Salish Sea Communications: 2023

Friday, December 29, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 29 2023

A newborn orca surfaces next to orca J40 in central Puget Sound
on Dec. 26, 2023 [Maya Sears, under NMFS Permit 27052]

For the New Year! Newborn orca spotted near Seattle off Bainbridge Island
Beachgoers and whale researchers were excited to spot a newborn calf swimming with the Northwest’s endangered orcas on Tuesday near Seattle. On Wednesday, the Center for Whale Research confirmed that the baby orca is the newest member of J pod, one of the Northwest’s three family groups of the endangered killer whales known as the southern residents.

Endangered Species Act’s 50th anniversary: What 6 NW animals can tell us
The ESA turns 50 this month, and if beating extinction is the measure, the law has been a success. Of the more than 1,600 U.S. species listed for protection since the act’s inception, 99% have been rescued from the oblivion of extinction.

Two accidents in one year show risks of oil industry to tribal nations, environment
All of Washington state’s oil refineries are near or on tribal reservations.

Baby boom of 59 pups helps endangered B.C. marmot toward recovery
Thanks to the new pups, there's been a 50 per cent increase in the total population since the end of last year, when there were 204 marmots.

Lummi Nation opposes BP's oil plans for Cherry Point
The Lummi Nation is voicing its opposition to British Petroleum's goal of expanding oil operations at Cherry Point, near Ferndale, Washington, north of Bellingham. The Lummi call this area "Xwe’chi’eXen," consider it a cultural and archaeological site where many of its ancestors lay, and also argues that BP's industrial operations would interfere with its fishing rights.

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, December 22, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 22 2023

Aloha Winter Solstice Friday!
The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere. In reality, the Oak King has defeated the Holly King, bringing light, renewal and growth.

Washington lags behind in water-pollution oversight
The GAO report found that the Washington State Department of Ecology, the agency responsible for submitting the lists, has been missing deadlines for a decade.

Trans Mountain warns regulator of potential ‘catastrophic’ two-year pipeline delay
The company building the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is warning the project’s completion could be delayed by two years if the Canada Energy Regulator does not allow a previously rejected request for a pipeline variance. Regulator denied Trans Mountain variance request due to pipeline safety concerns
The Canada Energy Regulator is citing safety concerns with the quality of materials Trans Mountain has procured to construct the variance, adding it doesn't believe the company has demonstrated it can guarantee an appropriate level of safety and pipeline integrity if it goes ahead with the change.

WA’s new wildfire smoke exposure rules for workers start Jan. 15
The Washington Department of Labor & Industries announced it will enforce new permanent wildfire smoke protections for outdoor workers starting Jan. 15, after two years of operating under emergency measures.

Debate intensifies over conservation of PNW’s old-growth forests
The fight over the future of the last old and mature forests in America intensified Tuesday when the Biden administration called for preservation of old-growth trees. The administration, after creating an inventory of the nation’s old growth, wants to amend 128 forest land-management plans to conserve and steward 25 million acres of old-growth forests and 68 million acres of mature forest across the national forest system.

Canada lays out plan to phase out sales of gas-powered cars, trucks by 2035
New regulations being published this week by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault will effectively end sales of new passenger vehicles powered only by gasoline or diesel in 2035.

Analysis of Northwest, other salmon hatcheries finds nearly all hurt wild salmon populations
More than 200 studies across 40 years revealed large-scale salmon hatchery programs weaken wild salmon diversity and lead to wild population declines.

State finalizes new protections for Cascade River
The state Department of Ecology announced Monday that it will officially add protections to three rivers and one lake, classifying them as Outstanding Resource Waters. The four bodies of water include the upper watershed of the Cascade River in Skagit County, as well as the upper watershed of the Green River in Skamania County, the Napeequa River in Chelan County and Soap Lake in Grant County.

Toxic chemicals found in oil spills and wildfire smoke detected in killer whales
Toxic chemicals produced from oil emissions and wildfire smoke have been found in muscle and liver samples from Southern Resident killer whales and Bigg's killer whales. A study https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-45306-w published today in Scientific Reports is the first to find polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in orcas off the coast of British Columbia, as well as in utero transfer of the chemicals from mother to fetus.

In a major shift, Northwest tribes — not US officials — will control salmon recovery funds
The deal not only offers $1 billion in new funding for Columbia River salmon restoration, but for the first time it also grants states and tribes control — not the Bonneville Power Administration, which sells hydropower from Northwest dams — over how that money gets spent.

Two PNW tribal nations sue oil companies over costs of climate change
Major oil companies for decades deliberately sought to downplay and discredit scientific warnings about the central role of fossil fuels in causing climate change, alleges two lawsuits filed this week by the Makah and Shoalwater Bay tribes.

Friday, December 15, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 15 2023

Aloha Bill of Rights Friday!
On December 15, 1791, Virginia ratified the first ten amendments of the Constitution. Known as the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments outline the rights of citizens vis-à-vis the federal government. They guarantee that citizens have civil rights and liberties such as freedom of speech, press, and religion; they establish rules for due process of law; they confirm that citizens have rights beyond those spelled out in the Constitution; and they affirm that powers not delegated to the federal government are left to the people and states. It is on today's anniversary of the ratification and implementation of the Bill of Rights that we celebrate Bill of Rights Day.

Washington State residents ask: What is our wildlife agency for?
Public backlash over a new policy reveals a deeper divide over the future of conservation.

How WA’s king tides amp up flood risks amid global sea level rise
Last winter, when the king tide rolled in with heavy rains and an extreme low-pressure system, water from the Duwamish River rushed into Seattle’s South Park neighborhood, flooding homes, sparking broader evacuations and catching the city off guard. Decades ago that flood would have been thought unlikely, perhaps even statistically impossible, But no more.

Olympic Pipeline leak released 25,000 gallons of gasoline
A small tube between the main portion of the Olympic Pipeline and a pressure-check valve failed Sunday in the Skagit Valley, spilling gasoline into nearby creeks not far from Mount Vernon. About 30,660 gallons were released when a tube — 3/8 of an inch in diameter — failed.

18 California children are suing the EPA over climate change
Eighteen California children are suing the Environmental Protection Agency, claiming it violated their constitutional rights by failing to protect them from the effects of climate change. This is the latest in a series of climate-related cases filed on behalf of children.

Dredging Neah Bay Entrance Channel will improve Strait of Juan de Fuca, Salish Sea oil spill response
A hydraulic pipeline dredge will deepen the 4,500-foot entrance channel to -21 feet from its current depth, allowing unrestricted access for ocean-going tugs, barges, and larger ships transiting Neah Bay during low tide.

Mlitary testing reveals hundreds of drinking water wells contaminated with PFAS in WA
Hundreds of drinking water wells near military bases or other facilities in Washington have been contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, according to a Seattle Times analysis of the past two years of test results published by the military.

Climate talks end on a first-ever call for the world to move away from fossil fuels
In the final weeks of the hottest year in recorded history, the international body responsible for limiting global warming and its disastrous effects called on countries to transition away from the chief cause of climate change – fossil fuels – for the first time.

Arctic "report card" points to rapid and dramatic impacts of climate change
The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average as a result of human-caused climate change, driven primarily by burning fossil fuels, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card, released Tuesday.

Washington raises $2B in first year of carbon pollution auctions
Washington raised another $373.6 million in its final carbon auction of 2023, bringing the total to slightly more than $2 billion in the first year of the state cap-and-invest program, the Ecology Department announced Wednesday.

The future of ‘cap-and-trade’ carbon markets could hinge on Washington state
Washington state is facing backlash over the program’s perceived contribution to high gas prices. A voter initiative that’s likely to be on the ballot next year, stoked by anger over prices at the pump, threatens to repeal it altogether.

Friday, December 8, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 8 2023

The hanukkiah

Aloha Hanukkah Friday!
A Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah,is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Eight of the nine branches hold lights (candles or oil lamps) that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday; on each night, one more light is lit than the previous night, until on the final night all eight branches are ignited. The ninth branch holds a candle, called the shamash ("helper" or "servant"), which is used to light the other eight.

B.C. environment minister hails climate progress but advocates say LNG growth risks it all
B.C.'s environment minister says 2023's progress report on greenhouse gas reductions shows the NDP government's climate plan is working but environmental groups warn continued development of the liquefied natural gas sector could reverse those reductions.

WA state employee files claim over order to falsify fuel forecast
A recently retired state economist has filed a complaint against the Washington State Department of Transportation, alleging he was ordered not to include Washington’s cap-and-invest costs in an early 2023 revenue forecast.

Industrial site in Whatcom County penalized $900,000 for dangerous waste violations
After two multi-million-dollar federal cleanups on the toxic polluted site owned by Trefoil in Whatcom County, the state Department of Ecology has issued a $900,000 penalty to the property owners, Jagroop S. Gill and Campbell Land Corporation (collectively referred to as Treoil), for failure to comply with Washington’s dangerous waste laws.

Feds propose shooting one owl to save another in Pacific Northwest
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to enlist shooters to kill more than 500,000 barred owls over the next 30 years in the Pacific Northwest to preserve habitat for northern spotted owls, a protected species.

Canada thinks LNG exports can reduce carbon pollution. Now it’s digging for proof
Oil and gas industry lobbyists have long pushed a controversial theory that exports of Canadian LNG could actually help lower global greenhouse gas emissions by displacing more carbon-intensive energy sources like coal.

Huge spike in herring killed in B.C. salmon farm operations: DFO data
Some juvenile herring caught in salmon hydrolicing are having their eyes blown out, says conservation group.

WA proposes ban on ‘forever chemicals’ in clothes, other products
The Washington State Department of Ecology has proposed bans and new reporting requirements for toxic chemicals used to repel water, heat and fuel in some clothing, firefighting gear and cleaning products.

Friday, December 1, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 1 2023

Aloha Rosa Parks Friday!
Rosa Parks Day celebrates the legacy of Rosa Parks, a woman who is a symbol of equality, civil rights, and the American Civil Rights Movement. The holiday is celebrated on December 1, the anniversary of the date in 1955 on which she refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. On that day, Rosa Parks was riding a Montgomery bus home from her department store job, where she worked as a seamstress. She was seated in the front row designated for black people, and when some white passengers boarded the bus and had to stand, the bus driver, James F. Blake, moved back by a row the sign that separated the races and told four black riders in the row to move back. Three complied, but Rosa Parks would not. Blake called the police and Parks was arrested. She had violated Chapter 6, Section 11 of the Montgomery City Code. Rosa Parks's refusal to give up her seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks Day is also celebrated on her birthday, February 4.

West Coast toxic hot spots threaten endangered salmon and killer whales
Newly identified toxic metal hot spots on the West Coast further threaten endangered killer whales and their key food source, a recent study shows.

Group wants herring fishery pause in Strait of Georgia
Saanich Inlet Protection Society wants the allowable catch to be zero and a recovery plan for some areas of the strait.

Incoming: King tides to Puget Sound
The highest tides of the year are on their way. “King tides” are expected in Puget Sound on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings (Nov. 25-28). King tides come every November, December, and January, when the moon, sun, and earth line up just right...The Olympia and Shelton areas get the highest tides on Puget Sound, just as the end of a bathtub gets the highest sloshing. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Eelgrass Is Amazing. Here’s Who’s Saving It
When her daughters were young, Dianne Sanford toted them to the beach to wade alongside her in the dense eelgrass meadows growing just off the shores of where they lived in Delta, B.C...Beginning in 2002, Sanford has dedicated much of her life to mapping once-abundant eelgrass and its decline. In a “piecemeal” fashion, she surveyed roughly 80 per cent of B.C.’s coastline from Gibsons to Pender Harbour.

U.S. government invests $11M in Washington conservation efforts
The U.S. Interior Department announced this week $11 million in grants for conservation projects in Washington state. The federal grants are part of the “America the Beautiful Challenge” to restore land and water across the nation.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists wolverines as ‘threatened’ under Endangered Species Act
After more than two decades of petitions by wildlife conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed wolverines as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Stanley Park is set to lose 25 per cent of its trees due to infestation
160,000 trees to be removed over next few years due to hemlock looper moth infestation.

Feds consider removing Snake River dams in leaked agreement with plaintiffs in lawsuit
The Biden administration and federal agencies are prepared to remove four lower Snake River dams to save imperiled salmon species, according to a leaked proposal among parties in a federal lawsuit and the administration’s environmental council.

Friday, November 24, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review November 24 2023

Pacific sardines [NOAA]

Aloha Sardine Friday!
No other edible fish is as prevalent as the sardine, and sardines are one of the most eaten foods in the world. The small, oily fish belongs to the Clupeidae family. The name sardine dates back to the fifteenth century, likely coming from the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea, an area around which sardines were once prevalent. Sardines are still abundant in the Mediterranean, as well as in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Huge spike in costs to help salmon could derail WA transportation budget
Come January, lawmakers will face a surprise that will strain Washington’s transportation budget for years: an up to $4 billion increase in the cost of complying with a court order to improve salmon passage under state highways.

Federal agency recommends allowing Makah whale hunt
The federal government has issued its final environmental impact statement. It recommends a ceremonial hunt of up to two or three gray whales per year. But the final decision can’t come for at least another 30 days. The Makah tribe originally made this request in 2005. Bellamy Paithorp reports. (KNKX)

B.C. releases draft framework for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem health
Conservationists are welcoming a years-in-the-making strategic plan that would prioritize the health and biodiversity of ecosystems in B.C. in provincial legislation.

First Nations decisions on tourism in B.C. must be respected: minister
'We have to make sure that we are developing a new stream of tourism that's led by Indigenous communities,' says federal tourism minister.

Study shows climate change vulnerability of trees used for urban forestry in Puget Sound
A study by an Evergreen State College student shows the climate change vulnerability of several trees used for urban forestry in the Puget Sound region.

Petitions filed for initiative to erase Washington’s ambitious climate law
Backers say they turned in nearly 420,000 signatures. The measure seeks to end the cap-and-invest program that’s brought in nearly $1.6 billion this year for pollution-fighting efforts.

Surging numbers of pink salmon raise ecological concerns
An estimated 70% of all the salmon in the North Pacific are pink salmon. Scientists say the extreme abundance of pinks could be causing a "trophic cascade" that is harming species across the food web.

Friday, November 17, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review November 17 2023

Leonid meteor shower [NASA]

Aloha Leonid Meteor Shower Friday!
Probably the most famous of the annual meteor showers will soon be reaching its maximum: The Leonids. These ultrafast meteors are due to reach their peak on Saturday morning (Nov. 18). The famous Leonid meteor shower produced one of the greatest meteor storms in living memory. Rates were as high as thousands of meteors per minute during a 15-minute span on the morning of November 17, 1966. That night, Leonid meteors did, briefly, fall like rain. Some who witnessed it had a strong impression of Earth moving through space, fording the meteor stream.

Commercial fishing groups sue 13 US tire makers over rubber preservative that's deadly to salmon
The 13 largest U.S. tire manufacturers are facing a lawsuit from a pair of California commercial fishing organizations that could force the companies to stop using a chemical added to almost every tire because it kills migrating salmon.

A proposed 50-acre oyster farm causes concern for neighbors
Mark and Christin Herinckx had only been living in their home on Oakland Bay for a year before they learned about the proposal by Taylor Shellfish: a 50-acre oyster farm, the size of several aircraft carriers, in the middle of the bay right behind their new house.

Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against WA’s carbon-pricing law
The private operator of a natural gas power plant in Grays Harbor County must continue to buy pollution allowances, a federal judge ruled, further protecting Washington’s Climate Commitment Act against those looking to overturn the legislation.

Debate over Pebble mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region moves to dueling Supreme Court briefs
The company seeking to develop the controversial copper mine is sticking to its plans, despite federal action that barred permitting for the project.

Dabob Bay area expanded
The state Department of Natural Resources has added another 671 acres to the Dabob Bay Natural Area by moving lands into the state’s new carbon sequestration program as the first of what will ultimately be 2,000 acres in the program.

WA raises $260 million in most-recent carbon-pricing auction
Washington’s latest auction of carbon-emission allowances raised an estimated $260 million. In all, about 31.9 million carbon allowances have been sold this year, hauling in more than $1.5 billion. Each allowance represents one metric ton of emissions from the state’s biggest greenhouse-gas polluters.

Report raises concerns about tracing water quality, salmon safety
The U.S. and Washington environmental agencies are not adequately tracking how high water temperatures and oxygen-depleting substances are harming Puget Sound’s salmon, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.

Friday, November 10, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review November 10 2023

Aloha Sesame Street Friday!
Sesame Street first aired on November 10, 1969, and for generations has helped young children learn. It is the longest-running and most widely viewed children's program in the world. Children in more than 150 countries watch it, over 30 international versions of it are produced, and it has won more Emmy Awards than any other television show.

U.S. regulators will review car-tire chemical that kills salmon, upon request from West Coast tribes
U.S. regulators say they will review the use of a chemical found in almost every tire after a petition from West Coast Native American tribes that want it banned because it kills salmon as they return from the ocean to their natal streams to spawn.

Returning grizzly bears to the North Cascades
There are cultural, ecological and legal obligations to return the bears.

A billion dollars for nature in B.C. as long-awaited agreement is signed
Federal, provincial and First Nations leaders gathered against the backdrop of Burrard Inlet Friday to announce a long-awaited nature agreement that promises further protections for old-growth forests and at-risk species.

Low returns so far for chum, coho on Goldstream River
The return of chum and coho salmon to spawn in the Goldstream River so far is well below last year, according to hatchery officials monitoring the run.

Trudeau government failing to meet emissions target for 2030, audit finds
Key portions of the climate plan aren’t being prioritized, while responsibility for emissions reductions has been scattered across government, environment commissioner said.

B.C. acquires land to expand 5 provincial parks
The B.C. government is set to increase the size of five provincial parks in what it says is an effort to enhance recreational opportunities and improve ecosystem health across the province. The acquisitions are worth about $1.9 million.

Bigg's killer whale sightings in Salish Sea reach all-time high
The Orca Behavior Institute says this is the ninth year out of the last 10 that the record has been broken.

Puget Sound ecosystem holding on, but recovery remains uncertain, says latest status report
Efforts to restore ecological health to Puget Sound have largely failed to meet recovery goals, yet fish and wildlife populations are still hanging on, according to a new report that describes many struggling populations as neither increasing nor decreasing to a significant extent.

Friday, November 3, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review November 3 2023

Aloha Jellyfish Friday!
Jellyfish consist of about 95 percent water, and are not actually fish, since they are invertebrates that don't have any bones. They have a nerve network, but no central nervous system or brains, nor a circulatory system or respiratory system. Jellyfish stomachs are found in their umbrella-shaped bodies, which are known as bells, and jellyfish have tentacles with cnidocytes, a type of exploding cell. Found in oceans around the world, most jellyfish eat plankton, fish larvae, and fish eggs, and are eaten by the likes of sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, and tuna and other fish.

Second snow crab season canceled as researchers pinpoint cause
The precipitous drop of Alaskan snow crab populations by 90% to only one billion currently is attributed to warming ocean temperatures caused by climate change.

Cigarette butts remain Vancouver's most littered item — and a seemingly unsolvable waste problem
cigarette butts are still the No. 1 most littered item in Vancouver, where several education and mitigation programs over the years — including the threat of up to $10,000 in fines — have done little to make it socially unacceptable to discard them in the street.

Conservationists fail in push to tighten WA wolf killing rules
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission rejected a petition to update rules around when the state authorizes lethal action against wolves that attack livestock.

Despite opposition and environmental violations, major B.C. pipeline project nearly complete
TC Energy says the 670-km Coastal GasLink pipeline has been fully installed from Dawson Creek to Kitimat.

Lower Snake River dam removal still possible as talks continue
Dam removal on the Lower Snake River is still on the table as talks continue over salmon survival and the operation of dams in the Columbia Basin.

Capturing Carbon with Seaweed: What We Know, What We Don’t, and What We’re Totally Unsure About
Towering underwater kelp forests are often likened to trees, but seaweed carbon sequestration is far more complex than in soil-bound ecosystems.

Protection of B.C.'s marbled murrelet reaches federal court
A federal order to protect marbled murrelet nests — along with 24 other migratory bird species — failed to protect wider habitat they need to survive, hears justice.

Birds in the Americas Will No Longer Be Named After People
The American Ornithological Society has committed to replacing all bird names derived from people so as not to honor figures with racist pasts.

Friday, October 27, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 27 2023

Aloha Lemur Friday!
There are over 100 species of lemurs. By one count there are 112, but the number changes when new ones are identified through discoveries and genetic testing. Subfossils indicate there once were more and that some became extinct, possibly from being hunted by humans after humans arrived on Madagascar. The 2020 update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species indicated that almost all lemur species were threatened with extinction and that almost a third were critically endangered.

What will B.C. do when disaster strikes again?
As the climate crisis intensifies, experts weigh in on proposed changes to province's decades-old emergency legislation.

WA still suffers from drought despite rain — and El Niño won’t help
Despite recent rainfall most of Washington still suffers from drought and climatologists say the months ahead aren’t likely to offer much relief.

‘Crabs everywhere’: off Canada’s Pacific coast, Indigenous Haida fight a host of invasive species
The unique wildlife of Haida Gwaii’s 150 islands is under attack by invasive crabs, rats and deer – echoing how local people also became vulnerable to outside forces.

Northwest sinks millions into derelict vessel removal on region’s waterways
Leaking fuel and other toxins from hundreds of abandoned ships in Oregon and Washington pose serious environmental risks.

Port of Vancouver posts record-breaking cruise ship season
The Port of Vancouver staff knew they would welcome a record 332 cruise ship visits but hose vessels reached a 90 per cent occupancy rate to close out Vancouver’s cruise season at a record 1.25 million passengers.

WA lands chief: State just had one of its ‘most challenging’ fire seasons ever
Lands commissioner Hilary Franz says while responders kept most fires contained, the overall number of blazes was at a historic high, and more burned in western Washington.

B.C., Wash. agree to address Nooksack River flooding, set no timeline
A recent agreement signed by B.C. and Washington State to come up with projects to address flooding from the Nooksack River does not lay out a timeline or funding obligations.

BC Overhauls Water Management as Scarcity Looms
Mopping up British Columbia’s water management mess is now the responsibility of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Nathan Cullen.

‘The money that’s needed’: B.C. announces $300-million Indigenous conservation fund to protect old-growth forests
The new funding is welcomed by conservation groups that say the province has voiced support for old forest protections while continuing to allow clearcut logging in rare ecosystems and in the habitat of endangered species.

Friday, October 20, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 20 2023

Snoop Dogg

Happy Birthday, Calvin!
Happy birthday to Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., known professionally as Snoop Dogg, an American rapper, actor and entrepeneur. His fame dates back to 1992 when he was featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic.

How Megafires Are Remaking the World
Fire is a natural phenomenon; some species actually benefit from its effects and even those that don’t can be remarkably resilient in the face of flames. But as fires intensify, they are beginning to outstrip nature’s ability to bounce back.

The Supreme Court rejected a Republican challenge to Biden’s climate math
The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the “social cost of carbon,” one of the most important calculations in U.S. climate policy. Tclimate-related regulations. Kate Yoder reports.

The oldest Puget Sound orca: L25 may be approaching 100
L25 is the world’s oldest known living wild orca, the uncontested reigning matriarch of the southern resident orcas that frequent Puget Sound.

What killed Lolita? Necropsy findings released for the Seaquarium’s beloved orca
The Seaquarium’s beloved performing killer whale, Lolita, appears to have died of old age and multiple chronic illnesses, according to the executive summary of her necropsy released Tuesday afternoon.

Indigenous people in WA incarcerated at higher rates than any other group, data show
Washington in recent years imprisoned Indigenous people at more than six times the rate of white people. That’s according to U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics data that the Prison Policy Initiative assembled and released last month.

‘It’s never too late’: Canada taken to court for near-extinction of spotted owls
As the species hangs on to survival in the country, the federal government will defend its role in delaying emergency measures that could have helped the raptor from disappearing in B.C.’s heavily logged forests.

Lead pollution from small planes threatens human health, EPA finds
Agency takes first step toward regulations aimed at reducing exposure to a dangerous neurotoxin, a potential health benefit for people who live near smaller airports.

Friday, October 13, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 13 2023

Aloha Paddington Bear Friday!
The popular children’s literature character first appeared in English author Michael Bond's illustrated book, "A Bear Called Paddington" on this day in 1958. Paddington is a polite Peruvian spectacle bear with a special fondness for marmalade. The success of the first book was followed by 20 more books featuring the lovable bear and a successful toy franchise.

Ginormous South Tacoma warehouse project gets green light despite social justice, environmental concerns
A major warehouse project big enough to cover 43 football fields can go forward in South Tacoma, following a decision by Tacoma's hearing examiner. That’s despite concerns by environmentalists and social justice advocates.

‘Poster child’ estuary preserved at Edmonds’ Meadowdale Beach Park
A 5-foot-wide culvert had previously been the only way water from Lund’s Gulch Creek at Meadowdale Beach Park could enter Puget Sound. Now, the opening is 100 feet across. It’ll preserve and protect what’s called a pocket estuary.

World’s Hottest Summer: Map of Extreme Temperatures in 2023
The planet just experienced its hottest months on record, and by a large margin, scientists said.

Tribe catches coho salmon on free-flowing Elwha River, a first since dam removals
Two dams blocked nearly 90 miles of river and tributary habitat on the Elwha, or more than 90% of the river, since 1911. But both the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams were gone by August 2014 after a couple of years of demolition in what was the largest dam removal project ever undertaken. And on Monday, the wait for a run of salmon healthy enough to be fished was over.

Inslee pushes for Washington to become offshore wind manufacturing hub
The Biden administration has a goal of generating 30 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind by 2030. Washington government and business leaders want manufacturers of offshore wind turbines to build equipment in the state.

What impacts did wildfires have on the Northwest this summer?
In Washington, a total of 165,365 acres burned. The 10-year annual average for acres burned is 472,881.

B.C.'s last spotted owl faces uncertain future
The federal government will not intervene to prevent logging in spotted owl habitat in southwestern B.C.

A no-death census year for Puget Sound’s orcas, with observations about a recent shift to more female births
For the first time since Census Year 1993, no deaths were reported this year among the Southern Resident killer whales, which frequent Puget Sound. Two new births were reported among the whales, increasing the population from 73 to 75.

Friday, October 6, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 6 2023

Aloha Badger Friday!
The American badger is a mid-sized (10 to 11 pounds), burrowing mammal of the weasel family that uses underground burrows for resting, denning, and prey caching. They are well-suited for burrowing and digging: they have large, powerful shoulders; stout front legs and feet; large front claws; and short ears. They are a solitary species, and they use large home ranges that may overlap with other American badgers of either sex. The current distribution of American badgers includes portions of eastern Washington from the eastern Cascade foothills to the Idaho border. They have also been detected in the high-elevation parklands of the North Cascade Ecosystem. (WDFW)

Most of Western Washington's largest Caspian tern colony is dead. Can the seabirds rebound?
More than 1,500 adult Caspian terns made Rat Island, near Port Townsend, their home. Now 80% of them are dead. See also: Avian flu comes to the Salish Sea A new strain of avian flu has been sweeping the globe since 2020, leaving thousands of dead seabirds in its wake.

Salish Sea on cusp of losing tufted puffins
Endangered in Washington state since 2015, there was only one confirmed tufted puffin nesting pair active on Protection Island this breeding season. Smith Island, roughly northeast of Protection Island, now has about 27 nesting pairs.

Northwest's pond turtles to get federal protection
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed protecting the turtles as a threatened species on Friday. Fewer than 1,000 pond turtles are thought to live in Washington state. Populations in Oregon’s Willamette Valley have plunged 99%, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Millions of dollars for ‘tree equity’ head to Snohomish County
Federal grants are giving the Snohomish Conservation District and the city of Lynnwood a total of $3.7 million for separate urban forestry projects. The new trees are going to areas with little canopy cover.

Washington state is trashy, and there's a study to prove it
Cigarette butts, construction and demolition debris, and food wrappers. That's what Washingtonians are littering the most across the state.

Squamish Nation asks for Mount Garibaldi to be officially renamed Nch'ḵay̓
The Squamish Nation is asking for Mount Garibaldi be officially recognized by its historic Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim name "Nch'ḵay̓" (in-ch-KAY), which has been used for thousands of years.

Deadly bird flu jumps to harbor seals in Salish Sea, first for West Coast
Bird flu, already killing seabirds in the Salish Sea, has jumped to harbor seals in the first documented instance of marine mammals dying from the disease on the West Coast.

Coastal Gaslink Is Facing 11 More Potential Fines
The company’s current total for penalties is $800,000. But that number is likely to grow.

Massive dam removal project spurs hope in the Klamath Basin
As four Klamath River dams come out over the next year, many seek solutions to chronic environmental problems.

Friday, September 29, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 29 2023

[Maria Tenev/UN]

Aloha Reducing Food Waste and Loss Friday!
The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, with the 2023 theme “Reducing food loss and waste: Taking Action to Transform Food Systems”, is an opportunity to call to action both the public (national or local authorities) and the private sector (businesses and individuals), to prioritise actions and move ahead with innovation to reduce food loss and waste towards restoring and building back better and resilient-ready, food systems. (United Nations)

The secret dispute behind cleaning Seattle’s only river
Toxic legacy of Seattle’s only river could cost Boeing, taxpayers $1 billion. Talks over who pays more are secret.

Money, power and an ecosystem are all at stake in Canada-U.S. negotiations over a massive river
The Columbia River Treaty, hammered out between Canada and the United States and ratified in 1964, is being negotiated again — a process that has already lasted years — and the potential deal could have profound consequences both for the electrical output of the river and the people and wildlife that depend on it.

Warm ocean waters work their way into Puget Sound
Unusually warm waters in the Pacific Ocean — now pushing up against the Washington coast — are keeping oceanographers on alert for changes that could reverberate through the food web, potentially affecting fish, birds and marine mammals in coastal waters and in Puget Sound.

This has been the worst wildfire season on record. What could 2024 have in store?
Dry conditions and warmer-than-usual temperatures helped fuel a long and unrelenting wildfire season that, to date, has burned more than 17,500,000 hectares, a 647 per cent increase over the 10-year average.

Mineral claims require First Nations consultation, B.C. Supreme Court rules
The decision transforms the province’s mineral rights regime, which previously allowed almost anyone to stake a claim in First Nations territory without a duty to consult or even notify them.

Biden calls for ‘abundant’ salmon populations, directs agencies to honor tribal treaty rights President Bidendirected federal agencies to restore healthy and abundant wild salmon populations to the Columbia River Basin. The presidential memorandum also called for tribal treaty and trust obligations to be honored.

Court order that prevents protest blockades at Fairy Creek expires
The court order that made it illegal to block logging activity in the forest near the Fairy Creek watershed on southwestern Vancouver Island has expired.

Puget Sound orcas beat up and even kill porpoises, new research reveals. But why?
In a study published Thursday in Marine Mammal Science, researchers analyzed 78 documented interactions between southern residents and porpoises in the Salish Sea, mostly around the San Juan Islands, beginning in 1962.

There are new proposals to bring back grizzly bears in the North Cascades
Federal plans to reintroduce the bears in Washington derailed during the Trump years. A grizzly hasn’t been seen in the region since the 1990s.

Friday, September 22, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 22, 2023

This landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled
with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby,
young, star-forming region called NGC 3324
in the Carina Nebula. [NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI]

Aloha Astronomy Friday!Astronomy Day takes astronomy out of lofty places and brings it to the people. It provides a means of interaction between the general public and astronomy enthusiasts, groups, and professionals, and provides information, resources, and encouragement related to astronomy. Doug Berger started it in 1973 while president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California. Astronomy Day has expanded over the years. Now more than a dozen astronomical organizations cosponsor it, and events and festivities related to astronomy are held all around the world.

What is the Trans Mountain pipeline — and why should I care?
New roadblocks, ballooning costs, legal actions and its impact on endangered species — we explain the timeline and lingering mysteries behind this contentious Canadian pipeline project.

Lawsuit against Washington cap-and-trade program set for hearing
The first legal showdown over Washington’s cap-and-trade program, which went into effect in January, will be Sept. 22 in Thurston County Superior Court.

‘Marred by litter’: Millions of pounds of trash soil Washington roads and state lands
Washington has a litter problem. Nearly 38 million pounds of garbage and other debris were strewn across roads, rest areas and state lands last year, according to a new Department of Ecology-commissioned study.

Blazes spread in center of Olympic National Park
Large helicopters were requested this week to fight fires in Olympic National Park as blazes chew up acreage in the interior of the park.

Heat pumps key to WA, coalition’s plan to end building emissions
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee vowed this week to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from new buildings, in large part by rapidly expanding the installation of heat pumps. Inslee is joined in that promise by 24 other governors representing states that belong to the Climate Alliance (of which the Washington governor is a founding member). In all, the governors agreed to install 20 million new heat pumps across their states by 2030.

Wanted: 20,000 Young Americans to Fight Climate Change
President Biden intends to use executive authority to train and employ thousands of young people in jobs to fight global warming. The American Climate Corps, as the White House has named the organization, would provide young people with skills to work in wind and solar production, disaster preparedness and land conservation.

‘Treated like machines’: wildfire fighters describe a mental health crisis on the frontlines
Extreme working conditions, low pay and high turnover are leading to a crisis exacerbated by more intense wildfires. Eighteen firefighters tell their stories of the mental toll — from burnout to PTSD to the loss of peers to suicide.

Biden administration promises $200 million to help reintroduce salmon in Columbia River
The Biden administration agreed Thursday to spend more than $200 million to fully fund Native tribes’ plans to reintroduce salmon in the Upper Columbia River Basin — more than 80 years after construction of the Grand Coulee Dam rendered the fish extinct in parts of Washington, Idaho and British Columbia.

Friday, September 15, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review September15 2023

ʻŌhiʻa (National Park Service)

Aloha ʻŌhiʻa Friday!
ʻŌhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha, is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaiʻi. It is a member of the diverse Metrosideros genus, which are widespread over the southwest Pacific. It is the state tree of Hawai‘i. (Wikipedia)

How the humpback whale made a massive comeback in the Salish Sea
hey are big. They are beautiful. And they are back. The return of the humpback whale to greater numbers than observed in decades is part of a larger revival of marine mammals in the Salish Sea.

Humpback whales find their voice
During the fall months, the Salish Sea comes alive with “whups,” “moans,” “growls” and an assorted variety of “creaks,” “trumpets,” “buzzes” and other humpback whale vocalizations.

About a decade after an outbreak of disease, researchers find mixed results for sea stars
Almost a decade after a massive outbreak of sea star wasting syndrome, researchers are working to measure sea star populations. Derek Smith, Shannon Point lab manager and a research assistant professor in the marine and coastal science program, said sea star numbers are still low compared to the pre-2014 numbers.

‘Frustrating as hell’: advocates say old-growth still being cut years after protections promised
The province promised to implement more than a dozen recommendations made by an independent review. Some worry change for the old forests home to at-risk species hasn’t come fast enough.

Walking Among Vancouver’s Urban Giants
Most of the city’s old growth was cleared long ago. But not in Stanley Park.

Biodegradable Fishing Gear Isn’t Good Enough
Lower efficiency makes the eco-friendly nets and ropes fall short. That’s a trade-off we might have to accept.

Tracing the sticky history of slug races
The annual racing of slugs on Bowen Island, B.C., highlights life in the slow lane and the importance of this small, slimy species. Francesca Fionda reports. (The Narwhal)

Friday, September 8, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 8 2023

Aloha Star Trek Friday!
Star Trek Day celebrates the premiere of Star Trek: The Original Series, but more broadly speaking, it celebrates everything in the Star Trek universe. Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry. What became known as the Star Trek: The Original Series debuted on September 8, 1966, and ran for three seasons on NBC. (Although, Canadian viewers actually saw it on September 6th.) Set in the twenty-third century, it followed the Starship USS Enterprise, captained by James T. Kirk, who was played by William Shatner. Star Trek gained a cult following and Trekkies were born.

'Light of hope': B.C. researchers say some fish surviving heat waves better than once thought
A new study has found bottom-dwelling fish — including flounder, halibut, rockfish, and all five Pacific salmon species — are defying expectations in the face of heat waves.

Gulf Islands’ water woes an ominous omen for the rest of B.C.
Southern Gulf Islanders have always known their water is a precious commodity as their supply depends on the deep, broken-rock aquifers that supply most of it. In the second straight year of severe drought, worries are creeping in.

Judge: Growler flights continue
U.S. District Judge Richard Jones has ruled that jet training flights over Whidbey Island can continue because of national security even as he ordered the Navy to redo its environmental impact statement concerning the impacts of noise and emissions on the area.

Pumped storage hydropower is the greenest renewable energy technology, study says
Researchers with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory said closed-loop pumped storage hydropower will have a lower carbon footprint throughout the lifecycle of the technology, from construction to decommissioning, than other renewable energy storage technologies like lithium-ion batteries.

Out of the smokestack, into the state budget
Washington’s cap-and-trade auctions are pulling in money faster than expected, spurring new ideas for spending, along with calls to rework the program to ease costs for consumers.

A company was forced to reduce logging in Haida Gwaii’s old-growth forests. Now they’re suing for $75M
The Haida Gwaii Management Council’s decision to protect ancient trees meant Teal-Jones could no longer log them. Now, the B.C. Supreme Court will decide who pays when conservation cuts into corporate profit.

The Biden administration is ending drilling leases in ANWR, at least for now
The Biden administration is canceling the only seven oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The leases were originally issued by the Trump administration.

Gitanyow celebrates the return of salmon as B.C. inches toward recognizing the nation’s protected area
Two years after the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs declared 54,000 hectares of land and water off-limits to industry, the provincial government still hasn’t officially acknowledged the Meziadin Indigenous Protected Area.