11/3 Orcas & Chinook, Fraser pinks, climate, KM pipe, Andeavor permit, gr crabs, Zinke, WA wolves

Beaver [Ginger Holser/WDFW]

Beavers
Beavers (Castor canadensis) are the largest living rodents in North America, with adults averaging 40 pounds in weight and measuring more than 3 feet in length, including the tail….  Once among the most widely distributed mammals in North America, beavers were eliminated from much of their range in the late 1800s because of unregulated trapping. With a decline in the demand for beaver pelts, and with proper management, they became reestablished in much of their former range and are now common in many areas. (WDFW) See also: Spectacular full Beaver Moon rises one day shy of being super this weekend  Cathy Kearney reports. (CBC)

Plans being developed to save both orcas and Chinook salmon
Actions that could save Puget Sound’s killer whales from extinction have been placed on a fast track by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and the Puget Sound Partnership, which operates under a legal mandate to restore the health of Puget Sound. Hand in hand with an intensified effort to save the whales comes a revised strategy to reverse the decline of Puget Sound Chinook salmon, the primary food supply for the endangered orcas. In a special meeting Wednesday, the Puget Sound Leadership Council committed itself in a formal resolution to “both accelerate and amplify” efforts to recover Chinook runs on behalf of the orcas while meeting treaty obligations to native tribes. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Fraser River pink salmon run half of prediction, after dismal sockeye returns
Salmon returns just keep getting worse on the Fraser River. End-of-season estimates show that fewer than 3.6 million pink salmon have returned to the Fraser, less than half the median pre-season forecast of 8.7 million fish and not enough for a commercial or sport fishery.  There was a one-in-10 chance that the pink returns would be as low as 4.4 million, but the results were even worse. “It was much less, obviously much poorer than expected,” Mike Lapointe, chief biologist with the Pacific Salmon Commission, said in an interview Thursday. The average pink run on the Fraser is closer to 12 million. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Massive Government Report Says Climate Is Warming And Humans Are The Cause
It is “extremely likely” that human activities are the “dominant cause” of global warming, according to the the most comprehensive study ever of climate science by U.S. government researchers. The climate report, obtained by NPR, notes that the past 115 years are “the warmest in the history of modern civilization.” The global average temperature has increased by about 1.8 degree Fahrenheit over that period. Greenhouse gases from industry and agriculture are by far the biggest contributor to warming. Christopher Joyce reports. (NPR) See also: Even Trump’s EPA says Obama’s climate plan would save thousands of lives each year  A sweeping Obama-era climate rule could prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths per year by 2030, the Trump administration has found in its analysis of the plan, projecting that the plan could save more lives than the Obama administration said it would. The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency is moving to repeal the plan. Chris Mooney reports. (Washington Post)

Notley backs Kinder Morgan appeal to energy regulator over permit delays
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says her government will back Kinder Morgan in its appeal to the national energy regulator over permitting delays the company says it is facing from the B.C. town located at the terminus of its planned Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. "One jurisdiction does not have the right to obstruct a project of national importance, which is why we will take every legal measure necessary to protect Alberta's interests and see this pipeline completed," Notley said in a statement Thursday. (CBC)

Hearing being held for Andeavor refinery project permit
Dozens turned out today (Nov 2) to share with Skagit County Hearing Examiner Wick Dufford their perspectives on Andeavor Anacortes Refinery's proposed Clean Products Upgrade Project. There was standing room only in the hearing room, and most seats were taken in the lobby of the building as well. The hearing may be extended into Friday, Dufford said. The hearing is for one of 18 permits Andeavor needs from county, state and federal agencies for the project. The permit that is the subject of this hearing is a shoreline substantial development permit. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Green crabs go wild near Sequim, but experts say control is still possible
Nearly 100 invasive European green crabs were trapped along Dungeness Spit near Sequim this past spring and summer — far more than anywhere else in Puget Sound since the dangerous invaders first showed up last year. Despite the large number of crabs found in this one location, green crab experts remain undeterred in their effort to trap as many of the crabs as they can. And they still believe it is possible to keep the invasion under control. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

The Teddy Roosevelt Legacy At Ryan Zinke’s Interior Department
The Department of the Interior is outlining steps aimed at increasing energy production on federal lands. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says boosting production of resources like oil and gas creates jobs and enhances the nation’s energy security. It’s another pro-industry headline for a secretary touting himself as not only an avid outdoorsman, but a follower of the conservation ideals of the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. If the manager of most of our federal lands is going find inspiration from someone, it would be hard to find a more appropriate muse. Dan Boyce reports. (Inside Energy)

New Era For Washington Wolves? State Wildlife Officials Think So
There could be big changes on the horizon for the way the state of Washington manages its wolf population to minimize the conflicts between wolves and livestock. For at least the last two summers, wildlife managers in Washington have had to shoot wolves that have killed or injured livestock. That practice has proven controversial, and in some cases dangerous for wildlife managers and ranchers. This spring, state legislators allocated $300,000 for projects to manage wolves that keep them alive. The money is available in the four counties where the majority of Washington’s wolves roam. The first call for applications for grants went out in mid-October. Emily Schwing reports. (NW News Network)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  254 AM PDT Fri Nov 3 2017  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON  
TODAY  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft  at 11 seconds subsiding to 4 ft at 11 seconds in the afternoon. A  slight chance of showers in the morning.
TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  3 ft at 15 seconds.
SAT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 3 ft at 16 seconds. A chance of showers in the  afternoon.
SAT NIGHT  E wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell  3 ft at 15 seconds.
SUN  NE 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 4 ft at 11 seconds.

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