2/8 Stormy weather, DAPL OKd, half-work half-pay, carbon tax, invasives, Hanjin Vienna

Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (OSU)

Douglas-fir
The Douglas-fir is a large to very large tree with a narrow crown of slightly drooping branches. The Coastal D-fir forms vast forests on moist, well-drained soils. It is one of the world's most important timber species, ranking first in the US in total volume of time, in lumber production, and in veneer for plywood. it is also a popular Christmas tree. (Audubon Nature Guide: Western Forests) See also: How the Douglas-fir tree put Vancouver on the map  Jon Hernandez reports. (CBC)

Winter storm warning issued for the South Coast
High winds, blowing snow and icy conditions will make travelling treacherous overnight Wednesday Justin McElroy reports. (CBC) Heavy, warm rain to follow snowstorm in Seattle area   Vernal Coleman reports. (Seattle Times)

Army to allow completion of Dakota Access oil pipeline
The Army said Tuesday that it will allow the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota, clearing the way for completion of the disputed four-state project. However, construction could still be delayed because the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which has led opposition, said it would fight the latest development in court. The Army intends to cancel further environmental study and allow the Lake Oahe crossing as early as Wednesday, according to court documents the Justice Department filed that include letters to members of Congress from Deputy Assistant Army Secretary Paul Cramer. Blake Nicholson reports. (Associated Press) See also: What Seattle's 'boycott' could mean for Wells Fargo  The Seattle City Council unanimously voted Tuesday afternoon to cut ties with banking giant Wells Fargo over its role as a lender to the Dakota Access Pipeline project, as well as other business practices. Paige Browning reports. (KUOW)

State senator invites climate-change denier to brief committee while he’s away
A presentation by a climate-change denier scheduled for Tuesday in the Republican-led state Senate is drawing fierce criticism from Democrats who say the briefing is a misuse of government time. Tony Heller — who also blogs under the pseudonym Steven Goddard — will address an environmental committee run by state Sen. Doug Ericksen, a Republican from Ferndale who is temporarily leading communications at the Environmental Protection Agency for the Trump administration. State Sen. Reuven Carlyle blasted Ericksen Monday for Heller’s scheduled presentation in light of rescheduled hearings and work-flow interruptions caused by Ericksen’s EPA gig. Carlyle, of Seattle, is the ranking Democrat on the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Committee. Walker Orenstein reports. (News Tribune of Tacoma) See also: Trump EPA official juggles two jobs in two Washingtons, and it hasn’t gone well.  Lisa Rein and Brady Dennis report. (Washington Post)

Half-Work, Half-Pay
An online petition demanding that State senator Doug Ericksen either resign or refund taxpayers of Washington state half his legislative salary has been organized by 42nd District Bellingham anthropologist Michael Alvarez Shepard, Ph.D.

GOP senior statesmen making push for a carbon tax
A group of Republican senior statesmen are pushing for a carbon tax to combat the effects of climate change, and hoping to sell their plan to the White House. Former Secretary of State Jim Baker is leading the effort, which also includes former Secretary of State George Shultz. In an opinion piece published Tuesday night in The Wall Street Journal, they argued “there is mounting evidence of problems with the atmosphere that are growing too compelling to ignore.” The group will meet Wednesday with White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, senior adviser Jared Kushner, and Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council. Ivanka Trump is also expected to attend, according to a person familiar with the plans. (Associated Press)

B.C.'s invasive species warriors tackle turtles, knotweed, climate change and critics
Invasive species experts have gathered in Richmond to strategize strikes against everything from Japanese knotweed to American bullfrogs with the only weapon that works — cooperation. The Invasive Species Council of B.C. (ISCBC) works to stop foreign plants and animals from taking over ecosystems in the province. With increased trade and travel and warmer winters, organizers say they face more challenges than ever controlling destructive invaders. Yvette Brend reports. (CBC)

Container ship Hanjin Vienna anchored off Victoria now up for sale
The Hanjin Vienna — the container ship anchored off Victoria’s waterfront since September — is up for sale….It has been there since the financial collapse of South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping company. Ken Bradshaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  245 AM PST WED FEB 8 2017  

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  
TODAY  E WIND 15 TO 25 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 4 TO 7 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF  15 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE  AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT  E WIND 30 TO 40 KT EASING TO 25 TO 35 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 5 TO 8 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF  12 SECONDS. RAIN.

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