9/22 Nuttall's cockle, Aleutian Isle, sockeye return, relocating trees, Oly clearcut

Nuttall's cockle [WDFW]

Nuttall's cockle Clinocardium nuttallii
Nuttall's cockles grow to 5½ inches. They bury 1-2 inches deep in sandy, sheltered beaches and are also found in gravel and cobble substrate. Live cockles are also sometimes found lying on the beach surface. Cockles have a strong digger foot which they sometimes use to "jump" away from predators like the sunflower star. Clinocardium nuttallii has multiple common names. Several state agencies refer to them as 'heart cockles'. Many other sources call them some version of 'Nuttall's cockle' and also 'basket cockle'. All of these names refer to the same species, which is common on Puget Sound beaches. (WDFW)

Aleutian Isle recovered
On Tuesday, the Washington State Department of Ecology reported that the fishing vessel Aleutian Isle was safely and uneventfully transported to Mitchell Bay on San Juan Island Monday afternoon. "After the crane barge was secured, crews were able to remove 300 gallons of oily-water mix before operations ended for the day. A new safety zone was established around the new work area with a 150-yard radius that is in place until Sept. 26. On Tuesday, operations continued to remove trapped fuel and water. Crews also began re-rigging the vessel in preparation to lift it onto a barge in the next day or two where it will be transported to an on-shore facility. Wildlife crews are continuing bird deterrence efforts and assessing areas for any wildlife impacts. The whale deterrence team remains on standby in case killer whale deterrence is necessary." (Dept. of Ecology)

After decades of dwindling runs, sockeye salmon return to Yukon fishing village in droves
It's been more than 20 years since Champagne and Aishihik elder Chuck Hume has seen anything close to the number of sockeye salmon that have shown up to spawn at the Yukon fishing village of Klukshu this fall. Numbers are almost double the escapement goal so far, but it's not yet clear why the fish are back. Matt Meuse reports. (CBC)

The Forest Service is experimenting with relocating tree species to save them from climate change
‘Assisted migration’ has come to the Pacific Northwest, but experts don’t agree if it’s a good thing or a radical response to a warming world. Nathan Gilles reports. (Columbia Insight/Investigate West)

State logging permit voids decades of community planning
Until the last week of this July, there was a forest of 80– to 100–year–old trees in a residential neighborhood on Cooper Point Road between 20th and 28th Streets in Olympia. “Cooper Crest” was a legacy forest, thriving in the middle of Green Cove Basin on a steep hillside alive with springs that supply Green Cove Creek. A 25–acre stand of Douglas Firs and cedars presided over a critical area for aquifer recharge, provided habitat for diverse species, stabilized slopes to reduce landslides—and contributed to slowing global warming by sequestering carbon. That forest is gone now, clearcut by the investors of Silvimantle LLC under a permit granted by the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Esther Kronenberg and Jerry Dierker write. (Works in Progress)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  252 AM PDT Thu Sep 22 2022   
TODAY  N wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  3 ft at 11 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening  then a chance of showers after midnight.

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