4/17 Isopod, BC pipe, Navy jet noise, Zinke's land, J.T. Wilcox

Isopod [PHOTO: Pat McMahon]

Pat McMahon writes: "Several years ago while fishing in the Western Strait of Juan de Fuca I caught a three foot long Lingcod. After I returned to shore I noticed a large parasitic isopod on the back of the Lingcod. It was 1.5" long so I am guessing it was a female. The compound eyes and segmented antennae were especially interesting. The isopod was not visible when I caught the fish so it may have been attached under the operculum at the gills and crawled out reattaching on the back when I took the fish out of the water. Even parasites can be beautiful."

Alberta unveils bill that could wreak havoc on B.C. gas prices in trade war
Alberta's minister of energy will have sweeping discretionary powers to limit exports of crude, natural gas and gasoline to B.C. under much-anticipated legislation introduced Monday. Bill 12, titled Preserving Canada's Economic Prosperity Act, gives the Alberta government the ability to retaliate against the B.C. government for any delays to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, by driving up gas prices or slapping restrictions on shipments of other energy products. Michelle Bellefontaine reports. (CBC) See also: Legislation limiting Sask. energy exports to B.C. coming within days, says Premier Scott Moe  Adam Hunter reports. (CBC) See also: B.C. threatens to sue Alberta as all sides in Trans Mountain dispute dig in  (CBC)

Kinder Morgan delivers pipe after announced suspension of non-essential spending
Even as Kinder Morgan announced it had suspended all non-essential spending on the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion, pipe for the project was delivered to a staging area last week in New Westminster. Kinder Morgan’s suspension announcement a week ago Sunday was part of an ultimatum in which the Houston, Texas-based company said it needed certainty by May 31 that the project can be built or it will walk away. The environmental group Wilderness Committee snapped photos of the pipe delivery last Thursday, just four days after the ultimatum. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Navy Growler Noise Spurring Community Action Beyond Whidbey Island
Community groups are building coalitions region-wide, aiming to stop expansion plans by the U.S. Navy. Operating since 1942, the naval air station on Whidbey Island is not new. But the recent replacement of its electronic warfare aircraft has upset many residents in the area. They say the new Growler jets are too loud. And plans to add more of them to the fleet at NAS Whidbey have prompted legal action. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Ryan Zinke Is Opening Up Public Lands. Just Not at Home.
When Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was a state senator from this idyllic mountain town, he drove a Prius, sported a beard and pushed President Barack Obama to make clean energy a priority. Today, the beard and Prius are gone, and Mr. Zinke has emerged as a leading figure, along with Scott Pruitt of the Environmental Protection Agency, in the environmental rollbacks that have endeared President Trump to the fossil fuel industry and outraged conservationists. In the last year, Mr. Zinke has torn up Obama-era rules related to oil, gas and mineral extraction and overseen the largest reduction of federal land protection in the nation’s history, including an effort to slash the size of Bears Ears National Monument. Julie Turkewitz reports. (NY Times) See also: Ryan Zinke’s Great American Fire Sale  Carolyn Kormann reports. (New Yorker)

Politics and chicken farming: Meet the new GOP leader in Washington's state House
Between greeting a mob of murmuring chickens and sharing thoughts on ancient Greek history, state Rep. J.T. Wilcox compares the difficulties of legislating to running a family farm. For Wilcox, part-owner of a fourth-generation 1,500-acre farm, family business and legislative politics share some of the same challenges…. First elected to the House in 2010, Wilcox has helped shape the state GOP’s message in an era when Republicans and Democrats have fought fiercely over control of the closely divided Legislature. As minority leader he replaces Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish, who announced his retirement in March. Kristiansen had a reputation as a mediator between the parties when tensions ran high in Olympia. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--

West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  222 AM PDT Tue Apr 17 2018   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING   

TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less in the  afternoon. W swell 10 ft at 10 seconds subsiding to 7 ft at 9  seconds in the afternoon. A chance of showers in the morning then  showers likely in the afternoon. 

TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds. Showers  likely.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told