5/30 Herring, Kitsap shores, Powell R. aquaculture, Ecology, Cap Sante cleanup, Oly isthmus, Weed Watchers

PHOTO: DFO/VENUS Project

Once one of the most abundant fishes in coastal waters, many populations of Pacific herring, a cornerstone of the marine food web, have been on a downward spiral. A new population spawning in Elliot Bay may show the tide is turning. Marine ecologists are diving into near shore waters to determine their genetic identity. It’s not yet clear if the population will take up permanent residence. Martha Baskin reports. A New Phenomenon: Diving for Spawning Herring in Elliot Bay  

Forterra and Pope Resources signed a purchase and sale agreement Wednesday for 535 acres of forestland and 1.5 miles of shoreline along Port Gamble Bay and State Route 104. The Kitsap Forest and Bay Project is a longtime effort to conserve 6,700 acres and 1.8 miles of shoreline in north Kitsap County. The forests and shorelines have cultural significance to local Tribes and communities; draw thousands of outdoor recreationists annually; and support fish and wildlife in the integrated ecological and watershed systems of Port Gamble Bay, Hood Canal and Central Puget Sound. Forterra signs purchase agreement for Port Gamble shoreline block  

City of Powell River officials are continuing to explore the possibility of establishing an aquatic industries park in conjunction with Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation. The proposal centres on about 40 hectares (100 acres) of undeveloped waterfront land owned by PRSC Partnership Ltd. next to Catalyst Paper Corporation’s Powell River division. The site has a number of infrastructure advantages for aquaculture, according to a brochure produced by PRREDS (Powell River Regional Economic Development Society), including both salt and fresh water supplies, electricity and thermal energy. Laura Walz reports. Officials explore closed containment facility

One potentially divisive piece of the Washington Senate-House budget talks is whether the Washington Department of Ecology faces significant cuts, including the potential closure of its Bellingham office. As with much of the rest of the state's operating budget, the Republican-oriented Senate wants to trim part of Ecology's budget for 2013-2015. The Senate's Majority Coalition Caucus — an alliance of 23 Republicans and two Democrats — believes the ecology department has become too fat and should be trimmed to become more cost-effective. The ecology department disagrees. The Bellingham office plays a variety of roles, ranging from helping out in the response to the recent I-5 bridge collapse to working on the review of a proposed coal port north of the city. John Stang reports. Ecology budget squeeze: Efficiency or neglect?

A public comment period on draft documents related to the final cleanup work in the west basin of the Cap Sante Marina opens Thursday. Most cleanup work is already done at the site between 11th and 13th streets east of Q Avenue on the Fidalgo Bay shore. Ecology and the Port of Anacortes, which owns the site, are working to finish and maintain cleanup efforts. That includes long-term monitoring and protecting people and the environment from two remaining small pockets of low-level contamination. The site known as the Cap Sante Marine site was formerly occupied by that company’s chandlery from the late 1970s to 2007. Joan Pringle reports. Ecology seeks comments on final cleanup plans for Cap Sante Marine site

The Olympia City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to scrap a requirement that the city secure $1 million in state funding to purchase property on the downtown isthmus for a park. While the city still is pursuing the state money, council members also expressed their willingness to take money from several other parks projects — including developing a park at Ward Lake — to pay for the isthmus project if the state money doesn’t come through. The council in April approved a purchase and sale agreement to pay an estimated $3.3 million to Capital Shores Investments to acquire the parcels at 505 and 529 Fourth Ave. W., which total 2.3 acres. The council previously committed $1.7 million to the park, plus $600,000 in Conservation Futures funding from Thurston County. Matt Batcheldor reports.  Olympia council prepared to use parks money to buy isthmus

Oxeye daisy can take over meadows. English ivy can crawl up trees and choke the life out of them. Japanese knotweed can push out other plants at creeks. These weeds and others cause major problems in forests. That's why the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Washington Department of Natural Resources have teamed up with the Mountaineers and King County Noxious Weed Program to train volunteers to find invasive plants on trails. Jim Davis reports. Weed Watchers on alert for noxious and obnoxious

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAY 30 2013
TODAY
S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SW 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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