8/31 Beach eggs, wetlands protection, SRKW grants, drought, land ownership, Nanaimo natural gas, BC Hydro apology

 Beach eggs (Wendy Feltham]

Beach eggs
Many people are familiar with fish eggs enjoyed by humans — caviar, sushi roe; and many fish eggs provide valuable nutrition for seabirds and marine invertebrates. Even experts can’t identify all fish eggs just from a photo, including this cluster of orange eggs nibbled on by two Sanderlings near Point Wilson. A photographer provides an up-close and personal look at eggs found on beaches in or near Port Townsend. Wendy Feltham writes. (Salish Current/Rainshadow Journal)

The EPA removes federal protections for most of the country's wetlands
The Environmental Protection Agency removed federal protections for a majority of the country's wetlands on Tuesday to comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The EPA and Department of the Army announced a final rule amending the definition of protected "waters of the United States" in light of the decision in Sackett v. EPA in May, which narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act and the agency's power to regulate waterways and wetlands. James Doubek reports. (NPR)

Grants available for projects that would benefit Southern Resident orca whales
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Navy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, BNSF Railway and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced there is $1.5 million available through the Killer Whale Conservation Program. The funding increased from last year’s $1.1 million. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Scarce Water: On the Frontlines of BC’s Drought
New rules that were supposed to manage water use aren’t working, say advocates.
Andrew MacLeod reports. (The Tyee)  See also: Water Supply Update — time to start thinking about water supplies in 2024 Get used to the words “warm and dry” (WA Dept of Ecology)

Who owns the West?
At the end of 2021, foreign entities or individuals held a “significant interest” in some 10.16 million acres, not counting lease-holdings, in the Western U.S. This sampling of foreign ownership comes from Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act reporting for 2021. Companies or parcels may have changed hands since then. Jonathan Thompson reports. (High County News)

Nanaimo moving quickly to limit natural gas in new builds
New construction won’t be allowed to have natural gas as a primary heat source as of July 1, 2024 — six years before the provincial target. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

BC Hydro apologizes for $128 million Site C dam data error
Over three years, undisclosed employees quietly handed out $558 million in direct-award contracts, including $92 million to engineering firm SNC Lavalin, according to new information provided by the public utility. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  259 AM PDT Thu Aug 31 2023   TODAY  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 2 ft at  8 seconds. Patchy fog. Showers likely in the morning. A chance of  showers in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 8 seconds.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told