4/11 Estatina, conservation fund, WA wolves, TM protest, salmon reintro, pump-outs, SEALs, parasitism, EV charging, BC cruise ships

Monterey Estatina [California Herps]

 
Monterey Estatina Ensatina eschscholtzii
Ensatina is a complex of plethodontid salamanders found in coniferous forests, oak woodland and chaparral from British Columbia, through Washington, Oregon, across California, all the way down to Baja California in Mexico. The genus Ensatina originated approximately 21.5 million years ago. (Wikipedia)

Conservation funding for states one step closer to becoming law
A bill that could provide the most significant wildlife funding in 50 years is a little closer to becoming law, according to conservation groups. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act on Thursday passed out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. [The bill] could provide more than $1 billion each year to state agencies and tribes to recover at-risk wildlife. The Washington and Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife each could receive more than $20 million per year. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

State says Washington’s wolf population grew 16% last year
Washington’s wolf population grew in 2021 for the 13th consecutive year, showing a 16% increase from the previous year, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said Saturday. As of Dec. 31, 2021, the department said there were 206 wolves in 33 packs in Washington. Nineteen of these were successful breeding pairs. This is up from 178 wolves in 29 packs and 16 breeding pairs in the 2020 count. Nicholas K. Geranios reports. (Associated Press)

Indigenous leaders, protesters gather in Vancouver to oppose Trans Mountain pipeline
Protesters against the federally-owned Trans Mountain pipeline gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday to show the government and investors that opposition to the project is still strong and they believe funding it would be a "risky investment.''...Rally planners from the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation's Sacred Trust Initiative say this marked the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that Indigenous leaders have come together to publicly oppose the pipeline...The federal government said in February that no more public money would go toward the pipeline as its new projected price tag increased to $21.4 billion. Brieanna Charlebois reports. (Canadian Press)

$3 million will help tribes study salmon reintroduction in the Upper Columbia Basin
The tribes recently received $3 million from Washington’s supplemental budget – a big chunk of change that tribes said will help kick off the second phase of a decades-long study. However, the tribes still will need to find significant funding sources, especially from federal agencies, to cover the entire study phase, which adds up to an estimated $176 million spread over 21 years. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

WA State Parks funds $700K for floating restroom, pump-out projects
Washington State Parks is funding $700,000 in new floating restroom and pump-out projects statewide to make disposing of sewage easier for recreational boaters. The projects include a new floating restroom at Cutts Island State Park, near Gig Harbor, and other replacement and maintenance costs at existing pump-out facilities. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times)

Navy SEALs facing adjustments if ban on training at WA state parks holds
....Washington state has long offered wide-ranging military training opportunities in the air, at sea and on land, and the judge’s decision marked a rare moment when a state court set a limit to where such exercises can take place. “Washington laws are clear, and Judge Dixon just enforced them. Parks are not for military use,” said Steve Erickson, litigation coordinator for the lawsuit plaintiff, the Whidbey Environmental Action Network. The decision could be appealed, but what happens next is unclear. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

A scramble to save Puget Sound’s precious kelp and eelgrass 
A new protection zone for marine vegetation in Snohomish County is a big first step toward future efforts. Zachariah Bryan reports. (Everett Herald)

The Changing Face of Parasitism
A 90-year record of fish parasites, unintentionally preserved in museum specimens, shows that while some species are booming, many are in decline. That’s not a good thing. Jack Tamisiea reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Vancouver proposes $10,000 fee for gas stations without EV charging
A policy proposed by Vancouver city hall would charge gas stations and parking lots $10,000 per year for failing to provide charging stations for electric vehicles at their facilities. The proposal is aimed at speeding up the rollout of EV charging stations across the city in the hopes of encouraging more people to buy electric vehicles. Nathan Griffiths reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Cruise ships return to B.C., with tourist dollars and environmental concerns in tow
More than 300 ships are expected to call at B.C. ports between now and November, bringing in upward of a million customers. But along with their tourist dollars are some concerns, including the possible arrival of new cases of COVID and the environmental impact of giant ships floating through delicate coastal ecosystems. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  259 AM PDT Mon Apr 11 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING   
TODAY  NE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming NW 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. NW swell 7 ft at 9 seconds building to 9 ft at  9 seconds in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at 10 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 mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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4/8 Wandering tattler, GasLink funding, sea otters, Bristol Bay salmon, cruise ship COVID, week in review

Wandering tattler [Satoko Lincoln/All About Birds]

 

Wandering tattler Tringa incana
A familiar bird in winter along the Pacific Coast, the Wandering Tattler’s plumage blends with dark gray rocks along the ocean. The tattler’s telltale unsteady gait comes from bobbing its tail as it hunts for insects, small mollusks, and crabs. On their arctic breeding grounds, they wear a snappy plumage of dark gray upperparts and neatly barred underparts. They display and forage along streams but conceal their nests in tundra, far from display areas. On migration, they may wander as far as South Pacific islands, over 7,500 miles away. (All About birds)

Royal Bank defends funding B.C.'s Coastal GasLink pipeline despite environmental concerns
Royal Bank of Canada's chief executive defended the bank's funding of the Coastal GasLink pipeline Thursday and called for incentives to help the shift to a net-zero economy, as investors and Indigenous groups denounced its support of fossil fuels. Pipeline has been called a 'carbon bomb' by critics who say it will prevent B.C. from lowering emissions.Nichola Saminather reports. (Reuters)

Human Elements: How otters can help recover imperiled ecosystems
[Dr. Shawn Larson], the curator of conservation research at the Seattle Aquarium, has studied sea otters for 27 years. She’s fascinated by the unique properties that allow them to survive in ice cold waters and how they can help recover some of the sea’s most imperiled ecosystems. Sarah Hoffman and Beatriz Costa Lima report. (Crosscut)

Epic forecast for Bristol Bay salmon has fishing industry worried it will be too much to handle
Biologists are forecasting another massive run of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay this summer, raising questions in commercial fishing circles about whether the industry will be able to keep up. Alex DeMarban reports. (Anchorage Daily News)

First B.C. cruise ship of season declared free of COVID by U.S. agency
The Koningsdam is just under half full with 1,200 passengers and 900 crew as it heads north from San Diego with stops in Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Astoria, Oregon. It’s scheduled to dock at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Victoria and spend 12 hours here before heading to Vancouver Sunday. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 4/8/22: Feng shui, toilet paper, BC herring, old-growth logging pause, Navy SEAL training, WA EVs, stormwater map, Trump water rule, microsplastics in lungs, tree carbon credits, GasLink funding

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  232 AM PDT Fri Apr 8 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT   
TODAY  W wind 15 to 20 kt. Wind waves 2 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft  at 10 seconds. Showers likely in the morning. A slight chance of  tstms. Showers in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 7 seconds. A  chance of rain. 
SAT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. NW swell 7 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of  rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. NW swell 7 ft at 8 seconds. 
SUN  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. NW swell 6 ft at  10 seconds.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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4/7 Slime mold, BC climate plan, forest carbon mitigation, stormwater map, urban clover, microplastics, water rule, Site C dam, Free Tokitae, cost of fear

Slime mold [C. Vecchio]

 
Slime mold Fuligo septica
At least 60 species of slime mold can be found in Mount Rainier National Park. These remarkable organisms were once thought to be fungal, but advanced scientific analyses show them to be something which doesn’t fit within the system of taxonomic rank. They are not molds despite the name, although they exhibit characteristics common to fungi, but also to those demonstrated by animals. Scientists were puzzled as to where to place them in the taxonomic structure, and eventually they were relegated to a catch-all Kingdom of unrelated eukaryotic organisms (those with enclosed cellular nuclei) known as "Protoctista," a term sometimes used synonymously with the word "protist" (the latter now being used as a matter of convenience rather than in the taxonomic sense). In other words, a protist is any eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. (National Park Service)

B.C. says its climate plan is world leading. So why are emissions going in the wrong direction?
As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the third and final section of its review of climate science, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the report revealed "a litany of broken climate promises" by governments, accusing them of stoking global warming by failing to cut emissions. And while British Columbia has touted its own climate plan as among the best in the world, climate experts and environmental advocates point out that the province's emissions keep climbing — in part due to ongoing investment in fossil fuels. Michelle Ghoussoub reports. (CBC)

WA to become first state in U.S. to preserve 10,000 acres of land for carbon mitigation
A new, first of its kind carbon project that will preserve 10,000 acres of state lands in Washington was announced Wednesday morning by the Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. The first phase will place 3,750 acres into a protected status, starting with areas in Whatcom, Thurston, King and Grays Harbor counties. The second phase will be rolled out within the year after DNR identifies other areas that need to be conserved. This will be the first time a state agency has used a carbon market to preserve forests planned for logging, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Stipulations for carbon storage and generating revenue will be included in “leases” that will cover the protected areas. In the first 10 years the project will yield more than 900,000 carbon offset credits, the commissioner said. Shauna Sowersby reports. (McClatchy)

Stormwater mapping
Yesterday's story about the interactive Stormwater Heatmap prompted Simon Bakke of RE Sources to share their stormwater map  which shows the most recent water quality results from six storm water outfalls and two streams that all discharge into Bellingham Bay. They have been monitored monthly for several water quality parameters starting in Feb 2021.

What the humble clover means for the future of life in cities
A global study into urbanization's impact on white clover shows that the plant is evolving to survive alongside us in Puget Sound. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

For the first time, researchers find microplastics deep in the lungs of living people
Researchers say they have found microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic debris that come as a result of the disposal of industrial waste — deep in the lungs of living humans for the first time. The research, done at Hull York Medical School in England and published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, is the first robust study to identify the plastics in the lungs of living people. The plastics have previously been found in human blood, excrement and in the depths of the ocean. Rina Torchinsky reports. (NPR)

Supreme Court reinstates Trump-era water rule, for now
The Supreme Court has reinstated for now a Trump-era rule that curtails the power of states and Native American tribes to block pipelines and other energy projects that can pollute rivers, streams and other waterways. Jessica Gresko reports. (Associated Press)

Why a highly anticipated Site C dam ‘mega trial’ isn’t happening right now
West Moberly First Nations planned to take BC Hydro to court over claims that Site C violates Treaty 8 Rights; instead they've entered confidential discussions to settle the case out of court. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

South Florida activists rally for orca Lolita's release, but back home, it's up for debate
Much heralded announcements by Miami-Dade County officials and the Miami Seaquarium have raised hopes among South Florida animal rights activists that Lolita the Killer Whale might finally be released after half a century of captivity. Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee's office said it has not taken a formal position on whether Lolita, known as Tokitae in the Pacific Northwest, should be moved back to state waters. Mike Faulk, a spokesman for the governor, said officials have heard "compelling arguments for and against the effort," which has been led by orca advocates and the Lummi Nation. Antonio Fins and Josh Farley report. (Palm Beach Post) See also: ‘The first step in healing,’ Lummi say of push to return captured orca to the Salish Sea  Dalton Day reports. (MyNorthwest)

The Transgenerational Cost of Fear
In a highly controlled experiment, population ecologists and couple Liana Zanette and Michael Clinchy, along with graduate student Marek Allen, all at Western University in Ontario, showed that just the sound of predators can scare song sparrows into a state that tanks their numbers for generations. The research was part of a long-term study of song sparrows living on five small islands in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Ashley Braun reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  211 AM PDT Thu Apr 7 2022   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. A slight chance  of rain in the evening then rain after midnight.

--

"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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4/6 Creeping jenny, stormwater map, heat dome, WA EVs, Skagit water, murder hornet, Bowker Cr. dog doo

Creeping jenny [Gardenista]

Creeping jenny Lysimachia nummularia
Creeping jenny is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae. Its common names include moneywort, creeping jenny, herb twopence and twopenny grass. (Wikipedia) With some plants there is a fine line between friend and foe and lots of ground covers, by their very nature, fall into this category. Useful plants that will cover banks or unsightly, “tricky” areas can be prone to rapidly colonizing areas too, smothering everything in its path. (Gardenista)

First-of-its-kind stormwater ‘heat map’ lights up pollutants fouling waters in Washington state
...[A] first-of-its-kind heat map is making stormwater pollution visible across the 16,700-square-mile watershed that drains into Seattle’s Puget Sound.The Nature Conservancy led the six year effort to create the free, interactive Stormwater Heatmap, which publicly launched in March. Lisa Stiffler reports. (GeekWire)

Middle Schoolers Tackle the Heat Dome
Washington State seventh graders are studying how the heat dome hurt shellfish and, in the process, learning to engage with science in a new way. Lindsay VanSomeren reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Washington wants drivers to plug into clean cars by 2030 before other West Coast states
Democratic-led states on the West Coast are setting ambitious timelines to phase out sales of gasoline-powered cars and light trucks. The Washington Legislature just approved a goal that all new cars sold in the state beginning with model year 2030 be electric. Oregon and California have 2035 as their target. Some of these dates are aspirational, but one has teeth. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Skagit Valley vegetable grower fined for irrigating without water rights
The state Department of Ecology has fined Skagit Valley Farm $267,000 for irrigating 348 acres in 2021 without having water rights. The crops unlawfully irrigated were in the lower Skagit and Samish watersheds, according to a news release from Ecology...Ecology estimated the crops that were irrigated unlawfully were worth about $1.7 million. Skagit Valley Farm operates on about 3,100 acres of farmland in Skagit County and other areas of the state, according to the release. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Sex bait seen as useful tool in tracking murder hornets
Researchers at the University of California in San Diego have been testing the powerful pheromones in traps and results show it’s impossible for males to resist. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Salmon fry return to Victoria's Bowker Creek for first time in nearly a century
In January, 28,000 salmon chum eggs were distributed into a gravel bank in Bowker Creek, a waterway on Vancouver Island that runs through Saanich, Victoria and Oak Bay. Volunteers are rejoicing as salmon fry have successfully emerged from the gravel in an urban B.C. creek for the first time in nearly 100 years. Courtney Dickson reports. (CBC)

Seattle loves dogs — but not picking up after them
With more than a million dog owners in Seattle, the city consistently ranks among the most pooch-friendly metropolises in the nation. But some irksome concerns come along with that love. Among them: Seattle has been named the second-worst city in the country when it comes to complaints about dog poop on Twitter, according to pet insurance web company Protect My Paws. The company released the report in honor of International Pooper Scooper Week at the beginning of this month... The problem is a regional one, and other Puget Sound cities are having their own battles over it. Christine Clarridge reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  207 AM PDT Wed Apr 6 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 10 ft at 12 seconds  subsiding to 8 ft. 
TONIGHT  E wind to 10 kt becoming SE 5 to 15 kt after midnight.

--

"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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4/5 Hobo spider, UN report, underwater forests, Monterey Bay Aquarium, microplastics, Sea Potential

Hobo spider [Kyron Basu]

Hobo spider Eratigena agrestis
The hobo spider (formerly Tegenaria agrestis) is a member of the family of spiders known colloquially as funnel web spiders. Individuals construct a funnel-shaped structure of silk sheeting and lie in wait at the small end of the funnel for prey insects to blunder onto their webs. (Wikipedia)

5 Takeaways From the U.N. Report on Limiting Global Warming
Nations are not doing nearly enough to prevent global warming from increasing to dangerous levels within the lifetimes of most people on Earth today, according to a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of researchers convened by the United Nations. Limiting the devastation won’t be easy, but it also isn’t impossible if countries act now, the report says. Current pledges to cut emissions, even if nations follow through on them, won’t stop temperatures from rising to risky new levels. Raymond Zhong reports. (NY Times)

Restoring Puget Sound’s Underwater Forests
In Puget Sound, bull kelp forests have declined by approximately 62% since the 1870s, according to the Puget Sound Kelp Restoration Plan. As ocean conditions change, state and federal agencies, tribes and researchers have been working together to help kelp forests recover. These groups are spearheading projects ranging from ecosystem-wide assessments to aquaculture and kelp cultivation. Zofia Danielson reports. (The Planet Magazine)

Putting the Deep Sea on Display
Aquarists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium have spent years learning how to keep deep-sea animals alive in captivity for a new exhibit. In doing so, they’ve gleaned insights about life in the abyss and our connection to it. Annie Roth and Alex Goetz report. (Hakai Magazine)

How Microplastics in the Ocean Will Affect Marine Life
Tiny bits of plastic have infiltrated the deep sea’s main food source and could alter the ocean’s role in one of Earth’s ancient cooling processes, scientists say. Sabrina Imbler reports. (NY Times)

Meet the founders connecting BIPOC youth to the marine sciences
Seattle-based environmental justice group Sea Potential pushes to create supportive spaces for people of color to study our oceans. Wudan Yan reports. (High Country News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  639 AM PDT Tue Apr 5 2022   
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY   
TODAY  W wind 30 to 40 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Combined seas 18 to 19 ft with a dominant period of  14 seconds subsiding to 2 to 4 ft with a dominant period of  14 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of showers in the morning  then a slight chance of showers in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming N 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 16 ft at 13 seconds  subsiding to 12 ft at 13 seconds after midnight.

--

"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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4/4 Hermit crab, SEAL training, BC logging, herring season, Port Gamble S'Klallam, toilet paper, Intalco, crab fishery, gray whale, COVID ship, pocket gopher

Hermit crab [Seattle Aquarium)

Hermit crab
Hermit crabs are anomuran decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea that have adapted to occupy empty scavenged mollusc shells to protect their fragile exoskeletons. There are over 800 species of hermit crab, most of which possess an asymmetric abdomen concealed by a snug-fitting shell. (Wikipedia)

Judge rules against Navy SEAL training at Washington State Parks
The Navy SEALs won’t be able to use Washington State Parks as training grounds. A judge on Friday ruled against an earlier decision to allow the training at up to 28 parks. In January 2021, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission voted 4-3 to approve the Navy’s proposal to use up to 28 parks for training purposes, where SEALs would emerge from the water under the cover of darkness and disappear into the environment...Advocacy group Whidbey Environmental Action Network, often called WEAN, sought a judicial review of the commission’s decision. Courtney Flatt report. (NW News Network)

B.C. government announces additional logging deferrals for at-risk old-growth trees
The B.C. government announced additional temporary measures on Friday to protect the province's iconic old-growth trees that can live for hundreds of years and support rich ecological areas. Approximately 1.05 million hectares of forests that are most at risk of irreversible loss will now be off limits to logging for at least two years, nearly half of what was determined to be at high risk by a scientific panel in November of 2021. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC) See also: B.C.'s plan to defer old-growth logging with First Nations reaches 80 per cent of target  Lisa Cordasco reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Dismal B.C. herring season sparks renewed calls for moratorium
Three days after setting his nets out in the Strait of Georgia between B.C.'s mainland and Vancouver Island, Josh Young headed back home to Pender Harbour. The herring he was expecting to catch were nowhere to be found...The result appears to have surprised the department, too. Curt Petrovich reports. (CBC)

The Port Gamble lumber mill closed decades ago. Now the tribe that was forced from the land is returning
After more than a century, [a tribal] cemetery is back in S’Klallam hands, part of a larger circle of history, as descendants of the ancestors displaced by the Pope & Talbot lumber mill in 1853 work with successors of the timber company to heal their relationship, and this place. Returning the cemetery in 2016 to S’Klallam ownership was just the beginning: The tribe has since bought back more than 900 acres from Pope Resources, and last summer, sealed the deal on the purchase of development rights on part of the former mill site that displaced their ancestral village. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

The battle for your toilet paper is on
Early in the pandemic, toilet paper shortages pushed weary Americans to the fringes. Out of necessity, millions tried rolls made from recycled paper or bamboo. And what they found surprised them. These alternatives were actually soft, far from the sandpaper-ish versions they grudgingly used at their office or in a public restroom. That revelation is shaking up what had been a stable — even boring — category that racked up about $10 billion at U.S. retailers last year. Daniela Sirtori-Cortina reports. (Bloomberg)

'Green’ aluminum inches closer in Northwest, if only they can power the last remaining smelter
The push to restart the Pacific Northwest’s last remaining aluminum smelter got a boost this week. It also absorbed a setback as officials debate the value of domestic production and how to allocate the region's finite, low-cost hydropower. The prospective new owners of the idled Alcoa Intalco Works smelter near Ferndale, Washington, secured $10 million in taxpayer support to upgrade the decades-old factory. But the smelter requires a significant amount of energy to operate. And that is now the central problem. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Into the ice: A crab boat’s quest for snow crab in a Bering Sea upended by climate change
....[Captain Mark] Casto and his crew had ventured to this northern realm of the Bering Sea in search of a crab that for decades was found in great abundance in rich fishing grounds more than 200 miles to the south. But in the aftermath of a period of extreme ocean warming, the populations of snow crab imploded in the traditional harvest areas off the Pribilof Islands. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Federal changes to B.C. crab fishery could put some commercial harvesters out of business  Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

Gray whale beached on Camano
Officials are responding to a dead gray whale found beached on the west side of Camano Island. On Friday, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region posted about the massive stranded mammal, saying a necropsy would be performed the next day. The agency posted photos of the animal belly-up on a rocky beach. (Everett Herald)

Cruise ship headed to Victoria had 'lots of COVID,' passenger says
A Canadian passenger aboard the Caribbean Princess said there was “lots of COVID-19” on the cruise ship, which has cancelled its scheduled stops in Victoria and Vancouver this week. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Public can comment on Thurston code amendments to protect gophers, ease permitting
Residents will have another chance to weigh in on Thurston County’s plan to locally manage federally protected species such as the pocket gopher during an April 6 public hearing regarding county code amendments. The county’s Planning Commission will host the hearing virtually at 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to a county news release. An online open house began on March 28, allowing residents to submit comments before the hearing. Martin Bilbao reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  320 AM PDT Mon Apr 4 2022   
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING   
TODAY  W wind 25 to 35 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt in the  afternoon. Combined seas 15 to 17 ft with a dominant period of  13 seconds. Rain. 
TONIGHT  W wind 30 to 40 kt. Combined seas 22 to 23 ft with a  dominant period of 13 seconds. Rain likely in the evening then a  chance of rain after midnight.

--

"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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4/1 Tree octopus, WA WQ standards, Vancouver sewage, travel rules, invasive beetle, invasive earthworm, Jennifer Belcher, week in review

Pacific tree octopus [Lyle Zapato]

Pacific tree octopus Octopus paxarobolis
Endangered. Able to live both on land and in water. Found in the Olympic National Forest and nearby rivers, where its eggs are laid. "Pax" from "pacific," "arbor" from the Spanish "tree." Major predators are bald eagles and the Sasquatch. Lyle Zapato writes. (Republic of Cascadia)

EPA Proposes to Restore Protective Pollution Standards for Washington Waters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on 3/29 announced a proposed rule to restore protective federal water quality standards for the state of Washington. When finzalized, this action would help protect the health of Washingtonians and Tribal members who locally caught fish...Under the Clean Water Act, the agency is proposing limits (called “human health criteria”) for dozens of chemicals that pose a health risk. Over the objections of state and Tribal leaders, the previous administration rolled back protective water quality standards established by EPA in 2016. As a result of this rollback, water quality standards being implemented in Washington are inadequate to protect human health. This proposed rule follows through on the agency’s June 2021 commitment to restore protective, science-based human health criteria in the state. (EPA)

Company ousted from $1B North Shore wastewater treatment project suing Metro Vancouver
The company ousted from building the $1-billion North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant is suing Metro Vancouver for $250 million in damages and unpaid bills.  In documents filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Acciona Wastewater Solutions LP said the regional government wrongfully and unnecessarily cancelled construction contracts mid-project, despite good faith efforts to solve the many issues. (CBC)

Canada's travel rules change today. Here's what you need to know
As of April 1, eligible travellers no longer need a PCR or antigen COVID-19 test to enter Canada. (CBC)

WA prepares against invasive rose- and hop-eating beetle
Officials are investing millions to trap, quarantine and eradicate the bugs in Yakima Valley, which are capable of devouring over 300 types of plants. Mai Hoang reports. (Crosscut)

Invasive earthworms are spreading through Canadian forests, and that's bad for bugs
In many parts of northern North America, there have been no earthworms since before the last ice age. Now, with help from humans, invasive earthworms are colonizing new areas. And in areas of a forest with more invasive earthworms, there are fewer insects, a new study has found. The study authors say that along with climate change, land use change and pesticides, earthworm invasions might be an "underappreciated driver" in a widespread decline of insects that some scientists have raised the alarm about. Emily Chung reports. (CBC)

Jennifer Belcher, Washington’s first female public lands commissioner, dies at 78
Jennifer Belcher, the first woman to serve as Washington state’s public lands commissioner, died on Thursday with her family in West Virginia. She was 78...Belcher led the state Department of Natural Resources from 1993 to 2001, administering 5.8 million acres of public land, according to her state biography. She also worked to protect wildlife habitat and hired the state’s first female state forester. Martin Bilbao reports. (Olympian)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 4/1/22: Spaghetti tree, Electron Dam, Woodfibre LNG, listening to orcas, sea lice, Taylor's checkered butterfly, financing fossil fuels, CA carbon cut, freshwater mussels, Howard Hanson Dam, restoring WQ standards

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  256 AM PDT Fri Apr 1 2022   
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. A slight  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  4 ft at 12 seconds building to 7 ft at 12 seconds after midnight.  Rain likely. 
SAT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft  at 12 seconds. A chance of showers. 
SAT NIGHT  S wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell  7 ft at 12 seconds. 
SUN  S wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 15 seconds building to  10 ft at 15 seconds in the afternoon.

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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 mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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