2/11 Brooding anemone, TMX cost, Puget Sound chemicals, BC LNG protests

Brooding anemone [Mary Jo Adams]

Brooding anemone Epiactis sp.
his is a small anemone, with the crown up to 2 inches in diameter. (The base may be somewhat wider than the crown.) The color varies. It is often red or pink when on rocks and green or brown when on eelgrass. Look for the radiating white lines originating from the oral disk and on the base and column. Also, watch for baby Epiactis attached to the base of the mother. They look like little buds and will stay attached to her for several months until they're large enough to live on their own. There are several similar species of Epiactis. (Mary Jo Adams/Sound Water Stewards)

Cost of Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in B.C. soars
Trans Mountain Corp. says the cost of its pipeline expansion project has soared to $12.6 billion from $7.4 billion. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

UW testing technique identifies 64 new chemicals in Puget Sound
Eight of the 64 chemicals were at potentially hazardous concentrations that researchers say will require further investigation. (KING)

Hundreds rally in Metro Vancouver and Victoria in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en
Police arrest 57 anti-pipeline protesters blocking Vancouver and Delta port entrances.  (CBC) And: Police action in Wet'suwet'en territory sparks solidarity actions nationwide   Rail lines, ports and government offices shut down by supporters. (CBC)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  810 PM PST Mon Feb 10 2020   
TUE  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft  at 15 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain likely  in the afternoon. 
TUE NIGHT  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 14 seconds. A slight  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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/10 Chipmunk, sewage spill, BC LNG protest, hot Antarctica, Jane Lubschenco, Swanrise

Townsend's chipmunk [Walter Siegmund]

Townsend's Chipmunk Tamias townsendii
Townsend's chipmunk is a species of rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae. It lives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest of North America, from British Columbia through western Washington and Oregon. Townsend's chipmunk is named after John Kirk Townsend, an early 19th-century ornithologist. (Wikipedia)

Sewage, runoff spill into Strait, harbor
Overflows driven by constant rainfall have led to an estimated 451,800 gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater spilling into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Port Angeles Harbor, the Clallam County Environmental Health director said. Jennifer Carcelon said in a press release issued Friday that sewage spills were reported at N and Fourth streets and at the pump station on Marine Drive, and a combined sewage overflow was reported from the wastewater treatment plant’s outfall. (Peninsula Daily News)

Protesters block ports, streets and rails in support of Wet'suwet'en in B.C.
Protesters across British Columbia have blocked trains, access to ports and some streets in support of hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en Nation in their bid to halt construction of a natural gas pipeline in their traditional territories in northern B.C. Sunday's protests follow the arrests of more than 20 people that began last week after police began enforcing a B.C. Supreme Court injunction against Wet'suwet'en Nation members who are blocking access to the Coastal GasLink pipeline project. Maryse Zeidler and Clare Hennig report. (CBC) See allso: Day 4: RCMP continue enforcement against Wet'suwet'en over pipeline injunction  Chantelle Bellrichard reports. (CBC)

It Was 65 Degrees In Antarctica This Week 
Antarctica experienced its hottest day on record Thursday. At least, that’s what scientists reported at Argentina’s Esperanza research station, on the very northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The finding, announced Thursday by Argentina’s national meteorological service, placed the temperature at 18.3 degrees Celsius — or just about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Colin Dwyer reports. (NPR)

An Ecologist Organizes the World
Jane Lubchenco helped change the field of ecology by making the science useful to society. Ann Finkbeiner reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Swanrise events offer rare look at wintering birds
The surroundings were quiet when a group of 20 people gathered in northeast Mount Vernon before dawn Saturday, wearing coats and knit caps and thanking the sky for keeping the rain at bay. The rubber boots on their feet hinted the bunch wouldn’t be on dry ground for long. They were heading to a soggy landscape just right for birds and beavers: the wetland system that is Barney Lake. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)


Now, your tug weather-- West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  804 PM PST Sun Feb 9 2020   MON  SE wind to 10 kt becoming E in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 15 seconds. 
MON NIGHT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  8 ft at 16 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/7 Dumbbell worm, Puget Sound protections, BC LNG protest, WA floods, seaweeds, bumblebees, national monument development

Dumbbell worm [U of Hong Kong]

Dumbbell worm Sternaspis affinis
The genus Sternaspis is comprised of sedentary invertebrates with short and thick anterior setae. The dumbbell worm can be found on the West Coast of North America, from Alaska to the Gulf of California. Known to our scientists as Sternaspis affinis Stimpson, 1864, the dumbbell worm has many names. It has been nicknamed the "mud owl" because of two colorful protective shields, called the "caudal shield", that cover its gills when its head is buried in the soil searching for tasty edible specks of organic matter. The shields look so much like eyes that scientists felt that the worms looked like tiny owls in the soil.

Bill to add federal protections to Puget Sound passes in U.S. House 
A bill to coordinate local, state, tribal and federal efforts to preserve and restore Puget Sound passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 5 by voice vote with bipartisan support. The Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound (PUGET SOS) Act was first introduced in 2015 by Reps. Derek Kilmer and Denny Heck to address environmental issues concerning Puget Sound at the federal level and coordinate preservation efforts between government entities. Callie Craighead reports. (SeattlePI)

6 arrested at Wet'suwet'en anti-pipeline camp
Six people were arrested at a camp on traditional Wet'suwet'en territory as RCMP conducted a pre-dawn raid to enforce an injunction order against those blocking construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern B.C. According to supporters of the blockade, more than a dozen RCMP officers moved past the police checkpoint on Morice Forest Service Road early Thursday morning. "It's a whole damn army up there," said Wet'suwet'en hereditary Chief Woos, who also goes by the name Frank Alec. "They've got guns on, they've got tactical gear on. They look like they're ready for war." (CBC)

17 rivers flooding across Western Wash. amid relentless rains
Relentless rain is triggering renewed flooding on more than a dozen rivers Thursday across Western Washington. Major flooding is expected or already occurring on four rivers - the Snoqualmie near Carnation, the Tolt above Carnation, the Carbon near Fairfax and the Cowlitz at Randle. Four other rivers are experiencing moderate flooding - the Cedar near Landsburg, the Snoqualmie near Snoqualmie Falls, the White at R Street Bridge, the Snohomish at Snohomish and near Monroe, and Issaquah Creek in Issaquah. (KOMO) See also: Army Corps monitoring Green and White river dams as storm waters reach peak  Reservoirs on two area rivers are filling fast, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has spotters keeping an eye on them 24 hours a day. Craig Sailor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Washington researchers tackle ocean acidification with new seaweed crops 
As seaweeds grow in the ocean, they naturally pull carbon dioxide from the water for photosynthesis, much as trees pull CO2 from the air. Many people in western Washington see an opportunity in that. Shellfish growers here have struggled with ocean acidification, which is increasing along with climate change and can prevent baby oysters from forming their shells. So, one farm on the north end of Hood Canal has devoted five acres to an experiment that is now licensed as a commercial operation. They're growing kelp along with oysters on lines to see if that co-culture can benefit both crops. It's been working well, says Charlie Delius, the farm manager at Hood Canal Mariculture. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Bumblebees Are Disappearing Because Of Extreme Heat
Extreme temperatures are driving a dramatic decline in bumblebees across North America and Europe, according to a new study, in yet another way climate change is putting ecosystems at risk. Researchers looked at half a million records showing where bumblebees have been found since 1901, across 66 different species. They found that in places where bumblebees have lived in North America, you’re about half as likely to see one today. The decline is especially pronounced in Mexico, where bumblebees once lived in abundance. Lauren Sommer reports. (NPR)

Trump Administration Finalizes Plans To Allow Development On Downsized Monuments
More than two years after carrying out the largest reversal of national monument protections in U.S. history, the Trump administration has finalized plans for the roughly 2 million acres of formerly protected land in southern Utah. The federal Bureau of Land Management released its plans Thursday to open up the lands, which were once protected as part of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments, to use by energy developers and ranchers. Colin Dwyer reports. (NPR)



Now, your weekend tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  836 PM PST Thu Feb 6 2020   
GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY  MORNING    
FRI  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 20 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 3 to 5 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 8 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the  morning then rain in the afternoon. 
FRI NIGHT  SW wind 25 to 35 kt becoming W 30 to 40 kt after  midnight. Combined seas 9 to 12 ft with a dominant period of  13 seconds building to 18 to 19 ft with a dominant period of  11 seconds after midnight. Rain. 
SAT  NW wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 20 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Combined seas 18 to 20 ft with a dominant period of  13 seconds subsiding to 14 to 16 ft with a dominant period of  12 seconds in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  NW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming NE to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after  midnight. W swell 14 ft at 13 seconds. 
SUN  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 10 ft at  17 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/6 Pt Whitehorn, TMX protest, BC LNG protest, Colstrip, leaving PS Energy, 'Fecal Mountain'

Pt Whitehorn [Whatcom County Parks]

Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve
Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve features 54 acres of forest, bluff and beach, with a 3/4 mile fully accessible trail to spectacular viewpoints of the Strait of Georgia and San Juan Islands. A switchback path descends from the bluff to access a windswept cobble beach. (Whatcom County Regional Parks)

'We'll do what we have to do': Trans Mountain pipeline opponents to ramp up protests
Opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion say they will do whatever it takes to stop the project after suffering a devastating legal blow at the Federal Court of Appeal. Activists are preparing for a prolonged battle on the land and water that they hope will remain non-violent but that could lead to clashes with police, said Will George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. "For the longest time, I've been, from my elders, under strict orders to do this in a peaceful way," he said Wednesday. "Personally, I'm fed up. If it has to get ugly, it will get ugly." Laura Kane reports. (CBC)

RCMP urge Coastal GasLink pipeline protesters to leave disputed area or face arrest
The B.C. RCMP say they are ready to enforce an injunction order against protesters of the Coastal GasLink pipeline —and urge protesters to leave the area or face arrest. "If there are arrests to be made there are peaceful options that will require minimal use of force," said Assistant Commissioner Eric Stubbs, criminal operations officer for the B.C. RCMP. Stubbs said officers are instructed to use the least amount of force that is reasonable to safely arrest a protester. He said Mounties prefer peaceful options, including voluntary arrests or physically carrying away someone who isn't resisting. But Stubbs stressed that injunction orders are mandatory, "not optional invitations or suggestions" for everyone involved. (CBC) See also: What you need to know about the Coastal GasLink pipeline conflict  Chantelle Bellrichard and Jorge Barrera report. (CBC)

NorthWestern files paperwork to buy more of Colstrip Unit 4 for $1
NorthWestern Energy filed paperwork Wednesday to begin the official process of purchasing an additional 25% of Colstrip Unit 4, giving the utility a majority ownership in the unit. Puget Sound Energy owns 25% of the coal-fired power plant unit. If the long process NorthWestern is now part of is approved by the Montana Public Service Commission, NorthWestern will buy Puget Sound’s stake in the unit for $1. Melissa Loveridge reports. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)

Bellevue, Olympia residents petition to break away from Puget Sound Energy
A group of residents wants the east side of King County to stop using Puget Sound Energy. They call it the dirtiest utility in Washington state. There's a petition to form a new public utility district for Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Woodinville, and surrounding cities. It would remove that area — approximately 500,000 — from Puget Sound Energy's service. The East King County Public Utility District would be operated by an executive board consisting of three locals. If at least 35,000 people sign the petition by early July, a measure will be on the 2020 ballot. Paige Browning reports. (KUOW)

Regulatory mess of 'Fecal Mountain' one step closer to being resolved
For more than two years, fences have been up around Eagle Mountain Middle School in Anmore, B.C., warning about fecal matter leaking from a nearby septic system up the hill. The kids even have a nickname for it.  "It's been called worse than Fecal Mountain, unfortunately," said Robert Boies, a homeowner in Anmore Green Estates, whose septic system leaks water contaminated with E. coli and fecal coliform...On Tuesday night — 26 months after the provincial government ordered a fix — Anmore council approved a local area service bylaw, allowing the strata to pay to link up to Metro Vancouver's sewage system, while the rest of the predominately rural municipality remains on septic. Justin McElroy reports. (CBC)


Now, your tug weather-- West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  846 PM PST Wed Feb 5 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT   
THU  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 10 ft at  13 seconds. Rain. 
THU NIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 10 ft at 13 seconds. A  chance of rain in the evening then a slight chance of rain after  midnight.



--
"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

2/5 Pacific yew, TMX ruling, Hamilton flooding, WA Clear Air Rule. protect WA water rights

Pacific yew [Jason Hollinger]

Pacific Yew Taxus brevifolia
The Pacific Yew (Pacific Yew) is found from British Columbia to Northern California from the coast to the Cascades, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas and the western slope of the Rockies in B.C., Idaho and Montana.  Rarely ever numerous, it is usually found as an understory tree in moist old growth forests growing beneath other larger trees such as Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir. Brevifolia means short leaves. (Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest)

With its legal hurdles all but cleared, TMX’s challenges move to different court — the street  
With the last legal challenge to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project all but eliminated, experts say opposition to the pipeline now will move from the courts to the streets. “We always said we’d do what it takes to stop this pipeline,” said Rueben George, manager of the TWN Sacred Trust and a member of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, one of three First Nations that filed the legal challenge. Geoffrey Morgan reports. (Canadian Press) See also: First Nations respond to Trans Mountain appeal decision  Chantelle Bellrichard reports. (CBC)

Hamilton might be the most flooded town in Washington. Why won't anyone move? 
A Seattle nonprofit invested in a $1 million effort to provide the 300 residents of Hamilton with a route to higher ground. But some residents insist, ‘We're not relocating.’ Levi Pulkkinen reports. (Crosscut)

Bill seeks to fully reinstate Clean Air Rule
A House bill seeks to fully reinstate Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan to cap carbon pollution in the state by giving additional authority to the state Department of Ecology on who they can regulate. The proposal is a response to a recent state Supreme Court ruling that said the state’s Clean Air Rule cannot apply to companies that sell or distribute petroleum or natural gas because they don’t make their own emissions. In a 5-4 ruling last month, the state’s high court said that the Department of Ecology only has the authority to regulate “actual emitters.” Rachel LaCorte reports. (Associated Press)

Lawmakers want to protect water rights in Washington from Wall Street speculation
Worries that moneyed interests could control Washington’s water have sparked a push in Olympia to cut Wall Street bankers and international investors out of the state’s convoluted water rights system. Competing bills introduced during this legislative session take aim at the state’s water banks, which collect untapped water rights and sell water to users in need. Although the proposed legislation has received only tepid support, a consensus is emerging that action is needed to keep speculators from using water banking, as one state senator puts it, to “strangle” Washingtonians. Water banks collect water rights from rural landowners who have permission to take more water than they need. The banks then sell access to water to customers whose water rights are either too new or too small to meet their needs. Levi Pulkkinen reports. (Investigate West)


Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  843 PM PST Tue Feb 4 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT   
WED  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 13 ft at  15 seconds. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the  afternoon. 
WED NIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  12 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening then rain  after midnight.




--
"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

2/4 Basking shark, Douglas Channel noise, Kitsap water quality, clean water biz, Japan coal

Basking shark [WikiMedia]

Basking shark Cetorhinus maximus
The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world, second only to another filter feeder, the whale shark...Historically, Basking Sharks were abundant in many areas off the coast of British Columbia. As commercial fishing expanded in the 1940s and 1950s, basking sharks experienced an increasing number of encounters with boats and fishing gear. The large sharks were frequently entangled in salmon gillnets and caused significant financial damage to the industry. From 1955 to 1969, Basking Sharks in Barkley Sound were subject to an intensive and successful government eradication program. At the same time, a commercial fishery for shark livers, aggressive sport fishing, and general harassment of the sharks must have also contributed to their decline. Between the 1970s and early 1990s, basking sharks were only seen in large numbers in Clayoquot Sound, and even here they appear to have virtually disappeared. Since 1994, sightings in British Columbia waters have become increasingly rare, with only a small number of anecdotal reports from fishermen, boaters and kayakers and occasional validated reports from onboard observers on commercial vessels. (DFO)

Alarm Bells Ring in a Whale Habitat Famed for its Silence
The fjords that etch out British Columbia’s central coast are deep, cold, and mostly very quiet—the perfect habitat for whales. The territory of the Gitga’at First Nation, situated around Douglas Channel, is home to the country’s highest concentration of humpback and fin whales, two distinct populations of killer whales, as well as Pacific white-sided dolphins, Dall’s porpoises, and more. “Humpback and fin whales think they have found heaven,” says Janie Wray, CEO of the nonprofit North Coast Cetacean Society (NCCS). “It’s one of the quietest places around.” But this oasis of calm is under threat.  Frank Swain reports. (Hakai Magazine)

In latest report, Kitsap sees improvements in freshwater quality
The banks of Burley Creek run alongside sprawling residential yards, thick patches of trees and two-lane highways as the stream winds its way south to Burley Lagoon.  The South Kitsap watershed plays host to a range of animal activity. Raccoon paw prints visible along the water’s edge are just one indication of wildlife. Puget Sound salmon make their way upstream in fall and there are shellfish harvest beds just past the creek’s end. In warmer months, the area can become a playground for children and family pets. But Burley Creek — like watersheds across Kitsap County — has also fallen victim to fecal pollution from septic tanks and livestock run-off, which can carry viruses and harmful bacteria that make people sick. For the past two decades, Burley’s water quality has gone back and forth. In the late 1990s, Washington state shut down shellfish harvesting in Burley Lagoon because of high bacteria levels. Harvesting has been open and closed several times since.  Austen McCalus reports. (Kitsap Sun)

As Regulations Roll Back, Could Clean Water Protection Business Dry Up?
Many business interests are cheering President Trump's recent rollback of water regulations put in place by the Obama administration. But companies that make money protecting clean water could take a big hit. The Trump administration is stripping protections for streams that only run after rain and for wetlands that don't have a connection to bigger waterways above ground. Announcing the rule last week at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said it will "save Americans time and money while accelerating infrastructure projects and economic development." The EPA says there's no data on exactly how many waterways would be affected, but a leaked presentation by government scientists says more than half of wetlands across the country as well as 18% of streams would not have federal protection. Nick Mott reports. (Montana Public Radio)

Japan Races to Build New Coal-Burning Power Plants, Despite the Climate Risks
Just beyond the windows of Satsuki Kanno’s apartment overlooking Tokyo Bay, a behemoth from a bygone era will soon rise: a coal-burning power plant, part of a buildup of coal power that is unheard-of for an advanced economy. It is one unintended consequence of the Fukushima nuclear disaster almost a decade ago, which forced Japan to all but close its nuclear power program. Japan now plans to build as many as 22 new coal-burning power plants — one of the dirtiest sources of electricity — at 17 different sites in the next five years, just at a time when the world needs to slash carbon dioxide emissions to fight global warming. Hiroko Tabuchi reports. (NY Times)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  244 AM PST Tue Feb 4 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  S wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds  building to 7 ft at 18 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain  in the morning then rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell  11 ft at 16 seconds building to 13 ft at 15 seconds after  midnight. 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/3 Feather duster worm, Navy water, B'ham climate, new ollsands mine, LNG footprint, Point Elliott Treaty, wolverines, Trump's weather, Victoria, hunting, octopus

Feather duster worm [Nick Hobgood/Slater Museum]

Feather Duster Worm Eudistylia vancouveri
This conspicuous and beautiful species is a prominent part of the diverse fauna encrusting the sea bottom in the Pacific Northwest. They may also be seen growing on pilings and floats, where their activities can be watched without the need of a wet suit and scuba tanks. The visible part of the worm consists of a ring of feathery, brightly colored, tentacles that wave gently in the current. Below that is a calcareous tube that may be as much as 45 cm long. When a potential predator such as a fish or diver comes near, the tentacles disappear in a flash, pulled inside a calcareous tube, which then closes over them. (Slater Museum)

Navy to test drinking water from wells bordering Bangor for contamination
The Navy will test the drinking water of residents whose homes border Naval Base-Kitsap to determine whether there are dangerous levels of contamination from firefighting foam once used at Bangor.  If any homes in areas bordering the base are found to have what are commonly called PFAS in dangerous concentrations, they will receive bottled water indefinitely, "until a long-term solution is implemented," the Navy told the Kitsap Sun. Josh Farley reports. (Kitsap Sun)

City of Bellingham takes first steps to meet its climate-change goals  (Paywall)
Bellingham City Council members have started looking at ways that the city can meet its goal of using 100% renewable energy in the next 10 to 15 years. In addition, the city has hired a climate and energy manager for issues related to the Climate Action Task Force recommendations presented in December and the city’s efforts to meet goals set in its 2018 Climate Action Plan. And, council members are now focusing on climate change as they decide how to build a new wastewater treatment plant to replace an aging one at Post Point...All seven members of the City Council attended the new Climate Action Committee’s first meeting Jan. 13, even though only Hannah Stone, Dan Hammill and Pinky Vargas serve on that panel. At that meeting, Stone said the committee was setting priorities and she encouraged residents to stay informed. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Can a massive new oilsands mine be reconciled with Trudeau's 'net-zero' promise?
The political complexity of the challenge facing Justin Trudeau as the federal cabinet prepares to make a decision on Teck Frontier — a proposed large new oilsands mine in northern Alberta — is underlined by the categorical statements of the project's loudest proponents and opponents. "If this project does not proceed, it would be a clear indication that there is no way forward for this country's largest natural resource," Alberta Premier Jason Kenney declared in a speech in Ottawa in December. A day later, the Canadian environmentalist Tzeporah Berman wrote in The Guardian that "approving Teck Resources' Frontier mine would effectively signal Canada's abandonment of its international climate goals." Aaron Wherry reports. (CBC)

New Study Casts Shadow on LNG Fuel’s Climate Footprint
One of the shipping industry’s great hopes for improving its environmental performance — engines powered by liquefied natural gas — won’t offer the benefits that many vessel owners are hoping for. That’s the conclusion of a nonprofit that analyzed the emissions from different types of vessels that use the fuel. Some types of LNG-powered ships leak so much methane — a contributor to global heating — that the environmental damage they cause over a 20-year period is far more acute than equivalent vessels run on conventional fuels. Jack Wittels and Akshat Rathi report. (Bloomberg)

Point Elliott Treaty returns to tribes here, 165 years later
Their ancestors had signed it generations before. About 150 tribal members gathered to inspect the Treaty of Point Elliott in January, on the anniversary of its creation. Nearly all were seeing it for the first time. After 165 years, the treaty has returned to the land where it was signed. It’s now on display at the Hibulb Cultural Center on the Tulalip Indian Reservation, one of the reservations established by the treaty. On Jan. 22, 1855, thousands were drawn to the shores of what is now Mukilteo to witness the signing of the Treaty of Point Elliott. Today it’s considered one of the most important documents to Native American tribes around the Puget Sound. Stephanie Davey reports. (Everett Herald)

Fight re-emerges over protecting wolverines
Amid discussions about restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades and the recent reintroduction of cat-like creatures called fishers to the region, conservation groups are seeking protection for another elusive carnivore that was historically more common in area mountains. Nine groups are calling on the federal government to list the wolverine as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The wolverine is a creature between about 20 and 40 pounds, with a bushy tail and white markings on its otherwise dark brown body, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. They will hunt small animals, scavenge what’s left of carcasses hunted by other predators, and eat fruit when available. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Heald)

NOAA Leaders Privately Disowned Agency’s Rebuke of Scientists Who Contradicted Trump
Senior officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration privately disavowed an unsigned statement issued by the agency last year that rebuked its own weather forecasters for contradicting President Trump’s false warnings that Hurricane Dorian would most likely hit Alabama, new documents show. Lisa Friedman, John Schwartz and Mark Walker report. (NY Times)

Like Its 2 Royal Guests, Canada’s Most English City Reinvents Itself 
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have retreated from royal life to Victoria, which has long embraced its queenly name. But the city, like the duke and duchess, is breaking with tradition. Dan Bilefsky reports. (NY Times)

Hunting is ‘slowly dying off,’ and that has created a crisis for the nation’s many endangered species
....Americans’ interest in hunting is on the decline, cutting into funding for conservation, which stems largely from hunting licenses, permits and taxes on firearms, bows and other equipment. Even as more people are engaging in outdoor activities, hunting license sales have fallen from a peak of about 17 million in the early ’80s to 15 million last year, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data. The agency’s 2016 survey suggested a steeper decline to 11.5 million Americans who say they hunt, down more than 2 million from five years earlier. Frances Stead Sellers reports. (Washington Post)

If you like to watch: Why an octopus might think like an alien
Researcher Dominic Sivitilli goes to the bottom of the sea to study the bizarre mind of the giant pacific octopus. Sarah Hoffman and Ted Alvarez report. (Crosscut)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  256 AM PST Mon Feb 3 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  NW wind 15 to 20 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 3 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less in the  afternoon. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  8 ft at 11 seconds subsiding to 6 ft at 11 seconds after  midnight.



--
"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