4/25 Wintercreeper, cold-water coral, gone glaciers, toxic tires, Biden's old-growth, Harriet Bullitt, burning ships, PA harbor, coastal tribes, decolonizing conservation

Wintercreeper

Wintercreeper Euonymus fortunei
Euonymus fortunei, the spindle, Fortune's spindle, winter creeper or wintercreeper, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to east Asia, including China, Korea, the Philippines and Japan. It is named after the Scottish botanist and plant explorer Robert Fortune. (Wikipedia)

Rare cold-water coral garden in peril on B.C. coast
A remarkable coral garden tucked away in a remote inlet on B.C.’s wild central coast is in danger unless the federal government takes immediate steps to save it from destruction before the prawn fishing season gets underway, conservationists say. Heavy prawn traps and ropes, which make contact with the seabed, are particularly destructive to the delicate red tree corals, or Primnoa pacifica, in a unique area in the ­centre of Knight Inlet, said professional diver, filmmaker and naturalist Neil McDaniel. Rochelle Baker reports. (National Observer)

Olympic Peninsula glaciers expected to disappear in 50 years
The Olympic Peninsula has lost 45% of its glacier coverage since 1980, according to a new study by Fountain and coauthors from Washington state and British Columbia. The peninsula’s remaining 250 glaciers, which covered about two square miles at last estimate, should be gone in another 50 years as humanity’s pollution continues to overheat the planet, the study found. John Ryan reports. (KUOW/OPB)

A half-million tires in Puget Sound are leeching harmful substances. Here’s how to help 
Tires with toxic substances lurk in Washington waters, harming the wildlife and creating a problem that needs to be cleaned up. There are an estimated half-million tires in Puget Sound that have been leaching harmful substances into the water for about 50 years, according to Jim Trask, president of Washington scuba Alliance. Alyse Messmer reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Biden unveils protection plan for old-growth forest during Seattle visit
On Friday, President Joe Biden marked Earth Day at Seattle’s Seward Park — home to some of the oldest stands of trees left in the city — where he announced and signed an executive order meant to protect old-growth forests on federal lands. Eilis O'Neill and John Ryan reports. (KUOW) See also: Biden’s executive order in Seattle spotlights importance of old-growth forests in fight against climate change   Hal Bernton, Nick Turner and Lynda V. Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

The Long, Remarkable Life of Harriet Bullitt
The last decade of her life, which ended at age 97 on Saturday morning, saw Harriet Bullitt looking forward as well as celebrating what she created, enabled, and is leaving behind to benefit both sides of the Cascades and beyond. Joel Connelly writes. (Post Alley) See also: Harriet Stimson Bullitt, Northwest philanthropist and conservationist, dies at 97  Mike Carter reports. (Seattle Times)

Unicorns and explosives: a burning ship off Victoria’s coast hints at the dangerous secrets of cargo carriers
More than 100 sea cans were lost in B.C. waters after a storm wracked the Zim Kingston last fall. Bigger vessels, weighed down with more goods, are making shipping riskier. Bill Donahue reports. (The Narwhal)

Cruising the harbor in Port Angeles
The cruise ships Celebrity Eclipse, front, and Ovation of the Seas, rear, sit anchored in Port Angeles Harbor on Friday as they await the Alaskan cruise season. Both ships are operated by the Royal Caribbean Group or its subsidiaries. Anchored between the cruise vessels are the bulk carrier James Bay and the pusher tug Dublin Sea. Keith Thorpe reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

From WA to Alaska, coastal tribes face displacement with insufficient financial help
On April 11, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced it would invest $46 million in funding to tribal communities to address the unique impacts of climate change in Indigenous communities. The funding is a piece of the $466 million to the Bureau of Indian Affairs through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address tribal infrastructure in Indigenous communities. Securing enough federal funding for relocation expenses, infrastructure investments or efforts to strengthen climate resilience and adaptation has been a major hurdle for many tribes. While these investments are appreciated, many tribal communities believe that ecological restoration still isn’t enough of a priority.  Luna Reyna reports. (Crosscut)

How to Decolonize Conservation
Drawing on examples from existing conservation projects and their own experiences, Indigenous researchers are unpacking what a decolonized approach to environmental protection should look like. Erica Gies reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  243 AM PDT Mon Apr 25 2022   
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  9 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then a chance  of showers in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of  showers.

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