Salish Sea News and Weather

Friday, April 9, 2021

4/9 Vole, sewage pollution, plastic ban, border talk, BC wood, eelgrass restoration, grasshopper mouse, week in review

Vole [Dave Pehling/WSU]

Vole
Although not a mouse, voles are sometimes called “meadow mice” based on their close resemblance. The two species most often responsible for vole-related backyard and garden damage in Washington are the Townsend’s vole (west of the Cascade Mountains) and the Montane vole (east of the Cascade Mountains). These voles prefer succulent grasses, forbs, roots and bulbs but will also readily feed on the bark and roots of woody plants during winter when other food sources are scarce. (WSU)

Washington Wastewater Plant Polluting Puget Sound, Lawsuit Says
Contaminants from a municipal wastewater treatment facility in Washington state are polluting nearby Puget Sound, an environmental advocacy group says in a new lawsuit in federal district court. The contaminants leaving the Lynnwood, Wash., facility exceed the amounts allowed by its state-issued permit, and may be increasing the amount of total suspended solids in regulated waters, Waste Action Project says in its Wednesday filing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Sylvia Carignan reports. (Bloomberg Law)

Law to reduce plastic waste, ban Styrofoam statewide passes House floor vote
It looks increasingly likely that Washington will ban Styrofoam, reduce plastic waste and strengthen recycling markets. A bill to that effect is nearly through the Legislature. E2SSB 5022 passed a house floor vote Wednesday night, 73-24. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

It's too soon to talk about reopening Canada-U.S. border, says Dominic LeBlanc
There's too much uncertainty about the pandemic's path in the coming months for the federal government to engage in discussions about reopening the Canada-U.S. border, said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc. (CBC) And: B.C. announces record-breaking 1,293 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths (CBC)

B.C. trees are being turned into wood pellets — and that's bad for the climate and workforce, critics say
Piles and piles of raw logs stacked in the yards of wood pellet mills in northern British Columbia were one red flag. Now, a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) think-tank has caught the attention of environmental groups and a forestry workers' union, who are concerned about companies chipping whole trees into pellets and exporting them for biofuel. They say the practice harms the environment and generates little employment, and are calling on the province to suspend the approval of new wood-pellet mills and conduct an independent review of the industry's activities. (CBC)

Eelgrass restoration continues in Porpoise Bay
Eelgrass restoration work took place March 30 and 31, with 1,200 eelgrass shoots planted in a 14-by-5-metre area located between the Public Dock and MacKenzie’s Marina in Porpoise Bay. (Coast Reporter)

If you like to watch: Grasshopper mouse
Byron Rot writes: "Check out the grasshopper mouse. It is the only rodent that is carnivorous, and it “howls.” The video is for the Southern grasshopper mouse; the Northern grasshopper mouse shares the carnivorous and howling characteristics.

Salish Sea News Week in Review 4/9/21: G&T, Billy Frank, Jr., Britt Slough, Sequim lab, Kiksilah R., BC fish farms, Skagit dam, port emissions, plastic ban

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 228 AM PDT Fri Apr 9 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM PDT THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 20 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 8 ft at 8 seconds. Rain in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.
SAT W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 10 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning.
SAT NIGHT W wind 15 to 20 kt becoming NW to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds. SUN Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds.

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Thursday, April 8, 2021

4/8 Mice, Skagit dam study, sewage spills, port emissions Coquitlam habitat, oil spill cleanup, benthos babies, PT MSC

Western Harvest Mouse [NPS]

Mice
There are over 70 species of mice and rats widely distributed across North America. Washington is home to 12 of these species including, nine native species: Great Basin Pocket Mouse, Kangaroo Rat, Western and Pacific Jumping Mice, Bushy-tailed Woodrat, Northern Grasshopper Mouse, Deer Mouse, Keen’s Mouse and the Western Harvest Mouse and three non-native or introduced species: House Mouse, Norway Rat and Black Rat. (PAWS)

Seattle City Light submits revised dam study plan to regulatory agency
Seattle City Light announced Wednesday that in response to requests from the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and other stakeholders it has broadened its study plan for the relicensing of its Skagit River dams. The utility said the revised study plan it submitted Wednesday morning to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) doubles its financial commitment to at least $20 million and increases the number of topics to be studied to 33. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Heavier rainfall to cost Seattle area billions to avoid sewage spills
More-intense storms are expected to cost the Seattle area billions of dollars in coming decades — and that doesn't include the potential for more flooding or landslides. The extra billions would be needed to build sewage treatment plants big enough to handle heavier runoff as the climate changes. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Pacific Northwest ports unveil cross-border pact to cut emissions
The ports of Seattle and Tacoma, their Northwest Seaport Alliance container shipping joint venture, and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in Canada are adopting a voluntary joint plan to phase out emissions by 2050. The collaboration, unveiled Wednesday by leaders of the four publicly owned port agencies, has been named the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy. Officials said they will seek to meet their targets through changes in equipment, fuels and port infrastructure. Andrew McIntosh reports. (PS Business Journal)

Sensitive salmon habitat in Coquitlam damaged by vandalism, extra traffic
The City of Coquitlam is asking people to stick to park trails after sensitive salmon habitat in a city creek was damaged by vandalism and extra traffic. In late March, rocks and sandbags were found in a culvert that feeds into Maple Creek's off-channel pond. (CBC)

U.S. salvage firm hired to assess shipwreck leaking oil off Vancouver Island
(3/31) The federal government is calling on the services of a U.S. ship-salvaging firm as officials continue to grapple with a historic shipwreck that’s been leaking oil for months off Vancouver Island. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan announced Wednesday that Ottawa had awarded a $7-million contract to the Florida-based Resolve Marine Group... The 150-metre cargo ship MV Schiedyk ran aground and sank in Nootka Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in January 1968. The wreck lay dormant for decades until last fall when a two-kilometre oil slick was suddenly visible on the ocean’s surface near Bligh Island, part of an ecologically sensitive marine park. Todd Coyne reports. (CTV)

Babies of the Benthos – Worm Edition
Spring is finally here, and life in Pacific Northwest forests, farms, and backyards is beginning to replenish itself after the long winter. While spring might bring to mind chirping chicks and fuzzy bunnies, marine mud-dwellers are busy proliferating too, in ways vertebrates only dream of. In this Critter edition, let’s dive into the “birds and the bees” of benthic worms, and the resulting faces that only a mother (or an invertebrate taxonomist) could love. Jimmy Norris writes. (Dept of Ecology)

Port Townsend Marine Science Center partially reopens
The Port Townsend Marine Science Center Aquarium and Museum staff are eagerly looking forward to Saturday. That’s when the two exhibits will be reopened to the public on a limited basis. The center was closed on March 10, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, reopened for a few weeks in the fall, and closed again until this weekend, when hours will be from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with reservations required. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 300 AM PDT Thu Apr 8 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY W wind 15 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 7 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 9 seconds.

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

4/7 Pocket gopher, BC fish farms, Floodplains by Design, orca Easter, herring, gene 'jump,' gray whales, Patos Light

Mazama pocket gopher [Ty Smedes/WDFW]

Mazama pocket gopher Thomomys mazama
The Mazama pocket gopher is a smooth-toothed pocket gopher restricted to the Pacific Northwest. The species ranges from coastal Washington, through Oregon, and into north-central California. (Wikipedia)

Court orders minister to rethink stocking fish farms in B.C.'s Discovery Islands
A Federal Court judge has suspended a ban on restocking three fish farms in B.C.’s Discovery Islands. Justice Peter George Pamel says in an April 5 decision that Mowi Canada West and Saltstream will suffer real and irreparable harm if they aren’t allowed to restock farms located at Doctor Bay, Phillips Arm and off Hardwicke Island. Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan announced in December that 19 fish farms in the area would be phased out by July 2022 and that no new fish could be transferred to the farms in the interim. The decision says the companies claim the transfer of fish is a vital part of operating under their aquaculture licences, and they would agree to remove the fish when their licences expire, unless a proposed judicial review of the decision changes anything. (Canadian Press)

A tall task: Finding common ground in region’s floodplains
What was a spinach field just four years ago is now a budding tidal marsh known as zis a ba, where sprouting sedges provide the perfect habitat for juvenile salmon to feast on tiny aquatic organisms when the brackish tide pulses. A five-foot floodgate, built into a levy nearby, is ready to open when storm water surges, allowing remaining farm fields on Florence Island to drain faster.The upgrades are just a few that have been made in recent years as part of a statewide effort to improve floodplains in ways that will benefit farmers, tribes, cities, regional fish and wildlife populations. Coined Floodplains by Design, the program requires collaboration among different groups who’ve historically been at odds about what’s best for the Stillaguamish River Basin and other drainage basins around the state. Rachel Riley reports. (Everett Herald)

Rare white orca spotted in the Salish Sea Easter weekend with 55 other killer whales (KING) See also: 56 killer whales spotted in Salish Sea over Easter weekend KOMO)

If you like to watch: The fight to boost the Pacific herring population
The Pacific herring population has been dwindling for years. Efforts are underway to bring back the fish stocks, which are vital to the regional ecosystem and a key traditional food source. (CBC)

These fish stole an antifreeze gene from another fish and became natural GMOs
Millions of years before scientists created genetically modified Atlantic salmon with genes from two other fish, nature created genetically modified smelt with a gene from herring, growing evidence shows. And now the Canadian scientists who first proposed that controversial idea say they have a hunch how nature might have done it. A new study by Queen's University researchers Laurie Graham and Peter Davies finds "conclusive" evidence for the controversial idea that the antifreeze gene that helps rainbow smelt survive icy coastal waters originally came from herring and was somehow stolen by smelt about 20 million years ago...Genes are normally passed on from parents to offspring. But in recent decades, scientists discovered they can also "jump" or be "stolen" from one species to another outside normal reproduction — a process called horizontal gene transfer or lateral gene transfer. Emily Chung reports. (CBC)

A whale of a success story: Conservation keys annual return
Nature wows us at this time of year on Whidbey and Camano islands. Each spring, enormous gray whales breach the surface of these beautiful marine waters and send a spray into the air, announcing their highly anticipated arrival. Members of one group of gray whales known as the “Sounders” have returned to Saratoga Passage for roughly 30 years. (Whidbey News-Times)

Keepers of the Patos Light
Eight years ago this month, the President of the United States presented the Salish Sea region with an extraordinary gift. With Sen. Maria Cantwell joining him in the Oval Office, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation establishing a San Juan Islands National Monument. Its capstone and entry point is the historic lighthouse on Patos Island—ever threatened by time and tides, now preserved as part of the monument...The story of this wondrous beacon and efforts to preserve it are documented in a fascinating new book by Edrie Vinson and Terry Vinson, Patos Island Lighthouse from the History Press. Tim Johnson reports. (Cascadia Weekly)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 304 AM PDT Wed Apr 7 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PDT TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING TODAY SW wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. W swell 3 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 6 seconds. Rain in the evening then a slight chance of rain after midnight.

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

4/6 Shrew, Billy Frank, Jr. statue, PA cleanup plan, border meetups, Snake R dams breach support

Shrew [Keller Pest Control]

Shrew
Shrews are sometimes confused with moles because the smallest type of mole in the Pacific Northwest is called the Shrew Mole. Nine species of shrews are found in a wide swath over Washington state, from sea level to mountain meadows. They are the state’s smallest mammals — the tiniest, the pygmy shrew, is the size of a thumb — and, though widespread, they are the least-known of the mammals. The smallest shrew is no bigger than an adult human’s thumb, and most shrews are about half as big as an average mouse. (Mole Patrol)

Legislature approves bill seeking Billy Frank Jr. statue at U.S. Capitol
A measure to honor the late Billy Frank Jr. with a statue at the U.S. Capitol cleared the Legislature Monday. On a 44-5 bipartisan vote, the Democratic-led Senate approved the bill that seeks to replace Washington’s Marcus Whitman statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection with a statue of Frank, a Nisqually tribal member who championed treaty rights and protecting the environment. The House approved the measure last month. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature. (Associated Press)

Port Angeles Harbor cleanup plan to be discussed
A Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan to compensate the public for damages to polluted Port Angeles Harbor and to revive its habitat will be discussed at an online meeting Wednesday evening hosted by those responsible for conducting the renewal. The National Resource Damage Assessment trustees hosting the meeting are the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Ecology. The session, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., can be accessed at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8316440284408507404 or by calling 213-929-4212 and entering access code 591-322-200. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Battle brews at Peace Arch Park in Blaine, where border-crossers meet, risking detection and COVID infection
In the shadows of COVID-19 travel restrictions, a 42-acre park on the far western edge of the U.S.-Canadian dividing line has become a popular opening in an otherwise closed border, a place where Americans and Canadians can gather without needing permission to go through an official border crossing. Joanne Silberner reports. (Kaiser Health News)

Letter supports breaching dams
Salmon — and the web of life surrounding them — have been running through Heidi Eisenhour’s life since she was a 3-year-old on her family’s commercial fishing boat. So when U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, proposed the Columbia Basin Fund, a massive package to include breaching the four Lower Snake River dams and rebuilding the infrastructure across the region, Eisenhour spoke up. The newest member of the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners penned a letter to Rep. Derek Kilmer, whose 6th Congressional District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties, in support of Simpson’s controversial plan — and got her fellow commissioners’ unanimous backing. Diane Urbani de la Paz reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 245 AM PDT Tue Apr 6 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 7 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. NW swell 3 ft at 9 seconds. A slight chance of rain after midnight.

Monday, April 5, 2021

4/5 Opossum, Kiksilah R., Skagit dam, salmonella outbreak, Sequim lab, Britt Slough, Canada COVID

Opossum [photo: Amy Nelson]

Opossum Didelphis virginianus
The opossum is a marsupial of the order Didelphimorphia endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 110+ species in 19 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of the two continents. In the United States and Canada, the only species found is the Virginia opossum. (Wikipedia)

How to heal a river
After more than a century of logging, agriculture and development, Vancouver Island's Koksilah River watershed and its salmon are in serious decline. A groundbreaking water sustainability plan that brings together diverse interests could not only restore the river, but point a new way forward for watersheds across B.C. Judith Lavoie reports. (The Narwhal)

Study plan for Skagit River dam relicensing expected this week
After several days of tense meetings in January and February and submitting hundreds of pages in feedback in early March, the government agencies, tribes and nonprofits that are considered license participants are awaiting Seattle City Light's next official move in the relicensing process for its Skagit River dams. The next step for the utility is filing a revised study plan for the proposed license. That plan is due to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by Wednesday. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Salmonella Outbreak Is Linked to Wild Birds and Feeders, C.D.C. Says
A salmonella outbreak linked to contact with wild songbirds and bird feeders has sickened 19 people across eight states, eight of whom have been hospitalized, federal health authorities said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was investigating salmonella infections in California, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington State in people ranging in age from 2 months to 89 years old. Jesus Jimenez reports. (NY Times)

National laboratory in Sequim planning facilities expansion
Broadening their organization’s scope with a new name, leaders with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are promoting expansion and refurbishment at the Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory along Sequim Bay. Millions of dollars in projects are planned for the lab in the near future — about $2 million annually — with more research and international collaboration anticipated through 2030 and beyond. Matthew Nash reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Skagit River's Britt Slough wetlands to be restored this year
Just southwest of the Mount Vernon city limits, along the south fork of the Skagit River, restoration of 7.8 acres of wetland habitat critical to threatened chinook salmon is planned for this year. Here, where a side channel called Britt Slough meets the river, high water levels seasonally fill wetlands that are a refuge for frogs, birds and fish. But when water levels abruptly drop, the species that use the wetlands are affected. The young salmon “might dry up and become raccoon food,” Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group Habitat Restoration Coordinator Erin Matthews said while walking the site Tuesday. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit valley Herald)

Canada Is One Big Pandemic Response Experiment. It Proves ‘Zero COVID’ Is Best
An extensive French study has surveyed nations’ responses to COVID-19 and concludes that those taking an aggressive “Zero COVID” approach fared better than others by both health and economic measures. The study rests its analysis in part on the experience of Canada, where six large provinces face steeply rising infection rates tied to evolved variants of the virus, while provinces and territories that hewed closer to the Zero COVID approach do not. Andrew Nikiforuk reports. (The Tyee)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 252 AM PDT Mon Apr 5 2021
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt becoming NE in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 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.

Friday, April 2, 2021

4/2 Forsythia, ESA suit, BC logging protest, HEAL Act, Clallam shoreline, Mukileo reserach center, Rena Priest, Week in Review

Forsythia

Forsythia
Forsythia, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive family Oleaceae. There are about 11 species, mostly native to eastern Asia, but one native to southeastern Europe. Forsythia – also one of the plant's common names – is named after William Forsyth. (Wikipedia)

Group sues US over inaction to protect threatened species
Decisions by the Trump administration to withhold endangered-species protections for the northern spotted owl, monarch butterflies and other imperiled wildlife and plants could be set aside. That’s the goal of a conservation group’s lawsuit Thursday, challenging inaction on petitions to extend Endangered Species Act protections for several species that warranted them. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Protesters must clear Vancouver Island blockade or risk arrest after logging company wins injunction
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has granted an injunction against protesters who have been blocking a forestry company for eight months from operating on Vancouver Island. The Surrey-based logging company Teal-Jones sought an injunction in February to move protesters off logging roads in the Fairy Creek watershed, near Port Renfrew, B.C. (CBC)

Strong environmental justice mandates stripped out of HEAL Act
The legislation, known as the HEAL Act, would push state agencies to decisively address environmental inequities that disproportionately hurt Black, Latino and Asian residents. The bill would prod — but not exactly require — government agencies to meet the needs of communities of color that the state has failed to protect from pollution. Levi Pulkkinen reports. (InvestigateWest)

Clallam County seeks to expand access to Clallam Bay shoreline
Clallam County officials are pursuing a property acquisition to expand public shoreline access in Clallam Bay. The three commissioners on Monday directed Parks Supervisor Hannah Merrill to seek a property assessment for the parcel at 16401 state Highway 112, which connects Clallam Bay West County Park to State Parks land that is being transferred to the county. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Last-ditch effort can’t save NOAA’s Mukilteo research center
A last ditch effort to get more money to rebuild the dilapidated Mukilteo Research Station failed, because bids came in above the $40 million that had been set aside for a new center run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Andrea Brown reports. (Everett Herald)

Washington state names its first Native American poet laureate
A member of the Lummi Nation, Bellingham writer Rena Priest will bring attention to local poetry, climate change and the loss of vital natural resources. Margo Vansynghel reports. (Crosscut)

Salish Sea News Seeking Review 4/2/21: Ferret Friday, offshore wind, BC emissions, cherry bloom, Alexandra Morton, Shell refinery, TM pipe, shoreline armor, hydrogen fuel, EPA science, West Point sewage, ESA, Mukilteo research center

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 248 AM PDT Fri Apr 2 2021
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of rain after midnight.
SAT SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds. Rain likely in the morning then rain 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 NW wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds.

--
Mike Sato, Managing Editor
Salish Current (206) 229-2844
Real journalism. Local. Powerful.

Thursday, April 1, 2021

4/1 Heather, BC crab co-management, BC covid, EPA science, Achilles USA spill, 'zombie' urchins, West Point sewage, Homewaters

Heather

Heather Calluna vulgaris
Common heather, ling, or simply heather is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the flowering plant family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing evergreen shrub found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade. Heather is seen as iconic of Scotland, where the plant grows widely. When poems like Bonnie Auld Scotland speak of "fragrant hills of purple heather', when the hero of Kidnapped flees through the heather, when heather and Scotland are linked in the same sentence, the heather talked about is Calluna vulgaris.

B.C. First Nations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada protect crab for Indigenous food, social and ceremonial purposes
A groundbreaking co-management decision by four First Nations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada will protect 17 crab harvesting sites on B.C.’s central coast for Indigenous food, social and ceremonial purposes starting April 1. After 14 years of collecting data and aligning Indigenous knowledge and fisheries science, the federal department and the Kitasoo/Xai’xais, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv nations decided to close the commercial and recreational fisheries in those areas indefinitely. The decision was the first made as part of a collaborative governance framework that will guide future management decisions for several species in the region over the coming years. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

B.C. reports record 1,013 new cases of COVID-19 and 3 more deaths
B.C. has recorded the highest single-day number of new cases of COVID-19 to date, with 1,013 confirmed cases and three more deaths. The new numbers mean the province has now recorded more than 100,000 cases of the novel coronavirus for the first time since the pandemic began, with a total of 100,048 so far, including 1,458 people who have lost their lives to the disease. Bethany Lindsay reports. (CBC)

EPA dismisses dozens of key science advisers picked under Trump
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan will purge more than 40 outside experts appointed by President Donald Trump from two key advisory panels, a move he says will help restore the role of science at the agency and reduce the heavy influence of industry over environmental regulations. Dino Grandoni reports. (Washington Post)

Everett manufacturer settles oil spill fines for $222,000
An Everett manufacturer is paying $222,200 to settle fines for two oil spills that polluted a stormwater pond and tainted local wildlife near Narbeck Creek. In July 2018, an Achilles USA employee dropped a moving tote with lubricating oil at the company’s south Everett facility, causing the container to rupture and spill into the building’s stormwater system. From there, the oil was flushed into a retention pond outside, where animals are known to hang out. While cleaning up that spill, responders found that an overflowing collection pit inside the facility was also draining into the retention pond. In all, 340 gallons of oil were dumped into the pond. It took three weeks to clean. Zachariah Bryan reports.

In Hotter Climate, 'Zombie' Urchins Are Winning And Kelp Forests Are Losing
Purple sea urchins have exploded in recent years off California, covering the ocean floor in what divers describe as a "purple carpet." And they devour kelp: the once-lush forests of seaweed that hugged the coastline are disappearing. Since 2014, 95 percent of the kelp have vanished across a large part of Northern California, most of it bull kelp. Lauren Sommers reports. (NPR)

County approves spending $65 million for West Point treatment Plant upgrades
The King County Council last week approved dedicating $65 million to make important upgrades to the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Magnolia’s Discovery Park to prevent untreated waste and stormwater from being released into the Puget Sound. A storm Jan. 13 created a series of voltage fluctuations at the treatment plant that caused the in-plant pumping station to shut down repeatedly between midnight and 2 a.m. As a result, the emergency caused an estimated 11 million gallons of stormwater and sewage to overflow without treatment into Puget Sound. Approximately 80 percent was stormwater and 20 percent was sewage.(Queen Anne&Magnolia News)

Book Excerpt: Homewaters
To say that David Williams enjoys discovering the undiscovered is an understatement. Williams’ latest book, Homewaters, skillfully explores the ecological complexities of the Puget Sound region, including the Coast Salish Indigenous peoples who lived along the Sound. The book focuses on the area south of Port Townsend and between the Cascade and Olympic mountains, exploring the more than 250 species of fish and 150-year-old clams that make up the terrestrial ecosystem. Rob Smith writes. (Seattle Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 253 AM PDT Thu Apr 1 2021
TODAY W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 14 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning. A chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds.