9/6 Kim Baird loses, shellfish beds upgraded, Reta Laford named, Shell drilling, ocean noise, ferry names, no apples

Poor Seattle. Cliff Mass writes: "Seattle residents unaccustomed to a record-breaking stretch of sun and warmth are reacting with guilt, anxiety, and discomfort.  I cannot count the number of emails I have received by folks asking when the accustomed clouds and rain will return..."  Drought Madness

Tsawwassen First Nation Chief Kim Baird has lost her seat to a young challenger in a surprising election defeat on Wednesday night. Baird was defeated by 24-year-old Bryce Williams, the youngest member of Tsawwassen's executive council, in the vote by 148 of the band's 260 eligible members. Baird had been chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation for 16 years and during her six terms she negotiated B.C.'s first urban aboriginal treaty, which saw the band get legal title to several parcels of land in Tsawwassen in 2009.  Tsawwassen Chief Kim Baird defeated in band election  

Good news: Improving water quality near Shelton has led state health authorities to upgrade 750 acres of shellfish beds in Oakland Bay, allowing commercial harvesting without ongoing restrictions.  Oakland Bay is home to 19 commercial shellfish companies and a public shellfish beach at Bayshore. Improvements to Shelton's sewage treatment plant, along with repairs to septic systems and revised farm practices, are credited with the upgrade from "conditionally approved" to "approved." Like many bays in South Puget Sound, Oakland Bay flushes slowly, causing pollution to disperse over a long time. The "approved" classification means shellfish harvesting won't need to be shut down for weeks following heavy rains, which wash pollution into the bay. Chris Dunagan reports. State upgrades shellfish beds near Shelton  

Reta Laford, currently serving as the deputy forest supervisor for the Coronado National Forest in Arizona, has been named the new supervisor for Olympic National Forest. Laford, who has worked in the Northwest before, will replace Dale Hom, who retired in June.  Forest Service selects woman to lead Olympic  

Some observers are hoping for the best when it comes to Shell Oil’s Arctic drilling plans, because the company clearly is not prepared for the worst, at least when it comes to testing critical equipment needed to prevent massive blowouts like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. After dragging it’s feet for a while, the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement finally released all the information it had on last summer’s testing of a well-head capping stack system. All the information on that test was included on less than a single page of typed text. Environment: Watchdog group says testing of Shell’s Arctic drilling safety gear was inadequate  

If you like to listen: The waters of Puget Sound are a pretty noisy place if you’re an orca. But what does a passing tanker ship or motorboat sound like to killer whales? How does it affect their behavior? Researchers are trying to find out. Ashley Ahearn reports. Do You Hear What I Hear?

Efforts to release Penn Cove’s most famous orca from captivity has resorted to name calling. Orca Network, a nonprofit whale advocacy group based in Greenbank, has submitted “Tokitae” to the Washington State Transportation Commission for consideration as a name for one of two new 144-car ferries under construction.  Whidbey group proposes a whale of a name for ferry  Meanwhile: The Samish Indian Nation is lobbying to have a ferry named for the tribe. Nicole Tesch, Tribal Media Relations, said the Samish are proposing their name be considered by the Washington State Transportation Commission for the name of one of two 144-car ferries. Tribe rounding up support to have ferry named for Samish  

The 14th annual Salt Spring Island Apple Festival has been cancelled due to a near island-wide crop failure, according to organizer Harry Burton. Cool, wet weather during early May disrupted pollination, Burton said. The island’s 16 orchards were also hit with a crippling infestation of tent caterpillars that stripped many trees of their leaves just as the fruit was starting to set. Crop failure dooms Saltspring Island apple festival

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU SEP 6 2012
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

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