6/18 Springer, levees, forage fish, quake research, Padden Cr., Oly shores, Whatcom shellfish, Anderson Lk., Cantwell oil spill, Enbridge oil plan, Skagit sockeye, green accounting, Canadian enviro assessments, BC Ferries, Inside Passage, Harbor WildWatch

Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival (Vancouver Sun)

A celebration of Springer’s dramatic rescue, which began 10 years ago this week, will be held a week from Saturday, June 23, at Seattle’s Alki Bathhouse. Springer, of course, is the female orca who was captured near the Seattle-Vashon ferry lanes, moved to Manchester for a time and then reunited with her extended family near the north end of Vancouver Island. Chris Dunagan reports. Groups celebrate anniversary of Springer’s rescue     See also Washington State Ferries: Celebrate Springer!

Trees, shrubs and other vegetation hugging miles of levees in Puget Sound provide shade and key habitat for many of the Northwest's struggling salmon. But hundreds of trees have been cut down in recent years to satisfy the Army Corps of Engineers, which says vegetation compromises levees that prevent flooding. Phuong Le reports.  Puget Sound officials conflicted over levee rules that could harm fish habitat  

While killer whales and salmon dominate the public spotlight, researchers are focusing increasing attention near the bottom of the food web and on the physical processes that support all life in Puget Sound. Herring, sand lance and surf smelt are called "forage fish" for a reason. They make up a critical food supply for a large variety of seabirds and fish — including salmon, which feed killer whales and many other species. Without the forage fish, the food web would collapse along with the abundance of life in Puget Sound. Chris Dunagan reports.  Looking for kinks in the food web  

An expensive science mission off the Washington and Oregon coasts has been scaled back, at least for now, out of concern for orca whales. A research ship is using sonar to make maps of a major earthquake fault, which is considered the greatest tsunami risk along the U.S. Pacific coast.  Keith Seinfeld reports. Endangered orcas cause delays for major earthquake research  

City leaders will consider accepting a $1.43 million loan and $500,000 grant from the state for a project to improve a stretch of Padden Creek along Old Fairhaven Parkway. The City Council on Monday, June 18, is expected to approve agreements with the state Department of Ecology to accept the money. The project involves re-routing less than half a mile of creek from a brick tunnel built more than a century ago into a natural stream channel.  Bellingham council to consider $1.4M loan, $500,000 grant for Padden Creek project  

The Port of Olympia has big plans for East Bay and the north point of the port peninsula. It plans eventually to expand Swantown Marina into a village with a restaurant and other amenities, along with more moorage. And commercial development that could include a hotel is being considered for the north end. But all those plans would be curtailed under a shoreline plan that the Olympia Planning Commission will recommend to the Olympia City Council on Tuesday.   Big changes in the air for Olympia shoreline?  

The state wants to save more than 10,000 acres of shellfish beds from the pollution that makes the greater Puget Sound's prized clams and oysters dangerous to eat. Officials from all levels of government are getting together to help Whatcom County contribute to the cause. Drayton Harbor and Portage Bay are the state's top priorities, after Skagit County's Samish Bay, in this effort to preserve commercial shellfish growing, recreational clam digging, tribal tradition and the overall health of the Puget Sound. But while the state Shellfish Initiative got started six months ago, little has happened so far in this county. Ralph Schwarz reports. Whatcom County among host of agencies grappling with shellfish pollution problem  

The level of a fast-acting nerve poison in Anderson Lake has leaped to more than 500 times the warning level, according to results of tests taken last week. The lake between Port Townsend and Chimacum, which was closed May 3 this year because of elevated levels of toxins produced by blue-green algae, remains closed to recreation. The level of anatoxin-a, which can quickly cause convulsions and stop breathing, was measured at 534 micrograms per liter of water. The safety threshold is 1 microgram per liter.    Anderson Lake toxins highest of the year  

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has introduced legislation to jumpstart research and development into new oil spill response technology. Her bill – the Oil Spill Research and Technology Act of 2012 (S. 3298) – would create grants to support the research and development of new technologies to better contain and clean up all types of oil spills. In addition, the bill requires the United States Coast Guard to establish a program to evaluate and implement ‘best available technology’ to effectively respond to and clean up oil spills.  Cantwell: bill would bring oil spill response into 21st century

Federal officials flagged safety concerns about Enbridge`s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project nearly two years ago, while warning that the Alberta-based proponent had an ``insufficient'' oil spill response plan along sensitive areas on its route from Alberta to the British Columbia coast, internal records reveal.  Feds flagged Enbridge for inadequate spill response plan: document  

On the heels of record-high salmon runs, the lower Skagit River opened for the first time this past weekend to sockeye salmon fishing, and local fishers can hardly contain their excitement.  Anglers get a new catch in the lower Skagit: sockeye  

What is a sip of clean water worth? Is there economic value in the shade of a tree? And how much would you pay for a breath of fresh air?  Proponents of so-called "green accounting" - who will gather in Rio de Janeiro this week for the Rio Earth Summit - hope that putting dollar values on resources will slam the brakes on unfettered development.  Accounting for natural wealth gains world traction  

Up to 5,000 federal environmental assessments of economic projects are conducted every year under existing laws, but the Harper government's proposal to repeal the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act could eliminate "most" of those reviews, said Environment Minister Peter Kent.  Peter Kent says budget bill to eliminate thousands of environmental assessments

B.C. Ferries is seeing its lowest passenger traffic in 21 years and has posted a loss for the last fiscal year. It’s not a lack of tourists but a lack of locals that’s putting B.C. Ferries in the tank, and one Victoria analyst suggests the corporation has a huge image problem. BC Ferries reports $16.5 million net loss as vehicle traffic hits 13-year low  

A magnificent section of the Inside Passage lies within the province of British Columbia but is largely inaccessible for many of its residents.  Photographers Pat and Rosemarie Keough of Saltspring Island set out to capture the magic of the Inside Passage in their art book Labyrinth Sublime, which takes the reader from Seattle, Washington, to Glacier Bay, Alaska. The $5,000 cover price will put the volume out of reach for all but serious collectors.  A passion for the Coast  

Harbor WildWatch will kick off its summer-long beach programs with events Monday at Kopachuck and Penrose Point state parks. At each program, participants can join a beach walk led by a trained marine naturalist, discover life forms they have never seen before and learn how their behaviors impact the fragile marine creatures that live in Puget Sound. Get feet wet with WildWatch

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 516 AM PDT MON JUN 18 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS.

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