10/20 On Watch, Forterra, K-45, white sturgeons, BC forestry carbon, GasLink pipe, tribal candidates, warm oceans, Coquitlam Glacier

On Watch [Tony Angell]

On Watch
Tony Angell writes: "When I review images of my successful stone carvings from the past 50 years, I realize that they all seem to have been initiated from a strong personal motivation.   The shape of the stone picked up from a river bed immediately suggested something in motion or a familiar form that only required modest refinement to be realized. Other work has been driven by my emotions at the time—sometimes romantic, others heartfelt and even angry. Even the sheer pleasure of physically working with the shaping of the stone can be compelling... Read more." (Salish Current)

Investors, 80 ex-staffers demand new leadership at Seattle’s Forterra
Big-name philanthropic investors and 80 former staffers of the Seattle-based land conservancy Forterra NW are calling for leadership change there, joining their criticisms with those previously aired by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe. It’s not clear what may come next for Forterra, a well-known and politically connected nonprofit that’s grown rapidly in recent years, expanded the scope of its mission to include community development and raised as much as $215 million to support a regional timber, manufacturing and housing initiative. But complaints about the organization are piling up. Daniel Beekman and David Gutman report. (Seattle Times)

Scientists confirm newborn endangered orca is a female
Scientists were celebrating Wednesday after determining that the southern resident killer whale calf born in April is a female. K45 was the first newborn for K-Pod since 2011, and the fact that she’s a female gives the critically endangered species a glimmer of hope. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

What killed these giant fish?
A dozen white sturgeon died recently in a B.C. river. No one knows what killed them. Georgie Smyth reports. (CBC)

Canadian forestry carbon emissions equal to Alberta's oilsands some years, report says
An analysis suggests Canada is using questionable methods to dramatically underestimate greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry industry, which it says equal those from Alberta's oilsands in some years. The report released Tuesday, also sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council, uses federal data and methodology to attempt to find out how much carbon is emitted by Canada's forestry sector. Bob Weber reports. (Canadian Press) 

It’s ludicrous’: Coastal GasLink pushes its pipeline under a Wet’suwet’en river while salmon are spawning
Coastal GasLink is drilling under the Wedzin Kwa (Morice River) as spawning salmon lay their eggs throughout the river system. The work is being done during a period outside of the “least-risk window” for in-stream construction, according to reports filed with the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office. Put another way, Coastal GasLink is putting its pipeline under the river at the riskiest time for salmon. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Tribal representation in Olympia could quadruple this November
Currently, there is just one Native American serving in the Washington state Legislature. Debra Lekanoff, whose Indian name is “Xixch’I See,” is a member of a Tlingit tribe in Southeast Alaska. She represents District 40, Position 1, which includes the San Juan Islands, and is running unopposed this fall. A handful of Indigenous candidates are running for legislative seats this fall, one in the state Senate and three, including Lekanoff, in the House. David Hyde reports. (KUOW)

Oceans are warming faster than ever. Here’s what could come next.
The world’s oceans have been warming for generations, a trend that is accelerating and threatens to fuel more supercharged storms, devastate marine ecosystems and upend the lives and livelihoods of millions of people, according to a new scientific analysis. Brady Dennis reports. (Washington Post)

Metro Vancouver's last remaining glacier is disappearing fast
Metro Vancouver's last surviving glacier, a source of local fresh water, will disappear in less than 30 years, according to local scientists. Scientists say climate change is accelerating the demise of the Coquitlam Glacier. The ice pack, located 40 kilometres north of Vancouver, sits on a mountain more than 1,400 metres high. Ali Pitargue reports. (CBC)

Have you read the Salish Current?
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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH  LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 13 seconds. A slight chance  of showers in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 8 ft  at 11 seconds.

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