12/4 Threespine stickleback, battery energy storage, enviro rules rollbacks, WA hiring freeze, Clallam tree sales, orca breath, health equity initiative, whale watch rules

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Threespine stickleback

Threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus
The threespine stickleback fish are in marine, brackish and coastal freshwater habitats of the northern hemisphere. They are found in boreal and temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and in marine waters and lowland freshwater habitats in the Atlantic and Pacific basins.In the Pacific Ocean, threespine sticklebacks are found from Baja California, Mexico northward along the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, and then along the coast of mainland Asia and Japan to the southwest coast of Korea. Marine and freshwater populations are found in Japan, but the limit of marine populations in Asia is unclear. (Animal Diversity Web)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Bioregionalism, poetry and the democracy of the mind

Skagit County hearing examiner to consider permit for battery energy storage facility
A public hearing will be held Dec. 20 on whether to grant a special-use permit for a battery energy storage facility on McFarland Road west of Burlington. NextEra Energy wants to build the facility on about 22 acres of land zoned for heavy industrial use. The two parcels are owned by Sierra Pacific Industries and are near a Puget Sound Energy substation. Racquel Muncy reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Blue states prepare for battle over Trump’s environmental rollbacks
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to slash federal climate, clean air and clean water regulations during his second term — an agenda that could target rules governing everything from auto emissions to power plant pollution to drinking water standards. Trump has said that Lee Zeldin, his nominee to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses.” Attorneys general expect a long 4 years in the courtroom. Alex Brown reports. (Stateline)

WA Gov. Inslee orders hiring and travel freeze for state agencies
With the state facing a multi-billion dollar budget gap, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has ordered state agencies to freeze “most non-discretionary and non-essential” hiring, service contracts, purchasing and travel. Inslee’s directive, issued late Monday, contains exceptions such as positions that “directly impact public safety,” contracts tied to tax collection or revenue generation, and travel required for people to carry out core job duties. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

Tree sale is approved for auction
The state Board of Natural Resources has approved another Clallam County timber sale, despite advocates’ request that Unit 3 of the sale be preserved from harvest. The sale in question, “Dungeness and Dragons,” has 69 harvestable acres, 39 acres preserved due to conservation policies and leave tree strategies, and 139 acres of newly found, permanently preserved old growth. Unit 3 contains 20 of the harvestable acres, with stands that originated post 1875. Emma Maple reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Robots just collected something significant from the breath of these rare orcas
What they found could have profound implications on the future of this small population of whales off the west coast of North America. Melissa Hobson reports. (BBC Discover Wildlife)

Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe selected by DOH for health equity initiative
The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe will be the first indigenous community served under a state program aimed at improving outcomes for communities with measurable health disparities, The Washington State Department of Health announced in a statement Monday. Through Washington’s Health Equity Zones Initiative, the Tribe will receive $200,000 in grant funds annually for at least the next two years. Funding will go towards identifying health priorities and development of community action plans, according to the DOH. Conor Wilson reports. (Kitsap Sun)

New rules for whale watching
Beginning Jan 1, 2025, boaters in Washington state will be required to stay 1000 yards away from Southern Residents. The distance is based on best available science showing the harmful impact of noise and disturbance on the ability of Southern Residents to find and catch their prey. On Dec. 10, The Whale Trail hosts a program featuring Capt. Alan Myers, WDFW Enforcement, speaking about new distance regulations and researchers Mark Sears and Maya Sears discussing their fieldwork and recent encounters with the orcas, including a rare superpod in October. Halls of Fauntleroy, 9131 Fauntleroy Way SW, 7 p.m. Tickets.

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PST Wed Dec 4 2024    
TODAY  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 13 seconds.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W  5 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of showers after midnight.

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