1/14 Snow bush, steelhead farming OKd, GasLink penalties, WA wastewater bill, puffins, week in review

 

 Snow bush

Snow bush Breynia disticha
What is a snow bush? It is a bushy, evergreen plant native to the Pacific Islands. The amazing colors of the leaves are dappled with white, which makes it appear as if it was snowed upon. Snow bush is widely cultivated in tropical locales. It can be found from southeastern Asia through Malaysia, to Australia, New Caledonia, and New Hebrides. This tropical darling is often used as a colorful hedge, but it suckers profusely and must be maintained to keep it in a tidy habit. (Gardening Know How)

State Supreme Court OKs steelhead farming
The state Supreme Court published a unanimous decision by its nine judges Thursday to uphold the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's approval of steelhead farming in Puget Sound. The environment groups Wild Fish Conservancy, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, and Friends of the Earth have been fighting the state's decision to allow steelhead farming since early 2020. At issue is the plan of international seafood company Cooke Aquaculture to switch from raising nonnative Atlantic salmon at net pens in the region to raising native steelhead trout at the facilities. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Still No Penalties for Coastal GasLink Environmental Violations
More than a year after Coastal GasLink was cited for multiple environmental violations on its pipeline route through northern B.C., the provincial government still hasn’t imposed penalties. And while Coastal GasLink says it has resolved most of the issues, the most recent report by B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office, posted in December, said that as of October the company had still failed to comply with an order issued a year earlier. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Bill proposed to reduce pollution in Puget Sound
As Gov. Jay Inslee continues efforts to breach dams on the Snake River, a 9th Legislative District Republican is calling attention to sewage and other pollutants in Puget Sound. Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has introduced a proposal that aims to help make Puget Sound cleaner. The bill targets Western Washington pollution as a cause for the decline of salmon and orca populations in Puget Sound. Schoesler's measure, Senate Bill 5786, is designed to protect Puget Sound from wastewater pollution by requiring the state Department of Ecology to strengthen the sound's nutrient general permit. (Whitman County Gazette)

The Puffins of Protection Island
Professional and citizen scientists are teaming up to help the tufted puffin on Protection Island. Meghan Fenwick reports. (The Planet Magazine)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 1/14/22: Kite Day!, TM pipe, record tides, Great Bear big whales WA lege climate bills, Electron dam charges, flooded salmon, Guibeault tasked, warmest ocean, RCMP report, WA steelhead farming, GasLink penalties

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  303 AM PST Fri Jan 14 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 11 seconds. Areas of fog in the morning. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming E after midnight. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 13 seconds building to 7 ft at  15 seconds after midnight. A chance of rain. Areas of fog after  midnight. 
SAT  SW wind to 10 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds. Areas of fog in the  morning. 
SAT NIGHT  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 10 ft  at 13 seconds. 
SUN  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at  12 seconds.

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