4/30 Forestsnail, reopening rec areas, silent seas, whale carbon, pipe permit appeal, Pebble Mine, emission decline, Ecotrust

Oregon forestsnail [Jon Anderson]

Oregon forestsnail Allogona townsendiana
Oregon forestsnail occurs in the western Cascade Range, Puget Trough, and eastern lowlands of the Olympic Peninsula in the United States north into extreme southwestern BC. Oregon forestsnail occupies mixed-wood and deciduous forest habitat, typically dominated by bigleaf maple, balsam poplar and scattered western redcedar.  (COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report)


*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.



Locals only, please. Reopening of some Washington state parks greeted by concern
Outdoor enthusiasts in Washington may be looking forward to the reopening of many shuttered state parks and public lands next week. But a few of Washington's most popular state parks could stay closed because the surrounding communities are worried about crowds and renewed disease spread. Washington's Pacific Coast, the Columbia River Gorge and the San Juan Islands are home to some of the jewels of the state park system...San Juan County Councilmember Bill Watson expects the state parks in the islands to open next week, but said they should be for locals only. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Silence is golden for whales as lockdown reduces ocean noise
Curtailing of shipping due to coronavirus allows scientists to study effects of quieter oceans on marine wildlife. Researchers examining real-time underwater sound signals from seabed observatories run by Ocean Networks Canada near the port of Vancouver found a significant drop in low-frequency sound associated with ships. Karen McVeigh reports.(The Guardian)

The Surprising Role of Whales in Ocean Carbon Capture
Saving the whales may be more important than planting trees when it comes to tackling climate change and keeping our oceans healthy. The world’s biggest animals play a crucial role, helping fertilise the phytoplankton that absorbs 40% of the world’s CO2. They also capture vast amounts of carbon in their bodies before sinking to the bottom of the ocean when they die and locking it away, sometimes for centuries. Last year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) valued the role of whales in carbon sequestration and healthy ocean functions at more than US$1 trillion. It estimated a single great whale to be worth more than US$2 million, based on its contribution to carbon capture, fisheries enhancement and tourism. Jessica Aldred reports. (Marine Executive)

Court To Hear Appeal Over Federal Pipeline Permitting Decision
A federal judge in Montana will hear an appeal from U.S. attorneys on his decision to block a federal pipeline permitting program. Great Falls Federal Judge Brian Morris Tuesday granted the government’s request for an expedited appeal but kept in place a hold on projects using Nationwide Permit 12. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is asking Morris to reverse the cancellation of the permitting program used to approve oil and gas pipelines and other utility work through wetlands and streams across the nation. Kayla Desroches reports. (Montana Public Radio)

Pebble Mine’s “Woefully Inadequate” Plan to Compensate for Destroying Salmon Habitat
For any infrastructure project in the United States that would affect wetlands—from building roads to mining gold—the Clean Water Act requires two things: avoid or minimize damage to the aquatic environment, and, where that fails, provide what’s known as compensatory mitigation. In the case of the proposed Pebble Mine, scientists and former regulators say the compensatory mitigation plan put forth by the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP)—which involves projects such as improving wastewater treatment in nearby towns and cleaning debris from beaches—falls far from offsetting the damage that would be caused by the mine. They say that PLP’s plan lacks in its scientific justification. Ashley Braun reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Emissions Declines Will Set Records This Year. But It’s Not Good News
Global greenhouse gas emissions are on track to plunge nearly 8 percent this year, the largest drop ever recorded, as worldwide lockdowns to fight the coronavirus have triggered an “unprecedented” decline in the use of fossil fuels, the International Energy Agency said in a new report on Thursday. But experts cautioned that the drop should not be seen as good news for efforts to tackle climate change. When the pandemic subsides and nations take steps to restart their economies, emissions could easily soar again unless governments make concerted efforts to shift to cleaner energy as part of their recovery efforts. Brad Plumer reports. (NY Times)

Oregon Reaches $4.4 Million Settlement With Environmental Nonprofit Ecotrust
A Portland-based environmental nonprofit reached a $4.4 million settlement Wednesday with the state of Oregon, after an investigation found it had falsely inflated costs of two developmental projects. Ecotrust and its for-profit affiliate, Ecotrust Forest Management, struck the no-fault settlement, after a two-year Oregon Department of Justice investigation found the organization had submitted a tax credit application that improperly inflated and overstated the budgets of two developmental projects. Monica Samoyoa reports. (OPB)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PDT Thu Apr 30 2020   
TODAY  SW wind to 10 kt becoming E in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  Light wind becoming S to 10 kt after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain  in the evening.




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