4/16 Salamander, Trump's air, oil prices, Van Aquarium, digital Earth Day, WA drought law, border virus, bear season, Frognal property

Giant Pacific Salamander [Jeffrey Marsten]

Pacific Giant Salamander Dicamptodon tenebrosus
This salamander is the largest terrestrial salamander in the Pacific Northwest and one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in the world. They are found from extreme SW British Columbia to northern Sonoma County in California. Adults inhabit damp, dense forests (esp. Coastal Redwood and Douglas Fir), usually in the vicinity of streams or seepages. Adults are remarkable for salamanders in their voracious feeding habits. Small rodents such as shrews and mice are regular prey, as are other amphibians, insects, snails, and slugs. Garter snakes are common predators of Dicamptodon. (AmphibiaWeb)


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

EPA to leave pollution standards unchanged, against recommendations of its own scientists
The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Tuesday a proposal to retain, without changes, standards for particulate matter pollution, going against the recommendations of the agency's own scientists. The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to periodically review air quality standards for particulate matter to ensure public health and welfare...The agency's decision has been met with harsh criticism from environmental groups, who believe the standards are not strict enough to protect human health, especially when considering the coronavirus pandemic the country is currently facing. Brandon Miller reports. (CNN)

Oil Prices Keep Slipping As Demand Drops By Record Amounts
The global oil industry is about to test just how much crude oil it can transport and store, according to an intergovernmental agency, as disappearing oil demand creates an unprecedented glut of crude oil. The imbalance is keeping prices extraordinarily low. The price of West Texas Intermediate, a benchmark for American crude, has plunged to below $20 from around $60 per barrel at the start of the year. The International Energy Agency sees oil demand falling by a record amount this year thanks to pandemic-induced lockdowns around the world. In April alone, it says demand will be down 29 million barrels per day from a year ago. That's a huge drop: Last year, the world consumed an average 100 million barrels per day. Camila Domonoske reports. (NPR)

Vancouver Aquarium losing millions, could close permanently
The Vancouver Aquarium will close permanently within two months unless it receives immediate financial support, Ocean Wise CEO Lasse Gustavsson acknowledged Wednesday. The aquarium was temporarily shuttered on Mar. 17, the same day B.C. health officials declared a provincial emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic. One socially distant month later, the Stanley Park attraction has lost over $3 million. If this continues, Stanley Park will lose the attraction. Harrison Mooney reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Earth Day going digital in Skagit County and beyond
Fifty years ago, millions of Americans took to the streets to protest smog in the air and toxic waste in rivers, marking the start of the annual celebration of Earth Day on April 22, 1970. While marches and beach cleanups can’t be held on the milestone anniversary this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations ranging from the international Earth Day Network to local groups working to conserve land, salmon and other natural resources in Skagit County encourage joining the still-growing environmental movement from home. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also:  Orca Network wants to track, celebrate whales — safely  The thousands of people who gather on Whidbey Island for Orca Network’s Welcome the Whales events will have to stay home this weekend, but the nonprofit says they can still celebrate the return of gray whales and help keep an eye on them, too. Trevor Pyle reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

A state drought law is passed
A bill initiated by the state Department of Ecology to deal with drought, ESB 1622, passed the state legislature in March and was signed by Gov. Inslee on March 27. The new law streamlines the state's response to drought emergencies. It facilitates interagency cooperation, eases the flow of money from the legislature to the Department of Ecology so it can help alleviate drought-related hardships, and expands the types of projects funded during a drought emergency. The new law also authorizes issuing a “drought advisory warning” ahead of an emergency. (Dept of Ecology)

B.C. implements new COVID-19 border checkpoints
New, secondary checkpoints have been established on the Canadian side of the northern border in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone now entering Canada is legally obligated to provide a plan and to self-isolate under Canada’s federal Quarantine Act. Exempt individuals include air and transportation crews; armed forces personnel; asymptomatic people who provide essential services such as trucking and health care; and others...On April 14, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada-U.S. border restrictions won’t be relaxed in the near term. He said Canada was still in the “control-and-contain” phase of the pandemic and would not consider “even a partial return to normality for several more weeks,” including re-opening the northern border to non-essential travel. Jami Makan reports. (The Northern Light) However: Restrictions at Canada-U.S. border could soon be eased, Trump suggests The two countries negotiated a mutual ban on non-essential travel that's currently due to expire early next week. James McCarten reports. (Canadian Press)

'Take the earbuds out': It's time to be on high alert for hungry black bears in B.C.
Black bears are starting to emerge from their dens and, as many housebound humans escape the indoors with walks in the woods, there are bound to be some animal encounters this spring. Dave Bakker, president of the Northern Bear Awareness Society in Prince George, B.C., said there have already been a few bruin sightings as the animals wake up from hibernation and start searching for food. Bakker said it is critical at this time of year for people to be aware of their surroundings and lock up anything at home that could attract a hungry bear. (CBC)

Frognal property up for auction over debt? Developer says no
A public notice at the Frognal Estates has sparked confusion about the future of the controversial housing project, now 15 years in the making. The notice says the 22-acre property near Picnic Point Road — now strewn with tree stumps, where a forest once stood — will be auctioned from the steps of the Snohomish County Courthouse on July 24, if the developer fails to pay nearly $10 million in debt by then. It’s a routine step in the commercial loan foreclosure process outlined by state law. Rachel Riley reports. (Everett Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  223 AM PDT Thu Apr 16 2020   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 4 ft at  17 seconds.




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