9/7 BC pipe, coast guardians, Elwha, WA fish farms, Massey Bridge, happiness, whiteness, Shell refinery

Puget Sound rockfish [NOAA]

Puget Sound rockfish
The Puget Sound rockfish (Sebastes emphaeus) grows to 7.2 in. (18.3 cm), making it one of the smallest rockfishes…. DNA studies show that this species may be most closely related to the pygmy and harlequin rockfishes. The Latin name emphaeus means "display." Abundance information for the Puget Sound rockfish is relatively unknown, though they have been commonly found from southeast Alaska to Oregon. In Puget Sound, the newly spawned one-inch long juveniles are first seen in January and February often living at the bases of rock walls in nearshore waters. In Puget Sound and Alaska waters, they are often the most common fish living around the inshore rocks. During winters In Puget Sound, individuals may be found inhabiting caves. (NOAA)

First Nations will protest, but Trans Mountain pipeline a done deal, Liberals say
While some Indigenous activists gear up to fight expansion of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline on the streets and in court, federal Liberal cabinet ministers say there's no going back on their decision to approve the $7.4-billion project…. Speaking to reporters at the national Liberal caucus meeting in Kelowna, B.C., Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott said such groups are free to stand in opposition, but the decision to approve is final…. Trans Mountain announced Wednesday it has finalized agreements with six contractors to build portions of the 1,150-kilometre expansion project that will carry crude oil from a terminal near Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C., something the company calls a "major milestone." Construction is set to begin later this month. John Paul Tasker reports. (CBC)

Guardians of the Coast
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but British Columbia’s coastal First Nations are joining forces to safeguard the coast. Shanna Baker reports. (Hakai Magazine)

After its dams came down, a river is reborn
A look at the Elwha unleashed. Kate Schimel reports. (High Country News)

Washington’s Fish Farms Are Governed By Decades-Old Guidelines
Washington state’s guidelines for fish farms include things like where they should be located and how many fish can be farmed in how much water. These guidelines are more than three decades old: they date back to 1986…. The department has been working on updating them since last fall and planned to finish by 2019. But, after 160,000 Atlantic salmon escaped into Puget Sound this August, the Ecology work group might be going back to the drawing board. Eilís O'Neill reports. (KUOW/EarthFix)

NDP cancels construction on George Massey bridge project
B.C.’s NDP government has cancelled construction of a bridge to replace the Massey tunnel, putting an end to former premier Christy Clark’s signature solution to traffic congestion at a key Metro choke point. Transportation Minister Claire Trevena announced Wednesday her government had scrapped the process to design, build and finance a 10-lane $3.5-billion bridge between Richmond and Delta. The province will pay out the companies shortlisted to bid on the work and remove the bridge’s cost from provincial budget, said Trevena. Instead, the NDP will start an “independent technical review” to research the best solution for the aging George Massey tunnel, which experts have said is not safe and could collapse during an earthquake. That work should be complete in the spring, said Trevena, though the review director and terms of reference have yet to be decided. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Three-in-four Metro Vancouver residents want Massey Tunnel replaced  Stephanie Ip reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Measuring health and happiness in Puget Sound: a case study
A new paper in the journal Ecology and Society, “The science and politics of human well-being: a case study in cocreating indicators for Puget Sound restoration,” looks at indicators of human wellbeing in Puget Sound and how an affinity for Puget Sound can translate into cleaner water and healthier, happier people. The paper is authored by Puget Sound Institute and Oregon State University social scientist Kelly Biedenweg and co-authors Kari Stiles of the Puget Sound Partnership and Haley Harguth of the Hood Canal Coordinating Council. Jeff Rice reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Green groups confront their whiteness
Environmental nonprofits seek to boost diversity through recruitment, education, internships, Jennifer Anderson reports. (Portland Tribune) See also: Nonprofits Boards Are Very Rich And Very White  A study of the state of nonprofit boards makes it clear that they have a privilege problem–and that more engaged board members are a big bonus to an organization. Ben Paynter reports. (Fast Company)

Shell plans to start maintenance turnaround at end of month
Shell Puget Sound Refinery is moving forward with one of its largest planned maintenance periods ever this month, an event that will last about a month and a half and bring as many as 2,500 workers to the site per day. The maintenance, called a turnaround, comes in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which affected refineries in Texas and is causing fuel prices to rise. But officials for Shell and neighboring Tesoro say there have been no changes in operations at the March Point facilities. Joan Pringle reports. (Go Anacortes)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  245 AM PDT Thu Sep 7 2017  
TODAY  Light wind becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 11 seconds. Areas of smoke in  the morning. A chance of showers and a slight chance of morning  thunderstorms.
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 15 seconds. A slight chance  of showers after midnight.

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