7/9 Poison hemlock, forest threats, BC LNG, Site C dam, Hawaii reef threat

Poison hemlock [WA State NWCB]

Salish Sea News and Weather will take tomorrow off and be back on Monday.

Poison Hemlock Conium maculatum
Poison hemlock is a very tall biennial plant that can grow up to 12 feet in height. It grows into a rosette the first year--a cluster of leaves growing on the ground and then flowering stems the next year. Poison hemlock prefers rich, moist soil, but is highly adaptable to other conditions. (WA State Noxious Weed Control Board)

Northwest Forest Threats Include Climate Change, Insects, Disease And Wildfire 
Pacific Northwest forests face increased threats from severe wildfires, insects, disease and climate change, according to a new assessment released Wednesday by the U.S. Forest Service. The Bioregional Assessment evaluated 19 national forests and grasslands across the Pacific Northwest. It found that the Northwest Forest Plan and other directives were not fully achieving desired outcomes when it comes to the forests’ potential social, economic and ecological benefits. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Fortis B.C. Delta LNG expansion proposal under environment scrutiny
Fortis B.C. wants to expand the small liquefied natural gas plant on Tilbury Island in Delta, which has already begun exporting a trickle of the hydrocarbon offshore while LNG Canada has just begun construction of its massive $18-billion export facility at Kitimat. Fortis B.C.’s $3-billion project, which would involve a more-than-10-fold expansion from its existing production, would still be a fraction of LNG Canada’s proposed output. But the Phase 2 expansion would increase LNG storage capacity at Tilbury, which Fortis B.C. views as necessary, and could potentially tap into rising demand for LNG as fuel for ships, said Ian Finke, director of LNG operations for Fortis B.C. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

BC Hydro’s Site C dam report months overdue, fuelling concerns about more cost overruns
The Site C dam was declared an ‘essential service’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing construction to continue, but now the B.C. government says the coronavirus is responsible for a long-delayed report — in a move critics call ‘specious.’ Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Snowberry
Yesterday's item on the snowberry brought a note from Don Norman: "I have a lot of snowberry in my yard, and it is always an issue, as the plants are very invasive, and can get monstrously huge!  But, the thickets can be really good for towhees and other ground nesters.  But the real reason I put up with snowberry is that it flowers all through the summer and provides nectar for almost every bee or beneficial wasp.  That makes having the bush by my back door always pruned for flowering, so I can hear the buzzing from the kitchen. So what eats the berries?  They hang and turn brown.  The only times I have observed birds eating the berries are in the late winter when it is really cold, and I think it is for the water content.  If you've seen birds eat snowberry fruit, please note the time of year, whether it was really cold or really dry.  Were the birds juveniles?  And let me know at gonatives@gmail.com"

The Latest Threat To Hawaii’s Coral Reefs: A New, Aggressive Algae Species
Researchers are warning that an aggressive algae species recently discovered in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands may eventually threaten coral reefs and sea life throughout Hawaii. The algae, dubbed Chondria tumulusa, was first spotted during a routine 2016 survey at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. By 2019, the algae had “covered large expanses on the northeast side of the atoll with mat-like, extensive growth,” smothering much of the coral in the area, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal PLOS ONE. Marcel Honore reports. (Civil Beat)




Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  238 AM PDT Thu Jul 9 2020   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 7 seconds. A chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 8 seconds.




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

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7/8 Snowberry, Keystone, grizzlies, Jordan Cove, June heat, BC LNG pipe, single-use straw, humpbacks, rainforest park, green Canada

Snowberry [Native Plants of the PNW]

Snowberry Symphoricarppos albus
Common Snowberry is found from southeast Alaska to southern California; all across the northern United States and the Canadian provinces. Snowberries are high in saponins, which are poorly absorbed by the body.  Although they are largely considered poisonous, (given names like ‘corpse berry’ or ‘snake’s berry’), some tribes ate them fresh or dried them for later consumption.  The berries were used as a shampoo to clean hair.  Crushed berries were also rubbed on the skin to treat burns, warts, rashes and sores; and rubbed in armpits as an antiperspirant.  Various parts were infused and used as an eyewash for sore eyes.  A tea made from the roots was used for stomach disorders; a tea made from the twigs was used for fevers.  Branches were tied together to make brooms.  Bird arrows were also made from the stems. Symphori- means “bear together;” –carpos means fruits– referring to the clustered fruits.  Albus meaning white. (Native Plants of the PNw)

US Supreme Court Deals Blow to Keystone Oil Pipeline Project
The U.S. Supreme Court has handed another blow to the disputed Keystone XL pipeline from Canada by keeping in place a lower court ruling that blocked a key permit for the project. Canadian company TC Energy needs the permit to continue building the long-disputed pipeline across U.S. rivers and streams. Without it, the project that has been heavily promoted by President Donald Trump faces more delay just as work on it had finally begun this year following years of courtroom battles. Monday's Supreme Court order also put on hold an earlier court ruling out of Montana as it pertains to other oil and gas pipelines across the nation. Matthew Brown reports. (AP) Judge rejects Dakota Access request for emergency order  A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request for an emergency order to delay the process of shutting down the Dakota Access pipeline while attorneys appeal a ruling to shutter the pipeline during the course of an environmental review. (AP) Legal and Environmental Setbacks Stymie Pipelines Nationwide  (NY Times)

Federal Government Gives Up Grizzly Bear Reintroduction In North Cascades
The federal government on Tuesday decided to scrap plans to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem in Washington state. U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt told a meeting of community members in Omak, Washington, that his agency will not conduct the environmental impact statement needed to move forward with the plan. “The Trump Administration is committed to being a good neighbor, and the people who live and work in north central Washington have made their voices clear that they do not want grizzly bears,” Bernhardt said in a news release. Nicholas Geranios reports. (AP)

Landowners Seek Court Order To Kill, Or At Least Stall, Jordan Cove Pipeline Project
In March, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, gave a provisional go-ahead to the proposed pipeline and liquefied natural gas export terminal in southwest Oregon. Pembina — the Canadian corporation which wants to build the project – can’t begin construction until it gets several other permits. But Deb Evans and other landowners whose property is in the path of the proposed pipeline fear Pembina could use eminent domain to take their property while legal challenges to the project await court action. Liam Moriarty reports. (Jefferson Public Radio)

Unprecedented heat in Siberia pushed planet to warmest June on record, tied with last year
June 2020 tied for the planet’s warmest on record, closely matching the anomalously toasty temperatures observed globally during June last year. But one region in particular saw heat virtually off the charts — Siberia. Uncharacteristically warm weather and at least one instance of triple-digit heat thawed vast stretches the Arctic, contributing to a flare-up in wildfires and melting away permafrost in a process set to accelerate the pace of human-induced climate change. Matthew Cappucci reports. (Washington Post)

B.C. orders Coastal GasLink to stop pipeline construction near protected wetlands
After the Unist’ot’en and Gidimt’en Clans of the Wet’suwet’en Nation flagged concerns, the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office found Coastal GasLink failed to follow its wetlands management plan. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Single-use straw ban in Port Townsend gets preliminary nod
The Port Townsend City Council has unanimously approved on first reading a ban of the sale and use of plastic straws or stirrers, except for exempt locations, an action urged by a student group. The council approved the measure Monday evening. Final approval will be considered upon a second reading of the proposed ordinance. The ban, if approved on its second reading, would go into effect Jan. 1 and would ban food service industries from providing single-use plastic straws and stirrers to customers in favor of other alternatives such as paper, biodegradable or reusable straws. Ken Park reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

On Knowing the Winged Whale
Humpbacks are some of the most watched whales in the world, and yet so much of their lives remains a mystery. Bruce Grierson reports. (Hakai Magazine)

B.C. First Nation secures funding for multi-million-dollar project in ancient rainforest park
A new injection of government money is helping a B.C. First Nation start an ambitious project in the world's only inland temperate rainforest. The Lheidli T'enneh Nation, whose traditional territories stretch from Prince George to the Alberta border, announced Monday that both the provincial and federal government are contributing funds toward an $8.7 million development project the nation is planning in the Ancient Forest Provincial Park, or Chun T'oh Whudujut in the local Lheidli language. Chun T'oh Whudujut is located 120 kilometres east of Prince George, and according to B.C. Parks, covers an area of over 11,000 hectares, including 685 hectares of protected land. (CBC)

A green COVID-19 recovery: how Canada can chart a sustainable path forward for the economy
New report from Canada’s leading environmental groups lays out a roadmap for recovery that ties federal support to emissions reductions, prioritizes worker training and addresses longstanding inequalities. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  258 AM PDT Wed Jul 8 2020   
TODAY  Light wind becoming NW to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of  showers. 
TONIGHT  NW wind 5 to 15 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 2 ft at 10 seconds. Showers likely.




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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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7/7 Henbane, AK orcas, Dakota pipe, BC sport fishers, BC LNG, Alberta coal, Trudeau's border, Bioblitz!, whale strike

Henbane [WA St. Noxious Wed Control Board]

Henbane Hyoscyamus niger
Hyoscyamus niger is an herbaceous annual or biennial with a gray‐green color that grows to around 3.3 feet tall. It has a foul odor and is covered in sticky, glandular hairs. It is commonly found in disturbed and overgrazed areas including riparian areas, roadsides, fence rows, waste areas, pastures, meadows, abandoned gardens, and other non‐crop areas. Hyoscyamus niger was introduced to the United States as a cultivated medicinal and ornamental plant from Europe, likely in the 17th century. From Western Washington, the earliest online collection is from King County, Washington, collected in 1938, from a newly seeded lawn (WTU 17494). Overall, most records and observations of H. niger are from eastern Washington. (Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board)

The Alaskans Are Coming
Underwater recordings confirm that a new killer whale population is poking its head into British Columbia. Larry Pynn reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Court Rules Dakota Access Pipeline Must Be Emptied For Now
A federal judge has ruled that the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline must be emptied for now while the Army Corps of Engineers produces an environmental review. In a decision posted Monday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said that it was clear shutting down the pipeline will cause disruption. But he said "the seriousness of the Corps' deficiencies outweighs the negative effects of halting the oil flow" during the estimated 13 months it will take to complete the environmental impact statement. Laurel Wamsley reports. (NPR)

Recreational anglers rally against chinook fishery closures
An angling advocacy group rallied outside the Vancouver offices of Fisheries and Oceans Canada on Monday to protest restrictions on the recreational salmon fishery on B.C.'s South Coast. On June 19, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced that because of the presence of endangered Fraser chinook, recreational fishers would not be permitted to keep any chinook until July 15 in most areas and until Aug.1 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and southern Strait of Georgia. Last year, the fishery was also shut down but for a shorter period of time. (CBC)

B.C. eyes emissions trading to offset effects of LNG development, government documents show
Province considers trading under Paris Agreement a ‘priority’ to ensure it can push forward with industrial development and meet its climate commitments. But the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed international negotiations on trading rules, creating uncertainty on if and when this will be possible. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Bringing coal back
In a desperate economic moment, Alberta is abruptly reshaping a decades-old balance in the Rockies and Foothills, chasing opportunity in the volatile market of coal exports, at the risk of the very land that defines the province and its people. Robson Fletcher, Drew Anderson and Jordan Omstead report. (CBC)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Won’t Cross the Border for Washington Summit
Mr. Trudeau was invited to the meeting this week to celebrate the official start of a new trade deal. But as Canada’s coronavirus preventer-in-chief, he hardly could go, experts said. Catherine Porter reports. (NY Times)

The Salish Sea BioBlitz!
Georgia Strait Alliance and Ocean Bridge host the Salish Sea BioBlitz: A BioBlitz is a form of citizen-science where community members try to identify as many species as they can in a short period of time. This helps give us a snapshot of an area’s diversity of wildlife, or biodiversity. Hosted through iNaturalist, the virtual program is accompanied by a series of webinars this week that explore different aspects of biodiversity in the Salish Sea, including Indigenous knowledge, intersectional identity and barriers to blue spaces, as well as all our favourite critters: from the intertidal to birds to marine mammals! Click here to register.

Washington State ferry may have struck and injured whale near Mukilteo
The humpback surfaced feet in front of the ferry, which could not stop, WSF said. Nearby whale watchers said the animal was injured and may have died. Ted Land reports. (KING)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  234 AM PDT Tue Jul 7 2020   
TODAY  Light wind becoming W 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 2 ft at 15 seconds. A chance of  showers. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of  showers in the evening then a slight chance of showers after  midnight.




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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

7/6 Devil's Club, monitoring, Pilchuck dam, city geese, Black birders, San Juan ferries, Mason Co gravel, clam garden, sewage clues, Nancy DeVaux

Devil's Club [Native Plants of the PNW]

Devil's Club Oplopanax horridus
Devil’s Club was, and still is, an important medicinal herb for many native tribes.  The greenish, inner bark of the roots was the part most often used.  It was chewed or boiled to treat many ailments, including aches and pains (especially due to arthritis), sores and wounds, colds and flu, digestive disorders, lung ailments, cancer, diabetes and before and after childbirth.  It was also used for cleansing.  The inner bark was chewed during purification or power-seeking rituals by hunters, warriors and shamans.  The ash of stems was mixed with grease to rub on swellings and to make a reddish brown tattoo paint used by dancers.  The berries are considered poisonous but have been mashed, rubbed into a foam on the scalp to combat lice and dandruff, and to make the hair shiny.  The wood has been used to make lures and hooks for fishing.  Bark shavings were mixed with different berries to make paint or basket dye. The young, spring buds were sometimes boiled and eaten.  The spiny stems were used as protective charms against supernatural powers.  Devil’s Club was considered an all around good luck plant! (Native Plants of the PNW)

Boots on the ground: Local scientists resume modified field work
After spending spring indoors because of a global pandemic, scientists recently resumed some boots-on-the-ground field work in Skagit County. Staff of local nonprofits, Native American tribes and government agencies are again monitoring water quality, wildlife and plant growth along muddy intertidal shorelines and forested stream sides. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

A major fish barrier on the Pilchuck River is coming down
The blue-green waters of the upper Pilchuck River are ideal habitat for some of Puget Sound’s most endangered salmon. Large conifer trees line the banks, keeping the water shady and cool, while fallen trunks provide “hidey spots” for juvenile salmon to grow. The land upstream is mostly working forest, protecting the river from residential contamination. But much of this pristine habitat, a third of the entire Pilchuck River, is blocked by a 10 foot high by 60 foot wide hunk of concrete...Preparations to remove the major barrier to fish begin next week. Julia-Grace Sanders reports. (Everett Herald)

Why are there so many geese in Metro Vancouver?
You can't miss them as they strut around Metro Vancouver: hefty birds sporting brown and black feathers with white chin straps as they congregate in noisy gaggles. Yes, they're Canada geese — but why are they crowding parks, beaches, the seawall and even crossing busy streets? Urban biodiversity planner Jennifer Rae Pierce told The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn the geese were re-introduced to the area in the 1970s to boost the population for hunting and consumption purposes.  But, unlike their native cousins, Pierce said these geese don't migrate. Ashley Moliere reports. (CBC)

The tale of the Black birders and ruffled feathers on Facebook
When Armand Lucas goes out looking for birds, he doesn’t immediately bring his binoculars to his face...Lucas is an environmental scientist who works for a very large Seattle company. When he moved here from the East Coast about a year and a half ago, he wanted to connect with the local birding community. So he joined a Facebook group called Western Washington Birders, which has more than 10,000 members. Deborah Wang reports. (KUOW)

Necessary travel: ferries’ winter schedule in summer brings travel delays for locals, visitors in San Juans
On a regular summer-schedule day, a full Washington State Ferries (WSF) vessel approaches the Friday Harbor terminal, efficiently unloads walk-on passengers and cars, and reloads new riders for the return trip in around 35–40 minutes. This is “dwell time,” and it is factored into the overall arrival and departure schedule for the day to keep ferries running on time. Currently, several COVID-shutdown related factors require WSF to continue running on a limited schedule even as summer travel increases, creating travel delays and raising as-yet unanswerable questions about when things may change. Genevieve Iverson reports. (Salish Current)

Mason County officials accused of illegal actions related to proposed gravel mine
In a class-action lawsuit filed against Mason County, a dozen North Mason property owners claim that County Commissioner Randy Neatherlin and other county officials illegally benefitted a private gravel company in violation of county zoning laws. “On June 30, 2017, Mason County and the named individual defendants gifted a private company, Grump Ventures, LLC, with a valuable right to operate a 66.5-acre surface mine in a residential zone where mining is prohibited,” the lawsuit alleges. The civil-rights case, filed Monday in U.S. District Court, goes on to say that Neatherlin tried to cover up the “unlawful and unconstitutional” acts by “hiding” county documents at his house. A lawsuit demanding the missing records led to a $30,000 settlement, with a payment from Mason County government going to North Mason resident Brad Carey, who filed a separate lawsuit under the state’s Open Public Records Act. Chris Dunagan reports. (Kitsap Sun)

How to plan a clam garden
n the last several years, the Hul'q'umi'num and W̱SÁNEĆ (formerly Saanich) First Nations have been working with Parks Canada to restore ancient clam gardens in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in British Columbia. Now a third Coast Salish nation, the Swinomish tribe in Washington state, is embarking on the first new construction of a clam garden in modern history. The Swinomish effort was spurred by the tribe’s studies of how climate change is likely to affect its ancestral territories in central Puget Sound, as well as its development of a suite of Indigenous Health Indicators that bring traditional food and resource availability to the forefront. Sarah DeWeerdt reports. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

How our sewage could warn us of future outbreaks of COVID-19
Down a gravel pathway, past a scattering of needle caps and food wrappers and beneath a graffiti-sprayed overpass for Tacoma’s East 32nd Street, lies a portal into the public’s health. For millennia, sewer systems have carried off waste and disease. More recently, they’ve drawn coronavirus-searching scientists in their wake. Evan Bush reports. (Seattle Times)

Influential Islanders: Nancy DeVaux on San Juan Island
This interview with Nancy DeVaux is the first in a series by Janet Thomas about islanders who've left their mark on the San Juan Islands. DeVaux was the first director of the Friends of the San Juan and the San Juan Community Home Trust. (San Juan Islander)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  235 AM PDT Mon Jul 6 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. SW  swell 3 ft at 16 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the  afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. S swell 3 ft at 15 seconds. A slight chance  of showers.




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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

7/3 White-throated sparrow, SRKW, cross-border mingle, summer kids books

White-throated sparrow [WikiMedia]

White-throated sparrows change their tune from 3 notes to 2
White-throated sparrows are changing their tune — an unprecedented development scientists say has caused them to sit up and take note. Ken Otter, a biology professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, whose paper on the phenomenon was published on Thursday, said most bird species are slow to change their songs, preferring to stick with tried-and-true tunes to defend territories and attract females. But the shift to this new tune went viral across Canada, travelling over 3,000 kilometres between 2000 and 2019 and wiping out a historic song ending in the process, he said. Hina Alam reports. (Canadian Press)

Ls & Ks in the Salish Sea!, HBs, minke, grays, & Bigg's KWs galore
Orca Network reports Southern residents L pod (how many is unconfirmed) and the K12s and K13s paid long-awaited visits to the Salish Sea. Photos, too.

Absent orcas: Most of the whales simply are not around to be counted at this time
“So far, no new babies to report.” That’s the latest word from Ken Balcomb regarding the southern resident orcas, the three pods of endangered whales that once frequented Puget Sound but lately seem hard to find. July 1 marks the date of the annual killer whale census, a project carried out by Ken and his fellow researchers at the Center for Whale Research. Each year, Ken accounts for every orca in the population and reports the number to the U.S. government. This has been going on since the 1970s, when the capture of orcas for marine parks was brought to an end. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Cross-border mingling near Peace Arch still a walk in the park, says lawyer from Washington state
B.C.'s Peace Arch Provincial Park was shut on June 18 after crowds of people gathered in the green space straddling the 49th parallel, but the U.S. side of the park remains open. And Washington State immigration lawyer Len Saunders says there's little Canadian officials can do to stop the foot traffic due to a treaty signed in 1814. Saunders, based in Blaine., Wash., said he recently met clients in the state park and watched dozens of people jumping a shallow ditch along 0 Avenue in South Surrey, B.C., to picnic, walk dogs or to enjoy what appeared to be reunions of families and friends. Yvette Brend reports. (CBC)

A New Wave of Coastal Kids’ Books to Dive into This Summer
After months of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many kids are now facing summer with reduced recreational activities. You’re going to have to get creative to keep the little ones in your life active and engaged. While the pandemic has slowed the publishing industry, fortunately there’s still a strong wave of new coastal kids’ books. Not only are these titles perfect for reading on a beach blanket, they also offer a plethora of ideas for fun activities such as cleaning up the beach, watching the salmon spawn, and writing messages in the sand. Raina Delisle reports. (Hakai Magazine)



Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Fri Jul 3 2020   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 11 seconds. Showers in the morning then showers likely in the  afternoon. 
TONIGHT  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. SW swell 4 ft  at 12 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening. 
SAT  Light wind becoming NW to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 4 ft at 17 seconds. A slight chance  of rain in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 18 seconds. 
SUN  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 17 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

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

7/2 Grunt sculpin, TM pipe, EPA enforcement, beach cleanups, plastic toolkit, border, Portland climate, hornet traps, Great Bear Rainforest

Grunt sculpin [Janna Nichols]

Grunt sculpin Rhamphocottus richardsonii
Grunt sculpin are found from the western coast of Alaska to Santa Monica Bay in southern California, on the east coast of northern and central Honshu, Japan, and are local common. They prefer the empty shells of barnacles, especially the giant barnacle as a hiding place and a nesting site in which to lay and brood eggs. An awkward swimmer, grunt sculpin move along the bottom or crawl over rocks on the tips of their finger-like pectoral fins. Their movements are short twitchy hops, jerks, and jumps. These fish make a wheezing-grunting sound when removed from the water, hence their name. SCUBA divers say the grunts can be heard underwater. (Aquarium of the Pacific) See also: Sculpins of Puget Sound (Seattle Aquarium)

Supreme Court will not hear First Nations' challenge against Trans Mountain pipeline
The Supreme Court of Canada will not allow an appeal from a group of First Nations in B.C. looking to challenge the federal government's second approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. The country's top court dismissed the nations' application for leave to appeal on Thursday. It did not release reasons for its decision, as is custom. The Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Ts'elxweyeqw Tribes and Coldwater Indian Band were seeking leave to appeal a February decision by the Federal Court of Appeal that found cabinet's approval of the pipeline project in June 2019 was reasonable under the law. As there is no higher court in Canada, the decision Thursday brings an end to the groups' legal challenge. (Canadian Press)

EPA Plans To End Controversial COVID-19 Enforcement Policy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it would be ending its controversial policy that suspended monitoring and reporting requirements for certain entities during COVID-19, according to a memorandum from the agency. The policy, which was put in place in March, has drawn criticism from conservation groups who say it gives polluting industries discretion to determine whether to comply with requirements under laws such as the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act and threatens already imperiled species. A coalition of nine states led by New York sued over the policy in May. EPA Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine said Monday that the policy would end Aug. 31, citing the relaxing or lifting of state and local social-distancing restrictions. As those restrictions ease, "so too may the restrictions that potentially impede regulatory compliance, reducing the circumstances in which the temporary policy may apply," she said. Hailey Konnath reports. (Law360)

Coastal beach communities bracing for Fourth of July revelers... and their trash
A favorable weather forecast and the Fourth of July falling on a weekend has beach communities in the Pacific Northwest bracing for an onslaught despite the ongoing pandemic. Two beach towns that tend to be holiday crowd magnets are particularly in the limelight this year. One of the peculiarities of Ocean Shores and Long Beach, Washington, is that people can legally drive on the beach and can set off fireworks. The raucous scene might get even crazier this year given that traditional parades and community fireworks shows are mostly canceled across the region. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Earth law Center has released its ‘Utilizing Earth Law to Address Plastic Pollution Toolkit!” which gives examples of policies and strategies that local communities can implement to minimize marine plastic pollution. These strategies are largely based on the postulates of Earth law, or Earth Jurisprudence. By providing a general, non-exhaustive list of strategies, we aim to accommodate the needs of a wide range of municipalities, thus enabling communities to advance initiatives specific to their individual needs, capacities, and legal traditions. Download the toolkit here:

Reopening the Canada-U.S. border will be a long, piecemeal process
The Donald Trump era began in 2015 with a promise to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Five years later, the Trump era may end with citizens in much of the rest of the world — Canadians, in particular — insisting on a virtual wall between themselves and the United States. With the United States adding 40,000 new cases of COVID-19 each day, the European Union is leaving the U.S. off a list of 15 countries whose citizens soon will be allowed to visit its 27 member nations. In Canada, there seems to be no great desire to quickly reverse the unprecedented border restrictions that were imposed in March. The question for Canadians is how much longer the virtual wall will have to be in place — and how much it might hurt to keep it there. "My guess is it's going to have to stay closed for more than 12 months," Colin Furness, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, told CBC News this week.  Aaron Wherry writes. (CBC)

Portland Declares A Climate Emergency
Hours after Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Chloe Eudaly revoked their support from the Interstate 5 Rose Quarter project, a controversial freeway widening project, the council voted to adopt a climate emergency declaration. Globally, thousands of jurisdictions have declared climate emergencies, acknowledging their cities are in the midst of an environmental crisis and often committing to a series of steps the government hopes will mitigate the catastrophic impacts. Rebecca Ellis reports. (OPB)

Washington state begins trapping for Asian giant hornets
About 600 traps to catch invasive Asian giant hornets are being placed in Northwestern Washington’s Whatcom County by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, more than doubling the number already set out by citizens. The state traps are being placed around Blaine, Custer and Bellingham, the only places in the U.S. that the giant hornet has ever been found, The Capital Press reported. The traps are being put on the edge of forested areas. (Associated Press)

'Superhero' Ryan Reynolds to match fundraising effort for Great Bear Rainforest
Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds is lending his celebrity in a donation matching campaign for the Great Bear Rainforest. Reynolds narrated the 2019  Great Bear Rainforest  IMAX film and has offered to match all donations to a maximum of $50,000 until Aug. 3. Lynn Mitges reports. (Vancouver Sun)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  245 AM PDT Thu Jul 2 2020   
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  N wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 9 seconds. A slight chance of  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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7/1 Pacific staghorn sculpin, missing orcas, whale watch, Canadian CG, 'flood infrastructure, Sea Aqua opening, EarthCorps, BC fruit woes

Pacific staghorn sculpin [Bud Logan]

Pacific staghorn sculpin Leptocottus armatus
Pacific stag horn sculpin are found from the Bering Sea to Baja California and are the most abundant of local sculpin, especially in protect bays and estuaries from high tide to moderate depths over muddy or sandy bottoms. When disturbed, it buries itself in sand or mud up to its eyes; if it's further threatened, it expands its spines. It can tolerate low salinities and is sometimes found in lower portions of streams. It feeds on a variety of isopods, small crustaceans and small fishes. It is preyed on by California sea lions and cormorants. (Marine Wildlife of Puget Sound, the San Juans and the Strait of Georgia)    See also: Sculpins of Puget Sound (Seattle Aquarium)

Where are the orcas? Not in the Salish Sea, where there's no food this summer
For the second year in a row, the region's endangered orcas have been missing from their key habitat around the San Juan Islands for months at a time. Some of the endangered orcas popped up just west of San Juan Island Friday night, but they appeared to head west toward the open ocean again. Before that brief visit, none of the endangered southern resident killer whales had been spotted in inland waters since April 10. Researchers say a continued decline of Chinook salmon from Canada's Fraser River, just north of the San Juans, gives orcas less reason to visit their usual haunts this time of year. Paige Browning and John Ryan report. (KUOW)

Whale watching tours return to Victoria
Whale watching tours are returning to Victoria just in time for Canada Day. Tour company Prince of Whales will be taking passengers out on its newest, largest catamaran on Wednesday in search of whales and other marine life. The vessel Salish Sea Eclipse is big enough to have groups of people on board with physical distancing protocols in place. (CTV)

Canadian Coast Guard and First Nation sign MOU to build new base on Vancouver Island
The Canadian Coast Guard and Pacheedaht First Nation have taken the first step toward building a new marine facility in Port Renfrew. On Monday, they signed a memorandum of understanding to begin developing a $22.5 million coast guard base that would provide marine search and rescue and environmental response services. (CBC)

Flood infrastructure: ‘the biggest salmon habitat issue you’ve never heard of’
Along B.C.’s Fraser River, concrete obstructions block 1,500 kilometres of fish habitat and ‘meat grinder’ pump stations kill fish. Critics say it’s time for fish-friendly flood control. Stephanie Wood reports. (The Narwhal)

Seattle Aquarium reopens, with coronavirus restrictions in place. Here’s what it’s like.
Jamie McMurdie and her daughter Nola were among the initial pulse of visitors to pass through the doors Monday morning when the Seattle Aquarium reopened for the first time since March 12. It was a welcome relief after three months cooped up together because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Chris Talbott writes. (Seattle Times)

EarthCorps fights invasive plants at Cumberland Creek
Tucked in a curve of the Skagit River south of Hamilton, the Skagit Land Trust’s Cumberland Creek Conservation Area is teeming with greenery, dotted with animal prints pressed into the mud, and lively with birdsong. On this 211-acre property, though, invaders linger as they do throughout much of the United States. Invasive plants found on the property include prickly blackberry brambles, wheat-like reed canary grass and broad-leafed knotweed. This week a seven-member crew from the nonprofit EarthCorps is helping to fight back against those invasive plants brought from Europe and Asia — sometimes intentionally and sometimes accidentally. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

COVID-19 devastating B.C. fruit growers, threatens food security
The B.C. Fruit Growers Association says the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its industry has been devastating. The association says a survey of its members shows more than 67 per cent of farmers have reduced fruit production because of uncertainties linked to the pandemic. A statement from the association says there is a “real threat” to food security as producers cut crops to survive. The survey shows 81 per cent of farmers are concerned about paying additional costs linked to public health guidelines in response to the pandemic. It also finds 87 per cent of farmers worry they won’t have enough hired labour to bring in their crops. (Canadian Press)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  243 AM PDT Wed Jul 1 2020   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds  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. A slight 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told