9/17 Sea urchin, orca!, ESA 'take,' BC bluebirds, PT paper mill fined, Skagit energy storage, BC Hydro reporting, Sim,ilk estuary, restoration grants, crashes and spills, Byron Sher, democracy watch.

Green sea urchin [Ask Nature]

 
Sea urchin
The red sea urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) and the green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) occur in large numbers throughout the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Admiralty Inlet, and the San Juan Islands but are also found in the inland waters of Puget Sound. Sea urchins graze actively on seaweed using sharp jaw parts (found in a structure called Aristotle's lantern) to chew up kelp, a favorite food source. (Swinomish Fisheries)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Bellingham’s Salish Landing Park moves closer to completion

Breathtaking
An orca peeks above the water on Monday afternoon at the Port Angeles Boat Haven in front of spectators from a yacht. The Orca Network identified the orca as Biggs T109A4 Garrett. Jay Cline reports. (Peninsula Daily News) 

Trump administration moves to gut a core endangered species protection 
In what would be a seismic shift, the Trump administration is quietly moving to strip a core protection of the Endangered Species Act. At the center of the change is what it means to “take” an endangered animal, something that has long been prohibited under the act. Under a new interpretation of the law’s language outlined in the memo, the accidental killing or injury of an animal would no longer be considered illegal; only actions specifically intending to target an animal would. The change would be transformative because, in the United States, the killing of endangered animals almost always happens incidentally, in the course of economic activity. Catrin Einhorn reports. (NY Times) 

Bluebirds Went Extinct on Vancouver Island. Now They’re Back
Seventy landowners and many other volunteers have helped return their gentle, chortling song to the Cowichan Valley. Sarah Cox reports. (The Tyee) 

WA fines Port Townsend paper mill for chemical spill, poor maintenance 
Washington’s Department of Ecology fined the Port Townsend Paper Company $734,000 this week for a series of spills, including two that poured out thousands of gallons of highly alkaline black liquor. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times) 

Bayview Ridge energy storage facility fight returns to Skagit County
The fight over a building permit issued for a battery energy storage facility on Bayview Ridge west of Burlington is once again in the hands of the Skagit County Board of Commissioners. On July 29, Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Robert E. Olson ruled that the Skagit County Board of Commissioners did not properly enter facts and findings in its denial of Stewards of Skagit’s appeal, and did not explain its reasoning. The court reversed the board’s decision and remanded the matter back to the board for the appeal. On Aug. 28, Stewards of Skagit filed an appeal with the Skagit County Board of Commissioners. A hearing is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 14, the county confirmed. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) 

BC Hydro just scaled back its clean electricity reporting
BC Hydro has to supply 100% clean energy by 2030. As the province stares down a supply crunch, the utility just made it harder for the public to track its progress. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal) 

NOAA awards $4.2 million for Similk estuary project
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is awarding $4.2 million to the Skagit River System Cooperative, which is a natural resource consortium of the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. The grant will fund the restoration of the Similk Bay estuary and pocket marsh just west of the Swinomish reservation. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) 

Nooksack Indian Tribe, Whatcom Land Trust awarded $778K to restore salmon habitat
The Nooksack Indian Tribe and Whatcom Land Trust were awarded a total of $778,482 in grants for projects to restore salmon habitat. In all, 75 grants totaling $21.5 million were awarded to projects in 27 counties, according to a Wednesday, Sept. 16 news release from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. (CDN) https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/16/nooksack-indian-tribe-whatcom-land-trust-awarded-778k-to-restore-salmon-habitat/

Truck Crashes and Fuel Spills Are Endangering BC’s Wild Sheep
A ‘very poor’ recent recovery effort highlights the need for improvements, locals and advocates say. Josh Kozelj reports. (The Tyee) 

Byron Sher, an uncomfortable politician who left an indelible mark on California’s environment, dies at 98
Byron Sher, a Stanford law professor turned California legislator who wrote some of the state’s most far-reaching environmental laws, died Saturday. He was 98. Dan Morain reports. (LA Times) 

Democracy Watch

• Federal judge blocks Trump administration from limiting stay of international students (KUOW) 
• Group aims to ‘DeFlock’ Everett with citizen-led initiatives (Everett Herald) 

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Here's your tug weather— 

West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  200 PM PDT Wed Sep 16 2026    
THU  E wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at  8 seconds.  
THU NIGHT  W wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 8 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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