Salish Sea News and Weather: December 2022

Friday, December 23, 2022

12/23 Mistletoe, stormy weather, Baird Cove, Port Townsend deer, birds in the cold, week in review

Editor's Note: Salish Sea News and Weather wishes you the best of the holiday season and good fortune and health in 2023. I'll be back in January and hope you will, too. Got time? Take a look at the stories posted on Salish Current. For those who are able to support not-for-profit community news, please donate what you can before year's end to grow journalism that's free to read, independent and free of ads. Thank you! Mike Sato.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe Viscum album
Mistletoe is native to Europe and western and southern Asia. Viscum album is a hemiparasite on several species of trees, from which it draws water and nutrients. The ritual of oak and mistletoe is a Celtic religious ceremony, in which white-clad druids climbed a sacred oak, cut down the mistletoe growing on it, sacrificed two white bulls and used the mistletoe to make an elixir to cure infertility and the effects of poison. (Wikipedia)

Cancelled ferry sailings, bus services, flights: The latest on the B.C. South Coast winter storm
A second significant winter storm forecast to sweep Southern B.C. on Thursday night has prompted cancellations across bus services, ferry sailings and flights. (CBC)

Freezing rain falls across western Washington. Here's what to expect
Almost all of western Washington is under a Winter Storm Warning starting that expires ending Friday evening. The bulk of the Puget Sound area will be under the warning until 7 p.m. on Friday, while Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan counties will be under a storm warning until 10 p.m. Friday. (KING)

This Thurston County estuary has been protected for salmon habitat conservation
Near one of the northernmost tips of Thurston County lies a small estuary that’s been identified as high priority for conservation. Baird Cove, an 87-acre pocket estuary on Johnson Point, was recently acquired by the Nisqually Land Trust and will now be permanently protected. Located just south of Zittel’s Marina, the estuary is a habitat for out-migrating juvenile salmon and was listed in Puget Sound salmon recovery plans as a vital natural area, according to a news release from the Nisqually Land Trust. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

Port Townsend residents say deer have grown to "absurd" numbers
Deer have been a fixture of Port Townsend for years. And judging by Youtube videos, residents' reactions to them are mixed — there's surprise, adoration, annoyance, even fear. Two dogs have been killed by deer in the last several years in Port Townsend, the mayor said. Last week at a city council meeting, one resident said a deer kicked her in the head and knocked out several teeth. Scott Greenstone reports. (KNKX)

Cold could kill some smaller songbirds, says birder
Some smaller birds will succumb to cold temperatures because they can’t get warm. Others can be found sleeping at night in unusual spots, like porches, or clumping together. Louise Dickson reports. (Times Colonist)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 12/23/22: Julebukk Friday, Ghost River, biodiversity pact, chicken flu, seaweed farms, WA zero-emissions, WA aluminum, king tides, nutrient reduction, Salmon People, COP15 promises, Skagit salmon.

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 519 AM PST Fri Dec 23 2022
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY SE wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 6 to 8 ft subsiding to 3 to 5 ft in the afternoon. SW swell 3 ft at 13 seconds building to 7 ft at 13 seconds in the afternoon. Rain and a slight chance of freezing rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. SW swell 7 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.
SAT SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming S in the afternoon. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft. SW swell 6 ft at 10 seconds building to 10 ft at 11 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.
SAT NIGHT SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft subsiding to 3 to 4 ft after midnight. SW swell 9 ft at 12 seconds.
SUN E wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 10 ft at 12 seconds.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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Thursday, December 22, 2022

12/22 Yule log, Skagit salmon, SnoCo and Tulalip Tribe grants, BC cryptocurrency mining, Howard Danson Dam fish passage

Yule log

Yule log
The custom of the Yule Log spread all over Europe and different kinds of wood are used in different countries. In England, Oak is traditional; in Scotland, it is Birch; while in France, it's Cherry. Also, in France, the log is sprinkled with wine, before it is burnt, so that it smells nice when it is lit.

Did salmon actually use the Skagit River before the Seattle dams were built?
Seattle City Light, which has had a monopoly on energy in the city since 1951, has argued that the fish never accessed the stretches of the river where its dams and reservoirs now stand, at least not in significant numbers, and that because of this, the utility should not be required to take on the major infrastructure work of adding fish passage. However, a chorus of people, from federal agencies to tribal nations and their biologists, have offered up formidable evidence to the contrary, citing historical records, tribal histories and research, federal agency findings — even newspaper stories from the time the dams were being constructed in the early 1920s — which suggest fish did ascend the river, and that today they may need access to that habitat in order to survive. Rico Moore reports. (High Country News)

Tulalip Tribes, Snohomish County receive grants for coastal preservation
Earlier this month, the county Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Tulalip Tribes both received grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Coastal Resilience Fund...Snohomish County received $5.85 million from the program, to be supplemented with $2.1 million of county funds, said department spokesperson Meghan Jordan. The funds will go towards restoring salmon habitat along a 1 ½-mile stretch of the Snohomish River at Thomas’ Eddy, 5 miles south of Snohomish. On the Tulalip Reservation, tribal leaders will use the $366,000 received from the grant to study methods for warding off the worst impacts of ever-rising sea levels and intensifying storms. Riley Haun reports. (Everett Herald)

B.C. suspends new cryptocurrency mining requests over power, environmental concerns
B.C.'s provincial government says it won't be taking new requests to hook up cryptocurrency mining operations to the electrical grid for 18 months. The pause is aimed at giving the government time to assess how the industry is affecting the province's economic and environmental goals. (CBC)

Washington Dam Fish Passage Construction Advances
A long-planned project to build a fish passage facility on the Howard A. Hanson Dam is advancing with new funding. It would reopen more than 100 miles of western Washington state’s Green River for salmon spawning and rearing. The Water Resources Development Act, which the U.S. Senate passed this month after lawmakers reached an agreement with their House colleagues, authorizes $878.5 million for the dam project. James Leggate reports. (Engineering News-Record)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 417 AM PST Thu Dec 22 2022
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY E wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. NW swell 2 ft at 14 seconds. A slight chance of snow in the afternoon.
TONIGHT E wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. W swell 2 ft at 19 seconds becoming N at 18 seconds after midnight. Snow in the evening then rain after midnight.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

12/21 Holly and Oak Kings, Salmon People, WA SEPA, nutrient reduction, king tides, COP15, recycling plastics, Tacoma trees, Intalco, shipwreck gold

Oak King and Holly King

Oak King and Holly King
The Holly King and Oak King are personifications of the winter and summer in various folklore and mythological traditions. The two kings engage in endless "battle" reflecting the seasonal cycles of the year: not only solar light and dark, but also crop renewal and growth. Wikipedia. Happy winter solstice!

Salmon People: A tribal fishing family’s fight to preserve a way of life
When the salmon are running up the Columbia River, Native fishermen are there with them. They live, eat and sleep at the river. Their children grow up at the river. They catch salmon for subsistence, for ceremonies, and for their living. This is the life of the Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum, the Salmon People. It is a life Columbia River tribal people have lived since time immemorial and have fought for decades to protect. Over the last century and a half, they have watched as forces eroded their access to salmon. Treaties removed them from their traditional fishing areas; dams massively reduced the numbers of salmon that swam in the waters; environmental contamination further poisoned the well. (Katie Campbell reports. (ProPublica/OPB)

Expedited rulemaking to amend state SEPA rules; Rules to increase exemptions for housing construction
Ecology writes: "The rules we are changing would increase the exemption levels that local governments can incorporate into their SEPA policies and procedures for apartments, houses less than 1,500 square feet and attached homes such as duplexes. The rule amendments also reflect legislative directives dating back to 2017, adjust inconsistencies with SEPA, and fix typographical errors. The updated SEPA rules are planned to take effect in mid-January 2023. (Dept of Ecology)

The quest continues for a nutrient reduction plan
Human sources of nitrogen in Puget Sound have been blamed for increasing the intensity of algae blooms, lowering oxygen to critical levels, and impairing sea life. In response, officials with the Washington Department of Ecology are developing a Puget Sound Nutrient Reduction Plan to strategically reduce nitrogen in various places... According to Ecology estimates, about two-thirds of the human-induced nitrogen is coming from sewage-treatment plants perched along the shoreline. The rest comes from diverse sources such as septic systems, fertilizers from farms and urban landscapes, animal waste from livestock and pets, and atmospheric deposition from the burning of fossil fuels and organic materials. For planning purposes, these diverse sources of nitrogen are grouped as “watershed” sources, and they enter Puget Sound mostly via streams and stormwater outfalls. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Puget Sound This Weekend: King Tides and Climate Change
At 7 am Christmas morning, when most of us will be focused on tinsel and eggnog, Puget Sound will fill to capacity — its highest level in a year. The sound will bulge to more than 1,000 square miles. Beaches will all but disappear. Waves on Elliott Bay may slosh onto piers and ferry ramps will flatten. High water will refloat thousands of beach logs, posing navigational hazards until they’re washed up on another beach miles away. Ross Anderson writes. (Post Alley)

Canada made big promises to save nature at COP15. Will it follow through?
196 countries set new global targets to stop the biodiversity crisis. The test now is to put words into action. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

King County recycling pilot kept 25 tons of plastic out of landfills
A five-month recycling pilot shows a promising way to keep plastic wrap and bags from going to the dump.Between Jan. 18 and May 31, a handful of grocery stores in the Puget Sound region hosted bins for a Seattle-King County pilot that let people drop off film packaging like produce bags or bubble packaging material, which are not accepted in traditional recycling bins. Stores like Target, Fred Meyer, Safeway and QFC already offer plastic bag and wrap recycling. However, the pilot expanded the service to independent grocers. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times)

In Tacoma, growing the urban tree canopy is a community effort
...Tacoma has fewer trees than any other city that has measured its canopy in the Puget Sound region. It currently covers about 20% of the land mass. In places, the canopy registers only about 10%. The city identified several priority neighborhoods, including McKinley, where the history of redlining has left residents especially exposed. The lack of investments by racist banks correlates with a lack of tree-cover. So 12 years ago, Tacoma set one of the region’s most aggressive goals for growing the urban canopy: to get to 30 percent coverage by 2030 – and to do so equitably. Bellamy Pailtorp reports. (KNKX)

What’s next for WA aluminum manufacturing? The fight goes on
The hard-fought battle to reopen a “green” aluminum plant near Bellingham came to a halt this month. But it may not be the end. A new Department of Defense report to Congress says production of aluminum, specifically high-purity aluminum, may need a boost from the Defense Production Act. The DPA gives the president the power to order companies to produce goods for national defense. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Intalco restart: can ‘green’ aluminum get ‘clean’ power? Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current, 7/21/22)

British Columbians seek gold from newly discovered shipwreck
The U.S. company that discovered the site of the Pacific Northwest’s deadliest maritime disaster has heard from a number of British Columbians claiming to be descendants of the ship’s passengers, says the man who found the vessel. On Monday, Rockfish Inc. president Jeff Hummel told Postmedia News that those people had contacted his company since word got out that it had secured salvage rights to the Pacific — a coal-powered sidewheeler that sank off the tip of the Olympic Peninsula on Nov. 4, 1875 with the loss of at least 350 lives. David Carrigg reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 410 AM PST Wed Dec 21 2022 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING
TODAY E wind 15 to 20 kt becoming 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.
TONIGHT E wind 20 to 25 kt becoming 20 to 30 kt after midnight. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds.

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

12/20 Snowflake, snowstorm, WA zero-emission, seaweed farming, many whales, catch the Current

Snowflake [Alexey Kljatov/WikiCommons]

Snowflake
A snowflake is a single ice crystal that has achieved a sufficient size, and may have amalgamated with others, which falls through the Earth's atmosphere as snow.[1][2][3] Each flake nucleates around a dust particle in supersaturated air masses by attracting supercooled cloud water droplets, which freeze and accrete in crystal form. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through differing temperature and humidity zones in the atmosphere, such that individual snowflakes differ in detail from one another, but may be categorized in eight broad classifications and at least 80 individual variants. (Wikipedia)

Ferries, flights cancelled as blowing snow blankets B.C.'s South Coast (CBC) Yes, we’re ‘doing this again.’ Whatcom wakes up to snow and freezing fog. Now what? (Bellingham Herald)

WA adopts zero-emission standards for car sales by 2035
All new cars sold in the state of Washington must be mostly emission-free by 2035.On Monday, the Washington State Department of Ecology updated its Clean Vehicles Program to require all new cars sold in the state by 2035 to be electric, hydrogen-fueled or hybrid with at least 50 miles of electric-only range. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Swelling school of seaweed farmers looking to anchor in Northwest waters
Prospective kelp growers who want to join the handful of existing commercial seaweed farms in the Pacific Northwest are having to contend with a lengthy permitting process. It's gotten contentious in a few cases, but even so, at least a couple of new seaweed farms stand on the cusp of approval. Their harvests could be sold for human food, animal feed or fertilizer. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network) See also: Can kelp farming help save our marine environment? Richard Arlin Walker reports. (Salish Current, 10/7/22)

Lots of whales spotted around offshore wind farm zones along West Coast
The federal government has commissioned Oregon State University to look into the possible impacts of offshore wind farms on marine wildlife. In the first year of this four-year project, the researchers spotted sizable numbers of seabirds and whales — including the largest animal on Earth — in the Oregon and Northern California areas that could one day host floating wind farms. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Ten years of legal recreational pot, San Juan islands wealth gap, Fraser River salmon, finding safe shelter and local news highlights and community commentary. Independent, nonprofit community news that's free to read, free from ads. Subscribe to and support Salish Current.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 258 AM PST Tue Dec 20 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY NE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NW to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 ft in the afternoon. NW swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning.
TONIGHT NW wind to 10 kt becoming NE after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. NW swell 4 ft at 6 seconds.

Monday, December 19, 2022

12/19 Holly, biodiversity agreement, Fraser salmon, acoustic smog, chicken flu, Skagit culverts, Intalco smelter, AK crabs

English holly

English holly Ilex aquifolium
English holly is native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia. It is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the Unite States.

Biodiversity agreement to protect planet reached at UN conference in Montreal
Negotiators in Montreal have finalized an agreement to halt and reverse the destruction of nature by 2030, as the COP15 talks enter their final official day...The goals include protecting 30 per cent of the world's land, water and marine areas by 2030, as well as the mobilization, by 2030, of at least $200 billion US per year in domestic and international biodiversity-related funding from all sources, both public and private. There is also a pledge to reduce subsidies deemed harmful to nature by at least $500 billion by 2030, while having developed countries commit to providing developing countries with at least $20 billion per year by 2025, and $30 billion per year by 2030. (The Canadian Press)

Tacoutche Tesse, the Northwest’s great ghost river — Part 4: The death of a thousand cut-offs
The plight of wild salmon and the waters that support them is about big things but also a lot of little, unassuming places: creeks and sloughs and flooded fields and braided side channels. Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current) Please support not-for-profit community news that's free to read, free from ads today.

B.C. researchers aim to clear up acoustic smog impacting endangered killer whales
University of British Columbia engineers are working to help clear up the acoustic smog that hinders endangered orcas' ability to gather information vital to their survival. Chronic underwater noise from shipping can drown out sounds marine mammals — such as the southern resident killer whales — use and rely on to communicate with each other, navigate, avoid danger or locate their prey. Rochelle Baker reports. (National Observer/Island Insider)

A 3.5-million-pound problem: More than a million chickens near Pasco have bird flu
More than a million chickens at a farm in Franklin County, Washington, are set to be destroyed because of bird flu. Officials are deliberating how to transport, bury, compost, or incinerate the birds. Anna King reports. (NW News Network)

Grant money awarded for fish passage projects
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded $1.23 million to the Skagit River System Cooperative to find and repair barriers to fish passage throughout the Skagit River watershed. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Intalco smelter restart falls through as buyer backs out
Talks to restart the curtailed Intalco aluminum smelter in Ferndale have ended, with the potential buyer, Blue Wolf Capital Partners, withdrawing from negotiations earlier this week. Julia Lerner reports. (CDN) See also: Intalco restart: can ‘green’ aluminum get ‘clean’ power? Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current, 7/21/22)

Crabbers, fishermen seek US aid after disaster declaration
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s disaster declaration for certain salmon and crab fisheries in Washington and Alaska opens the door for financial relief as part of an omnibus spending bill being negotiated by U.S. lawmakers. (Associated Press)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 254 AM PST Mon Dec 19 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 20 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. NW swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. A slight chance of snow in the afternoon.
TONIGHT E wind 20 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 4 ft. NW swell 4 ft at 7 seconds. A slight chance of snow in the evening then a chance of snow after midnight.

Friday, December 16, 2022

12/16 Swan, Ken Balcomb, salmon $s, fish pen ban, Skagit avian flu, week in review

Editor's Note: Salish Sea News and Weather will not use its Twitter account.

Trumpeter swan [Joseph W. Higbee]

Trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator
Trumpeter swans that migrate to Washington originate from forested regions of Alaska and Canada’s western Yukon and northern British Columbia for the winter. They are the heaviest living bird in North America, with wingspans that can exceed 10-feet. They breed in shallow ponds, lakes, wetlands and rivers, with the largest numbers of breeding pairs in Alaska. (WDFW)

Ken Balcomb, chronicler of the southern resident orcas, dies at 82
The champion of the southern residents and leader in efforts to save them from extinction, Ken Balcomb died Thursday at 82 of prostate cancer...Balcomb for more than four decades closely observed these J, K, and L pods that frequent Puget Sound. His orca survey, begun in 1976, became the standard for tracking the southern residents, based on a photographic record of the unique markings, or saddle patches, on each of the whales. Lynda Mapes and Isabella Breda report. (Seattle Times)

Feds announce nearly $40M for dam removal, other projects to help salmon in WA
Projects to help fish navigate Washington’s rivers could get a boost of nearly $40 million from the federal government. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday announced $105 million for 36 new fish passage projects across the U.S., including money for culvert and dam removal projects, and studies that would aim to alleviate barriers to fish passage in the Olympic Peninsula, Puget Sound region, Yakima basin and Columbia River watershed. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Jameston Tribe to fight Department of Natural Resources’ ruling
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is planning to file a legal complaint against the state Department of Natural Resources over the recent decision to end net pen aquaculture in state-owned waters, according to tribal Chairman/CEO W. Ron Allen. Peter Segall reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Birds from Skagit Wildlife Area test positive for avian flu
Dead wild birds found in the Skagit Wildlife Area have tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian flu, said a state Department of Fish and Wildlife official. Fish and Wildlife said in an email last week that dead birds in the area had likely been infected with avian flu, and now the positive tests confirm that. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 12/16/22: Margaret Mead, 'forever chemicals,' slow ships, Wild Olympics, fish farm phase out, Link Is, computer models, net pen suit, humpbacks, Ken Balcomb

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 239 AM PST Fri Dec 16 2022
TODAY SE wind to 10 kt in the morning becoming light. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds.
TONIGHT Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 3 ft at 13 seconds.
SAT W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. A slight chance of rain.
SAT NIGHT W wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 8 seconds.
SUN E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 10 seconds.

"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Thursday, December 15, 2022

12/15 Anemone, humpbacks, Cooke net pens, computer models, Bamberton foreshore, Shauna Kay spill, license buyback, aquamation, Ghost Forest, whitebark pine

Moonglow anemone [Sound Water Stewards]

Moonglow anemone Anthopleura artemisia
This species can be found in areas of muddy sand and also on rockier beaches where there are areas of gravel or shell fragments. Normally only the oral disk and tentacles are visible with the column buried beneath the substrate... The column of the moonglow anemone may extend to a length of 8 inches in order to reach the surface. The pedal disk is anchored to rock or another solid object under the surface of the substrate. This species is found from the middle intertidal zone to a depth of 100 feet. Other common names include the burrowing anemone, buried moonglow anemone, beach sand anemone, and buried green anemone. (Sound Water Stewards)

Highest number of humpback whales recorded in Salish Sea
There have been 396 individual humpback whales documented in the Salish Sea, including 34 mothers with their first-year calves, according to the Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration, a collection of groups that collate sightings from researchers, ecotourism captains, naturalists and citizen scientists. In 2017, 293 whales were documented. Jon Azpiri reports. (CBC)

Cooke Aquaculture files suit over terminated net pen leases in WA
Cooke Aquaculture has filed an appeal in Thurston County Superior Court against Washington’s decision to terminate its leases for fin fish net pens in state waters. In court documents, the company said the decision was arbitrary, politically motivated and contrary to science. In a statement, Cooke wrote it has a state Supreme Court ruling and legislative mandate on its side, supporting the farming of native species. It also argued that the deadline of 30 days to harvest all fish and remove all its farm equipment from two sites was unreasonable. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

A network of computer models is predicting the future of Puget Sound
The Puget Sound Institute on Wednesday announced a three-year, $4.8 million dollar project to study the dynamics of Puget Sound’s changing ecosystem. The Puget Sound Integrated Modeling Framework (PSIMF) combines a network of computer models to look at how different factors like urban growth and climate change will influence the health of Puget Sound. Jeff Rice writes. (Puget Sound Institute)

Expansion plans on hold for Bamberton foreshore
The Malahat First Nation’s plan to expand its foreshore lease at Bamberton on the Saanich Inlet is on hold while the province considers if the project should undergo an environmental assessment. The province’s Environmental Assessment Office is considering an application submitted last month by the Saanich Inlet Protection Society for an environmental review of expansion of the lease, and of a quarry on the Bamberton site. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Ecology penalizing barge owner $38,500 for fuel spill into Salish Sea
On Feb. 7, 2021, the Shauna Kay was being towed from the Parkland Refinery in Vancouver, B.C., to Commencement Bay in Tacoma. The barge was carrying 1.55 million gallons of high-sulfur fuel oil, marine gas oil, and ultra-low sulfur diesel. When the barge arrived in Commencement Bay the next day, tug crews discovered high-sulfur fuel oil had splashed out of the cargo tanks, creating a sheen in Commencement Bay. Cleanup contractors were able to recover 267 gallons of oil from the vessel’s deck. An unknown quantity spilled overboard. The vessel is operated by Olympic Tug & Barge, Inc., a subsidiary of Centerline Logistics. (Dept of Ecology News Release)

Ottawa aims to reduce size of salmon fishing industry by buying licences
The federal government is offering to buy Pacific salmon commercial fishing licences from those looking to get out of the declining industry as it tries to protect the fish that remain. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has earmarked $123 million for the voluntary retirement program and two future initiatives that will dispose of derelict vessels and allow Indigenous communal commercial licence holders to switch to another species. (Canadian Press)

Cheating Death-Related Emissions
Green burials are great, but expensive. Cremation is cheaper but creates emissions. Why doesn’t BC allow a cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative? Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee) See also: New options change choices for that final resting place What's aquamation? Matt Benoit reports. (Salish Current, 12/1/22)

Ghosts and Orphans
David B. Williams in "Street Smart Naturalist" writes: "Like many rock geeks, I have a list of geological locations and events I have long hoped to visit and see. These include Þingvellir in Iceland (where one can walk from North America to Europe by crossing their plate boundary), the green sand (the mineral olivine) beach on the Big Island of Hawaii, the K/T boundary (which marks the end of the non-avian dinosaurs), and flowing lava. Last week, I had the good fortune to visit one of my sought-after locations, much closer to home, the Ghost Forest of Copalis Beach, on the Pacific Coast of Washington. Not only an amazing story of geology but also a mystery that had remained unsolved for almost 300 years." (Street Smart Naturalist)

Whitebark pine that feeds grizzlies is threatened, US says
Whitebark pine trees can live more than 1,000 years, but in just two decades more than a quarter of the trees that are a key food source for some grizzly bears have been killed by disease, climate change, wildfires and voracious beetles, government officials said as they announced federal protections Wednesday. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 238 AM PST Thu Dec 15 2022
TODAY E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds.
TONIGHT E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 12 seconds.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

12/14 Purple sponge, BC fish farms, Link Is, winter salmon and orcas, hot streams, Deception Pass, bird count, SRKW rights

Purple encrusting sponge [Christina Maschkat]

Purple encrusting sponge Haliclona permollis
This sponge is a common species in rocky intertidal areas, to a depth of 6 m. It is often found in tide pools or rocky crevice. Its range extends from southern Alaska to southern California. As an intertidal sponge, this species is one of the few Northwest sponges that is readily seen by beachcombers. (Biodiversity of the Central Coast)

Documents raise concerns feds backing off commitment to phase out fish farms in B.C. by 2025
Critics say they fear an ongoing public consultation about open-net pen fish farms has a ‘foregone conclusion’ to leave fish farms in the water, to the detriment of wild salmon. Stephanie Wood reports. (The Narwhal) Also see: Tacoutche Tesse, the Northwest’s great ghost river — Part 3: Saving wild salmon versus the net pen industry. Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current, 12/9/22)

Seattle woman donates island near Gabriola as nature reserve
Family of the late Betty Swift hopes Link Island becomes a location for climate-change research. Darron Koster reports. (Times Colonist)

As winter approaches, salmon and orcas are still a commanding presence
Chris Dunagan writes: "...At the time of the last (November 21) report, the Puget Sound region had gone through a 13-day dry spell, which followed a period of brief and limited precipitation. Low stream flows were making it tough for chum and coho salmon to go upstream when they should have been at their peak of spawning. Many unfortunate fish were dying before they could spawn, and others were spawning in the lower sections of streams, practically on top of one other. The arrival of rain on Nov. 22 ...provided a much-needed boost in streamflow throughout the region. For many salmon, it was “too little too late,” according to Jon Oleyar, a biologist for the Suquamish Tribe who surveys the streams of East Kitsap County. For other salmon, however, the rains opened the door to a major migration into the streams." (Puget Sound Institute)

Climate change could make WA streams too hot for fish, report shows
A new report prepared for the state Department of Ecology suggests climate change will continue to alter Washington’s rivers, potentially making some watersheds uninhabitable for salmon and steelhead by the end of the century. The report led by Washington State University researcher Jonathan Yoder and University of Washington researcher Crystal Raymond projects widespread increases in river flows in the winter, declines in the summer and rising stream temperatures. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Deception Pass State Park gains 78 acres
Washington’s most-visited state park acquired the new parcel due to a collaboration between state and county agencies, Skagit Land Trust and Fidalgo Island community members. The parcel is located on the north side of Deception Pass, close to the popular Tersi Trail and to Rosario Beach, and bordering the current state park. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Christmas Bird Count starts this weekend
The bird count will look for all the usual suspects when it comes to birds this time of year, but rare and blown-off-course birds are always a treat to spot. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Gig Harbor proclaims support for legal recognition of rights of Southern Resident Orca; becomes second city in Washington to do so
News Release: Gig Harbor, WA (December 13th, 2022)—Yesterday evening, Gig Harbor’s Mayor Tracie Markley signed a Proclamation describing the City of Gig Harbor’s support for action by local, state, federal and tribal governments that secure and effectuate the inherent rights of the Southern Resident Orcas. This Proclamation comes a week after the City of Port Townsend became the first city in Washington State to do so. (Orcasonian)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 223 AM PST Wed Dec 14 2022
TODAY E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT E wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

12/13 Ragbag, Wild Olympics, LNG sea lions, avian flu, Jane Goodall

Ragbag [WikiCommons]

Ragbag lichen Platismatia glauca
Ragbag is a bewilderingly variable species. It also has a broad distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. Both these facts suggest that the Ragbag may be of great evolutionary age. As the common name implies, some forms have a very tattered appearance. (Plants of the Pacific NW Coast)

Campaign to expand Olympic wilderness nears finish line after 15 years
...Buffeted by political headwinds facing wilderness expansion and undeterred by false starts over the years, campaigners believe the finish line for the conservation proposal known as Wild Olympics has never been closer. A lame duck Senate may establish several new, federally protected public lands, and Washington state conservation advocates have converged on Capitol Hill in D.C. for a final push. Gregory Scruggs reports. (Seattle Times)

Wild Olympics Campaign
"The Wild Olympics Campaign team and our thousands of supporters are very hopeful that our champions Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell and Representative Derek Kilmer are able to "bring it home" very soon. The Wild Olympics and Wild & Scenic Rivers designation for wilderness and our 19 rivers and tributaries will protect these wild places for current and future generations, adding permanent safeguards for the Olympic Peninsula’s most priceless natural treasures: Our towering ancient forests, free-flowing rivers, critical fish and wildlife habitat and our clean water." Connie Gallant, Chair, Wild Olympics Campaign.

Will Sea Lions Slow the Construction of Woodfibre LNG?
Construction on the Woodfibre LNG project in Squamish is set to take off in 2023, but the “curious and gregarious” nature of sea lions could make the construction “neither technically nor economically feasible.” Woodfibre LNG raised this concern with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, which has published proposed changes that would create less stringent rules for construction activities impacting seals and sea lions. Natasha Bulowski reports. (National Observer)

Deadly virus taking toll on wild birds
While the highly contagious avian flu has wiped out millions of poultry birds across North America this year, populations of water fowl, raptors and even crows and ravens are also likely seeing untold losses, say wildlife rescue organizations. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Jane Goodall on hope, fatigue and finding pockets of nature wherever you are
At 88 years old, the world’s best-known naturalist is calling on her fans to roll up their sleeves and ‘do something.’ Emma Gilchrist reports. (The Narwhal)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 240 AM PST Tue Dec 13 2022
TODAY E wind to 10 kt in the morning becoming light. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds.
TONIGHT Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds.

Monday, December 12, 2022

12/12 Liverwort, Fraser fish farms, orca DNA, slow ships, orca diet, forever chemicals, iNaturalist, Eby's biodiversity, tall trees, Cheewhat Lake, Guardian Network

Thallose Liverwort [Slater Museum]

Thallose Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha
Liverworts are primitive nonvascular plants, perhaps the most primitive true plants still in existence. There are two types. In thallose liverworts, the plant body (thallus) consists of flattened masses of cells that look leafy but show little differentiation into different cell types. A layer of photosynthetic tissue is underlain by nonphotosynthetic cells, with a final lower scaly layer that produces rhizoids, root-like structures that help hold the plant in place. Leafy liverworts look more like mosses, with obvious small leaves along a stem. But the leaves may bear marginal cilia (very rare in mosses) and never have a costa (present in most mosses). (Slater Museum)

ICYMI: Tacoutche Tesse, the Northwest’s great ghost river — Part 3: Saving wild salmon versus the net pen industry
Scores of open-water farms raising nonnative salmon along British Columbia's west coast straits and channels are facing new challenges from wild-salmon advocates who say the farms endanger Fraser River native fish runs. Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current)

How much of orca decline is in their DNA?
Southern Resident killer whales are beset by the threats of diminished prey, chemical pollution, loss of habitat, and underwater noise. Can DNA research help toward their recovery? Kai Uyehara reports. (Salish Current)

Captains of big ships eased up on the throttle during trial slowdown to help endangered orcas
The majority of captains of big commercial ships entering and leaving Puget Sound are cooperating with a request to slow down temporarily to reduce underwater noise impacts to the Pacific Northwest's critically endangered killer whales. The duration of the experimental slowdown – modeled on a similar project in British Columbia – will be extended into the new year, organizers announced after a status report and celebration on the Seattle waterfront Friday. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

When Chinook salmon is off the menu, what do endangered orcas eat? Here’s their buffet
By analyzing 150 prey and fecal samples collected between 2004 and 2017, the researchers found that endangered Chinook salmon was always the prey of choice but when Chinook salmon was scarce, they had to supplement their diet with other fish such as chum salmon, coho salmon, steelhead trout, and also non-salmonid species like lingcod and Pacific halibut. Elizabeth Claire Alberts reports. (Mongabay)

More ‘forever chemicals’ found in WA drinking water as cleanup costs mount
The water pumped from the ground here was once considered pure enough to mix with a little chlorine and then pipe directly to homes. Today, every gallon from two water district wells must first be flushed through six enormous tanks, each filled with 40,000 pounds of specially treated coal, to remove contaminants. This pollution, known as “forever chemicals” or PFAS, can increase health risks for certain cancers and other diseases when present in drinking water in minuscule concentrations measured in parts per trillion. Lakewood is one of more than a dozen Washington public water systems with detections above levels defined by the state to be suitable for long-term consumption — and widespread testing is just ramping up. Hal Bernton and Manuel Villa report. (Seattle Times)

The Nicest Place Online? It Might Just Involve Identifying Sea Slugs.
As civil discourse online and off increasingly proves elusive, a website devoted to identifying plants and animals may be teaching humans how to get along. Amy Harmon reports. (NY Times)

Conservationists optimistic over David Eby's commitments to protect B.C.'s biodiversity
Land stewardship mandate letter calls for 30 per cent of B.C.’s land base to be protected by 2030. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

In defence of the tall and mighty
B.C.’s newest provincial park was once slated for logging. Now, advocates and the local First Nation want to expand it. Akshay Kulkarni and Camille Vernet report. (CBC)

The keepers of Cheewaht: Restoring an ecosystem for generations to come
Restoration of streams that feed Cheewaht Lake in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is yielding results, as thousands of salmon return to spawn. Alexandra Mehl report. (Times Colonist)

Indigenous guardians connected by new national network in Canada — the first of its kind in the world
The First Nations Guardians Network will streamline funding and capacity-building opportunities for guardians — the eyes and ears of the land. Stephanie Wood and Ainslie Cruickshank report. (The Narwhal)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 256 AM PST Mon Dec 12 2022
TODAY SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds.
TONIGHT E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds.

Friday, December 9, 2022

12/9 Pacific yew, ghost river fish farms, lost containers, BC biodiversity, Coldwater R logjam, Adventuress, Puget Sound wastewater, crab season

Pacific Yew [Slater Museum]

Pacific Yew Taxus brevifolia
Yews are well known in history for the use of their wood in making longbows all around the world, and this species was not only prized by Northwest native people but is still used for that purpose by present-day archers. The supple heartwood can be compressed and return back to its original shape, and the strong sapwood protects the heartwood from breaking. (Slater Museum)

Tacoutche Tesse, the Northwest’s great ghost river — Part 3: Saving wild salmon versus the net pen industry
Scores of open-water farms raising nonnative salmon along British Columbia's west coast straits and channels are facing new challenges from wild-salmon advocates who say the farms endanger Fraser River native fish runs. Eric Scigliano writes. (Salish Current) Help support not-for-profit community-based local news stories like this with a donation. Thank you!

From urinal mats to unicorns, cargo from major container spill is still washing up on B.C. shores
When Jill Laviolette started picking debris off Cape Palmerston beach on Vancouver Island following the container spill from the MV Zim Kingston freighter, the inflatable dinosaur and unicorn toys she pulled from the sand looked nearly pristine. More than a year later, consumer goods from some of the ship's 109 lost containers still wash up on British Columbia shores, the inflatable toys now torn to pieces by the elements to be picked up alongside vacuum cleaner parts, bike helmets, coolers and urinal mats. Ashley Joannou reports. (The Canadian Press)

B.C. vows to reverse ‘short-term thinking’ with pledge to protect 30% of province by 2030
Advocates say Premier David Eby’s conservation mandate is an ‘important step’ in the fight against biodiversity loss in B.C., which is home to nearly 700 globally imperiled species. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Thousands of salmon return to spawning grounds after channel dug around Coldwater River logjam
One year after the floods of November 2021 left coho salmon stranded behind a logjam in the Coldwater River, recovery efforts have cleared the way for 2,000 of the fish to swim upstream to their spawning grounds. The Coldwater, one of B.C.'s most important salmon rivers, was blocked when the floods threw logs and sediment across the waterway, barring access to over 10 kilometres of important habitat. Eva Uguen-Csenge reports. (CBC)

Adventuress hauls out to new heights
One of Washington’s most historic maritime vessels is returning to its full glory. The Adventuress was hauled out on Monday, Dec. 5 for its biennial check-up from the Coast Guard, and while she’s out of the water for the winter, her topmasts will at long last be restored. Derek Firenze reports. (Port Townsend Leader)

Puget Sound wastewater plants may need billions to meet state mandates
An effort to protect Puget Sound's marine life has ignited a debate over a new environmental mandate that wastewater treatment plants say will cost billions and lacks clear science to back it up. The Washington State Department of Ecology issued a permit, effective in January 2022, that requires municipal wastewater treatment plants that discharge into the Sound — there are 58 of them — to reduce the amount of certain nutrients in their discharge. Caitlin Devitt reports. (The Bond Buyer)

West Coast commercial Dungeness crab season delayed again
The West Coast commercial fishing season for Dungeness crab is being delayed through the rest of the month. That means holiday menus will be planned without the popular Northwest seafood. Testing in Oregon has determined that crabs in some areas don’t have enough meat. Those tests are continuing to detect elevated levels of the naturally occurring toxin domoic acid, which can make the crabs unsafe to eat. California and Washington are also delaying their Dungeness seasons until at least Dec. 31. (OPB)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 12/9/22: Llama Friday, orca buffer, WA carbon rules, marine transport malaise, ocean acid, SRKW rights, AK crab collapse, murder kittens, Puget Sound wastewater, no crab

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Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 250 AM PST Fri Dec 9 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON PST TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SE wind 15 to 25 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt in the afternoon. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT E wind 30 to 40 kt easing to 25 to 35 kt after midnight. Combined seas 6 to 9 ft with a dominant period of 12 seconds. Rain.
SAT E wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon. SW swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.
SAT NIGHT SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming S 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 13 seconds.
SUN SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 13 seconds.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

12/8 Banana slug, SRKW rights, BC endangered species, Lummi traditional foods, AK crab collapse, murder kittens, injured humpback, long-lost BC gold

Banana Slug [Slater Museum]

Banana Slug Ariolimax columbianus
The largest slug in North America (up to 20 cm, rarely more), perhaps the second largest slug in the world, Banana Slugs are a special feature of our region. They are restricted to the wet Pacific Northwest coastal lowlands, from British Columbia to central California. A smaller, paler subspecies occurs locally in southern California. (Slater Museum)

Port Townsend recognizes legal rights of southern resident orcas
A growing legal movement seeks to recognize the rights of nature. Activists in the Northwest are celebrating a first here: the city of Port Townsend, Washington, this week recognized the inherent rights of southern resident orcas. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

‘High profile’ endangered species to receive new protections in B.C. nature agreement: internal docs
With plants and animals rapidly disappearing, B.C. and the feds are close to a new agreement to protect nature. But some environmentalists question just how strong protections will be. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

One WA tribe tests waters for locally sourced, traditional foods
The Lummi Nation in northwest Washington is part of a push to give Native Americans more control over food assistance program. Lizz Giordano reports. (InvestigateWest)

Bering Sea crab collapse spurs push for stronger conservation measures
...[The] North Pacific Fishery Management Council this week will consider what protective measures should go into a plan to help rebuild snow crab populations, and a request to exclude more fleets this winter from a swath of the Bering Sea — known as the “savings zone” — where king crab mate. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Murder kittens: outdoor cats take heavy toll on wildlife
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the domesticated cat as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive species. Biologists have estimated that free-roaming cats kill 1 billion to 4 billion birds and 6 billion to 22 billion small mammals a year in the contiguous United States, more than any other cause of mortality. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Humpback swims from B.C. to Hawaii despite severe injury
The entire back of the mature female known as Moon — from dorsal fin to fluke — is curved into an unnatural “S” shape. The injured whale travelled from B.C. to Hawaii using just her pectoral fins. Darron Kloster and Alanna Kelly report. (Times Colonist)

Long-lost B.C. gold up for grabs after sunken ship discovered in Salish Sea
Around $10 million worth of gold carried by miners on board the ill-fated Pacific could be salvaged from the wreck. David Carrigg reports. (Vancouver Sun)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 300 AM PST Thu Dec 8 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft at 12 seconds building to 8 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. Rain likely in the morning then a chance of showers and a slight chance of tstms in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 11 ft at 13 seconds. Rain in the evening then rain likely after midnight.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

12/7 Russula, WA green amendment, Stanley Park, avian influenza, Bigg's orca, COP15, unsafe salmon, 'murder hornets,' Padilla Bay Reserve

Red russula [Wikipedia]

Vomiting russula Russula emetica
Russula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, emetic russula, or vomiting russula, is a basidiomycete mushroom, and the type species of the genus Russula. It has a red, convex to flat cap up to 8.5 cm in diameter, with a cuticle that can be peeled off almost to the centre. (Wikipedia)

Lekanoff, Ramel support future green amendment in WA Constitution
The Washington Green Amendment will be back on the table in 2023. The amendment, initially proposed in the Washington Legislature in 2021 by 40th District Rep. Debra Lekanoff, calls for a legal right dictated in the state constitution to protect air, water, environments and community health across the state. Julia Lerner reports. (CDN)

Should reconciliation turn Vancouver's Stanley Park into a 'person'?
New Zealand granted legal personhood to a national park with rights to be protected. Could that principle apply to Stanley Park, asks a UBC law professor. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

The Rampaging Avian Influenza Is Entering Unknown Territory
Highly lethal and spreading widely, the avian flu outbreak has scientists wondering what it will do next. Alex Riley reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Lone orca spotted hunting seal in BC harbour
Transient or Bigg’s orcas have been venturing into Victoria Harbour with more frequency over the past three years, say whale observers. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

‘We have to be ambitious’: Canada’s lead biodiversity negotiator on what’s needed at COP15
As the number of plants and animals declines faster than at any other point in human history, Tara Shannon will head Canada's seat at the COP15 negotiating table. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Feds said salmon is safe to eat — but didn't consider Native diets
Due to chemical pollution, the treaty-protected fish in the Columbia River Basin pose health risks for Indigenous tribes. Tony Schick & Maya Miller report. (OPB & ProPublica) Originally published Nov. 22.

No ‘murder hornets’ found in 2022 in Washington state
Citizen trapping of northern giant hornets in northwest Washington ended Nov. 30 without any confirmed sightings of the hornets this year, state officials said Tuesday. The Washington State Department of Agriculture also said that no confirmed sightings of the hornets were reported nearby in British Columbia, Canada. (Associated Press)

Highlighting the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Fifty years ago, Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) to protect our nation’s oceans and coasts, creating a framework for states to take on the primary role in managing their coastal zone. In 1972, the CZMA also established the National Estuarine Research Reserve System to protect selected coastal areas for long-term research, monitoring, and education. The country's 30 national estuarine research reserves create a network of protected estuarine habitat along the nation's coasts. The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was created by the Washington Legislature and U.S. Congress in 1980. Ecology manages the reserve to protect more than 11,000 acres of critical intertidal and upland habitat in Skagit County. (WA Dept of Ecology)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 243 AM PST Wed Dec 7 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
TODAY S wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of rain.
TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt rising to 20 to 30 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. SW swell 2 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening then rain after midnight.

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

12/6 Black rockfish, ocean acid, water planning, wildlife satellites, ship crews, WA carbon

Black Rockfish [Alaska Fish&Game]

Black Rockfish Sebastes melanops
Black Rockfish range from Amchitka Island (in the Aleutian Islands) and Kodiak Island, Alaska, to northern Baja, California. They have been found at water depths up to 366 m (1,200 ft), but are most commonly found in waters shallower than 73 m (240 ft). This species is known to form large schools in and around rocks and kelp. Black Rockfish can grow up to 69 cm (27.6 in) in length, and 6 kg (13.3 lbs) in weight. Maximum age is at least 56 years old. (WDFW)

Clamshells Face the Acid Test
As acidification threatens shellfish along North America’s Pacific Coast, Indigenous sea gardens offer solutions. Jen Schmidt reports. (Hakai Magazine) See: Researchers, growers face the challenge of acidic ocean water Rena Kingery reports. (Salish Current Nov. 3)

Looking ahead in the San Juans: island water planning … 2036
How do you plan for the future water supply when you don’t have all the information? Nancy DeVaux reports. (Salish Current)

Improving satellites offer new tool for Canada's whale scientists
The rapid advance of very-high-resolution satellite imagery are providing conservationists with opportunities to locate, count and monitor wildlife from space. Rochelle Baker reports. (Vancouver Sun)

If There Is a ‘Male Malaise’ With Work, Could One Answer Be at Sea?
As concerns about labor force participation among American men mount, maritime transportation firms are desperate for new mariners. Talmon Joseph Smith reports. (NY Times)

WA sets price limits for new carbon-trading market
Each share of planet-warming emissions bought and sold in Washington’s forthcoming carbon market will cost between $22 and $81, the state announced Thursday. The final price of each credit will be determined by demand in next year’s emission-allowance auctions, a key program in Washington’s efforts to eliminate carbon pollution from its biggest industries. Nicholas Turner reports. (Seattle Times)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 213 AM PST Tue Dec 6 2022
TODAY SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of rain.
TONIGHT SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.