7/7 Crabapple, L25, feed lot waste rule, WA bun ban, Canadian shipping, Chlor-Alkali Area cleanup, beach closures

Western Crabapple [Native Plants PNW]

Western Crabapple Malus fusca
Western Crabapple is our only native crabapple – easily discernible from its east coast cousins by the oblong shape of the fruit – and is a good large shrub/small tree for attracting birds to the garden. In April – May, small clusters of fragrant white to pink simple flowers appear, followed by clusters of tiny fruit of yellow to reddish purple which often persist into the winter, providing late-season food for a variety of birds. The fruit is edible by humans, though it is quite sour; any jam or jelly would require the addition of considerable sugar to make it palatable. (Portland Nursery)

Record heat, drought threaten even the toughest survivors: L25, the oldest orca, and the winter Chinook she depends on
...No one really knows when she was born, but if her estimated birth year of 1928 is correct or even close, L25 has been traveling the seas of our region over uncounted miles for some 93 years. And this year, with its record heat and drought, is testing even the toughest survivors, including winter-run Chinook that L25 and her family still travel all the way to the coast of Central California to hunt. These succulent salmon once were a staple of the southern residents’ diet, the prize of the Sacramento River system, once second only to the Columbia River in the Lower 48 as a salmon producer. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Washington court rules in favor of conservation groups in fight over cattle lots and groundwater 
It’s back to the drawing board for state regulators, after the Washington Court of Appeals ordered the Department of Ecology to rework permits for confined animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs. A panel of judges ruled that current waste discharge permits don’t adequately protect groundwater and don’t take climate change into account. Conservation groups are calling the ruling a “watershed moment for the entire state of Washington.” Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Inslee declares wildfire state of emergency, burn ban
Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday declared a state of emergency throughout Washington relating to the growing risk of wildfires, including a statewide prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning through Sept. 30. (Associated Press)

Conservationists Set Their Sights on Shipping
Canada already has the legal tools to restrict shipping activity in marine protected areas. These environmentalists think it’s time to start using them more rigorously. Erica Gies reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Cleaning up: On Bellingham’s waterfront, a cleanup plan for the Chlor-Alkali Area
The Department of Ecology is taking public comment through Aug. 4 on the cleanup plan for the Chlor-Alkali Area of the former Georgia-Pacific West pulp mill on Bellingham Bay. (WA Dept of Ecology)

More closures: 10 beaches in Puget Sound closed due to high fecal bacteria levels
A total of ten Puget Sound beaches in four different counties are under "no contact" advisories due to dangerously high bacteria levels present in the water. The Washington Department of Ecology announced on July 2 that several beaches were closing ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend after high levels of fecal bacteria were detected during routine samplings. The beaches are closed until further notice. Callie Craighead reports. (Seattle P-I)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  226 AM PDT Wed Jul 7 2021   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt rising to 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 7 seconds. Patchy  drizzle in the morning. A slight chance of rain in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 7 seconds.

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