4/19 Garter snake, WA carbon pricing, WA salmon season, Whatcom Cr hatchery, renewable energy, Betsy Weatherhead, whale culture, great shot

Garter snake [Burke Museum]

 
Garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis
Common Gartersnake coloration varies among localities, with up to 13 subspecies described based appearance across their North American distribution. In Washington, two subspecies can be found. The Puget Sound Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii, pictured), which is slender and black with turquoise or black bellies and bright yellow or turquoise dorsal and lateral stripes and occasional vertical red flecks on their sides  The Valley Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi), which often has more pronounced red blotches in on the sides, thicker yellow dorsal and lateral stripes, and often red bellies. (Burke Museum)

The future of WA transportation hinges on carbon pricing debate
Top legislators want to put a price on carbon to raise money for transportation projects. But with time running out, they can’t agree on the details. Melissa Santos reports. (Crosscut)

Washington salmon seasons tentatively set for 2021-22
Despite a strong projected coho return to the state’s ocean waters, this year’s Washington salmon seasons largely reflect continued low runs of some wild Chinook and coho stocks, especially in Puget Sound, state fishery managers announced yesterday. The state's 2021-22 salmon fishing seasons, developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and treaty tribal co-managers, were tentatively set Thursday at the end of a week-long Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting held via webinar. (WDFW/iFIBRE One)

These BTC students’ efforts ‘will have a cascading effect on future generations’ of salmon
At a fish hatchery near the mouth of Whatcom Creek, on land that was an indigenous village before white settlers arrived, biology students are working to boost salmon runs and help save the endangered Salish Sea orcas. “If we get back one fish that feeds somebody, we’ve done the right thing,” said Steven Solomon of Lummi Nation’s Natural Resources Department. Solomon told The Bellingham Herald that his great-grandfather lived in a small dwelling on the creek near Bellingham Bay in the early 1900s, and salmon provided food for all tribal members, not just his family. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Renewable Electricity Is Coming on Strong
BC and all of Cascadia could move off fossil fuels, say new models. Moving fast is key, say experts. Peter Fairley reports. (The Tyee)

White House removes scientist picked by Trump official to lead key climate report
Betsy Weatherhead, chosen to steer the government’s National Climate Assessment, has been reassigned to the U.S. Geological Survey. Jason Samenow reports. (Washington Post)

Photos: The Culture Of Whales
Brian Skerry says it was "the stuff of dreams" to be in the water with a nursing sperm whale. The National Geographic photographer and explorer dove into Caribbean waters to capture what he believes to be a unique image. He got within a few meters to get the shot...That moment produced one of several rare images in a new issue of National Geographic magazine, the culmination of Skerry's three-year project exploring the culture of whales. Taylor Haney reports. (NPR)

One Great Shot: When Dinner Will Not Go Gently
A photographer witnesses the struggle between a gull and a freshly hatched sea turtle. Jake Wilton reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  255 AM PDT Mon Apr 19 2021   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming E 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon. W  swell 2 ft at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  3 ft at 11 seconds.

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