8/20 Cabbage white, Fraser fishery, Slade Gorton, Belfair mine, NW freshwater mussel, border news, border fence, BLM head, racism hurts wildlife, killer whale tail

Cabbage white [Judy Hoy]

 
Cabbage white Pieris rapae
Pieris rapae is a small- to medium-sized butterfly species of the whites-and-yellows family Pieridae. It is known in Europe as the small white, in North America as the cabbage white or cabbage butterfly. The caterpillar of this species, often referred to as the "imported cabbageworm," is a pest to crucifer crops such as cabbage, kale, bok choy and broccoli. (Wikipedia]

B.C. Indigenous leaders call for emergency closure of Fraser River fishery, saying stocks have collapsed 
First Nations groups in British Columbia are calling on the federal fisheries minister to issue an emergency order to close all sockeye fisheries on the Fraser River. A joint news release of the three groups that make up the First Nations Leadership Council says Bernadette Jordan should also declare the stock collapsed while their groups come together to create a strategy to save the fish. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has estimated returning sockeye would hit a record low this year, with about 283,000 fish or fewer making it from the ocean to their Fraser River spawning grounds. (Canadian Press)

Former Washington Senator Slade Gorton dies at 92
Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton of Washington, a three-term Republican and 9/11 commissioner, died Wednesday at the age of 92. Gorton's death was confirmed by J. Vanderstoep, a former campaign manager and chief of staff. Vanderstoep said Gorton suffered from a condition related to Parkinson's disease. (Northwest News Network)

Controversial Belfair gravel mine permit denied, project unable to move forward
The Mason County hearing examiner decided last week that a permit will not be issued for The Grump Ventures LLC to operate a 66.5-acre commercial mine on the north shore of Hood Canal near Belfair. The SM-6 approval was needed to ensure that the project complied with county zoning laws. Historically 1.87 acres at the site have been used as a “hobby mine,” meaning materials were excavated sporadically and infrequently, which may continue. According to the decision, the company referred to in paperwork as Grump lost its nonconforming use mining right when no mining occurred between April 2017 and April 2019. Jessie Darland reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Endangered Species Act protections sought for a Northwest freshwater mussel
A 2017 analysis that looked at historic versus recent distributing areas of the species and found that the populations have declined by almost 50% of its historic range and it has been accelerating in recent years. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation’s petition is aimed at improving the chances of survival for the western ridged mussel. It’s found in the Pacific Northwest, along with some areas in California and Nevada. The species can live for many decades in rivers and streams and provide many benefits such as filtering water where they are located. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Canada-U.S. border restrictions extended, forcing big changes in some people's lives
Border closure extension, Point Roberts students blocked from Canada schools, Canadian on border closure, cross border air travel-- an update on news about the US-BC border closure. Tom Banse and Craig McCulloch reports. (Northwest News Network)

'Fence' south of Aldergrove about road safety border security: U.S. officials
A fence that appeared earlier this week just south of 0 Avenue in Abbotsford and Langley is both a road-safety measure and an effort to deal with “bi-national safety concerns,” American officials say. In an email, a spokesperson for the United States Border Patrol said the fencing was built to keep vehicles from crashing across the border either accidentally or intentionally. Patrick Johnston reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Public lands chief hangs on despite nomination getting nixed
A former oil industry attorney will continue calling the shots for a government agency that oversees nearly a quarter-billion public acres in the U.S. West, despite the White House saying over the weekend that President Donald Trump would withdraw the nomination of William Perry Pendley. Pendley’s continued reign at the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management comes under an unusual arrangement that Pendley himself set up months ago, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press. In May, as a temporary authorization for him to lead the agency was about to expire, Pendley signed an order that made his own position, deputy director of policy and programs, the bureau’s default leadership post while the director’s slot is vacant, the document shows. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)

UW research shows racism and redlining hurt local wildlife, too
A team of researchers led by UW scientists exposes how systemic racism physically alters ecosystems for the worse. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

Killer whale uses tail to toss seal high into the air near Victoria
A whale-watching captain caught a rare sight on camera when a Bigg’s killer whale tossed a seal high in the air. Andrew Lees, who owns Five Star Whale Watching, brought his guests to the south side of Sidney Island, where they watched a killer whale mom and her son play in kelp beds. Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Victoria Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  230 AM PDT Thu Aug 20 2020   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 6 ft at 8 seconds. Showers. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  8 ft at 10 seconds. Showers.

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