10/15 Sea wall, Salish Sea Institute, Cowichan salmon, Gulf Is Park, Japanese Gulch, Fort Worden plan, jellyfish, Edward Curtis

PHOTO: Laurie MacBride

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: “If I hadn’t seen it at close hand, I’d find it hard to believe that a huge and powerful animal like this mother grizzly bear could live on…wait for it…grass! For three consecutive days this summer we watched, from the safety of our kayaks, as she ripped through the thick shoreline grass, at times pulling whole clumps to her mouth with her long and deadly front claws....”  Hangin’ Out with Momma Griz  

Seattle voters will be asked in the Nov. 6 general election to approve a $290 million bond measure to replace the waterfront seawall, built between 1915 and 1936 and badly eroded over the years by marine borers and tides. The 30-year bond measure would cost $59 per year for the owner of a median-valued, $360,000 home. The measure requires 60 percent approval to pass. Lynn Thompson reports. Seattle voters face hefty bill for crumbling seawall  

Angus Matthews, executive director of the Sidney aquarium, is embarking on an ambitious project that would see a new, not-for-profit society establish three field stations in the Gulf Islands to provide outdoor education. The Salish Sea Institute would work with First Nations, businesses and Parks Canada to improve knowledge of the unique ecosystem in the area that stretches from the Mount Baker watershed through the Strait of Georgia, Haro Strait, Saanich Inlet, Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound, Matthews said.  Judith Lavoie reports. Salish Sea of riches inspires 'bridge' of knowledge  And with a slightly different angle by Lavoie: Changes wash over the Salish sea  

Salmon are slowly making their way up the Cowichan River to spawning grounds after a pulse of water was released from the upstream weir by Catalyst Paper last week. But frustration with lack of provincial government action is growing among Cowichan Tribes, local politicians, Cowichan Watershed Board members and conservation groups.  A river nearly ran dry: Anger grows over lack of action on B.C. water levels

The Arctic Challenger oil well blowout response vessel has passed its final inspections and is expected to be ready for duty in 2013 in the oil field that Shell Oil Co. is developing in the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Straits. Superior Energy Services of Houston built the Arctic Challenger during the spring, summer and fall at the Port of Bellingham's shipping terminal on Cornwall Avenue, a project that involved mounting a complex oil well containment system on a barge. Shell had hoped the Arctic Challenger would be ready for service during the 2012 drilling season, but delays in construction and clearance by the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping forced a delay. John Stark reports. Bellingham-built Arctic Challenger cleared for duty in northern seas

A picturesque pebble and sand beach, flanked by arbutus trees and evergreens, with remnants of an old fish-oil plant, is one of four new parcels of land added to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve on Friday. The additions — Roesland Extension and Shingle Bay on North Pender Island, Maple Bay on Prevost Island and the Saturna Island Extension — expanded the fragmented park by more than 100 hectares, costing Parks Canada $6.3 million. Judith Lavoie reports.  Four parcels added to Gulf Islands park reserve

Mukilteo voters will decide on the Nov. 6 ballot whether to pay 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed value -- $60 per year for the owner of a $300,000 home -- for five years. The money would go toward buying 98 acres on the west side of Japanese Gulch currently owned by Metropolitan Creditors Trust, a bankrupt Spokane mortgage company. The city currently owns 25 acres, but Boeing and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad own most of the large ravine, which straddles the border between Everett and the north end of Mukilteo near the Boeing plant. The gulch takes its name from Japanese immigrants who lived there in the early 20th century. Bill Sheets reports. Tax levy would help Mukilteo buy Japanese Gulch  

A draft of the Fort Worden Lifelong Learning Center Public Development Authority’s business plan has been submitted to Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office for final vetting. The referral of the plan Friday is in preparation for the submission of the final draft to the state Parks and Recreation Commission on Oct. 25 in time for the commission’s Dec. 6 meeting, when it could be approved. Charlie Bermant reports. Fort Worden public development plan draft sent to Gov. Gregoire

Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference between what is real and what is only a myth. In the Northwest, we have some incredible natural wonders that sound almost too bizarre to be real. Aequorea victoria, a common jellyfish in the Puget Sound waters, can really make a statement when agitated. This amazing jellyfish combines two different proteins within its body to create bioluminescence and glow in the dark. Scientists have been able to extract one of these proteins and apply it to modern medicine to help researchers track proteins in living cells.  Nature filled with unique animals

Some of the North American Indian photos in Timothy Egan's epic biography of pioneering photographer Edward Curtis you'll recognize immediately, their haunting poignancy and stark authenticity unforgettable. You'll know the one of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe, maybe Curtis' most famous. You've undoubtedly seen the proud profile of the aged Geronimo, whose deep-lined face speaks volumes. And while the title, The Piegan Dandy, 1900, might not be familiar, the picture of the coiffed young warrior is. But chances are you never knew the name or the remarkable story of the charismatic visionary behind the camera. Curtis, you see, was to North American Indians what Matthew Brady was to the Civil War —though, unlike Brady, he's been largely forgotten. Don Oldenburg reviews Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher 'Shadow Catcher' illuminates man behind Native American portraits  

Now, your thank-goodness-for-tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT SUN OCT 14 2012
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT
MON
S WIND 15 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 10 TO 13 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 14 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
MON NIGHT
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
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