7/14 Rockfish, Nooksack dam, Trump's air quality, seafood industry aid, climate change cost, Pleasant Harbor

Copper rockfish [Janna Nichols]

Rockfish Sebastes sp.
Rockfish, like all members of the Scorpaenidae family, have venomous spines on their dorsal fins. Some fish species within this family have spines that are quite toxic. That’s not the case for rockfish, but rockfish venom can cause a good amount of pain and lead to infection—yet another reason to avoid these fish and let them reach the end of their natural lifespans in the wild! (Seattle Aquarium)

Bellingham diversion dam being removed to help these imperiled Pacific Northwest icons
The Middle Fork of the Nooksack River will be able to flow freely and threatened fish species — one of which is a vital food source for endangered southern resident orcas — will be given a better chance at survival once a small dam about 7 miles southeast of Deming has been removed. When the work, which has been called one of the most important salmon restoration projects in Puget Sound, is completed in September, it will restore access to 16 miles of spawning and rearing habitat in the upper Middle Fork for threatened spring Chinook salmon as well as steelhead and bull trout, according to a project overview. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

EPA rejects tougher air quality standards, says 2015 limits are sufficient
The Trump administration on Monday said it will maintain national air quality standards put in place in 2015, despite calls for more stringent regulations that advocates say are necessary to protect Americans in communities that are particularly vulnerable to a range of respiratory ailments. In a call with reporters, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler argued that the existing limits on fine particulate matter — otherwise known as soot — are sufficient, and that the decision was “based on a review of the scientific literature and recommendation from our independent science advisers." Brady Dennis reports. (Washington Post)

$50 million in CARES Act assistance may not be enough for all of Washington’s seafood industry
Washington state is receiving $50 million in CARES Act assistance to bail out its commercial seafood industry. This is the highest allocation among all state fisheries in the country -- only Alaska received as much. Yet officials are concerned it may not be enough. The industry includes commercial fishermen, seafood processors, charters, guides and outfitters…the list goes on. Collectively, it brings about $600-million dollars annually to Washington’s economy. But this year, it’s been hit hard by COVID-19. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX) See also: Commercial fishing industry braces for strange season   Olivia Hobson reports. (Western Front)

G.A.O.: Trump Boosts Deregulation by Undervaluing Cost of Climate Change
A federal report expected to be released Tuesday found the Trump administration set a rock-bottom price on the damages done by greenhouse gas emissions, enabling the government to justify the costs of repealing or weakening dozens of climate change regulations. The report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s nonpartisan investigative arm, said the Trump administration estimated the harm that global warming will cause future generations to be seven times lower than previous federal estimates. Reducing that metric, known as the “social cost of carbon,” has helped the administration massage cost-benefit analyses, particularly for rules that allow power plants and automobiles to emit more planet-warming carbon dioxide. Lisa Friedman reports. (NY Times)

Pleasant Harbor resort finishes initial ground surveying
The Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Marina and Golf Resort officials have completed initial ground surveying and are working to get regulatory approvals for water and sewage systems. The project needs approvals from state agencies on the two systems before officials can submit development applications for Phase 1 of the project to Jefferson County. The master planned resort is under a 20-year development agreement with the county that covers more than 200 acres along the Hood Canal south of Brinnon. Plans call for 200-plus condominiums, a community center and multiple recreational opportunities. Zach Jablonski reports. (Peninsula Daily News)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  259 AM PDT Tue Jul 14 2020   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 8 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.




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