11/3 Surf smelt, atmospheric river, MMPA at 50, coastal tribes, Fairy Cr protesters, Howe Sound, BC old growth, island policing

 

Surf smelt [iNaturalist]

Surf smelt Hypomesus pretiosus
Surf smelt occur abundantly throughout the nearshore marine waters of Washington, from the Columbia River to the Canadian border and into southernmost Puget Sound and Hood Canal. Genetic research suggests that, despite this broad distribution, surf smelt throughout Puget Sound represent a single stock. Surf smelt populations can generally be divided into summer spawners and fall/winter spawners, though year-round spawning has been documented in the Whidbey Basin, Port Susan, portions of the San Juan Islands, and central Puget Sound (Eagle Harbor and Sinclair Inlet). The intertidal nature of surf smelt spawning habitat in Puget Sound has made the species quite vulnerable to shoreline development activities. Some spawning grounds are currently mere remnants of their original extent. The WAC Hydraulic Codes Rules (WAC 220-110) currently regulate the extent to which bulkhead-fill structure can intrude seaward of the high tide line on known smelt spawning beaches and specific seasons during which admissible work can be undertaken. (WDFW)

Atmospheric river expected to arrive in Metro Vancouver
Up to 70 mm of rain and winds gusting up to 80 km/h are expected in Metro Vancouver as an atmospheric river hits the city. Brendan Kergin reports. (Richmond News)  Riding the atmospheric river: Heavy rain, wind return for repeat visit Riley Haun reports. (Everett Herald)

Seals and sea lions vex Washington tribes as Marine Mammal Protection Act turns 50
50 years ago, President Nixon signed the Marine Mammal Protection Act into law. The act has been hugely successful in restoring the abundance of the marine species it protects. But some say it’s too successful. Tribes in particular say their treaty rights to fishing are under threat because now, too many seals and sea lions are feasting on endangered salmon. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Here’s Where the U.S. Is Testing a New Response to Rising Seas
Native American tribes are competing for the first federal grants designed to help move communities away from high water and other dangers posed by climate change. Christopher Flavelle reports, (NY Times)

Judge rejects bid by Fairy Creek protesters for hearing on alleged RCMP misconduct
A judge has dismissed an application by 121 Fairy Creek logging protesters for a joint hearing to seek a stay-of-proceedings on the grounds of alleged systemic RCMP misconduct...In September 2021, a judge found that the court’s reputation had been “depreciated” by the manner in which the police carried out the arrests...B.C. Supreme Court Justice Douglas Thompson referred to disquieting lapses in reasonable crowd control, unnecessary force used to subdue protesters and the establishment of unlawfully expansive exclusion zones and checkpoints.... On appeal, the B.C. Court of Appeal overturned the ruling and the injunction was extended. The province’s highest court focused on what it considered to be the concerted, organized, well-funded and aggressively illegal conduct of the protesters and said it was an error of the judge to conclude the court’s reputation could be tarnished by the conduct of police. Keith Fraser reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C.’s Howe Sound, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is a natural wonder
Howe Sound, or Átl’ḵa7tsem in the Squamish language (pronounced At-Kat-sum), is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. UNESCO, the international body,best known for designating World Heritage Sites, also recognizes natural areas where ecological conservation efforts preserve biodiversity amidst human activity. Gregory Scruggs reports. (Seattle Times)

B.C. says old-growth logging has reached record lows as critics call for greater transparency
The B.C. government says old-growth logging has reached record lows, but one conservationist is decrying a lack of transparency from the province. In a statement issued Wednesday, the province said logging of old growth has declined 42 per cent from an estimated 65,500 hectares in 2015 to 38,300 hectares in 2021, an area representing 0.3 per cent of the estimated 11.1 million hectares of old growth in the province. It also said 0.23 per cent of priority at-risk old growth identified by an independent panel last November was logged in the past year. (CBC)

Some BC Old-Growth Review Findings Blocked by Forestry Execs
Internal communications released to The Tyee through access to information laws, as well as interviews with panel members, show the province attempted to limit the information about B.C.’s remaining old growth that would be shared with the public. Some of the province’s attempts were successful. Zoë Yunker reports. (The Tyee)

What do ‘community policing’ and ‘police reform’ mean … in the islands?
Mayberry RFD or Hazzard County? Read Kathryn Wheeler's story in the Salish Current about community policing in the San Juan islands facing changing times. YOUR REGION. YOUR NEWS.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  251 AM PDT Thu Nov 3 2022   
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 6 ft  at 10 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning then a  chance of rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind  waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.

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