Thursday, July 11, 2019

7/11 Cabbage butterfly, Tacoma LNG, BC tug rescue, 'protesting grandpa,' salmon projects, carbon credits, trucking salmon, crab bonanza, mitten crab, goat removal


Cabbage White Butterfly Pieris rapae
A frequent visitor to vegetable patches, the Cabbage White adds whimsy to a garden scene. The unfortunate consequence of this may mean a caterpillar problem a few weeks later. The green larva of the Cabbage White eats cabbage, nasturtiums and other plants related to mustard. It is covered with hairs and has 5 yellow lines running down its length. Because the caterpillar has a voracious appetite and usually has siblings nearby, the leaves of cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower can be chewed through in a matter days. (Insect Identification)

Tacoma LNG project faces legal challenge from local group
Tacoma’s LNG site at the Port of Tacoma has faced a steady stream of critics since the start of its construction, and the fight now is moving into court. A legal challenge was filed Tuesday in Thurston County Superior Court against the Washington State Department of Ecology by Advocates for a Cleaner Tacoma, in a petition for judicial review of agency action regarding the issuance of water quality certification for the project. In the filing, ACT, led by Tacoma resident Todd Hay, contends that “On June 10, 2019, the Department of Ecology denied ACT and Sierra Club’s request to reopen Ecology Administrative Order No. 13764, which granted a 401 Water Quality Certification ... for PSE’s proposed liquefied natural gas plant” in Tacoma. “Although the Army Corps of Engineers has already issued the 404 permit for the Project, Ecology’s duty to comply with (the State Environmental Policy Act) ... is not moot.” Debbie Cockrell reports. (News Tribune of Tacoma)

Limited Availability of Tugs for Emergencies on Canada's Pacific Coast
A research report on the Availability of Tugs of Opportunity in Canada’s Pacific Region published by Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping indicates that Canada’s West Coast faces gaps in the availability of commercial tugs to serve as emergency towing vessels for ships in distress. The existing emergency towing system is based on a small number of dedicated high-powered emergency towing vessels or ETVs supported by so-called tugs of opportunity or commercial tugs that are not dedicated to rescue services. Such tugs are occasionally contracted to provide aid in the event of a ship emergency due to loss of engine power, steering or other cause. (Marine Executive)

'Protesting Grandpa' arrested in snorkel gear after entering Trans Mountain terminal from water
The self-described "Protesting Grandpa" is once again in police custody following an apparent attempt to hang a protest banner from a barge at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, B.C., early Wednesday morning. In an emailed statement, Burnaby RCMP said, a 71-year-old man allegedly entered the facility at the foot of Burnaby Mountain — the western terminus of the Trans Mountain pipeline — from the water, wearing a snorkel and mask, at around 3:50 a.m. PT. RCMP said the man was arrested after breaching a court-ordered injunction that says protesters must not come within five metres of a Trans Mountain site. (CBC)

State awards $4 million to salmon projects in Skagit County
On the heels of a state grant package for recreation projects that included $2 million for work in Skagit County, another $4.2 million in state grants specific to salmon recovery projects in the county was announced Monday. The 13 projects awarded funding include plans to restore tidal marsh along the Swinomish Channel, as well as restoration of segments of the Sauk River and local creeks and beaches. The grants are part of a $45 million package awarded statewide. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: State grants to fund local salmon habitat improvement projects Three Thurston County organizations have been awarded state money for purchases and projects aimed at supporting endangered salmon. Abby Spegman reports. (Olympian)

For sale: Carbon credits. Contact King County
King County has gotten into the business of selling carbon credits. Here’s how it works: Since 2015 the county has been buying up forested land at risk of development and getting carbon credits for protecting it. Now, it’s started selling those carbon credits to companies that want to reduce their carbon footprints. That money goes back into the program to buy more threatened forestland. Eilis O'Neill reports. (KUOW)

Politicians consider trucking, helicoptering salmon trapped by rock slide
Federal and provincial officials say they're considering options such as trucking or helicoptering salmon upstream, as hundreds of fish remain trapped in a narrow area of the Fraser River Canyon, unable to migrate upstream and spawn following a rock slide. The slide, which happened in a remote area just west of Clinton — about 100 kilometres northwest of Kamloops — has created a five-metre waterfall blocking salmon from passing through since late June. Seven hundred fish are known to have gone through as of last week, but it's unknown how many are pooled beneath the boulders. Michelle Ghoussoub reports. (CBC)

Crab fishermen cashing in during windfall harvest in Northern B.C. 
Crab fishermen in Northern British Columbia are pinching themselves to make sure they aren't dreaming this season. Dungeness crab in the Hecate Strait, a shallow body of water between Haida Gwaii and the mainland, are bountiful this year and ship crews are crabbing around the clock to cash in. For many working on the water, it is the most rewarding harvest in recent memory. Bridgette Watson reports. (CBC)

Correction: Chinese mitten crab
Reader Deb Rudnick graciously provided a correction to yesterday's critter feature, pointing out: "So cool to open up this email and see my dissertation topic! :-)  I studied the ecology and impact of the Chinese mitten crab in San Francisco Bay. I'm pretty sure the picture you sent in your newsletter is NOT a Chinese mitten crab. The carapace and chelae are all wrong. Mitten crabs don't have a pointed, widened carapace, and they have very broad front chelae with “mittens” or fur on the front claws... Also- its introduction to SF Bay wasn’t recent- we pinpointed its arrival to the mid-1990s, so its been in that system for a solid 20+ years. I suppose “recent” is a relative term- but by the human timescale, not so recent :-)." Thanks for setting the record straight. MS.

Another round of goat removal underway in Olympic National Park
Mountain goats in Olympic National Park are learning what happens when helicopters roar overhead, making the second round of goat catching more difficult than it was last year. That helicopter means they will journey far away to the North Cascades — their native habitat — only after first having been darted or netted, blindfolded, drugged, flown across the mountain range and then placed in a refrigerated truck for transport. Jesse Major reports. (Peninsula Daily News)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  831 PM PDT Wed Jul 10 2019   
THU
 Light wind becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 2 ft or less in the afternoon. SW  swell 4 ft at 11 seconds. A slight chance of showers. 
THU NIGHT
 NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 12 seconds.



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