1/2 Orca boy, enviro stories, WA laws, BC pipe, Snohomish R, bad air, moving trees, WA drought, Native enviro news, women at sea, sunk gold

 

Days-old orca J60, with his umbilical cord still attached,
shows his underside enough for biologists to determine
he is male on Dec. 28, 2023, in Puget Sound.
[Maya Sears, under NMFS Permit 27052]

Baby orca update: It’s a boy!
On Thursday, when a baby orca surfaced in Puget Sound and rolled over on its side, biologist Maya Sears was able to photograph its white underside from a small research skiff. Sears shared her photo with orca surveyor Dave Ellifrit at the Center for Whale Research, who confirmed that this whale, less than a week old, is male. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Here are 10 positive environmental stories from 2023
From protecting endangered animals to youth climate projects, there was plenty of good news this year from the climate front. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun) 

The new year brings new WA laws for guns, minimum wage and more
Here are 12 new policies that will come into effect in 2024. Venice Buhain reports. (Crosscut)

Despite opposition and environmental violations, major B.C. pipeline project nearly complete
A controversial pipeline meant to transport natural gas across northern British Columbia has passed a major milestone. TC Energy announced it has finished installing pipe on its Coastal GasLink pipeline project. First planned more than a decade ago, the pipeline will carry natural gas from near Dawson Creek in the province's northeast to a massive LNG Canada processing facility in Kitimat on the West Coast, where it is to be liquefied and shipped to Asia, opening up new markets for Canadian producers. (CBC)

‘My river’: Locals take it upon themselves to clean up the Snohomish
Pollution in the Snohomish River isn’t new. But out of love for the waterway, residents and rowers serve as environmental stewards. Ta'Leah Van Sistine reports. (Everett Herald) 

Those breathing poorer air in WA live sicker, die younger, report says
Residents in parts of Washington disproportionately impacted by poor air quality are, on average, sicker and die younger compared with the rest of the state, a new report from the Washington Department of Ecology found. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks reports. (Seattle Times)

As tree species face decline, ‘assisted migration’ gains popularity in Pacific Northwest
As the world’s climate warms, tree growing ranges in the Northern Hemisphere are predicted to move farther north and higher in elevation. Trees, of course, can’t get up and walk to their new climatic homes. This is where assisted migration is supposed to lend a hand. The idea is that humans can help trees keep up with climate change by moving them to more favorable ecosystems faster than the trees could migrate on their own. Nathan Gilles and Columbia Insight report. (Associated Press)

Drought will likely let up within western Skagit County
Drought will likely let up in western Skagit County, according to recent reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. West of Concrete, drought will likely end over the course of the next three months. To the east, it’s likely to remain. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

2023 in Native environmental news
In 2023, the complexity of the environmental issues that impact Native communities took center stage. The unique legal, political and economic hurdles tribal nations face in protecting their land, water, air — and people — became vividly apparent. Anna V. Smith and Shana Lombard report. (High County News)

'Sea change': All-women tugboat crew makes Christmas run up B.C. coast
Two women who have known each other since elementary school made up what is believed to be B.C.’s first all-women tugboat crew on a trip from Prince Rupert to Stewart a few days before Christmas. Glenda Luymes reports. (Vancouver Sun) 

No takers for long-lost gold in sunken ship found off of B.C. coast
An estimated $11 million worth of gold bullion and dust is believed to have gone down with the SS Pacific in the Salish Sea in 1875. David Carrigg reports. (Vancouver Sun)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  251 AM PST Tue Jan 2 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON    
TODAY  SE wind 20 to 25 kt becoming E 20 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 6 ft at 14 seconds  subsiding to 4 ft at 14 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.  
TONIGHT  E wind 20 to 30 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 5 ft at 14 seconds  building to 8 ft at 14 seconds after midnight. Rain.

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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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