7/9 Poison hemlock, forest threats, BC LNG, Site C dam, Hawaii reef threat

Poison hemlock [WA State NWCB]

Salish Sea News and Weather will take tomorrow off and be back on Monday.

Poison Hemlock Conium maculatum
Poison hemlock is a very tall biennial plant that can grow up to 12 feet in height. It grows into a rosette the first year--a cluster of leaves growing on the ground and then flowering stems the next year. Poison hemlock prefers rich, moist soil, but is highly adaptable to other conditions. (WA State Noxious Weed Control Board)

Northwest Forest Threats Include Climate Change, Insects, Disease And Wildfire 
Pacific Northwest forests face increased threats from severe wildfires, insects, disease and climate change, according to a new assessment released Wednesday by the U.S. Forest Service. The Bioregional Assessment evaluated 19 national forests and grasslands across the Pacific Northwest. It found that the Northwest Forest Plan and other directives were not fully achieving desired outcomes when it comes to the forests’ potential social, economic and ecological benefits. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Fortis B.C. Delta LNG expansion proposal under environment scrutiny
Fortis B.C. wants to expand the small liquefied natural gas plant on Tilbury Island in Delta, which has already begun exporting a trickle of the hydrocarbon offshore while LNG Canada has just begun construction of its massive $18-billion export facility at Kitimat. Fortis B.C.’s $3-billion project, which would involve a more-than-10-fold expansion from its existing production, would still be a fraction of LNG Canada’s proposed output. But the Phase 2 expansion would increase LNG storage capacity at Tilbury, which Fortis B.C. views as necessary, and could potentially tap into rising demand for LNG as fuel for ships, said Ian Finke, director of LNG operations for Fortis B.C. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

BC Hydro’s Site C dam report months overdue, fuelling concerns about more cost overruns
The Site C dam was declared an ‘essential service’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing construction to continue, but now the B.C. government says the coronavirus is responsible for a long-delayed report — in a move critics call ‘specious.’ Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Snowberry
Yesterday's item on the snowberry brought a note from Don Norman: "I have a lot of snowberry in my yard, and it is always an issue, as the plants are very invasive, and can get monstrously huge!  But, the thickets can be really good for towhees and other ground nesters.  But the real reason I put up with snowberry is that it flowers all through the summer and provides nectar for almost every bee or beneficial wasp.  That makes having the bush by my back door always pruned for flowering, so I can hear the buzzing from the kitchen. So what eats the berries?  They hang and turn brown.  The only times I have observed birds eating the berries are in the late winter when it is really cold, and I think it is for the water content.  If you've seen birds eat snowberry fruit, please note the time of year, whether it was really cold or really dry.  Were the birds juveniles?  And let me know at gonatives@gmail.com"

The Latest Threat To Hawaii’s Coral Reefs: A New, Aggressive Algae Species
Researchers are warning that an aggressive algae species recently discovered in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands may eventually threaten coral reefs and sea life throughout Hawaii. The algae, dubbed Chondria tumulusa, was first spotted during a routine 2016 survey at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. By 2019, the algae had “covered large expanses on the northeast side of the atoll with mat-like, extensive growth,” smothering much of the coral in the area, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal PLOS ONE. Marcel Honore reports. (Civil Beat)




Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  238 AM PDT Thu Jul 9 2020   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 7 seconds. A chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 8 seconds.




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