6/22 Foxglove, Fraser chinook, border closure, spotted owl, butterflies, 'exploding whale,' sea otters, Trump's toxins

Foxglove

Digitalis
Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials commonly called foxgloves. The best-known species is the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. This biennial plant is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its vivid flowers which range in colour from various purple tints through pink, and purely white. The term digitalis is also used for drug preparations that contain cardiac glycosides, particularly one called digoxin, extracted from various plants of this genus. Foxglove has medicinal uses but can also be toxic to humans and other animals. (Wikipedia)

Ottawa announces 'unprecedented action' to protect Fraser River chinook
Expanded fishing closures and size restrictions are part of new actions announced by the federal government to protect threatened Fraser River chinook salmon. Terry Beech, parliamentary secretary to the fisheries minister, says large areas of the ocean near the mouth of the Fraser River will be closed to fishing and chinook that are more 80 centimetres long must be released. He says they're taking the unprecedented action because of historic low populations of chinook salmon, which are the favoured food of endangered southern resident killer whales. (CBC)

Whatcom jobs, families depend on an open U.S.-Canada border. Here’s the summer outlook
Fully reopening the U.S.-Canadian border is going to take time, and it will be even longer before cross-border shopping and visits recover. That’s one of the assessments made by a group of panelists during a Western Washington University presentation held via Zoom on Friday, June 19. Three experts talked about the future of the border in the presentation, which was moderated by Laurie Trautman, director at Western’s Border Policy Research Institute. Dave Gallagher reports. (Bellingham HeraldO\)

Tracking The Sound Of The Spotted Owl's Extinction
The spotted owl changed the fate of Northwest forests in the summer of 1990. Thirty years later, what hope, if any, do biologists hold for the fate of the spotted owl? Ian McCluskey writes. (OPB)

Citizen scientists fan out to identify, photograph local butterflies
A growing army of 200 citizen scientists will deploy across the Lower Mainland starting Monday, hoping to find and document local butterflies. The effort is part of National Pollinators Week and sponsored by the David Suzuki Foundation. It's part of the BIMBY program — short for butterflies in my backyard. According to project lead Winnie Hwo, volunteers were already busy in April, planting butterfly-friendly native plants to build a network or "butterflyway" that also supports birds and bees. (CBC)

‘Exploding Whale’ Park Memorializes Blubber Blast 50 Years Later
Residents of a coastal Oregon city voted to name a park for a 1970 explosion that rained chunks of rotting whale flesh on curious bystanders. Bryan Pietsch reports. (NY Times)

But does cuteness count? A cost-benefit analysis of sea otters encourages Oregon return backers
A study of sea otter restoration in British Columbia is giving encouragement to a group that wants to bring sea otters back to the Oregon Coast. A research report in the June 12 issue of the journal Science found that the return of sea otters yields far more in ecological benefits and ecotourism dollars than in costs to commercial fisheries. The research team led by the University of British Columbia analyzed the rebound in sea otters off the coast of Vancouver Island. The researchers wrote that the return of the keystone species from near-extinction resulted in healthier kelp forests, which in turn could store carbon and spur increased fish populations and catches. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Trump’s toxic torrent of environmental rollbacks impedes social justice
At this point, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the White House is pursuing a massive rollback of our nation’s environmental protections. Given everything going on in the world today, many people probably don’t realize that the most critical — and most egregious — of these rollbacks has been finalized just in the last three months. To put it bluntly, while our country wrestles with a devastating disease outbreak, a debilitating economic crisis, and an outpouring of anger and grief over racial injustice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies have quietly burned the midnight oil to complete a march of policies certain to worsen our health, damage our environment and leave a toxic legacy for our children. Laura Watson writes. (Seattle Times)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PDT Mon Jun 22 2020   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 10 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 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.

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6/19 Cattail, Peace Arch Park, MacKay Cr, Fish Geek, BC Ferries, Trump's rollbacks, national parks help, gas plant cleanup, 30-yr mortgage

Cattail

Cattail Typha latifolia
Coastal aboriginal peoples wove leaves of cattail and bulrushes into mats for bedding, sitting or kneeling on in canoes, as insulation for winter homes, or for capes, hats, blankets or bags. Cattail seed fluff was used as stuffing for pillows and mattresses, as a wound dressing and for diapers. Cattail provides important habitat and food for many marsh animals such as wrens, blackbirds, waterfowl and muskrats. (Plants of the Pacific NW Coast)

B.C. closing Peace Arch park at Canada-U.S. border due to 'significant' number of visitors 
The province of British Columbia is closing its portion of Peace Arch Park on the U.S.-Canada border, saying a "significant" increase in the number of visitors over the last month has created public safety concerns. The park has been a loophole for loved ones and families separated since the international border closed, providing a mutual cross-country meeting point between Surrey, B.C., and Blaine, Wash. The park straddles the 49th parallel and is a space shared by both Canada and the United States, where it is known as Peace Arch Historical State Park. B.C. Parks owns the northern half, while Washington State Parks owns the southern half. The U.S. portion of the park is still open for day use, according to the Washington State Parks website. (CBC)

Transformation of North Shore's MacKay Creek takes seven years 
Restoring MacKay Creek and estuary in North Vancouver has meant removing at least 16 tonnes of invasive species and debris since 2013. The transformation of the lower part of the creek has created a much more welcoming environment for many bird species as well as for coho, chum and pink salmon, according to Krystal Brennan, outreach coordinator for Wildcoast Ecological Society. The society, along with project partners Echo Ecological, still has more restoration work to do. On Sunday, they completed a video showing how the waterway has been transformed since BCIT students started working on the estuary. Kevin Griffin reports. (Vancouver Sun)

If you like to watch: The Natural History of the Fish Geek
As a playful Salish Sea Wild prescription for troubled times, Dr. Joe “Fish Geek” Gaydos and Bob “Attenborough” Friel present a lighthearted take on SeaDoc’s citizen science partnership with the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF).

Province bails out B.C. Ferries to stave off coastal ferry cuts
B.C.’s transportation minister abruptly reversed course Thursday and found the necessary funding to prevent cuts to ferry sailings on the coast. Claire Trevena said Thursday that government will pay for sailings that were slated to be eliminated on 11 minor routes, after a standoff in recent weeks between the province and B.C. Ferries over funding...The province currently provides B.C. Ferries almost $200 million annually to help run the coastal ferry system, with ticket fares, retail sales and a small subsidy from Ottawa making up the rest of the corporation’s revenue. The new funding, around $180,000, will temporarily stave off the cuts to 11 coastal routes until September. After that, Trevena said the hope is B.C. Ferries’ finances will have stabilized and it can resume operations without the extra money. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Trump Is Using the Pandemic to Undo Environmental Rules. It’s Hurting Black Americans.
Under the cover of the pandemic, the Trump administration has been hard at work dismantling the rules that protect public health...These rollbacks do not affect everyone equally—they’re particularly devastating for people of color. Rebecca Leber reports. (Mother Jones)

US Senate Passes Funding Boost To Conservation Fund, Help For National Parks
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would further protect public lands and recreation across the country. The legislation would also help relieve a massive maintenance backlog on federal lands... The Great American Outdoors Act would permanently allocate $900 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which finally lapsed almost two years ago. Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell pushed to fully authorize the fund at $900 million per year. That would nearly double the fund’s allotment in recent years. Last year, she co-sponsored a bill to permanently reauthorize the fund. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

These are the next steps in proposed cleanup of former gas plant at Boulevard Park
Public comments will be accepted through July 21 for a proposed $9.3 million cleanup of pollutants left behind by a former gas manufacturing plant and other historic industries on the north end of Boulevard Park. An online public meeting for the project for the South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Site has been set for 6 p.m. Thursday, June 25. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald) And if you like to watch: Take a self-guided tour of the South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Site and make a public comment on the cleanup action plan.  (RE Sources)

Rising Seas Threaten an American Institution: The 30-Year Mortgage
Climate change is starting to transform the classic home loan, a fixture of the American experience and financial system that dates back generations. Christopher Flavelle reports. (NY Times)



Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  259 AM PDT Fri Jun 19 2020   
TODAY  W 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 11 seconds. A slight chance of showers  in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds. Showers  likely in the evening then showers after midnight. 
SAT  E wind to 10 kt becoming S in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 10 seconds. Showers in the morning  then a chance of showers in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 10 seconds. 
SUN  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 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.

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6/18 Horsetail, shellfish permit, Kay Treakle, TM oil spill, helping salmon, BC ferries, Salish Sea stewards

Common horsetail [US Forest Service]

Common Horsetail Equisetum arvense
An herbaceous perennial relative of ferns, common horsetail consists of two types of stems; sterile, non- reproductive and photosynthetic, and reproductive and non- photosynthetic. Common horsetail is distributed throughout temperate and arctic areas of the northern hemisphere, growing typically in moist soils.  It has a long history of cultural use with Native Americans and ancient Roman and Chinese physicians using it to treat a variety of ailments. It is still of interest today as an herbal remedy because of its purported effectiveness as a diuretic. Robinson Sudan writes. (US Forest Service)

Washington shellfish growers reeling after judge throws out general permit
A federal judge has thrown out a general permit for the shellfish industry in Washington that has reduced the regulatory burden on them for decades. Now, growers will have to apply individually to continue existing operations. And an industry group is planning to appeal. Criticism of the commercial shellfish industry in Washington’s tidelands has been mounting for years, because of concerns about its impacts on the iconic coastal waters and ecosystems. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX) See also: Farmed Shellfish Is Not Immune to Climate Change  Touted as a sustainable source of protein, shellfish aquaculture may reach a tipping point by 2060. Kimberly Riskas reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Kay Treakle took on oil tankers and nuclear reactors. Cancer took the Tacoma activist too soon.
Kay Treakle, according to her longtime husband, Bruce Hoeft, was fearless and funny. Blunt and unflinching. Strategic and whip smart. Tireless, empathetic and a constant advocate for the underdog. Treakle, an accomplished and steadfast environmental activist who died June 10 at the age of 65 after a two-year battle with liver cancer, was also unquestionably Tacoma, until the very end, Hoeft explained. “She just wanted to get (expletive) done, always,” Hoeft, said Tuesday, channeling a small slice of his wife’s no-nonsense style. Matt Driscoll reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Trans Mountain oil spill bolsters Sumas First Nation opposition to twinned pipeline
An oil spill at a Trans Mountain pipeline pump station in Abbotsford, B.C., over the weekend has bolstered the Sumas First Nation's opposition to seeing the pipeline twinned through its territory.... Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver said trust is stretched thin and that the spill response co-ordination has been frustrating. "It's not going all that well as far as Indigenous involvement in a territory that we look at as unceded territory," he said.  He said since learning about the spill on Saturday morning it's been a challenge to get independent monitors on-site. He's also concerned about how and when details are being communicated to the Nation.  Chantelle Bellrichard reports. (CBC)

Everything counts when helping young salmon survive their risky journey to the sea
Chris Dunagan follows up with more reporting on salmon survival, the Seattle seawall, a fish ladder on the Green River's Howard Hansen Dam, and the history of the 'no net loss' policy of wetlands and critical shoreline habitats. (Puget Sound Institute)

The scramble to help Chinook salmon past landslide danger zone
One of the most important food sources for the Northwest’s endangered orcas was devastated by a rockslide last year, Canadian officials have revealed. Officials are now scrambling to help this year’s Chinook salmon migrate past the danger zone on Canada’s Fraser River to avoid a repeat of last year’s disaster. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Transport minister unhappy with B.C. Ferries' plans to cut sailings
A plan by B.C. Ferries to cut sailings on many minor routes is unfortunate and premature, B.C.’s transportation minister says. Claire Trevena is calling on the company to put a hold on the cuts to 11 routes — including to her home on Quadra Island — as it negotiates with the provincial and federal governments...B.C. Ferries is targeting the most underutilized sailings on the 11 routes — Salt Spring/Vesuvius–Crofton, Earls Cove–Saltery Bay, Snug Cove–Horseshoe Bay, Powell River–Comox, Powell River–Texada, Nanaimo–Gabriola, Denman and Hornby islands, Campbell River–Quadra Island, Quadra–Cortes, and Skidegate–Alliford Bay on Haida Gwaii. The ferry corporation has not indicated when it intends to make the cuts. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Newest Salish Sea Stewards at the ready — and waiting
The popular volunteer training program that prepares participants for summer beach, boat and education work was held remotely this year due to the pandemic. Despite it marking the first time Salish Sea Stewards trainees didn't get their feet muddy or hands wet during the program, 22 new volunteers completed the 40 hours of lessons last week.   They join the roster of now hundreds of Salish Sea Stewards at the ready for projects including kayaking to monitor kelp, digging to monitor shellfish, seining beaches to evaluate marine life at restoration sites and staffing the visitor center at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  225 AM PDT Thu Jun 18 2020   
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 3  ft at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 12 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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6/17 Canarygrass, border closure, SRKW hunting, BC gas pipe, rising emissions, energy overhaul, manure

Ree canarygrass

Reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea
Reed canarygrass typically occurs in soils that are saturated or nearly saturated for most of the growing season. Established stands can tolerate extended periods of inundation. It grows in roadside ditches, river dikes, shallow marshes, wetlands and meadows.  Canarygrass is a major threat to natural wetlands. It out competes most native species as it forms large, single-species stands, outcompeting other species. Dense stands have little wildlife habitat value. Its invasion can cause siltation in irrigation ditches. Reed canarygrass can spread by seeds or by creeping rhizomes. The species will also produce roots and shoots from the nodes of freshly cut stems. (Washington Toxic Weed Control)

Canada-U.S. border to remain closed to non-essential travel for another month
An agreement has once again been reached between Canada and the United States to keep the border closed to all non-essential or "discretionary" travel for another month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced. The extension on the existing agreement means that the border restrictions will stay in place until July 21, even as both countries continue to reopen their economies. Brooklyn Neustaeter (CTVNews)

Sound Strategy: Hunting with the Southern Residents
Southern Resident killer whales can tell a lot about salmon using only sound. This is especially interesting to Marla Holt, who studies how integral sound is to the lives of Southern Resident killer whales. Indeed, it’s critical to their hunting abilities. It is so precise that the whales can tell one species of fish from another. Their hunting is also easily interrupted by noise. Along with disturbance from boat traffic, noise is considered one of the key threats to these endangered whales. (NOAA Fisheries)

Coastal GasLink ramps up pipeline work, 4 months after Wet'suwet'en land conflict sparked rail blockades
Coastal GasLink is ramping up construction across northern B.C, just months after a high profile conflict over Wet'suwet'en land rights sparked RCMP raids on the pipeline route and rail blockades across the country. Now, the company says about 2,500 people will be putting pipe in the ground by September, along the 670 kilometre route, from the gas fields of northeastern B.C. to the Pacific. The $6.6 billion Coastal GasLink pipeline will carry natural gas to a $40 billion LNG terminal under construction in Kitimat, representing one of the largest private sector investments in Canadian history. Betsy Trumpener reports. (CBC)

Emissions Are Surging Back as Countries and States Reopen
After a drastic decline this spring, global greenhouse gas emissions are now rebounding sharply, scientists reported, as countries relax their coronavirus lockdowns and traffic surges back onto roads. It’s a stark reminder that even as the pandemic rages, the world is still far from getting global warming under control. Brad Plumer and Nadja Popovich report. (NY Times)

Absent From Stimulus Packages: Overhauling Energy, Climate Programs
Around the world leaders see opportunity in the global pandemic to address the other big problem humanity faces: climate change. The United Nations and International Energy Agency suggest all nations consider climate when drafting stimulus plans. The European Union is developing a plan that does that. But here in the United States, climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions have not been a part of the $3 trillion in relief packages passed so far. That’s despite the country’s history of passing big energy programs to boost the economy. Jeff Brady reports. (NPR)

B.C. fossil discovery demonstrates 50-million-year-old link between Canada and Australia
An insect fossil found near Kamloops, B.C., has researchers questioning the global movement of animals and evolutionary changes based on climate.  The fossil, estimated to be 50 million years old, was found in B.C., but its closest relatives now live exclusively in Australia. This has experts contemplating a Canada-Australia connection that had not been considered.  "I'm starting to see insects which are shared with Australia today and that's a little bit harder to explain, that's more mysterious," said paleontologist Bruce Archibald, who discovered the fossil. "Australia was not connected by land with B.C. [at that time]." (CBC)

Turning manure into money
Farmers and utilities are burning methane for energy — and curtailing a powerful greenhouse gas in the process. Jim Morrison reports. (Washington Post)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  229 AM PDT Wed Jun 17 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 6 ft at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  5 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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6/16 Skunk cabbage, BC salmon, BC old-growth, BC forestry watchdog

Skunk cabbage

Skunk cabbage
Skunk cabbage is a perennial wildflower that grows in swampy, wet areas of forest lands. This unusual plant sprouts very early in the spring, and has an odd chemistry that creates its own heat, often melting the snow around itself as it first sprouts in the spring. (Gardening Knowhow)

Governments commit $3M to projects restoring B.C. salmon habitat
The B.C. and federal governments have announced funding for seven projects that will help restore salmon habitats in the province. The projects will receive $3 million over five years under the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund. New applications for the funding will be accepted from July 15 to Sept. 15. The projects will help salmon get upstream to reach spawning grounds, provide new information about their habits and populations, and contribute to ongoing efforts to have healthy salmon populations in the Pacific. (Canadian Press)

Scientists say the last of British Columbia’s old-growth trees will soon be gone, if policies don’t change 
Most of British Columbia’s old-growth forests of big trees live only on maps, and what’s left on the ground is fast disappearing, a team of independent scientists has found. A recent report revealed the amount of old-growth forest still standing in the province has been overestimated by more than 20% and most of the last of what’s left is at risk of being logged within the next 12 years. In the report, the scientists revealed most of the forest counted as old growth by the province is actually small alpine or boggy forest. It’s old — but the trees are not the giants most people think of when they are referring to old growth. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

B.C.’s forestry watchdog needs greater independence, ‘new path forward’: former board members
The 25-year-old institution must better address Indigenous Rights, climate change and the public interest, critics say. It’s up for the challenge, board chair promises. Stephanie Wood reports. (The Narwhal)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  228 AM PDT Tue Jun 16 2020   
TODAY  Light wind becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 2 ft or less in the afternoon. W  swell 7 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of showers in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 10 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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6/15 Dogwood, TM pipe spill, anchovies, reusable bags, plastic everywhere, rat poison, climate science, sea otters

Pacific Dogwood [Native Plants PNW]

Pacific Dogwood Cornus nuttallii
Dogwood is found from southwest British Columbia, western Washington and Oregon and on the west slopes of the Californian mountain ranges. Natives used the hard, dried wood for harpoon shafts and other implements.  The wood has also been used to make thread spindles, golf club heads and piano keys. It was named after Thomas Nuttall, an English botanist and zoologist. (Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest)

Trans Mountain Pipeline spill in Abbotsford estimated at up to 190,000 litres of crude oil
A spill of light crude oil on Saturday from the Trans Mountain Pipeline in Abbotsford, B.C. has now been estimated at between 150,000 to 190,000 litres, or up to 1,195 barrels. Trans Mountain says the pipeline was immediately shut down after learning of a spill at its Sumas Pump Station early Saturday morning.  It says the spill was confined to the facility's property and no waterways were impacted. (CBC)

How blooms of northern anchovies are helping bring more sea life back to Burrard Inlet
It's not easy to spot northern anchovies in murky sea water, but a school of these 10-centimetre-long fish can often set off a frenzy of hungry seabirds and sea mammals that reveals their underwater dance. The sight of anchovy scales catching the glint of the sun is becoming more common in B.C. waters, marine biologists say, and that could be drawing other, bigger species back to busy waterways like the Burrard Inlet in Metro Vancouver. Yvette Brend reports. (CBC)

Reusable bags slowly return to B.C. stores as plastic ones used during pandemic pile up
One of the unexpected consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was the sudden pause imposed on the increasingly widespread acceptance and usage of reusable bags. But as some stores across B.C. are once again allowing shoppers to use their own bags to pack their groceries, returning to a habit many had before the height of the pandemic has been slow. Provincial officials lifted guidelines advising against reusable bags seven weeks ago, but some stores and shoppers have yet to return to the bring-your-own-bag routine.  Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

From national parks to the deep sea, plastic pollution is showing up wherever scientists look
In 2017, Janice Brahney was examining dust that had blown across the wilderness of the Western United States to determine its nutrient composition. She slid her samples under a microscope, expecting to see the usual quartz and feldspar grains, pollen and random bug parts. Instead, what leaped from the lens were candy-colored shards and spherules — blue, pink and red plastics mixed with the dust like foul confetti. John Metcalfe reports. (Washington Post)

North Vancouver district to vote on banning rat poison over fears of impact on wildlife
District of North Vancouver council is voting to ban the use of rodenticides on its municipal properties because of the threat it poses to local wildlife. Council will vote on the ban Monday, and urge the province to consider B.C.-wide prohibition of anticoagulant rodenticides. Rat poison has been widely criticised for how it moves through the food chain after it's ingested by a rat. Trace amounts are found in local wildlife and can be harmful to predators like owls, according to a council report. Jon Hernandez reports. (CBC)


A War Against Climate Science, Waged by Washington’s Rank and File
Efforts to undermine climate change science in the federal government, once orchestrated largely by President Trump’s political appointees, are now increasingly driven by midlevel managers trying to protect their jobs and budgets and wary of the scrutiny of senior officials, according to interviews and newly revealed reports and surveys. Lisa Friedman reports. (NY Times)

What Happens When Sea Otters Eat 15 Pounds of Shellfish A Day 
Sea otter populations are rebounding in the eastern North Pacific. There, they devour huge quantities of shellfish and other marine critters that people like to eat, too. But any commercial losses to fisheries are far outweighed by economic benefits associated with the otters, according to a new study. The analysis, published in the journal Science, suggests that when sea otters return to their historic habitats, they fundamentally alter the ecosystem and produce financial gains that are potentially more than seven times greater than the costs. Nell Greenfieldboyce reports. (NPR)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  248 AM PDT Mon Jun 15 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING   
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming W 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 4 ft at 7 seconds. Rain  in the morning then showers likely in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 2 ft o




--
"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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6/12 Dogfish, Nuu-hhah-nulth land, 2nd hornet, Wood Creek trees, sea otters, tompot blennies

Pacific spiny dogfish

Pacific Spiny Dogfish Squalus suckleyi
Pacific spiny dogfish are more common off the U.S. West Coast and British Columbia than in the Gulf of Alaska or the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands region. Spiny dogfish can live more than 80 years. Spiny dogfish aren’t able to reproduce until they’re older – females mature at an average age of 35, males mature at an average age of 19. Female spiny dogfish are internally fertilized, and pups are retained in utero for 18 to 22 months. Depending on their size, female spiny dogfish can have up to 22 pups each reproductive cycle. Females generally release their young during the fall in shallow bays. The newborn pups range in length from 8½ to 12 inches. (NOAA)
 
Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council refusing to reopen territory until specific COVID-19 protocols in place
A Vancouver Island First Nation has issued an order aimed at protecting its members from COVID-19, just as the B.C. government is making plans to reopen tourism. On Tuesday, the Nuu-hhah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC), representing 14 First Nations along 300 kilometres of territory, passed a motion prohibiting visitors on Nuu-hhah-nulth land until the health and safety of its own members can be guaranteed by the province. Bridgette Watson reports. (CBC)

2nd confirmed Asian giant hornet this year found 15 miles from 1st location
Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture reported today that the 2nd confirmed sighting of an Asian giant hornet (AGH) this year has been made. Officials say a resident in Bellingham reported finding what they suspected to be an AGH on Saturday, June 6th. WSDA officials said the resident found it on their porch wiggling around and stepped on it. (My Ferndale News)

Everett yanks Wood Creek acreage from surplus property list
The Wood Creek watershed will remain in its natural state for now. People rallied to keep 92½ acres of city-owned land just south of the Valley View neighborhood off the surplus property list last month. Mayor Cassie Franklin removed it May 27 during the Everett City Council meeting in response to public comment, city spokesperson Kimberley Cline said in an email. Ben Watanabe reports. (Everett Herald)

Sea Otters Can Be Money Makers, But Not Everyone Benefits
Sea otter populations are rebounding in the eastern North Pacific. There, they devour huge quantities of shellfish and other marine critters that people like to eat, too. But any commercial losses to fisheries are far outweighed by economic benefits associated with the otters, according to a new study. The analysis, published in the journal Science, suggests that when sea otters return to their historic habitats, they fundamentally alter the ecosystem and produce financial gains that are potentially more than seven times greater than the costs. Nell Greenfieldboyce reports. (NPR)

One Great Shot: Fighting to Mate
These British fish aren’t too polite to duke it out for mating rights. Henley Spiers writes. (Hakai Magazine)



Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  246 AM PDT Fri Jun 12 2020   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 10 seconds. Rain in the  morning then a chance of rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of  showers. 
SAT  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. Showers likely. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  3 ft at 8 seconds. 
SUN  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft at 8 seconds.




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