3/25 Saw-whet owl, islands 'stay away,' DNR lands, hike or no hike, WA climate bills, seafood industry, health science

Saw-whet owl [Fredrik Norrsell]

A Season of Saw-whet Owls
In the Pacific Northwest and parts of Alaska, Northern Saw-whet Owls are already nesting, or will be soon. In 2019, photographer Fredrik Norrsell captured most of the nesting season on camera from his home. We hope these images will inspire you to be on the lookout (and the listen) for these small owls. Hear what they sound like on BirdNote.  (Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture)


*EDITOR'S NOTE: Access updates on the COVID-19 virus at national and regional print publications like the CBC, the Seattle Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.


COVID-19: Texada, Hornby, Denman Islands join chorus asking visitors to stay away
The three islands are echoing what other islands in the Salish Sea are asking of potential visitors The list of Salish Sea communities asking visitors to not visit until the COVID-19 pandemic passes has grown. In a Monday media release, community leaders from Texada Island say that while the novel coronavirus has been known to put people of all ages at serious health risk, much of their population are high-risk seniors, who are especially vulnerable to infection. Patrick Johnston reports. (The Province)

Washington commissioner of public lands shuts down all recreation areas for at least two weeks 
The state Department of Natural Resources is closing all DNR-managed lands to public recreation. The closure goes into effect Thursday and will last through at least April 8. It’s an additional step in government efforts to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. The closure includes trails and trailheads, beaches, water access sites, day-use areas, roads and areas used for hunting and target shooting, among other properties. The initiative comes from Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, who says people should not be congregating in places where social distancing isn’t easy to enforce. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

'Nature’s not closed' during coronavirus, but should you still go hiking? 
Gov. Jay Inslee’s order makes exceptions for outdoor activities. But packed trails and at-risk rural communities suggest hikers should stay close to home. Mandy Godwin reports. (Crosscut)

Don’t take the ferry unless you have to, says B.C. Ferries
B.C. Ferries is reminding people to avoid non-essential travel to support the battle against COVID-19. “None of us should be travelling if it is not essential,” Mark Collins, B.C. Ferries chief executive, said Tuesday. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Climate bills in WA a ‘comprehensive failure’ in 2020, critics say
Key legislation to cut carbon emissions died, while goal-setting bill offers no path to reach target. Katherine Long reports. (Investigate West)

Coronavirus Restaurant Closures Upend Oregon Seafood Industry
Seafood processors across the Northwest say they’re shifting gears quickly to make up for the loss in restaurant sales. They’re putting more seafood in the freezer and selling more to grocery stores. Northwest seafood processor Andrew Bornstein said grocery stores are buying more seafood now because so many people are stocking up in response to statewide orders to stay home. But that doesn’t mean his business isn’t taking a big hit. Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB)

Trump’s EPA Fast-Tracks a Controversial Rule That Would Restrict the Use of Health Science
With the nation in a state of emergency over the coronavirus and Americans confronting a pandemic, the Trump administration has moved to expand and fast-track a proposal to limit the use of human health science in environmental decision-making. The move by the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday has prompted an outcry from public health officials and environmental activists. California's top environmental official, the chair of the House Science Committee, the Union of Concerned Scientists and others have called for the EPA either to abandon the potentially far-reaching proposal or to extend the public comment period on the plan. The Trump EPA's proposal, called the "Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science" rule, would restrict the agency's use of studies that rely on confidential human health data, including some of the seminal studies linking air pollution to premature death. Marianne Lavelle reports. (Inside Climate News)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  243 AM PDT Wed Mar 25 2020   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft  at 10 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 9 seconds.




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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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