9/21 'I'iwi, State of the Sound, Seymour R. fish, Site C dam, 'Silicon Valley North'

'I'iwi [Bettina Arrigoni/Flickr]

‘I’iwi Bird Now Protected By Endangered Species Act
Facing extinction due in large part to the effects of climate change, the ‘i’iwi — a scarlet honeycreeper only found in Hawaii — will receive federal protection as a threatened species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday. Once common from mauka to makai throughout the islands, the small red bird is now found almost exclusively in high-elevation forests on Maui and the Big Island. The population on Kauai has plummeted 92 percent over the past 25 years and the bird is almost completely gone from Lanai, Oahu and Molokai. Nathan Eagle reports. (Civil Beat)

Note: Doug Myers, formerly of Puget Sound and now of Chesapeake Bay, wrote regarding the Monday news clipping about the local sighting of a swallow-tailed gull [This very rare bird in Edmonds is 4,000 miles from home]: "Very cool. One of my favorite birds from our recent Galapagos trip.  The red ring around the eye helps them gather infrared light to hunt for fish and squid on the wing at night!!!"

Puget Sound Partnership - State Of The Sound Report
Despite its stunning natural beauty, lots of problems lurk beneath the surface of Puget Sound. The state agency in charge of coordinating its cleanup meets this week to finalize its latest “State of the Sound” report.  One of the key points of discussion will be the status of efforts to recover Chinook salmon in Puget Sound. The agency’s deputy director, Laura Blackmore, says the iconic fish are still struggling, even after decades of work and hundreds of millions of dollars spent. "Chinook were listed in 1999," Blackmore said. "They were at historic lows at that point, and basically their populations have not shown any improvement since then." Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

More than 1,000 fish lifted over Seymour rock slide as project caps off its third year
More than 1,000 steelhead, coho and pink salmon have received a helping hand, over the last three years, getting over a large blockade in the Seymour River. A team of rescuers is capping off its third year trying to restore a major fish hatchery, after a landslide dumped over 80,000 cubic metres of rock into the Seymour River in 2014. Since 2015, volunteers have been transporting fish over the rock slide by hand using a variety of methods. The team has now transported over 1,000 fish, with the help of a floating fish fence that intercepts fish before they reach the rock slide. (CBC)

B.C. Utilities Commission strikes a note of caution on Site C dam
It’s too early to say whether the B.C. Hydro Site C project can be completed on time and on budget, according to a preliminary report from the B.C. Utilities Commission. In its report on the $8.8-billion hydro-power project, filed late Wednesday to meet a provincial government deadline, the Commission said the project is currently on time and, indeed, has a year’s worth of contingency time built in. It says B.C. Hydro appears to be pushing ahead more aggressively than planned and if it experiences no delays, it could be producing power a year ahead of schedule, in 2023. The Commission warns that diversion of the river to allow dam construction must happen in September of 2019 or the project could eat up its entire year’s leeway, and run up significant extra costs, before a September 2020 window to do the diversion. (Posmedia News)

Interview: Can ’Silicon Valley North’ change the way we think about Salish Sea recovery?
A strong economy propelled by a world-leading technology industry is expected to draw millions of new residents to the Salish Sea region within decades. This changing population brings with it new strains on the environment but also new perspectives. Incoming residents may not see Puget Sound the same way as previous generations. Many will have different relationships to the natural world or come from other cultural backgrounds and traditions. Technology will also play a role, not just as an economic driver, but as an influence on the way that people receive and share information…. Given this changing landscape, can Puget Sound recovery efforts adapt and keep pace? Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel member Robert Ewing says it’s absolutely critical. Jeff Rice reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  248 AM PDT Thu Sep 21 2017  
TODAY  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft  at 10 seconds.
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft  at 9 seconds.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told