6/13 Salmon disease, B'ham waterfront, BC coal, Burlington coal, Doug fir deaths, sea urchins, Belo sold

Photo: Ryan Morrissey/BirdNote

If you like to listen: "Some believe the song of the Wood Thrush to be the most beautiful bird song in North America. Others select the song of the Hermit Thrush. Still others name the singing of the Swainson’s Thrush. How do thrushes like this Veery create such fine music? The answer is that the birds have a double voice box, unique to them, called the syrinx..." BirdNote:  Voices and Vocabularies - Exquisite Thrush Songs

If you like to watch: Liem Bahneman captured the beauty of the northern lights with his camera twice in the past few weeks. Bahneman, of Bothell, a professional photographer and astronomy buff, set out about 10 p.m. last Thursday to the valley south of Snohomish. Bill Sheets reports. Lights, camera, join the action  

All samples collected and tested as part of the 2012 wild salmon disease surveillance initiative in B.C. have tested negative for infectious salmon anaemia (ISA). The samples were also tested for either infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) or infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) and these tests were also negative. IHN, IPN and ISA are reportable diseases in Canada. These diseases are contagious and can cause disease and mortality in salmon. IHN is known to exist in certain species and populations of wild fin fish in B.C. IPN and ISA have not been confirmed in the province. B.C. wild salmon test negative for three fish diseases

Plans for bringing the city's 237-acre industrial waterfront back to life are ready for final review by City Council. The plans envision a waterfront where existing marine industries will continue to operate, but they also provide a blueprint for transforming a wide swath of industrial land that has been dormant since Georgia-Pacific Corp. shut down its pulp and paper operations. The pulp mill closed in 2001, and the tissue mill turned out its last rolls of toilet paper in 2007. John Stark reports. Bellingham waterfront plans face City Council this summer

Metro Vancouver directors will hold what is being billed as the closest thing to a public hearing Friday to hear from the ports and the public ahead of a vote on whether to oppose coal shipment expansion in the Fraser River estuary. At least six delegations have already signed up to speak at the 9 a.m. board meeting, which will include a motion by Metro’s environment and parks committee to send a “public statement” to Port Metro Vancouver to oppose coal shipments along the Fraser River estuary, other than at the existing Robert’s Bank terminal in Delta. Kelly Sinoski reports. Metro Vancouver board to hear more from public, port on increasing coal shipments

Merchants and publicans who settled the Skagit River town of Burlington more than a century ago loved their railroad. It brought patrons from “dry” Mount Vernon on the river’s south bank to the downtown saloons in Burlington where they dropped their money before catching the train back home....Burlington is no longer enthusiastic about its railroad. The tipplers of long ago have been replaced by heavy industrial goods; the passenger depot is long gone and the railroad is on the verge of a coal and oil binge. Floyd McKay reports in the second of two articles. Tale of Two Cities: Coal, a train wreck for Burlington?  

The mortality rate for young Douglas-fir trees throughout Western Washington is on the rise due to drought-like conditions late last summer and this spring, according to state Department of Natural Resources officials. DNR’s Forest Health Program has examined affected trees at several sites from Shelton, DuPont, and Auburn, south to Vancouver, and along the Columbia River Gorge. Douglas-firs that are between 5 and 15 years old appear to be the most commonly affected, but some larger trees are also showing symptoms including entirely red crowns, red tops, and red branches. Damage has been most severe in areas with rocky soils, such as glacial outwash around the Puget Sound. Water drains quickly in these soils, and trees depend on occasional rains during the summer to replenish their water supply. John Dodge reports. Western Washington drought-like conditions causing high mortality rate for young Douglas fir trees

In the race against climate change and ocean acidification, some sea urchins may still have a few tricks up their spiny sleeves, suggesting that adaptation will likely play a large role for the sea creatures as the carbon content of the ocean increases. The purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, has the ability to pass the trait for higher carbon dioxide tolerance to its offspring.  Rapid Adaptation Is Purple Sea Urchins' Weapon Against Ocean Acidification

Gannett said it reached a deal to buy Belo for about $1.5 billion in cash, significantly boosting its presence in television broadcasting. Belo operates KING 5, KONG and NWCN TV stations in the Puget Sound market. Under the agreement announced Thursday, Gannett will buy Belo, which is based in Dallas, for $13.75 per share. That represents a 28 percent premium over Belo's closing price on Wednesday. Gannett, one of the largest newspaper publishers in the U.S., also will assume $715 million in debt. Gannett to buy owner of KING 5, KONG TV stations for $1.5B  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU JUN 13 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS
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