6/9 Cottonwood, oil spill response, Sunshine Coast logging, gray whale deaths, Canadian conservation, orca culture, border rules, Trump's pollution, Trump's hunt, BC ferries masks

Black cottonwood

Black Cottonwood Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa
Black Cottonwood is also known as Balsam Poplar. Balsamifera means balsam (aromatic resin)-bearing.   Trichocarpa means with hairy fruits, referring to its fluffy seeds. The cottony seeds are often seen drifting in a summer breeze, giving the tree its common name of Cottonwood. Cottonwood pollen is a major allergen. Seeds ripen late May to July.  Seeds may be dispersed by wind or water. Natives used Black Cottonwood for many medicinal purposes. They used the gum of the burls on cuts and wounds.  Bruised leaves were also placed on cuts as an antiseptic.  An infusion of the bark was used for sore throats.  Young shoots were used to make sweat lodges. (Native Plants PNW)

New oil spill response base in Friday Harbor will address present — and growing — threat
A new response base to be built on San Juan Island will amp up the Islands Oil Spill Association's capability to help prevent oil spills when small-spill threats arise. Genevieve Iverson reports. (Salish Current)

B.C. opens Sunshine Coast forest — home to some of Canada’s oldest trees — to logging
Local conservation group asks province to cancel cutblocks containing ancient yellow cedars and unofficial bear sanctuary. Judith Lavoie reports. (The Narwhal)

Necropsies Unveil More about Mass Gray Whale Deaths
Hundreds of gray whales in the eastern Pacific Ocean have died since last year, and scientists are beginning to understand why. Larry Pynn reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Canada’s conservation efforts must prioritize areas resilient to climate change, researchers say
New studies show factoring climate change impacts into planning for protected areas can help achieve emission-reduction and biodiversity targets — a move one scientist calls ‘hitting the conservation science jackpot.’ Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Killer Whales’ Cultural Bottleneck
A new paper suggests killer whales’ cultures may be driving down their genetic diversity—but not all researchers agree. Claudia Geib reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Relief, frustration as restrictions on U.S.-Canada border crossings ease but quarantine period remains
Canadians separated from family members in the U.S. because of restrictions around the border will soon have some respite, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that exemptions will be provided to immediate families members. The Canada Border Services Agency said the exemption will kick in at midnight on Monday, and applies to foreign nationals who are immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents and who do not have COVID-19 or are showing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, "or who do not have reason to believe they have COVID-19." Anyone who enters the country will have to self-quarantine for 14 days and could face serious penalties for not following the rules. Michelle Ghoussoub reports. (CBC)

As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency
Some of the country’s most polluting industries have flooded state regulators with requests to ease environmental regulations, according to an NPR review of hundreds of state environmental records. Companies across the country say the pandemic is interfering with their ability to comply with laws that protect the public from pollution. Rebecca Hersher reports. (NPR)

Trump administration makes it easier for hunters to kill bear cubs and wolf pups in Alaska
Hunters will soon be allowed to venture into national parks in Alaska and engage in practices that conservation groups say are reprehensible: baiting hibernating bears from their dens with doughnuts to kill them and using artificial light such as headlamps to scurry into wolf dens to slaughter mothers and their pups. Darryl Fears reports. (Washington Post)

Passengers on BC Ferries must travel with a face mask starting June 15
BC Ferries said passengers will be required to travel with a face mask on most routes starting June 15. In a statement, BC Ferries said passengers must wear the face mask while on board if a physical distance of two metres between passengers cannot be maintained. (CBC)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  301 AM PDT Tue Jun 9 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SE 5 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less in the  afternoon. SW swell 5 ft at 7 seconds building to 7 ft at  8 seconds in the afternoon. Rain. 
TONIGHT  SW wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 6 ft at 9 seconds. Rain in the  evening then a chance of rain 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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6/8 Gulls, trading trees for pollution, TM pipe, California Cr, bioblitz, Pt Roberts, crows

Tony Angell, on a Feeding Frenzy of Gulls
Tony Angell, reading from his book Puget Sound Through an Artist's Eye: "It was early summer and I looked across the open sea. Its surface gently heaved, suggesting the presence of some great being stirring within. Using binoculars I followed hurried lines of cormorants, guillemots, scoters, and rhinoceros auklets. On a mission, their flight was straight ahead and sure. In the bay below, a gang of a hundred gulls swirled and surged and plunged into a herring ball near the surface. In all likelihood the fish had been herded there by diving auklets and murres or even a school of salmon. I could hear the frenzy in their calls as they competed for the food – and so, apparently, could other gulls, who detoured from their flight-line to join the melee. These cries rang like dinner bells to other gulls." (BirdNote)

Big polluters are spending billions on controversial projects that protect forests and let them keep polluting 
As industrial polluters try to erase their greenhouse gas emissions, they plan to spend billions of dollars in the coming years on preserving and restoring forests to cancel out pollution they can’t directly eliminate with electric vehicles, energy efficiency improvements and wind and solar power projects. Benjamin Romano reports. (Seattle Times)

COVID-19 precautions at Trans Mountain construction sites could boost Kamloops hospitality sector
Work has begun on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in B.C.'s Interior, bringing dozens of people into the region. Workers are being put up in local hotels, with new policies and procedures in place to ensure COVID-19 doesn't spread in the city. Trans Mountain president and CEO Ian Anderson anticipates up to 600 workers in Kamloops during the height of construction this summer, which will include as many people as possible from Kamloops, as well as from other parts of the province. (CBC)

One of ‘most beautiful coastal areas’ in fast-growing part of Whatcom to be protected
A $915,000 federal grant will be used to help buy and protect nearly 55 acres of coastal wetland habitat, and the fish and wildlife that depend on it, along California Creek. Whatcom Land Trust is partnering with the state Department of Ecology on the conservation project. The grant will go toward the total cost of $1.3 million to buy four pieces of land, including 6,500 feet of shoreline, along the creek that is a major tributary to Drayton Harbor near Blaine, according to the Whatcom Land Trust. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Conservationists in Langley, B.C., adopt new methods to catalogue biodiversity
Conservationists in Langley are hoping to catalogue hundreds of living things over a two-week period despite not being able to deploy volunteers en masse to the area's green spaces due to the pandemic...The activity, known as a bioblitz, is popular around the world as a way to create databases of biodiversity and monitor change...The Yorkson society reached out to other watershed societies and environmental stewardship groups around Langley Township to run the bioblitz over a two-week period where volunteers use online tools to record and catalogue plants and animals. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)
way.

Point Roberts residents lobbying for exemption from closed border
Stuck with limited stock and uncertain supply chains, a number of Point Roberts residents are lobbying for border restrictions to be eased so they can travel to Bellingham to shop. At the moment, only people deemed to have essential reasons for travel are allowed across the border. “I see statements that say ‘essential reasons like getting a prescription filled or going to a doctor appointment,'” Point Roberts resident John Beals said. “The key word is ‘like.’ Beals has begun a petition asking that essential travel should include people from Point Roberts who want to travel the 40 kilometres to the Peach Arch crossing and back with zero stops along the way. Gordon McIntyre reports. (Vancouver Sun)

The Sea’s Weirdest Creatures, Now in ‘Staggering’ Detail
With a new laser-scanning tool, marine biologists are getting a fine-comb look at some of the gloopiest and most mysterious organisms in the ocean. William J. Broad reports. (NY Times)

Crows might pose a challenge or two, but their intelligence and humanlike complexity resonate with Seattle like nowhere else
...JOHN MARZLUFF IS a University of Washington professor and wildlife biologist who, in 30 years of studying birds, has become simply The Crow Guy. But even Marzluff acknowledges that he, too, was skeptical of the crow at first, and he understands why others would generally feel the same. Adam Jude writes. (Seattle Times) See also: Oh, to be a crow: smart as all get-out — and still able to get out  Adam Jude writes. (Seattle Times)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  225 AM PDT Mon Jun 8 2020    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH  TUESDAY MORNING   
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 8 seconds subsiding to  5 ft at 8 seconds in the afternoon. A slight chance of showers. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. SW swell 4 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain in the  evening then rain 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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6/5 Rockfish, Bill James, Trump's pipe and air, BC old growth, BC virus, more on slug

Quillback rockfish [Brenna Green]

Quillback rockfish Sebastes maliger
Quillback rockfish range from the Kenai Peninsula in the Gulf of Alaska to Anacapa Passage in southern California. They can be found from subtidal waters to depths of 274 m (900 ft). Juveniles are usually shallower than adults and can be found on bull kelp-covered rocky outcrops, while adults tend to live in deeper water as solitary individuals. They are bottom dwellers that prefer high-relief, broken rock with flat-bladed kelps. In Puget Sound animals living on high relief areas have a very limited home range and have a high fidelity to their home sites. Quillback rockfish can grow up to 61 cm (24 in) in length. Maximum age is 95 years old. (WDFW)

Bill James, hereditary chief at Lummi, master weaver, dies at age 75 
Bill Tsi’li’xw James, hereditary chief of the Lummi people, was a teacher of culture, language and art who passed on teachings until his last breath. Sharp in his mind until his passing June 1 at age 75 from a hereditary liver disease, Chief James was stood up as hereditary chief of the Lummi People in 2010, a role for which he was selected and groomed by the heads of Lummi families as a young man. He grew into a formidable spokesman for his people on the front lines of some of the most important fights of a generation, including a successful campaign in 2016 with tribes and their allies to block construction of the largest coal port in North America at Cherry Point. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Trump, Citing Pandemic, Moves to Weaken Two Key Environmental Protections
The Trump administration, in twin actions to curb environmental regulations, moved on Thursday to temporarily speed the construction of energy projects and to permanently weaken federal authority to issue stringent clean air and climate change rules. President Trump signed an executive order that calls on agencies to waive required environmental reviews of infrastructure projects to be built during the pandemic-driven economic crisis. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new rule that changes the way the agency uses cost-benefit analyses to enact Clean Air Act regulations, effectively limiting the strength of future air pollution controls. Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman report. (NY Times)

Independent researchers say B.C. vastly overestimates the size of its old growth forest
A team of independent researchers claim in a new report that the province's accounting of old growth trees is vastly larger than the actual number of trees most people would consider old growth, namely coniferous giants. The three co-authors of B.C.'s Old Growth Forest: A Last Stand for Biodiversity write that most of what is currently considered old growth are small subalpine or bog forests. Rafferty Baker reports. (CBC)

Strains from Europe and Eastern Canada account for most COVID-19 cases in B.C., genomic data shows
Strains traced to Europe and Eastern Canada are by far the largest source of COVID-19 infections in B.C., according to new modelling presented by the provincial government Thursday. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry revealed the results of genomic tracing of different strains of the virus, showing that of those samples that have been sequenced, early cases linked to travel from China and Iran appear to have been well contained, leading to relatively few other infections. But beginning in March, with an outbreak that began with the Pacific Dental Conference in Vancouver, infections with strains from Eastern Canada and Europe spiked dramatically.... The numbers show that in the Lower Mainland, Richmond has had the lowest percentage of cases, with just 444 per million residents, compared to 832 in Vancouver, 911 on the North Shore, and 1,241 cases per million in the area from Abbotsford to Hope in Fraser Health. thany Lindsay and Justin McElroy report. (CBC)

Regarding the Chocolate arion profiled yesterday, Norm Baker writes: "I was surprised to see your comments about the  Arion ater/Arion rufus complex. As a trained PhD ecologist and horticulturist, describing this animal as a serious pest is something of an understatement. Describing it as a serious pest is accurate. Here on the Olympic Peninsula, up in the mountains at 1800 feet with the rains and humidity, we have watched this animal spread across the countryside in an environment that is best described as "damn near ideal". They eat almost everything - especially vegetables and flowers (the actual flower). We are running two large biochar research gardens and we have to patrol those gardens at least twice a week. Up in the yard where all the daylilies and other plants are, my wife patrols the area with scissors in hand, cutting them into when she finds them. She always finds some and after a while she started keeping count. Her record for one day is 737 slugs over a couple of hours. She cuts them into two pieces with the scissors and, if she remembers, goes back later to check again where she often finds one or two more slugs feeding on the remains of the slugs she killed previously. It took this animal about three years to go into about 400 yards of new habitat. Now we find them everywhere."



Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  245 AM PDT Fri Jun 5 2020   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt rising to 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 11 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening  then a chance of showers after midnight. 
SAT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft  at 10 seconds. A chance of showers in the morning then showers  likely and a slight chance of tstms in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after midnight. W  swell 4 ft at 11 seconds. 
SUN  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 9 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/4 Slug, dams removal, pinto abalone, only Canadian species, ocean acid, earth carbon, Arctic spill, greens on race

Chocolae arion [L. Schroeder]

Chocolate Arion Arion rufus
Arion rufus is part of the Arion ater/Arion rufus complex, native to Europe. Arion rufus has been introduced to North America and is very common and widespread.  The color can be variable from bright orange to black. The foot may exhibit a color ranging from yellow to black. Lives in gardens, parks and wastelands, and can be a serious plant pest.  Arion ater has been shown to be a separate species.  Since the two species were once considered the same, some older references list A. ater as present in the Northwest.  This is not the case. (Pacific Northwest Shell Club)

Port Angeles council co-signs Snake River dam letter
After seeing the Elwha River respond to dam removal in its own backyard, the Port Angeles City Council has voted to support the removal of four dams on the lower Snake River. The vote Tuesday was 5-1 with one abstention to co-sign a letter to U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, that seeks Congressional leadership in finding “win-win solutions” to benefit salmon and orca populations. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Delicious and now endangered: Can the pinto abalone make a comeback? 
The pinto abalone was a popular sport catch for divers in the Salish Sea until its numbers plummeted to near extinction. Now, the delicious marine snail is on the endangered species list and the focus of an ambitious hatchery and replanting program. The search is on for suitable habitat and a broad coalition of partners has released more than 20,000 young pintos into the wild with the hope that the population will start to rebound. Bob Friel reports. (Salish Sea Currents)

These Canadian species are found nowhere else on Earth
What species are more Canadian than moose or beavers? We now have an answer. A new report has catalogued 308 species, sub-species and varieties of plants and animals found in Canada — and nowhere else on the planet. They include mammals such as the eastern wolf, Vancouver Island marmot, wood bison and Peary caribou; birds such as the Pacific Steller's jay; and fish such as the Banff longnose dace, Atlantic whitefish and Vancouver lamprey. But 80 per cent of them are plants and insects — ones you probably haven't heard of, like the Maritime ringlet butterfly and the Yukon goldenweed. Emily Chung reports. (CBC)

Measuring ocean acidification along US coasts
... While ocean acidification in North America has been studied in smaller, specific areas before, this is the first time that researchers have compared data from the east coast, west coast and Gulf of Mexico locations. Through this work, researchers were able to identify the similarities and differences of ocean acidification on both coasts, as well as point out hot spots that will be particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification in the future. The results of that research were recently published in Nature Communications. (Science Daily)

Earth’s carbon dioxide levels hit record high, despite coronavirus-related emissions drop
The coronavirus-related economic downturn may have set off a sudden plunge in global greenhouse gas emissions, but another crucial metric for determining the severity of global warming — the amount of greenhouse gases actually in the air — just hit a record high. According to readings from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the amount of CO2 in the air in May 2020 hit an average of slightly greater than 417 parts per million (ppm). This is the highest monthly average value ever recorded, and is up from 414.7 ppm in May of last year. Andrew Freedman and Chris Mooney report. (Washington Post)

Arctic Circle oil spill prompts Putin to declare state of emergency
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has declared a state of emergency after 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil leaked into a river within the Arctic Circle. The spill happened when a fuel tank at a power plant near the Siberian city of Norilsk collapsed last Friday. The power plant's director Vyacheslav Starostin has been taken into custody until 31 July, but not yet charged. (BBC)

Responding to protests, green groups reckon with a racist past
Prominent groups in the environmental movement — which has long struggled with a dark, racist past — are speaking out against institutional prejudice and calling for the movement to better prioritize social justice. Shannon Osaka reports. (Grist)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  236 AM PDT Thu Jun 4 2020   
TODAY  SW wind to 10 kt becoming NW 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 6 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of showers in the  morning then a slight chance of showers in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  NW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming W 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft at 12 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/3 Wrinkled dove snail, Cherry Pt oil, Skagit green NGOs, 'Days on the Hill,' Yakima sturgeon

Wrinkled dove snail [Mary Jo Adams]

Wrinkled dove snail Amphissa columbiana
The wrinkled dove snail is a species of sea snail native to the western coast of North America from California to Alaska. This species can attain a length of 1.25 inches (3 cm.) and the axial ridges on the shell are parallel to the long axis of the shell. These snails are scavengers. (Mary Jo Adams/SoundStewards)

Whatcom County Council split on Cherry Point crude oil transshipments ban
Whatcom County Council members approved a six-month ban Tuesday, June 2, on filing, accepting or processing new applications for most new or expanded facilities for shipping unrefined fossil fuels that won’t be processed or used at the Cherry Point industrial zone. It’s the ninth such interim measure since September 2016 as the county Planning Commission works to revamp a comprehensive plan that regulates the types of industry and manufacturing facilities in the region west of Ferndale...Vote on the measure was 4-3 with council members Tyler Byrd, Ben Elenbaas and Kathy Kershner dissenting. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Environmental nonprofits embrace "virtual landscape" during pandemic
For environmental nonprofits, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant a shift to digital education and outreach efforts, while many of their programs and staff field work have been put on hold...Many environmental groups are adapting by moving staff and board meetings — as well as educational materials and events — online...But not everything can make the digital migration, including the annual Fidalgo Bay Day event in August that Friends of Skagit Beaches coordinates with Skagit County. The event — like many other summer activities — has been canceled. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

‘Days on the Hill’ will go online this year, widening audience for Puget Sound talks
Folks who care about salmon, killer whales and the Puget Sound ecosystem will get a chance to participate in the annual discussion known as Puget Sound Day on the Hill. But this year the event will be called “2020 Virtual Puget Sound Days on the Hill,” as the talks go online. Online meetings with Washington’s congressional lawmakers will be held each Friday in June. Representatives Denny Heck and Derek Kilmer are June 5 speakers. Advanced registration for this event is required and will close 24 hours before the event, on Thursday, June 4 at 1 p.m. Register here for the June 5 session. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound institute)

For This Tribe, Saving a River Means Saving the Sturgeon
The Yakama Nation has been raising fish to release back into the Columbia River for more than a decade. Now, its hatchery is also producing caviar. Amelia Nierenberg reports. (NY Times)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  247 AM PDT Wed Jun 3 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH  THIS EVENIN    TODAY  W wind to 10 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt late in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft late in  the afternoon. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 13 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/2 Rattlesnake plantain, Trump's CWA, Site C dam, wildfires, starfish plague, Orca Month, mass extinctions, glass sponge reefs, PETA

Rattlesnake plantain [UBC Botanical Garden]

Rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
According to the "Doctrine of Signs," early settlers believed that because the markings om the leaves of the rattlesnake plantain resembled snakeskin markings, this plant could be used in treatment of rattlesnake bites. Presumably, it was also thought to resemble a plantain (Plantago major) because of the similarity of the flattened basal leaf rosettes. Stl'al'imx children used to make 'balloons' from the leaves by rubbing them until the top and bottom layers separated and then blowing through the stem to inflate them. Goodyera is named for John Goodyer, a 17th-century English botanist.

Trump Administration Limits States' Power To Stop Oil And Gas Pipelines
The Trump administration is removing a tool some Democratic states have used to block construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure, such as oil and gas pipelines. In recent years climate change activists encouraged states and tribes to exercise their power under section 401 of the Clean Water Act. It gives local authorities the right to review new projects to make sure they don’t harm local water. Jeff Brady reports. (NPR) See: Statement from Ecology Director Laura Watson on federal rule undermining Washington’s water quality   “This massive federal overreach under Section 401 is unprecedented. It is also illegal and indefensible – and it will not stand. We will work with Attorney General Bob Ferguson to defend our state’s authority to protect water quality for the environment and for the 7.5 million Washingtonians we serve.” (Dept of Ecology)

Site C set to 'move a river' to build mega dam in northern B.C.
BC Hydro is poised to divert part of a major river to build the $10 billion Site C mega dam in northern B.C. For years, the project faced vocal opposition and controversy. But now, Site C is just a few months away from rerouting the Peace River near Fort St John, a temporary measure that could last up to five years. Betsy Trumpener reports. (CBC)

As COVID-19 upends wildland firefighting, Pacific Northwest forests poised for conflagration
With summer still weeks away, Washington’s fire season is shaping up as onerous — and in this pandemic year, especially dangerous. Hotter than usual temperatures are forecast and more than half of the state is in or near drought. Summer fire forecasts for Washington and Oregon are the worst in the nation. And 2019 was a light fire year, leaving a particularly heavy buildup of underbrush that can fuel backcountry blazes this summer. Already this year, Washington has seen nearly triple the usual number of wildfires, said Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, who, as head of the Department of Natural Resources, leads the state’s wildfire response. While some of that uptick can be attributed to homebound residents’ enthusiasm for burning away brush in the countryside, the increase is worrisome. Levi Pulkkinen reports. (InvestigateWest)

Scientists tackle starfish plagues on endangered Great Barrier Reef
Upon first glance, the crown-of-thorns starfish looks a lot like an enemy creature you’d find in a nature-based video game. Long spikes cover its body, which can reach 2 1/2 feet in diameter. It’s somewhat reminiscent of a land mine, if a land mine had 14 to 21 movable arms. But its exterior isn’t nearly as intimidating as its appetite. By the time a crown-of-thorns matures at 4 months old, it eats live coral voraciously — up to its own body weight in one evening. Just one can consume 20 to 32 feet of living coral a year. Thirty of them per 2 1/2 acres can kill an entire reef’s coral. Allison Hirschlag reports. (Washington Post)

June is Orca Month
June is Orca Month in the Pacific Northwest! Orca Month is a chance to celebrate one of our region’s most iconic wildlife species, but also an opportunity to reflect on the plight of these fragile creatures. Orca Month raises awareness of endangered Southern Resident orcas and the need to help them recover to a healthy population. The celebration has taken many forms, from orca wine vintage dedications to orca songs, dances, and gubernatorial proclamations. For a month-long calendar, go to the Orca Action Month events page.

B.C. boat dealers report record-breaking sales amid COVID-19 restrictions
Jes McFarlen, knows how to handle the ebb and flow of life as a boat salesman. A sales manager for the Parksville Boathouse, the father of two has weathered his fair share of economic disruptions since he got his start in 2005....As other businesses struggle to stay afloat, McFarlen and other B.C. boat sellers say they have been buoyed by record sales, often running low on stock as mariners of all stripes and experience explore safe ways to get in a little recreation while following COVID-19 guidelines. With the Canadian government advising residents to avoid non-essential travel, McFarlen says families are dipping into reserves normally earmarked for all-inclusive getaways and instead are putting those savings toward a boat. than Sawyer reports. (CBC)

Mass Extinctions Are Accelerating, Scientists Report
We are in the midst of a mass extinction, many scientists have warned — this one driven not by a catastrophic natural event, but by humans. The unnatural loss of biodiversity is accelerating, and if it continues, the planet will lose vast ecosystems and the necessities they provide, including fresh water, pollination, and pest and disease control. On Monday, there was more bad news: We are racing faster and closer toward the point of collapse than scientists previously thought, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The extinction rate among terrestrial vertebrate species is significantly higher than prior estimates, and the critical window for preventing mass losses will close much sooner than formerly assumed — in 10 to 15 years. Rachel Nuwer reports. (NY Times)

Climate change an imminent threat to glass sponge reefs
Warming ocean temperatures and acidification drastically reduce the skeletal strength and filter-feeding capacity of glass sponges, according to new UBC research. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, indicate that ongoing climate change could have serious, irreversible impacts on the sprawling glass sponge reefs of the Pacific Northwest and their associated marine life—the only known reefs of their kind in the world. Sachi Wickramasinghe reports. (UBC/Phys.Org)

How PETA Won Its Messy Fight and Took a Seat at the Table
...PETA’s mode of making social change has always been to inspire shock and ignite boycotts. For years, we’ve watched videos of screaming animals and seen red paint splatter fur coats. With these in-your-face and highly visual tactics, the activists helped win the culture war over fur. But it’s been 15 years now since Anna Wintour was last dealt a tofu pie to the face. Behind closed doors, PETA has embarked on a mission of corporate diplomacy. These days, much of its activism involves organizing conference calls and sending forceful but respectful emails. Supporters don’t flood the streets as often as they flood Twitter. The famously loud group, now 40 years old, is operating more quietly. More brands than ever are listening. Jessica Testa reports. (NY Times)




Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  238 AM PDT Tue Jun 2 2020   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 8 seconds. Rain likely in the morning then rain in the  afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind to 10 kt becoming W 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 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

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6/1 Crossbill, quiet waters, WA hornet, Pt Wells, no BC cruise ships, science ed, wolverine, all-electric plane, econ restart, woodland sale

Crossbill

Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
A fascinating finch of coniferous woodlands, the Red Crossbill forages on nutritious seeds in pine, hemlock, Douglas-fir, and spruce cones. Their specialized bills allow them to break into unopened cones, giving them an advantage over other finch species. Because conifers produce seeds unpredictably, Red Crossbills sometimes wander (or “irrupt”) far beyond their usual range. They nest wherever and whenever they find abundant food, sometimes even in winter. Several types of Red Crossbill exist; they each have different calls, feed on particular conifer species, and might represent distinct species. (All About Birds)

The Coast strawberry profile in last Friday's posting brought the following reply from Don Norman of Go Natives! Nursery: "What wasn't clear in Mike's post about the Coast (or Beach) strawberry is that it blooms all spring and summer, which altered the local spring only blooming old varieties of strawberries, and allowed a year round harvest in many places like California where it can grow year round.  This put thousands of small local farms out of business, but made a lot of school kids happy (or unhappy) because they got out of school to pick in the spring."

Will orcas thrive in the coronavirus pandemic’s quieter waters? Scientists aim to find out  
The coronavirus pandemic has upended and refocused orca field research in Northwest waters this season. Some scientists are beached. Others are investigating the effect on endangered southern resident orcas of suddenly much quieter home waters in the Salish Sea, the transboundary waters between the United States and Canada including Puget Sound. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Whale watch industry sits dockside during COVID-19 pandemic  Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Salish Current) And also: Whales Get a Break from Watchers  Larry Pynn reports. (Hakai Magazine)

State’s first confirmed Asian giant hornet this year found in Whatcom County
Washington agriculture officials confirmed that a dead Asian giant hornet was found near  Custer in Whatcom County. (Bellingham Herald)

County staff urges ‘no’ on Point Wells development proposal
Snohomish County planners have again recommended against the approval of a developer’s longstanding plan to turn an industrial site on Puget Sound, south of Edmonds, into thousands of condos... Whether BSRE Point Wells gets the green light to develop the roughly 60-acre property in the most-southwest corner of the county is now up to Hearing Examiner Peter Camp, who denied an earlier version of the project in 2018. A decision could come this summer. Rachel Riley reports. (Everett Herald)

New cruise ship restrictions will mean big hit to B.C. economy, industry says
There will be no cruise season in Canada this year, an industry representative says, after the federal transport minister announced new restrictions on vessels' ability to sail in Canadian waters. On Friday, federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau announced further limits on vessels and extended restrictions until October as a measure to limit the spread of COVID-19. Liam Britten reports. (CBC)

Education Focus: Marine science education program undergoes changes
This spring, about 150 Skagit County students were expected to descend onto the mudflats of Padilla Bay to help document the presence of the spiral-shelled snail that dots the beach at low tide through the Kids on the Beach Program. With students sent home in March for their safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that didn’t happen...This spring, about 150 Skagit County students were expected to descend onto the mudflats of Padilla Bay to help document the presence of the spiral-shelled snail that dots the beach at low tide through the Kids on the Beach Program. With students sent home in March for their safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that didn’t happen. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

When a woman said she saw a wolverine on a Washington state beach, a wildlife official didn't believe her
When a woman told a wildlife official she thought she'd seen a wolverine on the beach of Washington state's Long Beach Peninsula they didn't believe her. The elusive creatures live in remote mountainous areas and any sightings -- let alone on a beach -- are rare, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Then she showed them a picture. In the May 23 snap, a furry animal with distinctive markings appears to be eating the carcass of a marine animal that washed ashore. Amanda Jackson reports. (CNN)

All-electric commuter plane begins flight testing in Moses Lake
A Cessna commuter plane retrofitted in Washington state has taken the crown of biggest all-electric airplane now flying. Redmond, Washington-based electric motor maker MagniX teamed up with flight testing contractor AeroTEC to convert a 10-passenger, single engine Cessna 208B Grand Caravan to fly on battery power. AeroTEC Chief Test Pilot Steve Crane wore his lucky ball cap -- a USC Trojans cap -- at the controls for the maiden flight on Thursday. He circled Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake for about 30 minutes before making a textbook landing. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Economic Giants Are Restarting. Here’s What It Means for Climate Change.
As countries begin rolling out plans to restart their economies after the brutal shock inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic, the three biggest producers of planet-warming gases — the European Union, the United States and China — are writing scripts that push humanity in very different directions. Europe this week laid out a vision of a green future, with a proposed recovery package worth more than $800 billion that would transition away from fossil fuels and put people to work making old buildings energy-efficient. In the United States, the White House is steadily slashing environmental protections and Republicans are using the Green New Deal as a political cudgel against their opponents. China has given a green light to build new coal plants but it also declined to set specific economic growth targets for this year, a move that came as a relief to environmentalists because it reduces the pressure to turn up the country’s industrial machine quickly. Somini Sengupta reports. (NY Times)

Neighbors oppose Everett’s possible sale of 92.5 wooded acres
A stretch of tranquil, wooded land is at the heart of a tempest for neighbors. A city proposal to declare 92.5 undeveloped acres as surplus, with the intent to sell it, has drawn opposition from residents in the adjacent Valley View neighborhood just east of I-5, which overlooks the Snohomish River valley. The property, a watershed named after Wood Creek, which runs through it, is two parcels, the smaller of which is not within the city. Snohomish County records show the property’s value is more than $14.6 million, but because much of it would be unsuited for development, the city’s appraisal is $3 million. Over the past two weeks, dozens of people have called and emailed city officials. An online petition started last Monday had 451 backers as of Sunday. Social media, including Facebook and NextDoor, have been hotbeds for organizing. Ben Watanabe reports. (Everett Herald)



Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  242 AM PDT Mon Jun 1 2020   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt rising to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon. W  swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.




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