5/23 Mock orange, First Nation land purchase, TMX, WA honeybees, salmon fishing, Sidney Is deer kill, wax myrtles, rhodys

Mock orange [Portland Nursery]

 

Mock Orange Philadelphus lewisii
This plant grows from British Columbia to California, and east to Idaho and Montana. In Washington, this plant grows on both sides of the Cascades crest and at the coast. This plant produces brown bark which eventually flakes off. The wood is strong and hard. The flowers are showy and fragrant with a scent similar to orange blossoms.  Many Pacific Northwest tribes (including the Cowlitz, Klamath, Lummi, Nlaka'pamux, and others) have made combs, cradle hoops and hoods, knitting needles, baskets, snowshoes, harpoon shafts, fishing spears, bows, arrows, clubs, breast plates, tools, and pipe stems from the wood. The leaves and bark have been used to make soap.  (WA Native Plant Society)

Today's top story in Salish Current: A presidential visit planned and celebrated — then forgotten

Change to B.C. law allows First Nations to directly own land
The B.C. government's changes to a law that prevented First Nations from acquiring land have come into effect, meaning nations can now directly buy and own land in the province. Previously, First Nations needed to form a proxy, like a corporation or a trust, to buy land. The legislation, which was introduced in April, came into effect on Tuesday. The changes have no legal impact on other landowners — just federally recognized First Nations. Isaac Phan Nay reports. (CBC)

Ottawa removes regulatory red tape for Trans Mountain pipeline
The Canada Development Investment Corporation and Trans Mountain Corporation will no longer need authorization from a top official, the governor in council, to make transactions like incorporating subsidiaries. Canada bought the pipeline system in 2018. At the time, it could ship 300,000 barrels of oil per day. The federal government oversaw the expansion of the pipeline, which can now ship about 890,000 barrels per day from Alberta to Canada's Pacific coast.Isaac Phan Nay reports. (CBC)

Inside WA’s struggling honeybee industry
Despite a recent uptick of hives in Texas, which was strong enough to briefly increase the national count, honeybee operations are still staring down the barrel of colony collapse and extremely high annual loss rates of hives. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)

Skagit River reopens to salmon fishing
The Skagit River has reopened to salmon fishing following a 10-day closure. Vince Richardson reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)  Cascade River opens next week for salmon fishing  The Cascade River will open for salmon fishing May 29 from its mouth to the Rockport-Cascade Road bridge. Vince Richardson reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Parks Canada to spend $12M on Sidney Island deer kill, restoration, documents show
Parks Canada will spend about $12 million on a plan to kill invasive deer and restore native vegetation on Sidney Island, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. That’s more than double the cost that has been widely reported for the controversial project on the small Gulf Island. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Don Norman from Go Natives! Nursery writes: "California Wax Myrtle is the best choice in the NW for an evergreen screen.  It is a critical winter food source for many birds, especially yellow-rumped warblers, as its seed (I believe it is a drupe) is covered with a wax (thus the name) that is a digestible fat.  If all of the Laurel, Photinia, Pyramidalis and other non-native screens were replaced with this much nicer looking and less maintenance shrub, there would be hundreds of thousands more wintering birds in Seattle (and a lot fewer pruning jobs)." 

Federal Way's rhododendron garden has noticed how NW summer is affecting certain rhodys
Local conditions for rhododendrons at Federal Way's Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden have been changing as the summers have gotten warmer, and drier, with heat waves lasting longer than in the past. There are certain species that the garden can no longer grow because of this. Patricia Murphy reports. (KUOW)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  208 AM PDT Thu May 23 2024    
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming W 10 to 15 kt this  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 8 seconds. A  slight chance of showers late.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 7 seconds. A  chance of showers.

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