Salish Sea News Week in Review July 30 2021

 

Aloha Friendship Friday!
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed July 30 each year to be the International Day of Friendship. On this day, the United Nations encourages governments, international organizations, and other groups to hold events that promote dialogue among civilizations, understanding, solidarity, and reconciliation. One focus is on involving those who will become the future leaders—young people—in community activities that "promote international understanding and respect for diversity." If those diverse friendships can be built, then the participants' respective countries and the world will benefit for years to come.

B.C.’s rare inland rainforest at risk of collapse, international scientists warn in new study
The province’s unique inland temperate rainforest is home to endangered species and cedar trees more than 1,000 years old — but its old-growth ecosystems could be destroyed in less than a decade if logging continues at its current pace.

White House lays out environmental justice guidance 
Two big themes of the first six months of the Joe Biden administration have been racial equity — the focus of one of the first executive orders the president signed — and environmental infrastructure, a big part of the infrastructure bill working its way through Congress. On Wednesday, those themes came together.

Wildfires, floods and rock slides force pause on permanent fishway project at Big Bar landslide site
Efforts to create a permanent safe passage for fish at the Big Bar landslide site are being delayed as a number of incidents have made work challenging and in some cases, dangerous for crews.

Underwater video shows heat-stressed salmon, but it could have been worse
June’s heat wave led to some unhealthy hot water for salmon. But, fish managers said it hasn’t been as devastating for salmon runs as the warm water temperatures were in 2015.

Monsanto Hit With $185M Verdict Over Teachers’ PCB-Related Brain Damage
A Washington state court jury sacked Bayer AG’s Monsanto unit with a $185 million verdict on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by teachers exposed to toxic chemicals in a dilapidated school.

J-Pod returns to Salish Sea after 'unprecedented' 108-day absence
 J-Pod is back in town. The group of endangered southern resident killer whales was spotted Tuesday near Sooke travelling eastbound on inland waters toward Victoria.

Years in the making, amendments ban new fossil-fuel industries, new shipping terminals at Cherry Point
No new oil, natural gas or coal-based industries will be allowed at Cherry Point west of Ferndale under Whatcom County’s latest — and groundbreaking — Comprehensive Plan amendments, following a unanimous vote by the county council.

Lummi Nation totem pole arrives in D.C. after journey to sacred lands across U.S.
A 25-foot totem pole, intricately hand-carved and painted by Native Americans, arrived in the nation’s capital Wednesday afternoon after a two-week cross-country journey from Washington state, as part of a campaign to protect sacred tribal lands.

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, 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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Salish Sea News Week in Review July 23 2021

 

Aloha Comet Hale-Bopp Friday!
Comet Hale–Bopp is a comet that was perhaps the most widely observed of the 20th century and one of the brightest seen for many decades. Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp discovered Comet Hale–Bopp separately on July 23, 1995, before it became visible to the naked eye. Wikipedia

Fish can get hooked on meth, a troubling sign of how the drug can pollute water
Methamphetamine use is on the rise worldwide. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, approximately 27 million people use meth and similar drugs each year. But meth use doesn’t just take a toll on people — it can harm animals, too.

Seattle study of breast milk from 50 women finds chemical used in food wrappers, firefighting foam
In August 2019, Vera Harrington put a quarter cup of her breast milk into the refrigerator. She gave this milk not to her daughter, Flora, but a team of researchers investigating a pervasive class of chemicals that have found their way into humans all over the world.

B.C. First Nation and partners propose new $10B LNG megaproject
A First Nation in British Columbia is proposing a new liquified natural gas (LNG) export facility to be built on the community's treaty land and is making an environmental pledge to reach net-zero emissions within three years of commencing operations.

Lower Elwha restoration project in progress
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is conducting a beach restoration project at the former Olympic Rowing Club site on Ediz Hook through mid-August.

Salmon-killing tires get congressional hearing
A study that pinpointed a chemical from car tires as the cause of salmon die-offs in West Coast creeks has prompted a congressional hearing.

With rollback of Trump proposal, new Biden plan cuts just 2% of spotted owl protections
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to withdraw the previous administration’s rule that slashed millions of acres of critical habitat protections for the northern spotted owl.

100 Days Without Js: J-Pod Absent from Core Summer Habitat for 100 Days and Counting
J-Pod was last seen in the San Juan Islands on April 10th. K-Pod made a brief visit to the Salish Sea on July 1 before heading back west to the outer coast; other than that, K-Pod and L-Pod have not been documented in inland waters since late February.

Caroline F. Gibson February 6, 1964 - July 11, 2021
Caroline passed away at home with her partner Walt and her sister Mary Jane by her side in Port Townsend on July 11, 2021 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

What ever happened to the Salish woolly dog? Learn more about this extinct breed with virtual history lessons
Senaqwila Wyss wants people to know what really happened to the furry companions of her people.

Low oxygen levels off Northwest coast raise fears of marine ‘dead zones’
Low oxygen levels measured off the coast of Oregon and Washington are raising fears of large “dead zones” that could wipe out crabs and bottom-dwelling fish within.

State investigating deaths of deer in Anacortes
A disease the state Department of Fish and Wildlife determined in early June was killing deer on the San Juan Islands is now believed to be affecting deer in Anacortes.

Canada’s sweeping closures of Pacific coast salmon fisheries leave workers reeling
Commercial fishers are paying the price for 'collective failure' to minimize impacts to wild salmon populations, says watchdog.

Feds approve 32 studies in dam relicensing process
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees the licensing of hydroelectric dams, issued last week a study plan determination for the relicensing of Seattle City Light’s three-dam Skagit River Hydroelectric Project.

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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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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Salish Sea News Week in Review July 9 2021

 

 

Aloha Donkey Kong Friday!
Donkey Kong was released by Nintendo in 1981, featuring the adventures of the eponymous ape created by Shigeru Miyamoto and the debut of Nintendo's Mario as Jumpman.

Survivor: Salmon Edition
Pink salmon are competitive—for food, for mates, and for space to spawn. Today, pinks are the most abundant of all Pacific salmon species, but what lies ahead for them in a time of rapid climate change?

Canadian governments have spent $23 billion supporting three pipelines since 2018: report
A new report finds Canadian governments have provided billions to support pipelines — none of which have been completed to date — even as experts worry pipelines themselves undermine progress on climate goals.

Record heat, drought threaten even the toughest survivors: L25, the oldest orca, and the winter Chinook she depends on
...No one really knows when she was born, but if her estimated birth year of 1928 is correct or even close, L25 has been traveling the seas of our region over uncounted miles for some 93 years.

Washington court rules in favor of conservation groups in fight over cattle lots and groundwater 
It’s back to the drawing board for state regulators, after the Washington Court of Appeals ordered the Department of Ecology to rework permits for confined animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs.

Inslee declares wildfire state of emergency, burn ban
Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday declared a state of emergency throughout Washington relating to the growing risk of wildfires, including a statewide prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning through Sept. 30.

More than a billion seashore animals may have cooked to death in B.C. heat wave, says UBC researcher 
Shoreline temps above 50 C and low tides led to mass deaths of animals like mussels, clams, sea stars.

Extreme heat cooks shellfish alive on Puget Sound beaches
A record-shattering heat wave June 26-28 coincided with some of the year's lowest tides on Puget Sound.

Study: Northwest heat wave impossible without climate change
The deadly heat wave that roasted the Pacific Northwest and western Canada was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change that added a few extra degrees to the record-smashing temperatures.

Historic summit of tribes across Pacific Northwest presses dam removal on Inslee, Biden, Congress
In a historic gathering of more than 15 Indian nations, tribal leaders from around the Northwest called for immediate action to save endangered orcas and the salmon they depend on.

Gulf Islands under some of the worst water shortages ever, authorities say
After this summer's unprecedented heat wave across B.C., authorities in the Gulf Islands say the season's drought is one of the worst they've experienced in recent memory.

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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Salish Sea News Week in Review July 2 2021

 

Aloha Flag Friday!

Iris versicolor is also commonly known as the blue flag, harlequin blueflag, larger blue flag, northern blue flag, and poison flag, plus other variations of these names, and in Britain and Ireland as purple iris. It is a species of Iris native to North America, in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada. Wave on! (Wikipedia)

Justices deny Wyoming, Montana coal suit against Washington state

Pacific Northwest heat wave sets up ‘grim’ migration for salmon on Columbia, Snake rivers

Washington state board to uphold temperature limits in Columbia, Snake rivers

Environmentalists hope for silver lining to Seattle’s surging A/C demands

Ottawa to close 60 per cent of commercial salmon fisheries in B.C., Yukon to conserve stocks

$4 million donation helps save unique Salish Sea island ecosystems

Inside the Pacheedaht Nation’s stand on Fairy Creek logging blockades

NW tribes want to be at the table for green energy planning

Public comment sought on net pen aquaculture 

How to make a trap for Asian giant hornets — and why one Puyallup teen has already made 40 of them

Orca takes Camano family by surprise pushing, spinning boat in Saratoga Passage

Mass bird death event in Seattle attributed to record heat Monday

Canada lobbies against California proposal to protect boreal forests, respect Indigenous Rights

Now, your weekend tug weather--
Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  212 AM PDT Fri Jul 2 2021   
TODAY  Light wind becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 2 ft or less in the afternoon. W  swell 5 ft at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. 
SAT  Light wind becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 2 ft or less in the afternoon. W  swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 8 seconds. 
SUN  SE wind to 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves  2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 8 seconds.

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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told