Salish Sea Communications

Friday, June 25, 2021

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 25 2021

Aloha National Catfish Day!
Living catfishes constitute nearly 2,900 species placed in about 35 families. The majority of species inhabit fresh water, but a few, belonging to the families Ariidae and Plotosidae, are marine. Freshwater catfishes are almost worldwide in distribution and live in a variety of habitats from slow or stagnant waters to fast mountain streams; marine catfishes are found in the shore waters of the tropics. Catfishes are generally bottom dwellers, more active by night than by day. Most are scavengers and feed on almost any kind of animal or vegetable matter.

More than 100 celebrities, prominent Canadians ask B.C. premier to preserve remaining old-growth forest
More than 100 prominent Canadians — and a few international celebrities — have signed an open letter to British Columbia Premier John Horgan demanding he preserve the province's remaining old-growth forests.

Your Fourth of July celebrations are likely polluting local air and water. Here’s how
As you enjoy watching fireworks this Fourth of July, consider the toll they’re taking on the environment, including nearby air quality, bodies of water and wildlife.

B.C. gets a C grade in protecting land and oceans: report
B.C. may be doing some things right when it comes to protecting the environment, but not enough to receive top marks, says a new environmental report card.

Endangered orcas missing from their home waters for 10 weeks
Southern resident killer whales haven’t been seen in their home waters for more than two months now.

Site C dam, oilsands pushing Canada’s largest national park closer to endangered list
Despite repeated calls for action from the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Canada has failed to adequately protect Wood Buffalo National Park, home to the world’s largest inland delta, from the impacts of industrial development.

Federal court: Puyallup River dam needs permits under Endangered Species Act before it can restart
In another blow to the operators of the Electron Dam on the Puyallup River, a judge in federal District Court has barred its parent company from diverting any water to generate power until it gets permits under the Endangered Species Act.

The Record Temperatures Enveloping The West Are Not Your Average Heat Wave
...It gets hot in the summer. But this record-setting heat wave's remarkable power, size and unusually early appearance is giving meteorologists and climate experts yet more cause for concern about the routinization of extreme weather in an era of climate change.

More info for the feds coming on Delta port expansion
The citizens’ group Against Port Expansion (APE) continues its push for the federal government to turn down the Port of Vancouver’s proposed Terminal 2 (T2) project at Roberts Bank.

BC Looks like an LNG Loser: Report
Once touted as an economic powerhouse, the liquified natural gas industry is on the rocks, according to a worldwide survey of LNG terminals from the Global Energy Monitor, a non-profit research group responding to climate change.

Work at Big Bar slide site means Fraser River salmon should have better chance this year
On the two-year anniversary of the discovery of the massive Big Bar landslide on the Fraser River, officials say they are seeing some success in remediating the devastation caused to the river's native salmon.

Hot salmon: Heat wave brings concern for Northwest water temps as memory of 2015 die-off looms
As the mercury climbs this weekend, water temperatures are also expected to increase. Warmer waters can spell bad news for salmon, especially if the temperatures stay warm for long periods of time. For salmon, temps above 68 degrees Fahrenheit can be dangerously warm. The fish will often take refuge in cooler areas, like tributaries. Courtney Flatt reports. (KNKX)

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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Friday, June 18, 2021

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 18 2021

Aloha Go Fish Day!
Observed annually on June 18, National Go Fishing Day is a great day to take time from your daily routine to find a stream, a lake or pond, bait your hook, cast your line and catch a fish or two (or ten). Fishing is a recreational pastime of many, and if you’re lucky, you can bring home a fresh catch.

Biden officials move to reinstate Alaska roadless rule, overturning Trump policy
The Biden administration said Friday that it would “repeal or replace” a rule allowing roads and other types of development in more than half of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, reviving 20-year-old protections President Donald Trump had stripped three months before leaving office.

Federal judge upholds decision to deny permits to expanded Belfair gravel mine
A federal judge has upheld a decision by the Mason County Hearing Examiner to overturn a surface mining permit for a 66.5-acre gravel mine in Belfair.

Coastal logging needs old-growth for at least next decade, forester says
Forestry companies on the coast are dependent on old-growth logging for at least the next decade because second-growth trees aren’t yet big enough to be harvested, says the co-author of an old-growth strategic review.

Federal effort would list Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan as threatened species
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is proposing new protections for the Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan. If approved, the Endangered Species Act would list the birds as threatened.

Tiny specks bring big hope that ocean is improving after the devastating ‘Blob’
... for the first time since a devastating marine heat wave that peaked through 2014 and 2015, researchers see in the abundance, condition and diversity of plankton recently sampled off the West Coast signs of a change for the better in ocean conditions.

Federal Judge Says Biden Cannot Pause New Leases for Drilling on Public Lands
A federal judge in Louisiana has blocked the Biden administration’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters, in the first major legal roadblock for President Biden’s quest to cut fossil fuel pollution and conserve public lands.

Site prep underway at contested development near Mukilteo
Construction preparation has begun again at a controversial development site south of Mukilteo. And this time, it’s under the direction of a new developer. Lennar Northwest paid $24 million for the roughly 22 acres known as Frognal Estates.

Biden to sign bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday
The United States will soon have a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery. The House voted 415-14 on Wednesday to make Juneteenth, or June 19th, the 12th federal holiday, and President Joe Biden is scheduled to sign the bill into law on Thursday.

Researchers identify shellfish-killing phytoplankton behind massive summer die-offs in Puget Sound
In July of 2018 and 2019, large numbers of oysters, cockles and clams died on beaches all around Puget Sound. No one knew why.

Friday, June 11, 2021

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 11 2021

Kamehameha I

Aloha King Kamehameha Day!
King Kamehameha Day is a public holiday in Hawaiʻi that honors Kamehameha I, the Hawaiian king who was also known as Kamehameha the Great and the Napoleon of the Pacific. Kamehameha is known for establishing the unified Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810, which brought together the islands of Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. He was monarch of Hawaiʻi from 1782 until his death on May 8, 1819.

Dam relicensing process delayed for additional comment
In response to some indigenous people in Canada saying they were left out of the early review process for the relicensing of Seattle City Light’s Skagit River dams, finalizing the relicensing study plan has been delayed.

Monuments and teams have changed names as America reckons with racism. Birds are next
...America is trying to come to terms with its complicated racial past by changing the names of institutions, ranging from military bases to baseball teams. Now efforts are also underway to change the names of some living monuments — birds.

Alaska Native corporation to protect its land, dealing blow to massive gold mine project
The deal will make it difficult for backers of a massive open-pit gold and copper mine to carry out their project because the new protections cover a portion of a critical route the Pebble Limited Partnership plans to use to transport ore from the mine.

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Fueling Climate Change Hits A Four Million Year High
The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere reached 419 parts per million in May, its highest level in more than four million years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Monday.

Canada eyeing multi-stage approach to reopening the border to travellers
Canadian officials are looking at a multi-phase approach to reopening the border that would begin with allowing fully vaccinated travellers to enter starting this summer.

Feds could restrict West Coast salmon fishing to help orcas
Federal officials are proposing to curtail nontribal salmon fishing along the West Coast in especially bad years to help the Northwest’s endangered killer whales.

Dam operator fined $501,000 for polluting Puyallup River with artificial turf, crumb rubber
The Washington Department of Ecology has fined Electron Hydro, LLC, $501,000 for discharging discarded plastic field turf into the Puyallup River last summer.

Indigenous group seeks full ownership of Trans Mountain Pipeline
Project Reconciliation, a Canadian Indigenous group seeking a stake in the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, is now aiming for a path to full ownership, the group’s new chairman said.

Keystone XL pipeline developer pulls plug on controversial project
The firm behind the Keystone XL pipeline officially scrapped the project on Wednesday, months after President Biden revoked a cross-border permit for the controversial pipeline and more than a decade after political wrangling over its fate began.

B.C. agrees to defer old-growth logging for 2 years in Fairy Creek and central Walbran areas
British Columbia has approved the request of three First Nations that want old-growth logging deferred for two years in part of their territories, including at the site of ongoing protests and arrests.

Biden pushes protection for more streams and wetlands, targeting a major Trump rollback
The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers said in a joint statement they had determined that the Trump administration’s rollback is “leading to significant environmental degradation.”

Squamish Nation calls for old-growth logging moratorium in its territory
The Squamish Nation says it has notified the B.C. government that it intends to defer old-growth logging in its territory while it develops long-term sustainability plans, following a similar request from three Vancouver Island First Nations this week.

Vancouver Council Votes Against Delay for Climate Emergency Plan
City bylaw will require new homes built after Jan. 1 to use zero-emissions heat and hot water systems, effectively banning natural gas hookups.

Maps Show the Severe Drought Gripping California and the West
An intense drought is gripping the American West. Extreme conditions are more widespread than at any point in at least 20 years, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the government’s official drought-tracking service. And the hottest months of summer are still to come.

Coast Salish Place Names of the San Juan Islands
An ongoing project of a present day look at historic Coast Salish locations throughout the San Juan Islands and Strait of Georgia.

Friday, June 4, 2021

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 4 2021

Aloha National Gun Violence Day
National Gun Violence Day, a nationwide movement that shows collective power and honors the lives lost on account of gun violence and those wounded by it. After it got its start, orange became the color associated with the wider movement fighting for gun violence prevention. The annual event memorializes the shooting and death of 15-year old Hadiya Pendleton in Chicago on January 29, 2013. Her friends word orange on June 2, 2015 on what would have been Hadiya's 18th birthday. Since then, National Gun Violence Day has been held on the first Friday in June.

Trans Mountain pipeline begins construction of tunnel in Burnaby, B.C.
Construction has begun on the 2.6-kilometre tunnel in Burnaby, B.C., for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

Howe Sound guide to launch maps for World Oceans Day
On the eve of World Oceans Day on June 8, the Howe Sound/Átl’ka7tsem Marine Reference Guide project will be launching two maps of the region.

Biden administration suspends oil and gas leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Biden administration on Tuesday suspended oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, targeting one of President Donald Trump’s most significant environmental acts during his last days in office. Biden Aims to End Arctic Drilling. A Trump-Era Law Could Foil His Plans. President Biden may be forced to hold a new lease sale for oil drilling in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, despite his vows to slash fossil fuel pollution and his action this week to suspend Arctic drilling leases that had been awarded in the final days of the Trump administration.

Politicians, environmentalists, industry divided on B.C.'s forestry plan
After weeks of arrests and attempts to block old growth logging on Vancouver Island, the province's anticipated forestry announcement proved to be a disappointment Tuesday to protesters and environmentalists.

Public invited to comment on state draft commercial fish net pen guidance
Ecology is accepting comments on the draft Guidance for Marine Net Pen Aquaculture in Washington State: Regulations, Risks and Management now through June 21.

Montana's largest wind farm contracts with Puget Sound Energy
What’s expected to be Montana’s largest wind farm secured its first customer Wednesday from Colstrip Power Plant co-owner Puget Sound Energy.

‘We’re Not Going to See Tankers in Active Pass Ever Again’
Tankers of all sizes have been banned from travelling through Active Pass, a narrow stretch of water between Mayne and Galiano islands, following a public outcry and Tyee reporting.

'It's a nuisance': Container ships anchored in Puget Sound causing headaches for neighbors
Three boats are anchored in Holmes Harbor, nestled between Whidbey and Camano Islands. Approximately five more are sitting at Yukon Harbor near Blake Island. They're among about 15 ships currently anchored in Puget Sound because of a massive backlog of container ships up and down the West Coast.

Looking to escape wildfire smoke in WA this year? A new tool could help
Smoke forecasting is notoriously hard to do, but a new tool from the state Department of Ecology may help us anticipate hazardous air five days in the future.

Friday, May 28, 2021

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 28 2021

Aloha Amnesty International Day!
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization that focuses on the protection of human rights—working to prevent abuses to human rights, to fight for justice for those whose rights have been violated, and to expand and enforce human rights protections in international law, by lobbying governments and other powerful groups and publicizing their violations. Their early focus was on the release of political prisoners, but they now focus on many issues. Their main concerns are on the rights of freedom and speech and conscience, and on the right to not be tortured. Other concerns include abolishing the death penalty, reproductive rights, and defending refugees and migrants.

After being driven to near extinction, wolves are back in Washington. Can we coexist with them?
...Today, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife kills wolves only when they have repeatedly killed cattle, a relatively rare event, with about 80% of Washington wolf packs typically staying out of trouble with people.

Biden signs bill opening door for Alaska cruises to resume
President Joe Biden signed into law Monday legislation that opens a door for resumed cruise ship travel to Alaska after the pandemic last year scrapped sailings. The measure pushed by members of Alaska's Republican congressional delegation will allow large cruise ships to sail directly from Washington state to Alaska without stopping in Canada.

Hoodsport beaches to open for shellfish harvesting for first time in 45 years
The Washington State Department of Health has upgraded its water quality rating for a stretch of tidelands near Hoodsport in southern Hood Canal, certifying that clams and oysters there are now safe to eat. Those beaches have been closed to harvesting for 45 years.

Marsh habitat restoration project planned at Point No Point aims to help salmon
A 32-acre area at Point No Point will undergo a habitat restoration led by the Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group that aims to restore critical salmon habitat.

Salish Sea Institute Releases Comprehensive ‘State of the Salish Sea’ Report
Western Washington University’s Salish Sea Institute has released the “State of the Salish Sea” report, the first comprehensive, scientific overview of the health of the Salish Sea since the 1994 Shared Waters Report.

Future meets heritage in this year’s awards
Each year, RE Sources holds its Environmental Heroes Awards celebration and fundraiser where the environmental advocacy group recognizes individuals doing remarkable work to protect the Central Salish Sea region’s environment and communities.

Biden Administration Defends Huge Alaska Oil Drilling Project
The Biden administration is defending a huge Trump-era oil and gas project in the North Slope of Alaska designed to produce more than 100,000 barrels of oil a day for the next 30 years, despite President Biden’s pledge to pivot the country away from fossil fuels.

Earth Is Barreling Toward 1.5 Degrees Celsius Of Warming, Scientists Warn
The average temperature on Earth is now consistently 1 degree Celsius hotter than it was in the late 1800s, and that temperature will keep rising toward the critical 1.5-degree Celsius benchmark over the next five years, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization.

Farmed fish the source of virus spread among wild salmon, B.C. study suggests
Evidence shows a debilitating virus found in British Columbia salmon was transferred from Atlantic fish farms, which then spread from Pacific aquaculture operations into wild fish, says a study published Wednesday.

Northwest tribes unite over GOP congressman’s pitch to breach Lower Snake River dams
The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians unanimously approved a resolution Thursday calling for breaching of the Lower Snake River dams to rebuild salmon runs, save endangered orcas and secure funding from Congress to replace the benefits of the dams.

Friday, May 21, 2021

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 21, 2021

Aloha Endangered Species Friday!

The United States Congress created Endangered Species Day in 2006 with the adoption of Senate Resolution 431. The resolution encouraged "the people of the United States to become educated about, and aware of, threats to species, success stories in species recovery, and the opportunity to promote species conservation worldwide." The day is for learning why it's important to protect endangered species, for learning how to take part in protection efforts, and for celebrating species that have recovered as a result of these efforts.

Buried danger: A slumbering geologic fault beneath us
An earthquake along the southern Whidbey Island fault reshaped the land some 2,700 years ago. Another big one is expected, and it could be devastating.

To restore Sidney Island’s ecology, a push to kill 500 fallow deer
A coalition of First Nations, property owners and Parks Canada is planning a “final eradication” of the invasive species that will see up to 500 of the animals rounded up and killed.

The PNW is a leader on forage fish management — but it needs better data
A U.S. Senate bill highlights West Coast progressiveness in managing fisheries, but even our region is a long way off from really knowing what’s out there.

King County’s culvert hunters — and a $9 billion plan to save salmon habitat
....Urban creeks are the arteries and veins of the region carrying the lifeblood that animates the region’s ecology: salmon. Food for more than 123 species of animals — including endangered southern resident killer whales that frequent Puget Sound.

B.C. government ending climate program for municipalities
The sudden cancellation of a climate action program that provided municipal governments with millions of dollars every year has local politicians scratching their heads.

Nations Must Drop Fossil Fuels, Fast, World Energy Body Warns
Nations around the world would need to immediately stop approving new coal-fired power plants and new oil and gas fields and quickly phase out gasoline-powered vehicles if they want to avert the most catastrophic effects of climate change, the world’s leading energy agency said Tuesday.

Inslee signs ambitious environmental protection laws
Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed a series of bills Monday designed to strengthen the environment in Washington state. Inslee signed the Climate Commitment Act, environmental justice legislation, a clean fuels standard and bills related to reducing Washington’s single-use plastic waste and hydrofluorocarbon pollution.

1st wild fishers born in North Cascades in decades
The first wild members of the wolverine family known as fishers have been born in the North Cascades for the first time in decades.

‘We don’t have time’: scientists urge B.C. to immediately defer logging in key old-growth forests amid arrests
One year after an independent panel recommended the province immediately halt logging in B.C’s rarest forests, no meaningful deferrals have been implemented.

Half of the world’s single-use plastic waste is from just 20 companies, says a study
In 2019, more than 130 million metric tons of single-use plastics were thrown away, with most of that waste burned, buried in a landfill or dumped directly into the ocean or onto land. Now, a new report finds that just 20 companies account for more than half of all single-use plastic waste generated worldwide.

B.C. failing to meet international targets for protecting biodiversity, critical habitat: report
A decade after Aichi biodiversity targets were set by Canada and other nations, a new report looks at how B.C. measures up, finding the province has failed to protect nature in the midst of a growing global ecological crisis.

Friday, May 14, 2021

Salish Sea News Week in Review May 14 2021

Aloha Fintastic Friday!

Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks a Voice celebrates and raises awareness for sharks, and is geared towards children. It encourages them to get involved in shark conservation efforts and to help change public opinion about sharks—from fear to appreciation and from hate to love. Not only is the day dedicated to sharks, but to other elasmobranchs like rays and skates as well.

Scientists seek to understand increase in grey whale deaths on West Coast
The recent sighting of an emaciated grey whale off Vancouver Island and the discovery of a dead whale washed up on a B.C. beach highlights concerns that the marine mammals are dying in increasing numbers.

Songhees teaming up with other nations to remove derelict boats
The Songhees First Nation is spearheading a drive to take more derelict boats out of the water while providing jobs and training for other nations on the South Island.

The Big Melt
This is Klinaklini, the largest glacier in Western North America beyond the Alaskan border. As this giant melts, so go B.C.’s more than 16,000 other mountain glaciers — and the pace is fast accelerating. In mere decades, Klinaklini will be gone.

Expect longer wait times: Washington ferries to use smaller-capacity vessels after boat fire
Washington State Ferries (WSF) announced last week that it would be forced to make service changes on several routes after an engine room fire took the MV Wenatchee out of service in late April.

Interior drops Trump proposal easing rules for Arctic offshore drilling
The U.S. Interior Department said Friday that it would not pursue a Trump administration proposal that critics feared would have weakened rules for exploratory oil and gas drilling in Arctic waters.

Thousands of salmon fry released in B.C. river to restore populations devastated by Big Bar landslide
Thousands of salmon fry have been released in a river west of Prince George, B.C., in the hope they will help restore the salmon population devastated by the Big Bar landslide.

B.C. auditor general flags province’s inadequate management of lands, fish and wildlife
An audit of the province’s conservation program shows how B.C. is failing to address a biodiversity crisis, including monitoring and enforcement gaps and a lack of collaboration with First Nations.

Interior Department approves first large-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S.
The Biden administration on Tuesday approved the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States, a project that envisions building 62 turbines off Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts and creating enough electricity to power 400,000 homes.

BLM will revisit sage grouse protections after Trump’s attempt to open habitat for mining
The Bureau of Land Management announced Tuesday that it will revisit a key provision of sage grouse protection plans that would limit mining and drilling on the birds’ habitat.

B.C. ‘shouldn’t have approved’ plan that failed to protect Nahmint old-growth forests: watchdog
A three-year review by the forest practices board found the provincial government did not meet its legal objective to protect ecosystems and ancient forests in a treasured Vancouver Island watershed.

Community Voices / Local team launches innovative approach to help curb climate change
We must act, not just worry, and use as many solutions to curb climate change as we can, say a team of professors, graduate fellows, student interns and sustainability professionals working on one solution for Whatcom County — that can be replicated anywhere.

Stakeholders: Proposed Skagit River dam studies "inadequate"
Despite Seattle City Light expanding its study plan associated with the relicensing process of its Skagit River dams, at least 17 commenting government agencies, tribes and nonprofits wrote in letters last week that they remain dissatisfied.

‘They never said a word’: DFO told B.C. salmon farmers, but not First Nations, about mouth rot infestation
Documents released under access to information legislation show federal scientists raised the alarm about a bacteria that causes potentially deadly lesions in Atlantic salmon, saying migrating Fraser River salmon were at risk.

Gov. Inslee, Washington state’s U.S. senators reject GOP congressman’s pitch on Lower Snake River dam removal
Washington state’s U.S. senators and its governor have joined forces against a proposal from U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, to remove four hydroelectric dams on the Lower Snake River and replace their benefits as part of a multitrillion dollar infrastructure bill being crafted by the Biden administration.