2/4 Sea squirt, BC logging, Nicole Rycroft, BC salmon, sewage fix, nature's value, OR rivers, new whale, GBH

Warty sea squirt [Jennifer Vanderhoof]

 
Warty sea squirt Pyura haustor
Solitary but sometimes grows in pairs or groups. attaches to rocks at its base. Two red siphons extending from the wrinkled, globular body are used to filter (through a sheet of mucus) plankton from the surrounding water. Grows to height of about 2 inches. (Marine Life of Puget Sound, the San Juans, and the Strait of Georgia)

B.C. allows logging in nine ‘protected’ old-growth areas
The BC NDP has consistently stated it placed protections on 353,000 hectares of old-growth forest, yet a recently unearthed document shows logging will continue in 100,000 hectares of these ostensibly protected areas. Judith Lavoie reports. (The Narwhal)

Vancouver environmentalist wins $3M Climate Breakthrough Award
Vancouver environmentalist Nicole Rycroft has won a $3 million grant for being named recipient of a Climate Breakthrough Award...In a statement, Climate Breakthrough Project described Rycroft's work around transforming paper production to more sustainable models as  "visionary." (CBC)

B.C. salmon restoration projects get $4-million boost
Four B.C. salmon projects will share $4 million in funding to reach their goals of habitat restoration. The funding will be rolled out over the next four years under the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF), cost-shared by the federal and provincial governments. Quinn Bender reports. (Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News)

King County ordered to fix power supply problems at sewage plant
There’s new pressure to fix problems at the West Point Treatment Plant after millions of gallons of partially treated sewage spilled into Puget Sound. State regulators on Wednesday ordered King County to fix a power supply problem that has plagued the plant for years. The Washington State Department of Ecology reported that six times, between January 2018 and May 2020, power problems caused more than 4 million gallons of partially treated sewage to be discharged into Puget Sound. Graham Johnson reports. (KIRO)

Could We Pay Back The Earth For What It Provides? A New Report Offers A Roadmap
How much is nature worth? It's the question at the heart of a landmark new report commissioned by the British government to evaluate the economic cost of continued environmental devastation. Eric McDaniel reports. (NPR)

Wyden, Merkley propose new protections for 4,700 miles of Oregon rivers
The legislation would add thousands of miles of rivers and streams to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers program to expand recreation, safeguard water quality and prepare for wildfire. Bradley W. Parks reports. (OPB)

From extractive to regenerative: experts highlight benefits of nature-based climate solutions
Panelists across the country shared success stories during The Narwhal’s online event on the role of Canada’s natural landscapes in the fight against climate change. Eva Voinigescu reports. (The Narwhal)

Scientists Just Found a New Kind of Whale
Genetic analysis and a close examination of the skulls from a group of baleen whales in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico have revealed that they are a new species. Joshua Rapp Learn reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Great blue herons set to begin nesting season at March Point rookery
Some of the region’s great blue herons will begin their seasonal move-in this month at a rookery, or nesting site, on March Point. Each year herons congregate on this patch of forestland, which has a view of nearby Padilla Bay and, on clear days, Mount Baker in the distance. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  322 AM PST Thu Feb 4 2021   
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY  MORNING   
TODAY  SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft  at 14 seconds. Rain likely. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt rising to 20 to 30 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 7 ft at 13 seconds. A  chance of rain in the evening then rain likely 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