2/19 White sea cuke, Skagit R dams, BC salmon monitoring, PUGET SOS, TM pipe negotiations

White sea cucumber [Mary Jo Adams]

 
White sea cucumber Eupentacta quinquesemita
The white sea cucumber grows to a length of about 4 inches, has spiny looking tube feet, and true to its name, it is white or cream colored.   The 8 large and 2 small tentacles are actually specialized tube feet and are used for food collection.   Watch for it in the middle to low intertidal zones in rock crevices, amongst mussel clumps, and on floats.   It lives subtidally in water up to 180 feet deep.   Several species of sea stars prey on this little sea cucumber. (Mary Jo Adams/Sound Water Stewards)

Seattle’s Skagit River dams hurt salmon, orcas and Native American culture, agencies say
Citizens of Seattle enjoy some of the most affordable electricity in the country, but the city-owned utility that generates that power is accused of harnessing cost-effective electricity on the backs of Puget Sound salmon, killer whales and the way of life for Native American tribes in the Skagit Valley, a KING 5 investigation found. (KING)

Decades of cuts to salmon monitoring leave B.C. scientists uncertain of fish populations
Less than 10 per cent of spawning habitat on B.C.’s central and north coast is being monitored by creekwalkers, the people who count salmon one by one. Critics say this leaves a critical gap in knowledge that could further imperil the species. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Legislation to Bolster Puget Sound Restoration Introduced
U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), the Co-Chairs of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, introduced the Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound (PUGET SOS) Act of 2021. The PUGET SOS Act would enhance the federal government’s role and investment in the Puget Sound, the nation’s largest estuary by volume and the heart of Washington state’s identity and economic engine. (Mason WebTV)

Federal talks progressing with Indigenous groups toward eventual Trans Mountain pipeline sale
Federal Department of Finance officials are taking the next step to prepare for a potential sale of the Trans Mountain pipeline to Indigenous groups, including bringing in consultants to advance talks and provide financial analysis of the project. The process began almost two years ago when then-finance minister Bill Morneau announced the federal government was launching consultations with Indigenous communities about a possible equity stake in the oil export pipeline. After preliminary discussions, the Department of Finance concluded that a form of revenue-sharing or a purchase of an equity stake in the pipeline would be Indigenous communities' "preferred" options for participating in the project, depending on the details. kyle Bakx reports. (CBC)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  219 AM PST Fri Feb 19 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 10 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the  morning then rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after  midnight. W swell 10 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the  evening then a slight chance of rain after midnight. 
SAT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 9 ft  at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell  9 ft at 11 seconds. 
SUN  SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 10 ft  at 11 seconds.

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