3/31 Nudibranch, Howard Hanson Dam, state trees, WA treaty rights, freshwater mussels, redlining, financing fossil fuels, power transmission, Herring Day

Striped nudibranch [WA Ecology]

Striped nudibranch Armina californica
The striped nudibranch can get fairly large (up to 8 cm) and should be easy to spot. You won’t find one on a beach walk or tidepooling session though. They prefer the sandy or muddy seafloor anywhere from the low intertidal zone to 80 meters deep. (WA Dept of Ecology)

‘Big victory’ for salmon habitat: Fish passage at dam on Green River gets $220M boost
Fish passage at the Howard Hanson Dam east of Auburn has received a $220 million federal funding boost that will help unlock more than 100 miles of salmon habitat on the Upper Green River. The money was secured as a priority project for the Army Corps of Engineers under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray announced Monday. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

The Fight For Legacy Forests: The Supreme Court Case
Deciding whether to log older forests or instead conserve them is being asked of Washington’s Department of Natural Resources right now in a number of ways. One argument, that the DNR should manage their trust lands differently, is being made in the state’s highest court...Washington’s constitution lays out how the state would do this. Section one of article xvi of the constitution begins with the sentence “All the public lands granted to the state are held in trust for all the people…” The sentence goes on, but that first half, saying the lands must be held “for all the people,” is currently up for interpretation. (Part 3 of 3) Lauren Gallup report. (NW Public Broadcasting)

Tribal Leaders in Washington Allege State Intentionally Ignores Treaty Rights
After a judge dismissed charges of shellfish trafficking on treaty grounds, tribes and treaty rights organizations say the case exemplifies how Washington officials are working to undermine treaty fishing rights and agreements, which the state denies. Chris Aadland reports. (Underscore.news/Indian Country Today)

Northwest's freshwater mussels now 'screaming' for help
Almost every population of Northwest freshwater mussels is declining. Researchers hope to figure out what’s going on so they can save these keystone species. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Redlining's enduring impact shows up in WA pollution disparity
New research out of UW suggests historic, racist lending practices still affect inequitable exposure to hazardous pollution today. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

Canadian Banks Keep Financing Fossil Fuels
‘Gut wrenching’ report shows we’re going in the wrong direction to tackle climate emergency, despite Paris Agreement promises, say activists. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

One big detail could derail Northwest’s clean-energy goals
Inability to get renewable energy from producers to users has planners worried about meeting mandates. John Harrison reports. (Columbia Insight/Investigate West)

Herring Day to celebrate fish, conservation and adaptation to sea level rise
The public are invited to Herring Day, an in-person event at Fishermen’s Wharf in False Creek on Saturday, April 2 from noon – 3pm. It is a chance to celebrate the herring that spawn in False Creek, connect with local environmental groups working in and around the creek, and see a range of coastal adaptation approaches presented as part of the Sea2City Design Challenge. (City of Vancouver)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  213 AM PDT Thu Mar 31 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 9 to 10 ft at 13 seconds. A  slight chance of showers in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 11 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

3/30 Oystercatcher, salmon hunt, Canada carbon cut, Taylor's checkspot, herons, whales in nets, BC landslide

Black Oystercatcher [Dennis Paulson]

Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani
The Black Oystercatcher is a distinctive, crow-sized, short-tailed, all-black shorebird. It has pale pinkish legs and a long, bright reddish-orange bill and eye-ring. The Black Oystercatcher is seen year round in appropriate habitat along most of the outer coast of Washington, but seen only occasionally from Point Grenville, south to the mouth of the Columbia River. It can also be seen in the San Juan Islands and along the coast of Puget Sound, south to Whidbey Island (Island County). It is absent in the southern Puget Sound and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, from the mouth of the Elwha River (Clallam County) to Protection Island (Jefferson County), due to lack of appropriate habitat. (BirdWeb)

What happens to salmon deep in the Pacific Ocean? Biggest-ever expedition begins to shed light
The largest-ever salmon research expedition in the North Pacific, now underway, aims to shed light on that stage in the salmon life cycle. Five ships from the United States, Canada and Russia have been collecting salmon samples and studying ocean conditions across about a million square miles. Researchers hope to map where salmon from different rivers spend their winter months — when less food is available and they are particularly vulnerable — and detect signs of competition between salmon species following marine heat waves in recent years. Joshua Partlow reports. (Washington Post)

Canada releases plan for a 40 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2030
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault today released the government's plan to dramatically curb greenhouse gas emissions over the next eight years to meet ambitious 2030 reduction targets. It's a plan that leans heavily on deep cuts in the electricity, oil and gas and transportation sectors. In an effort to slash emissions by 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, the federal government has announced some $9.1 billion in new investments that will, among other things, boost incentives for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), sweeten tax breaks for companies in the fossil fuels sector that embrace carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology, and work to make Canada's electricity grid cleaner. John Paul Tasker report. (CBC)

Taylor's checkspot butterfly, once rare, making a comeback
A rare butterfly thought to be extinct in Canada for more than three decades is making a comeback on Vancouver Island, and getting some human help on Hornby Island. The Taylor’s checkerspot, with its exquisite black, orange and white patterns, was once abundant in Greater Victoria and north to Hornby, with pockets of the insects in coastal regions of Oregon and Washington. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

City Council votes to buy land for blue heron colony
The Bellingham City Council voted Monday to purchase a 1.43 acre property adjacent to a Great blue heron colony near Post Point. The lot, worth $768,000, has been home to a colony of birds for over 20 years, and more than 1,000 herons have fledged at the site. Julia Lerner reports. (CDN) See also": Heron Habitat Helpers keep watch and spread the word on Seattle’s official bird https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/april-3-gather/ Christy Karras reports. (Seattle Times)

Whales Are Back in BC. But Fishing Gear Is Killing Them
Solutions do exist. ‘It would be great if we could put me out of a job,’ says the coast’s only trained disentangler. Andrea Bennett reports. (The Tyee)

B.C. landslide triggered 100-metre tall lake tsunami, study shows
A massive landslide on B.C.'s remote central coast in 2020 triggered a lake tsunami over 100 metres tall, according to a new paper published by researchers from the University of Northern British Columbia. Described as a rare "hazard cascade," the tsunami then sent a vast torrent of water or "outburst flood" into Elliot Creek, uprooting trees, soil and rock as it surged down the valley. The slurry was in turn propelled in the Southgate River and then Bute Inlet, leaving a devastated landscape in its wake. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  244 AM PDT Wed Mar 30 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY   
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds building to 7 ft at 12  seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 13 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

 

3/29 Sturgeon poacher, sea lice, seaweed farming, trees and housing, pollen season, wildfire smoke, Salish Sea wonders, Bear Creek Park, Skagit birds, Tarboo Cr

Sturgeon Poacher

Sturgeon Poacher Agonus acipenserinus
The Sturgeon Poacher can grow up to 12 inches in length. They have a slender, tapering body that is covered with scales that are actually modified bony plates. Found from Northern California to the Bering Sea in Alaska, in shallow waters to depths of about 200’, these fish have very small mouths, that are surrounded by clumps of cirri. These cirri actually contain their taste buds which are used to grovel through the sand and silt bottoms it prefers to inhabit in search of a tasty shrimp or other very small invertebrate. (Scott Boyd)

Sea lice are becoming more resistant to pesticides — that’s a problem for B.C.’s beleaguered salmon farms
Open-net fish pens are the perfect breeding grounds for the parasites, which feast on the mucus, skin and flesh of wild salmon, causing infection and even death. But the tools industry has to deal with the legions of sea lice are becoming less effective. Judith Lavoie reports. (The Narwhal)

WA seaweed farming could boom but permitting remains difficult
Like much of the West Coast, the state needs a regulatory overhaul if it wants to take advantage of emerging ocean aquaculture. Alex Brown reports. (Stateline/Crosscut)

In a Dense Landscape Can Trees and Housing Co-Exist?
In the face of rapid residential development, Seattle's urban trees are in the crosshairs. 60% of the city's urban canopy is on residential lots. Tree advocates say housing and trees can co-exist, but have yet to convince the city's Department of Construction and Inspection, who recently issued a new draft tree protection code. As in previous drafts, maximizing a lots development potential outweighs protecting existing trees on site. Martha Baskin reports. (PRX)

Climate change is making pollen season even worse across the country
The Northeast and Southeast will experience more pollen production, while allergy season in the Pacific Northwest could start a month earlier. Kasha Patel reports. (Washington Post)

Wildfire smoke can change the atmosphere, even a week later
Smoky skies can harm our lungs and the environment. But even when the sky seems to clear of smoke, authors of a new study say leftover smoke particulates can continue to impact the atmosphere for more than a week. April Erlich reports. (OPB)

Wonders of the Salish Sea 2022
The Wonders of the Salish Sea is an environmental education program designed to awaken a sense of wonder and foster a deep connection in the Salish Sea ecosystem. Programs: 4/4: The Salish Sea: Our Wondrous Home and Oceanography and Plankton Dynamics; 4/11: Shorebirds, Biofilm, and Robert’s Bank and juvenile Salmon in the Fraser Estuary; 4/25: Gray Whales of the Salish Sea and The Curious World of Seaweeds; and 5/2: Toward an Atlas of Salish Sea Biodiversity and Nudibranchs – Up Close and Personal. All programs via Zoom; 7 - 9 p.m. Ages 16+, $25 for the series, or by donation. Scholarships available. For information and to register, go here. wondersofthesalishsea.com

Surrey's proposal for Bear Creek Park connector will result in fish deaths, DFO says
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says construction of an 84th Avenue connector through Bear Creek Park will kill fish and it's asking the city to submit a new engineering proposal. The city asked the DFO to review its proposal last fall as part of the planning to fast-track the highly controversial road through the park. Kiran Singh reports. (CBC)

Skagit Land Trust counts birds for wetland conservation
Skagit Land Trust and Skagit Audubon Society hosted an introduction to bird surveys Monday at a Skagit Land Trust wetland. Tim Manns led a group of about 10 birders through the wetland, pointing out savannah sparrows, red-winged blackbirds and northern harriers spotted through his scope. Maddie Smith reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Volunteers plant trees to save Tarboo Creek habitat
Intrepid volunteers from three area schools braved a soggy 16th annual Plant-A-Thon to plant 1,200 native plants along Tarboo Creek, the Northwest Watershed Institute reported. The volunteers on March 19 shared the same goal as those who have worked on this annual project since 2005: to help restore native salmon and wildlife along the creek. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  243 AM PDT Tue Mar 29 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH  WEDNESDAY MORNING   TODAY  E wind to 10 kt becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds. Rain likely after midnight.

--
"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

 

3/28 Grappler Sound, salmon rally, orca listening, Woodfibre LNG, Tulalip women, Electron Dam, novovirus oysters

 

Grappler Sound, 0745 hours, July 2021

Morning Revelation
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "We left our anchorage in Mackenzie Sound at 0630, rushing to make it through Kenneth Passage on the last of the ebb. A band of fog clung part way up the mountains beside and behind us, but we could see blue sky ahead, so were hopeful the fog would lift and we’d have good visibility for most of our passage. But the weather gods weren’t on our side...."

Activists rally in Tacoma for Northwest salmon — next event is April 2 in Olympia
Activists rallied Saturday in Tacoma on behalf of Northwest salmon runs, calling for removal of four dams on the lower Snake River, and seeking attention from state and federal elected officials. The “Stop Salmon Extinction — Free the Snake River” event started at the University of Washington Tacoma. Activists then marched to the local federal offices of U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer and U.S. Sens Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. Featured speakers included Puyallup Tribal Council member Annette Bryan and Port of Tacoma Commissioner Kristin Ang. (Tacoma News Tribune)

New orca listening post installed in deep water of Puget Sound
Over the side it goes with a splash: three ears pricked for the sounds of orcas, and the noise that threatens their survival. In the deep, this trio of hydrophones rests on the sea bottom, recording the sounds of the Sound, including endangered southern resident orcas. The listening array, developed and deployed by SMRU Consulting, is attached to a buoy that marks its location, just about a mile offshore, north of Carkeek Park. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times0

Woodfibre LNG announces $625 million budget for this year, possibility of final investment decision soon
Woodfibre LNG, a Vancouver-based private subsidiary of Singapore’s Pacific Energy Corp., appears to be gearing up for another construction start, announcing that it has an approved budget this year of $625 million. A final decision has not been made to build the $1.6-billion project in the Squamish area, which faces opposition from some area residents but has environmental assessment approval from the province. Pacific Energy Corp. is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies owned by billionaire Sukanto Tanoto. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

As women sweep Tulalip board races, ‘a pretty historic time for us’
Edith Percival Parks became the first Tulalip woman to serve on the Tribes’ Board of Directors in the 1930s. Last weekend, tribal members elected Parks’ granddaughter Debra Posey to lead alongside four other women. It’s the first time in history five women have served on the seven-person board. Over 1,200 tribal members voted in last Saturday’s election. Candidates for the Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors do not run head-to-head but are elected based on total votes received. Two of the seven board seats were up for election this year. The two top vote-getters were Posey and incumbent Misty Napeahi, who earned 507 and 566 votes, respectively. Posey will be sworn in Saturday, taking Glen Gobin’s seat. Isbella Breda reports. (Everett Herald)

Electron Dam owners settle with conservation groups, Puyallup Tribe case pending
The operators of the Electron Dam on the Puyallup River are under court order to stop killing endangered fish. A settlement reached on Friday with a coalition of conservation groups prevents the project from re-starting unless or until they have addressed illegal impacts to federally-protected native species. Bellamy Pailthorp report. (KNKX)

Pacific Rim Shellfish brand oysters recalled due to norovirus risk
A recall has been issued for Pacific Rim Shellfish Corp. brand oysters due possible norovirus contamination. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the oysters being recalled originated in British Columbia and have harvest dates of Mar. 9, 15, and 19. The CFIA says they were sold in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, and Ontario, and possibly other provinces and territories as well. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  232 AM PDT Mon Mar 28 2022   
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming NW to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of  showers.
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 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

3/25 Star magnolia, Trust2022, Russian research ship, fin whale, tribe reveg, ship container spill, Port of Vancouver, REEF, Ballard sewage, week in review

Star magnolia [The Spruce/Evgeniya Vlasova]

 
Star magnolia Magnolia stellata
The star magnolia is a deciduous flowering tree that normally reaches a height of 15 to 20 feet at maturity, with a slightly smaller spread. The star shape of its white flowers gives it both its common name and scientific name. It blooms in March or April, making it one of the true harbingers of spring. Fuzzy, pussy-willow-like buds precede the spring display of mildly fragrant flowers. (The Spruce)

Trust2022
Attorney General Bob Ferguson and journalists Margaret Sullivan and Hedrick Smith brought a powerful and empowering message to our community, via the March 17 online forum "Trust 2022: Why Independent Local News is Important to a Strong Democracy." Salish Current has posted a video recording  of the event here; we encourage you to view and share it as you see fit.

Russian vessel leaves salmon-study expedition
An international expedition to study salmon in the Gulf of Alaska lost its Russian vessel part-way through the venture as a result of sanctions in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. The chartered Russian vessel R/V Tinro had to turn back after it was not allowed to fuel up in Dutch Harbour in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The ship was among four vessels carrying about 60 scientists that headed out in February for a month to the North Pacific Ocean on the largest-ever pan-Pacific research expedition to study salmon. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Rare fin whale found dead on remote beach in Pender Harbour
The body of a rare, young fin whale has been found on a remote beach on British Columbia’s south coast, says an official with the Fisheries Department. Paul Cottrell, the department’s Pacific marine mammal co-ordinator, said initial examinations suggest the two-year-old whale was killed by blunt force trauma from a possible vessel strike on its right side. (Canadian Press)

Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe starts 'River's Edge Reveg' on new floodplain
In 2021, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe constructed a new setback levee to replace the harmful 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dike that butted against the river, restricting river flow and damaging salmon habitat. The old levee is expected to be removed this summer. The tribe will spend the next two years planting 35,000 native plants throughout the 56-acre floodplain in a project dubbed “River’s Edge Reveg.” This reconnected area will evolve into healthy salmon habitat while protecting nearby properties and the Dungeness community from flooding, said Hilton Turnbull, the tribe’s habitat biologist. (NW Treaty Tribes)

Seattle-bound cargo ship spills 90 shipping containers
A Seattle-bound cargo ship has spilled an estimated 90 shipping containers into the North Pacific between Russia and the United States. Nine of the spilled containers are carrying flammable lithium-ion batteries and are considered dangerous cargo. The Liberian-flagged Dyros was sailing to Seattle from Yantian in southern China when it encountered heavy seas Sunday night off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Port of Vancouver volume up last year despite pandemic, supply chain disruptions and flooding
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says cargo volumes increased one per cent to 146 million tonnes last year despite the pandemic, global supply chain challenges and extreme weather in B.C. at the end of the year. The country's largest port says record container and foreign bulk volumes helped maintain cargo volumes despite trade challenges in a year in which the cruise season was cancelled due to COVID-19. (Canadian Press)

Citizen divers aid understanding of fish in the Salish Sea
Hundreds of fish species live in the Salish Sea, and many face a number of threats. Monitoring the health of these fish populations is crucial. But with nearly 5,000 miles of coastline and more than 400 islands, it's no small task...But citizen scientists are increasingly playing crucial roles, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study, published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, revealed that in just over two decades, volunteers with Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)'s Volunteer Fish Survey Project helped monitor more than half of the total fish species known to occur in the Salish Sea. Justin Cox reports. (Phys.org)

New sewage pump station in Ballard will feature 80-foot-tall steel lattice with shimmering lights
When built, Seattle’s newest piece of public infrastructure will look like a tower of lights, according to its designers. The 65-foot-tall cylindrical pump station, scheduled for construction next year on the Ballard waterfront, will be wrapped in an 80-foot-tall stainless steel lattice with gleaming LED effects. Part of a $570 million megaproject that also includes a 2.7-mile-long storage tunnel stretching between Ballard and Wallingford, the $100 million station will pump sewage and polluted storm water out of that tunnel, then send the messy mixture on its way the West Point Treatment Plant. Daniel Beekman reports. (Seattle Times)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 3/25/22: Pecans, Squaxin Park, Nooksack logging, Trans Mountain costs, return Tokitae, BC oil gas, WA sea grass protection, BC ecosystem grant, BC forest protection, Snake R dams, Nooksack flood control, Russian research ship

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Fri Mar 25 2022   
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of drizzle in  the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  N wind to 10 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of  drizzle in the evening then drizzle after midnight. Rain after  midnight. 
SAT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft  at 11 seconds. Rain. 
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 11 seconds. 
SUN  SE wind 5 to 15 kt in the morning becoming light. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 11 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

3/24 Forsythia, Nooksack flood, Snake R dams, BC tech donor, protect BC forests, better hornet name, fossil fuel education, Skagit tulip strike

Forsythia

 
Forsythia
Forsythia is a genus of flowering plants in the olive family Oleaceae. There are about 11 species, mostly native to eastern Asia, but one native to southeastern Europe. Forsythia – also one of the plant's common names – is named after William Forsyth. (Wikipedia)

Our reader points out in response to yesterday's profile of the clematis that we have our own clematis in the Western White Clematis, Clematis ligusticifolia, also known as Western White Virgin’s Bower, Creek Clematis, Creekside Virgin’s Bower, Deciduous Traveler’s-joy, Old-man’s Beard, Pipestems, Peppervine, or Yerba de Chiva (Goatbeard plant).  “Klema” comes from a Greek word meaning twig or branch.  Ligusticifolia refers to its Lovage or Licorice-leaf (Ligusticum)-like leaves. (Native Plants of the Pacific NW)

Rethinking flood control for the Nooksack River
Can restoring the natural balance of the Nooksack River also reduce flood risks? Officials on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border are taking note as climate change raises the stakes. Sarah DeWeerdt writes. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

Call for tearing out lower Snake River dams gaining support in D.C. and WA state
For more than two decades Eastern Washington residents have heard proposals to tear out the lower Snake River dams, but only recently has the idea gotten bipartisan support in the nation’s capital, said Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. He organized a roundtable discussion in Richland on Tuesday, National Agriculture Day, that served as a rally to save the Eastern Washington way of life and a warning that support is growing for removing the dams from Ice Harbor near the Tri-Cities upriver to Lower Granite Dam near Lewiston, Idaho. In the Puget Sound, he said he sees signs scattered along roadways with an X through the words “Snake River Dams.” Annette Cary reports. (Try-City Herald)

Tech entrepreneur donates $14.5M to protect threatened B.C. ecosystems
A tech entrepreneur has given the B.C. Parks Foundation $14.5 million to protect local ecosystems. The donation from Age of Union Alliance, led by Lightspeed Commerce founder Dax Dasilva, is the largest single donation in the history of the foundation, which aims to enhance and expand the province's parks system. Part of the money will go toward buying land in Vancouver Island's French Creek Estuary, a critical eagle habitat. (CBC)

90 scientists call on Trudeau to protect forests ahead of climate plan
As Canada gets set to release its plan to reduce emissions by up to 45% by 2030, scientists say we need to pay more attention to protecting boreal and temperate forests — major carbon sinks that account for 16 per cent of the world's remaining primary forests. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

WA entomologist proposes giving invasive hornet a less-offensive name
Anti-Asian hate and confusion in entomology spur a renaming of the world's largest hornet species. Dr. Chris Looney has been contemplating how we refer to the insect ever since public concerns first arose. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

Should Fossil Fuel Companies Get to Teach Kids about Climate Change?
A new initiative is calling on B.C. schools to ban all fossil fuel advertising in their lessons. The campaign from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment was sparked when Dr. Lori Adamson, a CAPE member and emergency doctor in Salmon Arm, noticed her seven-year-old son’s homework was branded and designed by FortisBC, the province’s largest natural gas distributor. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Skagit tulip workers strike on eve of festival
With the Tulip Festival little more than a week away, workers at the nation’s largest tulip grower have walked off the job to demand better pay and working conditions. About two-thirds of Washington Bulb Company’s employees halted work Tuesday and voted to form a union, said Edgar Franks, political director at Familias Unidas por la Justicia, an independent union of Indigenous Mexican farmworkers. Work conditions at Washington Bulb have been a concern for the company’s field and warehouse employees for years. Ralph Schwartz reports. (CDN)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PDT Thu Mar 24 2022   
TODAY  SE wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft  at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 20 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after midnight. W  swell 5 ft at 10 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

3/23 Clematis, AK salmon take, OR climate rules, Hansville Greenway, WA patrol boats

Clematis

Clematis
Clematis is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids have been popular among gardeners, beginning with Clematis × jackmanii, a garden standby since 1862; more hybrid cultivars are being produced constantly. They are mainly of Chinese and Japanese origin. (Wikipedia)

Groups urge Alaska to protect B.C.-bound salmon, criticize treaty
A coalition of Canadian groups is calling on Alaska's governor to stop the state's harvest of Canadian-bound salmon, while it criticizes the international treaty that prevents overfishing of Pacific salmon. Watershed Watch Salmon Society and three other groups say they have written to Gov. Mike Dunleavy alerting him to a report that shows Alaskan boats intercepted 650,000 Canadian-origin sockeye last summer. The society and SkeenaWild Conservation Trust commissioned the report, which says only 110,000 sockeye were commercially harvested in all of B.C. in 2021, and the coalition questions why the Pacific Salmon Treaty is failing to address issues of interception and overfishing. (Canadian Press)

Businesses challenge Oregon’s new climate program in court
A coalition of businesses wants a court to block Oregon’s new Climate Action Plan administrative rules. The rules, passed by the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission in December, target a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and natural gas by 2050. In a petition for judicial review filed Friday, 12 industry trade groups say the rules “hold fuel suppliers directly accountable” for the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. The groups represent farming, ranching, fossil fuel, logging, manufacturing and retail businesses. April Ehrlich reports. (OPB)

Neighbors rally to purchase 100-acre Hansville Greenway addition, now open to public
Michael Szerlog and Ken Shawcroft stroll across a rolling slice of what was once North Kitsap timber land, showing off the center of a flurry of volunteer work in recent months. Here, on a new 100-acre addition to the Hansville Greenway, visitors can look out over Hood Canal, out toward the Olympic Mountains. There, atop a dirt knoll, a view toward the Cascades. A short distance down a path, frogs croak in a small pond. (Kitsap Sun)

A look at new patrol boats for Washington, Ohio and Texas
North River Boats, Roseburg, Ore., delivered a 30'×10' patrol boat to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) last August. It mainly works the waters of Puget Sound with a two-man crew. Thus the 30-footer is operating in the relatively protected waters of Puget Sound, whereas a larger 38-footer that North River will deliver soon to the WDFW will work offshore. (WorkBoat)

Now, your tug weather--
245 AM PDT Wed Mar 23 2022
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...
TODAY...W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds. Rain in the morning then a slight chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT...NW wind 15 to 25 kt becoming N 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft after midnight. W swell 9 ft at 11 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

 

3/22 Red currant, sea grass sanctuary, Nuchatlaht rights, BC oil production, gray whales, Tokitae, gas price, Theler Wetlands

 

Red currant [Alan Fritzberg]

Red currant Ribes sanguineum
This plant grows from British Columbia to California. This plant grows on both sides of the Cascades crest and at the coast in Washington. Red-flowering currant tolerates poor soil and grows in sunny to partly shady areas making it a great landscaping or restoration shrub. Spring flowers provide a nectar source for hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators. The berries are eaten by birds and mammals, and the leaves are eaten by deer and elk. Many moths and butterflies use the leaves as forage during the caterpillar stage. Pacific Northwest tribes (Skagit, Salish, Quileute, Hoh and many others)  ate the berries. The berries were collected and eaten fresh, stewed, canned, boiled, or dried and saved for winter months, sometimes they would be added to soups for flavoring. (Washington Native Plant Society)

WA creates first sea grass and kelp sanctuary off Everett
A first-of-its-kind sanctuary has been created offshore of Everett, where 2,300 acres of state tidelands have been put off-limits to development for 50 years. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz created the protection zone with the stroke of a pen, withdrawing the tidelands from potential development. Protected are kelp forests and eelgrass meadows near Hat Island and in the Snohomish River estuary. “We are just getting started,” said Franz, who added that the protection zones will be only part of a new state effort under a measure, SB5619, just passed by the Legislature to conserve and restore 10,000 acres of kelp and eelgrass by 2040. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

The Nuchatlaht Legal Fight Is a Big Deal. Here’s Why
The Nuchatlaht rights and title case, claiming about 200 square kilometres of Nootka Island, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, is the first to apply the precedent-setting 2014 Tsilhqot’in decision, in which the Supreme Court of Canada granted the Tsilhqot’in First Nation title to 1,750 square kilometres of territory. It is also the first title case to test the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, passed in 2019. Judith Lavoie reports. (The Tyee) Lawyer for B.C. First Nation says historic land title case is about reconciliation and justice   (CBC)

To limit global heating to 1.5 C, Canada must end oil and gas production by 2034: report
Canada is among a handful of rich countries that must end its oil and gas production by 2034 if the world is to have even a 50 per cent chance of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a new report has found.  The report, released Monday on commission from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, offers a framework to ween the world of fossil fuels by targeting 88 producer countries, which together account for nearly 100 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supply. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Special group of gray whales shows up earlier than ever in Puget Sound
A special group of gray whales takes an annual detour from their coastal migration to feed on ghost shrimp in the tidelands of Puget Sound. They’re known locally as “the Sounders” and most often seen near Whidbey Island. Normally they start showing up in March and feed for a few months before continuing north to their feeding grounds in the Alaskan Arctic. But they have been arriving early for the past two years and growing in number. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Tribal members, community offer prayer and cedar for the return of orca
In continuing to offer prayer for the repatriation of southern resident orca Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut from the Miami Seaquarium to her home waters of the Salish Sea, Lummi Tribal members and the Bellingham community gathered Sunday, March 20, at the sacred site of Cherry Point — named Xwe’chi’eXen in the Lummi language. Led by enrolled Lummi Tribal members Ellie Kinley and Raynell Morris, president and vice president of the non-profit Sacred Lands Conservancy known as Sacred Sea, the group prayed with songs from the Bob Family singers. Natasha Brennan reports. (Bellingham Herald)

How Oil and Gasoline Prices Actually Work
Gas prices—and therefore oil prices—wield a tight grip on the American consumer psyche. No other commodity’s prices are tracked so closely, advertised so prominently, and hold such significance in the minds of the American people as gas prices. It is also a market few people understand.  When gas prices are low, people are pleased, or at the very least do not complain about gas prices. But when gas prices are high—which everyone immediately knows because they’re posted in giant signs at hundreds of thousands of public locations across the country—people get mad, politicians react to that anger, and lots of hemming and hawing is done. Aaron Gordon reports. (Vice)

Fish and wildlife preparing to take over Theler Wetlands from North Mason School District
Theler Wetlands in Belfair will soon be under new management, transferring from the North Mason County School District to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The property consists of approximately 90.41 acres and is composed of five separate parcels, which will continue to be open for public use and recreation. Jesse Darland reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  242 AM PDT Tue Mar 22 2022   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  7 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain  after midnight.

--
"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

3/21 Cherry blossoms, TM pipe, tribal artifacts, Nooksack logging, Clean Water Act, Squaxin Park, Mount Polley mine, novovirus, BC Ferries, Intalco restart

Cherry blossoms [Keith Thorpe/PDN]

Cherry blossoms
Cherry blossoms are a symbolic flower of the spring, a time of renewal, and the fleeting nature of life. Their life is very short. After their beauty peaks around two weeks, the blossoms start to fall. (Smithsonian)

Trans Mountain blames massive spike in project cost on natural disasters, debt costs — and frogs
The projected cost of twinning the Trans Mountain pipeline has nearly tripled because of natural disasters, environmental protection measures and rising debt payments, according to the government-owned pipeline corporation. The latest figures show TMX's initial $7.4 billion price tag — projected when the federal government purchased the project in 2018 — has since ballooned to $21.4 billion. The federal Department of Finance updated those figures in February during a Friday news conference — held on a day when media outlets were distracted by Ottawa police beginning to clear out an entrenched anti-vaccine mandate convoy protest on Parliament Hill. David Thurton reports. (CBC)

Seattle will return 270 artifacts to Upper Skagit Tribe
The Upper Skagit Tribe will soon reclaim hundreds of historic artifacts from the city of Seattle that were uncovered during construction projects... The Upper Skagit Tribe formerly had a permanent winter village along the Skagit River. Part of the land is now considered property of the city of Seattle as part of the city-owned Gorge Inn, a dining hall and historical site in Newhalem...Seattle City Light crews excavated the Gorge Inn site in 2013 for a renovation project, and found the historic tools and food-related devices. Paige Browning reports. (KUOW)

Logging forests takes this toll on already-strained Nooksack River, new research suggests
The Nooksack River is under enormous strain, as development brings its ecosystems to the brink of collapse and climate change chokes summer water supply by reducing the region’s annual snowpack. Recent research shows there is another party that should very likely be held partially responsible for the Nooksack’s dangerously low summer stream flows: The commercial forestry industry, which cuts down trees to sell as timber. Commercial forestry could reduce late-summer stream flows in the Nooksack River’s South Fork by as much as 25%, said Oliver Grah, the Nooksack Indian Tribe’s water resources program manager. Ysabelle Kempe reports. (Bellingham Herald)

The Clean Water Act: 50 years later
In 1972, the federal Clean Water Act was signed into law. Designed to address water quality and pollution levels, the act seemed like a Hail Mary for human health and marine life. The end goal: to make all bodies of water in the United States “fishable and swimmable” by 1982...According to a recent study from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), about half of the bodies of water that have been studied across the country in recent years are too polluted for swimming and recreation, aquatic life, fishing or for use as a source for drinking water. Julia Lerner reports. (Cascadia Daily News)

Rumours of the Death of False Creek Are False
Despite pollution, the waterway lives. A photographer dove in to find creatures in an improving ecosystem. Biologist Fernando Lessa photographed surprisingly abundant marine life in Vancouver’s False Creek, including this hermit crab found among ‘pop cans and disposable cups.’ Jen St. Denis report. (The Tyee)

Priest Point Park in Olympia to be renamed Squaxin Park
After receiving only positive oral feedback during their meeting on Thursday night, the advisory committee to the city of Olympia’s Parks, Arts & Recreation Department voted unanimously in favor of renaming Priest Point Park to Squaxin Park. The committee will send its recommendation along to the City Council, which has final say on the matter. The name was chosen by and recognizes the Squaxin Island Tribe, whose people have occupied and stewarded what is now Olympia for thousands of years. The Tribal Council met last December and agreed on the name change, as well as the decision to possibly rename trails and landmarks within the park in the future. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

Mount Polley mine applies to extend waste water discharge past 2022 as it gears up for restart
Imperial Metals is seeking a three-year interim extension to discharge mine effluent into Quesnel Lake while it works through a major regulatory amendment to extend the life of the Mount Polley gold and copper mine. The extension of the B.C. Ministry of Environment discharge permit, which is set to elapse on Dec. 31, 2022, is opposed by some mine-area residents. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Norovirus cases up due to consumption of raw oysters: health authority
Vancouver's health authority is warning residents of the risk of norovirus associated with eating raw oysters after a spike in cases over the past week.  Since Monday, more than 50 people have been affected by acute gastrointestinal illness after eating raw oysters, Vancouver Coastal Health said in a statement. (CBC)

B.C. Ferries extends schedule changes due to staffing shortage
Anticipating staff shortages in the months ahead, B.C. Ferries has extended until June 22 changes to three of its routes in order to maintain reliable service. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Intalco redevelopment faces more delays
The reopening of Ferndale's Intalco aluminum smelter has been portrayed by project proponents as needing only a favorable power deal with the Bonneville Power Administration to get the plant rolling quickly, restoring hundreds of family-wage jobs as early as next month. BPA officials cast serious doubt on that this week, saying the agency likely could not deliver the required electricity to run the plant on its own, or, because of legal mandates, sell that power at a requested price likely to make the plant financially feasible. Julia Lerner reports. (Cascadia Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  256 AM PDT Mon Mar 21 2022  
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt this morning.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12  seconds. Rain. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 6 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/18 Chipmunk, COVID testing, GasLink protest, Tofino plastic, Emily Howe, Whale Trail gathering, space telescope, week in review

Townsend's chipmunk
[Walter Siegmund/WikiCommons]

Townsend's chipmunk Tamias townsendii
Townsend's chipmunks are found in the northwestern United States. Their distribution ranges from the the Rogue River in southern Oregon to southwestern British Columbia along the Pacific coast. Thus they are found in an oceanic, or marine west coast climate. Townsend's chipmunks are solitary and demonstrate fairly aggressive behavior toward conspecifics or other chipmunks. They are said to be territorial. An individual lives in a single burrow that can reach up to 10 m in length. (Animal Diversity)

No more COVID testing to enter Canada
Vaccinated travellers will no longer need to show a COVID-19 test to enter Canada beginning April 1, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos officially announced Thursday. The change comes at the very beginning of the tourist season and the tail end of the Omicron wave in Canada, as new reported cases of COVID-19 have declined since mid-January. Laura Osman reports. (Canadian Press)

Celebrities Call on RBC to Stop Funding Coastal GasLink Pipeline
More than 65 Hollywood celebrities and Indigenous climate activists have signed a petition asking the Royal Bank of Canada and its subsidiary City National Bank to stop financing fossil fuel projects and defund the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern B.C. The petition, called “No More Dirty Banks,” includes high profile signatories such as Mark Ruffalo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Jane Fonda, Brandon Boyd, Edward Norton, Ben Stiller and Patti Smith who say they are City National Bank clients. Binny Paul reports. (The Tyee)

Tofino bans plastic eating utensils for takeout food
Of all the plastic waste that washes ashore around the Pacific Rim, Tofino Mayor Dan Law says plastic utensils — forks, spoons, knives and coffee stir sticks — are among the most common. Now the tourist community on the edge of the Pacific is taking the lead to get rid of them — and make a small dent in the amount of plastics that end up in the water and on the beaches. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Deep in the marsh, an ecologist untangles aquatic food webs
Aquatic ecologist Emily Howe catalogs plant species in hopes of restoring the rich ecosystems between land and sea. Sarah Hoffman reports. (Crosscut)

Whale Trail Spring Gathering 2022
Welcome Spring with special guests Rachel Aronson (Quiet Sound), researcher Mark Sears and Whale Trail Director Donna Sandstrom on March 24, 7 p.m., in West Seattle. Rachel will introduce us to Quiet Sound, a new program to protect whales by reducing noise and disturbance from large vessel like tankers, container ships and ferries. Mark will share photos from recent field research, including encounters with southern resident orcas. Donna will recap news around The Whale Trail, including upcoming events to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Springer's rescue! Attendance limited; masks optional but recommended. Register here.

James Webb Space Telescope working as well as astronomers dreamed it would
A supersharp image of a bright star — released by NASA — shows that the optics seem to be working perfectly on the James Webb Space Telescope. The $10 billion infrared telescope launched in December after decades of development and construction, and it thrilled astronomers when it successfully unfolded itself out in space. Now scientists say that its 18 separate mirror segments have been precisely aligned so that they can act as one giant mirror that's about 21 feet across. Nell Greenfieldboyce reports. (NPR)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 3/18/22: Sleep, old growth, port expansion, heat dome, caffeine, North Shore sewage, Nooksack flooding, Capitol estuary, perpetual drought, COVID test

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Fri Mar 18 2022   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of  showers. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 12 seconds building to 7 ft at 12 seconds after midnight.  Showers. 
SAT  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at  12 seconds building to 10 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon.  Showers likely. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell  9 ft at 12 seconds. 
SUN  SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at  12 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

 

3/17 Earwig, Capitol Lake estuary, BC fish farms, VAWA, Nuchatlaht suit, drought, ship recycling

Earwig

Earwig Dermaptera
Earwig, any of approximately 1,800 species of insects that are characterized by large membranous hindwings that lie hidden under short, leathery forewings. The name earwig is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning “ear creature,” probably because of a widespread ancient superstition that earwigs crawl into the ears of sleeping people. This nocturnal insect is usually herbivorous. (Encyclopedia Brittanica)

State says choice of estuary is likely outcome for Capitol Lake
Converting Capitol Lake to an estuary — a step that would mean removing the Fifth Avenue dam in Olympia and letting the body of water rise and fall with the tides — is likely to be the recommendation of the final environmental impact statement for the lake, the state Department of Enterprise Services announced Wednesday. The preliminary announcement was made during an hourlong meeting of two work groups largely comprised of local and county officials, both elected and staff. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian)

B.C. Premier John Horgan raises concerns to Trudeau about jobs if fish farms close
Any federal government plans to move away from open-net pen salmon farms in British Columbia should come with transition help for the industry and workers, says Premier John Horgan. A letter dated March 10 from Horgan to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said concern is widespread on Vancouver Island that the federal government is poised to make a decision that could threaten hundreds of jobs and the economies of coastal communities. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

In D.C., Tulalip Tribes laud revised Violence Against Women Act
For years, Tulalip leaders fought to affirm tribes’ ability to protect native people from non-native violent offenders. On Wednesday, Tulalip Chairwoman Teri Gobin sat alongside survivors and advocates in Washington, D.C., as President Joe Biden touted the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA was first enacted in 1994, with the aim of protecting survivors of domestic violence. It requires renewal every five years. The latest version grants tribes the power to arrest, prosecute and sentence all perpetrators of sexual and domestic violence; sex trafficking; stalking; child violence; and obstruction of justice on tribal lands. Isabella Breda reports. (Everett Herald)

Nuchatlaht take fight for heavily logged territory to B.C. Supreme Court. Here’s what you need to know
Extensive industrial clearcutting destroyed salmon streams on an island the B.C. government says the Nuchatlaht ‘abandoned.’ Now the nation is taking the matter to the province’s highest court in the first case to cite the precedent-setting Tsilhqot’in land title decision. Judith Lavoie report. (The Narwhal)

Oregon and the West may be stuck in perpetual drought, study says
Many parts of the American West, including Oregon, have entered or will enter a state of “perpetual drought” if global warming, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, continues unabated. That’s according to a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week. Bradley W. Parks reports. (OPB)

Where Should Ships Go When They Die?
A pop-up vessel recycler in BC’s biggest shellfish production area draws attention to our lack of ship breaking regulations. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  248 AM PDT Thu Mar 17 2022   
TODAY  E wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. Rain. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming S after midnight. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. Rain in the evening  then a chance of showers after midnight.

--

"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

3/16 Pillbug, caffeine, Skagit dams, Phillips 66, Snoqualmie Tribe, North Shore wastewater, Trust2022, WA-BC Nooksack flood, catching methane, clean energy $s

Oregon pillbug [Sound Water Stewards]

Oregon pillbug Gnorimosphaeroma oregonense
This little isopod looks very much like a pillbug and if you pick it up, it will roll up in a little ball. It only gets about ½ inch long. Watch for it under rocks or in clumps of mussels. Where you find one, you'll often find large numbers of them. They prefer areas of low salinity. Good luck pronouncing its scientific name! If you have problems with it, the common name is Oregon pillbug. (Sound Water Stewards)

How Your Caffeine Addiction Is Hurting Marine Life
Lab trials show caffeine has a range of negative effects on marine species. Larry Pynn reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Seattle City Light takes next step toward dam relicensing
Seattle City Light, which operates three hydroelectric dams on the upper Skagit River, last week released initial results from 33 studies it has agreed to do as part of its relicensing process. What is called an Initial Study Report was filed March 8 with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which will determine whether to reissue a new license for the utility. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Environmental nonprofit claims legal victory over Whatcom refinery, says it will help orca 
According to a Friends of the San Juans news release Tuesday, March 15, the Washington State Court of Appeals on Feb. 28 upheld a previous court’s ruling regarding Phillip 66’s planned expansion of its Ferndale refinery. [It] says it has “scored a decisive legal victory” to help protect Southern Resident killer whales as Phillips 66 looks to expand its fossil-fuel storage facilities in Whatcom County. David Rasbach reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Snoqualmie Tribe's fight to hunt and gather. Now the Supreme Court will weigh in
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe is in a battle with the state of Washington over hunting and gathering rights. In a recently filed petition, the tribe is asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision that says the tribe is not entitled to hunt off reservation, on open unclaimed land managed by the state. Diana Opong reports. (KUOW)

Metro Vancouver moves to restart troubled $1-billion North Shore treatment plant
Metro Vancouver will try over spring and summer to get its much-delayed, over-budget new North Shore wastewater treatment plant back on track and devise a plan for completion of the now $1-billion project with the help of a new contractor. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Salish Current to host forum on importance of local news on March 17
The event, “Trust2022: Why Independent Local News is Important to a Strong Democracy,” will be held 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17 via Zoom. Feature speakers include Washington state attorney general Bob Ferguson, Margaret Sullivan, a Washington Post columnist and author of “Ghosting the news: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy;” and Pulitzer Prize journalist Hedrick Smith. To register for the free event, visit salish-current.org/trust2022. (The Northern Light)

State partners with British Columbia on flooding response
Gov. Jay Inslee announced plans to develop a flooding prevention and response initiative with British Columbia Premier John Horgan.  The announcement, released [Tuesday] afternoon, comes after months of discussions related to November and December's Nooksack River flooding...The joint commission will announce details of the flooding initiatives later this Spring. Julia Lerner reports. (Cascadia Daily News)

WA wants to capture the natural gas leaking from landfills
Legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would require methane collection systems at certain landfills. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

How clean energy could be good for Washington's wallet as well as the environment
As gas prices spike in Washington state and across the U.S., voices are calling for less reliance on foreign oil. To some, that means producing more oil domestically. But to others: "True energy independence means not being at the whims of the fossil fuel market." Katie Campbell and Angela King report. (KUOW)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  250 AM PDT Wed Mar 16 2022   
TODAY  SW wind to 10 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds. A slight  chance of showers. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  8 ft at 12 seconds subsiding to 6 ft at 12 seconds after  midnight. A slight chance of rain in the evening then a chance of  rain after midnight.

--
"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

3/15 Earthworm, heat dome, planting trees, orca scars, dam passage

Earthworm [Ron de Goede]

Earthworms Lumbricus terrestris
Although native to Europe, earthworms are found throughout North America and western Asia. Earthworms' bodies are made up of ringlike segments called annuli. These segments are covered in setae, or small bristles, which the worm uses to move and burrow. These terrestrial worms typically dwell in soil and moist leaf litter. Their bodies are characterized by a "tube within a tube" construction, with an outer muscular body wall surrounding a digestive tract that begins with the mouth in the first segment. As they burrow, they consume soil, extracting nutrients from decomposing organic matter like leaves and roots. (National Geographic)

Inside June’s Deadly Heat Dome. And Surviving the Next One
Hundreds succumbed to scorching temperatures. Why was BC’s toll so much higher than Washington and Oregon? Jen St. Denis reports. (The Tyee)

Tree Planting Is Booming. Here’s How That Could Help, or Harm, the Planet.
Reforestation can fight climate change, uplift communities and restore biodiversity. When done badly, though, it can speed extinctions and make nature less resilient. Catrin Einhorn reports. (NY Times)

Killer Whales’ Scars Tell a Story (corrected link)
By counting their scars and when they got them, scientists are unlocking new insights on killer whale social dynamics. Marina Wang reports. (Hakai Magazine)

New data could help scientists worldwide studying fish passage through dams
Tiny devices, smaller than a couple grains of rice, help provide reams of data as researchers track salmon around Northwest dams. Scientists hope this data from juvenile Chinook salmon could help broaden the understanding of fish behavior and survival in an inexpensive and effective way at other dams around the world. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  242 AM PDT Tue Mar 15 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  SW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 15 ft at 17 seconds.  Rain likely in the morning then showers and a slight chance of  tstms in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 11 ft at 17 seconds. Showers  likely and a slight chance of tstms in the evening then rain  likely after midnight.

--
"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

3/14 Lilac, BC old growth, Indigenous guardians, Roberts Bank port, Snohomish Co, Mt. polley mine, orca scars

Common lilac [The Spruce]

Common lilac Syringa vulgaris
Common lilac bushes are deciduous shrubs that bloom in the springtime. They are part of the olive family, along with other such ornamental plants as ash trees, forsythia bushes, and privet hedges. The outstanding quality of many lilac varieties is the sweet fragrances of their flowers. The blooms appear in branching clusters or panicles. Each flower is only about 1/3 inch across. The leaves are gray-green to blue-green in color and reach around 2 to 5 inches long; they do not change color in the fall. And the bark of this shrub is gray to grayish brown. The best time to plant lilac bushes is in the early fall before the ground freezes. They have a moderate growth rate of 1 to 2 feet per year. (The Spruce)

The Pacheedaht people finally started making money from Vancouver Island timber. Then the protesters arrived.
The People of the Sea Foam have long lived in this rainforest along the B.C. side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For more than a century, the Pacheedaht have witnessed colonial extraction of the forests in their unceded territory. But now, they are reversing at least some of the flow of prime timber dollars back to their people. The nation is getting a first-of-its-kind 50-50 profit split on logging some forestlands under a partnership created in 2018. And the nation is processing logs in its own mill, opened in 2017. But a fight is underway over logging old growth forests, in the Fairy Creek drainage and beyond. Logging opponents and scientists are calling for these mature and old-growth forests to be set aside to help preserve biodiversity and combat the worst effects of climate change: extreme heat, drought, wildfire, flooding and more. The conflict has Indigenous nations in the middle. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times/Part 1)

The marvel of old-growth forests that once cloaked the Pacific Northwest
The cedar’s broken, silvered top pierced the soaring forest canopy and its trunk flared to a magnificent fluted column. The trunk was so big around that a cavity at its base easily fit four adults crawling inside to wonder at a snug bear’s den. There was a time and not very long ago that trees like this cloaked the Northwest coast, from Southeast Alaska to B.C. to Washington, Oregon and Northern California. But since the time of European settlement, about 72% of the original old-growth conifer forest in the Pacific Northwest has been lost, largely through logging and other developments. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times/Part 2)  

The frontline of conservation: how Indigenous guardians are reinforcing sovereignty and science on their lands
From catching poachers to documenting species to saving lives, guardians all along the B.C. coast are bringing back traditional practices of territorial safeguarding — and filling major knowledge and conservation gaps while they’re at it. Jimmy Thomson reports. (The Narwhal)

Ottawa urged to pause proposed B.C. port expansion, consider alternative plan
A plan to build a new shipping container terminal the size of nearly 144 football fields at a major Metro Vancouver port has sparked a rival proposal along with concerns for endangered orcas and the salmon they depend on. The three-berth, $3 billion terminal proposed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority would be built next to the existing Deltaport and Westshore terminals at Roberts Bank in Delta, B.C....The deadline is Tuesday for the public to comment on the project before the federal environment minister decides whether the effects would likely be significant and refers them to cabinet to determine whether they are justified in the public interest. Brenna Owen reports. (CBC)

In Snohomish County, climate change is an economic game changer
Fires. Floods. Heat waves. Jobs? Despite dire downsides, human-caused climate change is giving the local economy a boost. It could become a boom. Legacy industries such as wood products and transportation are evolving. Electric aviation is poised for takeoff. Entrepreneurs are launching new energy industries to steer us away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels. They aim to do well while doing good. Why choose Snohomish County? Julie Titone reports. (Everett Herald)

Regulatory body wraps up investigation into engineers involved in B.C.'s Mt. Polley mine disaster
Nearly eight years after the largest environmental mining disaster in Canadian history, B.C.'s engineering regulatory and licensing body has wrapped up its investigation into three engineers who were involved. Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) brought a collective $226,500 in fines against two engineers involved in the Mount Polley mine disaster who are no longer working in the industry and a brief suspension and required training for a third engineer. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

Killer Whales’ Scars Tell a Story
By counting their scars and when they got them, scientists are unlocking new insights on killer whale social dynamics. Marina Wang reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  239 AM PDT Mon Mar 14 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING   
TODAY  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft  at 12 seconds. Rain. 
TONIGHT  E wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less after  midnight. W swell 9 ft at 18 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told