2/9 Indian plum, net-pen phase-out, NEB scrapped, BC pipe protests, bitumen, Navy training, winter seabirds, WA wildlife, Kitsap creeks

Indian plum [NW Native Plant Database]

Indian Plum/Oso Berry Oemleria cerasiformis
A harbinger of spring with pendant, greenish-white clusters of flowers in early March, Indian Plum grows rapidly to 15 - 20.' The first deciduous native shrub in the Pacific northwest to flower, the Indian Plum is prized not only for its beauty but for the promise it conveys of longer days and lighter rains. The many long, slender stems grow erect in full sun but in the dappled shade they arch majestically. The foliage is a cheerful lime green, turning yellow in autumn. In early summer, olive size, bittersweet, purple berries dot the branches but are almost immediately eaten by birds. Native groups collected the berries for eating. Indian Plum is found from BC to California, west of the Cascade Mountains, USDA zones 8-9. It prefers moist sites in full to partial shade but will survive in full sun. (Hansen's NW Native Plant Database)

Washington state Senate OKs phasing out Atlantic salmon net-pen farming
Slamming the risks of Atlantic salmon farming in Washington waters, Gov. Jay Inslee endorsed a bill phasing out the industry that later passed the state Senate Thursday by a wide margin. The legislation, approved on a vote of 35-12, would end Atlantic salmon net-pen farming in Washington as existing leases terminate by 2025. The bill now heads to the House. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Ottawa to scrap National Energy Board, overhaul environmental assessment process for major projects
The federal Liberal government says it will streamline the approval process for major natural resources projects, scrapping the National Energy Board and empowering a new body to conduct more extensive consultation with groups affected by development. The changes are part of the largest overhaul of Canada's environmental assessment process in a generation. The new system comes after years of criticism that the National Energy Board, the regulator that weighs approval for construction of projects such as pipelines, was ill-suited to conduct environmental assessments or the Crown's duty to consult with Indigenous peoples. John Paul Tasker reports. (CBC)

Pipeline protesters move to Port Moody to stop workers from taking boats to Kinder Morgan site
About 20 pipeline protesters shifted their operations to Port Moody Thursday morning, after learning that the company had been transporting its workers by boat. Demonstrators, who oppose Kinder Morgan’s plans to expand the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, have been blocking the company’s Westridge Marine Terminal construction site in Burnaby for several weeks. However, protester David Mivasair says they learned that the workers have been driving to the Reed Point Marina in Port Moody and taking boats to the Westridge site. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Trans Mountain pipeline protest in Coquitlam, B.C. sees 2 arrested  (Canadian Press)

InfoGraphic: What Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline will mean for B.C.'s coast-2017  (Globe and Mail)

Call for more oil spill research not a delaying tactic, says B.C. NDP
The B.C. NDP continues to reject suggestions that its call for more research into a diluted biutmen spill is an attempt to delay the expansion of the Kinder Morgan Trans-Mountain….[B.C. Environment Minister George] Heyman said further work is indeed required — largely research into the how spilled bitumen "behaves." "There's a lack of knowledge identified by the Royal Society of Canada in a number of areas," said Heyman. He said those lacking areas include how bitumen reacts to different weather conditions and water temperatures, whether it sinks when mixed with sediment, how it can be transported safely and how it can be cleaned up effectively after a spill. (CBC)

More than 150 seek answers at Navy open house in Port Townsend on training plans
A small chorus sang songs of peace during the Navy’s open house in Port Townsend as people learned about the Navy’s proposal to increase special operations training around the Puget Sound. More than 150 people packed into Blue Heron Middle School on Wednesday night to air their concerns about the Navy’s plans and to learn about what the increased training would mean for people locally. The Navy received about 75 written comments. Many who attended expressed environmental concerns, but also said they were upset about the ever-increasing presence of the military in the area. Jesse Major reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Winter Seabirds: Are there more or are they just more dispersed? It's a nuanced answer with climate playing a big role
If you're a birder, counting seabirds on a gray winter Puget Sound day is the place for you. While many species are in decline, there's a greater number of seabirds throughout the sound driven by migration from northern breeding grounds. But positive sightings don't always mean there's enough food. In the world of seabirds there's a lot of nuance with climate playing a big role. Martha Baskin reports. (PRX)

State seeks comment on endangered, threatened wildlife
The state Department of Fish & Wildlife is taking public comment on proposals to continue recognizing the North Cascades grizzly bear as endangered and to reclassify the sea otter as threatened…. The grizzly bear and sea otter are among 44 wildlife species listed by the state as sensitive, threatened or endangered, meaning human activity has or could put them at risk of extinction…. The agency’s draft review for grizzly bears concluded the bears have not been able to recovery from hunting and habitat loss. The species was once found in much of the Cascade Range…. As for the sea otter, although the state’s population had been eliminated due to hunting, the species began to recover in the 1960s and 1970s after being re-introduced, according to Fish & Wildlife. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Kitsap creeks getting cleaner but problem streams persist
Water quality is gradually improving in Kitsap creeks but a few stubbornly dirty streams still perplex experts, according to a report released this week by Kitsap Public Health District. Twenty-one of 66 creeks listed in the annual report met the state water quality standard last year, meaning tests showed consistently low bacteria levels. Another 22 creeks met part of the state standard, while 23 streams had consistently high bacteria levels and failed to meet the standard. The district renewed health advisories for five streams: Bjorgen, Little Scandia and Lofall creeks in North Kitsap, and Phinney and Ostrich Bay creeks in Bremerton. Advisories are issued for creeks that have high bacteria levels in summer months, when residents (especially children) are most likely to come in contact with the water. Tad Sooter reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  240 AM PST Fri Feb 9 2018  
TODAY  E wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft  at 8 seconds.
TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.
SAT  E wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.
SAT NIGHT  Light wind becoming S to 10 kt after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 16 seconds.
SUN  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 14 seconds.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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2/8 Coot, BC pipe, cetacean capture ban, WN Seaport clean air, PS herring, ocean acid, bag ban, melting permafrost, Yamashita film

Coot feet [Ken Slade/BirdNote]

Coots
American Coots settle onto lakes and estuaries, forming rafts of hundreds, even thousands, of birds. They like to feed on aquatic vegetation, and sometimes they lumber ashore to nibble at grasses and agricultural crops. The coot's lobed toes help it swim and maneuver under water. To get airborne, the coot requires a long, running takeoff. (BirdNote)

Kinder Morgan president wants quick resolution to B.C.-Alberta trade dispute
The president of Kinder Morgan Canada says he never wanted to be in the middle of an interprovincial trade dispute. Speaking the day after Premier Rachel Notley announced Alberta would no longer import B.C. wine — in reaction to British Columbia's restriction of diluted bitumen shipments — Ian Anderson said he hoped the standoff would be solved soon so that his company's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project could continue apace…. "I drink B.C. wine myself so I'm not going to be having any anytime soon if this continues." Christine Coulter reports. (CBC)

Trudeau government will insist on ultimate authority over fate of pipeline in B.C
As the governments of Alberta and British Columbia clash over oil and wine, federal officials are carrying a forceful message in their discussions with the two provinces. "The key message [is] that we want to help bring the temperature down," a senior Liberal, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CBC News, "but ultimately the federal government will not allow any province to impinge on its jurisdiction over the national interest. Full stop." Aaron Wherry reports. (CBC)

Ottawa to ban capture of dolphins, whales
As part of its sweeping overhaul of fisheries legislation, the federal government will ban the capture of cetaceans, marine mammals like whales, dolphins and porpoises. The change, just one sentence buried in the 76-page fisheries reform bill, is a victory for animal welfare activists who have long argued holding these highly intelligent creatures in a tank is cruel and a perverse form of entertainment. While others, including the Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ont., have said such a move would devastate attendance — and threaten conservation efforts — at theme parks where these animals are on display…. Bill C-68, introduced on Tuesday, allows the minister to make exemptions for cetaceans that are injured and those that need to be rehabilitated. There are only two facilities in Canada, Marineland and the Vancouver Aquarium, that currently hold these mammals. The Vancouver Aquarium, which has long maintained captivity serves both scientific and educational purposes, recently said it would no longer display whales or dolphins at its facility as protests over captivity have become a "distraction" for the business. John Paul Tasker reports. (CBC)

Port Extends Clean Air Compliance Deadline After Testimony From Short-Haul Truckers
Clean air regulations that have been in the works for a decade are proving too tough to implement for thousands of short-haul truckers who call on the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma. In a unanimous vote Tuesday, The Northwest Seaport Alliance extended the deadline for compliance. Dozens of short-haul truckers stayed away from work and instead packed the joint meeting of port commissioners to explain their concerns. The drivers were supposed to meet federal clean air rules by the start of this year with engines that date from 2007 or later. But about half of the more than 4,000 drivers here have not done so. The port commissioners extended the deadline to April 1. Drivers can also get an extension until the end of the year by showing they’re in the process of upgrading. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

New Puget Sound herring research
Herring may not be the most charismatic species in Puget Sound. They don’t breach dramatically out of the water. Fish mongers don’t throw them through the air at Pike Place Market. They find their strength in numbers, schooling around by the thousands and serving as food for other creatures like seabirds, salmon and seals. But if it weren’t for these small, unsung fish, the Salish Sea might be a very different place. Herring and other so-called forage fish — named for their role as important food (forage) for other species — are foundational to the Salish Sea food web. They are so critical that the Puget Sound Partnership has identified them as a ‘Vital Sign’ for the health of the ecosystem. And that is why many scientists are worried. Some populations of Puget Sound herring are in dangerous decline. There are also major gaps in our knowledge of their ecology and life history. (Puget Sound Institute)

Acid Test: UW focuses on climate change and ocean acidification
Everyone in an entire building at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Labs on San Juan Island is focused on one thing: ocean acidification. They call it the OA lab, and it's currently using a small ocean observatory in the harbor to monitor the acidification of the water, everything from carbon dioxide in the water to oxygen to temperature. It turns out the inland waters of the Northwest, often collectively referred to as the Salish Sea, are naturally one of the more acidic parts of the oceans, and is considered a good place to learn about the unfolding problem of acidification, and how it affects marine life. Ocean acidification is tied to climate change, because as more carbon pours into the atmosphere, some of it is absorbed into the world's oceans, making it more acidic. (KING)

Port Angeles City Council considers plastic bag ban
Let the plastic bag debate begin. The Port Angeles City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to direct staff to develop a proposal to ban plastic bags at stores within the city limits. The council will consider the ordinance after holding two public hearings on dates to be determined. A first reading of the ordinance is tentatively scheduled for March 6, City Clerk Jennifer Veneklasen said Wednesday. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Melting Arctic Permafrost Could Release Tons of Toxic Mercury
Scientists have uncovered another hidden threat buried in the icy frozen north—massive natural reserves of mercury, a toxic heavy metal that in some forms can build up in fish and other animals and cause serious health problems in humans. A study published Monday in the journal Geophysical Research Letters reports that the amount of natural mercury bound up in Arctic permafrost may be 10 times greater than all the mercury humans have pumped into the atmosphere from coal-burning and other pollution sources over the last 30 years. As climate change warms the land, this thawing permafrost could release significant quantities of mercury back into the environment, potentially allowing far more of the pollutant to build up in the atmosphere and the food web. Craig Welch reports. (National Geographic)

Film documents immigrant’s rescue of state’s oyster industry
What was supposed to be a short historical tribute to retired oysterman Jerry Yamashita, 95, of Seattle, took on a different meaning once Leaping Frog Films got into the project. “Ebb & Flow — A Japanese family, an oyster and how they influenced Pacific Northwest history,” a 77-minute film,“is the evolution of a much bigger story. It’s a life story, a family story, and a historical look at something that could have been lost,” said Shelly Solomon, co-founder of Leaping Frogs Films with Kent Cornwell….The film tells the story of the Yamashita family, its struggles and triumphs, and its role in the West Coast shellfish industry. It will be screened at 5 p.m. Saturday in the Little Theater on the Peninsula College campus at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles. Keith Thorpe reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  239 AM PST Thu Feb 8 2018  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING  
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft  at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then a chance of  showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NW to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after  midnight. W swell 8 ft at 9 seconds. A slight chance of showers  in the evening.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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2/7 Jellies, oil & wine, First Nations protest, WA valve turner, Idaho climate change, perfluorinated chemicals

Jellies [Keith Holmes/Hakai Institute]

Blooming marvellous: drones give B.C. researchers new view of 'enormous' jellyfish clusters
Technology is allowing researchers in British Columbia to study blooms of jellyfish and their impact on the ocean in a whole new way. UBC oceanography professor Brian Hunt and undergraduate student Jessica Schaub have been using drones to get a better picture of the size and composition of clusters of moon jellyfish off B.C.'s central coast. Images from cameras soaring high above the ocean provide a bird's-eye view that can't be replicated on the water, Hunt said. Gemma Karstens-Smith reports. (Canadian Press)

Oil, water and wine: Escalating Alberta-B.C. feud threatens future of Trans Mountain pipeline
A clash between British Columbia and Alberta over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion was probably inevitable, but the surprisingly emotional nature of the conflict and its recent escalation makes a compromise less likely. In the week or so since B.C. proposed new restrictions on bitumen shipments that would flow through the expanded pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast, there have been threats of lawsuits and economic retaliation — and on Tuesday, a move by Alberta to block imports of B.C. wine. A feud between provincial politicians is one thing, but the Trans Mountain conflict is generating worry and anger among residents of both provinces, making an easy or obvious public detente all but impossible. Tony Seskus reports. (CBC)

First Nations launching call for mass demonstration to protest Trans Mountain
First Nations communities and their supporters are planning to ratchet up on-the-ground resistance to Kinder Morgan Inc.'s planned expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline with a call for a mass demonstration on Burnaby Mountain in March. Members of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation – which is challenging the federal approval in court – is launching a campaign of volunteer recruitment and training Tuesday through a network of allied Indigenous communities and environmental groups. Shawn McCarthy reports. (Globe and Mail)

Washington 'Valve Turner' Activist Sentenced To Prison
A Washington climate activist is the first “valve turner” to go to prison for shutting off the flow of oil from Canada’s tar sands region into the U.S. In October 2016, five activists got fed up with the usual ways to fight climate change. They decided to take direct action and coordinated a protest by shutting off oil pipelines carrying tar sands oil into the U.S. The “valve turners” coordinated efforts to shut off pipelines in Washington, Montana, Minnesota and North Dakota. Now, one of those activists is going to prison for the protest. Seattle resident Michael Foster was sentenced to three years in prison — with two of those years deferred — for his role in shutting off TransCanada’s Keystone pipeline in North Dakota. Courtney Flatt reports. (NWPB/EarthFix)

Idaho Stripped Climate Change From School Guidelines. Now, It’s a Battle
The political fight over global warming has extended to science education in recent years as several states have attempted to weaken or block new teaching standards that included information about climate science. But only in Idaho has the state legislature stripped all mentions of human-caused climate change from statewide science guidelines while leaving the rest of the standards intact.Now teachers, parents and students are pushing back, hoping to convince the Republican-controlled Idaho Legislature to approve revised standards, which science proponents say are watered down but would still represent a victory for climate-change education in the state. The Idaho House education committee could vote as soon as Wednesday on whether to allow the revised language into the state’s curriculum.  Livia Albeck-Ripka reports. (NY Times) See also:  A record-breaking number of scientists are running for office this year To stand up to climate change deniers and protect science, a wave of candidates from science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) backgrounds are running for local and federal office in 2018. More than 60 STEM candidates have announced a bid for federal office, while almost 200 are running for state legislature and another 200 for local school boards, according to 314 Action, a political action committee. (Grist)

What’s on your burger wrapper? In your drinking water? Will legislators ban cancer-promoting chemicals?
…. So-called “perfluorinated chemicals” turned up in Issaquah’s drinking water in 2016, costing the city $1 million to install new water filters. Perfluorinated chemicals from firefighting foams have also contaminated drinking water in Coupeville on Whidbey Island, Joint Base Lewis McCord, and near Spokane Fairchild Air Force Base and nearby Airway Heights in Washington. They have also fouled drinking water in communities in 33 other states. And in a study that collected fast-food packaging in western Washington and other locations, the same chemicals are found in one-third of the paper wrappers.Now state lawmakers are considering legislation that would make Washington the first state to regulate this class of chemicals, nicknamed PFAS. Caroline Halter reports. (Investigate West)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PST Wed Feb 7 2018  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH  THURSDAY EVENING  
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of  rain.
TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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2/6 Cabezon and Red Irish Lord, oil drill suit, BC pipe protest, port driver protest, crayfish clone

Red Irish Lord [David Todd]

Cabezon and Red Irish Lord
Yesterday’s item about the Red Irish Lord brought the following reply from David Todd: “I think your Red Irish Lord is actually a juvenile Cabezon (I blame Nature Diver :).) Cabezon have those distinctive cirri behind the eyes, are much bigger (the largest of our sculpins,) and tend to ram divers while protecting their nests. This is a picture I took of a Red Irish Lord in the San Juans. RILs have the distinctive "racetrack" band of scales around their dorsal fin." Hmm, thanks, David.

Juvenile capezon [NatureDiver.Com]

AG Ferguson threatens to sue federal government over oil drilling off Washington’s coast 
State Attorney General Bob Ferguson says he will file a lawsuit if the Interior Department tries to open Washington offshore waters to oil and gas exploration. Ferguson, in a letter sent Monday to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, called the proposed lease sales “unlawful, unsafe and harmful to the economy,” and said that “an array of federal laws” counsel against such action. The Interior Department was scheduled to hold a public meeting Monday about the proposal at the Landmark Convention Center in Tacoma. But that meeting was abruptly canceled by the convention center over the weekend amid plans for a protest rally by those opposed to such lease sales. Interior Department officials said the meeting will be rescheduled. (Seattle Times)

Civil disobedience an option in Trans Mountain pipeline dispute, says Burnaby South MP
The relationship between the Alberta and B.C. governments has been strained in recent weeks as the two sides battle over a proposed expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. B.C. Premier John Horgan has said his province will restrict increased shipments of Alberta bitumen, while Alberta Premier Rachel Notley insists this province will suspend talks of buying electricity from B.C., arguing the expansion must go ahead for the good of this province — and the country. Starting in Edmonton, the pipeline route runs southwest through Jasper and Kamloops, ending at Burard Inlet, near the riding of Burnaby-South MP Kennedy Stewart.  Dave Dormer reports. (CBC)  See also: As Alberta and B.C. go to war over Kinder Morgan oil pipeline, politicians are worried about jobs — their own - (CBC)

Port truck drivers organize walkout as clean-air legislation looms
Short-haul truck drivers who pick up and deliver containers at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma are organizing a walkout Tuesday to protest a proposed April 1 deadline restricting port access to allow only newer, cleaner-burning diesel trucks. Independent drivers who own their trucks and contract for work one load at a time say the cost of upgrading to cleaner vehicles will put many of them out of business. The drivers are mostly immigrants from East Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, according to the Northwest Seaport Alliance, an agency formed in 2015 to merge the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. Flyer encourages independent drivers to join the walkout and voice personal financial concerns. A flyer distributed late last week calls on independent drivers to attend a meeting of commissioners from both ports Tuesday. At the meeting, Seaport Alliance commissioners are set to decide whether to adopt the new April 1 deadline for their self-imposed, decade-old commitment to cleaner-burning trucks. Julie Davidow reports. (Investigate West)

This Mutant Crayfish Clones Itself, and It’s Taking Over Europe
Frank Lyko, a biologist at the German Cancer Research Center, studies the six-inch-long marbled crayfish. Finding specimens is easy: Dr. Lyko can buy the crayfish at pet stores in Germany, or he can head with colleagues to a nearby lake…. Over the past five years, Dr. Lyko and his colleagues have sequenced the genomes of marbled crayfish. In a study published on Monday, the researchers demonstrate that the marble crayfish, while common, is one of the most remarkable species known to science. Before about 25 years ago, the species simply did not exist. A single drastic mutation in a single crayfish produced the marbled crayfish in an instant. The mutation made it possible for the creature to clone itself, and now it has spread across much of Europe and gained a toehold on other continents. In Madagascar, where it arrived about 2007, it now numbers in the millions and threatens native crayfish. Carl Zimmer reports. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PST Tue Feb 6 2018  
TODAY  SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft  at 13 seconds. A slight chance of showers.
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft at 13 seconds. A  chance of showers.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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2/5 BC pipe, BC power sales, Tacoma LNG, carbon tax, Cooke cancelled, quake, Elwha trees, White withdrawn, white-nose bats

Red Irish Lord [NatureDiver.Com]

Red Irish Lord Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus
Red Irish lords are common from the Bering Sea, Alaska, to Washington, and are rare south to Central California.  They are found in shallow rocky waters to depths of 450 m (1,476 ft).  Red Irish lords tend to rest on the bottom, blending in with their surroundings. They grow to 51 cm (20 in) in length, and 1.11 kg (2.45 lbs) in weight and live for at least six years. Red Irish lords can change colors to blend in with their surroundings. (WDFW)

Trudeau faces rowdy crowd of anti-Kinder Morgan pipeline hecklers at B.C. town hall
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a spirited defence of his decision to approve the Kinder Morgan pipeline during the final — and at times rowdy — town hall meeting of his cross-country tour today in Nanaimo, B.C. The prime minister was greeted by a chorus of boos — and slightly louder cheers of welcome — as he walked into the room. But his defence of Kinder Morgan began when an elderly woman asked Trudeau to "please, please, please" stop the pipeline expansion from bringing more oil from Alberta to the B.C. coast. As Trudeau attempted to defend his ideas about protecting the environment while growing the economy, he was shouted down by a number of activists. Three of them had to be removed by police after the local First Nation chief and Trudeau failed to talk them down. Nearly 30 minutes after the question was asked, Trudeau was finally able to answer. Peter Zimonjic reports. (CBC)

Experts question Alberta power threats to B.C. as pipeline politics intensify
Electricity experts are questioning the effectiveness of Alberta's promise to suspend power purchase talks with British Columbia as a way to sway the West Coast province on pipeline development. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley made the commitment Thursday in protest to B.C.'s announcement that it would at least temporarily restrict increases in diluted bitumen shipments, creating more uncertainty for Kinder Morgan Inc.'s delayed Trans Mountain expansion project. Blake Shaffer, a fellow with the C.D. Howe Institute, says the estimated potential impact of up to $500 million a year seems quite high, and that BC Hydro could potentially export the power to the U.S. if Alberta wasn't buying. (Canadian Press)

Puyallup Tribe, other Northwest tribes ask Gov. Inslee to halt progress on Tacoma LNG plant
The Puyallup Tribe and leaders from 14 other Northwest Tribes called on Gov. Jay Inslee to stop the construction of Puget Sound Energy’s liquefied natural gas plant on Tacoma’s Tideflats until an environmental review is complete “and all permit requirements are satisfied.” Last week, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency called for additional environmental review of the proposed plant before it can get a required air permit, a move that the Puyallup Tribe and environmentalist groups heralded as a win in the fight against the plant. That review process, called a supplemental environmental impact statement, is expected to take several months and will look at greenhouse-gas emissions that are created throughout the entire life cycle of the project. That’s expected to include the emissions created upstream and downstream of the facility. Candace Ruud reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Washington state $10-a-ton carbon-tax proposal takes key step in Legislature
A version of Gov. Jay Inslee’s carbon-tax proposal took a key step forward Thursday night in the Washington Legislature. Lawmakers approved the legislation in a vote of the state Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee. For years Inslee has introduced ambitious plans to fight climate change that have landed with a thud in the Legislature. But Thursday’s action was the first time one of his major carbon proposals got any kind of vote by lawmakers. It passed out of committee on a 6-to-4 vote. Hal Bernton and Joseph O'Sullivan report. (Seattle Times)

Washington state cancels lease for Atlantic salmon farm off Cypress Island
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz has terminated Cooke Aquaculture’s lease to operate Atlantic salmon farms at its Cypress Island site, where a second fish farm is at risk of catastrophic collapse, state inspectors say. In a letter to Cooke managers sent Saturday, Franz said the lease is terminated immediately and the company should wind up its operations and clear out of the site in the San Juan Islands, where one of three pens fell apart last August, releasing more than 260,000 Atlantic salmon in Puget Sound. The termination comes just days after state investigators released a report blaming the net-pen failure on company negligence. The investigators also said the company misled the public and regulators about the scope and causes of the collapse. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Mix of net pen bills takes aim at non-native salmon  Mark Swanson reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Magnitude-3.2 earthquake hits San Juan Islands, shakes Greater Victoria http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/magnitude-3-2-earthquake-hits-san-juan-islands-shakes-greater-victoria-1.23164086
 Residents throughout the capital region reported rumblings and barking dogs when a magnitude-3.2 earthquake struck Saturday night in Washington state’s San Juan Islands. The quake hit about 20 kilometres from Sidney and 25 kilometres from Victoria. The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor happened at 10:57 p.m. at a depth of 14 kilometres. It initially reported the magnitude of the quake at 2.9. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

Volunteers set out native plants on new beach
The last segment of a fish-blocking dam came down four years ago, but Elwha River restoration work continues. Whale Scout volunteers and Northwest Indian College students — most from the Port Gamble S’Klallam and Suquamish tribes — planted 800 native plants on the east side of the mouth of the Elwha River on Jan. 27. The planting was hosted by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe on newly created beach formed when decades of sediment were released after the removal of two Elwha River dams in a $324 million project. (Peninsula Daily News)

Trump to pull nomination for top environmental adviser
The White House late Saturday confirmed plans to withdraw the nomination of a climate change skeptic with ties to the fossil fuel industry to serve as President Donald Trump’s top environmental adviser. Kathleen Hartnett White was announced last October as Trump’s choice to chair the Council on Environmental Quality. She had served under former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now Trump’s energy secretary, for six years on a commission overseeing the state environmental agency. But White’s nomination languished in the Senate, and was among a batch of nominations the Senate sent back to the White House at the end of 2017 when Congress closed up for the year. Trump resubmitted White’s nomination in January. White, who is not a scientist, has compared the work of mainstream climate scientists to “the dogmatic claims of ideologues and clerics.” Darlene Superville reports. (Associated Press)

Researchers use 'mini tanning beds' to treat white-nose syndrome in bats
The Achilles' heel of the fungus that is killing millions of hibernating bats in North America could be as close as the local tanning salon. Researchers in Madison, Wis. have found that the ultraviolet light worshipped by tanning enthusiasts also damages the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome has not been detected in bats in British Columbia, but officials are anxious about the spread of the disease, which was detected in neighbouring Washington state in 2016. Deborah Wilson reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  202 AM PST Mon Feb 5 2018  
TODAY  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft  building to 9 ft at 15 seconds. A chance of showers.
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  9 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of showers in the evening then a  slight chance of showers after midnight.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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2/2 Snowdrop,Trudeau's BC pipe, drone research, BC power, RE Sources, diesel spill, Colstrip plants

Snowdrop

Snowdrop Galanthus
Galanthus (Greek gála "milk", ánthos "flower") is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. Snowdrops have been known since the earliest times under various names but were named Galanthus in 1753. Most species flower in winter, before the vernal equinox... but some flower in early spring and late autumn. (Wikipedia)

Trans Mountain pipeline project will be built, prime minister vows
The prime minister is standing his ground on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion as Alberta feuds with B.C. over new restrictions on shipments of bitumen that would flow through pipeline networks from Alberta to the West Coast. "We have a federal government to look out for the national interest above various disagreements within the provinces and we did exactly that on the Trans Mountain pipeline," Justin Trudeau said in an interview Thursday with CBC Radio's Edmonton AM. "I'm not going to opine on disagreements between the provinces in this case," said Trudeau, who is in Edmonton for a town hall meeting at MacEwan University Thursday night, part of a series of meetings in Western Canada. "We're just going to reiterate that the decision we made was in the national interest and we're going to move forward with that decision, which means we're going to get the Trans Mountain pipeline built." Wallis Snowdon reports. (CBC) See also: Scott Moe wades into B.C.-Alberta dispute over Trans Mountain pipeline  Scott Moe hasn't been sworn in as Saskatchewan's premier, but he's already taking a page from Brad Wall's playbook — wading into an out-of-province dispute over pipelines. Moe slammed the B.C. government's proposed new restrictions on shipments of bitumen that would flow through Kinder Morgan Inc.'s Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast. Alex Brockman reports. (CBC)

Researcher Uses Drones To Learn How Whales Respond To Noise Pollution
The whales off the West Coast depend on sound to communicate, navigate and find food. So, what happens to their health when we fill their habitat with noisy ship traffic? Oregon State University researcher Dr. Leigh Torres is leading an ambitious new research project to find out, using drones and a variety of other tools to do health check-ups on the whales. She and her research team are making regular trips to the ocean off the coast of Newport. The area is prime feeding ground for gray whales and also sees plenty of noisy ships and fishing vessels going in and out of Yaquina Bay. Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

'Enough is enough:' Alberta to suspend electricity purchase talks with B.C 
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says her government is suspending talks with British Columbia on the purchase of electricity from the western province. It’s the first step in Alberta’s fight against the B.C. government’s proposal to obstruct the Kinder Morgan oil pipeline expansion project by banning increased shipments of diluted bitumen to the province’s coast. Up to $500 million annually for B.C.’s coffers hangs in the balance, Notley said. (Canadian Press)

RE Sources' Executive Director addresses "anti-farm" accusations
Crina Hoyer, executive director of RE Sources, writes: "As you may have heard, RE Sources' reputation is under attack. We've stayed silent for over a year as false accusations have been hurled, and we've continued to engage in peaceful negotiations, honest conversations, and compromise behind the scenes. Despite our best efforts to collaborate, our opponents are using this issue to divide our community and forward a larger agenda. We don't want to engage in dissention within our community — quite the opposite. We want to promote unity during a time of overwhelming polarization, but we are being drawn into a conflict by a relentless front group, and we need to set the record straight. We hope you will continue to stand with us in promoting the truth." Watch: Choosing between clean water and sustainable farming is a false choice

Diesel spilled after barge sinks in Howe Sound
Diesel was spilled into Howe Sound after a barge sank near Port Mellon, B.C., on Wednesday. The Canadian Coast Guard said it responded with two of its ships after the vessel went down in the early morning.  A coast guard statement said the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation, Squamish Nation and provincial officials all responded as well.  A boom was placed around the spill area, about 17 kilometres north of Gibsons, as crews worked to recover "a surface sheen of diesel" from the water. (CBC)

Colstrip struggles to imagine future without coal
It's an uncertain time in Colstrip these days, as the shutdown date for the town's massive coal-fired power plants inches closer. Puget Sound Energy, which owns half of the plant's Units 1 & 2, announced last year that June 2022 is the date the two oldest of the Colstrip plants will close. The Colstrip Power Complex, built in the 1970s and expanded the next decade, sits in the heart of the community, a throwback to the old company towns of Montana's past that seemingly sprouted up overnight. Jay Kohn reports. (MTN News)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  252 AM PST Fri Feb 2 2018  
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW 5 to 15 kt in the morning  increasing to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft.  W swell 7 ft at 9 seconds. Rain in the morning then rain likely  in the afternoon.
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  7 ft at 8 seconds. Rain likely in the evening then rain after  midnight.
SAT  S wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves  2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 8 seconds subsiding to 4 ft at  8 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain.
SAT NIGHT  SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 8 seconds.
SUN  S wind to 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves  2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 8 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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2/1 Squidding, well rule, BC pipe, fish farm warning, Clean Water Rule, PS health, orca talk, ocean acid, slave seafood, Brown Booby, Long Live the Kings, Brian Bingham

Pacific squid [David Andrews/WDFW]

Pacific squid Loligo opalescens
Squid found along Washington's coast, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound are called Pacific squid, opalescent, or--most commonly--market squid. Adult market squid found in inside waters average about eight inches (mantle plus tentacles). Biologically, squid belong to the class of mollusks known as cephalopods, which also include octopus. Squid are decapods, having 10 tentacles, compared to the eight arms of octopuses. They also are free-swimming creatures and exhibit schooling behavior similar to many species of fish. Evidence indicates that these squid are short-lived, probably having life spans of no more than one year. (WDFW)

Squidding on the Seattle waterfront with chef Shota Nakajima 
At least it’s not pitch-black and pouring rain. Chef Shota Nakajima is trying to catch squid on the Seattle waterfront, right on the same pier as the huge Ferris wheel. Squidding here, at the foot of downtown’s skyscrapers, happens in the middle of winter at high tide, when the squid sometimes come into the shallow water. If the timing happens to be right in the dead of night, so be it: Extra-bright flashlights, shined down off the dock into the water, help attract the quarry. Bethany Jean Clement reports. (Seattle Times)

Following state measure, Whatcom lifts restrictions on building that relies on wells
The County Council has temporarily ended restrictions on new rural developments that rely on domestic wells in Whatcom County, allowing frustrated property owners to once again apply for permits to build their homes…. The council’s approval of an emergency ordinance on Tuesday lifted what had been the fourth temporary moratorium the council put in place to respond to a state Supreme Court ruling in October 2016, known as the Hirst decision, which required the county to make sure there was enough water – both legally and physically – in streams for fish and those holding senior water rights. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Alberta premier threatens economic retaliation against B.C. over bitumen restrictions
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has threatened to retaliate economically against what she called an "unconstitutional" move by the B.C. government to delay construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Notley has already vowed to take legal action against the B.C. government, which on Tuesday proposed new restrictions on shipments of bitumen that would flow through the expanded pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast. On Wednesday, Notley called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss Alberta's options to strike back in what has become a super-heated battle with the NDP government in B.C. (CBC) See also: B.C. not backing down on fight against pipeline expansion despite Alberta's threats (CBC)  See also: What we know – and don’t know – about diluted bitumen  (Globe and Mail)

5 counties warned state about salmon-farming back in 2012
Not long ago, some of the loudest political voices railing against the danger of farming Atlantic salmon in the waters of Puget Sound came from within chambers of county governments. Back in 2012, leaders of Island, Whatcom, Jefferson, Skagit and San Juan counties — Democrat and Republican — called for a moratorium on such fish farm operations. They also sought authority to include a ban on them in their respective shoreline management plans. They reached out to executives in state agencies as well as former Gov. Chris Gregoire and, later, Gov. Jay Inslee. They lobbied lawmakers and sought backing of tribes in their quest. “While Washington state missteps with outdated science, local governments desiring to recognize modern science, job, and environmental and public threats, ask that they be permitted to ban these open finfish feedlots before they destroy the native species, their habitats, and the jobs we have worked so diligently to protect,” former Island County Commissioner Angie Homola wrote in a six-page issue paper delivered to Inslee in August 2014. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

E.P.A. Blocks Obama-Era Clean Water Rule
The Trump administration has formally suspended a major Obama-era clean water regulation ahead of plans to issue its own version of the rule later this year. President Trump has taken aim at the bitterly contested rule, known as Waters of the United States, since his campaign, calling it “one of the worst examples of federal regulation.” Among Mr. Trump’s first actions in office was an executive order directing his Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Scott Pruitt, to begin the legal process of rescinding the rule and replacing it with a more industry-friendly alternative. On Wednesday, Mr. Pruitt took a major step toward completing that task, filing the legal documents required to suspend the Obama rule for two years. The rule was set to be implemented in the coming weeks, following a Supreme Court decision last week that gave jurisdiction of the matter to district courts. Having suspended the water rule, Mr. Pruitt is now crafting a Trump administration version, which is expected to include much looser regulatory requirements on how farmers, ranchers and real estate developers must safeguard the streams and tributaries that flow through their property and into larger bodies of water. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times)

Learn about ecosystem indicators and the quest for Puget Sound health
More than 100 people tuned in today (Wednesday) to an online presentation regarding the Puget Sound Partnership’s Vital Signs indicators and the quest for ecological health. While there was not much breaking news, the session turned out to be a very nice summary of progress toward restoring ecological functions in Puget Sound — or rather, in too many cases, the ongoing declines in species and habitats. One can review the entire two-hour webinar, in which a variety of our leading Puget Sound experts chime in on their areas of expertise. Go to Puget Sound Partnership’s webpage and click on “Vital Signs Webinar.” Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways writes)

Scientists record orca mimicking 'hello' and other human words
Scientists have taught a captive killer whale to imitate human speech, and have recorded the female orca mimicking words including "hello" and "one two three." Wikie, a 14-year-old captive-born orca at Marineland Aquarium, in Antibes, France, imitated the words well enough, some of the time, that they were recognized by six humans who heard recorded clips of its voice, report researchers in a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The humans were asked to identify which clips contained the word or words that Wikie was asked to imitate. Emily Chung reports. (CBC)

Can Kelp And Seagrass Help Oysters Adapt To Major Ocean Change?
The oceans off Oregon and Washington are ground zero for ocean acidification, and Northwest scientists are working on new ways to adapt. Brian Allen is up to his elbows in cold, black water. He’s hanging over the side of a small boat, trying to pull in a tangle of ropes. They’re heavy and being dragged sideways by the current. He strains against them. Allen is a researcher with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund. He’s working within a 2.5 acre plot of open water near the mouth of Hood Canal, west of Seattle.  The area is roped off on two ends, and inside dozens of buoys bob in the low chop. Jes Majors reports. (OPB/Earthwatch)

Was Your Seafood Caught With Slave Labor? New Database Helps Retailers Combat Abuse
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, known best for its red, yellow and green sustainable seafood-rating scheme, is unveiling its first Seafood Slavery Risk Tool Thursday. It’s a database designed to help corporate seafood buyers assess the risk of forced labor, human trafficking and hazardous child labor in the seafood they purchase. The tool’s release comes on the heels of a new report that confirms forced labor and human rights abuses remain embedded in Thailand’s fishing industry, years after global media outlets first documented the practice. Clare Leschin-Hoar reports. (NPR)

Rare Brown Booby recovering in Victoria
A rare tropical Brown Booby bird is being treated at a rehabilitation centre after being found in Victoria, B.C., this week. On Monday, the unusual bird — which typically frequents tropical ocean areas — was seen shivering at Ogden Point. "It's a really kind of weird-looking bird," said Ann Nightingale, birder and volunteer at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory…. She says the Brown Booby is rare for Victoria and this is only the fifth such sighting in the city since 2009. Jaimie Kehler reports. (CBC)

What’s killing the salmon? Long Live the Kings investigates decline in iconic fish
Salmon are a big part of life in the Pacific Northwest. But over the past couple of decades, they’ve declined to critical levels and researchers don’t know why. Solving the mystery is what nonprofit Long Live the Kings is working on, and thanks to a grant from Microsoft, technology is helping the nonprofit develop a comprehensive model to find clues to solve it. Long Live the Kings is looking into Puget Sound and the waterways the flow into it, more broadly known as the Salish Sea. This Salish Sea Marine Survival Project is tracking migration of fish through our marine environment to understand what’s affecting salmons' mortality.  Simply, why do salmon keep dying? Tatevik Aprikyan reports. (KCPQ)

Huxley's Brian Bingham Named Interim Director of WWU’s Shannon Point Marine Center
Brian Bingham has been named interim director of Western Washington University’s Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC). Bingham, professor of Environmental Sciences in Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, will begin his new duties on Feb. 1. A national search for the SPMC director is planned for next fall, with the permanent director set to start during the summer of 2019. (Western Today)

Now, your tug weather--
 West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  306 AM PST Thu Feb 1 2018  
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 5 ft at 9 seconds. Rain likely in the morning  then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT  E wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SE to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after  midnight. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds building to 6 ft at 8 seconds  after midnight. Rain in the evening then rain likely after  midnight.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told