Salish Sea News and Weather: December 2020

Thursday, December 24, 2020

12/24 Happy holidays, train derail, Nestucca, climate action, Kistsap sewage, Navy training

Salish Sea News and Weather wishes you happy holidays. I'll be back in the new year, January 4, 2021. Be well, stay safe, stay sane. Mike

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No damage to wildlife, environment detected outside of Whatcom County derailment and oil spill site, officials say
Oil spilled from a train that derailed in northwest Washington on Tuesday appears to be contained around the crash site, with little or no harm so far detected to the public or environment, officials said Wednesday. “There have been no wildlife impacts and most importantly no injuries to the public or responders to this incident,” Dave Byers, the state ecology department’s on-scene coordinator, said during a Wednesday morning press conference.But officials say they still don’t know what caused a 108-car BNSF Railway train carrying Bakken crude oil to go off the tracks, sparking a fire and forcing temporary evacuations in the Whatcom County town of Custer. A stretch of Interstate 5 also was temporarily shutdown Tuesday. Lewis Kamb reports. (Seattle Times)

Is carrying crude oil by rail worth the risk? This expert says no
In Whatcom County on Tuesday, a mile-long oil train derailed and caught fire as it was rolling toward a refinery in Ferndale. No one was hurt, and state officials say there have been no wildlife impacts. Eric de Place is an expert on oil trains and derailments. He's director of energy policy at the Sightline Institute -- a non-profit think-tank based in Seattle. Paige Browning and Eric Hurst report. (KUOW)

The Nestucca: How a devastating event shaped today
n 1988, an oil spill from the barge Nestucca resulted in one of the largest, most damaging environmental incidents in the history of Washington. But the knowledge gained from the spill also led to dramatic change in oil spill regulations, prevention methods, and response tactics that have maximized environmental protection. (WA Dept of Ecology)

Climate Action For Christmas? Omnibus Bill Includes Biggest Policy Shift In Years
The massive spending package just passed by Congress includes the most significant climate legislation in more than a decade, along with significant changes in energy policy. It was easy to miss, nestled among pandemic relief payments, the annual spending bill, new Smithsonian museums and protection from surprise medical billing. But pull out the energy provisions alone, and the bill is remarkable: It includes $35 billion in funding for basic research, extensions of tax credits for renewable energy companies, and a long-delayed mandate to reduce the use of a particularly damaging greenhouse gas. The fact that Congress managed to pass climate legislation at all is noteworthy in and of itself. For years, thanks to gridlock and an administration actively hostile to climate action, legislators have struggled to set new climate policy, even on measures that enjoy widespread bipartisan support. Camila Domonoske & Jeff Brady report. (NPR)

Multiple sewage spills prompt no-contact advisory for Dyes Inlet, Port Washington Narrows and Liberty Bay
No-contact advisories have been issued for Dyes Inlet, Port Washington Narrows and Liberty Bay after torrential rains sent thousands of gallons of sewage flowing into local waterways earlier this week, according to the Kitsap Public Health District. Sewage spills in Bremerton (34,300 gallons), Silverdale (5,000 gallons), Poulsbo (6,700 gallons) and Keyport (25,000 gallons) prompted health officials to issue the advisories Monday. Christian Vosler reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Naval Special Operations Training in Western Washington State
The United States Naval Special Warfare Command has requested a real property agreement from Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission to conduct special operations training in twenty-eight state parks throughout western Washington. A Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance has been issued under the State Environmental Policy Act and State Parks will not act on this proposal until the comment period has ended on January 6, 2021. To read the MDNS and to comment online, go here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 201 AM PST Thu Dec 24 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT
TODAY SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at 14 seconds.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 9 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain after midnight.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020

12/23 Snipe, WA train derail, BC GMO salmon, marine heat wave, surrey bag ban

Wilson's snipe [Bettina Arrigoni]

Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
The snipe is a solitary creature of wet fields and bogs, seldom seen on open mudflats. Flushed from the marsh, it darts away in zigzag flight, uttering harsh notes. The Wilson's Snipe becomes more flamboyant in the breeding season, when it often yammers from atop a fencepost or dead tree. At night on the nesting grounds, the ghostly winnowing flight sound of the males often echoes across the marshes. (Audubon Field Guide)

Train carrying crude oil derails, forces evacuations in Whatcom County
BNSF Railway says seven train cars carrying crude oil derailed in the Custer area of Whatcom County just before noon on Tuesday. Two rail cars caught on fire, sending giant black plumes of smoke in the air, but authorities said no one was injured. By mid-afternoon Tuesday, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Department tweeted that the fire was under control. The incident happened close to a residential area, as well as an elementary school, and people in a half-mile radius were told to immediately evacuate. There were no children at the school because of winter break, but the Ferndale School District superintendent said two custodians got out safely. Ashley Gross reports. (KNKX)

Frankenfish or food of the future? The risks and rewards of Canada’s genetically engineered salmon
Some Canadians with an appetite for salmon may have already consumed the world’s first genetically modified food animal without even knowing it. As the aquaculture industry tinkers with fish DNA to more efficiently feed the world’s growing population, critics say we’re moving too far, too fast without adequate transparency. (The second of a three-part series.) Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Are marine heat waves the new normal for the Pacific Ocean?
This year brought one of the biggest marine heat waves on record in the Pacific Ocean, and it’s one of several record-setting spikes in ocean water temperatures over the last six years. The string of warm water events has scientists wondering if this is actually the new normal for the Pacific Ocean. A series of heat waves started in 2013 with what was nicknamed “the blob,” which brought water temperatures up to nearly 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal across a 1,000-mile stretch of the West Coast. Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB)

Surrey approves bylaw to ban single-use plastic bags, containers
Plastic shopping bags, foam cups and takeout containers could soon be banned in Surrey after city counciladopted a bylaw that would seek provincial permission to ban single-use plastic items. The B.C. government confirmed in September that it would approve all such municipal bylaws and has already signed off on bag bans for Victoria, Saanich, Richmond, Ucluelet and Tofino. Vancouver operates under different legislation and did not need provincial certification to ban bags effective Jan. 1, 2022, while its prohibition on foam containers and other single-use items has been in effect for almost a year. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 231 AM PST Wed Dec 23 2020
TODAY E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 16 seconds building to 8 ft at 15 seconds after midnight.

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

12/22 Anemone, Solstice pix, flood management, Fairy Cr logging, bag ban law delay

Ten-tentacled anemone [Mary Jo Adams]

Ten-tentacled anemone Halcampa decemtentaculata
Because this anemone’s column is usually buried, only the crown with its 10 short tentacles will be visible. Maximum diameter of the tentacle crown is 1 inch (2.5 cm.) It is found in areas with sand, gravel, or shell debris substrates and also among algae holdfasts and the roots of surfgrass (Phyllospadix). The tentacles may be colored pink, white, brown, or purple and sometimes have V-shaped bands. This species lives from the low intertidal zone to a depth of 1300 feet (398 meters). It is sometimes called the ten-tentacled burrowing anemone. (Mary Jo Adams/Sound Water Stewards)

COVID be damned — if you could be anywhere in the world on the Winter Solstice, where would you choose?
Readers were invited to share their ideal locations for marking December’s Solstice this year … if it weren’t for COVID-19. (Salish Current)

Managing ocean flooding: Wetlands, not walls, may be key to dry future
As sea levels rise, building higher walls may not be the best way to protect property, infrastructure and ecosystems in southwestern B.C., according to the leader of a four-year project aimed at co-ordinating local adaptation efforts. Low-lying wetlands, salt marshes and natural assets are not just valuable habitat for wildlife, they might also be potent tools to manage flooding as sea levels rise by up to one metre over the next 80 years, said Kees Lokman, director of the UBC Coastal Adaptation Lab. The traditional approach to flood management has led to the construction of nearly 300 dikes stretching more than 1,000 kilometres around B.C., much of that concentrated in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Protesters maintaining logging road blockade for five months to protect old-growth
A group of protesters trying to protect old-growth forests have been blocking a logging road near Port Renfrew for nearly five months and say they’ll remain as long as the trees are threatened. Protesters set up a blockade in early August to prevent logging company Teal Jones from building a road into the Fairy Creek headwaters and have maintained a constant presence for more than 140 days. Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Times Colonist)

Gov. Inslee delays implementation of plastic bag law
Gov. Jay Inslee has issued a proclamation delaying the implementation of a law banning retailers from using single-use plastic bags. Inslee issued the proclamation on Friday, saying a law that passed the 2020 legislative session that was set to go into effect on Jan. 1 will be on hold at least through January because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 214 AM PST Tue Dec 22 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 12 ft at 11 seconds subsiding to 10 ft at 10 seconds in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 11 seconds subsiding to 6 ft at 11 seconds after midnight.

Monday, December 21, 2020

12/21 Solstice, whale-watch licensing, Nisqually R protection, pandemic garbage, ANWR, TransMtn pipe, land salmon

Oak King and Holly King [History of Ireland]

Solstice
Every year at the Winter and Summer Solstices, these two fight for dominance. In actuality, these brothers are two parts of the same thing, the waxing and waning of the yearly cycles of the Earth. The Holly King rules the waning year, from Midsummer to Yule, and the Oak King rules the waxing year from Yule to Midsummer. The Holly King represents darkness, decay and destruction, however, also represents inner knowledge and mysteries. The Oak King, on the other hand, represents light, growth and expansion. These two mighty kings fight a symbolic battle to win the Crown of the year, at Yule when the Oak King wins, and at Midsummer when the Holly King wins. (History of Ireland)

New whale-watch licensing system will reduce noise, disturbance of endangered orcas
State officials have approved new rules that limit whale watch boats to a three-month season for viewing Puget Sound’s endangered killer whales. They will only be allowed from July through September. The boats may only be near the endangered orcas twice a day -- two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. And only three boats at a time near a group of the southern residents. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

A $1.2 million purchase protects this Nisqually River area
A wild, salmon-producing shoreline on the Nisqually River will now be protected after a local land trust acquired the area. The Nisqually Land Trust, a non-profit conservancy organization, announced the $1.2 million purchase last week. It covers 174 acres of floodplain and upland forest, including habitat for five species of native Pacific salmon, in the river’s Wilcox Reach along the Pierce County side of the river, according to a news release. “This property is the river’s crown jewel,” said the trust’s lands committee chair George Walter in the release. “In terms of salmon recovery, there’s nothing like it." (Olympian)

How has the pandemic changed life? Look in your garbage
The pandemic has refashioned daily habits of many Snohomish County residents. These changes have been made mostly in isolation. But from the March stay-home order to phased re-openings, the story of the past year can be told through our trash. Snohomish County trash collectors have been picking up 20% to 30% more garbage from homes, an increase almost entirely offset by a drop in commercial waste. While folks are at home, the kind of things we are throwing away are different. Cardboard boxes pile up in excess. Takeout containers, most of which aren’t actually recyclable, gunk up recycling bins. The summer output of lawn trimmings and other yard debris nearly doubled, as people cooped up at home turned to outdoor chores to pass the time. Julia-Grace Sanders reports. (Everett Herald)

In Last Rush, Trump Grants Mining and Energy Firms Access to Public Lands
The outgoing administration is pushing through approval of corporate projects over the opposition of environmental groups and tribal communities. Eric Lipton reports. (NY Times)

Feds remove about 750 square miles from Alaska oil- and gas-lease sale
The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said it will remove nearly 750 square miles from its Jan. 6 oil- and gas-lease sale for a part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The agency said Friday it would begin taking bids Monday for the rest of the land. The land available for purchase is in the refuge’s northernmost region. The land-management agency had initially proposed to offer the vast majority of the plain to bidders, which would have encompassed about 2,500 square miles of the nearly 30,000-square-mile refuge. (Associated Press)

Trans Mountain pipeline protester creates new treetop camp after destruction of sky-high treehouse
The fight over a $12.6-billion federal government pipeline project continues. This weekend, environmental activist Timothee Govare has moved into a tent 20 metres up in the air. It's among three maple trees near Lost Creek in Burnaby. "I am here in the canopy of the trees of Lost Creek to prevent their imminent logging preceding the installation of the Trans Mountain pipeline,” Govare said in a news release. “I see the urgency of acting on the climate crisis." This action comes just over a week after CN police cleared out the Holmes Creek Protection Camp. Charlie Smith reports. (The Georgia Straight)

Trans Mountain ends contracts with 2 companies on halted expansion project
Two companies hired to work on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project have had their contracts terminated. The terminations follow Trans Mountain's announcement on Thursday that work on the project was being voluntarily shut down until Jan. 4 due to work site safety incidents the company described as "unacceptable." Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

The rise of the land salmon
A U.S. farm is raising market-ready salmon that have never dipped a fin into the ocean. One company, Atlantic Sapphire, offers a shining, even glaring, example of what B.C.’s salmon farming industry says it cannot do — raise commercially viable salmon on land instead of the sea. Sarah Cox reports. This is the first part of The Narwhal’s three-part series on the future of sustainable salmon. (The Narwhal)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 213 AM PST Mon Dec 21 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.
TONIGHT NW wind 25 to 30 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds building to 11 ft at 11 seconds after midnight.

Friday, December 18, 2020

12/18 'Christmas' tree, PS nearshore projects, BC salmon farms, upper Columbia salmon, Deb Haaland, Michael Regan, Brenda Mallory

'Christmas' trees [Inverse]

"Christmas" Tree
The evergreen fir tree has traditionally been used to celebrate winter festivals (pagan and Christian) for thousands of years. Pagans used branches of it to decorate their homes during the winter solstice, as it made them think of the spring to come. The Romans used Fir Trees to decorate their temples at the festival of Saturnalia. Christians use it as a sign of everlasting life with God. Nobody is really sure when Fir trees were first used as Christmas trees. It probably began about 1000 years ago in Northern Europe. Many early Christmas Trees seem to have been hung upside down from the ceiling using chains (hung from chandeliers/lighting hooks). The first documented use of a tree at Christmas and New Year celebrations is argued between the cities of Tallinn in Estonia and Riga in Latvia! Both claim that they had the first trees; Tallinn in 1441 and Riga in 1510. Both trees were put up by the 'Brotherhood of Blackheads' which was an association of local unmarried merchants, ship owners, and foreigners in Livonia (what is now Estonia and Latvia). (Why Christmas)

NMFS Demands More Mitigation for Nearshore Projects in The Puget Sound Region
In November, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS or the Service) issued a final jeopardy opinion for 39 nearshore development projects in the Puget Sound region that had been under consultation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). While the projects included marinas, residential developments, docks, and bulkheads, the majority of the projects were repair and replacement work for existing structures. In its consultation, NMFS determined that the projects did not include adequate mitigation to protect juvenile Puget Sound Chinook Salmon and the Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) and requested significant increases in required mitigation to protect those species against extinction. (National Law Review)

Discovery Islands salmon farms to be phased out of existence over next 18 months
he controversial open-net salmon farms in the Discovery Islands near Campbell River, B.C., will be phased out over the next 18 months. In making the announcement, Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan said all 19 farms have to be free of fish by June 30, 2022, when their renewed 18-month licences expire, and that no new fish can be brought in. Jordan said the decision was difficult but reflects the consultations she had with seven First Nations: the Homalco, Klahoose, K'ómoks, Kwaikah, Tla'amin, We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum. Karin Larsen reports. (CBC)

First time in more than a generation, Chinook salmon spawn in upper Columbia River
For the first time in more than a generation, Chinook salmon have spawned in the upper Columbia River system. Colville Tribal biologists counted 36 redds, a gravely nest where female salmon lay eggs, along an 8-mile (12-kilometer) stretch of the Sanpoil River, a tributary of the Columbia, in September, the Spokesman Review-Journal reported. The news is a step toward full reintroduction of the migratory fish and another watershed cultural moment for the region’s tribes. Since the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams were built in the 1950s and 1930s, respectively, salmon have been blocked from returning to spawning beds in the upper Columbia River. (Associated Press)

With historic picks, Biden puts environmental justice front and center
President-elect Joe Biden chose Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) Thursday to serve as the first Native American Cabinet secretary and head the Interior Department, a historic pick that marks a turning point for the U.S. government’s relationship with the nation’s Indigenous peoples. In addition to Haaland, Biden has turned to North Carolina environmental regulator Michael S. Regan to become the first Black man to head the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as Obama administration veteran Brenda Mallory to serve as the first Black chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Juliet Eilperin, Dino Grandoni and Brady Dennis report. (Washington Post)

Trans Mountain project goes into voluntary shutdown after workplace safety 'incidents'
Work on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is shutting down temporarily for the next two weeks as the project assesses recent safety lapses. In a news release issued Thursday night, Trans Mountain said it is enacting "a voluntary project-wide safety stand down" effective Friday until Jan. 4, 2021. The statement didn't specify what those safety incidents were, but the Canada Energy Regulator says a contractor was seriously injured Tuesday at a Trans Mountain construction site in British Columbia. An investigation is underway that will conduct an assessment of the risk and the potential non-compliance. David Thurton reports. (CBC)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 213 AM PST Fri Dec 18 2020
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 20 to 30 kt becoming S 30 to 40 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 9 to 10 ft with a dominant period of 15 seconds building to 11 to 13 ft with a dominant period of 10 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.
TONIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 14 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening.
SAT S wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 12 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
SAT NIGHT SE wind 20 to 30 kt becoming W after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 10 ft at 12 seconds.
SUN W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 15 ft at 12 seconds.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

12/17 Holly, BC emissions, hooligan decline, sunflower sea stars, Vic sewage, orca habitat, newsrooms unionizing

English holly [King County]

English holly Ilex aquifolium
English holly is a large, dense, slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub found from natural areas to native forests. Plants reach 15-50 feet tall and 15 feet wide. 1-3-inch-long, thick, glossy, dark green, wavy, and usually spiny leaves grow alternate on stems. Small, whitish, sweetly scented flowers lead in winter to red, yellow, or orange berries. Berries are poisonous to humans and pets. Reproduces mainly by seed, but also spreads vegetatively via suckering and layering. Birds eat the berries and spread the seeds to new areas. In King County, English holly is classified as a Weed of Concern and its control is recommended in natural areas that are being restored to native vegetation and in protected forest lands. (King County)

B.C. sets new 2025 emissions target after falling behind on climate goals
The British Columbia government is setting a new target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 after determining it is further from reaching its goals than previously forecast. The new emissions target requires greenhouse gases in B.C. to fall 16 per cent below 2007 levels within the next five years. It also provides benchmarks to reach the province's legislated emission targets for 2030, 2040 and 2050 of 40, 60 and 80 per cent below 2007 levels, respectively. (Canadian Press)

Once hearty 'hooligans' declining in the Salish Sea
A river spawning species of forage fish known as the longfin smelt is rare and getting rarer in the Salish Sea. Biologists are looking into the mysterious decline of the ‘hooligans’ of Bellingham Bay. Eric Wagner reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

5.7B sunflower sea stars have died in past decade, bringing species to brink of extinction
New research shows that more than 90 per cent of sunflower sea stars off the West Coast have died over the past decade, and the species is close to extinction. The study, led by Oregon State University, the Nature Conservancy and over 60 partner institutions led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, estimates that as many as 5.75 billion sunflower sea stars have died since 2013. The loss represents a 90.5 per cent decline. Roshini Nair reports. (CBC)

Long-awaited, long-debated new wastewater plant ends Victoria's dumping of untreated sewage
After decades of debate, delay and denunciations, the Capital Regional District this week officially ended the practice of releasing untreated sewage directly into the ocean near Victoria. Four years of construction and several weeks of testing on the McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Esquimalt, B.C., were completed just in time to meet the federal government requirement for a functioning facility before the end of 2020. (CBC)

Lawsuit Launched Over Stalled Habitat Protection for Endangered West Coast Orcas
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue the federal government today [12/16] for its failure to finalize expanded habitat protections for critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales, whose population has dipped to just 74 orcas. The National Marine Fisheries Service proposed designating 15,627 square miles of new critical habitat in September 2019. The rule would expand current protections in Washington’s Salish Sea south along the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California to Point Sur. The proposed rule followed an April 2019 court-ordered agreement after the Center sued the Trump administration in 2018 for failing to issue habitat protections required by the Endangered Species Act. The Act requires agencies to finalize proposed rules within one year. Today’s notice letter gives the Fisheries Service 60 days to comply. (Center for Biological Diversity News Release)

The News Tribune, The Olympian, The Bellingham Herald, and the Tri-City Herald journalists seek to unionize
Journalists at The News Tribune in Tacoma, The Olympian, The Bellingham Herald, and the Tri-City Herald are unionizing. Nearly 90 percent of eligible reporters, visual journalists and digital staff at the newspapers, all owned by the McClatchy Company, have signed cards authorizing representation by The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild of The NewsGuild-CWA. (Washington State NewsGuild News Release)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 231 AM PST Thu Dec 17 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY NW wind 20 to 30 kt becoming W 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 14 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming S 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 13 ft at 12 seconds subsiding to 10 ft at 11 seconds after midnight. A slight chance of rain in the evening then rain likely after midnight.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

12/16 Mistletoe, Vic sewage, monarch butterfly, Inslee's climate, Nooktak Sound spill, chlorpyrifos, BC grizzlies

American mistletoe [Wikipedia]

American Mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
American mistletoe is a species of mistletoe in the Viscaceae family which is native to the United States and Mexico. It is hemiparasitic, living in the branches of trees. Phoradendron leucarpum is used in North America as a surrogate for the similar European mistletoe, Viscum album, in Christmas decoration and associated traditions (such as "kissing under the mistletoe"), as well as in rituals by modern druids. It is commercially harvested and sold for those purposes. (Wikipedia)

Victoria’s sewage treatment plant up and running
Victoria and surrounding municipalities are no longer dumping untreated sewage into the ocean — much to the delight of our neighbours south of the border. Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, who has a house on Bainbridge Island, is among those welcoming news that, after four years of construction, the Capital Regional District’s $775-million Wastewater Treatment Project has begun treating sewage at the McLoughlin Point plant. Lindsay Kines reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Monarch butterfly denied protection by Trump administration, despite growing extinction dangers
The monarch butterfly was turned down by the Trump administration on Tuesday when the government declined to use the powers of the Endangered Species Act to help save it from extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled against listing the monarch butterfly as “threatened” under the act — a decision that might have led to protections for the migratory insect’s habitat that for decades has been degraded or replaced by development. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Inslee proposes his latest climate-change package as part of Washington budget
Gov. Jay Inslee Tuesday unveiled a new climate-change package that includes a renewed push for a clean fuels standard and capping some greenhouse-gas emissions. Other proposals would further electrify Washington’s ferry fleet and reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, according to Inslee, and bring equity into environmental policy.Inslee’s plan comes as part of his new two-year budget proposal, and as lawmakers prepare to convene in January for the 2021 legislative session. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

Coast guard, First Nations work to contain oil leak from decades-old shipwreck in B.C.'s Nootka Sound
The Canadian Coast Guard says they are looking at "all avenues right now" to stem leaking oil from a decades-old shipwreck off the coast of B.C.'s Bligh Island...Leaking oil was spotted from the shipwreck, the MV Schiedyk, earlier this month. The ship sank in 1968, when it hit an underwater ledge and sank on the south side of Bligh Island. All 34 crew members survived, but the ship sank with oil on board. (CBC)

Oregon moves to phase out most uses of a controversial pesticide by 2023
The Oregon Department of Agriculture says it will begin to limit the use of chlorpyrifos and ultimately phase out nearly all its use by 2023... Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide mainly used in Oregon on Christmas trees, leafy greens crops and alfalfa. Its use has been linked to harmful effects on the human body. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

First Nations to press for bigger role in grizzly management
A group of south coast First Nations have signed a memorandum of understanding pledging to work together on leading wildlife management in their traditional territories. The Namgis, Mamalilikulla and Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nations plan to press for an active role in grizzly bear management in the northern Vancouver Island region in collaboration with the B.C. Ministry of Environment. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 254 AM PST Wed Dec 16 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY E wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 18 ft at 16 seconds subsiding to 14 ft at 15 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.
TONIGHT SE wind 20 to 30 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 13 ft at 13 seconds. Rain in the evening then rain likely after midnight.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

12/15 Poinsettia, migratory birds, spotted owl, monarch butterfly, Trump's logging, poop power

Poinsettia [iNaturalist]

Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima
The red cultivated poinsettia, which goes by Euphorbia pulcherrima, is a native of central Mexico and extends southward into South America. But Christmas poinsettias don't just come in red. Various cultivars have been bred from hybridizing the red poinsettia with a white species of poinsettia, known as Euphorbia cornastra, which is restricted to southwestern Mexico in the state of Guerrero. But, aside from the bright red or white leaves, the wild plants don't look as much like the poinsettia in your home. In Mexico, they often become small trees! (iNaturalist)

Federal battle ahead for migratory bird protections
From atop a dike Monday morning on Fir Island, Skagit Audubon Society President Jeff Osmundson and group member Tim Manns could identify the birds in all directions...Manns and Osmundson trained their spotting scopes on each species for U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Everett) while they rattled off facts about the birds most often seen in Skagit County. Larsen is touring birdwatching sites with Audubon Society groups in the state’s 2nd Congressional District because he’s concerned about an upcoming change to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Northern spotted owl’s Endangered Species Act status will remain unchanged
The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service ruled against upgrading the iconic Northern spotted owl’s protection status Monday under the Endangered Species Act. The agency said the species’ continued decline warrants a reclassification from “threatened” to “endangered’' but it elected against taking that step because it considers other listed species to be higher priorities. According to the service, the decision was based on a scientific report that was peer-reviewed by academic and industry experts. The service said a status change would not result in any additional regulatory restrictions under the Endangered Species Act — nor would it impact the actions taken to conserve the species. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB) See also: Endangered-species decision expected on beloved butterfly Trump administration officials are expected to say this week whether the monarch butterfly, a colorful and familiar backyard visitor now caught in a global extinction crisis, should receive federal designation as a threatened species. John Flesher and Ellen Knickmeyer report. (Associated Press)

Groups blast Trump logging plan aimed at reducing wildfires
Conservation groups are blasting a Trump administration decision officials said will reduce wildfires by streamlining environmental reviews of timber salvage projects. WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds Project and seven other groups say the rules approved Thursday fast-track projects to benefit logging, grazing and mining while eliminating public comments. The new rules also speed the cutting down of pinyon-juniper woodlands in the U.S. West...Specifically, the administration finalized what are called categorical exclusions to the National Environmental Policy Act. That's a 1970 law that typically requires federal agencies to study potential environmental effects of proposed actions before starting work. Keith Ridler reports. (Associated Press)

From poop to power: Manure from 2,300 cows may run 600 homes
The black-and-white patched faces of 400 dairy cows peered out curiously from their barn last week, ears flicking nervously at faces they didn’t recognize. These cows, along with 2,000 others at Werkhoven Dairy locations, help generate enough electricity to power 300 homes. Using an anaerobic digester, Werkhoven works with the Tulalip Tribes to turn cow manure and food waste into power. And through an upcoming partnership, the Snohomish County Public Utility District plans to double that capacity and harness it for customers. Julia-Grace Sanders reports. (Everett Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 231 AM PST Tue Dec 15 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 12 ft at 12 seconds. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 20 ft at 17 seconds. A chance of rain.

Monday, December 14, 2020

12/14 Hairy Manzanita, baby sea stars, AI for whales, Toandos Peninsula, Columbia R Treaty, Growlers


Hairy Manzanita [Native Plants PNW]

Hairy Manzanita Arctostaphylos columbiana
Hairy Manzanita is found from Vancouver Island in British Columbia to the coast of Northern California, mostly on the west side of the Cascade Mountains. It is found in dry, open, sunny places and rocky hillsides, often in disturbed areas. It is a bushy shrub that may be erect or spreading.(Dana Kelley Bressette/Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest)

14 baby sea stars are tiny bundles of hope for their critically endangered species
After months of trial and error to find what it takes to keep a voracious, pizza-sized predator alive, biologists have succeeded at raising 14 baby sunflower stars: little bundles of hope in a dark time for their species. Researchers at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories on San Juan Island have been trying to raise the spectacular, 20-armed species of sea star indoors for the past year and a half. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Researchers aim to use artificial intelligence to save endangered whales in B.C.
Researchers are aiming to "teach'' a computer to recognize the sounds of resident killer whales in order to develop a warning system for preventing ships from fatally striking endangered orcas off British Columbia's coast. Steven Bergner, a computing science research associate at Simon Fraser University's Big Data Hub, said he is collecting and managing a database of sounds picked up 24 hours a day by a network of hydrophones in the Salish Sea. Marine biologists will identify the sounds of different species of whales, including humpbacks and transients, and differentiate the acoustics from other noise such as waves and boats, he said. Machine learning or artificial intelligence would help detect the presence of orcas through patterns in the data. Camille Bains reports. (Canadian Press)

Coalition aims to expand protected area
A coalition of conservation groups, shellfish farmers, tribes and area residents is asking the state Department of Natural Resources to cancel plans for three timber sales to protect a rare rhododendron forest. The 936-acre forest on the Toandos Peninsula and along Dabob Bay is the largest in the world, according to Peter Bahls, executive director of the Northwest Watershed Institute, a Jefferson County-based group that has been coordinating Dabob Bay conservation efforts for nearly 20 years. “It’s only fitting that, in Jefferson County, which has been celebrating the Rhododendron Festival since 1936, we are now potential guardians of the most significant native rhododendron forest of its type remaining in the world,” Bahls said. Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Calls to terminate Columbia River Treaty spark concern after 2 years of negotiations
A cross-border treaty that has regulated the flow of the Columbia River for over 50 years could be in jeopardy as a group of American politicians calls on the president to invoke his executive authority and terminate the treaty. The Columbia River Treaty was ratified by the United States and Canada in 1964 and resulted in the construction of four huge hydro-electric dams — three in Canada and one in the U.S. — to reduce the risk of flooding and generate billions of dollars worth of electricity. According to the Canadian government, the treaty is considered a model of international cooperation on hydropower development. Bob Keating and Tom Popyk report. (CBC)

Growlers blamed for noise pollution
They’ve been close neighbors sharing the same sky. But Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and a team of research scientists on the North Olympic Peninsula report starkly different findings on aircraft noise and its effects on life. A new University of Washington study, published in the journal Northwest Science, looks at — and listens to — NASWI’s Growlers, the Boeing electronic warfare jets taking off from Whidbey and flying over western Olympic National Park, long recognized as one of the world’s quietest places. Diane Urbani de la Paz reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 231 AM PST Mon Dec 14 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY Light wind becoming S to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 16 ft at 15 seconds subsiding to 14 ft at 15 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of showers in the morning then a slight chance of showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after midnight. W swell 11 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening then rain after midnight.

Friday, December 11, 2020

12/11 GBH, sea stars, Skagit dams, Electron dam, WA bag ban, BC indigenous CG, Van Is old growth

Great Blue Heron [Alan Fritzverg]

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
Widespread and familiar (though often called "crane"), the largest heron in North America. Often seen standing silently along inland rivers or lakeshores, or flying high overhead, with slow wingbeats, its head hunched back onto its shoulders. Highly adaptable, it thrives around all kinds of waters from subtropical mangrove swamps to desert rivers to the coastline of southern Alaska. With its variable diet it is able to spend the winter farther north than most herons, even in areas where most waters freeze. (Audubon)

Sunflower sea stars declared critically endangered on West Coast
One of the largest sea star species in the world has been listed as critically endangered on Thursday after a global study shows the species population has been decimated by a marine epidemic. The sunflower sea star, once abundant in marine waters from Alaska to Baja California in Mexico, is on the brink of extinction along the West Coast waters in the United States after a marine wildlife epidemic event referred to as the sea star wasting syndrome began in 2013...Oregon State University, along with The Nature Conservancy and dozens of conservation groups, led a groundbreaking study that found 90.6% of the species population has been wiped out and estimated as many as 5.75 billion animals died from the disease since the die-off began. This has led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to list the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) as critically endangered. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB) See also: Sunflower Stars Now Critically Endangered Though sunflower star numbers have plummeted, scientists are holding out hope for these once-common denizens of the Pacific. (Hakai Institute)

Seattle City Light agrees to fish passage studies for dam relicensing
In response to requests from tribal, federal, state and local representatives, Seattle City Light will conduct some fish passage studies as part of the relicensing process for its Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. The city utility filed an updated proposed study plan this week with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and Seattle City Light Skagit License Manager Andrew Bearlin discussed the new document and next steps Wednesday with the Skagit Watershed Council. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier backs takedown of Electron Dam on Puyallup River
U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, D-8th Congressional District, has added her voice to the chorus calling for removal of the Electron Hydroelectric Project on the Puyallup River, saying the dam’s cost to salmon is not worth it. The dam, owned by Electron Hyrdo LLC, a division of Tollhouse Energy LLC of Bellingham, is more than 100 years old. It provides no irrigation, flood control or energy benefits and is a known killer of protected fish, including chinook salmon and bull trout. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Statewide plastic-bag ban faces likely delay due to COVID-19, supply-chain issues
A statewide ban on single-use plastic bags is supposed to take effect on Jan. 1. But proponents are asking for a six-month delay. In a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee, they cite supply-chain issues and health concerns related to COVID-19. Seven groups who supported the law have signed on to the request. Restaurants say that going ahead with the ban would be an additional burden, when they're figuring out how to remain in business doing mostly take-out orders. And grocery stores say they’ve had trouble getting enough of the thicker plastic and paper bags they would need under the new law. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

How Canada’s first Indigenous coast guard program is already saving lives
The Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary is translating First Nations’ intimate knowledge of B.C.'s sometimes wild and unpredictable west coast into improved marine emergency response. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

In photos: see old-growth go from stand to stump on B.C.’s Vancouver Island
Between April and November, a grove of ancient trees was felled in the Caycuse watershed on Ditidaht Territory, pointing to the breakneck pace of clearcut logging across the province. Carol Linnitt reports. (The Narwhal)

Pine Siskin
Rick from the Skagit writes in response to yesterday's critter profile of pine siskin: "Pine siskins are, shall we say, naive? So many times I've been watching mixed flocks at the feeder when a sharp-shinned hawk or other danger appears. All the other birds take off, leaving the pine siskins looking around, saying, where'd everybody go? Once I was sitting in the kitchen of my old house, half-listening my then-espoused prattle on about something trivial and staring out the window. This is what I saw, in the course of about 4 seconds: Pine siskin takes off from hawthorne tree; Sharpie swoops down and grabs it in mid-air; Three crows swoop down on sharpie and its prize; Sharpie drops siskin in street; Crow lands and swallows pine siskin whole. Bang, bang, bang. Couldn't believe what I was seeing, and wanted an instant replay."

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 252 AM PST Fri Dec 11 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt becoming N in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain.
TONIGHT E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 8 ft at 11 seconds.
SAT E wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 3 to 5 ft in the afternoon. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds.
SAT NIGHT E wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 6 to 8 ft. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds.
SUN E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SE to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft in the afternoon. SW swell 9 ft at 14 seconds building to 13 ft at 14 seconds in the afternoon.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

12/10 Pine siskin, PS overview, Big Bar, WA crab closure, Van bag ban, bullet train, Arctic oil, SnoCo reorg, bighorn sheep, redwoods, psilocybin, whale sounds

Pine Siskin [Alan Fritzberg]

Pine Siskin Spinus pinus
This nomadic finch ranges widely and erratically across the continent each winter in response to seed crops. Better suited to clinging to branch tips than to hopping along the ground, these brown-streaked acrobats flash yellow wing markings as they flutter while feeding or as they explode into flight. Flocks are gregarious, and you may hear their insistent wheezy twitters before you see them. Listen for a distinctive, harsh "watch-winding" call (also likened to the sound of slowly tearing a sheet of paper in two) amidst their constant flock twitters. (All About Birds)

Summary of 2019 Puget Sound environment from the Puget Sound Partnership
A condensed summary of the Puget Sound Partnership's Marine Waters 2019 Overview (2.5 minute read) thanks to Al Bergstein. (Olympic Peninsula Environmental News)

$176M permanent salmon fishway announced for Big Bar landslide site on B.C.'s Fraser River
The federal government is spending $176 million to install a permanent fishway through the site of the Big Bar landslide on the Fraser River north of Lillooet, B.C. Design and construction work is expected to begin this winter with an operational date set for the start of the early 2022 salmon runs. It's believed the massive landslide in B.C.'s southern Interior occurred in late October or early November 2018, but it wasn't discovered until June of 2019 when early returning salmon had already arrived at the site. Karin Larsen reports. (CBC)

Marine toxin closes most of Washington coast to Dungeness crab fishing
A large portion of Washington’s coast is closed to Dungeness crab fishing due to elevated marine toxin levels, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on Wednesday. The agency says all recreational Dungeness crab fisheries from the Queets River to the Columbia River are closed, KOMO-TV reports. This includes Grays Harbor and the Westport Boat Basin. Commercial Dungeness crab fisheries along the coast, in Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and the Columbia River are also closed until further notice. (Associated Press)

Vancouver pushes plastic bag ban, disposable cup fee to 2022 due to COVID-19 pressure on businesses
Businesses in Vancouver will be able to give out plastic bags and free disposable cups for another year. Council passed a motion delaying previously approved changes on those items until Jan. 1, 2022, instead of the original Jan. 1, 2021. Justin McElroy reports. (CBC)

Cascadia bullet train: Go for it or 'kill this thing'?
A new government report on high speed rail in the Pacific Northwest recommends that Oregon, Washington and British Columbia formalize their interest in a Cascadia bullet train by creating an independent body to plan and eventually build it. But a critic associated with a conservative think tank responded that the region should take heed of California's high speed rail woes and put a spike in the Cascadia bullet train ambitions. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

ARCTIC: Exxon Valdez 2.0? Trump oil plan sparks fears
The Trump administration's push to ease drilling regulations in the Arctic region as it leaves office may be one of the final nods to the oil and gas sector from a pro-oil administration that's paid particular attention to access in Alaska. But in the far north, the proposal is perceived as risky by experts. Still unpublished, the proposed changes would eliminate nearly half of the provisions penned during the Obama administration to mitigate against oil spills and revise others, according to an Interior Department fact sheet. President Trump's plan would make it easier for operators that currently hold leases in the Beaufort Sea to explore there and give them better access to operational extensions. It would also eliminate overlap with EPA regulations by cutting Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement oversight on some drilling practices. Heather Richards reports. (E&E News)

Snohomish County to form new Conservation and Natural Resources department
Snohomish County is creating a new department of Conservation and Natural Resources which will consolidate the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism department with Surface Water Management, Energy and Sustainability, and Agriculture offices. The Marine Resources Committee [MRC] will continue to be a service of Surface Water Management with no changes proposed to the MRC. (Snohomish County)

Wildlife advocates say feds must do more to protect bighorn sheep
Bighorn sheep in Central Washington could be in danger if domestic sheep continue to graze nearby. That’s the concern from two groups suing the U.S. Forest Service. Domestic sheep or goats can pass a deadly bacteria to bighorns. Environmental groups WildEarth Guardians and the Western Watersheds Project say that’s why there’s cause for concern in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, where about half of Washington’s bighorns roam the landscape. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Broadcasting)

They’re Among the World’s Oldest Living Things. The Climate Crisis Is Killing Them
California’s epic wildfires in 2020 took deadly aim at the state’s most beloved trees. In a relative instant, countless ancient redwoods, hundreds of giant sequoias and more than one million Joshua trees perished. The blackened wreckage sends a clear message. These trees are in the fight of their lives. John Branch reports. (NY Times)

Some doctors, therapists get Health Canada permission to use magic mushrooms
Four months after it allowed a handful of palliative care patients to use psilocybin as a way to relieve end-of-life suffering, Health Canada has cleared the way for more than a dozen health professionals to use the psychedelic drug themselves to help develop therapies for future use. Health Canada says it granted 16 exemptions to a selection of nurses, doctors, therapists and social workers, allowing them to possess and use psilocybin for personal training without fear of prosecution under the country's drug laws. Kate Dubinski reports. (CBC)

The Military Wants to Hide Covert Messages in Marine Mammal Sounds
The human fascination with hiding military messages in whale and dolphin sounds has led to US military Cold War experiments and modern Chinese research. Jeremy Hsu reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 234 AM PST Thu Dec 10 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SE wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds building to 10 ft at 13 seconds after midnight. Showers likely in the evening. A slight chance of tstms. A chance of showers after midnight.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

12/9 Mushroom gatherings, seal impact, forest bath, yoke-moss, Mary Nichols, NY pension fund

Close quarters [Laurie MacBride]

They Missed the Memo
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Clearly, the mushrooms missed the memo on social distancing. They’ve been popping up everywhere this season in mass tribal gatherings, cheek by jowl (cap by gill?), crammed in like party-goers on a pre-pandemic New Year’s Eve or diehard fans at a Donald Trump rally..." (read more)

How Seals May Be Impacting Salmon Conservation
Harbor seals have been likened to the dogs of the sea. Their outward appearance is lovable, with fat bodies and big, round eyes. Videos of them cuddling and playing frequent the internet, and the pups are even more adorable than the adults. They even bark. It’s hard to look at these cute marine mammals and think of them as a pest. But Zoe Lewis, graduate research assistant at Western Washington University, is investigating how skyrocketing sea lion and harbor seal populations might be having a negative impact on food chain processes in the Salish Sea. Olivia Hobson reports. (The Planet Magazine)

Forest baths reduce pandemic-related stress for health care workers
Free ‘forest baths’ are being prescribed for stressed-out health care workers. The B.C. Parks Foundation hopes to provide 90-minute guided sessions for as many as 10,000 health care workers in B.C. starting in January. The idea is inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku or forest bathing. Research has shown that walking in nature results in medically recognized improvements in immune function and stress reduction. Kevin Griffin reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Who Will Save the Slender Yoke-Moss?
Somewhere on a single limestone cliff on Moresby Island in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, a thoroughly forgettable moss is in danger of dying out. Of course, it’s not the moss’s fault that it’s forgettable, nor that it’s at risk. Yet Zygodon gracilis, the slender yoke-moss, is a drab little thing, at least as it appears on the limestone—as a slimy black tangle with occasional pea-colored tufts. Even if you were lucky enough to chance upon it, you might not even notice it was alive. Sabrina Imbler reports. (Hakai Magazine)

What the fight over EPA chief says about Democratic divisions
Mary Nichols, a national figure in environmental regulation with a string of achievements that earned her the name “queen of green,” seems a natural choice for EPA chief under a Biden administration. But some environmental justice activists have pushed back, arguing that the president-elect should choose among several candidates of color. Steven Mufson and Juliet Eilperin report. (Washington Post)

New York’s $226 Billion Pension Fund Is Dropping Fossil Fuel Stocks
The fund will divest from many fossil fuels in the next five years and sell its shares in other companies that contribute to global warming by 2040. Anne Barnard reports. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 258 AM PST Wed Dec 9 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning.
TONIGHT W wind to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

12/8 Caspian terns, enviro justice, Trump's chlorpyrifos, Ted's Tree

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
The largest of the terns, larger than many gulls. Cosmopolitan, nesting on five continents. In North America, it is common along both coasts and locally inland, mainly around large bodies of water. Noted for its long adolescence, with the young dependent on their parents for many months; even in late winter, many an adult Caspian is trailed by a begging youngster from the previous nesting season. (Audubon)

Task force says reparations may be needed as state works toward environmental justice
As they prepare for the next legislative session, state lawmakers are reviewing a report that calls for laws to ensure environmental justice. The map was a collaboration between researchers at the University of Washington and several other entities at the state and federal levels. They found data – and clearly displayed it – showing that where you live in Washington affects your life span. It comes from a new entity, created in 2019 and charged with developing strategies to address findings in the Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map. The map was a collaboration between researchers at the University of Washington and several other entities at the state and federal levels. They found data – and clearly displayed it – showing that where you live in Washington affects your life span. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

EPA OKs Pesticide Linked to Lower IQs, Memory Issues in Children
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recommending the continued use of a pesticide that is suspected to cause brain damage in children. An interim decision proposed by the EPA on Thursday includes some new restrictions on the chemical chlorpyrifos but stops short of banning its use. Research has suggested that the chemical can cause adverse effects in humans, including damage to developing brains, potentially resulting in significant memory problems, muscle and nerve issues and the development of lower IQ in children. Aila Slisco reports; (Newsweek)

Ted’s Tree, one of the largest in the state, dismantled
Jackie Serr Miller watched as blocks of the giant madrona tree that bore her father’s name crashed to the ground Monday. Each falling piece of the dead evergreen produced a thud that resonated around Eighth and Cherry streets in Port Angeles, where Ted’s Tree stood for more than 400 years...The stately tree had to be cut because its massive crown extended over West Eighth Street, a sidewalk and Madrona Children’s Academy. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 248 AM PST Tue Dec 8 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt in the morning becoming light. Wind waves 1 ft or less in the morning becoming less than 1 ft. W swell 19 ft at 18 seconds subsiding to 16 ft at 17 seconds in the afternoon. Rain likely in the morning then a chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT NW wind to 10 kt becoming W after midnight. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 13 ft at 16 seconds subsiding to 11 ft at 15 seconds after midnight. A chance of rain in the evening.

Monday, December 7, 2020

12/7 ANWR, SJI Monument, Growlers, whale watch, Coquitlam R, salmon ranch, PS sewage, heron count, TM COVID, FL oil drill, SnoCo runoff fee, Nisqually asphalt, BC LNG worker safety

Tundra swan [Ian Davies/All About Birds]

Anniversary of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
December 6th was the 60th anniversary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Arctic coastal plain is probably the most important place in Alaska for the widest number of avian species - including this Pectoral Sandpiper - and the greatest number of birds. Ironically, that habitat type has the least protection in the entire state. From the American Birding Association to the National Rifle Association, groups are joining together in support of wildlife refuges. (BirdNote)

Vulnerable lands — and creatures — of San Juan Islands National Monument await management details
One thousand acres of unique and fragile San Juan Islands land sit waiting for an imminent management plan that will outline the next 20 years of protection and recreation. The San Juan Islands National Monument, designated in 2013 by President Barack Obama, protects 65 sites in the San Juan Islands. These acres are currently part of the portfolio of the Bureau of Land Management [BLM] under general agency regulations and await a resource management plan [RMP] to be finalized and implemented. As this plan for the monument languishes at the federal level, helping hands on the ground are tied and much is left in limbo locally. Genevieve Iverson reports. (Salish Current)

Navy Growler jet noise loud enough to reach orca pods even 100 feet underwater, new research shows
In a paper published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, scientists reported an underwater microphone anchored in nearly 100 feet of water offshore of the runway at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island distinctly picked up the sound of the jets, at levels known to affect orca behavior. To the orcas at that depth, the noise is about as loud as a cruise ship about 650 feet away, said Rob Williams, lead scientist at the research nonprofit Oceans Initiative, and an author on the paper. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Whale watch operators insist their presence helps protect southern resident orcas
Operators of commercial whale-watching vessels are pushing back against proposed new regulations from the state. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is implementing a mandatory licensing system for the vessels, after the Washington Legislature passed a directive last year that also instructed the department to develop rules for viewing endangered southern resident killer whales..Commercial whale-watch operators say they accept the need for the new licensing system, to keep better track of who is in the industry and spending time near the whales. But they insist they play a "sentinel role" on the water. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Sockeye restoration efforts spark hope and heartbreak on the Coquitlam River
After 2 decades of painstaking work to revive native sockeye, the Kwikwetlem First Nation is changing course. Karin Larsen reports. (CBC)

Research group buys 'salmon ranch' to feed southern resident orcas
...The Center for Whale Research, based in Friday Harbour, Washington, said chinook salmon are the main food source for the resident orcas, whose numbers have been squeezed down to 74 largely because of dwindling salmon stocks in the Salish Sea. The centre has acquired 45 acres on the Elwha River near Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, where native chinook salmon spawn. They’ve dubbed the property Big Salmon Ranch. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Outdated sewage treatment is suffocating fish in Puget Sound
....Environmentalists have sued the state over the sewage-treatment plants’ waste dumping, pointing out that the last time the Washington Department of Ecology required major modernization of wastewater plants was in 1987 — and that was an upgrade to a technology first deployed in the early 20th century. The Department of Ecology is now on course to require plants to adopt better sewage treatment methods developed in the 1980s and used for decades on the East Coast. That technology is capable of removing “nutrients,” especially nitrogen, that act like fertilizer and feed Puget Sound’s algae and jellyfish explosions. But most of those upgrades on Puget Sound-area plants won’t be completed until at least 2035. Allegra Abramo reports. (InvestigateWest/Crosscut)

Work of Skagit Land Trust continues through pandemic
Hands flat against the trunk of the tree, neck craned skyward, volunteer Rachel VanBoven counted how many nests she could see in the branches of a large maple on March Point. “I’ve got 12,” she called out to Jane Zillig, a recent retiree of the Skagit Land Trust. VanBoven and Zillig were part of a group counting great blue heron nests in a forested patch of March Point between Highway 20 and Padilla Bay. It’s a survey the land trust conducts each year to track heron use of this key habitat where the birds raise their young in the spring. Kimberly Cuavel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Trans Mountain's COVID-19 costs are now $12.5 million and growing
New numbers show that Trans Mountain's COVID-19 costs are now 10 times higher than the figure the pipeline initially reported. Last month, the federal government-owned pipeline said it had spent about $1.2 million on measures to keep employees safe during the pandemic. New figures show that Trans Mountain has actually dropped about $12.5 million on related COVID-19 expenses across the organization. NDP MP Peter Julian said that cost "discrepancy" is generating doubts about whether the project to twin Trans Mountain's existing line between Alberta and British Columbia will come in on budget. David Thurton reports. (CBC)

Offshore Drilling Set To Begin Off Florida Alarms Environmentalists
President Trump recently signed an order extending a ban on drilling in U.S. waters in the Atlantic. But in the Bahamas, a small company has received permission to begin doing exploratory drilling just 150 miles from the Florida coast. Bahamas Petroleum Company is headquartered on the Isle of Man, part of the United Kingdom, but has offices in the Bahamas. More importantly, it has leases on potential oil fields covering some 4 million acres in waters between Andros, the nation's largest island, and the north coast of Cuba. A high-tech drill ship, the Stena IceMAX, is expected to be onsite and ready to begin drilling by mid-December. Greg Allen reports. (NPR)

Break on surface water fee means less money for environment
Ratepayers in unincorporated Snohomish County will get a break from one fee increase next year — but at the cost of funding for some environmental programs. The Snohomish County Council last month voted 3-2 to nix a 2.8% annual inflationary adjustment attached to Surface Water Management utility fees. Councilmember Stephanie Wright proposed the change to give ratepayers a “one-year vacation” as many struggle financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Julia Grace-Sanders reports. (Everett Herald)

Thurston may allow asphalt recycling in Nisqually subarea
Asphalt recycling, a contentious issue in the critical Nisqually subarea for years, may be allowed if the Thurston County board of commissioners votes to amend the policy on Dec. 15. The board voted 2-1 Dec. 2 to advance a version of the amendment to the final meeting of the year. If it passes, asphalt recycling could be permitted in the critical aquifer recharge area if operators follow best management practices. (The Olympian)

LNG Canada workers complained about unsafe conditions prior to COVID-19 outbreak
WorkSafe BC documents reveal concerns about LNG Canada’s cleaning procedures as rising number of cases at work camps across Northern Health prompt fresh calls for shutdowns.
Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 251 AM PST Mon Dec 7 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 12 ft at 19 seconds building to 19 ft at 18 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.
TONIGHT SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming S 20 to 30 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft building to 3 to 5 ft after midnight. W swell 17 ft at 18 seconds. Rain.