1/3 Squat lobster, Wild Olympics, enviro bills, EPA water rule, giant freighter, cargo spill, greenhouse gas, BC timber, Sato's whale, Fraser R purchase, plastic recycle, green crab, saving bugs, newspaper closing, Storming the Sound

Editor's note: Happy new year to readers of Salish Sea News and Weather and Salish Current. Here's to wishing you good health and good humor in 2023. For those who donated to Salish Current's 2X fundraiser challenge, thank you. We met both our local match challenge and our national match challenge. Thank you for supporting nonprofit community news that's free to read and free from ads. Mike Sato.

Squat lobster [Gustav Paulay]

Squat lobster Munida quadrispina
Named for their squatty body shape (not for their ability to pump iron), squat lobsters or “pinch bugs” are actually not lobsters at all. Squat lobsters belong to a group of crabs called galatheids, which also includes porcelain crabs. Unlike “true” crabs that mostly keep their tails tucked away in a groove under their abdomen, squat lobsters have large, fanned tails like the charismatic American lobster...The most common Puget Sound species of squat lobster, Munida quadrispina, is little more than a mouthful at only about five inches in length. While not fished commercially, it is sometimes caught in prawn traps and said to taste – not surprisingly – like crab. (WA Dept. of Ecology)

Wild Olympics wilderness expansion proposal falls short in Congress
A long-standing proposal to expand wilderness areas on the Olympic Peninsula by more than 125,000 acres, and to designate 19 new federally protected Wild and Scenic Rivers on the peninsula, fell short of the finish line as the 117th Congress came to a close this month. President Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion government funding bill on Thursday that does not include the Wild Olympics proposal. Gregory Scrugs reports. (Seattle Times)

Top environmental bills on the 2023 WA Legislative agenda
Proposed policies include planting trees and steering people away from gas-powered cars — but nothing as ambitious as years past. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

EPA finalizes water rule that repeals Trump-era changes
President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday finalized regulations that protect hundreds of thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, repealing a Trump-era rule that federal courts had thrown out and that environmentalists said left waterways vulnerable to pollution. The rule defines which “waters of the United States” are protected by the Clean Water Act. Jim Salter and Michael Phillis report. (Associated Press)

Giant freighter GSL Eleni docks in Victoria for repairs
...The 300-metre-long GSL Eleni was escorted into Victoria on Sunday after losing its steering functions off the coast of Tofino. Six tugs guided the massive ship laden with containers into Juan de Fuca Strait and the entrance of Victoria Harbour, where it was manoeuvred into Pier B. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Cargo from 2021 cargo spill still washing up on BC shores
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. “Gray urinal mats, they haunt our dreams. We found thousands of them on our initial cleanup and we’re like, ‘We hope we never see these again,’ ” Jill Laviolette said. “We’re still finding them. They’re gona be the bane of our existence for many, many years to come.” Ashley Joannou reports. (The Canadian Press)

2019 data shows greenhouse gas emissions increased
The latest data available in Washington’s inventory of greenhouse gas emissions shows statewide emissions rose in 2019, reaching their highest mark since 2007. The rise stems from increased electricity demand combined with an unusually poor year for hydropower in Washington. Less water behind the state’s dams in 2019 pushed utilities to use fossil fuel generation to make up the difference. (WA Dept. of Ecology)

B.C. timber industry in throes of change, as premier warns of 'exhausted forests'
Province aims to 'modernize' forest management amid ecological concerns, fluctuating lumber prices. Brenna Owen reports. (The Canadian Press)    Tolko extends shutdowns, cites 'lack of available economic fibre' in B.C. forestry industry "While our goal is to ensure a consistency and stability for all of our operations, the steep decline in lumber demand and upward cost pressures in the province make the decision necessary," Tolko Vice-President Troy Connolly. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)  How Much Does Making Paper Really Cost? Mills in coastal communities grapple with a toxic legacy and a changing world. Larry Lynn reports. (Hakai Magazine)

An Illustrated Tribute to the Sato’s Beaked Whale
These shy animals eluded humans for so long. This is the story of their discovery. Devon Bidal, one of Hakai Magazine’s associate editors, wrote a story last year about the first confirmed live sighting of an elusive species: Sato’s beaked whale. The story inspired artist Rozi Hathaway to create this graphic version. (Hakai Magazine)

B.C. Parks Foundation buys key riverfront along Fraser River
The B.C. Parks Foundation has bought key riverfront property along the Fraser River between Mission and Hope to protect it and restore it to its natural state. The parcel purchased isn’t especially large, measuring 35 hectares or about an eighth of a square mile. But it is a part of “the heart of the Fraser River” — an 80-kilometre stretch of river from Mission to Hope that sustains B.C.’s largest salmon spawning run. Joseph Ruttle reports. (Vancouver Sun)  See also: Tacoutche Tesse, the Northwest’s great ghost river — Part 4: The death of a thousand cut-offs Fourth in a series of stories exploring the Fraser River and the lands, waters and people connected to it. Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current) 

How do you recycle plastic? Startups and scientists are trying to make it easier
Each week, Ridwell workers fan neighborhoods in six cities around the country picking up canvas sacks stuffed with plastic bags and packing waste. The plastic film is sorted and sent to Nevada where it’s recycled into Trex decking. Each year, the environmental startup diverts 500,000 pounds of the plastic waste for recycling in the Seattle area alone...What happens with most of the world’s plastic trash is grim. In the U.S., about 5% of plastic waste is recycled. Most of the rest winds up in landfills or the environment. About 12 million metric tons of plastic lands in the ocean each year, according to Greenpeace. Lisa Stiffler writes. (GeekWire)

Invasive European green crabs found for sale at Seattle market
Officials have confiscated and destroyed 30 pounds of an invasive crab species found at a Seattle market. The Seattle seller had bought the live green crabs from a seller in Massachusetts with the intention of selling them for crab stock and soup, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Monica Velez reports. (Seattle Times)

Slugs and bugs are worth saving, too, say conservationists
Folks may find slimy, slithery, creepy creatures repulsive, but reptiles, insects, and mollusks make up nearly a third of Canada’s species at risk and need their fair share of the conservation spotlight. Rochelle Baker reports. (National Observer)

Northwest Asian Weekly going online only, ceasing print operations
Northwest Asian Weekly will cease printing newspapers, and will convert to an online-only model. The Seattle Chinese Post will shutter both print and online operations. The final print editions for the Weekly and the Post will be Jan. 21, 2023. The Northwest Asian Weekly is a popular English language weekly newspaper that covers Seattle's Asian community. The newspaper says it is moving to online publishing to "adjust to changing times." The paper says the online version will be updated more frequently. Natalie Akane Newcomb reports. (KUOW)

Storming the Sound
Storming the Sound is a conference for environmental educators in the north Puget Sound region, including the counties of Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, Jefferson and San Juan. Every January teachers, environmental organizations and students gather in La Conner to share their interest and expertise in environmental education. This year's conference will be held on Jan. 19 at Maple Hall in LaConner— in person! Register here.

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  253 AM PST Tue Jan 3 2023   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell  9 ft at 14 seconds. Rain in the evening then a chance of rain  after midnight.

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