2/22 Devil's club, WA budget, BC budget, Percival Cr spill, more bees

Devil's club [Stan Shebs]

 
Devil's club Oplopanax horridus
Devil's club or devil's walking stick is a large understory shrub native to the arboreal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, but also disjunct on islands in Lake Superior. The plant is covered with brittle yellow spines that break off easily if the plants are handled or disturbed, and the entire plant has been described as having a "primordial" appearance. (Wikipedia)

Flush with taxpayer dollars, Washington Democratic lawmakers release new budget proposals
The supplemental budget proposals make changes to Washington’s two-year, $59 billion state operating budget approved last spring, which funds everything from schools, prisons, parks and public lands to economic assistance, mental health services and other social supports. The new spending blueprints reflect the torrent of dollars coming in through higher-than-expected tax collections since dire economic projections in early 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That trend continued last week, when a state budget forecast projected $2.7 billion in higher-than-expected tax revenue through mid-2025. On Monday morning, Senate Democrats released a proposed supplemental budget that includes nearly $6 billion in new spending. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

B.C. budget to focus on climate change, including year-round wildfire service, minister says
Climate change will be a focal point of British Columbia's 2022 budget, including a new plan to fund a year-round wildfire relief service, according to the province's finance minister. On Monday, Finance Minister Selina Robinson told reporters that making sure communities have the resources they need to deal with the effects of climate change will be at the forefront of her budget when it is released on Tuesday.  (Canadian Press)

Sewage spills into Percival Creek again
An estimated 26,000 gallons of sewage spilled from the Tumwater sewage system near Sommerset Hill Drive into Percival Creek due to an obstruction in the main sewer line on Thursday, Feb. 17. The city of Tumwater officials say the spill was contained and the site was fully cleaned up on Thursday, but the Thurston County Health Department sent out an advisory late Friday telling residents to avoid contact with Percival Creek from Sommerset Hill Drive to Capitol Lake. Such spills have been a recurring problem. (The Olympian)

Hundreds of new native bees species added to Oregon database
The Oregon Bee Atlas just got bigger. In an update announced this month, the largest bee and plant database in the state added hundreds of new native bee species that were discovered all over the state. The atlas was created because of a lack of information available about the state’s bee populations. The program’s scientists collect data from each county with help from trained volunteers who collect bee specimens. In the latest update, they added 224 unique bee species to their list from data collected in 2019, increasing the number of known native bees in Oregon to 650. Monica Semayoa reports. (OPB)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  247 AM PST Tue Feb 22 2022   
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING  THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  NE wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Combined seas 4 to 7 ft with a dominant period of  11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell  3 ft at 10 seconds.

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