11/6 English ivy, Snohomish R rights, Upthegrove leads, BC port lockout, Canada oil gas cap rules, avian flu

 

English Ivy

English Ivy Hedera helix L.
European colonists introduced English ivy as early as 1727. It is widely planted for its evergreen foliage and dependability as a year-round “carefree” groundcover. Although recognized as a serious weed of natural ecosystems, parks, landscapes and other areas, it continues to be sold and marketed as an ornamental plant in the United States. Vast resources, time and labor are expended attempting to manage infestations on public and private lands. English ivy is an aggressive invader that threatens all vegetation levels of forested and open areas, growing along the ground as well as into the forest canopy. Vines climbing up tree trunks spread out and envelop branches and twigs, blocking sunlight from reaching the host tree’s foliage, thereby impeding photosynthesis. (Invasives)
 

Today's top story in Salish Current: A spooky season: Bellingham voters express anxiety as Election Day arrives

Voters approving Everett minimum wage, Snohomish River rights measures
Initiative 24-03 will give the Snohomish River legal rights, allowing city residents to sue those negatively impacting the health of the watershed. Those responsible would be liable for the damages and, if successfully sued, would be required to pay the city for restoration projects. It received 56% of the vote, as of 8 p.m. Tuesday. Will Geschke reports. (Everett Herald)

Upthegrove ahead in Washington lands commissioner race
Dave Upthegrove, a Democrat who is keen to preserve thousands of acres of state forests that could otherwise be logged, was leading the Washington lands commissioner race over Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler. Upthegrove was ahead Tuesday night with 53% of the vote to Herrera Beutler’s 47%. Vote counting will continue in the days ahead. Bill Lucia reports. (Washington State Standard)

B.C. ports lockout: Vancouver businesses already feeling the bite of labour dispute
The lockout has halted operations at more than a dozen terminals run by Maritime Employers Association members, leaving containers of goods behind picket lines. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

5 takeaways from Canada’s draft rules for an oil and gas emissions cap
Draft plan would set Canada apart from its fossil fuel competitors, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. Carl Meyer reports. (The Narwhal)

Avian flu outbreak at Vancouver Island petting farm prompts exposure notice from health authority
Farm operator says about 50 chickens and ducks on the farm were put down after disease was discovered. (CBC)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  206 AM PST Wed Nov 6 2024    
TODAY  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft  at 3 seconds and W 4 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of showers  early this morning. A slight chance of showers this afternoon.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E  2 ft at 4 seconds and W 5 ft at 12 seconds.

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"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.



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11/5 Japanese beetle, Horse Heaven Wind Farm, Boeing strike, BC Rainway, BC fish farming

 Editor's Note: Salish Sea News and Weather is free to read as a community service and I'm asking readers to help support Salish Current which is also free to read but pays reporters to research and write stories like those featured below. Thanks to those who donated and I ask others to help out, too. Please donate today. Mike Sato.

Japanese beetle

Japanese beetle Popillia japonica
The Japanese beetle is a species of scarab beetle. Due to the presence of natural predators, the Japanese beetle is not considered a pest in its native Japan, but in North America and some regions of Europe, it is a noted pest to roughly 300 species of plants. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Local schools embrace cellphone restriction / Back to the Future: Film is Truth returns

Washington governor OKs massive new wind farm and urges swift turbine approvals
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has approved a revised plan for a massive proposed wind farm after he rejected a sharply slimmed-down version earlier this year. Inslee urged permitting officials to work quickly to allow the construction of as many Horse Heaven Wind Farm turbines as possible, The Seattle Times reported. Washington state won’t meet its “urgent clean energy needs” if officials take years to authorize the turbines, he said. (Associated Press)

Boeing machinists approve contract, strike ends
The Boeing factory worker strike that has stretched nearly two months, halting airplane manufacturing at plants around the Northwest, ended Monday after thousands of union members voted to approve a new contract offer from the aerospace giant. While the deal will not bring back a defined benefit pension program that many striking workers had hoped to revive, it does include a 38% wage increase over the contract’s four-year span that would push average pay for the workers to just shy of $120,000 a year. Bill Lucia reports. (Washington State Standard)

The Rainway vs. the Atmospheric River
An ‘engineered’ creek comes to life in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant during a record-breaking rainfall. Christopher Cheung reports. (The Tyee)

B.C. workers facing ban on open-net farming worry about job losses
Those who oppose open-net fish farms are frustrated by delays in phasing them out but the farms have generated wealth and jobs for a generation of people. Jamie Mah reports. (Vancouver Sun)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  209 AM PST Tue Nov 5 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON    
TODAY  NW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 7 to 10 ft, subsiding to 4 to  6 ft this afternoon. Wave Detail: W 8 ft at 11 seconds. A slight  chance of showers late this morning. A chance of showers this  afternoon.  
TONIGHT  S wind around 5 kt, becoming SE 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft at 3 seconds and W  5 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of showers.

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"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.



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11/4 Red Irish Lord, your vote, BC port lockout, Billy Frank Jr, Biden's apology, spiny dogfish, election AI, Elwha Legacy Forest Coalition

 

Red Irish Lord

Red Irish lord Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus
Red Irish lord are common from the Bering Sea, Alaska to Washington, and are rare south to Central California. They are found in shallow rocky waters. Red Irish lord tend to rest on the bottom, blending in with their surroundings. They are found from shallow waters to depths of 450 m (1,476 ft). Red Irish lord can grow up to 51 cm (20 in) in length, and 1.11 kg (2.45 lbs) in weight. Maximum age is at least 6 years old. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Sweating starts on how to handle World Cup throngs in 2026 / Changes at the border: questions remain in Sumas

Last call: Your Vote.
Here's your one-stop shop for our state's election: WA Statewide Voter Guide 2024. (CascadePBS)

B.C. port lockout to begin with no deal reached in contract dispute with foremen union
The provincewide lockout against a union of more than 700 foremen at British Columbia's ports is expected to begin at 8 a.m. PT, with fears the move may freeze trade on Canada's West Coast. (Canadian Press)

Billy's magic: Tribal leader’s fierce fight for fishing rights to be honored with a statue in Washington, D.C.
Who was Billy Frank Jr.? Willie Frank III explains. (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

Biden’s boarding school apology draws mixed reactions in Pacific Northwest
Reactions are mixed following President Joe Biden’s Oct. 25 apology for the horrors of Native American boarding schools, with many Indigenous people saying his words ultimately feel empty if not accompanied by direct action. Nika Bartoo-Smith reports. (Underscore Native News + ICT)

Spiny dogfish on the move
Despite their small size, Pacific spiny dogfish sharks play a critical role in the Puget Sound food web, shaping life-and-death competition over food supplies. (Christopher Dunagan reports. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

Americans, anxious about AI’s role in the election, may not know its full scope, expert says
AI plays “hidden roles” and may exacerbate some of America’s societal problems that are unrelated to technology, an information technology academic said. Paige Gross reports. (Washington State Standard)

Groups advocate for timber cancellation
On Tuesday, the state Board of Natural Resources (BNR), which oversees the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), will vote on whether to move forward with three timber sales, totaling 725 acres, that are fully or partially located within the Elwha River Watershed. To oppose these timber sales and their potential environmental impacts, organizations and citizens bonded together to form the Elwha Legacy Forest Coalition. Emma Maple reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  755 AM PST Mon Nov 4 2024    
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH  TUESDAY AFTERNOON    
TODAY  SW wind 25 to 30 kt, veering to W 25 to 35 kt late this  morning, then becoming 30 to 35 kt this afternoon. Gusts up to  50 kt. Seas 9 to 13 ft, building to 12 to 16 ft this afternoon.  Wave Detail: W 16 ft at 12 seconds. Rain early this morning, then  a slight chance of rain late this morning.  
TONIGHT  W wind 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 45 kt, veering to  NW 20 to 25 kt with gusts up to 35 kt after midnight. Seas 12 to  17 ft, subsiding to 10 to 14 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: W  17 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening.

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"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.



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11/1 Avalanche lily, sixgill shark, spiny softshell turtle, river rights, week in review

Avalanche lily

Avalanche lily  Erythronium montanum
The avalanche lily or white avalanche lily, is a member of the lily family native to coastal British Columbia and the alpine and subalpine Olympic and Cascade Ranges of the Pacific Northwest of Washington and Oregon. Wikipedia

Today's top story in Salish Current: Rainier: A beer odyssey and the joy of Northwest novelty / Puget Sound researchers uncover shark secrets, but new questions arise

Is Puget Sound a nursery for sixgill sharks?
Bluntnose sixgill sharks are among the largest sharks in the world, reaching lengths of almost 16 feet. Research shows that Puget Sound may be an important place for sixgills to give birth and raise their young. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

Forget the beaver and goose. These are the most Canadian animals
The most Canadian animal? It’s not the beaver that marks the nickel, the moose that pervades souvenir shops across the country, the loon that gave the one-dollar coin its nickname or even the much-maligned Canada goose. In fact, the spiny softshell turtle is Canada’s most distinct animal in evolutionary terms, researchers from Simon Fraser University show in a first-of-its-kind study. Brenna Owen reports.  (Canadian Press)

Everett initiative asks: Should the Snohomish River have legal rights?
Everett voters will decide next Tuesday if the Snohomish River should have legal rights. If Initiative 24-03 passes, any city resident could take anyone negatively impacting the watershed’s health to court. Individuals, companies or businesses found responsible for disturbing the watershed would be liable for for the damages, and would have to pay City Hall for restoration projects. Eliza Aronson reports. (Everett Herald)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 11/1/24: Vinegar Friday, DOT salmon plan, fatbergs, NDP win, Site C dam, marine weather, BC cruise ships, sea level rise, CWA suit, Snohomish R rights.

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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  306 AM PDT Fri Nov 1 2024    
TODAY  E wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt late. Seas 5 to  7 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 12 seconds. Showers.  
TONIGHT  NE wind around 5 kt, backing to W around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 10 seconds.  Showers, mainly in the evening.  
SAT  W wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at  11 seconds. Showers.  
SAT NIGHT  S wind around 5 kt, veering to W after midnight.  Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 10 seconds. Showers,  mainly in the evening.  
SUN  NW wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft  at 10 seconds and W 7 ft at 19 seconds. A chance of showers.

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"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.



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10/31 Sooty grouse, sea level rise, warming ocean, bats, Clean Water Act

 

Sooty grouse

Sooty grouse Dendragapus fuliginosus
The Sooty grouse is a large game bird of the wet mountain forests of the Pacific Coast. Females are intricately camouflaged in brown, buff, and white. Males are a steely gray-blue, but during courtship they reveal orange eye combs and yellow-orange air sacs in the neck. They eat needles, buds, berries, and insects. Unlike their close relative the Dusky Grouse of the Rockies, Sooty Grouse display from perches high up in trees. Their deep, rhythmic hooting calls are loud, but can be difficult to locate. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Washingtonians will make their voices heard on climate change on Election Day / So you're thinking of becoming a Canadian resident?

Atmospheric rivers could raise sea levels, drive flooding in B.C., says scientist
More powerful atmospheric rivers could lead to higher storm surges and flooding in the future, finds study. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Could a warming ocean bring more sharks into Puget Sound?
Soupfin sharks were not known to occur in Puget Sound until one was hooked by a fisherman in 2022. Scientists say warming oceans from a changing climate may be bringing more of the species into local waters. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Salish Currents Magazine)

The secret lives of Vancouver’s bats — and the race to save them
Researchers hope a probiotic cocktail on bats’ wings — and public education — will help the ‘invisible mammal’ build resistance to a deadly fungal disease sweeping across North America.  Quinn Bender reports. (The Narwhal)

Iowa AG leads multi-state opposition to court decision on Clean Water Act
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and 24 other states filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court Monday in support of the Port of Tacoma’s appeal of a U.S. circuit court decision that upheld a citizen’s ability to sue individuals for violating the Clean Water Act. The original case involved a citizen-led environmental group in Washington, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, who sued the Port of Tacoma and its tenants for not implementing stormwater controls in accordance with the state-issued pollutant discharge permits. Cami Koons reports. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Thu Oct 31 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON    
TODAY  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 8 to 10 ft. Wave Detail: W 8  ft at 14 seconds. A chance of showers with a slight chance of  tstms early this morning, then showers late this morning and  afternoon.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming E 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: E 5 ft at 4 seconds and W  6 ft at 13 seconds. Showers.

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"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.



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10/30 Woodrat, Port Angeles cleanup sites, sharks, forestry jobs, BC cruise ships, sea lion rescue

 

Bushy-tailed woodrat

Bushy-tailed woodrat Neotoma cinerea
The bushy-tailed woodrat, or packrat  is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae found in Canada and the United States. Its natural habitats are boreal forests, temperate forests, dry savanna, temperate shrubland, and temperate grassland. Woodrats are found in western North America, ranging from arctic Canada down to northern Arizona and New Mexico, and as far east as the western portions of the Dakotas and Nebraska.(Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Washington State maintains reproductive rights and experiences an influx of patients / Everson development on the Nooksack’s floodplain weighs climate risk with housing need

Ecology updates on eight Port Angeles cleanup sites
The state Department of Ecology has prepared a status update for eight formal cleanup sites in Port Angeles. The sites include the Rayonier Mill; western Port Angeles harbor; Terminals 5, 6 and 7 Uplands (located along Marine Drive); K Ply (also known as PenPly or Peninsula Plywood); marine trades area (at Marine Drive and Tumwater Street); Unocal Bulk Plant; Pettit Oil Company Tumwater Truck Route; and the former Shell Oil Bulk Plant. None of the sites are of particular environmental worry, Ecology communications manager Cheryl Ann Bishop said. Emma Maple reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Puget Sound researchers uncover shark secrets, but new questions arise
Ignorance or even outright fear of sharks is turning to fascination in the Puget Sound region, where exciting discoveries are gaining public attention. More people are beginning to understand the true nature of these ancient and perplexing creatures, according to regional shark experts. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

Inside the Fight to Save Forestry Jobs
As mills shutter and companies flee southwards, workers strategize to save the industry. Zoë Yunker reports. (The Tyee)

Record 1.3 million cruise ship passengers arrived in Vancouver this year, port authority says
As the final cruise ship of the year sails away from the city Tuesday, the Port of Vancouver said a record number of tourists arrived in the city by cruise ship this year. (CBC)

Sea lion with netting embedded in his neck, sealing mouth shut, rescued in B.C.
A sea lion has been freed off the coast of Vancouver Island after getting so entangled in netting that rescuers say it's possible he hadn't eaten in weeks or months. Vancouver Aquarium's Marine Mammal Rescue Society says in a statement the complex operation at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve was one of the most severe entanglements the team has encountered. Ashley Joannou reports. (Canadian Press)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  303 AM PDT Wed Oct 30 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON    
TODAY  E wind 20 to 25 kt with gusts up to 35 kt, becoming SE  10 to 15 kt this afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: E 4 ft  at 4 seconds and W 4 ft at 10 seconds. Rain until late afternoon,  then showers with a slight chance of tstms late.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming E 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 6 to 9 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft at 4 seconds and W  9 ft at 14 seconds. Showers in the evening, then rain after  midnight.

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"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.



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10/29 White-tailed ptarmigan, BC election, ballot box fires, Site C dam, illegal fishers, Puget Sound Pipeline, marine weather forecasts

 

White-tailed ptarmigan [WDFW]

White-tailed ptarmigan Lagopus leucura rainierensi
White-tailed ptarmigan are distributed in alpine tundra habitats of western North America. In Washington they are found in the Cascades from Mt. Adams north to the U.S.-Canada border. They are monogamous and the breeding pair defends a territory during the breeding and nesting seasons. Females generally produce a clutch of five to seven eggs. Nest and brood success are usually not very high, but these are compensated for with relatively high survival. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Raising voter awareness about the Charter Review Commission / Gen Z eyes Nov. 5

Slim majority for NDP after Elections B.C.'s final count, Eby forming government
The NDP has 47 seats, the Conservatives 44, and the Greens two pending automatic judicial recounts in Surrey-Guildford and Kelowna Centre ridings. Cindy E. Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

2 ballot boxes set on fire in Portland and Vancouver
Hundreds of ballots were destroyed in one of the early morning incidents. Investigators say the two acts are likely connected with an attempt to set another ballot box on fire earlier this month. (OPB)

The massive Site C dam has begun generating power for B.C.'s electrical grid
Project will increase B.C.'s electricity supply by 8 per cent, B.C. Hydro says. (CBC)

Mission in North Pacific targets illegal fishers
Operation North Pacific Guard, a two-month mission aboard the Victoria-based Sir Wilfred Laurier, involved armed Canadian fisheries authorities boarding 15 international vessels. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Trans Mountain to shut Puget Sound Pipeline for maintenance
Canadian-government owned oil pipeline operator Trans Mountain on Friday 25 October, 2024, said it will shut the Puget Sound Pipeline from Laurel to Anacortes, Washington, for about seven days in mid-November to conduct planned maintenance, reports Reuters. The Puget Sound Pipeline connects to the Trans Mountain Pipeline at the Sumas delivery point in British Columbia. The line does not connect to the recently opened Trans Mountain expansion. The Puget Sound Pipeline carries Canadian oil to four refineries, including Marathon Petroleum’s Anacortes and Phillips 66’s Ferndale refineries on the western side of Washington State. Isabel Stagg reports. (World Pipelines)

Marine Weather Forecasts Are Getting an AI Upgrade
Machine learning systems—powered by new data—are taking some of the guesswork out of maritime safety. Vanessa Minke-Martin reports. (Hakai Magazine)

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-  324 AM PDT Tue Oct 29 2024    
TODAY  S wind around 5 kt, backing to SE early this afternoon,  rising to 5 to 10 kt late. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  10 seconds. A slight chance of showers.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming E 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  3 ft at 9 seconds. Rain after midnight.

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"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.



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