5/13 Fern, harbor porpoise prey, Wet'suwet'en MOU, Trump's oil train, no BC cruise ships, BC border, WA wolf kills, Chehalis floods, Amanda Vincent

Western maidenhair fern [Dana Kelley Bressette]

Western Maidenhair Fern Adiantum aleuticum
Western Maidenhair can be found from the Aleutian Islands and southeast Alaska to Chihuahua in Mexico.  It is more common along the Pacific Coast, but can be found in some areas of the inland Rocky Mountain Region, and in some northeastern states, Quebec and Newfoundland (listed as endangered in Maine). (Dana Kelley Bressette/Native Plants PNW)


*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.



Local researchers discover harbor porpoises may eat salmon
The ongoing study of harbor porpoises from bluffs overlooking Burrows Bay in Anacortes contributed recently to new findings regarding the species along the West Coast...Observations and photos from the Anacortes researchers were combined with observations and photos from San Francisco Bay researchers and the analysis of stomach contents of dead porpoises from Cook Inlet in Alaska. For the first time, the researchers collectively documented harbor porpoises interacting with and likely eating salmon and a fish called American shad — both much larger species than the porpoises have been documented eating in the past. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs moving ahead with rights and title MOU with B.C. and Canada
The Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs say they're moving forward with signing a memorandum of understanding with B.C. and Canada on Thursday despite calls from elected band leadership to hit reset on the process. The purpose of the MOU is to provide guidance to the Wet'suwet'en Nation, B.C. and Canada on how to recognize and implement Wet'suwet'en rights and title. But in recent weeks, as news that the MOU would be signed started circulating, elected leadership of the bands within the Wet'suwe'ten Nation started calling for that plan to be halted.  Chantelle Bellrichard reports. (CBC)

Trump administration says Washington state overstepped with oil train law
The Trump administration on Monday moved to block a Washington state law that imposed safety restrictions on oil shipments by rail following a string of explosive accidents. The Department of Transportation determined federal law pre-empts the Washington law adopted last year, which mandated crude from the oil fields of the Northern Plains have more of its volatile gases removed prior to being loaded onto rail cars...With backing by the rail and oil industries, the attorneys general for Montana and North Dakota had argued the law effectively banned crude from their states. In July, they petitioned the Trump administration to overrule the law. Federal officials said Monday that the removal of volatile gases was not a “statistically significant factor” in the severity of oil train crashes. Matthew Brown reports. (AP)

B.C. health officials say cruise ships not welcome this summer
B.C. health officials say passengers will not be permitted to disembark if cruise ships arrive at the province's ports later this summer although it's still unclear if the federal government will decide whether to resume the cruise ship season on July 1. On March 13, Transport Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada announced as a safety measure to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, that the cruise ship season which normally starts at the beginning of April would be delayed until the beginning of July. There have been questions over whether coastal cities including Vancouver, Victoria and Prince Rupert could see the arrival of international cruise ship lines this summer but Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that will not be the case. (CBC)

Trudeau says government will be 'very, very careful' about any easing of border restrictions
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hinted today that Canada is in no rush to ease travel restrictions at the U.S. border to allow for non-essential travel as the clock ticks down on the current agreement. Both countries reached an agreement in March to temporarily close the border to non-essential travel — meaning no recreational visits — while keeping it open to commercial traffic and essential workers who cross for work. It was extended in April by 30 days and is set to expire on May 21. Trudeau was asked repeatedly during his daily news briefing today whether the deal will be extended once again. "We're going to be very, very careful about reopening any international travel, including in the United States, before we feel that it is time," he said. Catharine Tunney reports. (CBC)

Conservation Groups Propose Rule Changes To Limit Wolf Kills In Washington
Conservation groups on Monday asked the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to sharply limit the number of endangered wolves that are killed over conflicts with livestock. The state has killed 31 wolves since 2012, under a system that environmental groups contend favors ranchers over the animals.  Nicholas K. Geranios reports/ (AP)

When the Chehalis floods again, who pays the price?
With 100-year floods occurring twice a decade, a dam could offer relief — or endanger salmon and ecosystems. Mandy Godwin reports. (Crosscut)

B.C. marine biologist wins $250K award for work protecting seahorses around the world
Marine biologist Amanda Vincent started studying seahorses because she was fascinated by the fact that the males of the species give birth. What she couldn't have known when she began was protecting the tiny marine animal would become a labour of love for much of her career. Vincent's decades of research and activism were recognized Tuesday when she won the prestigious Indianapolis Prize, which includes a $250,000 US cash award, from the Indianapolis Zoological Society...Vincent, a professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of B.C., where she directs Project Seahorse, is a leading expert on seahorse biology. She's studied them in 38 countries and co-authored a definitive taxonomy that helps distinguish between the 44 species. (CBC)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  247 AM PDT Wed May 13 2020   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  6 ft at 15 seconds. Showers likely in the morning then a chance  of showers and a slight chance of tstms in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  6 ft at 13 seconds. A slight chance of tstms in the evening. A  chance of showers.




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