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.

--
"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