Salish Sea News and Weather

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

2/9 Beach hopper, WA lege transportation, B'ham electric rule, WA clean energy list, Nooksack flood, seal pup, elk herd, UN Indigenous support, BC mining, shrimp eggs, rogue wave, sky view

Beach hopper [Crystal Ernst]

Beach hopper Traskorchestia traskiana
Hopes around like flea in perpetural motion on wrack of seaweeds left stranded by tide on upper levels of beach. As the seaweed dries out, beach hoppers retreat into the moist center of the pile or dig into the sand. An important food for sanderlings and other migrating shorebirds. (Marine Wildlife of Puget Sound, the San Juans, and the Strait of Georgia)

WA House, Senate Democrats release $16 billion transportation package
House and Senate Democrats in Washington state on Tuesday unveiled a $16 billion, 16-year transportation revenue package that spends on a variety of projects ranging from building new hybrid electric ferries and funding more walking and biking corridors to highway maintenance and replacing fish passage culverts. Unlike previous packages that have included gas tax increases, this plan gets a bulk of its funding — $5.4 billion — from a carbon pricing program signed into law last year that requires the state's largest emitters, like refineries, to purchase credits for allowed emissions if they exceed a cap set by regulators. Rachel La Corte reports. (Associated Press)

Bellingham approved its first measure to require ‘electrification.’ Here’s what it does
Bellingham enacted its first ordinance for “electrification” of buildings, joining other U.S. cities in moving to reverse the effects of global climate change through local measures. On a unanimous vote with no discussion at the end of its meeting Monday night, Feb. 7, the City Council approved an ordinance to require new commercial buildings and new apartment buildings more than four stories high to use electricity for heating and water heating, meet certain energy-reduction standards and use solar energy or provide rooftop space for eventual solar energy installation. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Utilities in Washington are tackling the clean energy to-do list
Under the Clean Energy Transformation Act, Washington state committed to having an electricity supply free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The Clean Energy Transformation Act moves us toward decarbonizing buildings and transportation, cutting down emissions across industries, and modernizing our grid system. Brandi Fullwood and Libby Denkmann report. (KUOW)

Flooding and the Nooksack – Building on Our Shared Values to Manage the Floodplains
The recent November 2021 flooding of the Nooksack River in Whatcom County has reminded us all of the importance of floodplain management. But floodplains feature a diverse population of people and wildlife that all call it home. Only by working together around a set of shared values can we manage our floodplains in a way that works for everyone that lives and works in these areas. Daron Williams writes. (Puget Sound National Estuary Program)

New pup in town
A family of northern elephant seals that frequents the North Whidbey area grew by one pup last week. The herd’s newest seal was born on Jan. 31 at Bowman Bay in Deception Pass State Park and is the first member of a new generation in the family. To maintain the health and safety of the mother and baby, park staff have closed the Bowman Bay boat launch to all visitors, and the Bowman Bay day-use area is closed to pets. Visitors hiking the Rosario Head and Lighthouse loop will find some temporary detours around the area. Karina Andrew reports. (Whidbey News Times)

Progress reported on managing local elk herd
The co-managers of the region's elk population say efforts to get the elk to leave private property on the Skagit Valley floor along Highway 20 have had success. In a Thursday workshop with the Skagit County Board of Commissioners, representatives of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and area tribes cited fewer landowner complaints, an increased presence of elk in forested areas outside the valley and reduced opportunities for local tribes to hunt the herd as evidence that tactics including fencing and hunting are working. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Wet’suwet’en Call on the UN to Support Land Battle
Members of the Wet’suwet’en Nation are again calling on the United Nations to pressure the Canadian government over industrial development on its traditional territory. In an eight-page document submitted to the UN’s Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on Monday, members of the Gidimt’en Clan request the document be presented to the Human Rights Council at its regular session in September. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Proposal for gold and copper mine on First Nation's territory rejected for 3rd time by B.C. government
The British Columbia government says a proposed copper and gold mine on a First Nation's territory will not be given an environmental assessment certificate, citing potential risks to water quality and fish. In a news release, the government said Monday it has rejected the open-pit copper, gold and molybdenum Morrison mine located about 65 kilometres northeast of Smithers, B.C., which was expected to produce 30,000 tonnes of ore per day over a 21-year period. (Canadian Press)

Scientists Can Spy Shrimp Eggs from Space
By analyzing the light it reflects, scientists can say whether that floating blob in a satellite image is made up of plastic, shrimp, seaweed, or something else. Saima Sidik reports. (Hakai Magazine)

'Once in a millennium' rogue wave recorded off Ucluelet
A giant wave off Ucluelet in 2020 is the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, says a group of Victoria scientists. The 17.6-metre swell — as high as a four-storey building — was recorded with sensor buoys at Amphitrite Bank, about seven kilometers off Ucluelet. Darron Kloster reports. (Times-Colonist)

Now, look up!
For early morning risers: Venus returns to the morning sky rising around 5 a.m. two hours before sunrise in the southeastern sky where it shines like a celestial lantern. (Loryn Paxton shares.)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 224 AM PST Wed Feb 9 2022
TODAY Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 7 ft at 13 seconds.
TONIGHT Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds building to 8 ft at 15 seconds after midnight.

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Tuesday, February 8, 2022

2/8 Driftwood, stranded barge, Deschutes R, Nisqually flooding, WA lege bills, salmon voyage

Orlebar Point on Gabriola Island [Laurie MacBride]

Dodging the Drift
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "t’s not unusual to see big logs on this exposed shore. Escapees from logging operations frequently wash up here, especially when we have extreme high tides, as we did last week. But what’s different this time is the proliferation of shattered, woody debris among the logs. Different, but not really surprising."

Barge stranded on Vancouver's Sunset Beach to be dismantled and removed
Contractors working on the project say the piece-by-piece removal will take up to 15 weeks. The barge ran aground at Sunset Beach on Nov. 15 due to strong winds, rough seas and a high tide. After attempts to refloat the barge failed, it has become a fixture. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

Deschutes restoration project in Tumwater reveals history of poor forestry practices
The Deschutes River, which snakes its way north through Lewis and Thurston counties and out to Puget Sound through Budd Inlet, is fragile. Over the years, cities have used its banks more and more for recreation, with trails, parks, homes and more dotting it for miles. In Tumwater, a portion of the Deschutes River shoreline at Pioneer Park is rapidly eroding. Each year, experts say the erosion pushes approximately 2,380 cubic yards of sediment into the river. Standing at its banks, which are now closed off to park visitors, you can see portions of the trail have been ripped away and large trees have been pushed into the fast-moving water. The area also has very little tree cover, contributing to higher water temperatures. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

Addressing flood risk on I-5 in Nisqually basin now a priority for Pierce County Council
Pierce County has prioritized finding money to repair a 2.5-mile stretch of Interstate 5 that could flood within the next 20 years. On Monday, the Pierce County Council discussed the future of the Interstate 5 bridge that crosses the Nisqually River and its current impacts on the environment, military and traffic. Josephine Peterson reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Keep track of Washington's important legislation in 2022
Crosscut's bill tracker gives you an at-a-glance look at which bills are moving forward, failing or meeting roadblocks. (Crosscut)

North Pacific expedition gets underway aboard four ocean-going research ships
Chris Dunagan writes in Our Water Ways: "Four research vessels carrying more than 60 scientists from various countries will span out across the Pacific Ocean to increase their understanding of salmon — including migration, environmental stresses, availability of prey and risks from predators. Researchers aboard a U.S. ship operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration left from Port Angeles late last week."

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 237 AM PST Tue Feb 8 2022
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of rain.
TONIGHT E wind to 10 kt becoming NE after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain.

Monday, February 7, 2022

2/7 NW salamander, Snoqualmie land, Lorraine Loomis Act, truck blockade, microplastics, shellfish health, BC sea level rise, NW tsunami, whale visits, PSE outages, COVID deer

Northwest salamander [Gary Nafis]

Northwestern salamander Ambystoma gracile
The northwestern salamander is a species of mole salamander that grows to 8.7 in (220 mm) in length. It occurs from sea level to the timberline, but not east of the Cascade Divide. Its range includes Vancouver Island in British Columbia and The San Juan Islands, Cypress, Whidbey, Bainbridge, and Vashon Islands in Washington. (Wikipedia)

For the first time in generations, the Snoqualmie Tribe has land
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe has purchased thousands of acres of ancestral forestlands in east King County, land that holds special meaning to the people who have been without a reservation for generations. They have named the land the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Forest. Diana Opong reports. (KUOW)

Lorraine Loomis Act
Rep. Debra Lekanoff [D-40] has withdrawn HB 1828 (Lorraine Loomis Act) which included creating stream side buffers to restore salmon populations. Its companion bill SB 5727 has not had a hearing or vote. (Salish Current)

Alberta’s response to Coutts blockade proof of discriminatory double standard, First Nations say
When rail lines were blocked in 2020, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney drafted a new law in response, but it hasn’t been used at the Coutts barricade. That leaves First Nations leaders ringing alarm bells, again, about racism in protest policing Drew Anderson reports. (The Narwhal) See also: Vancouver police defend actions at Saturday's protests amid criticism they took sides (CBC)

Hidden research lab at Seattle Aquarium studies microplastics pollution
The Seattle Aquarium attracts visitors from all over to the city’s central waterfront. Perched on Pier 60, it has a commanding view of Elliott Bay. It’s also an ideal place to study the tiny bits of plastic that wind up in the water and threaten marine wildlife... Scientists here have engaged in long-term monitoring of everything from sea otter ecology to Salish Sea ecosystems for nearly three decades. And for about five years now, they have been studying the impacts of microplastics. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Climate change impacting local shellfish health
Extreme climate events are making shellfish less safe for human consumption, leading to harvesting closures across the county. While many of Whatcom’s residents recover from last year’s extreme flooding and heatwaves, others are preparing for a future where these severe events are “the new normal.” Julia Lerner reports. (Cascadia Daily News)

City planners turn to nature to combat Vancouver's rising sea levels
As climate change and rising sea levels continue to cause problems for coastal communities and their infrastructure, a new initiative from the City of Vancouver is aiming to get ahead of the issue. Two international, multidisciplinary teams are working on solutions through the Sea2City Design Challenge, a project that aims to look at how the city can adapt to rising sea levels — particularly in the False Creek floodplain — and address the social, economic and ecological impacts coastal flooding will have in the future. (CBC)

The Tsunami Could Kill Thousands. Can They Build An Escape?
A major quake in the Pacific Northwest, expected sooner or later, will most likely create waves big enough to wipe out entire towns. Evacuation towers may be the only hope, if they ever get built. Mike Baker reports. (NY Times)

Transient whales, whose Salish Sea visits are increasing, spending time in Hood Canal
Monika Wieland Shields, director of Orca Behavior Institute on San Juan Island, said there was a record-breaking presence of Bigg’s killer whales in 2021. Based on reports from professional whale watchers, regional sightings groups and shore-based observers, Bigg’s killer whales were documented in the Salish Sea during 1,067 unique sightings across 329 days. The previous record, set in 2019, was 747 unique sightings. On the other hand, salmon-eating Southern Resident killer whales were documented on just 103 days, or 28% of the year. Jessie Darland reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Blockbuster year for power outages pushes need to plan
Electrical power was out due to severe weather almost three times more hours in 2021 than in 2020 for customers of one of the state's largest utilities, prompting some customers to look at fallback plans — and for insights as to how outages are managed. Kenneth Duncan reports. (Salish Current)

Is the Coronavirus in Your Backyard?
White-tailed deer could become a reservoir for the virus, putting people and animals at risk, health experts say. Emily Anthes and Sabrina Imbler report. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 257 AM PST Mon Feb 7 2022
TODAY W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then a slight chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind waves 1 ft. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds.

Friday, February 4, 2022

2/4 Blue butterfly, Columbia fish, Belfair tree, saving trees, WA wind power, oyster farming, hot ocean

Fender's blue butterfly [xerces.org]

Fender's blue butterfly Icaricia Icarioides Fenderi
This endangered butterfly is only found in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Although it once thrived, this butterfly is now rare due farmland and other dwellings on the prairies in which it once bred. It was thought that the Fender’s Blue Butterfly was extinct until it was rediscovered in 1989. Luckily, a recovery plan was published in 2010 which aims to protect this stunning butterfly. This small butterfly has a small wingspan of one inch. Like many butterfly species, gender can be determined by colour. Males are a lush blue hue, whereas females are brown in colour. Both sexes have underwings that are a cream-tan colour with black spots.

Salmon Are No Longer Kings Of The Columbia. That Has Biologists Worried
A recent report shows an explosion of growth of a non-native species in the Columbia River. What does that mean for salmon and the cultures built on them? Eli Francovich report. (Columbia Insight)

A Belfair tree more than 500 years old comes down: 'It's a loss for humanity'
Up a muddy road off Old Belfair Highway, a trail of deep-crusted footprints leads to a garage door-sized stump covered in fresh sawdust. A downed Douglas Fir tree stretches far into the brush, covered in mangled limbs and other trunks it struck on its earth-shaking descent. It was between 500 and 1,000 years old, arborists say. In the time since it fell Tuesday, a steady stream of local residents have come to visit, akin to a paying of respects for a grand tree regarded as a community landmark — a rare old-growth fir within the Puget Trough. Josh Farley reports. (Kitsap Sun)

To save Western US forests, cut them way back, study suggests
A new study proposes a radical prescription for the ailing health of dry U.S. Western forests: cutting back trees by as much as 80%. The study suggests that forests in the Sierra Nevada and nearby ranges could better withstand severe wildfire, drought, infestations and climate change if the density of trees was dramatically reduced. That would shut out competition for water and other resources, helping remaining trees weather an array of stresses. The study appears in next month’s edition of Forest Ecology and Management and adds to a debate about how to protect fragile forest ecosystems as climate change exacerbates threats. Laura Bliss reports. (Bloomberg)

WA wind power farms may conflict with habitat preservation projects
Projects addressing alternative power issues sometimes pit environmentalists vs. environmentalists. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

Oyster farm long-term project for tribe
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is seeking to re-establish an oyster farm that had been decertified because of pollution now that the area has been restored. The area in Dungeness Bay had been used for oyster farming since before 1953 through a succession of private owners. The tribe purchased the farm in 1990 and operated it until increasing fecal coliform pollution contaminated the water to the point that the tribe closed the farm in 2005. Michael Dashiell reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Concerns remain over tribe’s oyster farm in Dungeness Bay (Peninsula Daily News)

Extreme Heat Is a New Normal for the Ocean
Extreme heat in the world’s oceans passed the “point of no return” in 2014 and has become the new normal, according to research. Scientists analyzed sea surface temperatures over the last 150 years, which have risen because of global heating. They found that extreme temperatures occurring just two percent of the time a century ago have occurred at least 50 percent of the time across the global ocean since 2014. Damian Carrington reports. (Guardian/Hakai Magazine)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 2/4/22: Hemp Friday! fossil fuel bans, Canada carbon costs, Salish Sea ships, salmon mysteries, quiet ships, noise risks, Nooksack floods, BC wolf kill, Intalco, green crabs, tree seeds, saving forests

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 213 AM PST Fri Feb 4 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY S wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds. Rain likely in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft after midnight. W swell 3 ft at 14 seconds building to 5 ft at 15 seconds after midnight. A slight chance of rain.
SAT NW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds.
SAT NIGHT NW wind to 10 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds.
SUN E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 13 seconds.

Thursday, February 3, 2022

2/3 Pine white, tree seed shortage, market squid, PS Ice Age, saving Waikiki beach

Pine white [Ed McAskill]

Pine white Neophasia menapia
Neophasia menapia, the pine white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in the western United States and in southern British Columbia, Canada. It is mostly white with black veins and wing bars. The species is similar to Neophasia terlooii but their ranges only overlap in New Mexico. (Wikipedia)

There's a tree seed shortage in Washington state. What does that mean for our beloved forests?
Nearly half of Washington state is forested. That's 22 million acres of Douglas firs, red alders, western hemlock, and ponderosa pine, to name a few. But as wildfires grow in size and regularity, those millions of acres are going up in flames. Normally, there's an ecosystem of public and private tree nurseries that reseed our forests. But a seed shortage now threatens their future. Alec Cowan reports. (KUOW)

Meet the New Face of the Puget Sound
Certain marine animals are known as the “face” of the Puget Sound. Dungeness crab, geoduck and Chinook salmon bring eager anglers and hungry tourists to the coastal region year-round. Not as widely known as their southern California relatives, market squid fill the waterways of Puget Sound and fishers take full advantage. Mystery shrouds the local sea creatures, but studies are shedding new light on what could be a rich source of clean protein. Liam Flynn reports. (The Planet Magazine) See also: Ocean heat waves trigger ‘squid bloom’ along Pacific coast, scientists say Marine heat waves driven by climate change have fueled a dramatic increase in market squid along the Washington and Oregon coast over the past two decades, new research shows. Nicholas Turner reports. (Seattle Times)

Return to the Ice Age
David B. Williams in Street Smart Naturalist writes: "Ten days ago, my wife and returned to the ice age, or what geologists call the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Sadly, we were not in a time machine because if I could go back to any point in time, I’d head straight to some prominent knoll to watch the great Missoula floods...We were hiking the Oyster Dome trail, up above Chuckanut Drive, when we emerged out of the trees at the top and found ourselves in glorious sunlight."

The Battle to Save Waikiki Beach
Hawaii’s most iconic beach is quickly becoming a poster child for why it’s so hard to adapt to a changing climate. Melanie Warner writes. (Politico)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 225 AM PST Thu Feb 3 2022
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain.
TONIGHT S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain.

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

2/22 Groundhog, BC green crabs, green Intalco , EV batteries, Navy Growlers, underwater noise, Ice Age Van Is, librarians, Groundhog Day

Groundhog [Brittanica]

Groundhog Marmota monax
Groundhog, also called woodchuck, one of 14 species of marmots (Marmota), considered basically a giant North American ground squirrel. It is sometimes destructive to gardens and pasturelands. Classified as a marmot, the groundhog is a member of the squirrel family, Sciuridae, within the order Rodentia. According to popular legend in the United States, it emerges from hibernation each year on February 2, which is designated as Groundhog Day, and if it sees its shadow, winter will last six more weeks. (Brittanica) And, according to Phil: "This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather."

Think 85,000 invasive crabs is a lot? Wait 'til you see Vancouver Island
While 85,000 invasive green crabs—a record number—were captured near Bellingham last year, even more of the voracious crustaceans have turned up just across Washington’s watery border with Canada. Since mid-November, trappers have scooped up more than 107,000 European green crabs in Clayoquot Sound, the traditional territories of the Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht First Nations, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Green aluminum? Complex deal seeks to restart the last aluminum smelter in the NW and cut pollution
A complex deal is taking shape to revive the Pacific Northwest's last remaining aluminum smelter. Alcoa idled its Intalco Works smelter near Ferndale, Washington, a year-and-a-half ago and laid off virtually all the workers there. The plan to bring this industry back involves a new owner, cash from taxpayers and an uncertain new contract for cut-rate wholesale power. Labor leaders, local elected officials and economic development advocates from Whatcom County are urging the state Legislature to approve two budget line items put forward by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee. Combined, they would have the state spend $10 million to upgrade the Intalco smelter to improve efficiency and greatly reduce pollution emissions. That works out to a public subsidy of about $14,285 per job created. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Car story: where will Canada’s electric vehicle batteries go when they die?
Electric vehicles are booming in B.C. and that means the province has a unique opportunity to divert some of the world’s most sought-after clean-energy minerals from a potentially hazardous waste stream. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Navy releases technical report from jet noise study
Following the release in December of a study requested by Congress on noise from EA-18G jets, the Navy released last week a related technical report. The report includes more insight into where and when the Navy collected live jet noise data on the Growler jets during the study, which was conducted near Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and near a base in California between December 2020 and August 2021. Eleven sites were included in the study around Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, including one on a Skagit River dike on north Fir Island in west Skagit County. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Scientists deploy buoy in Puget Sound to measure noise, risks to orcas
Scientists aboard the King County research vessel ‘SoundGuardian’ Tuesday deployed a buoy that will monitor underwater noise in Puget Sound – which poses risks to our southern resident orca population. Orcas frequent the Sound during the winter to hunt chinook and chum salmon. The whales navigate the water and hunt using echolocation, which is where they make sounds and detect how quickly they bounce back, allowing them to judge how far away objects and prey are. (Q13 Fox)

Northwestern Vancouver Island Likely Escaped the Ice Age
New evidence shows the Vancouver Island of 18,500 years ago was ice-free and lush with bears, trees, flowers, and fish. It was a good place to live. Jacqueline Knirnschild reports. (Hakai Magazine)

The new emergency responders: Librarians
As climate change and extreme weather challenge Puget Sound's emergency services, libraries are increasingly at the front lines of community care. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

Groundhog Day 2022: Punxsutawney Phil furrsees six more weeks of winter
We think Punxsutawney Phil might be digging himself a hole with this prediction. Kasha Patel reports. (Washington Post) B.C.'s groundhogs are too sleepy to predict the end of winter, so this stuffed animal will do the job Okanagan Okie is presiding over Vernon's inaugural Groundhog Day celebrations this year. (CBC) Groundhog Day: Munching Marmots Emerge From the Scientific Shadows New research aims to shed light on the social habits of the popular, but often misunderstood, animal. Brandon Keim reports. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 247 AM PST Wed Feb 2 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON TODAY SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 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 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 13 seconds. Rain in the evening then rain likely after midnight.

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

2/1 Red sea urchin, BC wolf kill, BC pulp paper, Nooksack flooding, kelp carbon, ECHO, burrowing owls

Red sea urchin [iNaturalist]

Red sea urchin Mesocentrotus franciscanus
The red sea urchin is a sea urchin found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California. It lives in shallow waters from the low-tide line to greater than 280 m deep, and is typically found on rocky shores sheltered from extreme wave action in areas where kelp is available. (Wikipedia)

B.C. extends aerial wolf cull for five more years
A controversial wolf cull in B.C. has been extended for another five years, according to the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. The province's "aerial wolf reduction program" was quietly renewed beginning in the winter of 2021-22 and will target the Kootenay, Cariboo, Omineca, Skeena and Peace regions of B.C. Officials estimate 200 to 300 wolves will be shot from helicopters each year. Courtney Dickson reports. (CBC)

Island pulp and paper mills receive funding for projects to reduce natural-gas use
Harmac Pacific’s Nanaimo pulp mill will receive $12 million from the province to reduce its natural-gas use by upgrading its biomass boiler system, as part of more than $166 million in clean-technology funding announced Monday. Carla Wilson reports. (Times-Colonist)

Executive Sidhu: County Remains Committed to Partnership in Cross-Border Flood Planning Efforts
"Whatcom County does not and has no plans to “send” Nooksack floodwaters north to Canada." Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu.

Kelp Gets on the Carbon-Credit Bandwagon
Is there potential for seaweeds to help solve the climate crisis? Nicola Jones reports. (Hakai Magazine)

US plays catch up with Canada to quiet ships for endangered orcas
Canada’s ECHO Program setting the benchmark for protection of southern resident killer whales, with the US said to be five years behind in its efforts. Eric Priante Martin reports. (Trade Winds)

Goodbye chemical weapons, hello burrowing owls
A decommissioned military base in northeast Oregon provides sanctuary for a recovering burrowing owl population. The Global Owl Project aims to protect endangered owl species all over the world. One lucky owl species...is the little burrowing owl. Chris Morgan and Matt Martin report. (KUOW/The Wild)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 256 AM PST Tue Feb 1 2022
TODAY NW wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds.