10/23 Russula, whale watch rules, Tulalip elders, BC youth, fish-blocking culverts, Thurston HCP, tear gas

Rose-red russula [Amy Nelson]

Rose-red russula Russula rosacea
Rose-red russula are found in the fall in conifer forests or in open grassy places near conifers. It has a rose or red stem and yellowish gills. Edibility unknown and best avoided because of the intense peppery taste. Russula emetica has stems and gills of pure white. Russula xerampelina stains brown when bruised and has an odor of shrimp. (The New Savory Wild Mushroom)

Comment period opens on whale watching rules
A public comment period has opened for proposed commercial whale watching rules. The state Department of Fish & Wildlife released a draft of the rules Wednesday, opening a comment period that will close at 5 p.m. Dec. 5. The rules are aimed at protecting endangered Southern Resident orcas from underwater noise associated with whale watching boats. That noise can interfere with the ability of the whales to find food, to rest and to socialize among their family groups of J, K and L pods. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

As Tulalip elders die from COVID-19, tribes lose more than family
When sisters Geraldine Williams and Christine Enick died, Tulalip youth lost generations of language, tradition and knowledge. Andy Yamashita reports. (Crosscut)

‘It is our future on the line’: young B.C. voters say climate action a top election issue
As industrial projects in the province push ahead, four young climate leaders say politicians need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in clean energy. Nicole Gonzalez Filos reports. (The Narwhal)

WSDOT tries a ‘bridge-in-a-backpack’ in Duvall as an innovative way to replace fish-blocking culverts
Steelhead, coho and other fish may soon enjoy more room to swim Loutsis Creek, where Washington state just built its first bridge using composite fibers. The new kind of structure, nicknamed bridge-in-a-backpack, can be assembled faster than concrete or steel, especially in deep ravines. It’s an innovation that could benefit the state’s long-term effort, costing at least $3.5 billion, to rescue endangered and blocked fish species by opening hundreds of streams, from Quillayute to Asotin. Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)

Public meetings set to discuss next steps in Thurston HCP
Thurston County residents, at two virtual meetings next week, can learn about and weigh in on the next steps for a plan that would set aside land for federally protected species in the area, including the Mazama pocket gopher. In part, the 30-year Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) would streamline what can be a burdensome permitting process for people who want to build on the species’ habitat. The draft HCP and other documents are available online. Sara Gentzler reports. (Olympian)

4 months of tear gas in Portland raises concerns for environment
Portland has entered a fourth straight month of street protests, often met with a barrage of police-deployed crowd-control munitions, making Portland the most tear-gassed city in America. This has environmental groups, public health and human rights advocates questioning the short- and long-term effects of tear gas — not just on those demonstrating for racial justice, but also on the environment. There is no shortage of information and research about what tear gas exposure does to the human body...But the answers become much murkier when it comes to what those chemical agents do to the environment. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  400 AM PDT Fri Oct 23 2020   
TODAY  E wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft  at 7 seconds. Rain. 
TONIGHT  E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NE 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft after  midnight. W swell 7 ft at 8 seconds. A slight chance of rain in  the evening. 
SAT  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at  9 seconds. 
SAT NIGHT  NE wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell  4 ft at 9 seconds. 
SUN  E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft at 13 seconds.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told