1/8 Sea otter, San Juan bison, Trump's climate, Site C dam, plankton study

Sea otter [Mike Baird/Wikimedia Coomons]

Sea otter reintroduction to more of the Pacific Coast gets a nudge from Congress
Bringing back sea otters to the Oregon Coast just got a high-level endorsement. The federal budget for this new year, which President Trump signed after some unrelated last minute drama, includes a directive to study sea otter reintroduction. The proviso making sea otter fans happy was tucked away deep in the new federal budget. Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley added the paragraph to the massive 2021 federal budget bill. It directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to study the feasibility and cost of reestablishing the charismatic marine mammals where they were once hunted to near-extinction along the Pacific Coast. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Mossback’s Northwest: The ancient bison hunters of the San Juans
The discovery of 14,000-year-old bones on Orcas Island means humans were BBQing a lot earlier than previously thought. Knute Berger & Stephen Hegg report. (Crosscut)

How Trump Tried, but Largely Failed, to Derail America’s Top Climate Report
The National Climate Assessment, America’s premier contribution to climate knowledge, stands out for many reasons: Hundreds of scientists across the federal government and academia join forces to compile the best insights available on climate change. The results, released just twice a decade or so, shape years of government decisions. Now, as the clock runs down on President Trump’s time in office, the climate assessment has gained a new distinction: It is one of the few major U.S. climate initiatives that his administration tried, yet largely failed, to undermine. Christopher Flavelle reports. (NY times)

Energy minister calls independent Site C dam report 'helpful,' will consult cabinet
British Columbia's energy minister says he has received a report on the status of the Site C dam project and will soon present its findings to cabinet. Bruce Ralston says the report by former deputy finance minister Peter Milburn is "helpful," but he wouldn't discuss its findings until they are reviewed by the cabinet and Premier John Horgan. Ralston appointed Milburn in July to conduct a review of the hydroelectric project after Crown-owned BC Hydro reported concerns about project risks, construction delays and rising costs on the dam, estimated at $10.7 billion in 2018. (Canadian Press)

Diving Deep with Plankton from the Comfort of the Lab
A new device gives scientists a better way to study the migrations of microscopic plankton. Harini Barath reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your weekend tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  242 AM PST Fri Jan 8 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  SE wind 20 to 30 kt becoming W 10 to 20 kt late this  morning. Wind waves 2 to 5 ft. W swell 15 ft at 16 seconds. Rain  likely in the morning. 
TONIGHT  SW wind to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 15 ft at 15 seconds subsiding to  13 ft at 14 seconds after midnight. 
SAT  E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SE 20 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 12 ft at 14 seconds  subsiding to 8 ft at 13 seconds in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell  8 ft at 13 seconds. 
SUN  S wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SE 5 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 17 ft at 21 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