1/25 Starry flounder, stagnant air, buying TM pipe, planting along streams, GOP surge, Barnaby Reach, what's an EIS

Starry flounder [WikiCommons]

 
Starry flounder Platichthys stellatus
Starry Flounders are found on sandy or muddy sea floors from northern Alaska to southern California.  Starry Flounders are flatfish. When they are born, they have an eye on either side of their heads just like regular fish. As they grow, however, one eye migrates to the other side and they swim on their sides for their rest of their lives. As they mature, Starry Flounders can also change their skin color. On the topside of their bodies they form a mottled coloring to match their environment. The fish then lies still on the ocean floor so they can effectively ambush their prey such as crabs, shrimps, worms and small fish. (Oregon Coast Aquarium)

Smell that? Air stagnation advisory for western Washington
If you feel the air getting a little funky over the next few days, it’s most likely you. To be more accurate — it’s us. Most of western Washington is under an air stagnation advisory until Wednesday. That means the airflow common to the region is on pause for now, leaving the air to sit around, closer to the ground. All our pollution, burning, and other emissions we produce will just be hanging out until the next wind comes through to blow it away. Angela King and Dyer Oxley report. (KUOW)

Indigenous non-profit looks to buy Trans Mountain Pipeline 
A new Indigenous non-profit organization is seeking an ownership stake in the Trans Mountain Pipeline, saying its aim is to make sure communities along the pipeline's route receive its benefits directly. Nesika Services publicly launched Monday, calling itself a grassroots, community-led not-for-profit. Amanda Stephenson reports. (Canadian Press)

Piece of state legislation has its detractors in Skagit County
With a state-level push to save salmon by planting trees along streams, angst is increasing among landowners and government representatives in farm-focused Skagit County. At issue is a bill under consideration by the Legislature — House Bill 1838, which if passed would be known as the Lorraine Loomis Act — that would require landowners on public and private land to maintain and restore streamside habitat called riparian vegetation. Kimberly Cauvel report. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Polling shows a Republican surge in Washington and beyond
A growing number of Washingtonians identify as Republicans, closing the gap with Democrats and signaling a very different political landscape for the midterms. H. Stuart Elway reports. (Crosscut)

Phase one complete of Barnaby Reach restoration project
The Barnaby Reach project team on Saturday hosted a tour of the restoration work completed on the former hatchery site. Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC), which serves the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, is the project management group for the restoration of the hatchery formerly owned by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Maddie Smith reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Explainer: What’s an Environmental Impact Statement?
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) sounds like a highly technical and complex mechanism of governance. They take years, spiral into hundreds of pages with massive appendices, and get fought over in court. The truth is that EIS are a simple concept with plenty of spots that you can influence the shape of the city in the future. Ray Dubicki writes. (The Urbanist)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  231 AM PST Tue Jan 25 2022  
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft  at 13 seconds. Areas of fog. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 14 seconds. Areas of fog after midnight.

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