Salish Sea News Week in Review July 16 2021

 

 

Aloha World Snake Friday!
There are more than 3,000 snake species, and snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They live in most countries, although they aren't found on a few island countries like Iceland, Ireland, and New Zealand, or on the autonomous island territory of Greenland. Snakes live in almost any environment: in forests, grasslands, deserts, savannas, swamps, and mountain regions. About 70 species of sea snakes even live in water, being found in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The largest snake is the reticulated python, which may reach over 30 feet in length; the smallest is the threadsnake, which is less than four inches long. World Snake Day raises awareness about snakes and educates the public about them; it dispels fears and misconceptions about them and enlightens the public on how they should be dealt with. A focus is often put on conservation, which is valuable because snakes face habitat loss on account of development, and there are around 100 species that are listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List.

Marbled murrelet gets endangered status in Oregon as climate change threatens its survival
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted Friday to reclassify the marbled murrelet’s status from threatened to endangered under the Oregon Endangered Species Act.

At Meadowdale Beach, the salmon will return to a new estuary
One day not long from now, threatened salmon species will return to Lunds Gulch at Meadowdale Beach Park. After a decade of planning, construction has begun on renovations at the waterfront park to create a 1.3-acre pocket estuary that will bring back Chinook, chum and coho salmon, as well as cutthroat trout.

Clock starts on Nooksack basin water rights inventory; stakeholders yet to discuss solutions
Weeks of sparse rainfall and a historic heat wave marked the end of June — and the start of a process to establish water rights among various users in Whatcom County’s Nooksack River basin.

Newly discovered fungus spores spurred by heat and drought are killing Seattle street trees
...So-called sooty bark disease is named for the black, powdery patches that are the telltale marks on tree bark of the fungus Crypotostroma corticale.

Canada and the United States release new action plan for Salish Sea Ecosystem
...Today, the governments of Canada and the United States announced that they have signed a new four-year "Action Plan" under their Joint Statement of Cooperation—first signed in 2000—that commits both countries to work together on transboundary issues and challenges facing the Salish Sea ecosystem.

How healthy is the Salish Sea? Canada-U.S. study tracks ecosystem decline
A joint Canada-U.S. report on the health of the Salish Sea has found either an overwhelming decline or stable trend in nine out of 10 environmental indicators tracked by researchers. The only positive? Shellfish.

This Bellingham Bay cleanup is taking longer than expected. Here’s why
The city of Bellingham has big plans to clean up two former industrial sites, transforming the waterfront area into a public access point informally called Cornwall Beach Park....The cleanup planning process has been in the works for nearly a decade, due to lengthy bureaucratic processes at the city, state and federal levels.

Can biologists estimate the massive loss of shellfish caused by low tides, high temps?
The putrid smell of rotting shellfish on some beaches in Puget Sound and elsewhere along the West Coast were a clear sign that large numbers of clams, mussels, oysters and other intertidal creatures were killed from exposure to extreme low tides, record-breaking temperatures and a blazing hot sun.

Drought emergency declared in Washington state
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday declared a statewide drought emergency because of hot, dry conditions that have plagued the region and water supply.

Biden to Restore Protections for Tongass National Forest in Alaska
Former President Donald J. Trump invited mining and logging to a vast wilderness of bald eagles, black bears and 800-year-old trees. President Biden is reversing course.

A Study Predicts Record Flooding In The 2030s, And It's Partly Because Of The Moon
A new study on high tide flooding predicts that the mid-2030s could be catastrophically wet in U.S. coastal regions — and it could stay that way for an entire decade.

Ship crash in Vancouver harbour blamed on 'systematic failure,' communications 'breakdowns'
A federal investigation into two bulk carrier ships that crashed in Vancouver's Inner Harbour two years ago has blamed the collision on "breakdowns in situational awareness and communications."

Hot NW summer: More high temps and low precipitation ahead
Crews are trying to contain wildfires that have already burned tens of thousands of acres throughout the Northwest. The already dire situation is being made worse by gusting winds, a lack of rain, and above-average heat. The coming months aren't likely to be much better.

Fully vaccinated Americans may enter Canada as of mid-August
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday Canada could start allowing fully vaccinated Americans into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel and should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September.

These news clips are a selection of weekday clips collected in Salish Sea News and Weather which is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe at no cost to the weekday news clips or to this weekly compilation, send your name and email to mikesato772 at gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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