11/12 Holly, EPA chief, Biden's old growth, Klamath dams, gull sightings

 

Editor's note: Thanks to the News and Weather readers who have donated to the Salish Current 2xNewsMatch campaign. You help make it possible to report stories like the tidal energy project below. Please make your donation today to keep fact-based reporting available for everyone to read without paywall. Please donate today. Thanks, Mike Sato.

Holly

Holly
Ilex or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family.  Holly – more specifically the European holly, Ilex aquifolium – is commonly referenced at Christmas time, and is often referred to by the name Christ's thorn. In many Western Christian cultures, holly is a traditional Christmas decoration, used especially in wreaths and illustrations, for instance on Christmas cards. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: OPALCO’s Tidal Energy Pilot Project facing early headwinds

Have a Holly Noxious Christmas? State board eyes un-jolly label for invasive greenery
Washington state officials are debating whether to brand a traditional holiday decoration a noxious weed. The dubious decor is English holly. While many landowners struggle to rid themselves of the sharp-leafed invasive species, the state's holly farmers have been fighting to keep the pejorative label off their crop. Attitudes toward the painfully spiny shrub with bright red berries have changed dramatically over the decades. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

For EPA chief, Trump picks former Congressman Lee Zeldin of New York
President-elect Donald Trump Monday said he will nominate former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York to serve as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin does not necessarily come from an environmental background. He’s an attorney and currently serves as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Zeldin serves as a chair of America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank that is packed with former Trump officials. “He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,” Trump said. “He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.” Ariana Figueroa reports. (Washington State Standard)

Despite Biden’s promise to protect old forests, his administration keeps approving plans to cut them down
On Earth Day in 2022, President Joe Biden stood among cherry blossoms and towering Douglas firs in a Seattle park to declare the importance of big, old trees. “There used to be a hell of a lot more forests like this,” he said, calling them “our planet’s lungs” and extolling their power to fight climate change. The president uncapped his pen, preparing to sign an executive order to protect mature and old-growth forests on federal lands. “I just think this is the beginning of a new day,” Biden said. But two years later, at a timber auction in a federal office in Roseburg, Oregon, this new day was nowhere to be seen. April Ehrlich, McKenzie Funk and Tony Schick report. (OPB and ProPublica)

The Other Side of the World’s Largest Dam Removal
Removing dams from the Klamath River in Northern California seems like a clear win for fish and rivers. Why do some locals hate it? J.B. MacKinnon reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Residents can report gull sightings in Salish Sea this field season
You can report sightings of sea gulls with colour bands in the Salish Sea as part of a BC-wide project. Called the Salish Sea Gull Project, it focuses on banding adult and juvenile gulls along many parts of BC, where researchers can investigate their movement, site fidelity, and survival across the Salish Sea and beyond. Hussam Elghussein reports. (My Campbell River Now)

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

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  240 AM PST Tue Nov 12 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON  
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE  TONIGHT   TODAY  SW wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 5 to 10 kt late this  morning, then becoming SE 10 to 15 kt early this afternoon,  rising to 20 to 25 kt late. Seas 7 to 10 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft  at 4 seconds and W 10 ft at 15 seconds. A chance of showers until  late afternoon, then rain late.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 25 to 35 kt, with gusts up to 45 kt, veering  to S 20 to 25 kt after midnight. Seas 6 to 9 ft. Wave Detail: E 7  ft at 5 seconds, SW 5 ft at 11 seconds and W 9 ft at 14 seconds.  Rain in the evening, then showers with a chance of tstms after  midnight.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salishseacom.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