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| Canada geese [Audubon Field Guide] |
It's the time of year that geese migrate south for the winter. Isn't it? So why are there so many geese still hanging around, setting up housekeeping on our parks and golf courses? Did they decide to forgo the long trip north? In the early 1900s, a subspecies of non-migratory geese were imported by the hundreds to populate our wildlife refuges. Now, while many Canada Geese migrate south for the winter, these other geese stay - and multiply. (BirdNote)
Overcast: What's Going On With Salmon In Washington?
Seattle Times reporter Lynda Mapes talkes to colleagues Jim Brunner and Dan Beekman about the relationship between the release of more than 100,000 non-native Atlantic Salmon this summer and the alarming low numbers of young salmon from the Columbia River system out in the Pacific Ocean. (KNKX)
First Nations Test the Political Water with Fish Farm Protests
Around a blazing fire in the ‘Namgis Nation Big House on Tuesday, British Columbia Premier John Horgan told members and hereditary chiefs from eight Indigenous nations that he would honor the provincial government’s campaign promise to protect wild salmon, and meet with a delegation from the nations to continue discussions. But Horgan did not commit to the nations’ main demand to revoke licenses from fish farms operating in their waters. Six of the nations are six weeks into occupations and protests of two commercial fish farms off northern Vancouver Island. The nations say they’re not moving until the fish farms do. Erica Gies reports. (Hakai Magazine)
Return to the Salish Sea: Elwha Tribal Elder and Commercial Fisherman Robert Elofson
For many people in the Northwest, the undamming of the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula marked a dramatic turning point. The largest dam removal in the world at the time, it unleashed the lifeblood of a watershed that fronts on the Salish Sea. Among the Salish people working on the project was Elwha tribal elder Robert Elofson, a man who dedicated many years to the effort as the tribe’s Director of River Restoration. He has returned to his passion and works as a commercial fisherman now, with a boat in Port Angeles. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)
Operations at Atlantic salmon farms continue
Since the collapse of an Atlantic salmon farm Aug. 20 in Skagit County, business has largely continued as usual for the seven remaining farms in the state. The state Department of Fish & Wildlife recently approved requests from Cooke Aquaculture, the company that operates the farms, to move salmon eggs or young fish to facilities in the state. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)
Extreme low flows in West End rivers prompt closures to protect salmon
River flows so low they impede salmon returning to rivers to spawn are prompting emergency fishing closures on several West End rivers beginning Monday. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife will close the Quillayute, Sol Duc, Dickey and Hoh rivers to all fishing and sections of the Bogachiel and Calawah rivers Monday until further notice, it said on its website, wdfw.wa.gov. Also Monday, Olympic National Park will prohibit fishing in the Quillayute, Dickey and Hoh River mouths and the portions of the rivers within park boundaries until flows are higher, said Penny Wagner, public information officer for the park. Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)
Washington fishermen are on front lines in fight against proposed Alaska mine
A Trump administration move to withdraw Obama-era restrictions on a proposed Alaska mine has reignited an environmental battle over a watershed sustaining huge runs of wild salmon that draw Washington fishermen north each summer. The Environmental Protection Agency proposal would allow Pebble Limited Partnership to apply for a permit to operate an open-pit mine extracting copper, gold and molybdenum in the Bristol Bay region…. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, in a statement released in May, said the agency was committed to a fair permitting process that would listen to all voices. Yet he made the decision to propose the rollback on the same day he met with Pebble Partnership Chief Executive Tom Collier, according to a CNN report, and before he had a chance to consult with agency experts who were preparing a briefing on the mine project. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)
Government announces funds to improve underwater listening in B.C. waters
Scientists are getting $7.2 million from the federal government to expand a network of underwater listening devices around British Columbia's coast. The government says the money will help improve the collection of listening stations installed along the Pacific coast, especially in key areas used by killer whales. Ocean Networks Canada at the University of Victoria will use the money to augment its network of oceanographic radars and hydrophones that are already in the water. (Canadian Press)
Navy pays $4.92 million for easement fees in Jefferson County
The Navy has partnered with conservation organizations to preserve more than 3,310 acres in Jefferson County in areas near ongoing naval operations. The Navy paid land easement fees of $4.92 million to obtain usage rights for the acreage that spans from the east side of the Puget Sound from the Hood Canal Bridge up north toward Naval Magazine Indian Island. The partnership set aside 854 acres in the Chimacum Ridge, 154 acres of the historic Yarr Farm near and two sections of land near Mats Mats Bay of 817 acres and 1,485 acres. Julianne Stanford reports. (Kitsap Sun)
What is going on with waterfront redevelopment? Here are some answers
It’s been a long, meandering trip to redevelop the former Georgia-Pacific waterfront property, but the project is finally at a point where the public will start seeing some tangible activity beyond the makeover of the Granary Building. Construction of the two main streets into the waterfront district – Granary Avenue and Laurel Street – is scheduled to begin in November, while work on Waypoint Park near the Whatcom Waterway is set to begin in late November or early December. Construction of new trails and plans for a residential project are expected in the coming year. Dave Gallagher reports. (Bellingham Herald)
State taking comment on draft marine development plan
The state Department of Ecology released Friday a draft plan summarizing current and potential uses for the state’s shoreline areas…. Ecology’s draft plan, called a marine spatial plan, offers science-based guidance for determining the most appropriate locations for different uses, such as aquaculture, renewable energy development and military facilities, according to a news release…. Ecology is taking public comment through Dec. 12 on the plan and on an environmental impact statement, or EIS, that evaluates potential impacts of the plan. (Skagit Valley Herald)
New regional park coming to B.C.'s Mayne Island
Conservationists, local governments and Southern Gulf Island residents are celebrating a new regional park. Their successful fundraising campaign has allowed for the purchase of 26 hectares on Mayne Island known as St. John Point…. Mayne Island is located about 40 kilometres southwest of Vancouver and can be accessed by ferry. St. John Point on Mayne Island is owned by three brothers, two of whom are United States residents. Prior to the sale, locals used the area informally. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)
Province investigating after allegations CN Rail improperly used herbicide
B.C.'s Ministry of Environment is reviewing claims that CN Rail improperly sprayed pesticides directly adjacent to the Skeena River between Terrace and Prince Rupert. Photographs taken along the river near CN tracks show what appears to be a line of dead vegetation that crosses creeks and waterways, according to the environmentalists who documented the more than 100 kilometre stretch of treated area. Ash Kelly report. (CBC)
With OK From EPA, Use Of Controversial Weedkiller Is Expected To Double
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it will let farmers keep spraying the weedkilling chemical dicamba on Monsanto’s new dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton. The decision is a victory for the biotech giant and the farmers who want to use the company’s newest weed-killing technology. Farmers across the Midwest and Mid-South have been waiting for the EPA’s decision for months, ever since it became clear that dicamba was drifting into thousands of fields where it didn’t belong and damaging those crops. Some groups have called on the EPA to ban the most troublesome uses of dicamba, following the lead of regulators in Arkansas. The EPA, however, decided that the problems which occurred this past summer can be solved simply by adding a few new restrictions on the ways in which dicamba is used. Dan Charles reports. (NPR)
Expo 86 McBarge to become deep-sea museum in Vancouver
The famous floating McBarge from Expo 86 has finally found a permanent home, as a deep-sea museum in Vancouver. The Deep Discovery Centre, which will celebrate the history of Pacific Ocean exploration and conservation, is under development by Howard Meakin, owner of the 57-metre-long barge, and Phil Nuytten, president of the Historical Diving Society of Canada and curator of the new centre. Meakin and Nuytten, who have been working together on the project for more than a year, said they are keeping the location of the museum a secret for now, but confirmed it will be in Vancouver. There had been speculation that the barge could end up in Nanaimo or Victoria. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)
Scrapping Site C and developing wind and solar could save billions, analyst says
Scrapping the Site C Dam project and aggressively pursuing wind power could save B.C. between $2 and $4.4 billion according to an energy analyst hired by the Peace Valley Landowners Association, which opposes the project. Robert McCullough presented his findings Friday at a Vancouver hearing held by the B.C. Utilities Commission in Vancouver to review the project. He concluded that BC Hydro's thinking around Site C doesn't reflect today's realities. Liam Britten reports. (CBC)
PSE, industry group urge modified greenhouse-gas regulations
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) wants the Trump administration to keep regulating greenhouse-gas emissions even after the repeal of the federal Clean Power Plan. But any new effort should be more narrowly focused and offer states more time to come into compliance, according to a white paper released by a coalition formed by PSE and a dozen other utilities. The repeal of the federal Clean Power Plan was proposed this week by the Environmental Protection Agency. If it withstands legal challenges, the move would roll back one of President Barack Obama’s major efforts to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions from power plants. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)
Oak Bay cleans up derelict boats as problem persists along B.C.'s coast
Residents and local politicians are celebrating the removal of derelict vessels that, for years, have marred the shorelines in the District of Oak Bay, near Victoria, B.C. Over the weekend, several vessels were finally hauled to shore, broken up and taken away…. Oak Bay's government paid $4,000 for the clean-up, while the province provided $10,000. (CBC)
Permit hearing set for Andeavor project
The Skagit County Hearing Examiner will hold a public hearing on a shoreline permit application for the Andeavor Anacortes Refinery’s Clean Products Upgrade Project. Andeavor Anacortes Refinery is the former Anacortes Tesoro Refinery. The hearing will be at 9 a.m. Nov. 2 in the Skagit County Board of Commissioners’ hearing room in Mount Vernon. (Skagit Valley Herald)
Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 900 PM PDT Sun Oct 15 2017
MON E wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. W swell 7 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
MON NIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 8 ft at 11 seconds building to 10 ft at 11 seconds after midnight. Rain.
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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 (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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