 |
| Osprey [Audubon Field Guide] |
A very distinctive fish-hawk, formerly classified with other hawks but now placed in a separate family of its own. Along coastlines, lakes, and rivers almost worldwide, the Osprey is often seen flying over the water, hovering, and then plunging feet-first to catch fish in its talons. After a successful strike, the bird rises heavily from the water and flies away, carrying the fish head-forward with its feet. Bald Eagles sometimes chase Ospreys and force them to drop their catch. In many regions, landowners put up poles near the water to attract nesting Ospreys. (Audubon Field Guide)
National Energy Board says Trans Mountain project should be approved
The National Energy Board delivered its reconsideration report to the federal government Friday with an overall recommendation that the Trans Mountain Expansion Project is in the Canadian public interest and should be approved. The $9.3-billion pipeline expansion would twin the existing 1,150-kilometre pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby, built in 1953, and nearly triple capacity. Tanker traffic from the Burnaby terminal on the Burrard Inlet is estimated to increase from 60 tankers a year to more than 400. The NEB is recommending the project be approved subject to 16 new conditions, in addition to the 156 conditions it had proposed in its previous recommendation. The report starts the clock on a 90-day period for the federal government to decide whether the project should proceed. Scott Brown reports. (Vancouver Sun) See: A look at 16 new recommendations for Ottawa on the Trans Mountain pipeline (Canadian Press) See also: Trans Mountain pipeline expansion gets green light from Canadian energy board Lynda Makes reports. (Seattle Times)
B.C. constitutional challenge of Alberta’s fuel restriction law tossed
A court challenge by the British Columbia government over Alberta’s fuel restriction law has been shot down by a Calgary judge who said B.C. took the case to court prematurely.... Alberta brought the legislation in amidst extreme tension with B.C. over John Horgan government’s opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline. Under the act, Alberta Energy Minister Margaret McCuaig-Boyd can decide if a company needs an export licence to send oil and gas outside Alberta’s borders — and it’s up to her whether or not she’ll grant one. The legal action said Alberta’s law was unconstitutional because it intended to punish B.C. by limiting exports of fuel products. On Friday, Calgary Justice R.J. Hall struck down the challenge because the law had not yet been proclaimed and is unenforceable. Trevor Robb reports. (Edmonton Journal)
Polluted by Money- How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America
Oregon once aimed to be the greenest state in America. Its leaders adopted the nation’s first bottle deposit. They controlled urban sprawl. They declared ocean beaches public property. But in the last four years, Oregon’s most powerful industries have killed, weakened or stalled efforts to deal with climate change, wolf recovery, disappearing bird habitat, cancer-causing diesel exhaust, dwindling groundwater, industrial air pollution, oil spill planning and weed killers sprayed from helicopters. What changed Oregon? Money. Lots and lots of money. Rob Davis reports. (The Oregonian)
HUNGER: The decline of salmon adds to the struggle of Puget Sound's orcas
HOSTILE WATERS, Part 3: Twin monarchs of the Pacific Northwest, chinook salmon and southern resident orcas, are struggling for survival after a century of habitat losses. From the Pacific to the inland waters of Puget Sound and its freshwater rivers, the changes have outpaced adaptation. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)
DFO buried scientists’ concerns about endangered steelhead, B.C. deputy minister says
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) suppressed elements of a scientific assessment that could have led to stronger protections for a steelhead population on the brink of extinction, according to a letter written by B.C. Deputy Minister of the Environment Mark Zacharias. DFO unilaterally changed the conclusions to “support status-quo commercial salmon harvesting” in a report based on a stock assessment of the Interior Fraser steelhead, reads the letter sent to federal Deputy Minister of the Environment Stephen Lucas. The changes could also affect Environment Minister Catherine McKenna’s decision on whether to protect the stock now at “imminent risk of extinction” under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)
County poised to make decision on growth in rural Skagit County
A proposal to allow for urban communities in rural Skagit County is in front of the county commissioners for a fourth time. Called fully contained communities, such developments allow for urban-density growth in rural areas but lack their own governments. The request to allow for such communities comes again from Skagit Partners, a company owned by developer Bill Sygitowicz. He envisions a community called Avalon north of Burlington. In concept, Avalon would allow up to 8,500 people — or about 3,500 homes — to exist on 1,244 acres surrounding Avalon Golf Links. Brandon Stone reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)
Introducing Prince Rupert: Scallop capital of the continent?
Coastal Shellfish, a First Nations-owned company, cracked open the scallop market this week with the first commercial sales from its processing plant in Prince Rupert. Those leading the burgeoning industry say they have high hopes the move will mean a new economic opportunity for the city and the Coast Tsimshian people. The company has already been selling scallop larvae to shellfish farms around North America but now live, adult scallops are available in Prince Rupert. The first buyer was Fukasaku, a local sushi restaurant. Jennifer Wilson reports. (CBC)
What’s killing B.C.’s sea stars?
Warm waters and infectious disease have been determined as the causes of a die-off of sunflower starfish along the Pacific coast, says a recently released study. Sunflower sea stars are among the largest starfish in the world and come in a variety of bright colours, including purple and orange. Some of them grow to more than a metre long and are so quick they “literally run across the seascape,” said Joseph Gaydos, the senior author of the study.... One of the theories put forward by scientists is that an increase in temperature makes the sea stars more susceptible to the disease that was already present, especially since sea stars don’t have complex immune systems, he said. Hina Alam reports. (Canadian Press) See also: West Coast's biggest starfish vanishing amid disease, warming oceans, study finds Lynda Mapes reports. (Phys.Org)
Land trust buys Samish Island property
With the help of about 500 donors including area families, businesses and organizations, Skagit Land Trust is the new owner of property known as the Samish Flower Farm. The land trust announced Wednesday its official purchase of the Samish Island waterfront property. Skagit Land Trust Executive Director Molly Doran said the previous owners kept about 3 acres of the property, including homes, and the land trust purchased the other about 34 acres of undeveloped land. The property, which boasts Padilla Bay beach and mature forest, is called the Samish Flower Farm because it’s where Mary Brown Stewart pioneered tulip farming in the Skagit Valley. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)
Washington lawmakers wrestle with how to purge greenhouse gases from state power supply
Environmentalists are pushing for 100 percent clean power by 2045, while utilities are wary of the costs and risks of leaving behind all fossil fuel-generated electricity. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)
White House to set up panel to counter climate change consensus, officials say
The move would be the administration’s most forceful effort to date to challenge the scientific consensus that greenhouse gas emissions are helping drive global warming. “The president wants people to be able to decide for themselves,” a senior administration official said. Juliet Eilperin, Josh Dawsey and Brady Dennis report. (Washington Post)
14 percent chance of megaquake hitting Seattle, experts say
There's a 14 percent chance of a magnitude 9 Cascadia earthquake hitting Seattle in the next 50 years, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates. "Unfortunately, we are unable to "predict" exactly when earthquakes will occur," said Alison Duvall, principal investigator with the University of Washington's M9 project and assistant professor. As part of the M9 project, which studies how shaking would affect the Puget Sound region in future offshore earthquakes and tsunamis, seismologists ran 50 computer simulations of various megaquake earthquake scenarios. Karina Mazhukhina reports. (KOMO)
Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 300 AM PST Mon Feb 25 2019
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY E wind 20 to 30 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 2 ft at 10 seconds.
TONIGHT E wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft after midnight. W swell 3 ft at 10 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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.