Salish Sea Communications: January 2022

Friday, January 28, 2022

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 28 2022

Aloha Lego Friday!
Lego bricks and other items are manufactured by the Lego Group, which is based in Billund, Denmark. It was in this city in 1932 that a carpenter by the name of Ole Kirk Christiansen began making wooden toys. Two years later, his company began being called "Lego," which came from leg godt, the Danish phrase meaning "play well." The company started making plastic toys in 1947, and interlocking bricks in 1949. Called "Automatic Binding Bricks," they were based on Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks. It was on today's date in 1958 that a patent for Lego bricks was applied for, which is why today is known as International LEGO Day, a day on which we celebrate all things Lego.

Firefighters hope Washington bill will help remove toxic chemicals from protective gear
Firefighters already are diagnosed with certain cancers at a higher rate than the rest of the population, according to a study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Fisheries Department bans bottom fishing in Howe Sound near glass sponge reefs
The federal government has now protected all identified sections of prehistoric and living glass-sponge reefs in Howe Sound. As of this week, trawling for shrimp and setting prawn and crab traps is banned in five sections of Howe Sound by commercial or recreational fishers.

Piece of state legislation has its detractors in Skagit County
With a state-level push to save salmon by planting trees along streams, angst is increasing among landowners and government representatives in farm-focused Skagit County.

Indigenous non-profit looks to buy Trans Mountain Pipeline
A new Indigenous non-profit organization is seeking an ownership stake in the Trans Mountain Pipeline, saying its aim is to make sure communities along the pipeline's route receive its benefits directly. Nesika Services publicly launched Monday, calling itself a grassroots, community-led not-for-profit.

E.P.A. Chief Vows to ‘Do Better’ to Protect Poor Communities
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday will announce stepped-up enforcement and monitoring to help disadvantaged communities struggling with polluted air and water.

B.C. glaciers melting 7 times faster in past decade than previous years, UNBC study finds
Glaciers in British Columbia and Alberta have been melting an average of seven times faster over the past decade than in previous time periods, according to a new study from geologists at the University of Northern British Columbia.

New salmon farm proposals for B.C. coast raise questions about Ottawa’s promised 2025 phase-out
A raft of proposals to expand open-net pen salmon farms on the B.C. coast, including a plan for a new salmon farm off the north-east coast of Vancouver Island, is raising questions about whether fish farming will really be phased out in the province or whether companies will find ways, such as partnerships with First Nations, to circumvent federal Liberal government pledges to remove open-net pen salmon farms from B.C. waters by 2025.

Supreme Court tees up wetlands fight that could cuff EPA
The Supreme Court’s decision today to take a fresh look at the scope of the Clean Water Act could impair EPA’s ability to protect isolated wetlands and ephemeral and intermittent streams.

U.S. officials consider plan that would 'send' Nooksack River overflow into Canada
A plan devised by American officials that could lead to the creation of a “floodway” to allow the Nooksack River to spill into Canada during high water has many Abbotsford residents on edge.

Searching for the Future of Sunscreen
Scientists are sourcing new ultraviolet ray–blocking compounds from algae, seaweed, cyanobacteria, and other marine creatures with the hope of designing a more environmentally friendly sunscreen.

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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Friday, January 21, 2022

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 21 2022

Aloha Squirrel Friday!
Squirrels are one of the most common animals that people see on a regular basis. These little creatures with a fluffy tail are practically everywhere–in cities, parks, college campuses and forests. They might live in trees or dig a hole in the ground to serve as a home. Some people might even say that squirrels are nuts for nuts, and can last through the harshest of winters without much trouble at all. Squirrels are part of the Sciuridae family, which makes them cousins to a variety of rodents such as chipmunks, groundhogs, prairie dogs and other rodents. The earliest fossils of squirrels date back to the Eocene epoch which was perhaps more than 30 million years ago. National Squirrel Appreciation Day was founded by wildlife rehabilitator Christy Hargrove, who is affiliated with the North Carolina Nature Center.

The Nooksack River is in “grave danger,” warns Whatcom scientist with numbers to back it up
The Nooksack River is in “grave danger” of experiencing irreversible changes and ecosystem collapse if Whatcom County doesn’t rapidly reform the way it manages nearby human activity.

Vancouver Park Board chair proposes co-management of parks with First Nations
A motion calling for the co-management of parks that fall within the traditional territories of Vancouver's First Nations communities will be debated at a park board meeting later this month.

At deadly Glacier Peak, one last hurdle for new seismometers
Snohomish County’s Glacier Peak, classified as one of America’s deadliest volcanoes, is a step closer to getting adequate seismometers to detect future eruptions.

The inescapable power of water on a landslide-prone street
A little over a week ago, a landslide in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood pushed a home off its foundations. Perkins Lane is a tiny little street that runs along the side of Magnolia Hill.

"No shortage of questions to be answered" for region's shrinking orca population
While scientists, wildlife managers and others continue to untangle the complex web of fish, boat and water quality issues that affect the health of Southern Resident orca whales, the population remains endangered — and continues to shrink.

Bill to ramp up recycling a top priority for green coalition in 2022 Washington state legislative session
... Senate Bill 5665, called the "Lorraine Loomis Act" seeks to help restore salmon runs by improving tree shade that can improve cooling around streams where the fish spawn and may rear and would also establish a conservation grant program for stream-side zones.

Fish processor says it's closing Surrey plant after federal decision to phase out salmon farms
One of the largest farmed salmon producers operating in British Columbia says it's permanently closing its processing plant in Surrey, B.C., because of a federal government decision to phase out some fish farms.

Mining company drops rights to Upper Skagit watershed in key preservation step
The British Columbia government has announced the surrender of mining rights at the headwaters of the Skagit River, following yearslong controversy over protection of one of the region’s premier salmon rivers.

Deal reached between B.C. First Nations and forestry company to defer old-growth logging
Logging will be temporarily deferred in approximately 2,500 hectares of old-growth forest following an agreement between four Vancouver Island First Nations and a forestry company.

An orphaned orca brought a community together — and still inspires 20 years after her rescue
Twenty years ago this month, a baby orca was discovered near Seattle. She was lost and alone, unhealthy and lingering dangerously close to the Vashon Island ferry dock. Six months later, a community effort successfully returned her to her family off Vancouver Island, Canada.

Washington Gov. Inslee declares European green crab emergency
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has authorized emergency actions to combat an infestation of European green crabs.

Thousands of pigs that drowned on B.C. farm no threat to environment
The pigs were among approximately 600,000 animals that died on Sumas Prairie in late November.

'The whole landscape has changed:' Parks, trails and rec sites destroyed by B.C. storms
Access to some parts of the B.C. backcountry will likely be "restricted" this summer as assessments are still underway.

Friday, January 14, 2022

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 14 2022

Aloha Kite Day!
International Kite Day started in India, where it takes place in the northwestern state of Gujarat, and is most widely celebrated in the city of Ahmedabad. The festival is known as Uttarayan in the Hindi language, and it is also called Makar Sakranti in parts of India. It celebrates the changing of the seasons from winter to summer, as well the upcoming harvest of winter crops. People come from countries all over the world to celebrate. The kites that are associated with the festival symbolize the spirit of gods awakening after their winter sleep.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Faces Scrutiny on Soil Stability, Fraser River Impact
The federal Crown corporation building the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion has been handed a seven-day deadline to answer tough questions about soil stability, drilling method, and environmental impacts after proposing to redrill and reroute part of a 1.5-kilometre tunnel beneath the Fraser River.

Sea level on steroids: Record tides flood Washington coastlines
Some of the highest tides ever recorded hit Seattle and much of the Washington coast this week. High tides in Port Townsend, Seattle, and Tacoma on Friday were nearly two feet higher than forecast.

The Great Bear Rainforest’s Great Big Whales
British Columbia’s Kitimat fjord is an unlikely home for massive fin whales, and scientists are beginning to understand what makes the area so attractive.

WA legislators prepare for long list of climate change bills
Lawmakers could look at more than a dozen climate proposals addressing carbon reduction and other environmental issues. John Stang reports.

Criminal charges filed in Puyallup River pollution case. Dam operator faces jail time, fines
The Washington State Attorney General’s Office filed 36 criminal charges Monday against Orting’s Electron Hydro dam operator after turf polluted the Puyallup River during a construction project in 2020.

Can salmon eggs survive Washington's heavy floods?
When rivers flood, it can damage the salmon eggs held within them, setting back those populations.

‘We need to learn to do things faster’: Canada’s new environment minister talks climate — and compromise
From overseeing 2030 targets to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, Steven Guilbeault has been tasked with one of the largest to-do lists of the entire federal cabinet.

Ocean warmth sets record high in 2021 as a result of greenhouse gas emissions
Since the late 1980s, Earth’s oceans have warmed at a rate eight times faster than the preceding decades.

B.C. environmental, rights groups welcome court win over RCMP delay in approving watchdog report
B.C. Civil Liberties Association took force to court over 3½-year wait for review of monitoring complaint.

State Supreme Court OKs steelhead farming
The state Supreme Court published a unanimous decision by its nine judges Thursday to uphold the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's approval of steelhead farming in Puget Sound.

Still No Penalties for Coastal GasLink Environmental Violations
More than a year after Coastal GasLink was cited for multiple environmental violations on its pipeline route through northern B.C., the provincial government still hasn’t imposed penalties.

Friday, January 7, 2022

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 7 2022

Aloha Bobblehead Friday!
For over 100 years, bobbleheads have been entertaining and fascinating fans and collectors. Early bobbleheads, known as bobbers or nodders, developed from Germany. They took root in the United States pop culture in the 1950s and '60s. Bobbleheads resurged in the late 1990s when professional sports teams began using them as promotional items.

Ecology, EPA now under the gun to adopt new water quality criteria for aquatic creatures
Long delays in updating state water-quality standards to protect orcas, fish and other aquatic species appear to have finally caught up with the Washington Department of Ecology and its federal counterpart, the Environmental Protection Agency.

Here are 7 things experts say could make B.C.'s cities more climate-proof
After a year of cascading climate disasters in the province, experts are calling on B.C.'s provincial government and other authorities to shore up long-term housing and urban design strategies to make sure they are climate-resilient.

Sea Star Protection Poised to Alter California Coastal Plans
The National Marine Fisheries Service said Monday that it found merit in the Center for Biological Diversity’s petition to protect the sea star and will decide by August whether to list it under the Endangered Species Act.

The Snoqualmie Tribe asks for support to protect their most sacred site
The tribe says helicopter tours disrupt traditional ceremony and prayer at Snoqualmie Falls.

With Oil Unreliable, Refinery Communities Deserve a Transition Plan
The long-term stability of Washington’s five oil refineries is in doubt. But that doesn’t mean the workers and local communities who support this industry have to share its fate.

China’s Surprisingly Robust System of Marine Protection
An international group of researchers has compiled the first database of marine conservation efforts in the country, and it is more extensive than many expected.

Shellfish war: Judge dismisses Tulalip clam-traffick
A day before a trial pitting tribal treaty rights against state law enforcement, a Skagit County Superior Court judge dismissed felony charges against a Tulalip council member and another tribal member who, in turn, accused the state of targeting Native American fishermen.

For the first time in over 30 years, the EPA adds to its list of hazardous air pollutants
The Environmental Protection Agency has declared a powerful dry-cleaning solvent, 1-bromopropane, too dangerous to breathe. It marks the first time it's expanded its hazardous air pollutant list since 1990.

‘They are supposed to protect us’: Community wants more from EPA for Duwamish Superfund cleanup
...New plans to complete a cleanup where the Duwamish meets Elliott Bay and Puget Sound are under discussion, and contested.