5/20 Nettles, USACE spending plan, Columbia Basin dams, Canada Post strike, spot shrimp season, democracy watch

Stinging nettle

 
Stinging nettle Urtica dioica
Urtica dioica is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa, it is now found worldwide. The plant has a long history of use as a source for traditional medicine, food, tea, and textile raw material in ancient (such as Saxon) and modern societies. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: San Juan Islands ferry terminal troubles

Red states win, blue states lose in Army Corps spending plan
The Army Corps of Engineers is directing a disproportionate amount of its construction funding to Republican states under the full-year fiscal 2025 stopgap spending law, according to data compiled by Democratic staff for the Senate Appropriations Committee. Overall, nearly two-thirds of Army Corps of Engineers construction funding is going to red states, a sizable shift from former President Joe Biden’s final budget request and the initial fiscal 2025 House and Senate Energy-Water appropriations bills, which were all closer to an even split.  Aidan Quigley reports. (CQ-Roll Call)

Fears over Columbia Basin dams, hydroelectricity grow as agencies lose hundreds of employees
Hundreds of federal employees managing the nation’s main hydropower corridor have retired, resigned or been released due to Trump orders and hiring freezes. Alex Baumhardt reports. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Canada Post workers issue strike notice, poised to hit picket lines Friday
Canada Post received a strike notice Monday from the union representing more than 55,000 postal workers, with operations poised to shut down by the end of the week — for the second time in six months. Christopher Reynolds reports. (Canadian Press) 

Spot shrimp season opens Wednesday
Local Marine Areas opening include Marine Area 5 (western Strait of Juan de Fuca): Open daily beginning Wednesday through Sept. 15; Marine Area 6 (Port Angeles Harbor, eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, excluding the Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open this Wednesday through Friday, June 6-7, June 20-21 and July 18-19; Marine Area 7 East (northern Rosario Strait, Bellingham Bay, Sucia and Matia Islands, Strait of Georgia): Open this Wednesday through Friday and June 6-7; Marine Area 7 West (San Juan Channel, Speiden Channel, Stuart and Waldron Islands): Open this Wednesday through Friday, June 6-7, June 20-21 and July 18-19; Marine Area 8-1 (Saratoga Passage, Deception Pass): Open this Wednesday and June 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Democracy Watch

• U.S. Supreme Court lets Trump end protected status for 350,000 Venezuelan migrants (Washington Post)
  
• Trump alleges 'genocide' in South Africa. Afrikaner farmers and others scoff (AP)
  
• Federal judge blocks Trump's takeover of U.S. Institute of Peace (NPR)
  

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  301 AM PDT Tue May 20 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON    
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming W 10 to 15 kt late. Seas 10  to 12 ft subsiding to 5 to 7 ft this afternoon. Wave Detail: W 12  feet at 13 seconds. A slight chance of tstms. Showers, mainly  this morning.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 12 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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5/19 St John's wort, Mt St Helens, Green R salmon, Trump's rules, real time weather, Billy Proctor, Bryde's whale WA litter law, WA CoastSavers, democracy watch

St John's wort

St John's wort Hypericum perforatum
St John's wort is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. The species produces numerous chemical compounds that are highly active. These chemicals are harmful to large animals, especially sheep, and help to deter herbivores from consuming the plant. Other chemicals in the plant, such as hypericin and hyperforin, have various uses in medicine. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: La Conner passes a nuclear disarmament resolution

45 years later, Washington geologist remembers visiting Mount St. Helens the day before it blew
On May 17, 1980, geologist Carolyn Driedger stood beneath a volcano she knew intimately — and one she was beginning to fear. The summit of Mount St. Helens towered above, its graceful, snow-covered slopes gleaming in the sun. But her eyes were fixed on something else: a grotesque bulge protruding from the mountain’s north face. Ian McCluskey reports. (OPB)

U.S. Sen. Murray says Trump zeroes out $500M for WA fish passage project
Washington’s U.S. Sen. Patty Murray is raising the alarm over a new spending plan by the Trump administration that doesn’t include $500 million in funding for a fish-passage project on the Green River near Seattle. Lynda Mapes reports, (Seattle Times)

Trump orders the government to stop enforcing rules he doesn’t like
Critics say the administration is breaking the law and sidestepping the rulemaking process that presidents of both parties have long followed. Maxine Joselow, Hannah Natanson and Ian Duncan report. (Washington Post) 

Trump budget would cut ocean data and leave boaters, anglers and forecasters scrambling for info
President Donald Trump wants to eliminate all federal funding for the observing system’s regional operations. Scientists say the cuts could mean the end of efforts to gather real-time data crucial to navigating treacherous harbors, plotting tsunami escape routes and predicting hurricane intensity. Todd Richmond reports. (Associated Press)

Billy Proctor, ‘Heart of the Raincoast,’ dies at 90
Billy Proctor, a fisherman known for his work to restore Pacific salmon and his personal museum featuring artifacts gathered from a lifetime in the Broughton archipelago, died Tuesday at 90 years old. He spent his life in the remote island community of Echo Bay on Gilford Island, off the coast of northern Vancouver Island. He was a hand-logger, commercial fisherman, beachcomber and artifact collector, but more than anything, he was a wealth of knowledge and the glue that held together the community of Echo Bay, said his longtime friend, Alexandra Morton. Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Times Colonist)

Rare whale washes up on Vancouver Island, in possible 1st sighting of species in B.C.
In a possible first for B.C., a Bryde's whale — a species not generally seen north of California — has washed up on Vancouver Island. Experts brought in to examine the body confirmed it as a young Bryde's whale, a baleen whale that uses filter feeding, similar to humpbacks, generally found in tropical to temperate waters, though there have been stray sightings of individuals as far north as Washington state in the past. Andrew Kurjata reports. (CBC)

New WA law increases penalties for litter, delays plastic bag requirements
A new law signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on Saturday toughens the punishment for littering and delays requirements for retailers to offer thicker bags for sale from Jan. 1, 2026 until 2028.  Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero reports. (Washington State Standard)

A grassroots movement trying to keep the Washington coast clean
Megan Juran is the coordinator for Washington CoastSavers, where she organizes the state’s largest annual beach cleanups, with the most recent one held on April 19, Earth Day weekend. In 2025, 584 volunteers removed over 13,000 pounds of marine debris from sites along Washington’s Pacific coast.  Juan Jocom reports. (KNKX)

Democracy Watch

• DHS considering reality show in which immigrants compete for citizenship (Washington Post)
  
• Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to resume quick deportations of Venezuelans under 18th-century law (AP)
  
• Trump appointee pressed analyst to redo intelligence on Venezuelan gang  (NY Times)
  
• Court lifts block on Trump order to strip federal workers of union rights  (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-  235 AM PDT Mon May 19 2025    
TODAY  S wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to SW 15 to 20 kt this  afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: S 2 ft at 3 seconds and W  4 ft at 10 seconds. Showers likely early this morning, then a  chance of showers late this morning. Showers with a slight chance  of tstms this afternoon.  
TONIGHT  SW wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W  7 ft at 13 seconds. Showers.

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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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5/16 Snake plant, Alouettte R, Bill 15, Axial Seamount, Lynne Barre, crayfish, week in review, democracy watch

Snake plant

 

Snake plant Dracaena trifasciata
Dracaena trifasciata is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to tropical West Africa from Nigeria east to the Congo. It is most commonly known as the snake plant, Saint George's sword, mother-in-law's tongue, and viper's bowstring hemp, among other names. Until 2017, it was known under the synonym Sansevieria trifasciata. This plant is often kept as a houseplant due to its non-demanding maintenance; they can survive with very little water and sun. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Tribal court warrants to be enforceable by state authorities

86 per cent of a river gone: First Nation calls on BC Hydro to let more water through
Katzie First Nation wants BC Hydro to let more water into the Fraser region's Alouette River, as it faces pollution, drought and decreased salmon. Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood reports. (The Narwhal)

Bill 15: this ‘blank cheque’ legislation could dramatically change how B.C. approves major projects
Premier David Eby says new legislation won’t degrade environmental protections or Indigenous Rights. Critics warn government would have ‘extraordinary powers’ to push projects through. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal)

Marine life's latest hotspot could be an underwater volcano primed to erupt off Oregon
An underwater volcano in the Pacific Northwest is expected to erupt sometime this year for the first time in 11 years — and it could stir up lots of activity for marine life in the area. The volcano, Axial Seamount, lies about a mile below the ocean's surface, about 300 miles from the coast of Astoria, Oregon. Ayana Archie reports. (NPR)

Whale Trail Spring Gathering: Celebrating Lynne!
Celebrate with the Whale Trail Lynne Barre's retirement from NOAA following 25 years of dedicated service, plus whale updates, on May 29 from 7-9:30 p.m. at C&P Coffee Company, West Seattle. Brown Paper Tickets.

New crayfish species discovered in WA lake
A graduate student came across a reddish-brown creature with claws that was tangled up in fishing line at a north central Washington lake — and it turned out to be a new species. Its scientific name is Pacifastacus okanaganensis, but it’s known commonly as the Okanogan crayfish. Sara Schilling reports. (McClatchy)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 5/16/25: ESA Friday, fossil fuel suit, green energy dreams, dredging Burrard Inlet, Snake R dams, drinking forever chemicals, NW energy forecast, NOAA scientists cut, SnoCo critical areas.

Democracy Watch

• Asylum-seekers left in limbo after Trump's crackdown (AP)
  
• GOP states double efforts to stamp out DEI (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 weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  222 AM PDT Fri May 16 2025    
TODAY  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: SE  2 ft at 4 seconds and W 6 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
TONIGHT  S wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to W after midnight. Seas  3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
SAT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 6 seconds and W 5 ft at  11 seconds. Rain likely.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 20 to 25 kt, easing to 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 8 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at 9 seconds.  
SUN  W wind 15 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at  9 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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5/15 Pacific treefrog, NOAA cuts, SnoCo critical areas, digital equity grant cut, Blue Carbon Green Fields cut, new WA ferries, Helion fusion, Enbridge pipe, democracy watch

Pacific treefrog [WDFW]

Pacific treefrog Pseudacris regilla
Pacific treefrogs are able to utilize a wide variety of habitats and persist even within urban and disturbed areas, where pockets of undeveloped habitat exist. This species is prolific and the tadpoles are usually the most common amphibian larvae at any breeding site. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Spring Chinook run continues to grow

NOAA senior scientists in Seattle depart amid Trump cuts
Scientists behind some of the most important breakthroughs in Northwest scientific research over the past two decades have left their jobs in the wake of budget cutting by the Trump administration...The science center has lost about 30 people, according to Nick Tolimieri, president of the fisheries chapter of the IFPTE Local 8A (a union leader for about 200 center employees in the bargaining unit). While science still continues at the center, many of those lost were scientists with significant experience. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Snohomish County Council passes controversial critical habitat ordinance
Despite overwhelming opposing testimony, the Snohomish County Council passed a controversial amendment alongside its new Critical Areas Regulations ordinance on Wednesday afternoon. Council members approved the ordinance, along with what is known as Amendment 3, by a 3-2 vote, with Megan Dunn and Strom Peterson voting against it. Eliza Aronson reports. (Everett Herald)

Trump administration cancels $16 million WA digital equity grant
The Trump administration has rescinded a $16 million grant to create a new cybersecurity literacy program in Washington. The state Department of Commerce received word of the canceled funding Friday. That was one day after President Donald Trump called the Digital Equity Act that created the grant program “racist” and “unconstitutional.” Jake Goldstein-Street reports. (Washington State Standard)

UW project took nuisance seaweed from shellfish farm to help growers. The USDA cut its funding
The Blue Carbon, Green Fields project received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote climate-smart farm practices. The project was launched in March 2024. In its first year, the team harvested nearly 17,000 pounds of wet seaweed. [Project director Sarah] Collier says there was so much interest that they were ready to include more farms in the pilot when she learned the grant was cancelled. Ruby De Luna reports. (KUOW)

WA boat builder suggests splitting electric ferry bid with Florida rival
Two days after its bid to build a new hybrid-electric ferry came in nearly $90 million over an out-of-state competitor, Washington-based Nichols Brothers Boat Builders urged Gov. Bob Ferguson on Wednesday to let both companies build the state’s new electric ferry fleet. In a letter to Ferguson, Nichols CEO Gavin Higgins pitched his idea as beneficial to all involved, including his company’s rival in the bid process, Eastern Shipbuilding Group from Panama City, Fla. Nicholas Deshais reports. (Seattle Times)

Helion celebrates smoother path to fusion energy site approval
The CEO of an Everett-based fusion energy company said legislation signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday will help his company clear potential hurdles to build the world’s first commercial fusion power plant. Helion CEO David Kirtley said the fusion energy facilities bill approved by the governor will give the Everett company the option of presenting plans for a clean-energy power plant to the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. If the group recommends the site, it would go to the governor’s desk for approval, bypassing any local community opposition. Randy Diamond reports. (Everett Herald)

Enbridge sells stake in Westcoast pipeline to First Nations group
Stonlasec8 Indigenous Alliance Limited Partnership will invest $715M for a 12.5 % share. (Canadian Press)

Democracy Watch

• D.H.S. Requests 20,000 National Guard Members to Help With Immigration Crackdown (NY Times)
  
• Under pressure, HHS reinstates hundreds of occupational health workers (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-  259 AM PDT Thu May 15 2025   TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 11 seconds. A slight chance of rain early this morning, then  rain late this morning and afternoon.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 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)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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5/14 Salamander, tree sitter, Snake R dams, drinking forever chemicals, carbon credits, pumped storage, NW energy needs, dead whale, Clipper cuts, BC forestry, democracy watch

Long-toed salamander [Charles Peterson]

Long-toed salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum
In Washington, long-toed salamanders are the most widespread, possibly the most common salamander species and occur in all ecoregions. Occurrences are sparse in coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest Coast Ecoregion and in the driest portions of the central arid shrub-steppe zone of the Columbia Basin Ecoregion. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Local attorneys reaffirm commitment to the Constitution / Bids to build new plug-in ferries come in high

Activist remains in tree to block cut of Elwha forest
An activist is continuing their vigil about 80 feet up a grand fir in an effort to stop logging of an older forest on state lands in the Elwha watershed. The tree sitter, 25, a Port Angeles resident who declined to be identified, first ascended the fir in the early morning hours of May 8 a few miles outside of Port Angeles to protest planned logging of the state’s Parched timber sale. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

New energy secretary supports Snake River hydropower dams
The nation’s new energy secretary is “passionately in support” of leaving the four lower Snake River dams in Eastern Washington intact, he said at a hearing last week in Washington, D.C. Annette Cary reports. (Tri-City Herald)

EPA announces rollback for some Biden-era limits on so-called forever chemicals in drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some so-called forever chemicals in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones. Michael Phillis reports. (Associated Press)

Microsoft purchases Peninsula credits
The forest investment and management company EFM has finalized an agreement with Microsoft for the purchase of millions of carbon removal credits, some of which will be derived from Olympic Peninsula forests. Emma Maple reports. (Peninsula Dail News)

Washington’s draft report on pumped storage hydropower finds ways to do less harm
Pumped storage hydropower has been around for decades. It acts as a battery and stores energy for when it’s needed on the grid. But Washington lawmakers wanted to know more about it. So, they asked for an informational study. Courtney Platt reports. (NW Public Broadcasting)

Higher prices, rolling blackouts: The Northwest is bracing for the effects of a lagging green energy push
Northwest leaders pushed strict green energy mandates but neglected problems with the electrical grid. Residents are already feeling the consequences. Tony Schick and Monica Samayoa report. (OPB)

Second dead grey whale in less than a week washes ashore in B.C.
Last week, another dead grey whale was found near Tofino, belonging to a population already considered at risk. (CBC)

Clipper to cut in half number of summer sailings between Victoria and Seattle
The ferry company is also laying off staff as it worries about inflation and tensions about border crossing contribute to a drop in passenger numbers. Andrew A. Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

It’s Not Just Trump’s Tariff War Hurting BC’s Forest Sector
The legacy of provincial policies and industry decisions is equally to blame. Ben Parfitt reports. (The Tyee)

Democracy Watch

• In rare move, Congress pushes back on Trump over Library of Congress (Washington Post)
  
• U.S. House Republican plan would force states to pay for a portion of SNAP benefits (Washington State Standard)
  
• FDA moves to ban fluoride supplements for kids, removing a key tool for dentists (NPR)
  
• DOGE Removes Dozens of Resurrected Contracts From Its List of Savings (NY Times)
  

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-  245 AM PDT Wed May 14 2025   TODAY  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft  at 8 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 9 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.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

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5/13 Pond turtle, Burrard Inlet dredging, BC low snowpack, South Sound prairies, LNG ship fuel, democracy watch

Northwestern pond turtle [WDFW]

 

Northwestern pond turtle Actinemys marmorata
The range of the western pond turtle extends from the Puget Sound lowlands in Washington through western Oregon and California, south to Baja California. This aquatic turtle lives in streams, ponds, lakes, and permanent and ephemeral wetlands. Pond turtles spend most of their lives in water, but they also require terrestrial habitats for nesting.

Today's top story in Salish Current: Reproductive health in the balance as state weighs budget priorities

B.C., federal government support dredging Vancouver's Burrard Inlet, others opposed
British Columbia's energy minister is backing plans to dredge and deepen Vancouver's Burrard Inlet to accommodate fully loaded oil tankers, despite concerns from environmentalists, experts and First Nations. Wolfgang Depner reports. (Canadian Press)

B.C.'s low snowpack and early melt signal drought, raising concerns for hydro power
Former provincial environment minister says drought is a factor in B.C.’s declining electricity generation. Brenna Owen reports. (Canadian Press)

Decline of South Puget Sound prairies are a conservation priority in Thurston County
South Puget Sound’s native prairies are now listed as one of the state’s rarest ecosystems, as The Nature Conservancy confirmed prairie lands have dwindled to under 3 percent. In response to the biome loss, the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) passed a proclamation, naming May 2025 as Prairie Appreciation Month at a meeting earlier this month. Kameko Marquez reports. (JOLT)

Cruise Ship Refuels With LNG For The First Time At Port Of Vancouver
The first-ever cruise ship has filled up with an alternative fuel at the Port of Vancouver, receiving LNG (liquefied natural gas) from Seaspan Energy’s LNG bunker vessel Seaspan Garibaldi as it prepares to sail to Alaska. (Marine Insight)

Democracy Watch

• Trump administration welcomes 59 white South Africans as refugees (AP)
  
•  RFK Jr. swims in D.C. creek that flows with sewage and bacteria (NY Times)
  
• House Republicans propose $5 billion for private school vouchers (AP) 
• Farmers Sued Over Deleted Climate Data. So the Government Will Put It Back (NY Times)
  
• Trump, Pressed on Qatari Jet, Says Only ‘Stupid’ People Reject Gifts (NY Times)
  
• Trump tried to fire Corporation for Public Broadcasting board members. Then came DOGE (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-  310 AM PDT Tue May 13 2025    
TODAY  E wind around 5 kt, backing to N late this morning, then  becoming W 10 to 15 kt this afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave  Detail: NW 2 ft at 7 seconds and W 6 ft at 10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W  7 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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5/12 Gartersnake, fossil fuel suit, green energy dream, UW climate research, border pix, birding capital, fuel refinery sale, Chinook Nation, W. Ron Allen, democracy watch

Gartersnake

 Puget Sound Gartersnake Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii
The Puget Sound Gartersnake is dark grey to black with three yellow or bluish-grey stripes: one narrow stripe down the back (dorsal stripe) and one on each side (lateral stripes). The lateral stripes are confined to the second and third scale row. Unlike the other subspecies of the Common Gartersnake that occur in B.C., the red bars on the sides between the dorsal and side stripes are often very faint or absent. The Valley Gartersnake typically only has seven scales on the upper lip and has a yellowish chin and belly. Individuals can grow to just over a metre in length. (Canadian Herpetological Society)

Today's top story in Salish Current: On the front line of food insecurity

Washington state sues to block Trump order expediting fossil fuel projects
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is suing over what he says is President Donald Trump's unlawful declaration of an energy emergency, which is intended to speed up permitting procedures for fossil fuel projects. Brown’s latest lawsuit, his 17th against the Trump administration, was filed Friday in the Western District of Washington and joined by 14 other states. Amy Radil reports. (KUOW)

How the Pacific Northwest’s dream of green energy fell apart
Oregon and Washington passed aggressive goals to decarbonize their power supply but left it to the Bonneville Power Administration to build the transmission lines needed for wind and solar. The agency hasn’t delivered. Tony Schick and Monica Samayoa report. (OPB)

Trump administration pulls plug on UW climate research partnership
The Trump administration has pulled funding for a climate research program at the University of Washington that helps communities in the Northwest adapt to extreme heat, drought and other threats from climate change. The UW’s Climate Impacts Group, which has hosted the program since 2021, said in a Thursday statement that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ended its grant award for the research in a Monday letter. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

U.S. reportedly plans to photograph people leaving the country by vehicle at border crossings
The goal would be to 'biometrically confirm departure from the U.S.,' spokesperson for CBP, Jessica Turner told WIRED. (National Post)

Greater Victoria the unofficial birding capital of Canada
With sightings of more different species of birds than anywhere else in the country, B.C.’s capital region is Canada’s unofficial birding capital. Hannah Link reports. (Times Colonist)

Questions raised over U.S. company's bid for B.C. fuel refinery
The possibility of a Texas energy company buying a Burnaby, B.C., fuel refinery has workers and energy observers concerned, given Canada's trade fight with the United States. Sunoco, headquartered in Dallas, has offered $9.1 billion US for Calgary-based Parkland Corporation. (CBC)

Chinook Indian Nation federal status uncertain again after political break
The Chinook Indian Nation of Southwest Washington has been trying to get federal recognition from the U.S. government since the mid-90s. But is that possible without someone to champion their cause in Washington D.C.? Eric Neumann reports. (OPB)

Allen to be inducted into Native American Hall of Fame
W. Ron Allen, chair of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, will be inducted into the National Native American Hall of Fame, the organization announced. Allen and five other inductees will be honored on Nov. 1 at the OKANA Resort in Oklahoma City. (Peninsula Daily News)

Democracy Watch
Judge pauses much of Trump administration’s massive downsizing of federal agencies (AP)
Dow jumps nearly 1,000 and S&P 500 climbs 2.6% following a 90-day truce in the US-China trade war (AP)
House Republicans unveil Medicaid cuts in Trump's big bill (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-  211 AM PDT Mon May 12 2025    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft  at 9 seconds. A slight chance of showers this afternoon.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 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.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told