7/2 Coal rail, Fed fish cop, Vashon septics, Elwha Love, WA tribes, Lighthouse Park, Lk Whatcom land, Land Conservancy, Cedar Grove, Kent brownfield grant, Clearwater Commons, BC Ferries, Shell drill, fish tackles

Fairy thimbles (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Perhaps as a result of the cool, cloudy spring we experienced, our foxgloves have reached for the sky this year - some are well over seven feet tall! Every very time I look out the bathroom window, which overlooks their woodland corner, I feel transported to Tolkien’s Middle-earth: it’s as if Elrond and Legolas might emerge from the forest at any moment." An Enduring Gift  

Salish Sea Communications blog: “Who reads this? You do. The Salish Sea News and Weather blog is 10 months old and received 2,001 visits in June. The Salish Sea Communications blog is 9 months old and received 2,456 visits last month....” Why Is Watching Grass Grow Interesting?  

Cliff Mass shares the work of visual poet Darlisa Black who specializes in the most dramatic type of local clouds: lenticular or mountain wave clouds. Sky Poet  

Fish story, great photo: Bald eagle snatches fisherman's catch at Lake Padden  

This week Bellingham city leaders will discuss a resolution that calls for close study of potential rail crossing headaches from SSA Marine's proposed Cherry Point coal and bulk cargo terminal. Among other things, the proposed resolution would endorse a so-called "programmatic environmental impact statement" that would look at the total potential impact of all the proposed coal and bulk cargo terminals in the Pacific Northwest. That discussion is scheduled during a 2:10 p.m. Monday. A vote on the resolution could come during the 7 p.m. regular City Council session. Bellingham council to discuss resolution on coal train impacts   See also: Coal train initiative backers will fight Bellingham's lawsuit  

The special agent in charge of federal fish cops in the Northwest has been removed from her position while internal government investigators pore over documents from her Seattle office, sources say. Her office was the subject of attention earlier this year when it was disclosed that one of her agents had paid $300,000 for a luxury boat without following proper bidding procedure, then used the boat for social outings with friends and family.  Northwest's top federal fisheries cop removed from office

Vashon Island residents are fighting what many consider the Septic System War with King County as new regulations force them to make costly upgrades to leaking septic systems, in an effort to protect Puget Sound. Some 35 now are being fined $25 a day. On Vashon, 263 homes, most built long ago, have been targeted by Public Health — Seattle & King County as pollution culprits, responsible for leaking fecal coliform into Quartermaster Harbor, adversely affecting shellfish. Vashon Islanders, King County facing off over old homes  

Explosives will tear off more of Glines Canyon Dam beginning Monday. Beginning Monday and continuing through July 31, the dam — once 210 feet high and now 110 feet high at its lowest point — will be lowered again by blowing open notches at the top of the dam.  Blow by blow: Blasting to resume Monday at Glines Canyon Dam  

More than 150 years ago, American Indian tribes in western Washington ceded much of the state to the federal government in return for guarantees of salmon and other fishing rights. Now, those tribes say their treaty rights with the U.S. are at risk because the region is losing habitat that salmon need to survive. They say their treaty rights won't mean much if there's no salmon to harvest, and they're warning the federal government that they could resort to court action if more isn't done. W. Wash. tribes say tribal fishing rights at risk  

The Stillaguamish Tribe’s natural resources department is monitoring fish use of the Port Susan estuary before and after a 150-acre restoration project. The tribe was contracted by The Nature Conservancy, which is removing a dike built years ago to create farmland near the mouth of the Stillaguamish River. With the dike removed, the tide will be free to inundate the estuary, giving juvenile salmon access to better rearing habitat, and alleviating a community flood threat.  Stillaguamish Tribe monitors fish use before and after dike removal  

Parking at Lighthouse Park on a nice summer day is tight at best and an ordeal at worst. One reason is parking is free. This could change soon after a meeting Monday night. City officials might finally do what they've talked about for years: charge for parking at Lighthouse Park.  Mukilteo proposes parking fee Lighthouse Park

The state Board of Natural Resources on Tuesday, July 3, will consider a plan to "block up" thousands of acres in the Lake Whatcom watershed that are in different trust designations. Such a move would set up large blocks of land west and east of the lake that could then be transferred to county control for use as parkland.  State board to consider plan to 'block up' land around Lake Whatcom  

Bill Turner, the founder and executive director of The Land Conservancy, is retiring as financial troubles force the non-profit agency to downsize and restructure. The Land Conservancy faces financial crisis; founder Bill Turner retires  

Cedar Grove Composting is asking permission from the state to release an unlimited amount of phosphorus -- a substance that in large amounts can harm fish -- into Steamboat Slough from its plant on Smith Island. Phosphorus is a naturally occurring element but too much of it in the water can deprive fish of oxygen, according to the state Department of Ecology.  Cedar Grove asks to release phosphorus into slough  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the city of Kent $400,000 in two grants to inventory, assess and prioritize contaminated sites in an effort to redevelop the properties. City officials will hire a consultant to help determine location of the sites, how contaminated they are and what would be needed to clean up the properties. The grants are part of what's known as the EPA's Brownfields Program. Kent gets $400,000 EPA grant to study contaminated properties  

When Tom Campbell and Stephanie Sarantos sought out the ideal neighborhood for their family, what they wanted was typical for parents moving to the 'burbs. Good schools for their children, fresh air and friendly neighbors topped their list of priorities.  How the husband and wife set about reaching those goals was anything but typical -- they joined with like-minded families to build their own neighborhood from scratch. Along the way, they pushed the bounds of environmentally sustainable development. Clearwater Commons built for family and environment  

BC Ferries’ bid to increase ridership in June by slashing fares from Friday to Monday through the CoastSaver program fell flat. In fact, the number of passengers on major routes dropped 6.5 per cent compared to last June, while the number of vehicles was down three per cent from a year ago.  BC Ferries ridership dips in June despite discounting of fares  

Royal Dutch Shell could drill several exploratory oil wells into the waters off the north shore of Alaska this summer. The potential prize is huge, but so is the risk, should there be an oil spill in this pristine and remote region. And that risk is on everyone's mind since the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago. Shell is now training hundreds of workers to confront oil in icy waters. But for now, the training is taking place in the calm, ice-free waters far to the south, near the port of Valdez. Ahead of Alaska drilling, Shell practices cleaning up  

Many local fish-tackle entrepreneurships were launched in the Depression era. By the late 1970s, these small businesses had grown, collectively, into the largest fishing-tackle-manufacturing base in the world. Ron Judd at Seattle Times tell you everything you might have wanted to know about the fish-tackle business. Northwest made tackle its business, but the big ones are getting away  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON JUL 2 2012
TODAY
W WIND 10 KT...BECOMING SE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 KT...BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SHOWERS.

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