9/30 White berthella, Orange Shirt Day, seal spy, microplastics, OR offshore lease, baby orca, BC hope, Clallam energy, Salt Spring Is Conservancy

White berthella [Annie Crawley]

White berthella Berthella chacei
A sea slug, but not a nudibranch. Unlike dorid nudibranchs, B. chacei does not have a branchial plume on its back. Instead, it has a gill underneath the right side of the mantle. B. chacei usually can be found beneath or on rocks or in crevices, using its foot to travel and feed on ascidians and sponges. (Edmonds Underwater Park]

Today's top story in Salish Current: Port responds to questions on public relations contract / What a ‘listening café’ teaches us about being better listeners

Sept. 30 marks 2 important days, Orange Shirt Day creator says
September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day established by the Canadian government in 2021 to honour survivors and those who never returned home from residential schools.  It's also Orange Shirt Day. In fact, it was Orange Shirt Day before it was anything else. That's the message Phyllis Webstad, the creator of Orange Shirt Day, wants Canadians to remember on Sept. 30 each year. Courtney Dickson reports. (CBC)

Orange Shirt Day: Indigenous resiliency and bridging communities
Commentary: Orange Shirt Day, commemorating the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools, is about remembrance, and about reconciliation and action. Sstipsn Kalime (Thrisa Phillips Jimmy) writes. (Salish Current)

How Washington plans to spy on seals, sea lions with drones
Starting this fall, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will fly drones over the state’s coastal and inland waters to research and count seals and sea lions. Drone operators will focus on the Nisqually, Dosewallips, and Duckabush river estuaries to count harbor seals. (KUOW)

The 'godfather' of microplastics research says we need to move faster to solve our plastic problem
Twenty years ago, a fortuitous trip to the beach led to a life-changing moment for Richard Thompson. The marine biologist was doing experiments on the seashore in England and found plastic clogging all of his scientific instruments. At the time he coined the term "microplastics" to describe the tiny bits of plastic, many smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair, that he found on beaches all around the U.K. Amanda Buckiewicz reports. (CBC)

Oregon’s offshore lease sale canceled as bidders back out, governor raises concerns
Oregon’s upcoming floating offshore wind auction has been canceled due to insufficient bidder interest. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, said it was delaying the upcoming Oregon auction due to lack of interest. The agency said only one of the five companies eligible to bid was still interested. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Why the Salish Sea's new baby orca surprised researchers
News of L90 becoming a mother is a bit of an "outlier," according to NOAA wildlife biologist Brad Hanson. At her age, it's likely that L90 has been pregnant several times before but lost those calves. "She's also a relatively small female. So to be honest, we had sort of written her off, if you will,” he said.  Natalie Akane Newcomb reports. (KUOW)

'There's hope': What we can learn from species that have made a comeback in B.C.
Sea otters. Peregrine falcons. Humpback whales. Elephant Seals. These are just some of the species that have recovered in B.C. “There’s hope,” says author and conservationist Rob Butler, who worked for decades as a biologist for the Canadian Wildlife Service. “If you just give things a break, species will come back.” Douglas Todd writes. (Vancouver Sun)

Grants to fund two clean energy projects in Clallam County
Two clean energy projects are underway in Port Angeles and Sequim, aided by funding obtained from the state Department of Commerce. These projects will help reduce byproduct waste for the Composite Recycling Technology Center (CRTC) and aid in construction of an independent microgrid for the Clallam County Public Utility District (PUD) No. 1. Emma Maple reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

How Salt Spring Island Conservancy helped save a farm
An excerpt from a new book on local nature conservancies digs into the early days of the Salt Spring group, and how a surprising turn in court helped it save a 160-acre farm. (Times Colonist)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  224 AM PDT Mon Sep 30 2024    
TODAY  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft  at 3 seconds and W 3 ft at 10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: E  2 ft at 4 seconds and W 3 ft at 10 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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/27 Moon ring, building ferries, removing 'forever chemicals,' week in review

Moon ring [Wikipedia]

 

 Moon ring
The moon's halo or lunar halo is an optical illusion that causes a large bright ring to surround the moon. This striking and often beautiful halo around the moon is caused by the refraction of moonlight from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.  In effect, these suspended or falling flecks of ice mean the atmosphere is transformed into a giant lens causing arcs and halos to appear around the moon or the sun depending on whether the effect is happening during the night or day respectively. (Space.com)

Today's top story in Salish Current: ‘The Nonessentials’ — hazmat suits and scary stories that make us feel better / Harvest season arrives in Skagit County

Who will build WA’s electric ferries? Only one West Coast shipyard shows interest
Three shipyards from different corners of the country say they have the ability to build the next generation of hybrid-electric boats for Washington State Ferries. Of the three, only one is local: Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, in Freeland, on Whidbey Island. The others are Eastern Shipbuilding Group from Panama City, Fla., and Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia. Nicholas Deshais reports. (Seattle Times)

Seaspan says government needs to financially support shipbuilding or ferries will not be built in B.C.
The company notes that other provinces, such as Quebec, support their shipyards by requiring vessels to be built domestically and providing tax credits, forgivable loans and grants. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Vancouver aims to raise $210M to remove ‘forever chemicals’ from drinking water
The city of Vancouver, the third-largest municipal provider of drinking water in Washington, is less than a quarter of the way to securing enough funding to mitigate toxic “forever chemicals” from its drinking water by 2029. The city announced it has secured a $10 million low-interest loan to build PFAS filtration systems, bringing its collection of grants and loans up to $37.5 million. In all, it needs to raise an estimated $210 million. April Ehlrich reports. (OPB) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 9/27/24: Koala Friday, steelhead, coho, Dan Evans, forever chemicals, Dungeness crab, orca diets, habitat recovery, OR offshore wind, L128 

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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  245 AM PDT Fri Sep 27 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt late. Seas 7 to  10 ft. Wave Detail: W 10 ft at 13 seconds. A slight chance of  rain early this morning.  
TONIGHT  NW wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming E around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas 6 to 9 ft, subsiding to 5 to 7 ft after midnight.  Wave Detail: W 9 ft at 13 seconds.
 SAT  S wind around 5 kt, veering to NW 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 12 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W  7 ft at 11 seconds.  
SUN  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  10 seconds.

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9/26 Moon flower, baby orca, habitat recovery, free park entry, quake, OR offshore wind, WA ferry wages

Moon flower

Moon flower Ipomoea alba
Tropical white morning glory, moonflower or moonvine, is a species of night-blooming morning glory, native to tropical and subtropical regions of North and South America, from Argentina to northern Mexico, Arizona, Florida and the West Indies. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Going for a triple win with Farm to School programs

See baby orca and mom swim in tandem in Salish Sea
A new killer whale calf has joined L pod, the largest pod of southern resident orcas. The calf, dubbed L128, was spotted alongside its mother, L90, by researchers including SeaDoc Society, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and NOAA Fisheries, while collecting data for killer whale health records. (Seattle Times)

$8.5 million awarded to 21 proposals to advance Puget Sound habitat recovery
The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead announced its 2024 investment list for EPA Puget Sound Funds to advance habitat protection and restoration. (Puget Sound Partnership)

Free entry at Washington’s national parks this Saturday
People can visit Washington’s three national parks — Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades — for free this Saturday, Sept. 28 in recognition of National Public Lands Day. The annual event is meant to encourage volunteer participation in the country’s national parks. The National Park Service is celebrating the day by offering free admission to every park across the country. Grace Deng reports. (Washington State Standard)

Magnitude-4.1 earthquake recorded off Greater Victoria
An earthquake shook Greater Victoria just after 4 a.m. Thursday. The quake was centred near Sidney and D’Arcy Islands, just east of the Saanich Peninsula, according the U.S. Geological Survey. (Times Colonist)

As Southern Oregon opposition to offshore wind mounts, energy developers opt not to bid
At least one company is no longer interested in bidding on a chance to develop a floating offshore wind project off the Southern Oregon coast, and others may also have backed out. Mainstream Renewable Power Inc. has confirmed to OPB that it will no longer participate in Oregon’s floating offshore wind lease sale on Oct. 15. Two other developers told The Oregonian/OregonLive that they are also backing out. Monica Semayoa reports. (OPB)

Proposal for WA ferry engineers, oilers falls short of pay parity
Engine room workers sought wages equal to above-deck crew, but the union argues WA law unevenly hampers negotiating. Lizz Giordano reports. (CascadePBS)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  258 AM PDT Thu Sep 26 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM PDT THIS MORNING  THROUGH LATE TONIGHT TODAY  SE wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to 20 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to  7 ft. Wave Detail: SE 5 ft at 5 seconds and W 5 ft at 12 seconds.  A chance of rain until late afternoon, then showers with a slight  chance of tstms late.  
TONIGHT  S wind 25 to 30 kt, veering to W 20 to 25 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 7 ft, building to 6 to 9 ft after midnight.  Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 5 seconds and W 9 ft at 13 seconds. Rain,  mainly in the evening.

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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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/25 Moon fish, dungeness crab, orca diets, TM pipe, Hope Slough fish kill, Sumas Out, recycling, scientific publishing

Moon fish [Ralph Pace]

Moon fish Lampris
Opahs, also commonly known as moonfish, sunfish, kingfish, and redfin ocean pan are large, colorful, deep-bodied pelagic lampriform fishes comprising the small family Lampridae. The family comprises two genera: Lampris and the monotypic Megalampris. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: The vision of Mount Vernon’s Library Commons becomes reality

Dungeness are WA’s most lucrative seafood, but we know little about them
For decades this crab has helped sustain Washington fishing communities, averaging an annual harvest of 23.3 million pounds over the past 10 years. The nontreaty/state harvest alone was worth an average of $63 million. Even so, relatively little is known about this native species and how future conditions might affect its abundance. This is especially true in Puget Sound. It is unlike the well-known Pacific salmon. Now as climate change threatens marine life all over the Northwest, work is underway from the coast to the Salish Sea to figure out how Dungeness might fare. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

New research reveals diet differences between thriving and endangered killer whale populations
A research team led by scientists from the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has uncovered new insights into the diet of resident killer whales, which could aid in the conservation of endangered populations. The study, published on Sept. 18 in Royal Society Open Science, examined the dietary habits of two groups: the Alaska resident and southern resident killer whales. While both populations prefer salmon, they differ in the types of fish they eat and when they switch species, providing critical information for understanding why some populations thrive while others struggle. (KIRO/Yahoo News)

Trans Mountain paid McKinsey over $32M to save money as pipeline costs exploded
Canadian taxpayers could pay up to $18.8 billion for the pipeline expansion, even though federal officials say McKinsey & Company consultants helped them save hundreds of millions of dollars. Mike De Souza reports. (The Narwhal)

Hope Slough spill kills thousands of salmon near Chilliwack, B.C.
First Nations in B.C.'s Fraser Valley say a large spill in the historic Hope Slough waterway on Monday has led to the death of thousands of salmon and other fish. The Cheam First Nation said in a Tuesday statement that the spill was discovered on Monday when community members went out to the waterway to check on years-long restoration efforts led by the Cheam and Sqwá First Nations. (CBC)

Sumas group asks to be removed from Nooksack Watershed lawsuit
A group known as Sumas Out has asked to have its watershed removed from the upcoming WRIA 1 Nooksack Watershed adjudication. The adjudication, backed by local tribes, has a goal of listing all the legal water rights within the Nooksack Basin based on their priority date. The problem is that significant parts of WRIA 1 are not in the Nooksack Watershed.  “Our water all flows to the Fraser River in Canada,” said Jerry DeBruin, local farmer and member of Sumas Out. Dave Brumbaugh reports. (Lynden Tribune)

Is recycling beyond fixing? Here’s why California thinks so.
California’s lawsuit against ExxonMobil says plastic recycling is broken. The oil giant agrees, but blames the state. Anna Phillips reports. (Washington Post)  Also: Skagit County to stop accepting glass for recycling at transfer stations With the closure of Ardagh Glass Packaging, the facility that first processes the recycled glass, Strategic Materials Inc., is no longer accepting the county’s glass. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Publish or perish the thought: Orcas, seals, and a curious scientist
In 2022, more than three million scientific papers were published in about thirty thousand journals. This represented something like a 9% increase over the year before, and a 47% increase since 2016. “Academic publishing has a problem,” wrote Mark A. Hanson, the biologist at the University of Exeter who compiled these figures. Eric Wagner reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  242 AM PDT Wed Sep 25 2024    
TODAY  W wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to 15 to 20 kt this  afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  6 ft at 13 seconds. Rain early this morning, then a chance of  rain late this morning.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, backing to S after midnight. Seas  4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at 4 seconds and W 6 ft at  12 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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/24 Moon snail, energy facilities permit moratorium, AI, WSF hybrid-electric ferries, octopuses and fish

 

Moon snail [Casey Cruikshank]

Moon snail Euspira lewisii
One of the best-known invertebrates in the sandy intertidal zone is the Moon Snail, both because it is a large (up to 13 cm in diameter) species and because its egg masses are especially notable. Moon Snails are voracious predators on the clams that share their habitat. They find a clam, presumably by chemoreception, and envelope it in their big foot and often drag it more deeply into the sand. The radula has seven rows of teeth, with which they dig a hole (easily recognizable as made by this species because countersunk) into the clam shell. A gland on the proboscis secretes enzymes and even hydrochloric acid to help accomplish this. The snail then rasps and sucks out the clam’s tissues over a period of a day or so. (UPS)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Heading in the right direction: White Rock unveils accessibility mat on its historic pier / Failing our students: The consequences of politicizing school boards

Moratorium put in place on accepting permits for energy facilities on ag land
The Skagit County Board of Commissioners passed an interim ordinance Monday that places a moratorium on accepting permit applications for energy generation or storage facilities on county farmland. The moratorium lasts six months, but may be extended by the board if necessary, according to a county news release. The Skagit County Planning Commission is discussing a proposed amendment to county code that would exclude energy generation or storage facilities on land zoned Ag-NRL. (Skagit Valley Herald)  See: Battery farms, energy industry’s new darling, lining up to enter Pacific NW Don’t you be my neighbor, say some to proposed fields of big batteries Tom Banse reports. (Salish Current)

Learning tool or BS machine? How AI is shaking up higher ed
As students and their professors head back to college classrooms and lecture halls this fall, the elephant in the room is ChatGPT. The large-language model and others like it can correctly answer exam questions, write papers that would have taken hours to research, summarize complicated readings in convenient bullet points, and respond directly to professors’ feedback — all in a matter of seconds. Stephen Howie reports. (KUOW)  See: An election in the age of artificial intelligence Tech entrepreneur and AI expert Shawn Kemp to discuss AI’s potential impact on the upcoming U.S. election and the risks of misinformation, in speaker series event. Rena Kingery reports. (Salish Current)

Conversion of Washington ferry to hybrid-electric power is delayed
When Washington State Ferries took its Jumbo Mark II vessel, the Wenatchee, out of service last September to convert it from diesel to hybrid-electric power, the plan was for the boat to be back in action sometime around late summer this year. The agency now says it anticipates the project will take until summer 2025 to complete. Bill Lucia reports. (Washington State Standard)

Octopuses and fish share leadership — and enforcement — in group hunting
The Red Sea, sandwiched between northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, is teeming with life, including octopuses and more than a thousand species of fish...[A] new study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution...argue[s] that the creatures are sharing leadership as they make hunting decisions. Ari Daniel reports. (KUOW/NPR)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  301 AM PDT Tue Sep 24 2024    
TODAY  N wind around 5 kt, backing to NW this afternoon. Seas  4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 12 seconds. Areas of dense fog  this morning. Patchy fog early this afternoon. A slight chance of  showers late.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming SW 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 13 seconds.  Showers.

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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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/23 Moon jelly, steelhead, coho, battery storage, forever chemicals, saving birds, barrier islands, buried creek, Dan Evans

Moon jelly [Seattle Aquarium]

Moon jelly Aurelia labiata
Jellies have been around for hundreds of millions of years—since before dinosaurs roamed the earth. They’re members of the phylum cnidaria, pronounced NYE-daria, from the Greek word for “stinging nettle.” This group of invertebrates is made up of animals that have stinging capsules in the tentacles surrounding their mouths. Puget Sound is home to well over 340 species of cnidarians, including the moon jellies at the Seattle Aquarium.

Today's top story in Salish Current: An election in the age of artificial intelligence / Food resiliency and climate Change in the San Juan Islands

Steelhead: Washington's 'gray ghost' battles extinction
Larry Peterson guns the engine on the skiff and blasts downriver. He has precious cargo aboard: live, wild steelhead. And he and his colleague from the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe are on a mission to help save this population of steelhead, which are among the state’s most threatened species. Steelhead already are listed for federal protection almost everywhere they live, up and down the rivers of the West Coast, including in the Columbia and Snake rivers and all over Puget Sound. And they were recently petitioned for listing on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

‘Give them a chance’: The fight to bring salmon back to Edmonds stream
In 2026, hundreds of coho salmon will try to return to Perrinville Creek for spawning — like clockwork. Over the past two years, with approval from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, retired fishery biologist Joe Scordino and volunteers with the Edmonds Stream Team have released 8,000 coho fry in an upper stretch of the creek. Volunteers placed fish in other local creeks as well, with the larger goal of reestablishing salmon runs in small streams that coho, in particular, depend on for rearing and spawning. Ta'Leah Van Sistine reports. (Everett Herald)

Why a Skagit County town hopes to fight off a battery storage project
The Goldeneye Battery Energy Storage System would be one of the first in Washington and certainly the biggest. But as it stands now, the proposal serves as another high-profile example of the challenges that renewable energy projects face in finding a willing host community, particularly in rural areas made to feel as if they must bear the brunt of green policies from Olympia. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)  See: Battery farms, energy industry’s new darling, lining up to enter Pacific NW Don’t you be my neighbor, say some to proposed fields of big batteries. Tom Banse reports. (Salish Current, 9/5/24)

Forever chemicals are everywhere. These burnt wood chips could help change that
Forever chemicals are everywhere, from cookware to cosmetics to clothes to carpets. For decades, they've been building up in the environment and our water – and in our bodies. Now Canadian researchers say they have developed a practical way to remove the toxic compounds from our drinking water. Darius Mahdavi reports. (CBC)

North America lost 3 billion birds in 50 years. An Indigenous-led plan could protect a place where they’re thriving
In the Seal River watershed, the site of a proposed Indigenous-led conservation project, community members worked with the Audubon Society to identify more species than were previously known. Julia-Simone Rutgers reports. (The Narwhal)

Where the sea wall ends
At a time of fast-rising seas, the ocean is eating away at this barrier island and others like it. But humans, who have held their ground here for over a century, are planning new condos. Chris Mooney, John Muyskens and Brady Dennis report. (Washington Post)

B.C. creek buried by construction in the 60s restored
Part of a creek that was buried under a post-secondary campus in Burnaby, B.C., decades ago has been brought to the surface again, in a bid to restore some of the Lower Mainland's dwindling salmon habitat. For thousands of years, chum salmon swam up Guichon Creek to spawn. But during construction of the Burnaby campus of the B.C. Institute of Technology (BCIT) in the 1960s, a 750-metre stretch of the waterway was sealed underground in a series of steel pipes and culverts, blocking passage for the fish. Isaac Phan Nay reports. (CBC)

Dan Evans, three-term Washington governor, dies at age 98
Daniel J. Evans, former governor of Washington and U.S. Senator, died Friday at the age of 98. In a statement given to The Seattle Times, sons Dan Jr., Mark and Bruce Evans wrote that their father lived an exceptionally full life. “Whether serving in public office, working to improve higher education, mentoring aspiring public servants … he just kept signing up for stuff right until the end. He touched a lot of lives. And he did this without sacrificing family”, the newspaper reported. Feliks Banel/KUOW Staff report. (KUOW)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PDT Mon Sep 23 2024    
TODAY  S wind around 5 kt, veering to NW around 5 kt this  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 10 seconds.  Showers likely early this morning.  
TONIGHT  NW wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W  5 ft at 11 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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/20 Shaggy mouse, BC salmon, US Forest Service, Island First Nations, whale talk, week in review

 

Shaggy mouse [Annie Crawley]

Shaggy mouse nudibranch Aeolidia loui
Often found on rocks or any kind of structure such as docks or boats. Sometimes takes the colors of the anemone that it’s eating. The Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch may be tiny but it is a voracious predator. It eats enough anemone tissue to equal half or all of its body weight in a day, mostly from green anemones, plumose anemones, or sometimes painted anemones. (Edmonds Underwater Park)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Dementia Support Northwest awarded $240,000 grant from Alzheimer’s Association / An important new asset for Bellingham

Salmon populations in decline across B.C. and the Yukon: report
The Pacific Salmon Foundation released its State of Salmon report, which covers all species of Pacific salmon and steelhead across nine regions in the country. The report considers 41 combinations of regions and salmon species, and found that more than 70 per cent of them are below their long-term average. The report also found that there are signs of recovery, such as for the coho salmon in the Fraser region. (CBC)

US Forest Service puts seasonal hiring on hold, affecting hundreds of temporary Northwest jobs
Citing a tight budget for the coming year, the agency will still hire seasonal staff to fight fires, but temporary summer hires for all other roles — like building trails, conducting archaeological surveys and doing engineering work — are on hold. Courtney Sherwood reports. (OPB)

Island First Nations declare state of emergency
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, representing 14 First Nations on the west side of Vancouver Island,  says funding is needed to support overwhelmed workers in their communities and to build detox and rehabilitation centres, after a string of deaths. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist/Canadian Press)

Whales May Be Communicating Across Vast Distances
Researchers have long suspected that bowhead whales keep in touch from far away. New evidence of synchronized diving between two whales 100 kilometers apart supports the theory. Joanna Thompson reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 9/20/24: Hispanic Heritage Month, Bellingham Bay cleanup, humpbacks, orca baby, food packaging, Sheila Harrington, BC wildlife, tackling climate change.

Have you read the Salish Current? 
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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  229 AM PDT Fri Sep 20 2024    
TODAY  NW wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 9 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 12 seconds.  
SAT  W wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at  11 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 10 seconds.  
SUN  SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in  the afternoon.

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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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/19 Rough-mantled doris, BC wildlife, WA lands commissioner, ranked-choice voting, WA AG, Nuchatlaht First Nation, coast junk, gray wolves

 

Rough-mantled doris

Rough-mantled doris Onchidoris bilamellata
The rough-mantled doris has a wide distribution, mostly in colder intertidal waters to a depth of about 20 m. It has been found in the North Atlantic and the North Sea from Britain and France to the Norwegian Sea, Iceland and Greenland; along the North American coast as far south as Connecticut. It has also been recorded in the North Pacific in the Bering Sea, and from Alaska south to northern California.  Onchidoris bilamellata feeds mainly on acorn barnacles in the genera Elminius and Balanus. It uses its rachidian tooth to chew away at the top plates of the barnacles and then sucks out the soft body.

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Inslee announces $1.5 million emergency ferry funding for San Juan Islands / Orange Shirt Day: Indigenous resiliency and bridging communities

B.C.’s cash-strapped wildlife ministry operating in triage mode
Disease monitoring for bighorn sheep, bats, among programs affected by government wildlife funding woes. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Herrera Beutler and Upthegrove square-off in WA lands commissioner debate
The candidates disagreed on land management and timber strategies as they compete for the job of running the state agency that oversees millions of acres of public land. Laurel Demkovich reports. (Washington State Standard)

What I learned at a ranked-choice voting webinar
The League of Women Voters of Portland recently held a community education webinar titled, “Ranked-Choice Voting: Moving Portland Forward with Confidence.” The League invited four national and local voting experts to share their experiences educating voters about ranked-choice voting (RCV). Lisa Caballero reports. (BikePortland)

Live debates: Washington attorney general with Brown, Serrano
Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown and Pasco Mayor Pete Serrano will participate in a live debate tonight at 8 p.m. Madeline Happold reports. (CascadePBS)

Nuchatlaht First Nation appeals decision recognizing title to only part of claim area
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elliott Myers recognized the nation’s Aboriginal title to about 11 square kilometres of Nootka Island, but rejected its claim to a much larger area. Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Times Colonist)

Province provides millions of dollars for communities to tackle effects of climate change
Island projects range from tackling shoreline erosion on Saanich Inlet to planting trees in Saanich and installing cooling infrastructure in Victoria. Andrew A. Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

How to De-junk the Coast
Let’s Talk Trash and Ocean Legacy are pulling thousands of kilos of plastic from our waters. andrea bennett reports. (The Tyee)

Biden administration seeks to remove gray wolf protections in Lower 48
Conservation groups say putting wolves in states’ hands could imperil species’ recovery. Blair Miller reports. (Daily Montanan) 

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  243 AM PDT Thu Sep 19 2024    
TODAY  SW wind around 5 kt, veering to W 10 to 15 kt this  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 9 seconds.  Patchy fog early this morning.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 8 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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/18 Golden dirona, Let's Go WA, BC dino bones, Alaska Air buys Hawaiian Air, Sheila Harrington

 

Golden dirona [Annie Crawley]

Golden dirona Dirona pellucida
Golden dirona can live from Alaska to the Puget sound, across the Bering sea to Japan, Korea and Russia. They can live in tide pools, where they search for food. They eat bryozoans and will sometimes eat hydroids and ascidia. (Edmonds Underwater Park)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Limited impact seen on Whatcom housing market from new real estate rules / Barred owl management strategy passes, clearing the way for spotted owl protection

Let’s Go Washington accused of violating campaign finance law
After a lengthy investigation, a state watchdog has filed charges alleging the political committee failed to accurately disclose what it spent on signature-gathering for a slate of ballot measures. A hearing is set for Oct. 3. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

Trove of dinosaur fossils found high in B.C. mountains
Paleontologists have uncovered dozens of fossils in northern B.C., only one of which came from a dinosaur that was previously known to that area. Victoria Arbour, curator of paleontology at the Royal B.C. Museum, said it was her team's third time to the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park, about 200 kilometres south of the B.C.-Yukon border. The area is rough terrain, so the team has to be flown in by helicopter. (CBC)

Alaska Airlines Gets Green Light To Buy Hawaiian Airlines After Meeting Certain Terms
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the airlines made promises to protect travelers, including upholding the value of frequent-flyer rewards. David Koenig reports. (Associated Press/Civil Beat)

One woman's goal to protect islands in the Salish Sea
Conservationist and author Shelia Harrington has a new book titled, "Voices for the Islands." In it, Harrington highlights the importance of protecting nature on and around the islands of the Salish Sea located off the shores of Washington state and British Columbia. Harrington is a resident of Lasqueti Island and has been involved with conservation efforts for 30 years. While researching for the book, she 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. Chris Cherniak and Claire Wiley report. (KPCW)

Have you read the Salish Current? 
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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  228 AM PDT Wed Sep 18 2024    
TODAY  NW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 10 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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/17 Ringed doris, new baby orca, packaging chemicals, Climate Commitment Act risk map, Tri-Cities wind farm, southern OR wind auction, BC Ferries, local digs

Ringed doris [WikiMedia]

 

Ringed doris Diaulula sandiegensis
Ringed dorid occurs along the coast of the northeastern Pacific, from Alaska to Puerto Penasco, Mexico. This dorid nudibranch inhabits the intertidal zone from depths of 0-35 m (115 ft), in both sandy and rocky habitats, The specific epithet sandiegensis means "of San Diego", referring to the Southern California city. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Questions of competence and character in a historic election

New baby for endangered southern residents; mom spotted alone with calf
A new calf has been reported in the endangered southern resident killer whale population. The tiny orca was spotted with L90 Ballena — a 31-year-old female who has never been documented with a calf — on Sunday off Lime Kiln Park on San Juan Island near the international boundary east of Cordova Bay. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Scientists just figured out how many chemicals enter our bodies from food packaging
More than 3,000 chemicals from food packaging have infiltrated our bodies, a new study has found. Shannon Osaka reports. (Washington Post) 

Interactive map tracks Climate Commitment Act investments to show ‘risk of repeal’
The Clean and Prosperous Institute has worked for years to develop and defend the act. Members of the wide coalition of groups behind it say the interactive map is a result of the data tracking they have engaged in for years, to ensure that investments in things like electric school buses or air monitoring systems are effective in the fight against climate change. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

State recommends limits for Tri-Cities wind turbine farm project
A Washington commission will send a recommendation to Gov. Jay Inslee this week on the proposed Horse Heaven Hills wind turbine farm that would leave intact more than three-quarters of the originally requested number of turbines. With scant discussion, the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council approved the recommendation 4-3 Friday. John Stang reports. (Cascade PBS)

Tribes file lawsuit to delay Southern Oregon floating offshore wind auction
On Friday, the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians filed a lawsuit claiming the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, failed to consider the environmental, cultural and economic impacts of the potential of floating offshore wind. Monica Semayoa reports. (OPB)

B.C. Ferries aims to add seven new major vessels to its fleet
t aims to order five major vessels initially, with the first to be delivered by 2029 and the other four to be in service by 2031. The second phase would see the final two major vessels added by about 2037. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Neighborhood Digs
On the Pacific Northwest coast—and around the world—community archaeology is helping people reconcile with each other and their history. Brian Payton reports. (Hakai Magazine)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  245 AM PDT Tue Sep 17 2024    
TODAY  E wind around 5 kt, backing to N this afternoon. Seas  around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A slight chance of  rain early this morning, then a chance of rain late this morning.  Rain this afternoon.  
TONIGHT  N wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening.

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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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/16 Red sponge nudibranch, river otter attack, battery storage, Cornwall landfill, saving birds, hot humpbacks, quakes

Red sponge nudibranch [Dave Cowles]

Red sponge nudibranch Rostanga pulchra
This species feeds on, and is often found on, red sponges such as Acarnus, Esperiopsis,Ophlitaspongia, and Plocamia. It is believed that its orange pigment comes from the sponge.  Adults can locate and navigate to distant Ophlitaspongia sponges by smell.  Some individuals seem to stay quite close to one area while others range for distant sponges.  Predators may include the flatworm Notoplana acticola.  The cephalaspidean predatory nudibranch Navanax inermis is repelled by secretions from Rostanga. (Walla Walla Univ)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Lummi Nation to honor orca and community with launch of ‘Our Hearts Beat as One / Micro-hydroelectric power may be the next big climate solution

River otter attacks child at Bremerton Marina, issue with infestation was known
A child walking on a dock at the Bremerton Marina was attacked and pulled under the water by a river otter Thursday morning, then pulled from the water by their mother, who was also bitten on the arm by the otter, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. David Nelson and Kai Uyehara report. (Kitsap Sun)

Sedro-Woolley considers another option in stopping battery energy storage facility
The city of Sedro-Woolley continues to look at its options in its attempt to prevent the construction of a battery energy storage facility on 14 acres just east of city limits. City Administrator Charlie Bush told the council that the city could petition for what is known as intervenor status, which could cost the city about $50,000 if the matter is handled by the city attorney and more if the city hired a firm that specializes in such matters. Vince Richardson reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)  See: Battery farms, energy industry’s new darling, lining up to enter Pacific NW Don’t you be my neighbor, say some to proposed fields of big batteries Tom Banse reports. (Salish Current)

$7.3 million state grant will go toward cleanup of contaminated Bellingham Bay site
A state grant is providing $7.3 million to address a toxic waste site on the Bellingham waterfront, the site of a planned city park. Officials at the state Department of Commerce Public Works Board announced the $7.3 million award for the Cornwall Avenue landfill cleanup earlier this week. It was among $175 million directed toward infrastructure projects statewide. The site is a former city dump located along the Bellingham waterfront at the south end of Cornwall Avenue. It’s adjacent to the former R.G. Haley plant, another contaminated site, and both are part of the planned Salish Landing park. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

These birds are almost extinct. A radical idea could save them.
As climate change and other threats destroy the habitats of living things, biologists are beginning to think of doing the once unthinkable: finding new homes for species outside their native ranges. Dino Grandoni and Matt McClain report. (Washington Post) 

Too hot for humpbacks: The race to protect Pacific whales
Move over Moby Dick. Big Mama, the first humpback whale to have returned to the North Pacific's Salish Sea after decades of absence, is telling a new story about the global threat to whale populations. Riley Farrell reports.(BBC)

2 earthquakes strike off the coast of British Columbia, but no damage reported
Two earthquakes struck off the northern coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia Sunday but there were no immediate reports of damage. The United States Geological Survey said the first earthquake, measuring magnitude 6.5, happened around 3:20 p.m. local time. It was located off the tip of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago located about 1,720 kilometers (1,069 miles) north of Vancouver and occurred at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles). Natural Resources Canada said a second earthquake, measuring 4.5, occurred about an hour later in the same area. (Associated Press)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  239 AM PDT Mon Sep 16 2024    
TODAY  SE wind around 5 kt, veering to NW early this afternoon,  then becoming W 10 to 15 kt late. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 9 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 8 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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/13 Golden locust, GasLink fined, BC carbon tax, garry oak, timber sale, Whidbey wetlands, by-caught birds, week in review

Golden locust

Golden locust Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia'
The golden locust is a broadleaf deciduous tree with gold foliage. In summer white flowers emerge. Grows well with sun and low water. Drought tolerant once established. Prefers to be dry in summer. Does well in average and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant. (Plant Lust)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Legendary Chucklenuts play with great chemistry, for community causes

Coastal GasLink pipeline hit with $590,000 fine — its biggest one yet
The latest fine is for a 2023 incident, the aftermath of which was documented by The Narwhal on an overhead flight. It puts the total fines levied by B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office at almost $1.4 million.  Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

B.C. to scrap consumer carbon tax if federal government drops legal requirement: Eby
A re-elected NDP government would scrap British Columbia's long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to "big polluters" if the federal government dropped its requirement for the law, Premier David Eby said Thursday. Darryl Greer reports. (Canadian Press)

$10M to keep historic oak tree standing for now? Citizen group gains partial victory in court
As the fifth tree expert is expected to weigh in on the health of the 400-year-old Davis-Meeker Garry oak on Old Highway 99, the city of Tumwater asked the citizen group that wants to protect the tree pay a bond of more than $10 million in court to keep the tree standing. In Thurston County Superior Court on Sept. 9, the Save the Davis Meeker Garry Oak citizen group requested a bond of $200 to stay the court’s decision to protect the tree until an assessment of the tree is completed and the mayor gets approval from the Historic Preservation Commission to cut it down, if need be. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

Forest auctioned despite protest
The state Department of Natural Resources auctioned off the 75 acres contained in the Doc Holliday timber sale despite protesters’ claims that at least 29 of those acres deserve protection. This site is located about 21 miles west of Port Angeles. Emma Maple reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Illegal draining of wetlands on Whidbey Island leads to $120,000 penalty
The Washington Department of Ecology issued a $120,000 penalty to Christopher Whiteman and Victoria Coury for failing to repair damage to wetlands in unincorporated Island County, about eight miles northeast of Oak Harbor. Illegal ditches on property owned by Whiteman and Coury were draining and damaging approximately 8.5 acres of wetlands, including on adjacent property not owned by the couple. (Dept. of Ecology)

By-caught Birds
New research estimates that some 200,000 birds are accidentally caught in fishing gear in Europe each year. Rebecca Heisman reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 9/13/24: Friday the 13th, Chlcotin R sockeye, marmots, tularemia, killing bears, BC species at risk, BC foresrs, noisy Salish Sea, micxro-0hydro power

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  228 AM PDT Fri Sep 13 2024    
TODAY  E wind around 5 kt, veering to W around 5 kt late. Seas  around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at 8 seconds. A slight chance of  showers late this morning. Showers this afternoon.  
TONIGHT  SW wind around 5 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W  3 ft at 9 seconds. Showers.  
SAT  W wind around 5 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds.  Showers.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A  chance of showers.  
SUN  NW wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft  at 10 seconds. A chance of showers in the afternoon.

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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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/12 Burning bush, noisy Salish Sea, WA ballot initiatives, WA climate auction, WA gov race, NOAA fishery, whale woes, invasive jellyfish, micro-hyrdro

 

Burning bush [Wikipedia]

Burning bush Euonymus alatus
Burning bush is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to central and northern China, Japan, and Korea. The common name "burning bush" refers to its bright red fall color. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: You can help: Whatcom Water Week panel to focus on stewardship

Salish Sea too noisy for endangered orcas to hunt: study
The Salish Sea is too noisy for the critically endangered southern resident orcas to hunt successfully, according to a new study led by the University of Washington. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Washington ballot initiatives lose ground with voters in new poll
Surveys using actual ballot language reveal waning support for repealing the capital gains tax, cap-and-invest program and WA Cares program. Shauna Sowersby reports. (Cascade PBS)

Washington climate auction prices remain low as repeal vote looms
Washington’s largest air polluters snapped up all available carbon emission allowances in this month’s state-run auction – and they did so at a relatively low price for a third consecutive time. The Sept. 4 auction was the last regular sale before voters decide the fate of the Climate Commitment Act and its cap-and-trade program in November. Laurel Demkovich reports. (Washington State Standard)

Washington voters are leaning toward Bob Ferguson in governor race
The Cascade PBS/Elway Poll shows Ferguson's double-digit lead over Republican Dave Reichert. But independent and undecided voters could change that. Mai Hoang reports. (Cascade PBS)

NOAA fishery councils prepare to adapt to climate change
Shifts in marine species migration and population concentrations are forcing NOAA Fisheries to rethink its regional administrative maps to reflect the new realities of changing ocean habitats. In guidance released Tuesday, the agency’s Office of Sustainable Fisheries established a framework for when and how regulation of a species should be handed off from one regional fishery management council to another based on shifting species population dynamics. Daniel Cusick reports. (E&E News)

Whale killed, another rescued off B.C.'s North Coast: DFO
A dramatic four-day rescue operation has successfully freed a humpback whale entangled in fishing gear in the Hecate Strait off British Columbia's North Coast. Cause of fin whale's death remains under investigation, officials say; humpback rescued in 4-day operation. (CBC)

Invasive peach blossom jellyfish spreading through B.C. waterways
Some time more than 30 years ago, a single Chinese peach blossom jellyfish made its way into a lake in British Columbia. Exactly how it arrived is not clear, researchers say — perhaps it was in aquarium water — but decades later, thousands of genetic clones of the same organism have been spotted in 34 waterways around the province. Brieanna Charlebois reports. (Canadian Press)

Micro-hydroelectric power may be the next big climate solution
An InPipe turbine installed by Skagit PUD in partnership with InPipe Energy spins the excess power flowing through miles of water pipe into enough electricity to power 14 Mount Vernon homes and to be sold back to the power utility for about $12,000 dollars a year. (Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  224 AM PDT Thu Sep 12 2024    
TODAY  W wind around 5 kt, veering to NE late this morning,  backing to NW this afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft  at 10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft  at 8 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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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9/11 Ginkgo, WA gov, BC species at risk, Chinook, BC forests, Port Townsend deer

 

Ginkgo

Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo or gingko, also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of gymnosperm tree native to East Asia. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago, and fossils very similar to the living species, belonging to the genus Ginkgo, extend back to the Middle Jurassic epoch approximately 170 million years ago. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: San Juan Islands National Monument prepares for next phase / It’s not too late for reliable interisland ferry service

Ferguson, Reichert clash on crime, abortion and Trump in first debate
Clear differences in style and substance emerged in the first face-to-face encounter between the candidates battling to be Washington’s next governor. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

Nearly 2,000 species are at-risk in B.C. Only 42 are being considered for new protections
Internal government records show officials are working to update list of at-risk species under forestry legislation for the first time in almost two decades. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal) 

Warmer temperatures have put chinook salmon — and a way of life — in grave danger
But a fishing moratorium imposed by Canada and Alaska is netting small gains. Brandie Weikle reports. (CBC)

Are BC’s Forests Running Out of Trees?
The province prides itself on its sustainable forestry. But even industry is now sounding the alarm. Zoë Yunker reports. (The Tyee)

Canfor transfers forest tenure in B.C. to 2 First Nations
McLeod Lake Indian Band, Tsay Keh Dene Nation can now harvest over 430,000 cubic metres of timber a year. Isaac Phan Nay reports. (CBC)

Port Townsend city staff will address deer management questions in 2026.
Process to include data on traffic, behavior. Elijah Sussman reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  230 AM PDT Wed Sep 11 2024    
TODAY  E wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to NW late. Seas around 3 ft.  Wave Detail: E 2 ft at 3 seconds, SW 2 ft at 7 seconds and W 2 ft  at 9 seconds. A chance of rain early this morning, then a slight  chance of rain late this morning. A chance of rain this  afternoon.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft  at 7 seconds and W 4 ft at 10 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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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