1/28 Lichenfoot, renewable energy legislation, tracking bills, sunscreen, Tulalip curriculum, Samish solar, rail blockade, Forks sewage, week in review

Lichenfoot

Camp Story
Reader Rick Haley recounts: "As a kid in the '60s, I attended summer church camp in woodsy locations near Portland - Bullfrog Park near Tualatin, Lacamas Lake on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge, Camp Adams near Mt Hood. One year camp was at Spirit Lake under the still-intact Mt. St. Helens.  Even in the early '60s the area was known as a Bigfoot hotspot.  There had been many notable sightings and experiences including a case where some loggers were under siege in their cabin while "something" moved around their heavy equipment and pelted the roof with boulders.  A local lava tube has been called Ape Cave for a long time.  This was before the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film brought the creature to nationwide attention.

"One of the older kids at camp thought it would be amusing to add to the local lore, and with the assistance of a couple of others, went out into the woods and scavenged bits of the forest to dress up as a Sasquatch using plenty of  lichen. He came gamboling back into camp, and it must have been a pretty fair imitation as he cause quite a commotion.  I only saw him from a distance and wasn't particularly affected, but one young girl got quite a fright and it took some doing from camp staff to calm her down. I don't know how many Bigfoot sightings are caused by young pranksters dressed in lichen, but I know of at least one of them."

Two Washington bills, two different approaches to renewable energy projects
Two bills with opposite approaches in the Washington Legislature hope to change how some renewable energy projects get approved. One new bill, House Bill 1871, would pause the state approval process for new renewable energy projects until Dec. 1, 2023. H.B. 1812 would allow more clean energy developers access to the council’s approval process, which would expand renewable projects to include energy storage projects, clean energy manufacturing, and renewable hydrogen production. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Legislative tracker 2022
Feb. 15 is the deadline for this legislative session’s policy bills to pass out of their house of origin. Bills related to the budget do not have a deadline, so even if a bill appears dead, it could come back to life later, if lawmakers decide it’s tied to the budget. (Crosscut)

Searching for the Future of Sunscreen
Scientists are sourcing new ultraviolet ray–blocking compounds from algae, seaweed, cyanobacteria, and other marine creatures with the hope of designing a more environmentally friendly sunscreen. Jea Morris reports. (Hakai Magazine)

This is how you create a curriculum the Tulalip way
A curriculum created with tribes not just about them. Keep the interests of Tulalip in mind. That’s what Marjorie James remembers Senator John McCoy telling her when she took her new role. James is the Curriculum and Engagement Manager for Tulalip Tribes. The job spans across ages, in the Kindergarten through lifetime education division. Brandi Fullwood and Libby Denkmann reports. (KUOW)

Samish Indian Nation expanding solar energy program
Like many Indigenous communities, the Samish Indian Nation is working to adapt when it comes to climate change. “We are committed to trying to make a difference on climate change,” Samish Natural Resources Director Todd Woodard said. One step the tribe is taking is to add solar power at its facilities. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

CN won't pursue contempt charges over Gitxsan rail blockade in northern B.C.
Canadian National Railway says it will not be pursuing contempt charges against a dozen people, including three hereditary chiefs who were arrested for blocking a major rail line in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northwestern B.C. in February 2020. Martin Peters, the lawyer for the defendants, almost all of them members of the Gitxsan nation, welcomes the news but said important issues of Aboriginal title have still not been addressed. Betsy Trumpener reports. (CBC)

Forks to receive $2.4 million for wastewater treatment plant
Clallam County approved the use of $2.4 million in Opportunity Funds to improve and retrofit the City of Forks’ wastewater treatment facility. The total project cost will be about $3.4 million, with the city contributing $1,023,500 from the funds it received from the American Rescue Plan Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ken Park reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 1/28/22: Lego Friday!, firefighter toxins, Howe Sound fishery, stream tree planting, buying TM pipe, enviro justice, BC glaciers, BC fish farms, wetlands, Nooksack R., sunscreen

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PST Fri Jan 28 2022   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft or less in the morning becoming less than 1 ft. W  swell 3 ft at 12 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 1 ft or less after midnight. W  swell 3 ft at 12 seconds. 
SAT  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at  13 seconds. A chance of rain in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 12 seconds. 
SUN  S wind to 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves  2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds.

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