3/1 Loons, nixing Clean Water rule, BC Trump Tower, salmon forecast, Harvest Power odours

Common Loon [Tony Angell]

Common Loon (Gavia immer)
Arriving as early as September and staying into May, these birds are common winter residents and migrants as well as uncommon summer visitors to the region… The population reaches its greatest density here by spring. Common loons favor small and medium-sized fish-- flounders, herring, sculpins, and shiner perch-- as well as amphipods, crabs, and shrimps. They forage in both nearshore and open-water habitats, where they sometimes dive over reefs. They are particularly fond of fishing the edges of estuarine waters, though they prefer to rest on open water. Tony Angell, Marine Birds and Mammals of Puget Sound.

Trump Aims To 'Eliminate' Clean Water Rule
The Trump administration is moving to roll back an environmental rule intended to define which small bodies of water are subject to federal authority under the Clean Water Act. President Trump signed documents Tuesday directing the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review the Obama administration's "Waters of the United States" rule. In doing so, Trump said he is "paving the way for the elimination" of the rule. He asked for the reviewers to assess its consistency with "promoting economic growth" and "minimizing regulatory uncertainty," among other factors.  Merrit Kennedy and Susan Phillips reports. (NPR) See also: Environmentalists: Trump's Clean Water Rollback Will Harm Northwest Streams   Courtney Flatt reports. (WNPR/EarthFix)

Noisy protest, heated arguments as Trump Tower opens in Vancouver
Hundreds of anti-Trump protesters waved signs and chanted on the streets of Vancouver on Tuesday while inside the newly completed Trump Tower, smiling members of U.S. President Donald Trump's family snipped through a red ribbon to mark the grand opening of the latest addition to the city's skyline. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, scions of the billionaire real-estate mogul turned politician, were in Vancouver to celebrate the completion of the $360-million hotel and condominium development, which has become a lightning rod for demonstrations against the American leader. (Canadian Press) See also: Ignoring protests, Trump sons open newest hotel in Vancouver, B.C.  Manuel Valdes and Rob Gillies report. (Associated Press)

Some salmon forecasts like Puget Sound coho show an upswing from last year
State Fish and Wildlife unveiled salmon forecasts to a packed house in Olympia on Tuesday, and as usual there are some highlights mixed in with lowlights as the first steps are taken in this lengthy process of setting fishing seasons. The good news is a Puget Sound forecast of 559,045 coho (267,745 wild and 291,301 hatchery) is a drastic increase from last year’s dismal forecast of 255,403 (87,359 and 168,585) that led to one of the most contentious disagreements between state and tribal fishery managers on how to carve out fisheries. Mark Yuasa reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Far fewer pink salmon are expected to return to the South Sound this year  Jeffrey Mayor reports. (News Tribune Tacoma)

Richmond gives Harvest Power 30 days to remedy odour issues
An organic waste composting facility in Richmond has 30 days to fix its ongoing odour problems before the municipality says it will take further action. The City of Richmond has issued a notice of default to Harvest Power "to remedy ongoing odour issues" — which means that if the company does not address the problem at their facility in east Richmond, the city could terminate its service agreement with the company. This move is the latest in an ongoing conflict that the city has had with the plant, which takes food scraps, yard trimmings and paper products from across the Lower Mainland and turns them into mulch, soil and compost. Gavin Fisher reports.  (CBC)

Now, your tug weather---
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST WED MAR 1 2017  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING  
TODAY  W WIND 15 TO 25 KT EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT IN THE  AFTERNOON. W SWELL 9 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE  MORNING THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT  S WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.

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