1/13 WA oil port, Fidalgo eelgrass, spill risk, BC pipe, grizzlies, orca menopause, vessel safety

Full Wolf Moon
The New England Algonquin tribes called the January full moon the Wolf Moon which appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. Some tribes called the January full moon the Snow Moon but most applied the name to the next full moon in February. They are the names the colonial Americans adopted as well. (Old Farmer's Almanac)

Court throws wrench in plans for big Washington oil terminal
The Washington Supreme Court threw a major wrench Thursday in plans for a big oil terminal on the coast, saying the proposal must be reviewed under a 1989 state law designed to protect marine life following the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. In the latest of a string of victories for tribal and environmental groups challenging fossil fuel projects in the Northwest, the justices unanimously reversed decisions by a state board and the state Court of Appeals, which held the Ocean Resources Management Act did not cover plans by Houston-based Contanda to ship crude out of Grays Harbor. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press)

Study shows past decline in Fidalgo Bay eelgrass
A new study shows eelgrass in Fidalgo Bay has decreased since the 1990s, adding historical perspective to the state’s finding last year that the important marine plant has made recent gains in the bay. Eelgrass plays a key role in supporting wildlife, including Dungeness crabs and chinook salmon, and is an indicator of water quality…. The new study by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and University of Washington researchers concluded the amount of eelgrass overall in Puget Sound has not changed significantly since the 1970s…. Among findings for individual bays, some saw no change, some saw increases and some — including Fidalgo Bay — saw decreases. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Salish Sea Communications: Us vs Me, We vs I — Farewell Obama, Hello Trump
Tuesday night I listened to President Obama’s farewell speech and Wednesday morning I listened to president-elect Trump’s news conference. I was sad listening to my president say good-bye and angry listening to the president-elect spout off but aside from policy differences in the speech and the news conference, what struck me was the shift from “We can do it” to “I can do it.” (Read more…)

2016 Salish Sea Oil Spill Risk Mitigation Workshop
The 2016 Salish Sea Oil Spill Risk Mitigation Workshop Summary Report and Focus Sheet are now available online. 

B.C.'s environment minister defends Trans Mountain approval
Mary Polak cites federal government's marine safety response funding as a contributing factor. Roshini Nair reports. (CBC)

Grizzly bears in the North Cascades? Feds release plan to restore population
Grizzly bears once roamed the rugged landscape of the North Cascades in Washington but few have been sighted in recent decades. Federal officials want to restore the population, and on Thursday released a draft plan with four options, ranging from taking no action to varying efforts to capture bears from other sites and transplant them to 9,800 square miles of mostly public land surrounding North Cascades National Park. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

How grandmother orcas help explain the evolution of menopause
The hot flashes, the hair loss, the bone depletion … menopause isn't fun. But you aren't alone: Shamu felt it, too.  New research from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the University of Exeter has shown that killer whales go through menopause for the same reasons humans do — and they might help explain the evolution of menopause for humans and orcas alike.  Torah Kachur reports. (CBC)

Sunken tugboat a consequence of letting foreign crews in Canadian waters, says union
Over 200 maritime workers gathered in Vancouver, Victoria and Prince Rupert Thursday to protest what they view as "an attack on jobs" from the federal Liberal government. They say proposed changes will cost jobs and degrade environmental standards along Canadian coastlines. Concerns revolve around the Canada-EU trade agreement (CETA) and changes to the Canada Transportation Act. Andrew Kurjata reports. (CBC)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  215 AM PST FRI JAN 13 2017  

TODAY  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT  AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3  FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT  AT 14 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT  LIGHT WIND. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN  SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT  AT 17 SECONDS.

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