper building

BP’s Olympic Pipeline fully restarts after 2-week shutdown 
BP’s Olympic Pipeline returned to full service on Saturday after a leak triggered a two-week shutdown.  and leading Washington and Oregon’s governors to issue emergencies over the disruption of fuel. The company has recovered almost 2,300 gallons of oil and is continuing cleanup efforts. Eliza Aronson reports. (Everett Herald) 

Why the disastrous 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill looms large over northern pipeline debate
The Exxon Valdez disaster happened more than 36 years ago off Alaska's coast, but the catastrophic oil spill still looms over plans for a pipeline from Alberta to the northern British Columbia coast. Wolfgang Depner reports. (Canadian Press) 

Explainer: Canada’s oil tanker ban was aimed at Alaska
Canada's moratorium on oil tanker traffic off B.C.'s North Coast, which has existed since the 1970s but was only formalized into law in 2019, has been a key barrier to new oil pipeline proposals in the northwest. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Charity celebrates milestone as Vancouver Island marmots rebound to 427 in wild
The Marmot Recovery Foundation announced on its social media page that the population of the Vancouver Island species has reached a new high of 427 marmots. When its team first began releasing marmots to the wild in 2003, there were just 22 remaining. Nono Shen reports. (Canadian Press) 

Democracy Watch

• Outlets that reach millions denied access to rare Pentagon news briefings this week (AP) 
• For the first time since 1988, the U.S. is not officially commemorating World AIDS Day (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-  246 PM PST Mon Dec 1 2025    
TUE  NW wind around 5 kt, veering to NE in the afternoon. Seas  4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 7 seconds and W 6 ft at  15 seconds.  
TUE NIGHT  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W  6 ft at 15 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)salish-current.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