12/22 Junco, tribes sue oil companies, wolf kill costs, deer kill costs, shellfish closure, ballot measures, week in review

 Dark-eyed junco (Oregon) [Sam Bough]

Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
Dark-eyed Juncos are neat, even flashy little sparrows that flit about forest floors of the western mountains and Canada, then flood the rest of North America for winter. They’re easy to recognize by their crisp (though extremely variable) markings and the bright white tail feathers they habitually flash in flight. Dark-eyed Juncos are among the most abundant forest birds of North America. Look for them on woodland walks as well as in flocks at your feeders or on the ground beneath them. (All About Birds)

Two PNW tribal nations sue oil companies over costs of climate change
Major oil companies for decades deliberately sought to downplay and discredit scientific warnings about the central role of fossil fuels in causing climate change, alleges two lawsuits filed this week by the Makah and Shoalwater Bay tribes. The lawsuits filed in King County Superior Court name ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 as defendants, and seek compensation for the millions of dollars already spent, and likely to be spent in the future, for the tribes to respond to climate-induced disasters such as extreme heat, drought, wildfire, shoreline erosion, sea-level rise and flooding. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

$10M spent on B.C. wolf cull, FOI documents reveal alongside details of shootings
The British Columbia government has spent more than $10 million on a controversial wolf cull launched in 2015, according to documents obtained through a freedom of information request filed by CBC News. A total of 1,944 wolves have been killed since 2015, according to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, which said in an email to CBC News that predator reduction measures on 13 of B.C.'s 54 caribou herds have helped to stabilize or increase populations. Michelle Morton reports. (CBC)

Difficulty killing last deer will determine cost
The final cost of a project to eradicate fallow deer on Sidney Island will depend on how hard it is to kill the last few animals, Parks Canada says. The $5.9-million price tag for the multi-year plan to remove European fallow deer and restore forest ecosystems across the island has been criticized by the island’s property owners and others as too high. Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Times Colonist)

Thurston County shellfish harvesting closed due to biotoxin
Recreational shellfish harvesting is closed due to high levels of a dangerous biotoxin in Eld Inlet, Budd Inlet, Dana Pass, Pickering Passage and Peale Passage. The affected areas include Burfoot Park, the Boston Harbor area, Hope Island and much of Harstine Island. (Olympian)

Six measures Washington conservatives are pushing on 2024 ballots
GOP-backed Let's Go Washington is seeking to put the carbon capture law, police pursuits, a capital gains tax repeal and more up for vote in November. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Crosscut)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 12/22/23; Winter solstice, WA water pollution, TM pipe safety, wildfire smoke, old-growth forests, gas car phase out, Cascade R, toxins in orcas, salmon funds, oil companies sued.

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Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  253 AM PST Fri Dec 22 2023    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON    
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 20 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds. A  chance of rain in the morning then a slight chance of rain in the  afternoon.  
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 ft after midnight. W swell  11 ft at 12 seconds. Rain likely in the evening then a chance of  rain after midnight.
SAT  S wind to 10 kt becoming SE 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 11 ft at 14 seconds. A slight  chance of rain in the morning then a chance of rain in the  afternoon.  
SAT NIGHT  E wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at 14 seconds.  
SUN  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at  14 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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