6/17 Giant hogweed, wildfire smoke, WA natural gas initiative, Senate clean energy, Olympia sea rise, baby heron hunt, H dock sea lions, democracy watch

 

Giant Hogweed

Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum
Giant hogweed forms dense canopies outcompeting native species and increasing soil erosion. It is a public safety hazard as it exudes a clear watery sap which sensitizes the skin to ultraviolet radiation, resulting in severe burns to the affected area causing blistering and painful dermatitis. Scars can last for as long as 6 year and sensitivity to sunlight can continue beyond that.

Today's top story in Salish Current: ‘No Kings’ protests call for upholding the Constitution

Wildfire Smoke May Be Disrupting Ocean Carbon Storage
New research from the University of British Columbia reveals that wildfires could be fundamentally altering how our oceans store carbon, potentially turning a crucial climate ally into a source of atmospheric carbon dioxide. (ScienceBlog)

WA natural gas initiative may go to state Supreme Court
The journey is not over for a voter initiative that took aim at Washington’s natural gas and energy policies. Initiative 2066 was narrowly passed by voters by about 52% in November, but was struck down by a King County Superior Court judge in March. Now, the state Attorney General Nick Brown and the Building Industry Association of Washington have asked the state’s Supreme Court to weigh in. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times)

Many Hoped Senate Republicans Would Save Clean Energy. They Mostly Didn’t.
A Senate tax package softens some blows imposed on renewables by a House version of the bill. But it still terminates many credits for clean power. Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer report. (NY Times)

Federal funding to address sea level rise is uncertain. How will that affect downtown Olympia?
The City of Olympia might not seek FEMA accreditation, which would allow a number of downtown properties susceptible to flooding to bypass insurance requirements and higher building standards...une 6 to discuss a staff recommendation to not pursue accreditation. Natalie Weiss, a Climate Resilience specialist, shared a number of reasons for the recommendation, including federal funding uncertainty and an overall limited benefit to the city’s goal of adapting to sea level rise. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

Eagles hunting baby herons in idyllic Victoria park is just nature at work
Herons nest close to eagles as their presence helps deter other predators from disturbing the heron's nests, according to the Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) in Metchosin. “This strategy comes with risks because eagles are still predators and need to feed their young. Small birds, including baby herons, can sometimes be a part of their diet, and you may see an eagle swooping down and catching a baby heron,” the agency noted. (Goldstream News Gazette)

Sea lions just won’t quit on this Seattle dock
About 50 sea lions were hanging out earlier this month on H dock near the plaza at Shilshole Bay Marina — and they are loud! The sea lions have been coming to the marina for around the past three years.  They usually show up in December and leave around May. Then they head south to San Francisco and San Diego. Ellen M. Banner reports. (Seattle Times)

Democracy Watch

• Trump directs ICE to target 3 big Democratic cities for raids (Washington State Standard)
  
• RFK Jr. fires ‘Washingtonian of the year’ from CDC vaccine panel (Seattle Times)
  
• Trump says he won't call Minnesota Gov. Walz after lawmaker shootings (AP)
  
• President Trump fires a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NPR)
  
• Reagan-appointed judge says some of Trump's NIH funding cuts illegal, cites discrimination (AP)
  

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  219 AM PDT Tue Jun 17 2025    
TODAY  E wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to S late. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of showers.  
TONIGHT  S wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to W after midnight. Seas  around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at 8 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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6/16 Puget Oregonian, Columbia R salmon, WA climate data, AK heat advisory, WA nutrient pollution, big pix, democracy watch

 

Puget Oregonian

Puget Oregonian snail Cryptomastix devia
The Puget Oregonian is most commonly found in moist coniferous forests, often occurring within riparian areas and seeps and springs.  It is strongly associated with large bigleaf maples, often interspersed with native conifer trees or groves of maple and other deciduous forest, as well as sword ferns.  Within these forests, the snail is found under and among leaf litter, woody debris, mosses, and on the lower trunks of bigleaf maple.  They may also be found under rocks, and young snails may be found under mosses. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Road to post-Putin Russia crosses through Orcas Island

The president just unraveled years of work on tribal rights, salmon and clean energy. So what happens next?
Less than two years ago, the administration of President Joe Biden announced what tribal leaders hailed as an unprecedented commitment to the Native tribes whose ways of life had been devastated by federal dam-building along the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest...The agreement is now just another of those broken promises. Tony Schick reports. (OPB)

Washington’s climate pollution data slow to see light of day, despite new law
In Washington state, it is hard to know how well climate solutions are working. The state takes up to four years to disclose whether it is keeping its promise—and legal mandate—to slash its climate-damaging pollution. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Alaska's first ever heat advisory issued for Fairbanks area
For the first time ever, parts of Alaska will be under a heat advisory — but you can put an asterisk at the end of that term. It’s not the first instance of unusually high temperatures in what many consider the nation’s coldest state, but the National Weather Service only recently allowed for heat advisories to be issued there. Mark Thiessen reports. (AP)

Ecology shares plan to clean up Puget Sound nutrient pollution
Ecology is accepting public comments on the draft plan from now through Aug. 27. The draft plan, supporting materials and information on how to comment is available on Ecology’s Reducing Nutrients webpage.  (My Edmonds News)

The Big Picture 2025
From the beautiful to the bizarre, this annual photographic showcase shines a light on some of our planet’s most breathtaking species and places. Text by Skylar Knight and Krista Langlois. (bioGraphic)

Democracy Watch

• Trump Shifts Deportation Focus, Pausing Most Raids on Farms, Hotels and Eateries (NY Times)
  
• Anti-Trump demonstrators crowd streets, parks and plazas across the US. Organizers say millions came (AP)
  
• Trump directs ICE to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities (AP)
  
• ICE using no-bid contracts, boosting big firms, to get more detention beds (AP)
  
• Man accused of assassinating Minnesota legislator is apprehended (Minnesota Reformer)
  

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  232 AM PDT Mon Jun 16 2025    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt late this  morning and afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at  8 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming NW 5 to 10 kt after

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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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6/13 White-crowned sparrow, Columbia R deal, EV policies. WA carbon market, gray whales, 'tree equity,' public media cut, democracy watch, week in review

White-crowned sparrow [Wikipedia]

White-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
White-crowned Sparrows appear each winter over much of North America to grace our gardens and favorite trails (they live in parts of the West year-round). The smart black-and-white head, pale beak, and crisp gray breast combine for a dashing look – and make it one of the surest sparrow identifications in North America.

Today's top story in Salish Current: A century of drag: Bellingham’s queer legacy on- and off-screen

Trump breaks historic Columbia River deal
In an order issued Thursday, Trump said he would withdraw the U.S. from a 2023 deal made with tribes and environmentalists to end lawsuits over fish losses. Alex Baumhardt reports. (Oregon Capital Chronicle) 

WA, other states sue Trump administration for blocking EV policies
President Donald Trump on Thursday blocked a series of policies across the country promoting electric vehicles, and Washington state joined in a lawsuit attempting to thwart the moves. Trump signed joint resolutions of Congress revoking a series of waivers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that allowed California to promote increased sales of EVs and the phasing out of gas-powered vehicles in the coming years. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)

WA’s carbon market prices tick up
The state’s two most recent auctions in March and June raised just over $552 million by selling over 11 million carbon emission allowances. One allowance represents 1 metric ton of emissions. Allowances cost $58.51 in the June auction and $50 in March, signaling a rebound since the program faced a recall in November. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times)

Gray whales along the Pacific west coast appear to be in trouble
Scientists say they’ve seen a surprising number of gray whale strandings this year during their migration up the west coast – 13 as of late May in Washington alone, which is more than twice the normal average. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Latest federal budget bill would sell Oregon public lands, boost logging
The federal government could start selling off thousands of acres of Oregon public lands if provisions added to the Big Beautiful Bill win Congressional approval. A draft of the legislation was released Wednesday by U.S. Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, who since at least 2022 has repeatedly pushed to sell off public lands for housing development. Courtney Sherwood reports. (OPB)

'Tree equity' on the chopping block in Washington state
The federal government, historically the biggest funder of community tree planting, is no longer a reliable source of cash as the Trump administration seeks to downsize or eliminate many federal programs. The administration aims to stop funding what’s known as urban or community forestry: the planning, planting, and care of trees in the midst of human developments. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

House votes to kill funding for public media
The House of Representatives narrowly approved legislation Thursday to eliminate the next two years of federal funding for public media outlets. The measure passed largely along party lines, 214 to 212, with two key Republican lawmakers switching their votes from "no" to "yes" to push it over the finish line.  Deirdre Walsh and David Folkenflik report. (NPR)

Democracy Watch

• Judge blocks Trump’s election executive order (AP)
  
• Judge questions legality of Trump’s deployment of troops to LA (Washington State Standard)
  
• Appeals court temporarily blocks judge's ruling to return control of National Guard to California (AP)
  
• Trump Tells Farmers ‘Changes Are Coming’ to Immigration Crackdown (NY Times)
  
• A popular climate website will be hobbled, after Trump administration eliminates entire staff (NPR)
  

Salish Sea News Week in Review 6/13/25: Softball, Skagit dam relicensing, tribal salmon, Columbia R salmon cuts, science brain drain, BC 'fast-track' permits, Trump's national monuments, AI conservation, Puget Sound oxygen, honey bee bar

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-  249 AM PDT Fri Jun 13 2025    
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to W late. Seas 5 to 7 ft.  Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 8 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft  at 7 seconds.  
SAT  W wind around 5 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 8 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 6 seconds.  
SUN  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at  7 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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6/12 Bleeding heart, Puget Sound oxygen, BC LNG, honey bee bar, Port Angeles cleanup, Trent R fish habitat, public media funding, ChatGPT, democracy watch

Pacific bleeding heart [USFS]

Pacific bleeding heart Dicentra formosa
Dicentra formosa is a species of flowering plant in the poppy family, Papaveraceae. With its fern-like foliage and inflorescence of drooping pink, purple, yellow or cream "hearts", this species is native to the United States' Pacific Northwest and West Coast of North America. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: World buzzes over Lynden honeybee accident

A century of warming has reduced dissolved oxygen in Puget Sound
A University of Washington study outlines the strong link between dissolved oxygen declines and increasing water temperatures, raising questions about the effect of future climate change on Puget Sound. Sarah DeWeerdt reports. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

B.C. company pressures feds to pave way for $750M gas export facility in Prince Rupert
Trigon says project is in the national interest but is still facing legal hurdles at the Port of Prince Rupert. Andrew Kurjata reports. (CBC)

New honey bee energy bar tested in Washington offers hope for struggling hives
Honey bees are vital to agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. But it’s increasingly difficult to keep colonies alive from year to year, causing concern about the future of our food systems. But now an international team, including researchers at Washington State University, has developed a new supplemental food source that could keep hives strong when deployed on agricultural land. Jes Burns reports. (OPB)

Cost-sharing pact approved for western Port Angeles Harbor cleanup
Port of Port Angeles commissioners approved a provisional cost-sharing and cooperation agreement that outlines the funding, coordination and decision-making process related to the cleanup of western Port Angeles Harbor. Under the agreement, approved unanimously on Tuesday, the port and five other entities identified as potentially liable parties — the city of Port Angeles, Georgia-Pacific, Merrill & Ring, Nippon Paper Industries and Owens Corning — will each contribute one-sixth of the cost of the entire cleanup. Paula Hunt reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Public comment period opens for cleanup at former Rayonier Mill site (Peninsula Daily News)

Courtenay man fined $60,000 for damaging fish habitat
David Tingley was fined for failing to correct the work he had done illegally on his property, which is bisected by the Trent River. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Public media funding up in the air as House prepares to vote on claw backs
The House of Representatives is expected to approve legislation Thursday to claw back two years of federal funding for public media outlets. President Trump has asked Congress for this rescission. He has labeled NPR and PBS and their affiliates as ideologically biased and the move to strip them of federal support is part of the president's continued attacks on mainstream media outlets.  Deirdre Walsh and David Folkenflik report. (NPR)

‘This is coming for everyone’: A new kind of AI bot takes over the web
As consumers switch from Google search to ChatGPT, a new kind of bot is scraping data for AI. Nitasha Tiku reports. (Washington Post)

Democracy Watch

• Trump’s top general contradicts his assessment of Putin, L.A. unrest (Washington Post)
  
• Kennedy’s new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation (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-  236 AM PDT Thu Jun 12 2025    
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to W late. Seas 3 to 5 ft.  Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 8 seconds. A slight chance of showers this  afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming SW 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 8 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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6/11 Beach hopper, BC fast track, BC social housing, WSF apprenticeship, AI conservation, Trump's nat'l monuments, Oak Bay sculpture, democracy watch

Beach hopper (Sand flea)

Beach hopper Traskorchestia traskiana
The Pacific beach hopper is a species of amphipod from the family Talitridae. It hops around like a flea on wracks of seaweed left stranded by tides on upper levels of beaches. When the seaweed dries out, the beach hoppers retreat into the moist center of the pile or dig into the sand, and hop out if disturbed. They break down organic materials and serving as a food source for various shorebirds and other predators.

Today's top story in Salish Current: Pipeline explosion: Book about Bellingham disaster is in the works / Now is not the time to move backward on pipeline safety

‘Horrific impacts’: as B.C. prepares to fast-track projects, a mining watchdog warns past mistakes could be repeated
Mining regulations and environmental assessments were developed to protect the environment and public health and safety. If projects are allowed to forego those processes, B.C. could set the stage for catastrophic impacts. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

From $2,600 to $775: how social housing is changing lives — and fighting climate change
Can new homes be energy efficient, low emission, climate resilient and affordable? B.C. non-profits show it can be done. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal)

New apprenticeship program boosts Washington State Ferries workforce
Washington State Ferries is aiming to tackle its staffing shortage by building future captains and engineers through a program that teaches every fromm from loading cars to sailing the boat. Dahlia Bazzaz reports. (Seattle Times)

The Potential and Perils of AI for Conservation
AI can help experts sift through datasets that are otherwise unmanageable, but the technology threatens to undermine other ways of knowing. Jim Robbins reports. (bioGraphic)

US Justice Department says Trump can cancel national monuments
Lawyers for President Donald Trump’s administration say he has the authority to abolish national monuments meant to protect historical and archaeological sites across broad landscapes, including two in California created by his predecessor at the request of Native American tribes. (Associated Press)

Sculpture of a man on a toilet sparks conversation in Oak Bay
Fashioned from recycled stainless steel cookware, “Modern Man Does Research” in Causton’s Green has a cigarette in his mouth and is staring at a smartphone. Yeorgios Prontzos reports. (Times Colonist)

Democracy Watch

• California Governor Newsom: Trump is a threat to democracy (AP)
  
• Army restores the names of seven bases that lost their Confederate-linked names under Biden (AP)
  
• US Justice Department says Trump can cancel national monuments (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-  234 AM PDT Wed Jun 11 2025    
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft  at 9 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 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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6/10 Western snowy plover, salmon cuts, brain drain, BC ferries, LNG pipe, democracy watch

Western snowy plover [US FWS]

Western snowy plover Anarynchus nivosus
Snowy plovers are small, sand-colored shorebirds that nest directly on the sand. Chicks hide and forage in the wrack line (the seaweed-filled high tide line). Washington's snowy plover population is very small and vulnerable to a variety of impacts, such as predators, adverse weather driven by climate change, shoreline modification, dune stabilization, and recreational activities. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Negotiations still on for three unions striking against PeaceHealth / Why Bellingham must become a transgender sanctuary

PNW leaders warn that federal cuts could hurt salmon recovery
A leaked Trump administration budget proposal completely scraps a key Columbia River salmon recovery program as the administration seeks to slash the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration budget. The agency’s Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund has invested $115 million across 342 projects currently underway within the Columbia basin. Henry Brennan reports. (The Columbian)

Washington scientists say ‘brain drain’ has begun as researchers consider moving abroad amid Trump cuts
Washington state and the rest of the nation face a “brain drain” with the potential exodus of scientists, which could impact domestic medical innovation for generations to come.A survey of 1,200 U.S. scientists published in Nature at the end of March found three out of four are considering leaving the U.S. Among post-graduate researchers, the percentage was close to 80%. Stephen Howie reports. (KUOW)

BC Ferries Is Still Facing Labour Unrest. Here’s the Latest
The union is heading into bargaining this summer, looking for a five per cent wage bump to catch workers up with inflation. Isaac Phan Nay reports. (The Tyee)

B.C. premier defends new LNG pipeline with terminus near Prince Rupert
Project is a joint venture between the Nisga'a Nation and Texas-based Western LNG, opposed by hereditary chief. Katie DeRosa reports. (CBC) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/premier-defends-new-lng-pipeline-with-terminus-near-prince-rupert-1.7556710

Democracy Watch

• Judge blocks Trump administration from enforcing anti-DEI executive orders (AP)
  
• California Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s Order Sending National Guard to L.A. (NY Times)
  
• Pentagon draws up rules for Marines deployed to LA protests (AP)
  
• DC prepares for Trump's June 14 military parade (AP)
  
• RFK Jr. ousts ACIP group that advises CDC on vaccines (AP)
  
• In Trump’s ‘Patriotic’ Hiring Plan, Experts See a Politicized Federal Work Force (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-  255 AM PDT Tue Jun 10 2025    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 8 ft  at 10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. 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.



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6/9 Beach knotweed, tribal salmon, I-5 billboard, Skagit dams, DNR logging, grain silos, GBH hatch, crow dive-bombing, 'magnificent frigatebird,' dolphin birth, democracy watch

Beach knotweed [Sound Water Stewards]

Beach knotweed Polygonum paronychia
Beach knotweed has a low lying form with woody stems, tiny white or pale pink flowers that bloom from April to September, and 1–inch-long leaves with margins that roll under. Beach knotweed is found on coastal dunes and sandy beaches from northern California to southern Vancouver Island. It is native in the Pacific Northwest. Other common names for it are black knotweed and smartweed. (Sound Water Stewards)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Food for thought: Indian grocers stir taste buds, serve community

Northwest tribes: Treaties mean Trump can’t ax salmon funding
Northwest tribal officials say the Trump administration’s latest budget proposal would violate their treaty rights to catch salmon. Among other cutbacks, the White House’s proposed 2026 budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would eliminate the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund, the leading source of money for restoring the Northwest’s struggling salmon runs. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

WA tribe buys controversial Uncle Sam billboard off I-5
The highly contentious Uncle Sam billboard off Interstate 5 in Lewis County has a new owner: the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation. The tribe intends to take down the right-wing messages that have lingered on the 40-foot-by-13-foot sign for years. The tribe closed on the 3.5-acre property hosting the billboard for $2.5 million in cash Friday morning. Kai Uyehara reports. (Seattle Times) 

Skagit River dams relicensing process again granted extension
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently issued a temporary annual license to Seattle city Light to operate the dams from May 2025 until April 2026. The approved extension pushes back the date the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will issue its notice that Seattle City Light’s application is Ready for Environmental Analysis, which is called an REA notice. The utility has requested and been approved for extensions in February 2024, January 2025 and June 2025. Emma Fletcher-Fraser reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Judge hears oral arguments in case that centers on DNR logging
Clallam Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Stanley on Friday heard oral arguments by attorneys for the Earth Law Center, the Center for Whale Research and the Orca Network and for the state Department of National Resources regarding an injunction to halt logging and related activities, specifically road construction, on DNR forest lands within the Elwha River watershed. Pamela Hunt reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

‘It’s Like Gambling’: Union Sounds Alarm on Grain Silo Explosions
Workers say safety protocols at Vancouver export terminals have slipped. ‘It will be devastating.’ Isaac Phan Nay reports. (The Tyee)

It’s hatching season for the great blue herons in downtown Olympia
Listen closely next time you’re in downtown Olympia. The downtown heronry, or nesting colony, is back. Perched high in the trees next to the Fish and Wildlife building and across from Percival Plaza, a small kingdom of nests have formed among the branches. Ann Duan reports. (Olympian)

‘Angry birds', B.C. edition: Crows dive-bomb in fierce nesting defence
It’s not malice – it’s parenting; experts explain how to avoid getting dive-bombed. Tony Trozzo reports. (100 Mile Free Press) 

Tropical bird spotted at Trial Island, far from its range in northern Mexico
A juvenile “magnificent frigatebird,” whose typical range is between northern Mexico and Peru, was photographed by Trial Island lighthouse keeper John Gillivet on the evening of May 31. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Video shows dolphin calf's birth and first breath at Chicago zoo, with mom's friend helping
A bottlenose dolphin at the Brookfield Zoo Chicago gave birth to a calf early Saturday morning with the help of a fellow mom. (Associated Press)

Democracy Watch

• Supreme Court allows DOGE team to access Social Security systems with data on millions of Americans (AP)
  
• Appeals court hands AP an incremental loss in its attempt to regain its access to Trump events (AP)
  
• Trump administration races to fix a big mistake: DOGE fired too many people (Washington Post)
  
• NIH scientists go public with criticism over Trump cuts (AP)
  
• DHS memo details how National Guard troops will be used for immigration enforcement (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-  201 AM PDT Mon Jun 9 2025    
TODAY  W wind around 5 kt, rising to 5 to 10 kt this afternoon.  Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 11 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft  at 11 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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