1/19 Baby chiton, Keystone XL, indigenous rights, peregrine nest, eagle festival, harbor cleanup, mapping kelp

Gould's baby chiton [Mary Jo Adams]

Gould's baby chiton Lepidochitona dentiens
A small chiton, the maximum length of this species is 1.1 inches (2.7 cm.).  It has a somewhat elongated appearance compared to other chitons in our region and the girdle is relatively narrow.  Color varies but the valves are most often olive green or reddish brown and may have light colored speckles.  The girdle is banded or has white spots.  Gould’s baby chiton is found on rocks or kelp stipes in the middle and low intertidal zones and in tidepools.  This species has previously been known under the scientific names Isnochiton dentiens, Cyanoplax dentiens, and Cyanoplax raymoudi. (Mary Jo Adams/Sound Water Stewards)

Biden expected to cancel Keystone XL pipeline permit on first day
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline permit on his first day in office, quickly reversing his predecessor’s approval of a project to move oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, according to a person familiar with Biden’s plans for his first days in office. Environmentalists have long targeted the nearly 1,200-mile pipeline as both a contributor to climate change and a physical symbol of the country’s unwillingness to move away from an oil-based economy. Many Republicans, including President Donald Trump, argued the pipeline would create jobs and help local economies. Michael Shear reports. (NY Times)

UN committee rebukes Canada for failing to get Indigenous Peoples’ consent for industrial projects
One of the world’s leading human rights bodies calls for work to stop on Coastal GasLink pipeline, Trans Mountain pipeline and Site C dam, saying Canada is failing to comply with international law. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Province gives go-ahead to Abbotsford quarry to destroy peregrine falcon nesting ledge
An Abbotsford, B.C., company has been given the go-ahead from the province to remove a peregrine falcon nesting site from a quarry it plans to reopen. The decision is a blow to a group of 17 local homeowners and conservationists who have been campaigning to preserve a rocky ledge at the site, which has been a productive nesting area for the dynamic bird of prey that has been on and off the federal government's endangered list as vulnerable to decline. Peregrine falcons in B.C. still remain on government lists that include animals or ecosystems of concern or that are threatened. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

Cancellation of Skagit River Eagle Festival a blow to east Skagit County
The Skagit River, particularly upstream of Concrete, is a stronghold for bald eagles that eat spawning salmon each winter. While the iconic birds are back in the area, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Skagit Eagle Festival to be canceled for the first time in its history. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Port of Port Angeles nearing deal for harbor cleanup
The Port of Port Angeles is closer to resolving a major claim over the cleanup of industrial pollution in west Port Angeles Harbor following action from port commissioners. The city of Port Angeles is not far behind, a city official said. Following an executive session Tuesday, port commissioners unanimously authorized Executive Director Karen Goschen to settle the claim for a federal natural resource damage assessment associated with the harbor and report back to them with a signed agreement for their approval. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Sea charts and satellites: Mapping critical kelp beds along the Pacific coast
An ambitious project to map and monitor sea kelp forests along the entire B.C. coast is afoot, and scientists are using seemly disparate tools — both ancient and modern — to do it. Researchers are using centuries-old British sea charts and advanced technology, such as camera drones and satellite images, to trace shifts in the abundance and distribution of kelp beds over time, said geographer Maycira Costa. Rochelle Baker reports. (National Observer)

Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  255 AM PST Tue Jan 19 2021   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming N in the afternoon. Wind waves  2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 13 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 14 seconds. A slight chance  of rain in the evening.

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