Salish Sea News and Weather: November 2021

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

11/30 Kohlrabi, more stormin', Nooksack R salmon, Indigenous protected area, freight backlog, sound of the sea, Keystone XL

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi, also called German turnip, is a biennial vegetable, a low, stout cultivar of wild cabbage. It is another cultivar of the same species as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, and gai lan. It can be eaten raw or cooked. (Wikipedia)

Salish Current calls today "Giving NewsDay"
Support independent nonprofit news reporting serving Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties by making a donation now on "Giving NewsDay" which will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the NewsMatch Campaign. Salish Current is fact-based news, reader supported, free to read and free from advertising. "Giving NewsDay" today.

Severe storm hits B.C.'s already soaked South Coast
Up to 100 millimetres of rain are forecast for parts of B.C.'s South Coast Tuesday (CBC News) It’s been the wettest early fall on record in the Seattle area — and more rain is coming (Seattle Times)

Northern Washington tribes fear ‘devastation’ of salmon by extreme floodwaters
Too much water can be dangerous, even for fish. John Ryan reports. (KUOW) See also: As officials tally losses from flood damage, tribes say impacts on fish runs won’t be known for years The Nooksack River registered some of its highest flood levels ever in the recent flooding that authorities now say caused as much as $50 million in damages. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

First Nation declares land in Knight Inlet an Indigenous protected area
A Campbell River-area First Nation made a bold proclamation Monday that it wants a seat at the table when it comes to stewardship of a massive area of its traditional territory that it said was taken “by a stroke of a pen” nearly a century ago. The Mamalilikulla First Nation declared a 10,416-hectare parcel in Knight Inlet an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA), saying the nation has inherent responsibilities for the land, sea and natural resources within its territory and that the rights and title to the area were never ceded to provincial or federal governments. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Exporters face logistical nightmare as CN yet to restore service to Vancouver port
Official says it could take months to restore regular movement of goods through B.C. Ross Marowits reports. (Canadian Press)

Using the Sound of the Sea to Help Rebuild Ocean Habitats
Playing recordings of a healthy ocean attracts animals to degraded habitats, suggesting that sound could be used to help restore marine ecosystems. Elizabeth Preston reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Manchin calls on Biden to restore Keystone XL pipeline
Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is calling on President Biden to restore the Keystone XL pipeline as gas prices across the country rise. Cameron Jenkins reports. (The Hill) See also: TC Energy advances trade suit seeking $15 billion over canceled Keystone XL Renee Jean reports. (Victoria Advocate) And: Alberta Plans Keystone XL Trade Claim Against US (Law360)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 223 AM PST Tue Nov 30 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
TODAY SE wind 20 to 30 kt becoming S in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 6 ft at 13 seconds. Rain.
TONIGHT SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Monday, November 29, 2021

11/29 Brussels sprout, flooding, WA wastewater, green crab, GasLink protest, indigenous recognition, BC dike upgrade, BC fuel supply, BC farm loss, stranded sturgeon

Brussels sprout (WikiCommons)

Brussels sprout
The Brussels sprout is a member of the Gemmifera cultivar group of cabbages, grown for its edible buds. The leaf vegetables are typically 1.5–4.0 cm in diameter and resemble miniature cabbages. The Brussels sprout has long been popular in Brussels, Belgium, from which it gained its name. (Wikipedia)

Heavy rains, rising river waters bring more flooding to saturated northwest Washington communities
The National Weather Service issued flood warnings in Whatcom and Skagit counties, as well as the Olympic Peninsula, all areas that recorded as much as 4.5 inches of rainfall between noon Saturday and noon Sunday. Lulu Ramadan reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Weekend rain drenches southwest B.C., prompting flood warnings, evacuations Akshay Kulkarni, Courtney Dickson and Chad Pawson report. (CBC)

Washington state seeks tighter wastewater rules for Puget Sound, but sewage plant operators push back
...The state’s Ecology Department will decide as soon as the end of the month whether to issue a new general permit for all 58 sewage plants around the Sound. Ecology argues that as more people live here, it’s imperative they not contribute more nitrogen, which comes from their urine, and worsen low dissolved oxygen levels. These levels already occur in some parts of Puget Sound, especially in the summer. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Lummi Nation declares disaster as tens of thousands of invasive European green crab found
The Lummi Indian Business Council has passed a resolution declaring a disaster after more than 70,000 European green crab — an invasive species — were captured and removed from the Lummi Sea Pond in recent months. Natasha Brennan reports. (Bellingham Herald)

‘We are not here to get killed’: Wet’suwet’en solidarity actions met with armed police response
RCMP tear down Gitxsan rail blockade in New Hazelton, B.C., while people across Canada organize in support of land defenders. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal) See also: B.C. government says it isn't responsible for Wet'suwet'en divisions, arrests of Coastal GasLink activists 'It is not the government of the day that directs police to do their work,' says Indigenous affairs minister. Winston Szeto reports. (CBC)

Arlington formally recognizes homeland of Stillaguamish people
A newly adopted acknowledgement is intended to show respect to native ancestors and their descendants. Isabella Breda reports. (Everett Herald) See also: Powell River Wrestles with Changing Its Colonial Name The Tla’amin Nation makes the case for a new identity. The city is asking for patience. Andrea Smith reports. (The Tyee)

B.C. needs billions in dike upgrades to prepare for climate change
B.C. needs to upgrade hundreds of kilometres of dikes, mostly in the Lower Mainland. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. fuel supplies stable, Trans Mountain pushes back pipeline restart
Fuel shipments by barge and rail, along with rationing, are helping shore up the Lower Mainland's restricted fuel supplies while awaiting restart of the Trans Mountain pipeline, according to Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Rob Fleming. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Flood damage could cost farmers hundreds of millions of dollars, B.C. Agriculture Council says
It could take as long as a year for some farms to begin operating again, council president says. Michelle Gomez reports. (CBC)

Flood-stranded sturgeon pushed, pulled and carried back to the Fraser River
2-metre-long, 100-kg fish rescued by angling guides volunteering in flood relief effort. Karin Larsen reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 225 AM PST Mon Nov 29 2021
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of rain.
TONIGHT SW wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 10 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the evening then rain after midnight.

Friday, November 26, 2021

11/26 Turkey vulture, barging fuel to BC, GasLink protest, Suzuki apologizes, week in review

Turkey Vulture [Greg Lavaty]

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
The most widely distributed vulture in the New World, the Turkey Vulture is a large, predominantly blackish-brown bird. It is most commonly seen soaring overhead. The Turkey Vulture has a 5- to 6-foot wingspan and soars with its wings tilted up, in a dihedral pattern. Unlike most birds, Turkey Vultures have a well-developed sense of smell. As they soar over foraging areas, they scan the ground, searching for carrion or scavengers that might signal the presence of something dead. When they locate food, they eat it in place. (BirdWeb)

Flood-Ravaged British Columbia Starts Barging In Fuel From U.S.
British Columbia has begun receiving U.S. fuel supplies by sea to help ease shortages triggered by some of the worst floods on record, while the government warned residents to hunker down as fresh storms hit the disaster-ravaged province. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming told reporters Thursday that refined fuel is being barged in from the U.S. to help maintain fuel supplies. The government has ordered gas stations to ensure their reserves until Dec. 1 as it looks to bring fuel from as far away as Oregon and California. Robert Tuttle and Natalie Obiko Pearson report. (Bloomberg)

In photos: a view of RCMP arrests of media, Indigenous land defenders on Wet’suwet’en territory
Police made arrests Friday [Nov. 19], triggering international attention of Canada's support for the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which is opposed by hereditary chiefs. Amber Bracken reports. (The Narwhal)

Suzuki apologizes for warning pipelines could be 'blown up' over environmental frustrations
Well-known environmentalist David Suzuki apologized Thursday for comments about pipelines being destroyed. “The remarks I made were poorly chosen and I should not have said them. Any suggestion that violence is inevitable is wrong and will not lead us to a desperately-needed solution to the climate crisis. My words were spoken out of extreme frustration and I apologize,” he wrote. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 11/26/21: 'Good Grief' Friday, fuel to BC, GasLink protest, Suzuki apologizes, WA state ferries, Puget Sound shoreline, ecosystem understanding, BC flood infrastructure, flood damage, Tacoma LNG

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 255 AM PST Fri Nov 26 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 11 ft at 14 seconds.
TONIGHT Light wind becoming SE 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain after midnight.
SAT SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds subsiding to 6 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.
SAT NIGHT S wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. NW swell 5 ft at 11 seconds.
SUN SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. SW swell 8 ft at 10 seconds.

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

11/24 Lingonberry, more storms, salmon vigil, Sleydo' released, BC refinery closed, Acquavella case, rockfish, kelp forests, Greenland ice, Sumas floods, Suzuki warnings

Lingonberry [Brittanica]

Lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea
The lingonberry also known s partridgeberry, mountain cranberry or cowberry, is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family Ericaceae, that bears edible fruit. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from Europe and Asia to North America. (Wikipedia)

Heavy storms headed for southwest B.C., threatening recovery from floods and landslides (CBC) Puget Sound region to get ‘continuous onslaught of rain’ over Thanksgiving weekend (My Northwest)

Vigil calls for more urgency to save endangered salmon, orcas
A vigil in support of endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest drew environmental advocates and members of the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe to the Bellingham waterfront on Nov. 20. The event commemorated the 30th anniversary of the original declaration of Snake River sockeye salmon as endangered, and was held in conjunction with several similar events around the region. Jacqueline Allison reports. (Salish Current)

Wet'suwet'en pipeline opposition leader released with conditions
A key leader in the fight against the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northwestern B.C. has been released from jail with the condition she not interfere with construction of the project. Sleydo', also known as Molly Wickham, is free to return to her home territory in northwestern B.C. and engage in fishing, hunting, trapping and cultural practices, so long as she stays 75 meters away from Coastal GasLink worksites and equipment. It is a stronger condition than that given to other Wet'suwet'en members who were released on the condition they stay at least 10 meters away from worksites and equipment. (CBC)

Refinery that supplies one-third of Lower Mainland gas out of crude
Three of the main ways gas is supplied to the Lower Mainland and elsewhere in B.C. were disrupted by the flooding. Joanne Lee-Young reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Water rights fight: Yakama Nation wins appeal in 42-year case known as Acquavella
State authorities cannot regulate the number of acres the Yakama Nation irrigates on its reservation, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The ruling was in response to three appeals in the massive 42-year case known as Acquavella, which adjudicated water rights throughout the Yakima River Basin. Phil Ferolito reports (Yakima Herald-Republic)

Learning from a legacy of overfishing
Fishing for rockfish was once promoted as a sustainable alternative to salmon harvests, but when rockfish numbers plummeted, fisheries managers realized they had a problem. Now a rockfish recovery plan seeks to reverse the damage as scientists learn more about protecting this once-popular game fish. David Williams writes. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

Kelp Forest Loss An Ecological Disaster Requiring Creative Solutions In Age of Climate Change
Over the last 10 years, an ecological disaster has taken place along the coast from San Francisco north. Bull kelp forests, which provide some of the most productive habitat for sea life anywhere on the planet, have declined by 96%. The once thriving undersea forests have been replaced by seemingly endless beds of purple urchins. These “urchin barrens” as they are called by scientists are exactly what they sound like. Nothing else can live there now. Darren Peck reports. (CBS)

Greenland ice sheet experiences record loss to calving of glaciers and ocean melt over the past year
Greenland has had a quite a year. For the first time in its history, rain fell at its summit. In August, it experienced one of the latest-occurring melt events in recent memory. This also became the third year with major melting events in the past decade. By the end of the melt season, the ice sheet lost more ice than it gained — for the 25th year in a row. Kasha Patel reports. (Washington Post)

Were the Sumas Floods Caused by Global Warming? The Evidence Says No.
Last weekend there were highly damaging floods over Northwest Washington, with the town of Sumas and its vicinity being inundated by floodwaters. Several landslides occurred, including some that closed I5 near Bellingham. The Sumas area is extraordinarily prone to flooding and has experienced flooding many times before. ...[T]here is no evidence whatsoever that global warming caused the heavy rainfall associated with this event. Cliff Mass writes. (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

David Suzuki Foundation disavows Suzuki's warning that 'pipelines will be blown up' if there is no climate change action
The David Suzuki Foundation has distanced itself from environmental activist David Suzuki’s warning that “pipelines will be blown up” if political leaders do not act on climate change...Two days later, on Nov. 22, the foundation, an environmental non-profit headquartered in Vancouver, put out a statement on Twitter denying any involvement in the claims, explaining Suzuki spoke on his own behalf and not for the organization. Devika Desai reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 229 AM PST Wed Nov 24 2021
TODAY S wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.
THU S wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds building to 11 ft at 11 seconds in the afternoon. Rain in the morning then showers and a slight chance of tstms in the afternoon.
THU NIGHT W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 10 ft at 13 seconds.

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

11/23 Snowberry, BC pipelines, GasLink protest, pollution fights, shoreline documenting, WA state ferries, Papahanaumokuakea

Snowberry [NW Plants of the PNW]

Common Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus
Symphori- means “bear together;” –carpos means fruits– referring to the clustered fruits. Albus meaning white, and the common name, Snowberry also refers to the white fruits. Snowberries are high in saponins, which are poorly absorbed by the body. Although they are largely considered poisonous, (given names like ‘corpse berry’ or ‘snake’s berry’), some tribes ate them fresh or dried them for later consumption. (Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest)

When Surging Floods Meet Expanding Pipelines
The impact of last week’s deluge sends a sobering message, say engineers and activists. Zoe Yunker reports. (The Tyee) See: 'Pipelines will be blown up,' says David Suzuki, if leaders don't act on climate change 'It is now the age of consequences,' Extinction Rebellion organizer tells protesters in Victoria. Critics called the statement 'dangerous' and 'reckless' Tyler Dawson reports. (National Post)

Slew of Journalists and Land Defenders Released After Three Days in Custody
Ten people remain in custody in Prince George after a bail hearing for those arrested on Wet’suwet’en territory last week went overtime Monday. Most of those released agreed to a condition that they not return to the Morice West Forest Service Road, the area where Coastal GasLink’s 670-kilometre gas pipeline is under construction from northeast B.C. to Kitimat. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Airport debate an example of united activists' gains in pollution fight
...In Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, local activists fighting for quality-of-life issues are teaming up with climate activists and using their collective strength to sway local governments. And they are winning. Local leaders are responding to this pressure — often backed by the rising moral and legal authority of Indigenous tribes and nations — by passing ordinances and implementing rules that deliver on their stated commitments to address climate change and environmental injustice, including rules to phase out gas heating, ban new refineries and chemical plants, and more. Peter Fairley reports. (Investigate West)

One man in a kayak working to make a virtual 360-degree view of the Puget Sound shoreline
Brian Footen has made it his mission to document every tideland of the sound's nearly 1,300-mile nearshore environment, using 120 pounds of instruments as he paddles — namely, a GoPro camera equipped with a 360-degree view that shoots a picture every 10 seconds. The result: the most comprehensive collection of images ever captured along its shores. Josh Farley reports. (Kitsap Sun)

How to make Washington State Ferries shipshape again
Unless leaders at Washington State Ferries can generate a tidal wave of new money and staffing ideas, the fleet could remain in dire straits through 2022 and beyond. The nation’s largest ferry system, which traditionally completes 99% of scheduled sailings, slid to 90% this summer and 70% by early October, mainly because of crew shortages. WSF then retreated to what it calls an “alternative schedule,” which removed one vessel from most routes, slashing capacity one-third. Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)

A New Marine Sanctuary Proposal May Not Be What It Seems
A federal proposal to provide additional resources and increased protections for Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument by designating it as a national marine sanctuary could end up having the opposite effect. Some members of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee see the sanctuary process as a way to potentially reopen the area around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to commercial fishing should a future president or court decision remove the monument status that has banned such activity for the past 15 years. Nathan Eagle reports. (Civll Beat)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 305 AM PST Tue Nov 23 2021
TODAY NW wind 15 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the morning.
TONIGHT W 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 5 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening.

Monday, November 22, 2021

11/22 Cranberry, GasLink protest, Tacoma LNG, BC flood, food system, salmon in flood, microbial soup, BC dikes, Swil Kanim, ecosystem recovery, green crab, Canadian beavers, Everett port cleanup, Ohop Cr

Cranberry [WikiCommons]

Cranberry Vaccinium subg. Oxycoccus
On the West Coast, cranberries are harvested in British Columbia, Washington state and Oregon. In Washington, bogs color the Long Beach Peninsula and Grays Harbor locales. Oregon bogs are found in Clatsop County near Gearhart and southern Oregon. The plants require sandy soil and cool ocean nights. (Discover Our Coast)

RCMP arrest journalists, matriarchs and land defenders following Gidimt’en eviction of Coastal GasLink
RCMP arrested two journalists, including photojournalist Amber Bracken, on assignment for The Narwhal, during police enforcement of a Coastal GasLink injunction in northwest B.C. Friday. The arrests of Bracken and Michael Toledano have prompted widespread condemnation from media rights organizations, with the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Canadian Association of Journalists both calling for their immediate release. Matt Simmons report.s (The Narwhal)

Tacoma liquid gas plant gets go-ahead from state pollution board
A liquified natural gas plant on the Tacoma waterfront has gotten the green light from the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board. The board gave its final go-ahead for the controversial plant at the Port of Tacoma on Friday. The Puyallup Tribe and five environmental groups have been trying to stop Puget Sound Energy from opening the plant for years. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

In a single week
A timeline of how once-in-a-century flooding unfolded across B.C. Rhianna Schmunk reports. (CBC)

How BC’s Food System Will Be Affected by Flooding
No need to panic buy. But farmers and distributors face major challenges in the months ahead. Jen St. Denis reports. (The Tyee) Flooding another blow to Skagit County farms After a year of drought and record-breaking heat, Skagit County farms this week had to deal with another extreme weather event in the form of flooding. Water submerged fields and killed some farm animals. Jacqueline Allison reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

What toll did recent flooding take on Whatcom’s salmon?
...The scope of the flood has yet to be measured exactly, but provisional data shows that it was one of the top three on record for the North and Middle Forks and the Nooksack River at Ferndale, said Treva Coe, habitat program manager for the Nooksack Indian Tribe’s Natural and Cultural Resources Department. That’s not great news for salmon: Years with high annual peak flows are associated with low survival, Coe told The Bellingham Herald in an email. Ysabelle Kempe reports. (Bellingham Herald)

'Microbial soup' from B.C. floods poses real danger to farmers and volunteers
Swimming in the flood waters are all of the bacteria and parasites routinely found in B.C. sewage plants, such as cryptosporidium, salmonella, E. coli and giardia. Daphne Bramham reports. (Vancouver Sun)

How to build back B.C.’s flood infrastructure better
Ninety-six per cent of dikes in the Lower Mainland are not high enough to block extreme floods. Some experts say we have to think beyond concrete. Stephanie Wood writes. (The Narwhal)

Surviving the flood: Violinist recounts harrowing scene as Nooksack rose to record levels
The floodwaters on the Nooksack River reached record heights this week. Hundreds of homes in communities north of Bellingham were swamped. Violinist Swil Kanim’s RV was one of them. He’s a member of the Lummi Tribe and he spoke with KNKX as the floodwaters receded around his neighborhood in Ferndale. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Recovery of Puget Sound species could hinge on better understanding of ecosystems
To restore or improve salmon habitat in a stream, the challenge is to understand what has been broken in a complex interactive system. Factors include water quality, water flow, clean gravel, and the intricate interactions of the food web — from microscopic organisms to large fish, including predators that eat young salmon. Chris Dunagan writes. (Puget Sound Institute)

Researchers want you to add green crabs to your menu to help combat this invasive species
Scientists at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve near Coos Bay have an idea for one way to counter the crabby invasion: Catch green crabs and eat them. “Basically, any green crab you remove means a little less impact,” said Shon Schooler, the lead scientist at the reserve. “And if we can get enough people doing it, we can reduce the impact of these crabs on our natural resources.” Schooler and his colleagues have posted a list of recipes for green crab that have been used by restaurant chefs and amateur cooks in Europe and on the east coast of the United States, where green crabs have been around for generations. The list of recipes includes ramen soup, pozole, fried rice and more. Chris Lehman reports. (OPB)

Beavers Misbehave. Canadians Love Them Anyway.
Blamed for flooded fields, damaged roads and the occasional death, the beaver, which has played a seminal role in Canadian history, is now viewed by many as a problem, not a point of national pride. Ian Austen reports. (New York Times)

Port of Everett to get $350K for its costs in soil clean-up
ExxonMobil and a local oil distributor will pay the Port of Everett $350,000 for costs related to an environmental cleanup that extends onto about a half-acre of port property, under a new settlement agreement. Rachel Riley reports. (Everett Herald)

Nisqually Land Trust buys more Ohop Creek land for restoration
The Nisqually Land Trust has purchased more property along Ohop Creek in an effort to restore the tributary and bring populations of threatened salmon back to the area, according to a news release. The two newly purchased land parcels include 45 acres of floodplain and more than a half-mile of shoreline on the creek just west of Eatonville. The shoreline is currently used by four species of salmonids native to the Nisqually Watershed, including threatened Chinook salmon and steelhead trout, according to the land trust. Ty Vincent reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 300 AM PST Mon Nov 22 2021
TODAY S wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain in the morning then a chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 11 ft at 13 seconds subsiding to 9 ft at 12 seconds after midnight. Showers in the evening. A slight chance of tstms. A chance of showers after midnight.

Friday, November 19, 2021

11/19 Wild turkey, Coastal GasLink protest, road ban in Tongass, fire and flood, insurance 'wake up,' Skagit project funding, week in review

Wild turkey [Tom Grey]

Wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo
One of the largest birds found in North America, the wild turkey is the only bird from the Western Hemisphere to gain worldwide importance through domestication. Wild turkeys were introduced in Washington from the eastern United States by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The eastern subspecies has been released west of the Cascades in Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston, and Wahkiakum Counties. (BirdWeb)

Land defenders arrested on Wet’suwet’en territory as RCMP enforces Coastal GasLink injunction
Elders, legal observers and media have been detained as police advance into Gidimt’en territory where land defenders closed road access earlier this week in an effort to prevent drilling under a sacred waterway. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal) See also: Coastal GasLink Failed to Warn Camp Employees about Blockade, Worker Says (The Tyee)

Biden officials to propose road ban on much of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday will propose restoring roadless protections on more than 9 million acres of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, a move that would overturn one of Donald Trump’s most significant changes to public lands. Juliet Eilperin reports. (Washington Post)

First fires, now floods: British Columbia and Washington reeling from atmospheric river
First they baked, then they burned, and now they’re inundated. Kasha Patel, Amanda Coletta, Jason Samenowm and Laris Karklis report. (Washington Post.)

Insurance industry describes latest extreme weather as 'wake-up call' on climate change
While B.C. had been relatively spared the effects of previous extreme weather events compared to other provinces and countries, all that changed in 2021. Kevin Griffin reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Funding awarded to local fish habitat, stormwater projects
The latest National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant package for Southern Resident orca recovery includes funding for two Skagit County projects. The awards include about $108,500 for the Skagit River System Cooperative to design options for reconnecting salmon habitat at the south end of the Swinomish Channel through the McGlinn Island Jetty and about $74,400 for Friends of Skagit Beaches to expand its stormwater monitoring program. Kimberly Cuavel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 11/19/21: Toilet Day, returned Crown lands, estuaries for salmon, Chumash Heritage NMS, land abuse and flooding, Coastal GasLink protest, road ban in Tongass, fire and flood

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 214 AM PST Fri Nov 19 2021
TODAY NW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 10 seconds.
TONIGHT NW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming N to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after midnight. W swell 5 ft at 9 seconds. A slight chance of rain.
SAT SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of rain.
SAT NIGHT S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 10 seconds.
SUN E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds.

"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.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

Thursday, November 18, 2021

11/18 White sea cuke, BC flood cleanup, BC 'future proof,' farming climate change, Makah whale hunt, Chumasj Heritage NMS, high speed rail, lunar eclipse

White sea cucumber [Dennis Paulson]

White sea cucumber Eupentacta quinquesemita
The White Sea Cucumber is a common species in rocky areas in the middle intertidal zone and below. Up to about 10 cm in length when relaxed, it is easily recognized by its whitish color and long oral tentacles. The animal is often partially hidden in a crevice with only the feeding apparatus sticking out. When disturbed by a potential predator, they may eviscerate their tentacles and foregut into the water. This may startle and confuse the predator as well. However, there is also a seasonal component, and many White Sea Cucumbers in this area routinely eviscerate in the fall, even if not disturbed. (Slater Museum)

Mammoth cleanup to begin in B.C. as flood waters recede
Provincial state of emergency declared Wednesday as military set to arrive. (CBC)

Connecting the dots between B.C.’s floods, landslides and the clearcut logging of old forests
Deforestation dramatically alters how landscapes are able to cope with extreme weather events like the atmospheric river that surged across southern British Columbia earlier this week. Judith Lavoie reports. (The Narwhal) See also: What Will It Take to ‘Future Proof’ BC? A recent report warned governments aren’t adapting to climate change. To be proved right by massive flooding is ‘not a good feeling,’ says a researcher. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Community Voices / How farmers can fight climate change
Farmers are in a powerful position to help curb climate change, and many locally already are taking steps to do so, note dairy farmer Katherine Steensma and author Stevan Harrell. While this bodes well for the future of agriculture here, there is more to be done to stop "wasting and poisoning the good and beautiful things of the world": natural resources. Stevan Harrell and Katherine Steensma write. (Salish Current)

Makah whale hunt decision now in the hands of single NOAA official
It’s been nearly two months since a federal administrative law judge issued his recommendation on the Makah Tribe’s request to revive its whale hunt. Judge George J. Jordan broadly approved the request and recommended that a waiver be granted under the Marine Mammal Act. And comments on his opinion closed over the weekend. Those will play a role in the next step: the decision on whether to grant the waiver. That is now in the hands of a single official at NOAA headquarters in Maryland. Bellamy Paithorp reports. (KNKX)

A Proposed New Marine Sanctuary Would be the First One to be Tribal-Led
The US government this week began the process to designate the country’s first tribal-led marine sanctuary. The proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would protect sacred Chumash sites, feeding grounds for numerous species of whales and dolphins, sea otter populations, kelp forests, and is home to vital commercial and recreational fisheries. If approved, the sanctuary would comprise a 7,000-square-mile/18,130-square-kilometer area off the central California coast, adjacent to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. John Laing reports. (DeeperBlue)

The dream of high speed rail in the PNW may finally be on the horizon
Rail advocates argue new lines will grow the economy, shrink mobility inequalities and help decarbonize the region. Lizz Giordano reports. (Crosscut)

How you can see the nearly total lunar eclipse Friday morning
West Coast night owls and East Coast early risers will have the best view of the upcoming lunar eclipse this Friday. Overnight, the moon will pass into the shadow of Earth cast by the sun, illuminating the gray orb with a red hue. It will be the second and final eclipse of the year. Joe Hernandez reports. (NPR)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 216 AM PST Thu Nov 18 2021
TODAY E wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 2 ft at 9 seconds. Rain likely in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT E wind 5 to 15 kt becoming NE 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds. Rain in the evening then rain likely after midnight.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

11/17 Periwinkle, I5 NB cleared, Skagit wall worked, Port of Seattle funding, BC GasLink eviction, BC forestry, tribal estuary retoration

Checkered periwinkle [sandiego.edu]

Checkered Periwinkle Littorina scutulata
This small (up to 1.5 cm long), sharply pointed snail is abundant on rocks in the high intertidal zone of Puget Sound. Periwinkles are herbivores, scraping soft-bodied algae from the rocks with their radula; tiny animals living on the algae may also be ingested. As food is abundant for them, the snails can be abundant as well, sometimes in masses on an exposed rock surface. Because they live high in their zone, they are often exposed to the air, and they can close their shell tightly with the horny operculum attached to their foot to keep water inside and to avoid both desiccation and suffocation. (Slater Museum)

Northbound traffic on Interstate 5 has reopened south of Bellingham
Northbound traffic on Interstate 5 reopened last night, according to a tweet from Washington state DOT. (Bellingham Herald)

A wall to hold back the Skagit River survives its first major test
The Skagit River crested in Mount Vernon on Tuesday morning, but this time the town was ready to hold back the flood. Joshua McNichols reports. (KUOW)

Seattle agrees to fund studies, habitat to offset future harm to endangered orcas
The Port of Seattle agreed Tuesday to take steps to help endangered Southern Resident killer whales survive in the Salish Sea to offset the harm caused by the port’s dredging project. Karina Brown reports. (Courthouse News)

Wet’suwet’en land defenders say B.C., federal inaction prompted enforcement of Coastal GasLink eviction
When the pipeline company failed to act on an immediate evacuation order, land defenders decommissioned a service road, cutting off access to project sites and work camps housing more than 500 individuals. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal) Over 500 pipeline workers stranded behind Wet'suwet'en clan blockades, Coastal GasLink says (CBC)

New forest legislation aims to transfer forest tenures to First Nations and open opportunities to smaller players
There is approximately 33,500 square kilometres of land currently under timber tenures in B.C. but any future transfers would only apply to the 26,000 square kilometres of old growth forest land that government announced would be deferred earlier this month. Lisa Cordasco reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Making room for salmon
How can Puget Sound generate more salmon? That question has been at the center of ecosystem recovery efforts for decades. But even as scientists and conservationists make progress on many fronts — from breaching dams to cleaning up the water — they have faced one especially complicated and frustrating limitation: Salmon need more estuaries. We look at how local tribes are working to restore this critical habitat. Sarah DeWeerdt reports. (Salish Sea Currents)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 514 AM PST Wed Nov 17 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT TODAY E wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds. TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

11/16 Tidepool sculpin, weather effects, Skagit delta tidegate, Skookumchuck R, whiskey for salmon

Tidepool sculpin [Mick Otten]

Tidepool Sculpin Oligocottus maculosus
Tidepool sculpins are small, fairly sedentary fish typically found in sheltered areas or tidepools in temperate waters. They have a large head with a tapering body, large dorsal and anal fins, and dark splotches on their backs. These sculpins have the ability to camouflage themselves by changing color to blend into the background and hide from predators. They are able to tolerate both ocean and brackish water. Tidepool sculpins have a small home area where they remain their entire lives. Should they be displaced from this area, they can find their way home using their keen sense of smell. (Aquarium of the Pacific)

'It was terrifying': Rain storm's impact felt across southern B.C Kevin Griffin and Denise Ryan report. (Vancouver Sun) Mudslide in Whatcom County blocks portion of Interstate 5; heavy rain causes several slides Daisy Zavala reports. (Seattle Times) Skagit River expected to crest Tuesday in Mount Vernon Brandon Stone reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) Flooding shuts down Highway 101, cutting off West End Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Army Corps of Engineers makes concessions
In response to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s threat to sue, the Army Corps of Engineers agreed last week to take a new look at the regionally developed Skagit Delta Tidegate Fish Initiative under the federal Endangered Species Act. The initiative is a 2010 agreement in which local dike, drainage and irrigation districts agreed to restore a certain amount of estuary habitat in exchange for being able to maintain tidegates that can block fish from valuable habitat. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley herald)

Habitat project is ‘just the beginning of something great’ on the Skookumchuck Rive
Miles of rich riparian zones and fish habitat are slowly being reclaimed along the upper reaches of the Skookumchuck River, thanks to a collaborative process that has put a property owner, conservation districts and the state all on the same page. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) finished work on the two-year, $4 million Skookumchuck Early Action Reach River Restoration project in August. The project to install about 30 log jams across more than a mile of river and a high-flow channel was funded with state money funneled through the Chehalis Basin Board. Eric Rosane reports. (Centralia Chronicle)

This whiskey is for protecting salmon
Whiskey isn’t just for drinking anymore. A new craft whiskey is turning the old saying: “Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting,” on its head. This whiskey is fighting to save salmon. Copperworks Distilling Co., based in Seattle, has released the first Salmon-Safe American single malt whiskey, made entirely from barley grown in one field in Walla Walla, Washington. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 246 AM PST Tue Nov 16 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY NW wind 20 to 30 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt later this morning. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 2 to 4 ft later this morning. NW swell 10 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of showers in the morning.
TONIGHT NW wind to 10 kt becoming SE 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. NW swell 9 ft at 10 seconds becoming W 5 ft at 10 seconds after midnight.

Monday, November 15, 2021

11/15 Cormorant, heavy weather, new news, climate agreement, BC gas, crown land returned, fishers, PS Naval Shipyard

Brandt's cormorant, breeding male [Joseph Higbee]

Brandt's Cormorant Phalacrocorax penicillatus
Almost always found on salt or brackish water, Brandt's Cormorants inhabit rocky shorelines and open ocean. Nesting colonies are typically located on slopes rather than cliff ledges, although some Washington colonies are located on steep cliffs. Brandt's Cormorants are common along the rocky outer coast and coastal islands of Washington, from Cape Flattery to Oregon. They are rarely seen in Puget Sound or other inland waters during the breeding season, but are common, especially in the upper Puget Trough and Strait of Juan de Fuca at other times of the year. (BirdWeb)

Power outages and landslide warnings as rain, wind continue across Seattle area Heidi Groover reports. (Seattle Times) Relentless rain causing flooding and road closures across B.C. (CBC)

Salish Current and Casdcadia Daily News: Read all about it
Join in on Nov. 17 to hear about two new news organizations in Bellingham and Whatcom County market with goals of informing the public and adding to the civic discourse: Salish Current and Cascadia Daily News. While the two entities have different business models (Salish Current is a news nonprofit supported by foundations and individual donors; Cascadia Daily News will be subscription-based with advertising) they are both committed to independent local journalism. Register in advance by Monday, Nov. 15.

‘It is not enough’: World leaders react to COP26 climate agreement
Many call on countries to move faster to curb greenhouse gas emissions and help nations damaged by climate change, after last-minute moves weakened Glasgow’s final deal. Steven Mufson and Annabelle Timsit report. (Washington Post)

Gidimt'en evict Coastal GasLink from Wet'suwet'en territory
The Gidimt'en clan told workers to "peacefully evacuate" the area before the main road into the Lhudis Bin territory was closed at 1 p.m. (Canadian Press)

B.C. returns nearly 100 hectares of Crown land near Sechelt to shíshálh Nation
The 99.6-hectare parcel of land is located on the south shore of Salmon Inlet, about 16 kilometres north of Sechelt. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Transplanted fishers released into park
A release of seven fishers from Alberta, Canada into Olympic National Park earlier this month is part of a program to increase the genetic diversity of the once-decimated native species. Five were released into the wild at Lake Ozette and two were released near Sol Duc, said Patti Happe, wildlife branch chief of Olympic National Park (ONP), on Friday. Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Here come the funds: Navy inks contracts to bring billions to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
The Navy is slated to sink its first $8 billion into its plans to revitalize the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and other docks and facilities in the Pacific. Five companies have inked contracts to compete for a decades' worth of work aimed at modernizing the docks, wharves and other infrastructure the Navy uses in Puget Sound to maintain its fleet. About 40% of the work entailed in the contracts will occur at the Bremerton shipyard, with another 40% for Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and the rest at smaller Pacific bases. Josh Farley reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 239 AM PST Mon Nov 15 2021
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY SW wind 20 to 30 kt becoming W 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 2 to 5 ft with a dominant period of 14 seconds building to 5 to 7 ft with a dominant period of 13 seconds in the afternoon. Rain in the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT NW wind 30 to 40 kt becoming W 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Combined seas 4 to 7 ft with a dominant period of 17 seconds subsiding to 2 to 4 ft with a dominant period of 0 seconds after midnight. A chance of showers in the evening then rain after midnight.

Friday, November 12, 2021

11/12 Turkey tail, flood watch, Whatcom climate plan, cargo containers, Boeing Field green walls, week in review

Turkey tail

Turkey tail Trametes versicolor
Trametes versicolor – also known as Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolor – is a common polypore mushroom found throughout the world. Meaning 'of several colors', versicolor reliably describes this fungus that displays different colors. (Wikipedia)

Flood Watch Issued As 'Pineapple Express' Arrives In Puget Sound
A flood watch will be in effect from 4 p.m. Thursday until Saturday afternoon. The Seattle area could see two inches of rain by tomorrow. Lucas Combos reports. (Patch)

Whatcom County takes these steps to address local effects of global climate change
Whatcom County Council members approved a Climate Action Plan that spells out the effects of global climate change locally and makes specific recommendations on how to address them. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

105 containers that fell off cargo ship believed to have sunk: coast guard
The Canadian Coast Guard says it believes that many, if not all, of the 105 missing containers that fell into the sea from a cargo ship off Victoria in late October have sunk. (Canadian Press)

Climate and quality-of-life activists find common ground at Boeing Field
Local groups pressure government to respond to climate change and health concerns. Velma Veloria and Rosario-Maria Medina are pursuing the construction of green walls to help mitigate noise and pollution from Boeing Field aircraft. Peter Fairley reports. (InvestigateWest)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 11/12/21: Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day, border opening, Fawn Sharp, Nooksack Tribe, WA EVs, B'ham climate tax, BC forestry law, cargo containers, spotted owl habitat, salmon management, Tacoma Tideflats, Whatcom climate plan

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 210 AM PST Fri Nov 12 2021
TODAY W wind to 10 kt becoming SW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain.
SAT SW wind to 10 kt becoming E in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the afternoon.
SAT NIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds.
SUN S wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SW 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 10 seconds.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

11/11 Red poppy, Tacoma Tideflats, UVic energy buoy, cargo-ship fiasco

Red poppy

Red poppy
The red poppy came to symbolize the blood shed during battle following the publication of the wartime poem “In Flanders Fields.” The poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, M.D. while serving on the front lines.

Months later, Tacoma moves to restrict fossil fuel use on Tideflats. Some worry about loopholes
Tacoma City Council moved Tuesday to restrict the expansion of fossil-fuel infrastructure on the Tideflats, but there remains debate about whether the new land-use codes go far enough to address the climate emergency the city declared in 2019. The new code dictates where certain industrial uses can develop on the Tideflats and is a result of a process spanning months and multiple meetings with businesses, environmentalists and other interested parties. After all that time, no one is entirely satisfied with the result, but elected officials say they worked collaboratively with people on all sides of the issue. Allison Needles reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

University of Victoria launching plan to replace diesel with wind energy buoy
Researchers at the University of Victoria are floating a new idea that could bring clean, renewable power to B.C.’s remote coastal communities and end their dependence on diesel generators. A highly customized buoy, equipped with a wind turbine and a 3D laser-scanning system, will soon be launched off the Victoria-area coast to transmit live data. (Canadian Press)

Cargo-ship fiasco underscores growing risk in Salish Sea
The toxic fumes that spewed from the container ship Zim Kingston put a fiery exclamation point on a long-standing argument of Washington environmental groups — that state, tribal and local governments should have more say in major Canadian development projects that can adversely impact our environment and livelihoods. Michael Riordan writes. (Seattle Times Opinion)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 234 AM PST Thu Nov 11 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 15 to 20 kt becoming 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. NW swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. Rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming S 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. NW swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. Showers and a chance of tstms.

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

11/10 Chickadee, climate tax, Indigenous salmon management, geoduck farm, Delta development, spotted owl logging, cargo containers, salmon poaching, BC forestry, pumped storage

Chestnut-backed chickadee [All About Birds]

Chestnut-backed chickadee Poecile rufescens
A handsome chickadee that matches the rich brown bark of the coastal trees it lives among, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee is the species to look for up and down the West Coast and in the Pacific Northwest. Active, sociable, and noisy as any chickadee, you’ll find these birds at the heart of foraging flocks moving through tall conifers with titmice, nuthatches, and sometimes other chickadee species. (All About Birds)

Bellingham mayor urges tax to fund climate change programs
Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood asked the City Council to consider asking voters to approve a tax to pay for citywide programs aimed at reducing the city’s carbon footprint and helping the effort to fight global climate change...Fleetwood didn’t provide any details, but said that it likely would be a property tax...Fleetwood said he would ask the council for funds to draft a ballot measure at its Nov. 22 meeting. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

B.C. study shows sustainable management of salmon before colonization
The study published Wednesday in the journal Scientific Reports examined chum salmon bones dating from between 400 BC and AD 1200 from four archeological sites around Burrard Inlet. Brenna Owen reports. (The Canadian Press) See: Indigenous sex-selective salmon harvesting demonstrates pre-contact marine resource management in Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, Canada (Nature)

A Pierce County oyster farm wants to raise geoducks. Neighbors are raising the alarm
A new draft Environmental Impact Statement has reignited a long-simmering dispute between the Taylor Shellfish Company and its neighbors over a proposal for geoduck farming in Burley Lagoon. The dispute has gone on so long — since 2016 — that some of the neighbors, like Karen McDonell, have made virtual second careers of fighting Taylor Shellfish and the very idea of farming geoducks. Kerry Webster reports. (Gateway News)

Delta wants more oversight for Fraser River, Salish Sea
The grinding facility and marine terminal application will undergo a provincial and federal environmental assessment through a process led by the BC Environmental Assessment Office. Sandor Gyarmati reports. (Delta Optimist)

‘Faulty’ science used by Trump appointees to cut owl habitat
Political appointees in the Trump administration relied on faulty science to justify stripping habitat protections for the imperiled northern spotted owl, U.S. wildlife officials said Tuesday as they struck down a rule that would have opened millions of acres of West Coast forest to potential logging. Matthew Brown and Gillian Flaccus report. (Associated Press)

Most cargo containers vanished after falling overboard from ship near Victoria, B.C.
Of the 109 cargo containers that went overboard from the Zim Kingston, a cargo ship that caught fire near British Columbia last month, 105 have not been seen, according to the Canadian Coast Guard. In all, 57 tons of potassium amyl xanthate, used in mines and pulp mills, and thiourea dioxide, used to manufacture textiles, were aboard the Zim Kingston in four containers: two that fell overboard and the two that caused the onboard fire. Christine Clarridge reports. (Seattle Times)

Residents near salmon-bearing streams in B.C. asked to watch for poachers
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is asking residents near salmon-bearing creeks to be on the lookout for poachers during spawning season, after three men were spotted taking fish from a stream in Coquitlam, B.C. Rafferty Baker reports. (CBC)

How B.C.’s long-awaited forestry law updates leave gaps around protecting old-growth and Indigenous Rights
While environmental advocates are cautiously optimistic about proposed amendments to B.C.'s 2004 Forest Ranges and Practices Act, many worry they lack clarity and don't provide the protections the province's oldest forests need. Zoe Yunker writes. (The Narwhal) See also: Counting the Job Cost of Halting Old-Growth Logging The government says 4,500, industry says 18,000. Critics say there are too many unanswered questions about the government’s plans. Andrew MacLeod reports. (The Tyee)

New electricity project in WA takes a twist on hydropower
An effort to generate energy along the Columbia through a concept called 'pumped storage' has drawn pushback from tribes and environmental groups. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 238 AM PST Wed Nov 10 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. W swell 17 ft at 14 seconds subsiding to 14 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain.
TONIGHT E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 20 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft building to 6 to 8 ft after midnight. W swell 10 ft at 11 seconds subsiding to 7 ft at 10 seconds after midnight. Rain.

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

11/9 Sea pork, WA EV order, melting glaciers, infrastructure bill, nuke power, Fawn Sharp, whale barnacles, border opening

Aplidium elegans [Wikipedia]

Sea Pork Aplidium ssp.
A common colonial ascidian that forms thick slabs on rocks. The pink, brown or orange individuals are encased in clear jelly; connected by creeping stolons, from which new individuals grow. (Marine Wildlife of Puget Sound, the san Juans, and the Strait of Georgia)

In new climate order, Inslee says Washington State vehicles to plug in
Many of Washington’s state vehicles will transition to electric over the next 19 years, according to an executive order issued by Gov. Jay Inslee during his time at the United Nations Climate Conference in Scotland. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

How one Northwest tribe aims to keep its cool as its glaciers melt
Record-breaking heat took a heavy toll on the Northwest this summer, from beaches to cities to mountaintops. In the Washington Cascades, some glaciers lost an unprecedented 8% to 10% of their ice in a single hot season. The extremely hot summer of 2021 foreshadowed how unchecked climate change could ravage the fish that depend on cold water and the people who depend on those fish. In Whatcom County, the Nooksack and Lummi tribes are taking steps to counteract the big melt and keep their salmon and their cultures alive. Part 2 of 2. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

How the Democrats Finally got an Infrastructure Bill Passed
The infrastructure bill, passed Friday night in the U.S. House of Representatives and already enacted by the Senate, is the country’s largest public works package since interstate highways construction in the 1950s, which saw cooperation between Republican President Dwight Eisenhower and a Democratic Congress with Lyndon Johnson running the Senate. Washington state is shovel- and computer-ready. Our state has 416 bridges in “poor” condition, King County Metro wants to put electric-powered buses on the streets, small and large airports are ready for upgrades, climate change has need for increased local and federal firefighting capacity, aging irrigation systems need restoring, and a tech economy demands full internet access. Such good works are needed by a divided country. The bill drew bipartisan support in the Senate: Hell, even Mitch McConnell voted for it. Joel Connelly reports. (Post Alley) See: Federal infrastructure package is an $8.6 billion ‘game changer’ for Washington state Paul Roberts reports. (Seattle Times)

This next generation nuclear power plant is pitched for Washington. Can it 'change the world'?
Near the Columbia River, Clay Sell hopes to launch a new era of nuclear power with four small reactors, each stocked with billiard ball-sized “pebbles” packed full of uranium fuel. Chief executive officer of Maryland-based X-energy, Sell aims to bring the project online by 2028 as part of a broader attempt to develop safer, more flexible reactors to redefine the nation’s energy future...The federal Energy Department has received $160 million to help fund X-energy, and the infrastructure bill that cleared Congress on Friday ups that amount to cover almost half the projected $2.2 billion cost of the Washington reactor project. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Washington’s Fawn Sharp becomes first Tribal leader to receive diplomatic credentials
National Congress of American Indians President and Washington state Tribal leader Fawn Sharp has become the first Tribal leader to receive diplomatic credentials from the U.S. State Department, joining its delegation to the United Nations’ 26th annual Conference of the Parties, or COP26. Appointed by the Biden administration as an official credentialed delegate of the United States, Sharp has centered Tribal issues at COP26, which runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 in Glasgow, Scotland. Natasha Brennan reports. (McClatchy)

What Whale Barnacles Know
For generations, these hitchhikers have been recording details about their hosts and their ocean home. Mara Grunbaum reports. (Hakai Magazine)

U.S. re-opens land borders, but there is no mad rush south
The $150 to $300 cost of a COVID PCR test on return makes it cost-prohibitive to head over the border to fill up with gas or buy cheap cheese and milk. Susan Lazaruk and Derrick Penner report. (Vancouver Sun)

Victoria flotilla welcomes M.V. Coho, cross-border travellers, for first time since March 2020
For the first time since March 2020, the M.V. Coho has ferried travellers between Port Angeles, WA and Victoria, BC, and boaters in Victoria took the opportunity to celebrate. A hodgepodge of marine vessels formed a flotilla to escort the Black Ball Ferry into its downtown Victoria port. (Victoria News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 244 AM PST Tue Nov 9 2021
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SW wind 30 to 40 kt easing to 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 13 to 16 ft with a dominant period of 10 seconds subsiding to 11 to 12 ft with a dominant period of 9 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of showers and a slight chance of tstms in the morning then showers and a chance of tstms in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds building to 11 ft at 12 seconds after midnight. Showers in the evening. A chance of tstms.