5/28 Thimbleberry, gray orca, giant hornet, Trump's emissions, Big Bar slide, sslmon predators, sewage spill, Trump's rollbacks, Kelly Andersen, BC Ferries, LA oil

Thimbleberry [Walter Siegmund]

Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus
Thimbleberry is a species of Rubus native to northern temperate regions of North America. It bears edible red fruit similar in appearance to a raspberry. Thimbleberries were eaten by all Northwest Coast peoples. The berries are coarse and seedy, lending themselves to drying. The Nuu-chah-nulth dried the berries with smoked clams. (Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast/Wikipedia)

Rare gray orca, Tl’uk, spotted with transient pod in Bellingham Bay Tuesday
Not only was Bellingham Bay treated to a rare visit by a family of orca on Tuesday, May 26, one of the rarest and most well-known whales of all was part of the group. Tl’uk — the juvenile gray or white killer whale occasionally spotted around the Puget Sound when his family travels through the area — was part of a transient pod of at least five orca spotted swimming and splashing not far off shore from Bellingham, according to numerous social media posts of people lucky enough to be outdoors on a sunny afternoon. David Rasbach reports. (Bellingham Herald)

The Giant 'Murder Hornet' Resurfaces in British Columbia
The Asian giant hornet has resurfaced in the Canadian province of British Columbia, miles away from traps placed to contain it, suggesting that the invasive insect has already established itself in a broader territory than previously known. Paul van Westendorp, a provincial apiculturist for British Columbia, said he had confirmed that one of the large hornets was discovered in the city of Langley this month. The specimen, collected after a woman killed an unusual-looking insect at her home, was found about eight miles north of where two other hornets were discovered last year near Blaine, Wash. Mike Baker reports. (NY Times)

Oregon And Washington Join Multi-State Lawsuit Over Federal Fuel Emissions Rollback
Oregon and Washington have joined 26 states and cities in suing the Trump administration over a new rule that weakens emission standards for cars and trucks. In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the states argue the new federal rule relaxing fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks isn’t scientifically sound, increases public health risks and violates the federal Clean Air Act. In a statement, Washington Department of Ecology Director Laura Watson said the federal government “cooked the books” in its rush to pass a rule that was “rife with flawed science, shaky math, and faulty conclusions.” Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB)

Contract to clear B.C.'s Big Bar landslide balloons to $52.5M as crews race to allow for salmon migration
The cost of the federal contract for clearing out the Big Bar landslide has tripled to $52.5 million as crews try to meet the "very, very difficult" goal of allowing salmon to migrate naturally along the Fraser River in B.C.'s southern Interior. Peter Kiewit Sons' contract with the federal government has now been amended 17 times since it was awarded to the construction giant on Dec. 31 at an original value of $17.6 million. On a call with reporters earlier this week, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) project leader Gwil Roberts said Kiewit has fulfilled the terms of the original contract, but it became obvious early on that more work would be necessary. Bethany Lindsay reports. (CBC)

Seals and sea lions may not be the scourge of the Salish Sea according to scientists
...Photos of decapitated pinnipeds that were posted by a group proposing a seal and sea lion commercial fishery got the attention of scientists, conservation groups and animal rights groups...One of the reasons for the proposed fishery is to stop a perceived overpopulation of the seals and sea lions which, according to [Tom] Sewid, are one of the main causes of salmon depletion in the area. However, scientists do not agree, even amongst themselves, whether the pinnipeds are the cause for salmon depletion.  Marc Kitteringham reports. (Victoria News)

Water tests underway after Percival Creek sewage spill
Thurston County Environmental Health staff is conducting water sampling and people are urged to avoid Percival Creek, Capitol Lake and lower Budd Inlet after a weekend raw sewage spill into the creek, which feeds the lake and inlet. The spill, which started sometime over Memorial Day weekend, was discovered Tuesday and repaired. The county could get the water testing results as early as Thursday, said Art Starry, Environmental Health division director. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian) See also: Fecal Matters: Closure to water contact near Les Davis Pier, Pierce County  (Ecology)

Trump Environmental Rollbacks Roll On Despite Pandemic. Opponents Cry Foul
Do public hearings over Zoom unfairly suppress opponents’ comments, or allow even more people to engage? That’s just one point of dispute as the Trump administration pushes ahead with some of its most controversial environmental policy changes this spring despite the coronavirus pandemic. November’s vote is driving momentum, since policies finalized too late could be overturned more easily should President Trump lose re-election or Democrats gain control of the Senate. But environmentalists, state regulators and lawmakers say the public is distracted by the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve asked the government to hit pause on a host of proposals, with little success so far.  Cassandra Profita, Liz Ruskin, and Jennifer Ludden report. (OPB/NPR)

Fisheries society director resigns after allegations of abuse from observers of B.C. trawl industry
Kelly Andersen’s resignation from the Canadian Groundfish Research and Conservation Society follows an investigation by The Narwhal documenting threats and harassment faced by observers while gathering data out at sea. Jimmy Thomson reports. (The Narwhal)

BC Ferries cuts daily losses to $1 million amid sinking revenue
The president and CEO of BC Ferries is hoping that increased travel on the ferry system over the next 12 to 18 months will help put it back on firmer financial footing...Traffic is down substantially for the corporation: there was a 92 per cent drop in passenger travel during the Easter long weekend, for example, compared to 2019.  The corporation has resumed service on previously shuttered routes because demand is slowly increasing and  moving passengers and goods deemed essential remains a priority. Roshini Nair reports. (CBC)

In Louisiana, Covid-19 Has Achieved What Big Oil Protesters Could Not
A plunge in oil prices has hammered the state’s economy — but also shown a glimpse of a different possible future. Nathaniel Rich reports. (NY Times)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  221 AM PDT Thu May 28 2020   
TODAY  E wind to 10 kt becoming NE in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 15 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft  at 15 seconds building to 9 ft at 14 seconds after midnight.




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