10/25 Hood Canal Council, coal hearing, derelict vessels, Land Conservancy, iron-dumping, chum run, Snohomish dredge, Oly shores, GAGA ferns

Joseph's Coat rose (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "With the days getting noticeably shorter and our cool, wet season closing in, it’s lovely to still find some flowers in the garden. There’s something extra special about having a bouquet of homegrown roses on your dining table at this time of year...." Still Unfolding

New blog: I thought it was simple: While I’m sleeping, this spirit— something between Jack Flash and Jack Black — paints fall colors on the leaves when it starts to get colder and the nights get longer. Fall Colors— You Mean It’s Not Jack Frost?

Have you checked out the online Encyclopedia of Puget Sound?

Mason County commissioners have announced their intent to pull out of the Hood Canal Coordinating Council if their various concerns are not remedied during upcoming discussions. In a meeting Tuesday night, the commissioners voted to provide an official 90-day notice of withdrawal, as spelled out in an agreement with Kitsap and Jefferson counties, the other counties on the coordinating council. Mason County Commissioner Lynda Ring-Erickson said the 90-day notice provides an opportunity to open discussions about operations of the coordinating council, including a new in-lieu-fee mitigation program. Chris Dunagan reports. Mason County votes to pull out of Hood Canal council

If you like to watch: A selection of images from Nikon's Small World photomicrography competition, showcasing photographs or digital images taken through microscopes Nikon Small World photomicrography competition - in pictures

Backers and opponents of the Gateway Pacific Terminal coal export pier are trying to rally their faithful for Saturday's public meeting on the project, even though the government agencies convening the meeting insist that gauging public sentiment is not the point. The meeting - scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Squalicum High School - is formally known as a "scoping meeting." Its purpose is to collect public comment on what environmental and economic impacts of the Gateway Pacific project ought to be evaluated during the preparation of an environmental impact statement, which could take two years. John Stark reports. Coal terminal environmental meeting in Bellingham likely to draw huge crowd

A boat that sank over the weekend off Port Orchard's waterfront will be recovered and placed in storage Thursday morning, officials say. Five other boats in the area have been tagged and await a similar fate if they are not claimed by the owners, said Cmdr. Geoffrey Marti of the Port Orchard Police Department.  Chris Dunagan reports. Sunken boat to be removed from Port Orchard waterfront  

The Land Conservancy says it needs to find $1 million immediately if it is to meet its financial obligations. The money is needed to pay off short-term debt, including interest on privately held mortgages and severance payments to laid-off staff. Board chairman Alastair Craighead said he is confident solutions can be found, allowing the organization and its more than 50 protected heritage and wilderness properties to survive. Judith Lavoie reports.  Land Conservancy faces urgent $1-million gap

German businessman Alexander Schoppmann says he was approached by controversial American carbon project developer Russ George to sell greenhouse gas reduction credits from a Haida Gwaii ocean iron-dumping project. But Schoppmann says he declined to take the project on. Schoppmann flirted with the possibility of his company selling carbon credits once before for an ocean iron fertilization project, in a 2009 and 2010 venture he called Blue CO2. Zoe McKnight and Gorden Hoekstra report. Haida iron-dumping project sought Swiss company to sell carbon credits

The prime time for seeing chum salmon spawning in South Sound streams is fast approaching with state fisheries managers predicting runs ranging from average to robust. Results from the early commercial and test fisheries in the marine waters south of Seattle suggest a total returning population of 700,000 to 1 million chum salmon in South Sound, said Steve Thiesfeld, Puget Sound salmon manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. That compares to a 10-year average in the South Sound area of 740,000 returning fish, he said. John Dodge reports. Chum salmon spawning to begin soon

Another round of dredging in the lower Snohomish River and Port Gardner has begun as part of the ongoing task of keeping the waterway safe for shipping. The Army Corps of Engineers is spending $1.5 million on the job, scheduled to last through February. Some of the spoils -- a term for dredged material -- will be available for use by local governments, while some will be used to reinforce the shoreline along Jetty Island, said William Dowell, a spokesman for the federal agency. Bill Sheets reports. $1.5 million dredging work begins on Snohomish  

The Olympia City Council indicated late Tuesday night that it would relax development restrictions on city shorelines from those proposed by the city’s planning commission, but the restrictions would still be stricter than those in place now. On Port of Olympia property on the north and east points of the port peninsula, the council concurred on a 50-foot setback from the shoreline, in which development would not be allowed unless additional restoration is provided. Then builders could develop as close as 30 feet from the shoreline. That’s a big change from the Planning Commission’s proposal, which would restrict new commercial development within 100 feet of the port’s shoreline along all the north and most of the east sides of the port peninsula. The Port of Olympia objects to that proposal, saying it would inhibit its building plans. Matt Batcheldor reports. Port may win its shoreline

Top this: Pop music megastar Lady Gaga is being honored with the name of a new genus of ferns found in Central and South America, Mexico, Arizona and Texas. A genus is a group of closely related species; in this case, 19 species of ferns will carry the name Gaga. At one stage of its life, the new genus Gaga has somewhat fluid definitions of gender and bears a striking resemblance to one of Gaga’s famous costumes. Members of the new genus also bear a distinct DNA sequence spelling GAGA. Nineteen species of fern named for Lady Gaga

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU OCT 25 2012
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 17 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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