1/30 Black turnstone, island spill risk, Navy drydocks, Jeld-Wen cleanup, smaller salmon, abalone, PSE heat pumps, indigenous climate change, shared waters, Skagit Valley Herald

Black Turnstone [Brian Sullivan]

Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala
A dapper shorebird the color of wet rocks and surf spray, the Black Turnstone neatly matches its Pacific Coast wintering habitat. Look for them on rocky coasts or amid piles of kelp at the high-tide line, where they flip over rocks, shells, and seaweed to grab flies and fish eggs or hammer open shellfish. (All About Birds)

San Juan waters remain at risk from oil spills
The August 2022 oil spill off San Juan Island was called a ‘wake-up call’ for more prevention and response. Was it? Kathryn Wheeler reports. (Salish Current)

U.S. Navy Closes Four Drydocks at Puget Sound Shipyard Over Quake Risk
The U.S. Navy is temporarily idling four submarine repair drydocks in Washington due to earthquake risk, the service announced Sunday...[T]hree drydocks at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton and one drydock at the Trident Refit Facility in Bangor will be kept empty until the conclusion of further investigations. (Marine Executive)

Port acquisition marks next step in toxic cleanup on Everett waterfront
The Port of Everett voted earlier this month to accept a donation of private land adjacent to the contaminated former Jeld-Wen site — a donation port managers say will ensure environmental fallout from the site is properly managed when cleanup efforts begin, possibly by the end of 2023. The 9.6 acres of bayside, mostly submerged land, referred to in port documents as Wicks Tide Flats, sit just north of the former Jeld-Wen property at 300 West Marine View Drive. The Oregon-based door manufacturer operated out of the Port Gardner plant since purchasing the former E.A. Nord Co. in 1986. The Everett location closed in 2005. Riley Haun reports. (Everett Herald)

Pacific salmon seem to be getting smaller. Here’s what that might mean for the future
The number of salmon returning to Bristol Bay Alaska from the Pacific Ocean last year was higher than it’s been in at least 20 years. But the fish themselves are smaller. And that seems to be true for other salmon across the region. Science and nature writer Miranda Weiss talked to scientists and fishermen about why the fish might be getting smaller, and what impacts that will have in the Pacific Northwest. Paul Marshall reports. (OPB)

Chance of survival is looking good for Washington's only abalone
....Over the years, restoration work has expanded. Conservation organizations around the Salish Sea are working together to sample and monitor populations, in addition to raising juvenile abalone and outplanting them at different sites. The Puget Sound Restoration Fund leads the captive breeding project, which began about 15 years ago. Based at the Chew Center at the Center for Shellfish Restoration and Research, the project takes abalone that are unlikely to spawn at their current locations and uses them to produce juvenile abalone. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Puget Sound Energy rethinks pilot program to move people off natural gas
After drawing criticism from environmental and clean power advocates, Puget Sound Energy is rethinking the structure of a $15 million pilot program that could help boost the use of heat pumps and other electric appliances. The pilot program targets some 10,000 customers, and would include a mix of financial incentives, home energy evaluations and education under a settlement agreement reached last year as PSE sought approval of rate increases. PSE is supposed to engage those customers through “at least two” of these measures, according to the settlement. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Indigenous input is key to tackling climate change
Indigenous issues took center stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this month. On Wednesday, Jan. 18, National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp told world leaders that Indigenous knowledge and lands are key elements in a global climate change strategy. Mark Trahant reports. (Indian Country Today/Crosscut)

Shared waters of the Salish Sea need a shared response between B.C. and Washington
As partners in the region, we know the Salish Sea is under mounting pressure and understand the urgency to work together to manage the system. Ginny Broadhurst and Christianne Wilhelmson write. (The Province)

Changes coming for the Skagit Valley Herald
The Skagit Valley Herald will be delivered by mail beginning March 1 and, given that there is no Sunday mail delivery, its Sunday paper will be incorporated into its Saturday paper as a weekend edition. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Have you read the Salish Current? -News from around the region.
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-  218 AM PST Mon Jan 30 2023   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 14 seconds. 
TONIGHT  S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 14 seconds. A slight chance of rain after midnight.

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