Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Red-breasted SapsuckerSphyrapicus ruber
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a denizen of the coniferous forests of the
northern Pacific Coast, usually found at middle or lower elevations.
Hummingbirds of several species make use of sapsucker feeding holes and
come to rely on them. The Rufous Hummingbird is closely associated with
the Red-breasted Sapsucker. It nests near sap wells and may follow the
woodpecker around during the day, feeding at the wells the sapsucker
keeps flowing. The oldest recorded Red-breasted Sapsucker was at least 5
years old when it was found after being hit by a car. It lived in
British Columbia. (All About Birds)

Is Ottawa's save-the-whales strategy 'too little, too late'?
Canada's environmental watchdog says the federal government waited to
take specific action to protect some of its most at-risk whales until
the majestic creatures were already in great peril. In her latest round
of audits released today., Environment Commissioner Julie Gelfand said
Canada had the tools to safeguard North Atlantic right whales, Southern
resident killer whales and other marine mammals from being hit by ships,
tangled in fishing gear or losing their food sources — but it waited
until after 12 right whales died in a single summer and the killer whale
population was on the verge of extinction.... Her office also looked at
how well Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada are
controlling the risk of toxic substances and found there is still a long
way to go. Gelfand said she was pleased to see the government finally
following its own directive to do strategic environmental assessments of
all policies, plans and programs considered by cabinet, including the
potential economic, social and environmental impacts. Mia Rabson
reports. (Canadian Press)

Feds restarting Indigenous talks over pipeline, won't appeal Trans Mountain court decision
The federal government will not appeal the court decision that tore up
cabinet approval for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and is
appointing former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci to oversee a new
round of consultations with Indigenous communities. Natural Resources
Minister Amarjeet Sohi says the government does not intend to start the
phase-three Indigenous consultations from the beginning, but will use
them to address the weaknesses that led to the Federal Court of Appeal
decision in August. The court found that while the government did spend
several months in 2016 meeting with Indigenous communities concerned
about the pipeline, those consultations were largely note-taking
exercises and the government did not do anything to address the concerns
that were raised. (Canadian Press)

State board denies appeal of Andeavor Anacortes refinery permit
The state Shoreline Hearings Board dismissed an appeal this week of a
permit and environmental analysis for an Andeavor Anacortes Refinery
project. The refinery’s Clean Products Upgrade Project has been
contentious due to environmental concerns. The appeal, brought by a
coalition of environmental groups, pertained to a shoreline development
permit issued by Skagit County and the thoroughness of an Environmental
Impact Statement that assesses the project. The project will include
upgrading and building new equipment to reduce sulfur in fuels, reduce
emissions from the refinery and enable the extraction of xylene during
the refining process for shipment to Asia. The refinery plans to produce
15,000 barrels of xylene per day, which would increase vessel traffic
by 60 trips per year. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)
B.C.'s greenhouse gas commitments in question with LNG Canada project approval
Residents in this coastal town shrugged off on Tuesday environmental
concerns over LNG Canada’s official decision to proceed with a liquefied
natural gas export terminal on the outskirts of town. Environmental
groups claim that absent of a big shift in policy, the project could
cause B.C. to miss its legislated targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
But the province claims it is building a plan that could – with a little
more work – cover the environmental impact of the mega–project. LNG
Canada estimates construction on the project will take five years, after
which the company could provide natural gas “to countries where
imported gas could displace more carbon intensive energy sources and
help address global climate change and air pollution.” Matt Robinson
& Rob Shaw report. (Vancouver Sun)

New film celebrates the history of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: "Today marks the
50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and I was pleased
to see that producer/director Shane Anderson and Pacific Rivers are
allowing the documentary “Run Wild Run Free” to be shown online for
three days before the film goes back into limited showings. The
documentary is filled with historical clips and still images of
free-flowing rivers kept free by law as well as some rivers that became
blocked by dams. The production captures a sense of the politics
surrounding the struggle to get the law passed and then to designate
specific rivers as wild and scenic. What seemed like monumental
struggles at the time now seems like child’s play in today’s world of
uncompromising conflict. “Run Wild Run Free” is scheduled to be shown online through Thursday."

Giant stranded sturgeon rescued on the Fraser River
A 2.5 metre, 135 kilogram sturgeon that became stranded in shallow water
off the Fraser River near Agassiz has been given a new lease on life
after RCMP First Nations Police (FNP) organized a rescue mission. FNP,
government biologists and volunteers from the Lower Fraser River
Guardians wrestled the giant fish into a sling before loading it into a
shallow tank in the back of a pickup truck. They then drove the precious
cargo to the main part of the river and performed the operation in
reverse to release it. Biologists estimate the sturgeon to be
approximately 75 years old based on its weight and length. Karin Larsen
reports. (CBC)

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