7/15 Mosquitoes, Tacoma heat, butterflies, WA wolf count, Skagit sockeye, methane rules, Sheila Harrington

Mosquito

Mosquitoes
Over 40 different mosquito species can be found in Washington, and many are vectors for diseases, such as West Nile virus, western equine encephalitis, and St. Louis encephalitis. Avoid mosquito bites, don't give mosquitoes a home, and support community control programs. (WA DOH)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Bellingham Pride: love shines loud / Islanders launch campaign to renew Land Bank’s funding

Tacomans struggle with high temperatures, heat and access to cooling varies across the city
Shade is a problem for Tacomans.  The city is dense and in the Puget Sound region, it has the lowest amount of tree canopy cover for cities.  nThis city lacks the infrastructure to respond to heat events, said Ailene Ettinger, a quantitative ecologist with The Nature Conservancy. Lauren Gallup reports. (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

Butterfly sightings in Metro Vancouver plummet
Fewer butterflies are flying around Metro Vancouver this year, and their scarcity is leaving scientists and community members with more questions than answers. Extreme swings in weather may be to blame, but planting more native trees in cities could help. Abby Luciano reports. (CBC)

Why Washington’s wolf count is under scrutiny
Ahead of a vote on lowering the animals’ “endangered” status, wildlife advocates and others question whether the figures are inflated. A state agency defends the data.  Alex Brown and Laurel Demkovich report. (Washington State Standard)

Skagit River sockeye season extended
The sockeye salmon fishery on the Skagit River from the Highway 536 bridge in Mount Vernon to the Dalles Bridge in Concrete will be extended, running July 16 to July 24. (Skagit Valley Herald)

WA adopts landfill rules to combat methane leaks
New rules intended to keep a tighter lid on methane gas leaking from the state’s landfills as food and garbage decompose went into effect last month. The state Department of Ecology estimates the new rules will affect 26 landfills, around half of those in the state, and will decrease landfill-related methane emissions by around 1.6 million metric tons a year. That would be a 38% reduction, according to environmental nonprofit Industrious Labs. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times)

Conservationist details nature preservation efforts on Salish Sea islands in new book
A long-time conservationist on B.C.'s west coast has penned a new book highlighting the importance of protecting nature on and around the islands of the Salish Sea.  Sheila Harrington, a Lasqueti Island resident who has been involved with conservation efforts for 30 years, travelled by boat to 17 islands in the Salish Sea to interview more than 50 fellow conservationists about the history of efforts to preserve habitats in the area. (CBC)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  225 AM PDT Mon Jul 15 2024    
TODAY  NW wind around 5 kt, backing to W this afternoon. Seas  3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 7 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 7 seconds.

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