Salish Sea News Week in Review August 14, 2020

 

Aloha Social Security Friday!
The original Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935,and the current version of the Act, as amended, encompasses several social welfare and social insurance programs.

British Columbia’s looming extinction crisis
Canada’s westernmost province markets itself as 'Super, Natural, B.C.,' but more than 2,000 species of animals and plants are at risk of disappearing — and unlike six other provinces, B.C. still has no endangered species law, despite the NDP's election promise to introduce one.

Trump administration wants to reduce critical habitat for northern spotted owls
The Trump administration is proposing to eliminate protections for imperiled northern spotted owls by taking back critical habitat status from more than 200,000 acres of public forests in Oregon.

'Quite dire': Fraser River sockeye salmon run expected to be worst ever recorded
This year is shaping up to be the worst for sockeye salmon in the Fraser River since tracking began in 1893, according to the Pacific Salmon Commission.

Quoting ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ judge strikes down Trump administration rollback of historic law protecting birds
A federal judge in New York has invalidated rule changes by the Trump administration that allowed individuals and corporations to kill scores of birds as long as they could prove they did not intentionally set out to do so.

Hundreds of sea lions to be killed on Columbia River in effort to save endangered fish
Approval to kill up to 840 sea lions in a portion of the Columbia River and its tributaries over the next five years to boost the survival of salmon and steelhead at risk of extinction is expected from federal officials Friday.

Trump's Methane Rollback That Big Oil Doesn't Want
Despite opposition from the oil and gas industry it aims to help, the Trump administration is rolling back an Obama-era rule designed to reduce climate-warming methane emissions.

Global Warming Could Unlock Carbon From Tropical Soil
Humble dirt could pack an unexpected climate punch, according to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

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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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Salish Sea News Week in Review August 7 2020

Aloha National Lighthouse Day!

The Kīlauea Lighthouse, known today as the Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse, is a 52-foot structure situated on a rocky peninsula 180 feet above the Pacific Ocean on the island of Kauai.  Built in the historic era of lighthouses in the U.S., it was commissioned as the Kīlauea Point Light Station on May 1, 1913.  One hundred years later on May 1, 2013 it was dedicated to U.S. Senator Inouye who was instrumental in raising the private and public funds necessary for the restoration of the lighthouse.

Environmental group wants to buy the rights to Puget Sound net pen sites
An environmental group is proposing to take over and hold in trust four sites throughout Puget Sound that have for years been used to farm fish.

Don’t blame COVID-19 for new Site C dam cost overruns and delays, energy experts say
The Site C dam project is facing unknown cost overruns, schedule delays and such profound geotechnical problems that its overall health has been classified as “red,” meaning the project is in serious trouble, according to two overdue project reports released by BC Hydro on Friday.

New fish trap on White River can handle a million salmon a year, biggest facility in nation
They were impaled and exhausted, weakened, or left dying in waves: pink salmon by the thousands, defeated by a nearly 80-year-old fish trap and dam on this waterway that also harmed spring chinook, the prize diet of endangered southern resident killer whales. But no more.

Appeals court: NOAA can't make rules for offshore fish farms
A federal appeals court in New Orleans has upheld a decision that throws out rules regulating fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico. The law granting authority over fisheries to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration does not also let the agency set rules for offshore fish farms, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in its on Monday.

Federal Study Recommends Keeping Snake River Dams In Place, With Congress Having Final Say
The Snake River dams in Washington would remain in place under a final study released Friday, July 31, by federal agencies.

Trump administration seeks limits on what can be ‘habitat’ for imperiled species
The Trump administration is proposing to define what land and water can be declared as “habitat” for imperiled plants and animals — potentially excluding areas that species could use in the future.

No environmental charges as 6th anniversary of Mt. Polley mine dam collapse looms
Nearly six years after the collapse of the tailings dam at Imperial Metal’s Mount Polley mine, no charges for environmental damage have been laid and there is no word on timing of a decision.

Another Washington dam removal — and 37 more miles of salmon habitat restored
Washington’s dam-busting summer is still rolling, with two more dams coming down on the Pilchuck River, opening 37 miles of habitat to salmon for the first time in more than a century.

President Trump signs bill permanently funding Land and Water Conservation Fund
A landmark bill committing $900 million a year for land conservation and a one-time $9.5 billion boost to help catch up over the next five years on maintenance needs at national parks was signed into law by President Donald Trump Monday.

Agreement between province, BC Hydro, First Nation, ends legal fight over Site C
A British Columbia First Nation has ended its legal battle against the provincial government and BC Hydro over the Site C dam, a project the nation originally claimed was a $1-billion treaty violation.

UBC loses appeal of conviction for dumping ammonia into stream
The University of B.C. has lost its appeal of a $1.155-million fine and conviction for allowing ammonia to be discharged from the Thunderbird ice rinks into a tributary of the Fraser River.

B.C.’s emissions reach highest levels since 2001
Greenhouse gas emissions in B.C. spiked in 2018, reaching the highest levels since 2001, with oil and gas extraction, off-road industrial transport and heavy-duty diesel vehicles among the culprits, according to data released by the provincial government on Thursday.

U.S. court allows Dakota Access oil pipeline to stay open, but permit status unclear
A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday said the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) does not have to be shut and drained per a lower court order, but a legal battle continued over the permit that allowed the line to be finished.

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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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.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 31 2020

Aloha National Mutt Friday!
National Mutt Day celebrates mixed breed dogs. Mixed breed dogs make up the largest percentage of dogs that are abandoned and euthanized, and make up about 80% of dogs in shelters. National Mutt Day takes place with the hope that people visit animal shelters and adopt a mixed breed dog, or possibly donate their time and money to shelters.

Majority of early Fraser River sockeye run won't make it to spawning grounds, report suggests 
An early sockeye salmon run is having trouble making it up the Fraser River and the majority won't make it to their spawning grounds this year, largely because of the ongoing Big Bar landslide, according to a report from the Pacific Salmon Commission.

A hazardous data gap in B.C. means it costs $125,910 for the right to know
Three hundred thousand pages of records, stuffed into 50 cardboard boxes each year with no filing method.

Tahlequah, the orca who carried her dead calf for 17 days, is pregnant again
Tahlequah is pregnant again. The mother orca raised worldwide concern when she carried her dead calf 17 days and more than 1,000 miles, almost exactly two years ago.

Lack of bees, pollination limiting crop yields across U.S., B.C., study finds
A lack of wild bees and managed honeybees is limiting pollination and yields for certain crops on farms in British Columbia and across the United States, a collective of researchers has found.

Washington state officials slam Navy's changes to military testing program that would harm more orcas
A Navy military testing program that appeared headed to routine approval has hit a wall of opposition from Washington’s governor, attorney general and state agencies because of potential harm to endangered orcas in Washington waters.

Wildfires, record warmth and rapidly melting ice: Arctic climate goes further off the rails this summer
The Arctic summer of 2020 is one that has been marked by raging fires in the Far North, with smoke extending more than 1,000 miles downwind, along with alarming new temperature records and ice melt.

$332,000 Cooke Aquaculture penalty supports habitat restoration in Skagit County and statewide
Salmon will have better habitat with help from a $332,000 penalty settlement with Cooke Aquaculture after the collapse of its floating pen near Cypress Island in 2017.

Officials crack down on Alaska-bound travellers crossing U.S.-Canada border
The Canada Border Services Agency is tightening up the rules for Americans and other foreign nationals travelling through Western Canada on the way to Alaska, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.




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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.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 24 2020

Aloha Machu Picchu Friday!
Machu Picchu is an Incan citadel set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru, above the Urubamba River valley. Built in the 15th century and later abandoned, it’s renowned for its sophisticated dry-stone walls that fuse huge blocks without the use of mortar, intriguing buildings that play on astronomical alignments and panoramic views. Its exact former use remains a mystery. On July 24, 1911, historian Hiram Bingham III re-discovered the site and brought it to worldwide attention. (Wikipedia)


$775M Greater Victoria sewage treatment plant nears completion
After decades of debate and nearly four years of construction, the Capital Region is on the home stretch towards completing its new tertiary sewage treatment plant.

Suquamish Tribe announces plan to sue King County over sewage spills into Puget Sound
The Suquamish Tribe announced Wednesday its plan to sue King County for releasing untreated sewage into the Puget Sound

Nooksack River dam finally coming down, freeing miles for fish habitat
With a bang, Washington state’s dam-busting binge continued last week, as the city of Bellingham blew up its 25-foot-tall dam here. The $17 million project will open 16 miles of habitat for fish including spring chinook important to southern resident killer whales, and is expected to be completed by September.

Whales Get A Break As Pandemic Creates Quieter Oceans
When humpback whales migrated to Glacier Bay in Alaska this year to spend the long summer days feeding, they arrived to something unusual: quieter waters.

Zurich Insurance drops cover for Trans Mountain oil pipeline
Insurer Zurich has decided not to renew cover for the Canadian government’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline, said a spokeswoman for the project, which is opposed by environmental campaigners and some indigenous groups.

Global Warming Is Driving Polar Bears Toward Extinction, Researchers Say
By century’s end, polar bears worldwide could become nearly extinct as a result of shrinking sea ice in the Arctic if climate change continues unabated, scientists said.


Major new climate study rules out less severe global warming scenarios
The current pace of human-caused carbon emissions is increasingly likely to trigger irreversible damage to the planet, according to a comprehensive international study released Wednesday.

Climate Change Poses ‘Systemic Threat’ to the Economy, Big Investors Warn
Climate change threatens to create turmoil in the financial markets, and the Federal Reserve and other regulators must act to avoid an economic disaster, according to a letter sent on Tuesday by a group of large investors.

Plastic straw ban approved in Port Townsend 
The Port Townsend City Council unanimously approved a ban on single-use plastic straws and stirrers beginning next year.

Washington state expected to get millions more for parks, forests as Congress approves conservation bill
Congress passed sweeping legislation Wednesday allocating $900 million a year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and an additional $9.5 billion over five years to address an urgent backlog of maintenance projects at the nation’s parks and other public lands.


Trump administration says massive Alaska gold mine won’t cause major environmental harm, reversing Obama
Trump officials will conclude Friday that a proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska — which would be North America’s largest — would not pose serious environmental risks, a sharp reversal from a finding by the Obama administration that it would permanently harm the region’s prized sockeye salmon.

Conservationists, anglers say it's time to reform DFO
Conservation and angling groups on the West Coast are calling for radical reform of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, saying it appears unable to protect wild fish while managing commercial fisheries and ocean-based aquaculture.

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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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow @savepugetsound

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 17, 2020

Aloha International Justice Friday!
World Day for International Justice, also referred to as Day of International Criminal Justice or International Justice Day, is an international day celebrated throughout the world on July 17 as part of an effort to recognize the emerging system of international criminal justice.

Good news from Salish Sea: J pod is back in its summer haunt
The orcas are back in the Puget Sound region again. The endangered J pod has spend the past week near San Juan Island and other inland waters.


The Trump Administration Is Reversing 100 Environmental Rules. Here’s the Full List
After three years in office, the Trump administration has dismantled most of the major climate and environmental policies the president promised to undo.

Court Halts Dakota Access Pipeline Shutdown As Legal Fight Goes Forward
The Dakota Access Pipeline may continue to pump crude oil through South Dakota after a federal appellate court on Tuesday temporarily blocked a shutdown ordered by a lower court that was to begin next month.

B.C. forecasting 'staggering' $12.5B deficit due to COVID-19 pandemic
The British Columbia government is forecasting a $12.5 billion deficit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, five months after the provincial budget featured a marginal surplus.

Trump's Environmental Rollback Will Silence Citizens' Voices, Critics In NW Charge
Northwest conservation and anti-pollution organizations say the Trump administration’s changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, will have major impacts in the region.

Fracking Firms Fail, Rewarding Executives and Raising Climate Fears
Oil and gas companies are hurtling toward bankruptcy, raising fears that wells will be left leaking planet-warming pollutants, with cleanup cost left to taxpayers.

To Dam or Not to Dam
At close to 200 kilometers long, the free-flowing Chehalis River drains 7,000 square kilometers before emptying into Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean. The Chehalis is a critical salmon stream and the largest river system fully contained within the state’s boundaries.

Forest Service Considers Changing Rule That Prevented Logging Of Some Northwest Old-Growth Trees
The U.S. Forest Service is considering changing a rule that prevents logging of large trees on national forestland in parts of Washington and Oregon.


Furloughs will slow Fish and Wildlife services
Times are tough and the agency responsible for preserving, protecting, and perpetuating fish, wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting and other recreation opportunities is feeling the pinch.

‘Outdoors Act’ would repair national parks, protect land and address recreation needs
It appears that the political stars are lining up for what some people are calling the most significant environmental legislation in decades.

Joe Biden Outlines $2 Trillion Climate Plan
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday outlined an updated climate plan, seeking to invest $2 trillion to boost clean energy and rebuild infrastructure.



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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow @savepugetsound

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 10, 2020

Aloha Kitten Friday!

Necessary travel: ferries’ winter schedule in summer brings travel delays for locals, visitors in San Juans
Several COVID-shutdown related factors require WSF to continue running on a limited schedule even as summer travel increases, creating travel delays and raising as-yet unanswerable questions about when things may change.


A major fish barrier on the Pilchuck River is coming down
A third of the entire Pilchuck River, is blocked by a 10 foot high by 60 foot wide hunk of concrete...Preparations to remove the major barrier to fish begin next week.


The Alaskans Are Coming
Underwater recordings confirm that a new killer whale population is poking its head into British Columbia.


B.C. First Nation secures funding for multi-million-dollar project in ancient rainforest park
A new injection of government money is helping a B.C. First Nation start an ambitious project in the world's only inland temperate rainforest.


Federal Government Gives Up Grizzly Bear Reintroduction In North Cascades
The federal government on Tuesday decided to scrap plans to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem in Washington state.


US Supreme Court Deals Blow to Keystone Oil Pipeline Project
The U.S. Supreme Court has handed another blow to the disputed Keystone XL pipeline from Canada by keeping in place a lower court ruling that blocked a key permit for the project. Canadian company TC Energy needs the permit to continue building the long-disputed pipeline across U.S. rivers and streams.


Northwest Forest Threats Include Climate Change, Insects, Disease And Wildfire 
Pacific Northwest forests face increased threats from severe wildfires, insects, disease and climate change, according to a new assessment released Wednesday by the U.S. Forest Service.





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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow @savepugetsound

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 3, 2020

Aloha Justice Friday!
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..." #SayTheirNames #BlackLivesMatter #NoJusticeNoPeace


Absent orcas: Most of the whales simply are not around to be counted at this time
“So far, no new babies to report.” That’s the latest word from Ken Balcomb regarding the southern resident orcas, the three pods of endangered whales that once frequented Puget Sound but lately seem hard to find.

Supreme Court will not hear First Nations' challenge against Trans Mountain pipeline
The Supreme Court of Canada will not allow an appeal from a group of First Nations in B.C. looking to challenge the federal government's second approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

Roberts Bank Terminal 2 would make Fraser River estuary a ‘giant parking lot,’ observers warn
A review panel has concluded the proposed Vancouver port expansion threatens salmon, southern resident killer whales and Indigenous ways of life.

First Nations call for end to B.C. open-net salmon farms
B.C.’s First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is calling for an immediate end to marine-based salmon farming in the province, following reports by B.C. fish farm owners that show 37 per cent of facilities, or 19 farms across the province, exceed government sea lice limits.

Where are the orcas? Not in the Salish Sea, where there's no food this summer
For the second year in a row, the region's endangered orcas have been missing from their key habitat around the San Juan Islands for months at a time.

Canadian Coast Guard and First Nation sign MOU to build new base on Vancouver Island
The Canadian Coast Guard and Pacheedaht First Nation have taken the first step toward building a new marine facility in Port Renfrew.


EPA Plans To End Controversial COVID-19 Enforcement Policy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it would be ending its controversial policy that suspended monitoring and reporting requirements for certain entities during COVID-19.


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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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow @savepugetsound

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told