2/15 Greenling, nutrients, mining ban, SEAL training, tire dump, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement, humpback, birders, BC anchorage, shooting wolves

White-spotted greenling [Rosie Child]

 
White-spotted greenling  Haxagammos stellar
The white-spotted greenling can be found along shallow, sandy shorelines as well as around rocky outcrops and pilings, especially among eelgrass and other seaweed. It is more common at a depth less than 15 m, but has been recorded to 275 m. Its range extends along both coasts of the North Pacific, from northern Alaska to Oregon and from Siberia to Japan. The male white-spotted greenling will fearlessly guard its bright turquoise or mauve eggs in winter. (Biodiversity of the Central Coast)

New Sewage-Treatment Permit Would Be a Step to Curbing Nitrogen in Puget Sound
In an effort to stem the flow of excess nitrogen into Puget Sound, Washington Department of Ecology has proposed a new type of permit for some 60 sewage-treatment plants operating throughout the region. The flexible permit, called the Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit, aims to hold nitrogen releases close to or below their current levels at most of the treatment plants while offering plant operators options for how to meet those goals. It’s a temporary solution, because the long-term goal is to make significant cuts in the total amount of nitrogen going into Puget Sound. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Judge overturns Trump’s lifting of mining ban in US West
A federal judge on Thursday overturned a Trump administration action that allowed mining and other development on 10 million acres (4 million hectares) in parts of six western states that are considered important for the survival of a struggling bird species. U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill said the decision under Trump to cancel a prior effort to ban mining failed to fully consider how the move would affect greater sage grouse, a wide-ranging, chicken-sized bird that has seen a dramatic population drop in recent decades. Matthew Brown reports. (AP)

Washington State Parks Commission Changes Plan On Navy Usage For SEAL Training
Changes to a plan that would allow covert Navy training at certain Washington State Parks are further angering some park goers. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Illegal deep-woods tire dump near Vernon creates cleanup headache for local conservationists
Retired forester Rudi van Zwaaij has seen his share of backwoods dumping during a 38-year career.  But hiking south of Vernon, B.C., in the spring of 2019, the sight of one gully left him speechless. "Not in this scale," van Zwaaij told CBC news. "You can look upstream and downstream and as far as you can see it's full of tires." Tom Popyk reports. (CBC)

Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group reflects on 30 years of salmon recovery
Even before home isolation, masks and social distancing became part of everyday life last year, a lot had changed in the past 30 years in how salmon recovery is done in the Skagit River watershed and beyond. The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, one of several regional nonprofits in the state tasked with salmon habitat restoration, has seen that evolution firsthand. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit valley Herald)

One Great Shot: Hungry, Hungry Humpback
A photographer captures the frenzy as tiny fish scramble to escape a feeding whale. Brian Asmussen reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Twitter Is Turning Birds Into Celebrities and Birders Against One Another
A Twitter account helped spread the word about rare birds in New York City, but publicizing their locations exposed a rift among birders...On one side are people eager to broadcast these flying visitors on social media, which they say allows birders to catch a glimpse of species they might otherwise never see. On the other are birders who believe that indiscriminately publicizing the locations of sensitive birds attracts hordes of gawkers, who can disturb the animals, and violates the serendipitous aspect of birding. Daniel E. Slotnik reports. (NY Times)

Findings from investigation into cargo ship collision worries Southern Gulf Islands residents
Findings from an investigation into how two bulk carrier vessels collided in the waters of the Southern Gulf Islands highlight the dangers of having cargo vessels anchor in the area, say local groups. (CBC)

B.C. enviro group challenges legality of shooting wolves from aircraft 
The provincial government is making changes to the Wildlife Act that appear to be an attempt to circumvent legal arguments against B.C.’s wolf cull, says the lawyer representing an environmental group that lodged a lawsuit against the province’s cull. The cull involves hunting wolves from helicopters, which the province says is done by wildlife officers or “contractors who are highly skilled and trained in dealing with wildlife.” Roxanne Egan-Elliot reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  404 AM PST Mon Feb 15 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH  TUESDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  9 ft at 16 seconds. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the  afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NW 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 11 ft at 15 seconds  building to 13 ft at 14 seconds after midnight. A chance of  showers.

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