4/19 Dowitcher, No on 2117, orca calf, Arctic road, PFAS polluter pays, build 'em in BC, BLM lease rule, Deepwater Horizon, grizzly restoration, week in review

 

Short-billed Dowitcher [Dorian Anderson]

Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus
In breeding plumage, Short-billed Dowitchers are lovely orange, brown, and golden shorebirds with chunky bodies and very long bills (despite the name). Look for them in wetlands across North America, from coastal mudflats to sewage ponds and flooded fields. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Climate change complicates the Nooksack adjudication

Campaign to defend Washington state's climate law raises $11 million, far outpacing opposition
A campaign focused on defending Washington’s Climate Commitment Act from repeal by voters launched Wednesday. The “No on 2117” campaign announced it has obtained more than $11 million in pledges from environmental groups, unions, tribes, and corporations...Some of the more surprising funders of the campaign to preserve the state regulatory scheme include companies with a carbon impact like Amazon, Microsoft, and the oil company BP, which operates the largest refinery in the Northwest at Cherry Point, north of Bellingham. Amy Radio reports. (KUOW)

Violinist tries to serenade B.C. orca calf to freedom, as others ready nets and boats
Carol Love watches the tides at a Vancouver Island lagoon, and when the time is right, she starts to play her violin. She plays for an audience of one, a killer whale calf that has been trapped alone in the lagoon for almost a month. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press) 

Biden Shields Millions of Acres of Alaskan Wilderness From Drilling and Mining
The administration has blocked a proposed industrial road needed to mine copper in the middle of the state, and has banned oil drilling on 13 million acres in the North Slope. Lisa Friedman reports. (NY Times)  See: Interior Department to Reject Road Through Arctic Preserve Joel Connelly writes. (Post Alley)

E.P.A. Will Make Polluters Pay to Clean Up Two PFAS Compounds
The Biden administration is designating two “forever chemicals,” man-made compounds that are linked to serious health risks, as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, shifting responsibility for their cleanup to polluters from taxpayers. The new rule announced on Friday empowers the government to force the many companies that manufacture or use perfluorooctanoic acid, also known as PFOA, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, known as PFOS, to monitor any releases into the environment and be responsible for cleaning them up. Those companies could face billions of dollars in liabilities. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times)

Marine workers, unions want new ferries built in B.C.
Labour unions and marine workers in British Columbia are calling on B.C. Ferries to build its new hybrid vessels locally, bringing more jobs to the coast. B.C. Ferries says it plans to have seven new vessels built, the first of which could be ready for operation by 2029. Courtney Dickson reports. (CBC)

The Deepwater Horizon’s Very Unhappy Anniversary
A recent scientific expedition to the Gulf of Mexico seafloor shows just how little things have improved near the broken well. Xander Peters reports. (Hakai Magazine)

BLM to finalize rule allowing federal leases targeted at protection of natural areas
The Bureau of Land Management will publish a final rule soon allowing the nation’s public lands to be leased for environmental protection. The rule, which both proponents and detractors say marks a shift in the agency’s focus toward conservation, directs land managers at the agency to identify landscapes in need of restoration and to create plans to fill those needs. Jacob Fischler reports. (Washington State Standard)

Federal agencies release final environmental impact statement on grizzly restoration
Two federal agencies released last month the final version of the environmental impact statement, or EIS, that details the options for restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades. The last time a grizzly bear was documented in the North Cascades was in 1996. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 4/19/24: Garlic Friday!, Haida Gwaii, Puyallup Tribe, PFAS limits, WA drought, carbon storage, wind farm halved, cattle flu, No on 2117.

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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  303 AM PDT Fri Apr 19 2024    
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 2 ft at 11 seconds.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 2 ft  at 11 seconds.  
SAT  E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. E swell 4 ft at 4 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell  6 ft at 9 seconds.  
SUN  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at  10 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/18 Threespine stickleback, climate leaders, fishery disaster, cattle bird flu, spongy moth spray, fly flight, 'new' star, highway opening, Horse Heaven Hills wind farm

Threespine Stickleback [Ryan Hagerty, USFW]

 
Threespine Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758
here are two distinct varieties of the species, with one form having an anadromous existence and another form inhabiting strictly freshwater. The anadromous form spends most of its adult life in the ocean feeding on plankton and returns to freshwater to breed. The freshwater form inhabits a wide variety of lakes and streams, and is rarely found more than a few hundred meters above sea level. (USGS) Abundant in sheltered estuarine bays in eelgrass or near pilings. Swims, in part, by waving pectoral fins. Feeds on copepods, other small crustaceans, and fish larvae. Preyed on by larger fish, seals, and sea birds. (Marine Wildlife of Puget Sound, the San Juans and the Strait of Georgia.)

Today's top story in Salish Current: An Earth Day event in the rediscovery of hope

Tribes as global 'climate leaders'
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is often thought about as an extension of the federal government in tribal nations. The BIA builds roads and bridges, funds law enforcement and the agency supports tribes as governments, carrying out the trust responsibility. These days one can add to that list: climate change. Mark Truant reports. (Indian County Today)

U.S. Department of Commerce Allocates $206K In Funding for Puget Sound Fishery Disaster
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced today the allocation of $206,000 to address a fishery resource disaster that occurred in the 2020 Squaxin Island Tribe’s Puget Sound fall chum salmon fishery. (NOAA)

Bird flu in cattle stressing Northwest dairy operators
Some Northwest dairy farmers have experienced low milk prices, belly-high flooding, extreme heat, extreme cold events and fires in the past couple of years. Now, the challenge is highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, in cattle. Anna King reports. (NW News Network)

Spraying for spongy moths set to start again on Island
Aerial spraying to combat spongy moths — formerly known as gypsy moths — will begin again this month in areas from Greater Victoria to Qualicum Beach, and on Saltspring Island. The biological insecticide Foray 48B, which is used in organic farming, will be used, the Ministry of Forests said. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Watch: The fascinating way fruit flies fly
New research on how the unique way flies fly shows what allows them to so effectively dodge your swatter. Darius Mahdavi reports. (CBC)

A 'new' star will light up the sky soon and you can see it for yourself
A binary star system in the constellation Corona Borealis consists of a white dwarf that pulls material off a neighbouring red giant, leading to exceptionally bright explosions every 79 to 80 years. Nicole Mortillaro reports. (CBC)

North Cascades Highway is opening a little early this year
North Cascades Highway, also known as Highway 20, is set to reopen for the season at 10 a.m. Friday, April 19, after being closed since late November. This year marks the first April opening of the highway since 2019. The pass opened in May from 2020 to 2023. Caitlyn Freeman reports. (Seattle Times)

Plans for WA’s largest wind farm slashed in half
A state energy board cut in half the largest wind project proposed in Washington on Wednesday after a yearslong and contentious planning process. Plans for the $1.7 billion Horse Heaven Hills wind farm originally included up to 222 wind turbines across 24 miles of hillsides near the Tri-Cities, plus three solar arrays covering up to 5,447 acres. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  307 AM PDT Thu Apr 18 2024    
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SE swell 2 ft at 7 seconds.  
TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SE swell  1 ft at 6 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/17 Pickleweed, WA drought, logging lands carbon storage, Emerson the seal

 

Pickleweed [Sound Water Stewards]

Pickleweed Salicornia virginica
This species can be found in salt marshes and beaches with low wave energy along the Pacific Coast of the United States and British Columbia, on the American East Coast, and also in Western Europe. This plant belongs to the goosefoot family. Other common names for it include saltwort, sea asparagus, and American glasswort. (Sound Water Stewards)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Struggling state ferry system finds its way in Washington governor’s race

Statewide drought declared due to low snowpack and dry forecast
With winter’s snowstorms largely behind us and summer just weeks away, our state’s low snowpack and forecasts for a dry and warm spring and summer have spurred the Department of Ecology to declare a drought emergency for most of Washington. (Dept. of Ecology)

Court ruling clears way for carbon storage projects on state logging lands
A timber industry group and two counties challenged a plan to set aside about 10,000 acres of trees to absorb carbon dioxide and help combat climate change. Laurel Demkovich reports. (Washington State Standard)

Too famous for his own good, Emerson might need to be moved away from selfie-seeking fans
Fisheries agency says it has received reports of people getting their dogs and even their children to approach the elephant seal, putting both them and the animal at risk. Michael John Lo reports. (Times Colonist)

Have you read the Salish Current? 
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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  323 AM PDT Wed Apr 17 2024    
TODAY  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 9 seconds.  
TONIGHT  N wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 2 ft  at 8 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/16 Basket star, orca calf, PFAS limits, Robert Bullard, kelp forests

Basket star [Seattle Aquarium]

Basket star Asteronychidae
Basket stars are echinoderms (pronounced uh-KAI-nuh-durmz). These marine invertebrates, meaning animals without backbones, belong to the phylum Echinodermata and are characterized by a hard, spiny covering or skin. Basket stars are found all over the world, in the coldest areas of the ocean at depths up to 6,200 feet, as well as in warmer, tropical waters at about 30 feet below the surface. The species at the Seattle Aquarium, Gorgonocephalus eucnemis, is found in the Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea to southern California, parts of the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. (Seattle Aquarium)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Keeping wheat’s story — and profits — local

Orphaned B.C. orca may be eating fish, vet says, as rescuers plan new strategy
Rescue crews have been regrouping and planning a new strategy after being outsmarted by the orca last week, but no date had been set for the next attempt. (Canadian Press)  Watch: Up close with orca rescue team in B.C. (CBC)

Washington to adopt new U.S. PFAS limits, but may take two years
The Washington Department of Health plans to lower the limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new lower limits on Wednesday. Donna Gordon Blankinship reports. (Cascade PBS)

Why environmental justice matters, from the founder himself
You might think of environmental justice as an old concept, old as the environmental movement itself. Surely, you say, the father of environmental justice is long gone, his lessons passed down through generations, his legacy enshrined in the marbled annals of history. But you’d be wrong.  Robert Bullard— the father of environmental justice— is very much alive and active.  Bullard is a distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University and director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)

Exploring the Forests of the Sea
Under ocean waves, kelp functions much like a forest ecosystem on land. What are we doing to protect it? Paul Tullis reports. (Hakai Magazine)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  302 AM PDT Tue Apr 16 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PDT THIS MORNING    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft at  8 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/15 Hermit crab sponge, Haida Gwaii, Puyallup Tribe, salmon fishing ban, 'touch tank,' wildfires

Hermit crab sponge

 

 Hermit crab sponge Suberites sp.
Although sponge of this genus is well known because of its tendency to overgrow a snail shell being carried around by a hermit crab, on Whidbey Island beaches, we most often see it as a lobe shaped encrusting mass attached to shaded areas of rock in the very low intertidal zone.(Sound Water Stewards)

Today's top stories in Salish Current: First element of Rosario Resort sale closes this week; My Mexican eclipse

'We were born knowing this is ours': B.C. signs deal recognizing Haida Nation title over Haida Gwaii
The B.C. government and the Council of the Haida Nation have signed an agreement officially recognizing Haida Gwaii's Aboriginal title, more than two decades after the nation launched a legal action seeking formal recognition. (Canadian Press)

Puyallup Tribe to have 17 acres of waterfront land added to reservation
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Act transfers land along the Tacoma waterfront to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, allowing the Tribe to expand its reservation and access to federal benefits associated with it. Katie Campbell reports. (KUOW)

Salmon fishing is banned off the California coast for the second year in a row amid low stocks
Federal fishery managers voted Wednesday to cancel all commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast of California for the second year in a row, and only the fourth time in state history, because of dwindling stocks. (Associated Press)

Seattle Aquarium’s hands-on tide pool experience is a touch of luxury
The Seattle Aquarium’s Life on the Edge habitat is a type of exhibit colloquially referred to as a “touch tank,” where visitors can politely reach their hands into the water and feel more than 100 species of invertebrates passing over their mammalian fingertips. Tantri Wija writes. (Seattle Times)

Drought, heat raise the risk of a repeat of Canada’s record-breaking wildfires last year
Canada’s emergency preparedness minister warned Wednesday the country’s wildfire season could be more explosive than last year when it led to unprecedented smoke conditions across much of the country and into the United States.  (Associated Press)

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  214 AM PDT Mon Apr 15 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT    
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 7 ft  at 9 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 7 ft  at 9 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/12 Skunk cabbage, Dan Evans, snowpack, stop mining, heat islands, seaweed farm, SF marshland, week in review

Western skunk cabbage [
Martin Bravenboer/WikiMedia]

Western skunk cabbage Lysichiton americanus
Western skunk cabbage  is found in wet areas along streams and in swamps. Its range extends from Cook Inlet, Alaska, south through British Colombia and the Pacific Northwest states to Santa Cruz county, California, with isolated populations in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. (US Dept. of Agriculture)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Community Voices / Review: ‘The Anxious Generation,’ by Jonathan Haidt

Former WA Gov. Dan Evans feted for energy, conservation work
The state’s other living three-term governor, 98, was recognized by the group  that coordinates energy development in the Columbia Basin. Venice Buhain reports. (Crosscut)

How the Lowest Snowpack in 50 Years Will Hit BC
British Columbia entered this month with the lowest snowpack in more than 50 years, creating risks for BC Hydro, agriculture and the coming fire season. Andrew MacLeod reports. (The Tyee)

Judge orders mining company to stop work next to Everett school
Despite demands to cease work next door to Fairmount Elementary, the company reportedly continued operations at its site. Ta'Leah Van Sistine reports (Everett Herald) 

Portal shows capital region areas most vulnerable to extreme heat
Heat-exposure maps show urban heat islands — high concentrations of people, roads and buildings that make an area hotter— canopy cover of trees and elevation levels where ocean breezes can have a cooling effect. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

A farm off Lummi Island grows its crops underwater
Lummi resident Riley Starks is harvesting seaweed off Lummi Island at the first permitted seaweed farm in Washington state. Eric Riddle reports. (KING)

Making a Marsh out of a Mud Pile
In San Francisco Bay, scientists are looking for a better way to rebuild flagging marshland. Erica Gies reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 4/12/24: Yuri Gagarin Friday, TM pipe, PCB rule, PSE LNG, loggerhead turtle, PFAS limits, WA electricity demand.

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  200 AM PDT Fri Apr 12 2024  
TODAY  N wind to 10 kt becoming NE in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds.  
TONIGHT  NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming NE to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 11 seconds.  
SAT  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at  10 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 to 6 ft at 9 seconds  building to 6 to 7 ft at 9 seconds after midnight.  
SUN  W wind to 10 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. W  swell 7 to 8 ft at 9 seconds building to 9 ft at 8 seconds in the  afternoon.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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4/11 Salmonberry, WA electricity, BC snowpack, carbon removal, orca calf, WA park fees

Salmonberry [Native Plants PNW]

Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis
Rubus, derived from ruber, a latin word for red, is the genus of plants generally called brambles. The epithet spectabilis means spectacular due to Salmonberry’s showy flowers and fruits. Salmonberry is found from southern Alaska to the northern California coast, mostly on the western slope of the Cascades. (Native Plants PNW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Affordable housing opens for occupancy on Bellingham's waterfront

Surge in electricity demand spells trouble for PNW, forecasts show
Power planning forecasts in the Northwest show trouble ahead, in spiking demand for energy, transmission worries and no quick or cheap answers.The state and its neighbors are going to face challenges in keeping the lights on while complying with environmental mandates, including rebuilding salmon runs and meeting commitments to get off fossil fuels, a panel of experts told the Northwest Power and Conservation Council in its monthly meeting Tuesday. Lyda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Lowest snowpack since 1970 sparks drought, wildfire concerns
The low snowpack, combined with warm weather, creates “signficantly elevated” drought hazards for the spring and summer. Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Times Colonist)

State considers permit for carbon removal pilot in Port Angeles
A company partnering with the Port of Port Angeles aims to use the natural dynamics of the ocean to pull climate-warming carbon dioxide from the air, starting as soon as this summer. It has begun applying for permits for a two-year pilot project at the port, that said it could safely remove hundreds of tons of carbon a year from the air. Bellamy Paithorp reports. (KNKX)

Chief says rescue effort for stranded orca calf four, five days away as plans ramp up
Ehattesaht Chief Simon John said Wednesday a rescue of the female orca calf from the lagoon could be as early as Sunday or next week. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Washington considers fee hikes for campers and boaters at its state parks
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is considering upping the fees for campsites and mooring. The cost of Discover Passes, which are set in state law, will not change. Laural Demkovich reports. (Washington State Standard)

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Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  305 AM PDT Thu Apr 11 2024    
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming NW to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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