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| Crocus [RHS Plants] |
Crocus (English plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family comprising 90 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The spice saffron is obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub, and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra in central and southern Europe, in particular Krokos, Greece, on the islands of the Aegean, North Africa and the Middle East, and across Central Asia to Xinjiang Province in western China. (Wikipedia)
Scientists see improving ocean conditions off West Coast, but 'we are not quite out of the woods yet'
Ocean conditions are improving for salmon entering the ocean this year, several years after The Blob, an unusually warm water event that began forming in 2014, scientists announced Friday. Research surveys in 2018 confirmed tiny animals that stoke the food chain were nice and fatty. Anchovies, an important forage fish, were increasing in number. Sea lion pups were numerous and growing well, and fish-eating sea birds going strong. However, subsurface sea temperatures were still warmer than average in some areas. Pyrosomes, a warm-water animal that is not supposed to be in Northwest waters, were still numerous. Forecasts for chinook salmon in 2019 also were for below-average salmon returns to the Columbia River. Extensive ocean acidification and poorly oxygenated waters off both Washington and Oregon also were predicted for this year. Lynda Makes reports. (Seattle Times)
Wild salmon council calls for immediate actions to increase B.C.’s wild salmon
A government-appointed council says British Columbia must take immediate action to increase wild salmon populations. The Wild Salmon Advisory Council says in a report Friday the provincial government must focus on “tangible, achievable, near-term actions” that address the immediate needs of wild salmon and their habitat. The council’s 30-page report says the government should take on the role of the champion of wild salmon. It says that despite billions of dollars in public and private investments over the past 30 years to protect, restore, enhance and manage B.C.’s wild salmon and steelhead populations, the stocks continue to weaken, some at alarming rates. (Canadian Press)
Salmon habitat should recover from Trans Mountain pipeline work within 2 years, says Fisheries and Oceans
Work on a Trans Mountain pipeline crossing in a British Columbia stream altered habitat for young salmon, but the creek is expected to return to normal in one to two years, says Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Two biologists with the department visited Stewart Creek in Chilliwack on Jan. 30 after receiving a complaint from Mike Pearson, a biologist with 30 years of experience who raised concerns about the work done by Trans Mountain Corp. Pearson said in January that the placement of 17 metres of articulated concrete mats at the bottom of the stream had reduced hiding places for coho and chum salmon and inhibited growth of the aquatic invertebrates they feed on. (Canadian Press)
U.S. regulators clear path for genetically modified salmon
U.S. regulators today gave the green light to salmon genetically modified to grow about twice as fast as normal, but the company behind it may face legal challenges before the fish can be sold domestically. The Food and Drug Administration said it lifted an alert that had prevented AquaBounty from importing its salmon eggs to its Indiana facility, where they would be grown before being sold as food. The agency noted the salmon has already undergone safety reviews, and that it lifted its alert because the fish would be subject to a new regulation that will require companies to disclose when a food is bioengineered. The move comes despite a pending lawsuit filed by a coalition of consumer, environmental and fishing groups that challenged the FDA’s approval of the fish. (Associated Press)
Proposal for urban communities withdrawn
The proposal to allow urban communities in rural Skagit County — commonly known as the Avalon proposal — has been withdrawn from consideration. Bob Carmichael, a lawyer representing Skagit Partners, sent an email to county staff Friday afternoon requesting the proposal be withdrawn.... Neither Carmichael nor Skagit Partners owner Bill Sygitowicz were immediately available for comment. Sygitowicz has been involved for more than a decade in trying to develop a fully contained community called Avalon on about 1,244 acres of property near Avalon Golf Links.... Fully contained communities allows for urban-density growth in rural areas but lack their own governments. Specifically, Sygitowicz said Avalon would allocate space for 8,500 people and about 3,500 homes to the area along Interstate 5 north of Burlington. (Brandon Stone reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)
Scientists view old-growth forests through lichens to understand their value
Two scientists say defining the biodiversity of a forest by the age of the trees is an oversimplification because it does not take into account the richness of the species in a forest, but lichens can provide a deeper understanding of a woodland ecosystem. Troy McMullin, a lichenologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, said lichens "are kind of like the coral of the forest or the canaries in the coal mine." The fungi are sensitive to the smallest changes including pollution, humidity or the amount of light being received, which makes them strong indicators of a particular environment, he said. (Canadian Press)
Vaughn Palmer: Scientists highlight regulator failings over fracking projects
When the NDP government-appointed scientific panel on fracking visited B.C.’s Northeast last year, one eye-opener was a tour of “a large water storage structure, clearly identifiable as a dam.” The structure was some 20 metres high and held water for hydraulic fracturing or fracking, the process whereby water is injected deep into the earth to release natural gas locked in rocks.... “It was observed at the large dam visited by the panel that there did not appear to be any spillway or outlet facility built with the dam,” the trio wrote in a draft version of their report. “Spillways/outlets are a critical component of a large earth dam to protect against overfilling and overtopping of the dam due to heavy precipitation, which can subsequently lead to a runaway process of erosion of the dam material, breach, and catastrophic failure.”... The scientific panel’s final report is now in the hands of Energy Minister Michelle Mungall, who has yet to decide on a release date. Vaughn Palmer reports. (Vancouver Sun)
Feds inch closer to approving Alaska mining project seen as a threat to Pacific Northwest
Over the past several decades, fishermen, business owners, Alaska Native organizations and environmental groups have protested a proposed open-pit copper and gold mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay — a pristine salmon habitat. Now the federal government is inching toward approving the mining project. Nestled in southwest Alaska, Bristol Bay is home to the world’s largest wild salmon run. The watershed supports a teeming ecosystem of eagles, grizzlies and beluga whales. It’s also an economic engine for the Pacific Northwest. Each year, the fishery contributes thousands of seasonal fishing and processing jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity to Washington, Oregon, and California, according to the University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research. Julianna Rennie reports. (McClatchy)
Nothing will stop LNG Canada from getting built, CEO says — including a looming legal challenge
The head of LNG Canada said he does “not see a single scenario” that would stop the nation’s largest infrastructure project from getting built, dispelling concerns that the US$30 billion gas export facility is at risk of mounting opposition from pipeline foes. The liquefied natural gas project in northern British Columbia was approved by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and four Asian partners in October after obtaining the support of the province and 20 First Nation groups. But it continues to face a legal challenge disputing the constitutionality of the project’s approval, as well as protests by a group of indigenous holdouts. Natalie Obiko Pearson reports. (Bloomberg News)
Public input sought on Larrabee State Park trails
State Parks is taking public input on trail planning at Larrabee State Park. The park, north of Blanchard and largely in Whatcom County, is a popular destination for hiking in the Chuckanut Mountains and for beach access to Samish Bay.... The first public workshop is set for Wednesday at the Squalicum Boathouse in Zuanich Point Park, 2600 Harbor Loop, Bellingham. Two other workshops will be scheduled later, according to the release. State Parks will also host public meetings. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: Workshop held on future of Scatter Creek Wildlife Area (Olympian)
Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 206 AM PDT Mon Mar 11 2019
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PDT TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY SE wind to 10 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. W swell 6 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 20 to 30 kt becoming W 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft after midnight. W swell 10 ft at 13 seconds building to 12 ft at 18 seconds af
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