1/10 KM ok, iced Fraser, Steller sea lion, Burrard bridges, marbled murrelet, Site C, BC LNG

[PHOTO: Laurie MacBride]

Secretly Awake and Watching
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Here on the West Coast, the predominant winter colours are green and brown – hues that I find restful and in a way, reassuring. With no foliage or flowers on the deciduous trees and vines, their architecture comes to the fore. Life seems simplified: whittled down to the basics, quiet and less complicated than during the growing season…." (read more)

The inside story of Kinder Morgan’s approval
Just three days after the Oct. 19, 2015 federal election, a half-dozen of the most powerful political insiders in the country gathered for dinner in the Byward Market, a historic section of the nation’s capital filled with high-end restaurants, boutiques, courtyards and artisan shops. Representing Justin Trudeau’s new government were his top two political advisers, Gerry Butts and Katie Telford. With them was the woman who at the time headed Canada’s public service, Privy Council Clerk Janice Charette. They were facing Brian Topp, a wily political tactician who recently stepped down as Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s chief of staff. Peter O'Neil reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Salish Sea Communications: Are You Willing to Work 150 Years For Salmon Recovery?
In 1998, Washington Governor Gary Locke declared, regarding Puget Sound Chinook salmon, “extinction is not an option.” The recent State of Salmon 2016 summary issued by the state says, “It took more than 150 years to bring salmon to the brink of extinction; it may take just as long to bring them all the way back.” And it’s gotten worse for Puget Sound Chinook and steelhead over the last 15 years. Keep working? (read more)

Ice then and now: When the Fraser became a skating rink
Think it's cold now? There was a time when B.C.'s longest river froze from New Westminster to Surrey. Stephanie Mercier reports. (CBC)

Sinclair Broadcasting Group's Political Programming
Yesterday's news item about KOMO News ownership cutting newsroom staff [KOMO cuts positions in newsroom] elicited an interesting Wikipedia entry about Sinclair Broadcasting [KOMO's owners] partisan political programming.

Beached sea lion is cause for concern for Feiro Marine Life Center
Feiro Marine Life Center staff are asking people to stay away from a beached Steller sea lion at the Nippon Paper Industries USA mill near Ediz Hook. The sea lion has been at the beach since at least Friday, causing concern for Melissa Williams, executive director of the Marine Life Center. Why the sea lion has been at the beach for so long isn’t yet known, but it doesn’t seem to have any human-caused injuries, Williams said, adding that staff had checked on the sea lion Sunday. Jesse Major reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Could Burrard Inlet bridges withstand an oil tanker collision?
Could a large ship hit and damage one of Burrard Inlet’s vital bridges? The possibility is being studied by the province because 40,000 oil tanker trips are scheduled through Vancouver Harbour in the next 50 years. Dirk Nyland, chief engineer at the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, said the strength of the piers of the Second Narrows (Ironworkers Memorial) and Lions Gate bridges will be examined in relation to a federal code which governs the structural integrity with regards to hits by marine vessels. Kent Spencer reports. (Vancouver Sun)

How To Save The Marbled Murrelet? Conservationists Want More Habitat Protected In State Forests
How to protect marbled murrelet habitat in state-owned forests is in the spotlight this week in Washington, as the state’s Department of Natural Resources kicks off a series of public meetings on a range of strategies for a 50-year conservation plan of the endangered seabird. Marbled murrelets nest in old-growth trees, some of which are in prime areas for logging. The state has for many years had in place an interim conservation plan, because scientists wanted extra time to study what the bird needs. It wasn’t till the 1970s that they established the murrelets’ unusual habit of nesting high up in the forest canopy as much as 50 miles from the coastal areas where they feed. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Site C erosion problems won’t result in further penalty for BC Hydro
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency decided Monday not to take further enforcement action against B.C. Hydro for sediment problems last year at the $9-billion Site C dam project. Nicolas Courville, the agency’s senior enforcement officer, said in a letter to Hydro that he believes the provincial Crown corporation has taken the necessary steps to ensure that “erosion and sediment control contingency supplies” are stocked at three sites — the Moberly River construction bridge, the right bank drainage tunnel, and the right bank coffer dam. Hydro had faced the prospect of a federal order and summary fines of up to $200,000 on first offence and $400,000 on subsequent offences if the environmental problems had remained unaddressed at the construction site on the Peace River near Fort St. John. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. First Nation expected to launch court challenge of LNG approval
Members of a B.C. First Nation are expected to launch another legal challenge of a massive liquefied natural gas project proposed for the province's north coast. Several hereditary chiefs with the Gitxsan First Nation will be in Vancouver today to announce their opposition to the Pacific Northwest LNG project, a project backed by Malaysia's state oil company Petronas. The group's traditional territory is in northwestern B.C., near the area where a $11.4 billion LNG export terminal would be built close to Prince Rupert, B.C. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  222 AM PST TUE JAN 10 2017  

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  
TODAY  E WIND 25 TO 35 KT...RISING TO 30 TO 40 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 6 TO 8 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF  11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 9 TO 11 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF  12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT  NE WIND 30 TO 40 KT. COMBINED SEAS 6 TO 9 FT WITH A  DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS.

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

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