11/19 Catnip, storm, Hwy 20, bird flu, forage fish study, SRKW feast, windfarm appeal, wildfire logging, Elwha timber sale, owl hunting

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Today's top story in Salish Current: Reducing and reusing as Bellingham recycling shifts

Catnip

Catnip Nepeta cataria
Catnip, also known as catswort, catwort, and catmint, is a species of the genus Nepeta in the family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, parts of Mongolia, and parts of China. It is widely naturalized in northern Europe, New Zealand, and North America. (Wikipedia)

Western Washington braces for severe rain, wind storms brought by Pacific bomb cyclone
High winds and rain are expected to strike Western Washington on Tuesday. Meteorologists are advising residents to prepare for power outages and other stormy disruptions. Natalie Akane Newcomb and Dyer Oxley report. (KUOW) ‘Bomb cyclone’ set to lash B.C. coast Environment Canada is forecasting high winds and heavy rain for Vancouver Island. Some areas could be hit by easterly wind gusts of up to 100 km/h. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Highway 20 over the North Cascades to remain closed
The state Department of Transportation decided Monday to keep Highway 20 over the North Cascades closed until spring. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Bird flu decimated tern colony in northwest Washington
Study findings provide new details on a Caspian tern die-off near Port Townsend in 2023 and how the virus killed seals in the region, infecting their brains. Bill Lucia reports. (Washington State Standard)

WWU scientists awarded $638K grant to study forage fish survival in Salish Sea
A multidisciplinary team of Western Washington University Marine and Coastal Science (MACS) faculty were recently awarded a three-year, $638,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The goal of the new grant is to better understand the impact of polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) – a type of toxic fatty acid, or lipid – on a group close to the bottom of the food pyramid that impacts everything above it: forage fish. John Thompson reports. (WWU News)

Southern resident orcas feast on Puget Sound chum in long visit
The southern resident orcas have been spy-hopping, breaching, slapping their tails, chasing down chum salmon and dazzling onlookers from the shores of the Salish Sea. For nearly a month, they have been spotted mostly hanging around the “Possession Triangle,” or the waters from the south end of Whidbey Island to the Edmonds-Kingston ferry line. This may be one of the fish-eating orcas’ longest recent stretches in the inland waters. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Tri-Cities activists file lawsuit challenging approval of Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center
A controversial renewable energy project near the Tri-Cities is facing a lawsuit from locals. People who would live nearby are hoping to scale it back. Tri-Cities C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Community Action for Responsible Environmental Stewardship, has advocated against building the project. Courtney Flatt reports. (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

More logging is proposed to help curb wildfires in the US Pacific Northwest
U.S. officials would allow increased logging on federal lands across the Pacific Northwest in the name of fighting wildfires and boosting rural economies under proposed changes to a sweeping forest management plan that’s been in place for three decades. The U.S. Forest Service proposal, released Friday, would overhaul the Northwest Forest Plan that governs about 38,000 square miles (99,000 square kilometers) in Oregon, Washington and California. (Associated Press)

One timber sale canceled, two approved
Tree advocates have been partially successful in postponing the logging of forests owned by the state Department of Natural Resources and located within the Elwha watershed region, and they plan to continue their efforts until they achieve full success. At the November Board of Natural Resources (BNR) meeting, Hilary Franz, state commissioner of public lands and chair of the board, placed a pause on the Elwha Watershed “Alley Cat” timber sale. Despite advocacy efforts that included a petition with more than 300 signatures and a letter-writing campaign that generated more than 6,165 letters, the six-person BNR approved two other Elwha watershed sales, “Tree Well” and “Parched.” Emma Maple reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

The owl hunters: the deadly campaign to save a Pacific Northwest icon
Scientists slip into forests with guns, on a killing quest to save a NW icon. Joshua Partlow reports. (Washington Post)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  342 AM PST Tue Nov 19 2024   STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH  WEDNESDAY MORNING    
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 20 kt, becoming E 30 to 40 kt with gusts  up to 55 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft, building to 8 to 11 ft this  afternoon. Wave Detail: E 11 ft at 8 seconds and W 7 ft at  12 seconds. A chance of showers early this morning. A chance of  rain early this afternoon, then rain late.  
TONIGHT  E wind 35 to 45 kt with gusts up to 60 kt, becoming SE  25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 45 kt after midnight. Seas 9 to  13 ft. Wave Detail: E 13 ft at 9 seconds and W 8 ft at  15 seconds. Rain.

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