10/21 Flying squirrel, FortisBC bunk, Miller Peninsula SP, vanishing snow, gold mine pollution, blue pygmy butterfly, coral, week in review

Northern flying squirrel [Nick Kerhoulas]

Northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus
The Northern flying squirrel is the smallest tree squirrel in Washington, measuring 10 to 12 inches in total length. It is rich brown or dark gray above and creamy below. Its eyes are dark and large, and its tail is wide and flat. These nocturnal gliders are surprisingly common, yet are seldom seen in their forest homes throughout the state. (WDFW)

11 FortisBC Claims Experts Say Are Greenwashing Bunk
Watching videos on FortisBC’s YouTube page, you might get the idea the company is advertising spa services. Shots of laughing children playing sports are overlaid with aerial shots of water flowing over hydro dams and cows contemplating life while taking in the sunset from a grassy field. You don’t need to visit YouTube to view them — these soothing ads are found across every platform in B.C. The croaking “rrreeeebates” frog on the radio, pictures of people hiking on social media and full-page sponsored articles in local magazines. There’s just one problem: it’s all greenwashing, according to several experts.  Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Residents still oppose park plan
As Washington State parks officials continue to consider plans for Miller Peninsula State Park, property neighbors, park users and other Olympic Peninsula residents continue to express their concerns. State officials held what turned into a town hall-style meeting Tuesday — a gathering that drew more than 200 attendees to a 7 Cedars Resort meeting room in Blyn. Michael Dashiell reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Life Was Built Around Snow. What Happens When It Vanishes?
The melting of the snowpack in the high Cascades has long been a predictable source of sustenance in the Pacific Northwest. But the old patterns are changing. Ruth Fremson and Kirk Johnson report. (NY Times)

Federal judge rules WA gold mine violated Clean Water Act more than 3,000 times
Operators of the Buckhorn Mountain gold mine in Okanogan County violated the Clean Water Act thousands of times, a federal judge ruled this week. Crown Resources and its parent company, Kinross Gold, operated the 50-acre mine just a few miles south of the Canadian border. The mine helped unearth $1.3 billion in gold while it was active from 2008 to 2017. Nicholas Turner reports. (Seattle Times)

North America's tiniest butterfly spotted in SE Washington
This particular adventure begins with the search for a bird. However, like many discoveries that venture a bit off course, birder Chris Lindsey found something much more interesting: a Western blue pygmy butterfly. The smallest butterfly in North America. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

In Graphic Detail: Six Coral Continents
Coral reefs are some of the most imperiled ecosystems on the planet, but the largest and most connected reef networks might just have what it takes to survive. Serena Renner reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 10/21/22: Apple Friday!, CWA 50th, TransMountain, Coastal GasLink, WA carbon auctions, quiet ships, K-45, glacier melt, dead sturgeons

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PDT Fri Oct 21 2022   
TODAY  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming NW to 10 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 10 seconds.  Rain. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 9 seconds building to  9 ft at 9 seconds after midnight. Rain in the evening then a  chance of showers after midnight. 
SAT  NW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 12 ft  at 10 seconds. A slight chance of showers. 
SAT NIGHT  N wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 12 ft at 11 seconds. SUN  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at  11 seconds.

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