3/31 Camelia, TransMtn, shore armor, hydrogen fuel, 'Chainsaw,' razor clam, sea otters, WA culverts

 

Camelia

Camelia
Camellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are 100–300 described species, with some controversy over the exact number. There are also around 3,000 hybrids. (Wikipedia)

Trans Mountain pipeline expansion will lead to $11.9B in losses for Canada, study says
SFU team says rising construction costs, new climate change measures mean project should be shelved. Bethany Lindsay reports. (CBC)

B.C. relying on the federal shoreline protections for Trans Mountain pipeline it previously called inadequate
In advance of granting new environmental certificates for the pipeline’s expansion project, the province has an opportunity to demand more detailed information on oil spill response preparedness from Trans Mountain. But critics say that’s not happening. Cara McKenna reports. (The Narwhal)

Is shoreline armoring becoming a relic of the past?
Close to 30% of Puget Sound's shoreline is armored with seawalls and other structures meant to protect beaches against rising tides and erosion. But science increasingly shows that these structures are ineffective and cause significant harm to salmon and other creatures. State and federal agencies have been encouraging private property owners to remove armoring in a race to improve habitat, but why did so much of it start appearing in the first place? David B. Williams writes. (Salish Sea Currents)

Interest in hydrogen fuel growing in the Pacific Northwest -- and tax dollars following
More folks from Pacific Northwest government and industry are jumping on the hydrogen bandwagon to test if the alternative fuel could be a viable and green replacement for diesel and gasoline in some situations. The potential converts include more than half a dozen transit agencies from Everett to Eugene, state legislators and Boeing's drone subsidiary in the Columbia River Gorge. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Distinctive orca ‘Chainsaw’ makes rare visit to San Juans
More than ten Bigg’s killer whales were spotted in the San Juan Islands by whale watching vessels, including a male orca known to naturalists and whale researchers as “Chainsaw,” due to his distinctive dorsal fin, the Pacific Whale Watch Association said...Researchers say what makes T063 Chainsaw so distinctive is several large notches in the top third of his dorsal fin that makes it look like a large saw blade.  (KIRO)

Washington’s razor clam season shut down by hazardous algal blooms
For thousands in the state, razor clamming represents culture and heritage. But state and tribal agencies are trying to protect people from harmful toxins. Lindsay VanSomeren reports. (Crosscut)

For California Crabbers, Sea Otters Are Not a Threat to Dungeness Catch
New research shows that the Dungeness crab harvest in California is not affected by the resurgence of sea otters. Nick Rahaim reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Opinion: Washington’s culvert challenge deserves federal funding
A federal court order to open up hundreds of fish passages beneath roads by 2030 has been Washington’s burden for years. This $3.7 billion undertaking deserves federal funding so it does not starve other critical state infrastructure needs. Restoration of threatened salmon and steelhead runs is an unavoidable priority. (Seattle Times Editorial)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  255 AM PDT Wed Mar 31 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH  THURSDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt becoming W after midnight. Wind waves  2

--
"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.

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3/30 Cherry blossom, climate change, BC covid, BC emissions target, zebra mussel, offshore wind power, first Starbucks

Cherry blossom [Culture Trip]

Cherry blossom
A cherry blossom is a flower of many trees of genus Prunus or Prunus subg. Cerasus. They are also known as Japanese cherry and sakura. They generally refer to ornamental cherry trees, not to edible cherry trees. It is considered the national flower of Japan. (Wikipedia)

Japan’s Kyoto cherry blossoms peak on earliest date in 1,200 years, a sign of climate change
The record bloom fits into a long-term pattern toward earlier spring flowering. Jason Samenow reports. (Washington Post)

B.C. implements sweeping restrictions on indoor dining, group fitness for 3-week 'circuit breaker'
B.C. is implementing a three-week "circuit breaker"-style lockdown, introducing sweeping new restrictions on indoor dining in restaurants, group fitness and worship services. The province recorded 2,518 new cases of COVID-19 over the last three days, including a record high 936 on Saturday. Six more people have died. Michelle Ghoussoub and Karin Larsen report. (CBC)

B.C. first in Canada to set emissions targets for industries, communities
Emission reduction targets range from 33 to 38 per cent in oil and gas, up to 32 per cent for transportation and from 38 to 43 per cent for industry. Dirj Meisnner reports. (Canadian Press)

Invasive mussel triggers widespread talks, increased coordination with pet stores
Baby zebra mussels, no bigger than a grain of rice, provoked an emergency response across the country in early March, and now state and federal officials are contemplating changes to protect the Northwest from an invasive species that some people have unknowingly invited into their fish tanks. Nothing official has been proposed, but experts are looking at possible procedures and import restrictions on certain brands of aquarium “moss balls,” which have been found to harbor invasive zebra mussels. Wyoming has already imposed a ban on imports of moss balls, and Arizona requires an inspection to certify that the fluffy green balls are free of aquatic hitchhikers. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Biden administration launches major push to expand offshore wind power
The White House said it would push to bring 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power online by the end of the decade, by speeding permitting for projects off the East Coast and funding changes to U.S. ports. Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis report. (Washington Post)

Fifty Years Ago Today I was the First Starbucks First Customer
Fifty years ago, on the morning of March 30, 1971, I loaded my not-yet-two-year-old daughter, Sarah, into our tan Saab station wagon and drove to the Pike Place Market.  I don’t remember what we had gone there to buy.  I do remember that we walked by the corner of  Pike Place and Virginia Street, at the north end of the Market, to see if my friends Gordon Bowker, Zev Siegl, and Jerry Baldwin had gotten their store open yet.  I checked every time I went down there.  They were opening a coffee store, selling beans and equipment, not drinks.  They had decided to call it Starbucks. Dan Chasan recalls. (Post Alley)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PDT Tue Mar 30 2021   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 10 seconds subsiding to  6 ft at 10 seconds in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 10 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.

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3/29 Magnolia, Chevron refinery, small ship cruise, Skagit stormwater, US fisheries, groundfish count, Montana wild Alexandra Morton

Magnolia Tree [Arbor Hill Trees]

 
Magnolia Tree
Magnolias are believed to be the earliest known flowering plants, with their fossils dating back over 100 million years. Magnolia trees even existed before bees, so they rely on beetles for pollination. Instead of nectar, the flowers produce large quantities of pollen that the beetles use for food. Magnolia Tree are the state flowers for two states, Louisiana and Mississippi.  (Arbor Hill Trees)

Chevron eyes deal for Shell oil refinery in Pacific Northwest
Chevron has emerged as a leading contender to buy Royal Dutch Shell's Puget Sound refinery in Anacortes, Wash., Reuters reports. The 145K bbl/day Puget Sound plant supplies fuel markets in the Pacific Northwest and competes with plants owned by BP, Marathon Petroleum and Phillips 66. Shell last month settled a seven-year-old dispute with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over past air pollution violations from the facility. (Seeking Alpha)

Small ship cruising getting ready to resume in Pacific Northwest and Alaska
Small ship cruise lines are pressing ahead with plans to restart overnight cruises on the Columbia and Snake rivers, around Puget Sound and in Alaska. They aim to cast off in April and May while the big cruise ships remain laid up by a red light from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Skagit County taking comment on stormwater management plan
Skagit County Public Works is taking public comment on a draft Stormwater Management Program Plan update... Skagit County is required to manage stormwater runoff under the state’s Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit. That permit applies to developed areas outside of incorporated cities. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Comparing the Collateral Damage of US Fisheries
American fisheries are getting better at only catching the fish they actually intend to catch, rather than pulling in a menagerie of unintended victims. Around the world, the number of extra animals unnecessarily snagged during fishing—often called by-catch or discard—is decreasing. In the United States, by-catch rates have fallen from around 22 percent in 2002 to just over 10 percent in 2015, the most recent year for which figures are available. But these improvements have not happened evenly, and certain fisheries remain worse offenders than others. Dalmeet Singh Chawla reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Researchers reconstruct historical groundfish population using vessel logbooks
Marine science poses a challenge to researchers, particularly when it comes to the accessibility of information. In the Puget Sound, active data on fish populations was not properly maintained until 1990, leaving modern-day marine biologists, conservationists, and associated researchers with a gap in the region’s history...In January, [Jim] Essington [a professor at the School of Aquatics and Fisheries] and a team of researchers published their work in the Marine Ecological Progress Series (MEPS), breaking down the historical reconstruction of the Puget Sound groundfish community. Nolan Anderson reports. (UW Daily)

In Montana, Bears and Wolves Become Part of the Culture Wars
In addition to its spectacular landscape of mountains, rivers and prairie, Montana, the third least populous state in the country, has long been known for something else — wildlife policies that have protected animals of all sorts, including ones like grizzly bears and gray wolves that are often seen as threats to humans and to farming and ranching... Now, with its first Republican governor in 16 years, Greg Gianforte, and a solidly Republican legislature, the politics of predators seem poised to enter a new chapter. In the West these days, predators are very much part of the culture wars, and the state now seems intent on reviving some of the practices of a century ago that virtually exterminated wolves from Montana. Jim Robbins reports. (NY Times)

Alexandra Morton’s Book Should Galvanize Action on Salmon
‘Not on My Watch’ advances a devastating case against fish farms and compliant officials. Ian Gill writes. (The Tyee)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  251 AM PDT Mon Mar 29 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  NW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 11 ft  at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NW wind 20 to 30 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft after  midnight. W swell 9 ft at 10 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.

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3/26 Dandelion, WA budget proposal, Snake R dams, Aboriginal titles, Shannnon Pt research, Fairy Cr protest, Salish Sea Wonders, bald eagles

Dandelion [Dreamstime.com/Seattle Times]

 
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Dandelion, with sunny yellow flowers and puffy seedheads, is the common weed everyone knows. In fact, dandelion is a bit of an eco-hero. The plant’s tenaciously persistent taproot helps break up heavy soil and compacted clay, and the prolific early spring flowers are a valuable food source for pollinators. Remove the entire root, or dandelions surely will double down on you. (Lorene Edwards Forkner Seattle Times)

Washington Senate Democrats propose new, $59.2 billion budget with COVID-19 funds and a 7% capital-gains tax 
Flush with rebounding tax collections and a windfall in federal aid, Washington Senate Democrats on Thursday released a new budget plan that funds public health amid COVID-19, provides relief for immigrants and renters, gives new aid for businesses, child care programs and funds a tax exemption for low-income families. The new, proposed $59.2 billion state operating budget for 2021-23 doesn’t even reflect the magnitude. Lawmakers are spending an additional roughly $7 billion from the federal government’s COVID-19 relief package on programs. In short: it’s a big proposal.  Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

Northwest tribes call for removal of Lower Snake River dams
Tribal leaders from Washington and Oregon are calling on Congress and the Biden administration to remove the four dams on the Lower Snake River. The tribal leaders sent a letter to the White House and to Congressional representatives in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In it, they describe the salmon crisis as being at a breaking point. And they call the potential for extinction "a moral failure of the highest order."  Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

British Columbians in for a big adjustment with Aboriginal title settlement, lawyer says
British Columbians are in for a big shock when ownership of large parts of the province switches from the Crown to First Nations, says Aboriginal rights and title lawyer Jack Woodward. Woodward, who acts on behalf of First Nations in court, believes it’s going to be a big adjustment but that’s going to be a good thing for the province.British Columbians are in for a big shock when ownership of large parts of the province switches from the Crown to First Nations, says Aboriginal rights and title lawyer Jack Woodward. Alistair Taylor reports. (Campbell River Mirror)

Pushing Past the Pandemic: Research 'crawling back' at Shannon Point Marine Research Center
While the labs, halls and dorms at Western Washington University’s Shannon Point Marine Center remain quieter than normal, some research has resumed, and plans are taking shape to make way for more. “It has definitely been a slowdown,” the center’s Director of Marine and Coastal Science Brian Bingham said earlier this week. “We’re crawling back.” Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley herald)

The Blockaders
As logging resisters near month eight in Fairy Creek, a judge may order their surrender. Inside their last stand for old growth. Serena Renner and Zoë Yunker report. (The Tyee)

Wonders of the Salish Sea 2021
Jump into the Salish Sea on four Monday evenings beginning April 12 from 7-9 p.m. by subscribing to the Wonders of the Salish Sea, an environmental adult education program designed to awaken a sense of wonder and foster a deep connection in the Salish Sea ecosystem. Topics covered in the 2021 program are: Oceanography of the Salish Sea 101, Plankton Dynamics; Seaweeds with a Focus on Coralline Algae; BC Shellfish; A Collaborative and Place-Based Approach to Healing in the Face of the Rising Tide of Global Collapse;  Return of the Humpbacks; Sea Bird Trends and Citizen Science; The Coastal Forest Ecosystem. Cost is $25 for all four programs via Zoom.

Once Imperiled, America's Bald Eagle Populations Are Soaring
The number of bald eagles in the lower 48 U.S. states — a population once on the brink of extinction — has quadrupled in the last dozen years to more than 316,000, federal wildlife officials say, despite steep declines in other American bird populations. A new survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found there are more than 70,000 breeding pairs of the iconic raptor in the contiguous U.S. In the late 1960s, there were fewer than 500. Nathan Rott reports. (NPR)

Salish Sea News and Weather Week In Review 3/26/21
ICYMI: Spinach, shore restoration, TMX fight, "HEAL' Act, WA forests, Oso slide, dead herring, spill response, Lubchenco, enviro justice, spotted owl, carbon pricing, dam removal, tribe title settlements

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  214 AM PDT Fri Mar 26 2021   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 10 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 10 seconds. 
SAT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at  8 seconds. 
SAT NIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds. 
SUN  SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 4 ft  at 13 seconds building to 8 ft at 7 seconds in the afternoon.

--

"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

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3/25 Herb Robert, Canada carbon price, enviro justice, spotted owl, California confor, By-the-wind sailor jellies

 

Herb Robert [Dreamstime.com/Seattle Times]

Herb Robert Geranium robertianum
Don’t let those ferny leaves and delicate pink blossoms fool you; this one’s a stinker. Literally: The plant is distinctly malodorous. Remove plants before they set seed, taking care to dig out the entire brittle root system. A prolific seeder, this weed is classified as a Class B (for stinky Bob?) Weed on the Washington State Noxious Weed List (nwcb.wa.gov). Legally, a noxious weed is a nonnative plant that, once established, is highly destructive, competitive or difficult to control. Herb Robert thrives in both sun and shade, and it often can be seen aggressively carpeting the ground in local parks, ravines and greenbelts. (Lorene Edwards Forkner Seattle Times)

Canada’s Supreme Court rules carbon price constitutional. Here’s what you need to know
In a 6-3 decision, the country’s highest court has ruled the federal price on carbon, which affects both consumers and large industrial emitters, does not violate the rights of individual provinces and is a critical response to the existential threat of climate change.  Fatima Syed reports. (The Narwhal)

Environmental justice moves to mainstream as governments embrace cause
Washington state’s five oil refineries all sit near, or on, Indian reservations. Environmental justice advocates say that fact reflects a national pattern of air pollution disproportionately hitting people of color. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Conservationists sue to save spotted owl logging protections
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to preserve protections for 3.4 million acres (1.4 million hectares) of northern spotted owl habitat from the US-Canada border to northern California, the latest salvo in a legal battle over logging in federal old-growth forests that are key nesting grounds for the imperiled species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cut the amount of protected federal old-growth forest by one-third in the final days of President Donald Trump's administration, a move that was cheered by the timber industry. Gillian Flaccus reports. (Associated Press)

California condors to return to Northwest skies after 100-year absence
The Yurok Tribe of Northern California has worked for decades to return California condors to the Pacific Northwest. They hope to release their first birds this fall. Bradley W. Parks reports. (OPB)

'Blue tides' of sailor jellies on Northwest coast correlate with warmer seas in winter
New research out of the University of Washington finds a correlation between warmer ocean waters and mass strandings of By-the-wind sailor jellyfish over the past two decades. The brief, widespread beachings of "gazillions" of purplish-blue jellies along the Pacific Northwest coast create a memorable sight for those who chance to be in the right place at the right time. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  412 AM PDT Thu Mar 25 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  NW wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 11 ft at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  9 ft at 11 seconds subsiding to 7 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

3/24 Shotweed, Elizabeth Klein, Jane Lubschenco, Snake R dams, spill response, cruise ships in BC, Eyes Over PS, 'Salmon Nation,' BC Ferries, WA beaches, toad road, Audubon

Shotweed [Dreamstime.com/Seattle Times]

Shotweed Cardamine hirsuta
Shotweed is easy to identify. If you’ve ever tugged on a plant and been sprayed with an explosive shower of seeds, chances are you’ve met shotweed. One of the earliest weeds to emerge, shotweed thrives in cool, damp conditions. While relatively harmless in small numbers, its prolific seeding capacity means shotweed numbers don’t remain small for long. Get out there and remove the plants while they’re still in the juvenile, nonseeding form. (Lorene Edwards Forkner Seattle Times)

White House pulls nominee for Interior’s No. 2 post after opposition from centrists
The White House is withdrawing its nominee for deputy secretary of the Interior Department two months after touting Elizabeth Klein as one of several women President Biden had selected for top department posts, a concession to centrist senators unhappy about her advocacy to curb fossil fuels. The move, which came after Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) raised objections, shows the challenge the Biden administration faces in advancing its environmental agenda in a closely divided Congress. Juliet Eilperin and Joshua Partlow report.(Washington Post)

Prominent Oregon scientist returns to White House duty with new climate role
Jane Lubchenco, a well-known Oregon State University distinguished professor and a former Obama administration official, has been appointed a top climate change science role under President Joe Biden. Last week, Lubchenco was named the deputy director for climate and the environment for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In her role, Lubchenco will focus and lead efforts on climate change and environmental challenges we are currently facing that include health, economic recovery, equity, and sustainability. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Clallam County PUD votes 2-1 to support Snake River dams 
Commissioners Will Purser and Rick Paschall voted Monday — with Commissioner Jim Waddell opposed — to pass a resolution backing the Federal Columbia River Power System, including the four hydroelectric dams on the lower reaches of the Columbia’s largest tributary. The resolution says it recognizes the power system’s role in environmental stewardship and opposes the removal of the four dams on the lower Snake River. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

17 is too many hours to wait during a disaster. Thanks to coastal First Nations, that’s changing
Four years after a diesel spill in Heiltsuk territory, the nation, the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada have reached an agreement to form an Indigenous marine response team. The achievement is part of a recent wave of good news stories in Indigenous communities. Arik Ligeti reports. (The Narwhal)

Cruise ships to bypass B.C. under proposed Alaska law, prompts worries for battered tourism sector
There are fears British Columbia's tourism industry could be in jeopardy with newly tabled U.S. legislation that would allow cruise ships to sail around current laws and bypass B.C. altogether. Earlier this month, two senators introduced the Alaska Tourism Recovery Act, designed to kick-start the state's tourism-dependent economy while Canada bans cruise ships until February 2022.  It would provide an exemption to the current and long-standing Passenger Vessel Services Act, by waiving the requirement for ships to stop in a foreign country — meaning cruises could travel directly from Seattle to Alaska without stopping in B.C. Tanya Fletcher reports. (CBC)

Eyes Over Puget Sound: Surface Conditions Report - March 11, 2021
We are in a weakening La Niña, coastal downwelling has lessened and we are getting out of a cold and wet stretch, hurray. In March, rivers have almost returned to normal and carry clear water. (Dept. of Ecology)

‘Salmon Nation’ Is Linking Builders of a Healthy Economy
....Salmon Nation offers a radically old idea (living locally), but dresses it in new clothes on a fancy digital platform launched last year during the pandemic. It begins with this declaration: “A changing climate and failing systems demand new approaches to everything we do. We need to champion what works for people and place.”... Salmon Nation, funded in part by the U.S. NoVo Foundation, wants to encourage conversations about what ought to happen on this well-watered landscape — instead of what can be extracted from the Pacific Northwest for the global economy. Andrew Nikiforuk writes. (The Tyee)

BC Ferries announce name of new Salish-Class vessel, call for artist designs
BC Ferries is calling for local Coast Salish artists to submit vessel designs after announcing the new name of the latest Salish-Class ferry. The ferry company has named the new boat the Salish Heron in recognition of the Coast Salish as “the traditional stewards and original mariners of the Salish Sea.” Graham Cox reports. (CHEK)

Annual Report on Washington Beaches
The Dept. of Ecology reports that, "of the 63 beaches sampled in 2020, 95 percent were considered passing beaches. This is a four percent increase in passing beaches from 2019. A beach is considered passing if it has no more than one sampling event that exceeds the swimming standard."

Toads get a road of their own on Vancouver Island
When toads meet roads, it's often the end of the road for the amphibians. Road crossings are a perilous, yet unavoidable obstacle in the journey of migrating western toads on Vancouver Island, but a new transportation project aims to provide safe passage thanks to an underground tunnel. B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation is constructing a series of cross-culverts tunnelling under the road network west of Duncan so that toads can safely migrate to breeding grounds at Wake Lake. (CBC)

Audubon at Sea
Famous for his art and writing about birds—and infamous more recently for his racist views—John James Audubon traversed the Atlantic a dozen times, providing a snapshot into the state of the ocean two centuries ago. Richard J. King writes. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  207 AM PDT Wed Mar 24 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 5 ft  at 10 seconds building to 7 ft at 7 seconds in the afternoon.  Rain in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NW 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft after  midnight. W swell 11 ft at 9 seconds. A slight chance of showers.

--
"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

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3/23 Horsetail, dead herring, sunflower sea stars, sea lice pesticide, enviro racism, Oso slide, songbirds

Horsetail [Dreamstime.com/Seattle Times]

 
Horsetail Equisetum arvense
Horsetail is an ancient native plant that thrives in wet growing conditions and is nearly impossible to eradicate. What if you didn’t even try? The good plantspeople on the Sky Nursery blog write, “The fern-like foliage is actually quite beautiful combined with other wetland plants, like spirea, willow, red-twig dogwood and iris.” (Lorene Edwards Forkner, Seattle Times)

Thousands of dead herring dumped off coast of Vancouver Island, conservationists say
A conservation group that's long opposed the B.C. herring fishery says it suspects a fishing vessel has dumped a load of the small fish in Deep Bay, near Bowser on Vancouver Island. Members of the Hornby Island Conservancy say they got an anonymous tip on Friday that a commercial fishing vessel had dumped its load of netted herring after a packing vessel had refused its catch. The conservationists say they sent a diver down to gather video footage and they are now sharing images of dead fish, which appear to be herring, littering the sea floor. (CBC)

NW scientist taps into personalities, diets to help sunflower sea stars shine again
In December, sunflower sea stars were declared critically endangered by an international union of scientists...But there is hope. Pockets of healthy populations of sunflower sea stars still exist in parts of the Salish Sea. And a scientist working at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs on San Juan Island is pioneering new techniques to breed them in captivity. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Salmon farm reapplies for three-year permit to dump sea lice pesticide in B.C. coastal waters
Cermaq has applied for a new permit to dump almost 3,000 bathtubs of a sea lice pesticide in Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve waters, as companies head to court to challenge a federal decision to terminate salmon farming in the Discovery Islands. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

The movement to address environmental racism is growing. This bill could provide the data it needs
Bill before Parliament would require Ottawa to collect data on links between race, environmental hazards. Tashauna Reid and Alice Hopton report. (CBC)

7 years ago: ‘We waved hello, not realizing it was a goodbye’
March 22 is a day of mourning and remembrance for many in north Snohomish County. Forty-three people perished in the 2014 Oso mudslide. On Monday, the community gathered again. Ian Davis-Leonard reports. (Everett Herald)

Here Come Our Songbirds. But Why Do Some Leave So Early?
One oriole’s feather-fixing layover in wet Mexico. And more data from geolocators strapped on BC’s avian visitors. Matthew Reudink explains. (The Tyee)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  212 AM PDT Tue Mar 23 2021   
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 6 ft at 10 seconds. Rain 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

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/22 Chickweed, WA forests, Nooksack water, lege bills, HEAL Act, pipeline fight, permafrost thaw, restoration grants, green crabs, seals and salmon, Gerado Rodarte, OR shorebirds

Chickweed [Dreamstime.com/Seattle Times]

 
Chickweed Stellaria media
Chickweed is an annual that flourishes in previously cultivated soil that’s rich in organic material and nutrients, which is why you’ll often find it carpeting the vegetable garden. The tender plants and their delicate roots are easily removed with a hand fork. As the name suggests, chickweed is a flavorful and nutritious treat for chickens — and it’s not too shabby in an early spring herb salad, either. It’s especially satisfying to eat your weeds. (Lorene Edwards Forkner, Seattle Times)

Amid climate crisis, a proposal to save Washington state forests for carbon storage, not logging
Hilary Franz, state commissioner of public lands, is kicking off an examination over the next three to four months of all older forests on DNR lands west of the Cascades not already in conservation status — about 10,000 acres --to evaluate alternative uses to logging, including biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality and recreation. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

A next step to resolve Nooksack water rights waits on legislative budget decision
The state Department of Ecology has announced its intent to resolve the contentious issues around water rights in the Nooksack Basin through the legal action of adjudication, and money to move that process forward is proposed in the budget under consideration by the Legislature. Alex Meacham reports. (Salish Current)

The bills we’re tracking in the 2021 Washington state Legislature
Pandemic relief, climate change, police accountability, taxes and more — here’s what we’re watching halfway into the session. Mohammed Kloub reports. (Crosscut)

Washington ‘HEAL’ Act would steer key state agencies toward environmental justice
The Washington Healthy Environment for All Act, or "HEAL Act," has passed the state Senate and is working its way through the House. Its aim is to implement the recommendations from an environmental justice task force that wrapped up its work last summer...The seven agencies named in the bill are Agriculture, Commerce, Ecology, Health, Natural Resources, Transportation and the Puget Sound Partnership. All have been at the table with the environmental justice task force, working on the policy. Other departments of government would be encouraged to follow their lead. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

For BC’s Two Pipeline Fights, It’s Spring Forward
TMX and Coastal GasLink face resurging opposition across the province as Trudeau invites Biden to talk climate change. Braela Kwan reports. (The Tyee/Investigate West)

Looking for climate solutions within the problem of permafrost thaw
Thawing permafrost in rapidly warming Arctic regions creates a problem for climate change from the carbon dioxide and methane released in the process. A scientific discussion, centred in Vancouver, is mulling over how to cope with the problem and possibly even slow the rate of permafrost thaw through big-picture interventions such as solar geo-engineering. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Samish Island, Stillaguamish delta salt marsh projects get federal funding
From the shores of Samish Island in northwest Skagit County to the Stillaguamish River delta to the south, coastal wetland projects recently secured grant funding. Out of $3.6 million awarded in February to projects in Washington through the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, $1 million will go toward a project led by the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians along Port Susan Bay and $875,000 for a project led by the Skagit Land Trust between Samish and Padilla bays. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Washington’s Crabby New Resident
Researchers, tribes and volunteers work to fight the rising tide of European green crabs on Washington shores.
Morgan MacIntryre reports. (The Planet Magazine)

Seals and Sound Waves
Seals prey predominantly on salmon during summer and fall, coinciding with salmon spawning season. Now, Puget Sound scientists are testing a new underwater alarm to see if the noise can scare seals from Whatcom Creek and help preserve valuable salmon. The device was developed by Scottish company GenusWave, and is now being used by the Seattle-based Oceans Initiative and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Abi Hoodenpyle reports. (The Planet Magazine)

Skagit County shellfish grower receives award from Latino Civic Alliance
The Latino Civic Alliance recognized a Skagit County shellfish grower and business owner Tuesday at the annual Latino Legislative Day Civic Awards. Gerardo Rodarte, who owns Samish Gold Seafoods in Bow, was one of six award recipients. He received the Business Achievement Award. Jacqueline Allison reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Voices Unbound: New perspectives on environmental challenges
A group of researchers at the University of Washington Tacoma asked more than a thousand people in Pierce County what they viewed as their most important environmental challenges. Nursing professor Robin Evans-Agnew will present some of the findings from the Voices Unbound project on March 22 at 10 a.m. via zoom

Threatened shorebird protected on Oregon beaches
It’s that time of year again when Oregonians are asked to help protect the nesting areas of a small coastal shore bird. The western snowy plover is threatened. In 1993, the known population dropped to 55 breeding adults. Tiffany Eckert reports. (KLCC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  257 AM PDT Mon Mar 22 2021   
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 2 to  4 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds. A slight  chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at  11 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.

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3/19 Canvasback, WA clean fuels, Chevron Kitimat LNG, youth climate activists

Canvasback [All About Birds]

 
Canvasback Aythya valisineria
Often called the aristocrat of ducks, the Canvasback holds its long sloping forehead high with a distinguished look. Males stand out with a rusty head and neck and a gleaming whitish body bookended in black. Females are pale brown overall, but that Canvasback head shape still gives them away. This diving duck eats plant tubers at the bottom of lakes and wetlands. It breeds in lakes and marshes and winters by the thousands on freshwater lakes and coastal waters. The species name of the Canvasback, valisineria, comes from Vallisneria americana, or wild celery, whose winter buds and stems are the duck’s preferred food during the nonbreeding period. (All About Birds)

Clean fuel legislation could be blocked again by one WA Democrat
The annual push in Olympia to promote electric vehicles and biofuels at the expense of gasoline and “dinosaur” diesel has again failed to woo a key senator who killed the bill twice before. But whether that will matter this time is an open question...This year’s bill, House Bill 1091, cleared the state House of Representatives, 52-46, and passed a Senate committee hearing Tuesday morning. While boosters celebrate the bill’s progress, it may yet land before the Senate Transportation Committee — the place where the idea stalled in 2019 and 2020. The Transportation Committee chairman, Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, declined to put the legislation up for a vote both years, and still isn’t smitten with it. Levi Pulkkinen reports. (InvestigateWest)

Chevron Canada to stop funding further feasibility work Kitimat LNG project
Chevron Canada Ltd. says it will stop funding further feasibility work on its proposed Kitimat LNG project on B.C.'s north coast. The company holds a 50 per cent stake in the project in a joint venture with Australia's Woodside Petroleum Ltd. Chevron, which is the project operator, put its interest up for sale in December 2019, but has failed to find a buyer. (Canadian Press)

Youth Climate Activists Aim to Rally Support for Indigenous Land Defenders
Best known for their ability to draw massive crowds in support of climate justice, the Sustainabiliteens are taking a different approach for today’s global day of youth action by drawing attention to the work of Indigenous activists fighting the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project. Along with hundreds of young people across Canada and many more worldwide, the Sustainabiliteens, a group of high school-aged activists from across Metro Vancouver, will be gathering outside Environment Canada’s downtown Vancouver offices at 10 a.m.  Katie Hyslop reports. (The Tyee)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  309 AM PDT Fri Mar 19 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 4 ft. W swell 13 ft at 11 seconds. A  chance of showers in the morning. A slight chance of tstms.  Showers in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 11 ft at 12 seconds  subsiding to 9 ft at 11 seconds after midnight. Showers likely in  the evening. A slight chance of tstms. A chance of showers after  midnight. 
SAT  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 7 ft at  10 seconds. A chance of showers in the morning then a slight  chance of showers in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 9 seconds. 
SUN  SW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming S 20 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft building to 3 to 5 ft. W swell 5  ft at 10 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.

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3/18 Oxeye daisy, dam breaching, WA revenue, Growler noise, shores and salmon, oiled snapped, Irish sea

Oxeye Daisy [Derek Ramsey/Chanticleer Garden]

 
Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare
The Oxeye Daisy is the prototype for the "daisy-like" term used to describe the structure of many flowers in the Asteraceae family with radial ray florets and a densely-populated central disk. This much-loved flower is an import from its native Europe and Asia, and is naturalized in every state in the United States and almost all of Canada. It is officially considered a noxious weed in Colorado, Montana, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming.

Lower Snake River dam-breaching proposal a 'nonstarter' for more than a dozen regional environmental groups
More than a dozen regional environmental groups, including the Spokane Riverkeeper, are publicly opposing a proposal to breach the four lower Snake River Dams, calling the concept a “nonstarter.” The environmental advocates in Washington and Oregon who announced their opposition to the plan on Tuesday say the proposal will neuter two bedrock environmental laws – the Endangered Species and Clean Water acts.  Eli Francovich reports. (Spokesman-Review)

Battle over Washington’s budget looms as revenue picture improves
...Wednesday's March revenue forecast...showed the state returning to pre-pandemic revenue levels... Washington’s improving fiscal picture isn’t an anomaly. A recent New York Times analysis shows that nearly half of states saw their revenues increase from April to December of last year. And many more experienced only slight declines. A key factor was federal aid that allowed even laid off workers to keep spending. Now, more federal money is headed to states from the latest stimulus package. Austin Jenkins reports. (NW News Network)

Studies: Noise from Navy's Growler jets could impact wildlife
A battle continues over jets at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, with the most recent fight being over how the noise generated by a growing number of EA-18G Growler jets stationed at the military base impacts wildlife. Based on research published in November, the nonprofit Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve, or COER, is threatening to sue the Navy, as well as NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, if the federal agencies don’t reconsider how Growler flights may impact endangered Southern Resident orcas and threatened marbled murrelets. The threat of legal action is based on two studies, each published in peer reviewed journals. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Coastal Squeeze
Rising sea levels pit preserving salmon against protecting homes and communities. Can we have both? Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Regarding bird memory
Yesterday's news clip regarding bird brain prompted Tony Angell to write: "Clark's nutcracker also posses remarkable memories when stashing pine nuts to be retrieved later for winter sustenance. Studies found their success rate at recovery of seeds was close to 90 percent.  What wasn't  found typically germinated and produced another pine.  These species are given credit for reforesting vast areas in the mountain Southwest.  Credit where credit is due, right?"

Red Snapper in the Gulf show signs of stress after Gulf oil spill
Nearly all of the Red Snapper sampled in the Gulf of Mexico over a six-year period following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill showed evidence of liver damage. (ScienceDaily)

Bass note
San Juan County Environmental Resources project manager Byron Rot writes that yesterday's item about bass left out important information: "Bass are native to the East-Central Canada-US, not native to Pacific Northwest, where they are introduced.  Where introduced, bass predate on juvenile native species such as trout and salmon.  Bass are a significant problem to salmon recovery for stream and river-connected wetlands, ponds, and lakes where bass are introduced.  People watch bass-fishing shows and then want to introduce them to their favorite lake.  They don’t belong here.  You need a permit from WDFW for this!  WDFW planting of bass in WA State lakes has evolved over the past few decades, and they are much more careful now (and could be more restrictive in my opinion).  It is difficult to impossible to get rid of bass once they are established."

To Speak of the Sea in Irish
A new dictionary project aims to safeguard coastal Irish words and the unique perspectives they provide.
Text by Claudia Geib. Animations by Aurélie Beatley. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  257 AM PDT Thu Mar 18 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH  FRIDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft  at 10 seconds building to SW 8 ft at 10 seconds in the afternoon.  Rain likely. 
TONIGHT  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell  9 ft at 10 seconds. Rain likely in the evening then showers and a  slight chance of tstms 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.

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3/17 Largemouth bass, giant hornets, Métis Nation, Heiltsuk Nation, spot prawns, bird brains and songs

Largemouth bass [WikiMedia Commons]

 

Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides
Largemouth bass is a member of the sunfish family, though larger than those species considered "panfish".  Together with six other species of bass, they make up the group typically known as the black basses.  Other than the largemouth, the only other member of the black basses in Washington is the similar looking smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu. (WDFW)

Washington state, Canada team up to eradicate Asian giant hornets
Wildlife officials in Washington state have said British Columbia and U.S. federal and state agencies will work together to track, trap and eradicate Asian giant hornets in the Pacific Northwest. (Associated Press)

Métis Nation in B.C. votes to declare self-government, with plans to forge new relationship with province
Members of the largest Indigenous nation in the province have voted to declare self-government with the goal of preserving its culture and language for future generations. The vote, held during Métis Nation British Columbia's (MNBC) annual general meeting in February, makes MNBC and its 20,000 registered citizens the official government of the Métis community in B.C. (CBC)

Heiltsuk Nation, federal agencies sign agreement to establish Indigenous marine response team
More than four years after the Nathan E. Stewart disaster on B.C.'s central coast, the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada commit to funding and training Heiltsuk first responders and improving communication and collaboration. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

DFO backtracks on rule that harvesters warned would destroy the local spot prawn industry
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has temporarily pulled back on a change of regulation that small scale harvesters had warned would destroy the local spot prawn industry. Earlier this month, the conservation and protection arm of DFO announced it was changing how it interprets a regulation that would make frozen-at-sea tubs of spot prawns illegal effective immediately. (CBC)

This bird’s brain grows in winter to remember where it stashed its food
...A chickadee will stash food in thousands of hiding spots in the fall. The trick is remembering where they put all that food. Each winter, the hippocampus, the part of the chickadee’s raspberry-sized brain that remembers locations, grows by 30 percent. In the toughest of times, memory means survival. Then in the spring, the chickadees let their bird brains shrink back down to regular size once the livin’ is easy. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)  And:  Regent honeyeater: Endangered bird 'has forgotten its song'  A rare songbird has become so threatened that it has started to lose its song, say scientists. The regent honeyeater, once abundant in south-eastern Australia, is now listed as critically endangered; just 300 individuals remain in the world.  Victoria Gill reports. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  159 AM PDT Wed Mar 17 2021    TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft  at 12 seconds.  TONIGHT  N wind to 10 kt becoming E after midnight. Wind waves  2

--
"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.

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3/16 Eared seal, Deb Haaland, Michael Regan, eDNA, mystery feet, PA harbor restoration

Eared seal [WikiMedia Commons]

 
Eared seal
An eared seal or otariid or otary is any member of the marine mammal family Otariidae, one of three groupings of pinnipeds. They comprise 15 extant species in seven genera and are commonly known either as sea lions or fur seals, distinct from true seals and the walrus. (Wikipedia)

Deb Haaland confirmed as interior secretary, becoming the first Native American U.S. Cabinet member
Rep. Debra Anne Haaland of New Mexico was confirmed Monday as the country’s first Native American Cabinet-level official, becoming secretary of the interior. The U.S. Senate vote was 51-40. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

New EPA administrator: ‘Science is back’
In his first interview as the nation’s top environmental official, Michael Regan says he is focused on restoring morale at the agency, combating climate change and lifting up communities burdened by pollution. Brady Dennis and Dino Grandoni report. (Washington Post)

Tiny Scoops Of Water Are Unlocking Worlds Of Information About Oregon Watersheds 
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, can help identify who’s in a river, stream or creek. Now, it’s helping scientists learn how threatened salmon and trout adapt to a changing environment. Bradley W. Parks reports. (OPB)

How science solved the mystery of feet washing ashore in the Pacific Northwest
The unsettling discoveries along the Salish Sea prompted talk of serial killers, aliens, and psychics. The truth is even more unexpected. This story is an excerpt from the book Gory Details: Adventures From the Dark Side of Science by Erika Engelhaupt. (National Geographic)

Port of Port Angeles reaches $1.7 million settlement for harbor restoration 
The Port of Port Angeles has reached a $1.7 million settlement that will help fund the restoration of western Port Angeles Harbor, Executive Director Karen Goschen said. Port commissioners reviewed the federal Natural Resource Damages settlement without objection in a special meeting Monday. Commissioners described the pact as a “huge milestone” for the port. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Port Angeles Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  238 AM PDT Tue Mar 16 2021   
TODAY  NW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 14 seconds building to 7 ft  at 13 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.

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3/15 Short-eared owl, rescue tug, Tacoma sewage, BC old growth, tree methane, Orting dam, NW salmon, border closure, David Schindler

Short-eared Owl [Alan Fritzberg]

 
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
This open-country hunter is one of the world's most widely distributed owls, and among the most frequently seen in daylight. Don't look too eagerly for the ear tufts, which are so short they're often invisible. More conspicuous features are its black-rimmed yellow eyes staring out from a pale facial disk. These birds course silently over grasslands on broad, rounded wings, especially at dawn and dusk. They use acute hearing to hunt small mammals and birds. (All About Birds}

Rescue tug stationed in islands is best bet to avoid oil spills in San Juan – Gulf waters, study says
With increased vessel traffic around the San Juan Islands, some worry that the risk of oil spills may be rising as well. A new study makes the case that an emergency response tug stationed in the islands would be money well-spent. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Salish Current)

Tacoma sues over planned wastewater treatment requirements that could cost $1 billion
Tacoma has sued the state Department of Ecology over proposed requirements for wastewater treatment plants that discharge to Puget Sound, a new regulation the city said could cost up to $1 billion to implement. The lawsuit is over a draft permit Ecology has developed to control excess nutrients, which the agency has said flow from those plants to Puget Sound and hurt the environment. “Ecology’s stated intention is that the General Permit shall apply to nearly 60 domestic wastewater treatment plants discharging into Puget Sound,” the lawsuit said. “Each of these plants is already required by the CWA (Clean Water Act) to discharge pursuant to an individual NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit.” Alexis Krell reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

B.C. urged to protect at-risk old growth forests while it works to transform policy
The most at-risk ecosystems should be set aside from logging while British Columbia shifts its forestry policies toward a more sustainable system, says a forester who helped write a provincial report on old-growth forests. The report last April co-written by Garry Merkel urged B.C. to act within six months to defer harvesting in old forest ecosystems at the highest risk of permanent biodiversity loss. Brenna Owen reports. (CBC) See also: BC Promised to Protect Old Growth. How Is It Doing?  Andrew MacLeod reports. (The Tyee)

The secret life of trees: Researchers probe methane in Washington’s coastal forest
Trees have a little secret you might not know about. Yes, they produce oxygen. Yes, they take in carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. But, they also emit methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas that can be significantly more potent than carbon dioxide. "Just about every tree we measured had elevated amounts of methane in it. And that was consistent across the Northwest with a variety of different species," says Nick Ward, a scientist with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Pierce County dam operator sued for third time after turf released in Puyallup River
Citizens for a Healthy Bay filed a lawsuit on March 9 against an Orting dam after turf polluted the Puyallup River during a construction project last summer. The Tacoma nonprofit and Seattle-based Puget Soundkeeper Alliance allege in their lawsuit that Electron Hydro violated the federal Clean Water Act when crews placed a layer of field turf in the bed of the Puyallup River while working on a diversion system last summer. Field turf escaped and flowed downstream. The lawsuit also claims the daily operation of the hydropower dam pollutes the river. Josephine Peterson reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Northwest’s iconic salmon face tough conditions during ocean journey
Ocean conditions can be integral to salmon survival. And in 2021, the Pacific Northwest’s iconic fish will face a mixed bag: some good and some bad conditions while out at sea. Salmon survive best when the water is cooler along the coast and warmer farther out. Colder La Niña conditions have also led to higher salmon counts. Right now, that’s exactly what’s happening. But things will likely change over the summer. “The next few months look pretty good. However, things are expected to change. A lot of the warm water we’ve seen the past couple of years is not gone completely. It’s just not at the surface,” says Brian Burke, a research fisheries biologist with NOAA Fisheries. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

The Canada-U.S. border's been shut down for a year — and there's no reopening plan
The one-year anniversary of the quasi-shutdown of the Canada-U.S. border will come and go next week, with no end in sight to disruptions that have affected lives, businesses, and communities touching the world's so-called longest undefended frontier. Once again, the tightening will be extended on March 21 for another month as it has every month since the pandemic crashed onto this continent last year. Once again, the people most affected will wonder what the plan is for reopening and what sorts of publi health stats would allow regular travel to resume. The truth is: There is no plan. Alexander Panetta writes. (CBC)

David Schindler, the Scientific Giant Who Defended Fresh Water
Among the world’s greatest ecologists, his boreal research has touched all of our lives. Andrew Nikiforuk writes. (The Tyee)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  239 AM PDT Mon Mar 15 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM PDT EARLY THIS  MORNING   
TODAY  NW wind 15 to 25 kt through 5 AM then becoming 10 to 20  kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft through 5 AM then subsiding to 1 to 3  ft. W swell 7 ft at 10 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NW wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Win

--
"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.

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3/12 Silver, BC herring, climate activists, kelp loss, BC spot prawns, bird songs, Site C dam, Bach to you

Hi-Yo, Silver

 
Silver
According to the episode "The Legend of Silver" (September 30, 1938), before acquiring Silver, the Lone Ranger rode a chestnut mare called Dusty. The Lone Ranger saves Silver's life from an enraged buffalo, and in gratitude, Silver chooses to give up his wild life to carry him. Hi-Yo, Silver. (Wikipedia)

Commercial herring fishery opens amid calls for moratorium
Critics are sounding the alarm with the Pacific herring commercial fishery underway this week. The seine fishery opened on Tuesday (March 9th) at 6:00pm. The gillnet fishery started dropping their nets yesterday (March 10th) at 1:00pm. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has set the harvest rate at 20 percent of the spawning herring population, which is the same as last year. That means the Strait of Georgia’s harvest rate will cap out at 16,330 tonnes. Troy Landreville reports. (Comox Valley Now)

Washington climate activists disagree about how to cut carbon
Competing efforts to enact landmark climate change legislation have fractured the state’s environmental coalition and Olympia’s all-powerful Democratic caucus, with some activists arguing that the proposal pushed by Gov. Jay Inslee shortchanges minority and low-income communities. Levi Pulkkinen reports. (InvestigateWest)

Southern Sound kelp are in a pinch
Kelp in some areas of Puget Sound are struggling to survive amid the pressures of climate change, according to a new study from the Washington state Department of Natural Resources. The study, which was done in conjunction with scientists from Marine Agronomics and the U.S. Geological Survey looked at kelp in South Puget Sound — long and narrow inlets at the bottom of the Sound. The study found that over the last 145 years, these shorelines have lost about two-thirds of their bull kelp forests. (Snoqualmie Valley Record)

Spot prawn industry under threat after DFO regulation change, small local harvesters say
Spot prawn season is still a few months away, but a change by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has some harvesters worried the celebrated B.C. fishery — and a large part of their livelihood — is about to be wiped out. For decades, small scale harvesters have frozen tubs of spot prawns in salt water while still at sea to preserve them for transport to local markets. But the practice is now outlawed, because DFO says on-board inspectors need the prawns to be readily available for measuring to ensure they meet size regulations. Previously, inspectors measured prawns as they were being sorted. Karin Larsen reports. (CBC)

A quick guide to the birds you’re hearing now in Seattle area
The birds most likely to capture our attention with their songs during early spring in the Pacific Northwest are not migratory visitors, nor exotic strangers, but good old perennial neighbors. Christine Clarridge reports. (Seattle Times)

The Site C dam isn’t the B.C. NDP’s first over-budget megaproject
When a northern B.C. railway extension ran dramatically over budget in the 1970s, the B.C. NDP government also failed to stop its predecessor's infrastructure project. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tree/The Narwhal)

If you like to watch and to listen: Forest Xylophone Plays Bach

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  244 AM PST Fri Mar 12 2021   
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt becoming E in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 10 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt becoming S after midnight. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. 
SAT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming E in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 10 seconds. 
SAT NIGHT  E wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds. 
SUN  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming W 20 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft building to 3 to 5 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 8 ft at 11 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.

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