9/21 "S.O.S' Act, B'ham waterfront, BC highway, no log, killing birds, BC LNG, Shell drill, Gov's Pt

Biggs killer whales (Pacific Wild)

If you like to watch: Bigg's killer whales prey on Stellar sea lions
8/25/15 Outer Coast field cam. Check out the live video of the Great Bear Rain forest, too. (Pacific Wild)

Puget Sound 'S.O.S.' Act announced by congressmen
…. Congressmen Derek Kilmer and Denny Heck decided the Sound needs emergency help. At the 23rd Salmon Homecoming on Saturday morning, they announced their plan to present a new bill to Congress, called PUGET SOS. They will introduce it to the U.S. House next week…. The bill would define Puget Sound as a nationally significant body of water under the Clean Water Act. It would create a Puget Sound Recovery Program Office in the EPA. It also protects the future of tribal treaty fishing rights. Alison Morrow reports. (KING)

Massive overhaul of Bellingham waterfront underway
After two decades of planning, some of the most visible cleanup projects along Bellingham’s contaminated waterfront are making progress. From dredging to demolition, hundreds of workers are currently preparing downtown sites near the former Georgia-Pacific Corp. pulp and tissue operations for rebuilding, which could start within a few years. The efforts represent tens of millions of dollars in projects planned for and approved by the Port of Bellingham, city of Bellingham, Washington state Department of Ecology, and other agencies, and represent one of the largest waterfront cleanup efforts in the state. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

B.C. to study highway connection to Sunshine Coast
The B.C. government plans to study the feasibility of a highway or bridge connection to the province's Sunshine Coast, says Transportation Minister Todd Stone. Right now, the only methods to travel from the Lower Mainland to the coastal region northwest of Vancouver is by air or by water — mainly ferry services. (CBC) See also: Fixed-link study: "everything is on the table"  Martha Perkins reports. (Bowen Island Undercurrent)

Logging protesters win temporary victory on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/logging-protest-sunshine-coast-1.3235878
Protesters fighting plans to log an old-growth forest on the Sunshine Coast are celebrating a temporary victory after construction of a logging road was halted temporarily. The protesters, who have set up camp near Roberts Creek, say the area is an important bear habitat that will be destroyed if the trees come down. Hans Penner has been taking turns blocking access to a service road in the Dakota Creek area of Mount Elphinstone, where the government has plans to auction off 53 hectares of old-growth timber, including ancient balsam, hemlock and yellow cedar. (CBC)

Killing cormorants to save salmon: 11,000 in crosshairs of controversial program
EAST SAND ISLAND, COLUMBIA RIVER ESTUARY — Shots ring out — boom, boom, boom, boom — then there’s a splash: government agents gunning for double-crested cormorants have hit their mark again. Federal agents have stalked this tiny uninhabited island with night-vision goggles and silencers, blasting birds on the nest. They have oiled more than 5,000 eggs to suffocate the embryos within. And now, they have taken to the water, firing at double-crested cormorants with shotguns under a federal program intended to boost juvenile salmon and steelhead survival. They killed more than 500 cormorants in just the past week, including five Brandt’s cormorants not intended to be targeted. Under the controversial four-year federal cormorant culling program under way since Memorial Day, federal agents could eventually kill as many as 11,000 adult double-crested cormorants and destroy even more nests. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Lax Kw’alaams First Nation moves to veto LNG plan
The Lax Kw’alaams First Nation is seeking aboriginal title to Lelu Island and Flora Bank, creating a legal obstacle for a Malaysian-led consortium that wants to build an $11.4-billion terminal to export liquefied natural gas from British Columbia. The aboriginal group will file a notice of civil claim to launch the legal action (this) week in the B.C. Supreme Court, Lax Kw’alaams Mayor Garry Reece said in an interview on Friday. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Shell report says Alaska oil exploration program brings $172.7 million to Puget Sound communities
Shell Oil, preparing to return its offshore Arctic drilling fleet to Puget Sound as early as next month, has released a study saying that this year and next its controversial Alaska oil exploration program will pump $172.7 million directly into the Puget Sound economy. That spending is expected to support 1,590 jobs and generate $125 million in wages and $312 million in total economic output, which includes direct, indirect and induced impacts, according to an economic impact study released Wednesday. Coral Garnick reports. (McClatchy) See also: Shell study details $1 million economic benefit for Port Angeles from Polar Pioneer oil rig  (Peninsula Daily News)

Oil terminal review won’t be expanded despite new details
The state agency examining the impacts of what would be the nation’s largest rail-to-marine oil transfer terminal in Vancouver says it won’t broaden its analysis in the face of new contract details showing the facility could be expanded or that a second one could be built in the future. The state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council said it doesn’t need to widen its analysis of the facility proposed by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Cos. at the Port of Vancouver in response to Kristen Boyles, an attorney for Earthjustice who had requested the expanded review. That’s because the companies haven’t changed their permit application, submitted more than two years ago, to seek “an increased capacity, expanded or new facility,” according to Stephen Posner, manager for the evaluation council. To date, he said, the analysis of the proposed oil terminal, including development of a draft environmental impact statement, is “based on a maximum capacity to receive an average of 360,000 barrels per day.” Aaron Corvin reports. (Columbian)

Prime real estate at Governors Point goes on auction block
Governors Point, the 125-acre peninsula south of Bellingham that has been in the same family for a half century, will go to the highest bidder next month at auction. Roger Sahlin, whose father acquired Governors Point piece by piece in the 1960s, is seeking Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Washington. The auction will be held Oct. 8 in Seattle. Only bidders who have paid earnest money will be able to attend, said Douglas Johnson, managing director of CBRE Auction Services. Bids will start at $3.5 million. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON SEP 21 2015
TODAY
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...EASING TO 10 KT OR LESS IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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9/15 Navy sonar, whale watching, killer 'blob,' Cornwall cleanup, small coho, fishing lines, BC water

(PHOTO: Associated Press/BBC)

US Navy limits 'whale-harming' sonar in Pacific
The US Navy has agreed to limit its use of sonar that may inadvertently harm whales and dolphins in waters near Hawaii and California. A federal judge in Honolulu signed the deal between the Navy and environmental groups on Monday. It restricts or bans the use of mid-frequency active sonar and explosives used in training exercises. Campaigners say that sonar disrupts the feeding of marine mammals, and can even cause deafness or death. An explosives training exercise in San Diego four years ago killed four dolphins, Earthjustice lawyer David Henkin said when announcing the agreement. (BBC)

Baby Orcas And Gloomy Future: Can Whale Watching Help?
s it ethical to go whale watching? Boats sometimes interfere with whales’ ability to hunt and eat. But whale watching can also connect people with conservation. And that could help the group of orcas that are resident in Puget Sound. The recent arrival of another baby orca in that so-called southern resident group (see photos in the slideshow above) has tickled whale watchers in the San Juan Islands…. David Hyde talks to tour boat skipper Dan Wilkes and author David Niewert about whale watching in the San Juan Islands. (KUOW)

Dead whales in Pacific could be fault of the Blob
Scientists believe the mysterious deaths of more than two dozen whales in B.C. and Alaska since May are probably related to the so-called "Blob" of warm water in the Pacific Ocean. The Blob is a 1,600 kilometre wide patch of warmer-than-usual water that has been linked to several anomalies in the Pacific, including a massive toxic algae bloom that contaminates the krill and sardines that many whales eat. (CBC) See also: Grey whale spotted frolicking in West Vancouver

Cleanup for future waterfront park could cost $16 million
It could cost $16 million to clean up contaminated soil on property that will one day be part of the city’s waterfront park at the end of Cornwall Avenue. The city of Bellingham, with oversight from the Washington state Department of Ecology, has completed a study of toxic chemicals found on what’s known as the R.G. Haley site as well as cleanup options. Ecology will hold a Thursday, Sept. 17 meeting about the project that will include a discussion of the preferred cleanup for the property at Cornwall Avenue, near Wharf Street. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Edmonds Coho Derby produces smallest winning fish in the derby’s history, but plenty of fish around to catch in Puget Sound
The Edmonds Coho Derby hosted by the Sno-King Puget Sound Anglers sold close to 1,000 tickets and had 287 coho weighed-in on Saturday under great weather conditions, but the concern lies within the sheer size of the fish. “The winning fish was (7.480 pounds), and was a record low size for the derby’s winning fish and that is just the tip of iceberg,” said Tony Floor, director of fishing affairs for the Northwest Marine Trade Association in Seattle. “I saw more 2 and 2 ½ pound fish than I’ve ever seen in my life, and they looked more like small resident coho than the mature fish type.” Mark Yusaa reports. (Seattle Times)

Fighting fishing line litter
Volunteer Don Coleman never knows what to expect when he visits Fidalgo Island boat launches to empty plastic tubes of their contents. More often than he would like, he finds trash such as cigarette packs, beer cans and juice boxes. The tubes are there so fishermen have a place to put used fishing line, also called monofilament. Fishing line that is left in the water or sent to landfills can last hundreds of years and harm animals. That’s why Coleman and Catherine Buchalski launched a Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program in Skagit County last year through the WSU-Skagit County Beach Watchers. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Some Clallam County beaches reopen to shellfish harvesting
The recreational harvest of all types of shellfish has reopened along the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Clallam County from the Lyre River and Low Point east to Dungeness Spit. Previously, all Clallam County beaches along the Strait of Juan de Fuca were closed to harvesting.  The state Department of Health announced the change Monday after recent tests for marine biotoxins in shellfish came back meeting safety guidelines. (Peninsula Daily News)

New law gives B.C. more authority involving water use; Legislation comes into effect Jan. 1
Hans Schreier has spent a career studying B.C.’s water supply, charting a resource that most of the province seemed to ignore until this summer’s drought. “I worked for 30 years in water and nobody cared,” said Schreier, a University of B.C. emeritus professor of watershed management. “Now everybody wants information.” A scorching hot summer, abnormally low rainfall and dwindling reservoirs meant there wasn’t enough water to sprinkle lawns, fill pools or wash cars in Metro Vancouver and many other cities across B.C. Suddenly, interest spiked in understanding how the province protects and allocates its newest precious resource. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE SEP 15 2015
TODAY
S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN
 THE EVENING...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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5/21 Septic gaps, oil spill, B;ham cleanup, ocean acid, coal port, T rex bone, BC ferry, 'Fake Willy,' John Willits

Stubby squid (Susan Middleton/San Juan Journal)

'Spineless'... sea creatures like you've never seen 'em before, at IMA
A portrait of the a Stubby Squid (Rossia Pacifica) is one of the many provocative photographs of creatures of the deep by Susan Middleton, which will be on display as part of San Juan Islands Museum of Art's latest exhibit, 'Spineless,' opening May 23 in Friday Harbor. Scott Rasmussen reports. (San Juan Journal)

KING 5 finds gaps in septic tank inspections
After a two-year-old boy died and a 10-year-old girl was hurt in accidents involving septic tanks, KING 5 examined state and county data and discovered a trail of incomplete records and out of date inspections. The Washington State Department of Health admits it doesn't know exactly how many on-site sewage systems exist in the state. DOH estimates 934,000 exist in the state and 613,000 of those are in the Puget Sound region. Of those, only a fraction are closely monitored. The majority of those are in marine recovery areas where a failure could be catastrophic to the area's waterways. Danielle Leigh reports. (KING)

Pipeline Operator In Calif. Spill Reportedly Had History Of Infractions
The Texas-based company responsible for the undersea pipeline that has leaked tens of thousands of gallons of oil into the sea near the coast at Goleta, Calif., has a history of federal safety violations, The Los Angeles Times reports. The newspaper reports that Plains All American Pipeline has accumulated 175 safety and maintenance infractions since 2006… a nine-mile slick is expected to have a negative impact on some wildlife. Scott Neuman reports. (NPR)

Cleanup work along Bellingham’s waterfront to start this summer
Crews could start work on a more than $35 million environmental cleanup of a polluted Bellingham waterfront site as soon as July. The Port of Bellingham Commission approved a contract for cleaning up the Whatcom Waterway with American Construction Company of Tacoma during its regular Tuesday afternoon meeting, May 19. The vote was 2-1, with Commissioner Mike McAuley opposed. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Fund the race to save marine life from souring seas
Congress must invest in research to combat acidic seawater conditions. Jay Manning and Bill Ruckelshaus write. (Seattle Times Opinion)

Army Corps: ‘We can be flexible’ in giving coal terminal time to respond
In a response sent early this Wednesday morning, May 20, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told The Bellingham Herald it won’t hold SSA Marine to a strict deadline in its response to Lummi Nation’s assertion that SSA’s coal terminal would interfere with tribal fishing. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Heald)

First Dinosaur Fossil Found in Washington State
A large bone from a meat-eating dinosaur has been discovered in the San Juan Islands – the first dinosaur fossil ever found in Washington state. Researchers found the fossil along the shores of Sucia Island State Park in the San Juan Islands. They returned with paleontologists from the Burke Museum at the University of Washington. The fossil they pulled from the rock is from the Late Cretaceous period and is about 80 million years old. The partial thigh bone comes from a two-legged cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex. It measures 16.7 inches long and 8.7 inches wide. Scientists believe the complete bone was likely more than three feet long. Isolde Raftery reports. (KUOW)

Jack Knox: Ferry-naming contest invites spirit of scorn
On Tuesday, B.C. Ferries invited the public to take part in a contest to name three intermediate-class vessels being built in Poland. On Wednesday, the public replied … and replied … and replied. Gleefully malicious/seditious posts bearing the #NameAFerry hashtag swamped social media. How about SS ShouldveBeenABridge? Or Privatized Backfire? Or Ark of the Government? Or the Knot Pretty, Knot Cheap and Knot Maiden B.C. Jack Knox reports. (Times Colonist)

‘Fake Willy’ could haunt sea lions
A Free Willy impersonator could come to Astoria to scare off sea lions. In its efforts to get sea lions off its docks, the Port of Astoria has had to think outside the box. Thanks to a man from Bellingham, Wash., that could become a lot easier. During his report Tuesday to the Port Commission, Executive Director Jim Knight said the agency has been approached by a man — he didn’t know exactly who it was — from northern Washington with a realistic fiberglass orca whale. Edward Stratton reports. (Daily Astorian)

Shelley Fralic: River Monsters host Jeremy Wade’s excellent B.C. adventure
Jeremy Wade is on the phone Tuesday morning, apologizing for sounding so groggy because he’s still recovering from the previous night’s diving exploration in Puget Sound. In the deeps. In the dark. No, he’s not at liberty to share what he was looking for in the waters around Seattle, or what he found, because that would be giving away the surprises for viewers of the coming Season 8 of Wade’s Discovery Channel hit, River Monsters. Shelley Fralic reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Renowned Port Angeles conservationist John Willits dies at 78
John Willits, a dedicated conservationist whose passion helped preserve hundreds of acres of farmland and wildlife habitat, is dead. He was 78. He died last Friday at his Port Angeles home after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAY 21 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 7 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN
 THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 3 FT AT
 7 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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4/1 Orca births, herring talks, Nature Conservancy, B'ham port, GOP budget, old ferries, climate, BP spill

Elwha River, 3/26/15 (Tom Roodra/Coastal Watershed Institute)

Could Seattle's Tunnel Deliver Salmon Salvation?
The tunneling machine known as Bertha has been stuck beneath the Seattle waterfront since December 2013, stalling construction and racking up millions in cost overruns. One local engineering firm has a fresh idea for the fumbling tunneling project: Instead of moving Subarus through the heart of the city, the tunnel should be used by salmon. "What we’ve found is the leftover tunnel could be an outstanding, if not the perfect, conduit to help our coho friends make their way from Puget Sound into Lake Union," said Don Meadows, lead engineer at Seattle-based Subterranean Design Group. Ashley Ahearn entertains. (KUOW)

Mystery of the orca moms rekindled by birth of another J-pod whale
A newborn orca calf in J pod extends the ongoing baby boom for the three Southern Resident pods, but it also rekindles a debate about motherhood — namely who is the mom of J-50 and now J-52. The new calf is the fourth to be born since just before the new year. Three of the young ones are in J pod and one is in L pod, bringing the total population of the three pods to 81 — or 82 if you count Lolita in Miami Seaquarium. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

New blog: Eating Together… Can We Talk?
I’m anticipating the day when the waitperson serving my chicken pad thai sits down and wants to talk about eating. I guess I’d have to start off with the one thing I don’t like:

Heiltsuk First Nation in talks about herring fishery
B.C.'s Heiltsuk Nation says it is now in talks with federal officials about a disputed herring fishery in its central coast territory but has yet to see a resolution. The First Nation issued a news release that says its representatives met Monday in Heiltsuk territory with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans regional director general, Sue Farlinger…. The First Nation says Farlinger has now offered to set aside areas for Heiltsuk food, social, and ceremonial fisheries, but the nation wants a guarantee that the fishery will be closed to commercial harvesters. (Canadian Press)

Conservancy buys $7M in timberland on Olympic Peninsula
The Nature Conservancy has purchased 3,184 acres of Rayonier timberlands in the Hoh River drainage in a $7 million acquisition that is part of a broader forest-restoration effort on the Olympic Peninsula. The land sale, which closed Monday, will help in the creation of a 32-mile conservation corridor extending from the Olympic National Park to the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Port of Bellingham: Harcourt can start to rebuild waterfront site, Granary
A decade after the Port of Bellingham purchased a contaminated waterfront site, the Port Commission unanimously cleared the way for an Irish development firm to start the first work there. The three commissioners gave the OK to sign onto a development agreement with Dublin-based Harcourt Developments during an extended special meeting Tuesday, March 31, after hours of public comment and discussion about the agreement. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Washington Senate Republicans Increase Spending, Reject Higher Taxes In Budget
Majority Republicans in the Washington state Senate unveiled a no-new-taxes budget Tuesday that would still boost spending by $4 billion. The Senate plan stands in sharp contrast to a proposal last week from House Democrats. But House and Senate budget writers seem agree on one thing: a double-digit percentage increase in state spending is appropriate over the next two years. How they get there is another matter. Austin Jenkins reports. (KUOW)

The Problem With Having Ferries In Their Late 40s
…. Forty percent of Washington’s fleet is over age 40, and the state’s policy is to try to keep vessels until they reach age 60. But older vessels break down more often. Currently the vessels that spend the most time out of service because of maintenance or breakdowns are the ones in their late 40s. Washington is building new ferries to replace several that are now pushing 60. But the Tacoma crisis revealed that replacing older ferries won’t solve an important stressor: the lack of standby vessels. Carolyn Adolph reports. (KUOW)

US makes climate pledge to UN
The US has pledged to tackle climate change by cutting its carbon emissions 26-28% by 2025. The US announcement said: "The target is fair and ambitious. The United States has already undertaken substantial policy action to reduce its emissions. Additional action to achieve the 2025 target represents a substantial acceleration of the current pace of greenhouse gas emission reductions. Achieving the 2025 target will require a further emission reduction of 9-11% beyond our 2020 target compared to the 2005 baseline and a substantial acceleration of the 2005-2020 annual pace of reduction, to 2.3-2.8 percent per year, or an approximate doubling." Roger Harrabin reports. (BBC)

Five years after Deepwater Horizon, wildlife still struggling dolphins dying in high numbers; sea turtles failing to nest
As the five-year anniversary of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig approaches, a new report looks at how twenty species of wildlife are faring in the aftermath of the disaster. (Science Daily)

Now (no fooling), your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED APR 1 2015
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/30 J50, oil trains, offshore orca, B'ham port, fish hatcheries, sea lions, algae energy, slave seafood, WA budget

J50 (Capt. Simon Pidcock Ocean EcoVentures/CBC)

If you like to watch: Baby orca J50 comes out to play
Once given only a 50 percent chance of survival, the newest additions to the endangered southern resident community of orcas appear to be thriving. The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) has observed two three-month old babies, J50 and J51, in the waters around the San Juan Islands breaching and frolicking — and just plain having fun. (CBC)

Lawmakers aim to toughen laws on oil trains
State lawmakers are trying to reach agreement on tougher rules for the transportation of oil in Washington, including a requirement that rail carriers give local firefighters advance notice of when oil trains are coming. Competing bills in the House and Senate could bring higher taxes for refiners, larger crew sizes on trains for railroads and more inspections of tracks and railroad crossings. Sponsors of the bills are trying to reconcile differences and avoid legislative derailment, but the chasm might be too great in the typically contentious final weeks of the legislative session. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Offshore killer whales gain attention from Canadian government
The Canadian government is calling attention to the special needs of offshore killer whales in a new document, “Recovery Strategy for the Offshore Killer Whale in Canada ( PDF 3.8 mb).” Offshores are a mysterious, little-understood group of orcas that roam the West Coast. They are related to the more familiar resident and transient killer whales, but they are genetically, physically and socially distinct. The name “offshore” sort of tells the story; they often remain miles off the coast, out of sight and out of mind for most researchers as well as the public. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Port of Bellingham could sign waterfront agreement Tuesday
The Port of Bellingham Commission will hold two special meetings Tuesday, March 31, to consider signing an agreement with an Irish developer that wants to redevelop the first portion of the downtown waterfront. A 3 p.m. public meeting will include a presentation on the master development agreement the port worked out with Dublin-based Harcourt Developments over the last year…. The commission will then take a recess and reopen the public meeting at 6 p.m. so those who work during the day and want to comment or learn about the agreement will get the chance to see the presentation and speak before the commission votes on the proposal. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Fish hatcheries: A 19th century fix that won’t die
If you found yourself recently in Marblemount, say, or North Bend, it might have been a good idea to visit the cold waters of the Cascade River or Tokul Creek and wave goodbye to the early winter run of Chambers Creek hatchery steelhead struggling upstream to the concrete tanks in which they were spawned. This winter’s run, a smaller batch next winter, and poof! Except for those released from a hatchery on the Skykomish River, near Monroe, we may have seen the last of those Chambers Creek fish. Or not. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Boom times on the Columbia for California sea lions
Record numbers of sea lions are gathering in the Lower Columbia river this spring, intensifying the long-running challenge to protect salmon runs. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Algae into energy: New process studied at Sequim lab could lead to mass production of fuel while lowering carbon dioxide from the air
Scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Marine Sciences Laboratory are working to develop a new, low-cost process to draw carbon dioxide out of the air to grow algae that can be refined into alternative gasoline and jet fuel. The beauty of fuel derived from algae is that it is “carbon-neutral,” meaning that the amount of carbon dioxide, or CO2, released when it is burned is equivalent to the amount the algae consumes during growth.  If it were cheap enough to be in mass production, algae-derived fuel could, scientists say, put the brakes on emission into the atmosphere of CO2, which accounted for 82 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2012, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

How Northwest Shoppers Can Avoid 'Slavery Seafood'
Marcie Sillman speaks with Tobias Aguirre, executive director of FishWise, about a recent AP report detailing slavery in Asian fisheries and what Pacific Northwest shoppers can do to avoid purchasing seafood that may have been caught by slaves. (KUOW)

Washington House Democrats Say 'Yes' To Capital Gains Tax, 'No' To Cap-And-Trade
Majority Democrats in the Washington state House have unveiled a proposed two-year, nearly $39 billion state budget and tax package. They embraced Governor Jay Inslee’s push for a state capital gains tax, but they’re not biting on the Democratic governor’s cap-and-trade proposal. The capital gains proposal House Democrats offered was slimmed down a bit -- a five percent tax rate instead of the governor’s seven percent. Austin Jenkins reports. (NW News Network)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON MAR 30 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN
 THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/19 Jeff Co shores, B'ham cleanup, Capitol Lake, BC oil, sinking barge, BNSF, marine safety

(PHOTO: Kalla Walton/CBC)

If you like to watch: Northern lights dance across B.C.
Social media lights up with photos of stunning auroras as geomagnetic storm hits. (CBC)

State board dismisses challenges to Jefferson County Shoreline Management Program; one petitioner may appeal
The state Growth Management Hearings Board has dismissed 19 challenges to the newly enacted Jefferson County Shoreline Management Program. The decision, issued Monday, said “the board concludes that petitioners failed to provide clear and convincing evidence demonstrating the challenged action.” The challenges the plan enacted in February were made by three petitioners: Hood Canal Sand and Gravel — which may appeal, a spokesman said — the Olympic Stewardship Foundation and the Jefferson County chapter of the Citizens Alliance for Property Rights. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Interim cleanup plan for Bellingham waterfront site up for public comment
A $14 million cleanup plan for part of a contaminated Fairhaven waterfront site is ready for review. The plan calls for the removal of contaminated sediment, soil and creosote-soaked pilings from the shipyard at 201 Harris Ave. The Port of Bellingham property has been used for shipbuilding and maintenance since the early 1900s. The contamination is from past activities, and is not due to the current tenant, according to the state Department of Ecology. Sampling and investigations have found gasoline, diesel, oil, arsenic, metals, polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and more in the soils, sediment and groundwater. Their concentrations exceed standards set by the state’s cleanup law. These contaminants are typical of historic shipyard operations throughout the Puget Sound, according to Ecology. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Lake, estuary camps are finally talking
There’s a new wrinkle in the years-long debate over the future of Capitol Lake. Representatives of the pro-lake and pro-estuary camps have conducted two face-to-face meeting already this year with another one scheduled next week. The Capitol Lake Improvement & Protection Association and the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team are seeking common ground while agreeing to disagree on whether or not to remove the Fifth Avenue Dam that keeps the Deschutes River from flowing unfettered into Budd Inlet. The two citizen-based, nonprofits can’t determine the fate of the lake alone. But political leaders and state agencies welcome the talks after years of impasse. John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

Vancouver-based upstart refinery eyes profits in Alberta-to-Asia exports
A fledgling B.C. bitumen refinery project makes economic sense even in a world of low oil prices, says a consultant to Pacific Future Energy. The Vancouver-based upstart, which wants to refine Alberta oil and ship it to Asia, expects the cost of bitumen supplies from the oil sands will be sharply lower than the revenue from exporting refined petroleum products, said Ron Loborec, Canadian energy leader at Deloitte & Touche LLP…. Prices for benchmark Western Canadian Select heavy oil are lower than those for West Texas intermediate light crude, so that provides a further cushion for the planned B.C. refinery to have cheaper costs for supplies, Mr. Loborec said. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Investigation underway into barge sinking off Vancouver Island
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating after a barge sank in the Strait of Georgia near Vancouver Island. Spokesman Dave Paddon said the barge, named Lasqueti Daughters, took on water and began sinking while 16 people were aboard on Saturday. A rescue operation ensued. None of the passengers were hurt. The barge was salvaged and towed to Campbell River. (Canadian Press)

BNSF seeks closure of Valley View Road near Custer
BNSF Railway requested permission to permanently close the crossing at Valley View Road, a half mile south of Portal Way. In response, Whatcom County officials asked for a hearing before the state Utilities and Transportation Commission because county officials aren’t prepared to assess the impact the closure would have on county traffic. County officials believed the closure would be required later to make room for trains headed to a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point, according to a March 10 letter to the commission requesting the hearing…. BNSF said in its request for the road closure that the siding extension is needed so that trains to the oil refineries don’t block the main line, and so passenger trains can get through Custer without delays. BNSF estimated it would begin expansion of the siding in late spring. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

First Nations hold marine safety talk
Delegates from more than 50 First Nations on and around Vancouver Island will gather in Sooke next week to discuss marine safety and potential disasters. “The environment comes first with potential risks in our territories,” said T’Sou-ke Chief Gordon Planes. The First Nation, already known as a leader in environmental management thanks to its solar program, is hosting the summit. Sarah Petrescu reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PDT THU MAR 19 2015
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT AND FRI
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 OR 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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7/30 Climate change, aquarium whales, Squalicum cleanup, green diversity, one-crew trains, invasives

(Rich Ross/National Geographic)

Social Octopus Species Shatters Beliefs About Ocean Dwellers
If recent octopus discoveries have taught us anything, it's that these eight-armed ocean dwellers are smart. They can use tools, change color in an instant, and commission their arms to solve problems. But they generally do all this as loners. Now, new research into a surprisingly social octopus is shattering even the most expansive ideas of known octopus behavior. Katherine Harmon Courage reports. (National Geographic)

Gov. Inslee’s Wastewater Plant Tour Highlights Sea Rise Woes
When Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wanted to show the connection between climate change and an unpleasant and costly consequence for his constituents, he decided to tour a sewage treatment plant. Inslee’s visit Tuesday to the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Seattle’s Discovery Park was the latest stop on his statewide tour to raise awareness about the costs of climate change. The problem the governor wanted to highlight: climate change is causing sea levels to rise. And that means homes and buildings that were built a safe distance from the water’s edge are increasingly becoming too close for comfort. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Vancouver Aquarium's whale program provokes more debate
Dozens of speakers voiced their thoughts on the Vancouver Aquarium's controversial captive whales and dolphins program Monday evening, at a second special meeting convened by the Vancouver Park Board.... Staff from the aquarium also spoke at the meeting on Monday, including CEO John Nightingale, who said if the park board votes to not allow whales and dolphins in tanks, the aquarium will take legal action to recover some of the costs of its recent $50 million expansion, which was approved by the board in 2006... A third special meeting will be held Thursday to allow Park Board members to discuss what they heard during the first two days of the public meetings, but the Board has not said when a decision will be made on the issue (CBC)

Ecology plan calls for $610K cleanup of contaminated Squalicum Harbor site
A decade after a $1.4 million interim cleanup was completed at a contaminated waterfront boatyard formerly used by Weldcraft Steel and Marine, the Port of Bellingham could finish the job with a new $610,000 cleanup plan. The Department of Ecology recently released its plan for the upland portion of the site at 2652 Harbor Loop Drive that was contaminated with petroleum-related metals and chemicals from Weldcraft's boat building, repair and maintenance work between 1946 and 2002. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

New report expounds on old problem: Lack of diversity in green groups
A new report, released [Monday], shows that the staffs of mainstream green groups have been overrepresented with white men despite the groups’ intentions to be more colorful. One of its most damning findings is that “the dominant culture of the organizations is alienating to ethnic minorities, the poor, the LGBTQ community, and others outside the mainstream.” The report, called “The State of Diversity in Environmental Organizations,” is billed as “the most comprehensive report on diversity in the environmental movement.” It was compiled by a working group of thought leaders on environment and race called Green 2.0, led by University of Michigan professor Dorceta Taylor. Brentin Mock reports. (Grist)

BNSF’s Proposal For One-Person Train Crews Concerns Rail Workers
Railroad workers are speaking out against a proposal by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway to have single-employee freight train crews. They say the idea is unsafe, especially in light of the increasing transportation of crude oil by rail. The controversy stems from a tentative contract agreement BNSF has reached with one of its unions, the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Union. If union members approve that deal, BNSF could operate freight trains with just an engineer onboard. That engineer would have help from a so-called master conductor who would not be on the train. Ashley Gross reports. (KPLU)

Whistler invasive plants could now get you a ticket
Whistler residents can now be fined $250 a day if they have invasive plants in their yards. "Most invasives are quite pretty. Things like yellow-flag iris has a gorgeous yellow flower, and when you tell people it's invasive, they're sort of shocked," said Claire O'Brien, executive director of the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council.... O'Brien's group has been advocating for the bylaw banning invasive species, which was recently enacted by the Resort Municipality of Whistler. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PDT WED JUL 30 2014
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. AREAS OF MORNING FOG.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 6 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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7/15 BC pipe suit, B'ham Bay cleanup, BC air quality, clam kill, Pit to Pier, Oly port, anchovies, Oly Sanctuary

Townsend's Warbler (David Sibley/BirdNote)

If you like to watch and listen: David Sibley - Sketching and Painting Impressions
David Sibley’s paintings connect millions of people with the lives of birds. His talent in observing and portraying birds culminated in The Sibley Guide to Birds, now in its second edition. Sibley describes how he learned to sketch and illustrate birds such as this Townsend’s Warbler: “I spent years in the field, just traveling and birding and sketching,” he says. “ . . . The drawing was so important to me, that there was never any question in my mind of continuing to paint the birds. It’s how I study the birds.” (BirdNote)

Northern Gateway pipeline: First Nations outline constitutional challenges
Several B.C. First Nations are launching at least nine court challenges to try to block Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline, leaders revealed at a news conference [Monday] morning in Vancouver. The First Nations leaders said they will argue the proposed pipeline and its recent approval by the federal government is a constitutional violation of their aboriginal land rights in their respective territories, particularly in light of the Supreme Court of Canada victory last month by the Tsilhqot'in First Nation. Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said he was aware of at least nine separate legal actions being launched by various First Nations, as part of a co-ordinated effort to stop the project. Mike Laanela reports. (CBC)

Plan would move contaminants, cap others at Bellingham waterfront site
The Washington Department of Ecology likely will recommend the Port of Bellingham spend $5.7 million to cap and remove some contaminated portions of a waterfront site rather than asking for removal of all contaminated materials. The plan is the cheapest of four cleanup alternatives Ecology proposed for the 31-acre parcel on the former Georgia-Pacific Corp. property in a recently released feasibility statement that is up for public review. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Cruise ship emissions in Victoria hit peak on weekend
Sulphur dioxide emissions related to cruise ships hit a peak Saturday not seen since 2009, says Marg Gardiner, president of the James Bay Neighbourhood Association. Saturday saw the highest recorded one-hour SO2 levels related to cruise ship plumes in five years at Topaz Avenue, three kilometres from Ogden Point, Gardiner said. Monitoring sites in both James Bay and Topaz recorded maximum SO2 levels exceeding World Health Organization 24-hour guidelines, she said. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist) See also: Air quality advisory issued for eastern Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley  (CBC)

What's Killing Clams? Solve This Low Tide Mystery
One of the lowest tides of the year this weekend revealed a "crime scene" at the beach at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle. The victims: thousands of clams that died in the prime of their lives. Each bivalve victim has a tiny hole drilled near its hinge. Also strewn on the beach were gray rubbery things that looked like toilet plunger heads. The Beach Naturalists from the Seattle Aquarium say concerned citizens have collected them in buckets, upset that someone would have dumped so much litter on the beaches. But it turns out that the holes and the toilet plunger heads are all the products of a little-known predator: the moon snail. Joshua McNichols reports. (KUOW)

Pit to Pier and the Navy and DNR Aquatic Lease
Dan McShane at Reading The Washington Landscape blogs on how the "Pit to Pier" project took a bit of a blow last week when the Washington State Department of Natural Resources completed an agreement with the United States Navy regarding aquatic leases within Hood Canal and why the Navy made the agreement. But there’s more: Jefferson County continues the permitting process for the project and has issued a Draft EIS open for public comment until August 11.

New blog: What Does It Mean To Be Hawaiian?
The best part of thinking about what it meant to be Canadian was to be in Montreal during St-Jean Baptist Day eating hand-pulled Nouilles de Lan zhou in a large bowl, spicy, surrounded by people speaking Chinese. Over the last couple of weeks, the best part of thinking about what it means to be Hawaiian was to be in Honolulu eating the laksa at Panya Bistro and the Belly Bowl ramen at Lucky Belly restaurant and driving my mother to hula lessons at the Alama Sisters’ hula studio....

Port commission rejects bids for second marine terminal warehouse
In a surprise move, the Port of Olympia commission voted to reject all bids for a proposed second marine terminal warehouse Monday night, instead taking a cautionary step after warehouse critics had raised concerns about the overall environmental process. Commissioners Sue Gunn and George Barner voted to reject all bids, while Commissioner Bill McGregor voted to move forward with the second warehouse. All three commissioners, however, voted to move forward with a related step: a master plan and a supplemental environmental impact statement for the marine terminal. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian)

If you like to watch: Anchovy school at Scripps Pier, July 8, 2014
A school of California anchovies so big it rivals anything seen off the San Diego coast in decades was spotted off La Jolla by researchers with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography June 8. Footage from Scripps Pier by Scripps staff and underwater by Scripps graduate students. But wait, there's more: BONUS anchovy footage

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary to mark 20th anniversary at Wednesday’s Concert on the Pier in Port Angeles
The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary will celebrate its 20th anniversary Wednesday by sponsoring a free party on City Pier, and everyone is invited. The sanctuary’s mascot, Sanctuary Sam the sea lion, will greet visitors from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the Concert on the Pier, the music series organized by the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--

WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE JUL 15 2014
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 IN THE AFTERNOON. W
 SWELL 5 FT AT 7 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W
 SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/19 Duwamish restoration, Kukutail Preserve, BC LNG, climate, Vic sewer, oil train, Navy noise, fish-eating spiders

Listen up. Stephen Colbert's Bald Eagle: Wait! That sounds like a .... Red-tailed Hawk!
Watch Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, and you'll see a Bald Eagle streak across the screen, screaming, talons outstretched, ferocious, majestic. But - in the spirit of truthiness - we must declare that the bird you hear is not a Bald Eagle, but a Red-tailed Hawk. Be sure to read the story about Stephen, Jr. - a real Bald Eagle named after Stephen Colbert. Ellen Blackstone reports. (BirdNote)

Boeing's new Duwamish chapter
Boeing made history on a one-mile stretch of the Duwamish River, twice.   First, during World War II, it defied the odds by churning out 12,000 B-17 Bombers. Today [Wednesday] it celebrated the largest restoration project in the history of the lower Duwamish River. Boeing replaced its giant buildings and hangars with 170,000 native plants on a redesigned river bank. The stretch of river across from the South Park neighborhood is especially important to migrating salmon. It's where they get their first taste of salt water before heading out to sea. The project converted the area from a rapidly flowing channel squeezed between steep man-made banks to a slower, meandering river with side channels where fish can rest and get used to the change. The project is part of a $100,000,000 restoration budget that satisfies state and federal agencies overseeing the work. Gary Chittim reports. (KING)

Kukutali Preserve opens to the public  
Skagit County already boasts the state’s most popular state park, a wealth of natural resources and rich Native American history and culture. Those treasured features have collided in the Kukutali Preserve, which has become the nation’s first park land where state and tribal control overlaps... It opened to the public Monday as a pedestrian-only addition to Deception Pass State Park and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community reservation, four years after state parks and the Swinomish purchased the land together. It was a special day for many state parks employees and Swinomish tribal members who labored over a co-management plan for years. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

B.C. premier warned to stand firm against Northern Gateway project or face LNG backlash
The day after Ottawa approved the $7.9-billion Northern Gateway pipeline, some B.C. aboriginal leaders warned Premier Christy Clark to stand firm against the project or risk jeopardizing First Nations’ support for LNG. Clark has pinned her growth strategy for B.C. on liquefied natural gas, banking on five plants supporting 75,000 jobs and fuelling an $100-billion prosperity fund. (Analysts, however, suggest there will likely only be one or two built). Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Former EPA chiefs say it’s time to act on climate change
Four administrators of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who served under Republican presidents told a Senate panel Wednesday that climate change is real and the federal government has the responsibility and the legal authority to combat it. While saying they might differ on the details of how U.S. officials should react, the former administrators said the cost of delay — or of doing nothing — was high. Chris Adams reports. (McClatchy)

‘Free’ sewage-treatment plant offer an insult, Esquimalt mayor says
Esquimalt taxpayers could have a sewage treatment system built at no cost if Esquimalt council reverses an earlier decision and allows the Capital Regional District to build a treatment plant at McLoughlin Point. But Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins called the offer an insult to residents. Members of the CRD’s liquid waste management committee are recommending the regional district offer Esquimalt $19 million to cover its share of capital costs for allowing the plant at McLoughlin Point. Desjardins said rejection of McLoughlin Point was never about money. She said hundreds of residents spoke at four nights of public hearings in opposition to McLoughlin over issues ranging from the site being too small and at risk of a tsunami to inadequacy of secondary treatment. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Feds: Oil train details not security sensitive
U.S. transportation officials said Wednesday that details about volatile oil train shipments are not sensitive security information, after railroads sought to keep the material from the public following a string of fiery accidents. The U.S. Department of Transportation has ordered railroads to give state officials specifics on oil-train routes and volumes so emergency responders can better prepare for accidents. Railroads have convinced some states to sign agreements restricting the information's release for business and security reasons. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)

How does navy blasting affect marine mammals?
A B.C. conservation biologist wants the Royal Canadian Navy to conduct more research on the effects of underwater blasts on marine mammals. Dr. Rob Williams says scientists have documented whales and porpoises killed by blast effects from underwater tests by the U.S. Navy, but there is little empirical research. That's why he wants the Canadian navy to work with scientists when it sets off blasts in the ocean around Vancouver Island. (CBC) See also: B.C. residents deeply divided on whales, dolphins in captivity, according to survey

Volunteers track beach health at Boulevard Park in second year of study
Eleanor Hines and Wendy Courtemanche crouch on part of the restored beach exposed by low tide at Boulevard Park and study the life on the rocks near their knees Sunday, June 15.... The Bellingham residents were among the trained volunteers who took part in a monitoring project, now in its second year, on two stretches of beach at one of the city's most popular parks Saturday, June 14, and Sunday. The goal of last weekend's survey - conducted on exposed shoreline on both sides of The Woods Coffee - was to see what intertidal species were there, how many, and how they were affected by the city of Bellingham's restoration of one of the beaches. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Scientists find fish-eating spiders around the world
Spiders are pretty well known as good hunters, feeding mainly on other insects. But new research is showing just how many of them are good at catching — and dining on — fish as well. The study in the journal PLOS ONE by zoologist and spider expert Martin Nyffeler, from the University of Basel in Switzerland, and Bradley Pusey, from the University of Western Australia, documents more than 80 incidents of spiders killing fish across the world, confirming that spiders do not exclusively eat insects. Hoai-Tran Bui reports. (USA Today)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU JUN 19 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT AFTER NOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT AFTER NOON. W SWELL 4 FT
 AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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6/16 Sea stars, data boats, seal cam, Fraser sturgeon, BC pipe, CG push, logging OK, B'ham cleanup, recreation budget, Taylor's checkerspot

If you like to watch: Smart Birds Open Doors
Grant Hughes shares a look at smart swallows at the University of Victoria.

Laura James reports sea star die-offs in Hood Canal. Sund rock stars   Meanwhile, Scientists Close In On The Cause Of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome
Drew Harvell peers into the nooks and crannies along the rocky shoreline of Eastsound on Orcas Island. Purple and orange starfish clutch the rocks, as if hanging on for dear life.... Scientists have been working for months to find out what’s causing the massive die-off and now Harvell and others have evidence that an infectious disease caused by a bacteria or virus, may be at the root of the problem. The disease, they say, could be compounded by warming waters, which put the sea stars under stress, making them more vulnerable to the pathogen... While scientists are reluctant to assign blame to climate change, Harvell explained that as oceans warm, outbreaks like this are more likely to occur. Katie Campbell and Ashley Ahearn report. (EarthFix)

New blog: “When You Go To Victoria, Don’t Flush”
Two years ago in these pages we heralded what we thought was the light at the end of Victoria’s sewer discharge pipe after the Canadian government, the province of British Columbia and the Capital Regional District put $782 million down for a long-awaited sewage treatment system. Alas, we were wrong....

Fishing boats become salmon labs in Puget Sound
More than 40 scientists in U.S. and Canadian waters are catching batches of young salmon to find out why they can be so healthy in the rivers but begin to die off in Puget Sound. Studies show some species die at a rate of 80 percent from the time they leave their native river and get through the Sound to The Pacific Ocean. There are similar concerns all the way through the northern Strait of Georgia, which, when combined with Puget Sound, forms the Salish Sea. Gary Chittim reports. (KING)

MV Salish ferry now equipped with device to gather Admiralty Inlet data
The state ferries system has attached a device to the hull of the MV Salish on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route to provide data on low-oxygen water and ocean acidification from Admiralty Inlet.... During a recent servicing, Washington State Ferries crews attached the sensor, an acoustic doppler current profiler, to the bottom of the Salish, which makes 11 daily crossings between Port Townsend and Coupeville on Whidbey Island. The sensor gathers data during the crossings of the area known as Admiralty Inlet, or Admiralty Reach, the gateway to the Puget Sound, where salt and fresh water merges. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Seal cam at Fisherman's Wharf opens new world under the sea
...Since October, an underwater camera installed at Fisherman’s Wharf has been feeding live footage to online users who tune in. More than 35,000 viewers from 110 countries have taken a peek at Sammy and other sea creatures below the surface, said Mike Irvine, founder of SubEye Technologies, who built waterproof housing for the camera. For Irvine, it’s about sharing his love of ocean life.... Live feeds are available at subeye.ca or eaglewingtours.com. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

Giant sturgeon caught on Fraser river...again
A 19-year-old angler from Atlanta, Ga, fishing with his father for the first time, is the fourth person in less than two years to catch a giant Fraser River sturgeon. On Thursday, Paul Jarvis, and his dad, Don, were on the first day of a three-day father-son fishing trip when Paul hooked into one of the largest white sturgeon ever caught on the Fraser River. The giant fish measured more than three-and-a half metres long and one-and-a-half metres in girth. Since it was never removed from the water, its weight was calculated, based on a mathematical formula, at 400 kilograms. (CBC)

Northern Gateway opponents prepare for provincial referendum
Resigned, perhaps, that federal government approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline is inevitable, opponents of the project are formulating a plan to make sure British Columbia's politicians remain opposed to the project. For months now, members of the Dogwood Initiative have been preparing for a provincial referendum akin to the vote that forced the Liberal government to repeal the harmonized sales tax in British Columbia. Should Ottawa give the pipeline the go-ahead by this Tuesday's deadline and the province issues the necessary permits and authorizations, spokesman Kai Nagata said his group will be ready. (CBC)

States worry about Coast Guard’s new power push
New rules proposed by the U.S. Coast Guard might dilute states’ power to prevent and prepare for oil spills — for instance, by overriding Washington’s requirement that tugboat escorts accompany supertankers into Puget Sound. The controversy is prompted by a Coast Guard effort to assert federal authority over maritime issues. State officials in Washington, California and New York have asked the Coast Guard to withdraw rules it proposed in December. They say the rules would limit the states’ role in protecting citizens from vessel accidents and pollution. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Judge permits timber harvest that environmentalists claim threatens marbled murrelet in Clallam and Jefferson counties
A Jefferson County judge has rejected a request for a temporary injunction against a state-approved harvest of 234 acres of timber on the West End adjacent to habitat of the threatened marbled murrelet. After an hourlong presentation last week from attorneys on both sides of the issue, Jefferson County Superior Court Judge Keith Harper ruled against the plaintiffs, permitting the timber harvest by Interfor, which has mills in Forks and Port Angeles. The judge ruled Friday that the area in question is outside of the murrelet’s habitat and that the plaintiffs could have filed an action in advance of the beginning of the logging operation, which had been scheduled to begin Saturday. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Bellingham waterfront cleanup, new walkway still waiting for Lummi Nation approval
Two key waterfront projects are still waiting for federal permits that have been stalled because of environmental and treaty fishing rights issues raised by Lummi Nation. Those projects are the Port of Bellingham's $37 million environmental cleanup project in Whatcom Waterway at the mouth of Whatcom Creek, and the city's $6.5 million over-water walkway that would link Boulevard Park to the park planned for the Cornwall Beach landfill site to the north. Neither project can move ahead without permits from the Seattle office of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. Because of past federal court rulings upholding tribal treaty fishing rights, the Corps routinely submits permit applications in and around the fishing grounds to area tribes for review. Lummi Nation has raised objections to both projects. John Stark reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Recreation funding advocates lay out list of priority projects for Legislature in 2015
he Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition has released its annual list of projects that is is asking Gov. Jay Inslee and the Legislature to include in the 2015 state capital budget. The price tag is $97 million, higher than recent levels, but this reflects growing needs spurred by a growing population and also rising costs for construction and to buy lands, according to Peter Dykstra, president of the bipartisan group’s board.... The coalition request includes money for 220 proposals in 34 of the state’s 39 counties. That includes 21 multi-use trails, 37 farmland conservation easements, 45 projects to preserve or conserve habitat, and 114 projects for outdoor recreation including state and local parks and public access to waterways. Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

Endangered butterfly seems to like Clallam the best in quest for survival
An endangered butterfly is holding its own in Clallam County, where seven of 11 known clusters of the Taylor’s checkerspot still exist. Named for its orange-and-white checkered appearance, the 2-inch butterfly once flourished in Western Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. More than 80 populations, or isolated groups, were documented by wildlife experts before a loss of habitat threatened to wipe out the colorful critter. The Taylor’s checkerspot was listed in October 2013 on the Federal Register as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON JUN 16 2014
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/13 Pt Gamble shore, oil spill, sewage, coal port study, Skagit flood, B'ham waterfront, Costco stormwater

Winter Wren (Paul Bannick/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: The Savvy Wren  
Because many birds are largely silent in winter, it may seem that they have left us. But many remain, and even the shy and secretive sometimes reveal themselves. A Winter Wren may dart from hiding to grab a meal. The Winter Wren of the East and the Pacific Wren of the West are tiny woodland birds. Their songs are as elaborate as their plumage is drab. This wren is one of the few birds to be heard singing in winter.

Purchase completed: Kitsap County acquires 535 acres of forestland, 1.5 miles from shoreline from Pope Resources
Kitsap County residents are now the owners of 535 acres of forestland and 1.5 miles of shoreline on Port Gamble Bay. Pope Resources President David Nunes and Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder signed the ownership transfer documents Feb. 12, finalizing the first acquisition of Pope’s North Kitsap acreage by the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project. The purchase price was $4.6 million and was funded by several sources: the National Coastal Wetlands Program, the state Department of Ecology, the state Wildlife and Recreation Program, the state Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and private donors — and even an 11th-hour crowdsource appeal.

‘Drift card’ project shows potential impact of oil spill
A small piece of plywood that washed up in Haida Gwaii shows the potentially massive reach of an oil spill in the Salish Sea, say environmental groups studying the risks associated with Kinder Morgan’s proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline. In October, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the Georgia Strait Alliance dropped more than 1,000 “drift cards” – four-by-six-inch pieces of bright, yellow plywood, each with a unique serial number – along the oil tanker route that runs from Burrard Inlet, through the Gulf and San Juan islands, and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Andrea Woo reports.

State clears way for Longview coal port study
Ambre Energy ran into no red lights on its two Columbia River coal-export projects Wednesday, but the Australia-based company remains far from receiving the green light it hopes to achieve from regulators in Washington and Oregon. The company’s coal-transfer project at Boardman on the Columbia, upriver from Portland, received three permits by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality but the same agency told Ambre it must also apply for a different certification of water quality. Opponents of the project said that requirement could kill the project. On the Washington side of the river at Longview, a joint statement by Cowlitz County and the state Department of Ecology announced plans to begin drafting an environmental impact statement, but warned that it would be broad in its scope and could take into consideration train and vessel traffic from other proposed projects. Ambre is partnered with Arch Coal to develop Millennium Bulk Terminals at Longview. Floyd McKay reports.

Colwood wants out of capital region’s sewage plan
Colwood has officially served notice it wants to go it alone on sewage treatment. Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton told the CRD sewage committee Wednesday her municipality wants the Capital Regional District to amend its core area liquid waste management plan to permit Colwood to build its own small-scale tertiary treatment plant by 2016. The request will be debated by CRD directors next month. Only about 25 per cent of Colwood residents are on the sewage system, with the rest on septic, so they don’t benefit from the current sewage treatment plan but are being forced to pay for it. Bill Cleverley reports.

Olympia beach closed following nearby wastewater overflow
Thurston County officials say the beach at West Bay Park in Olympia has been temporarily closed a precaution due to a possible wastewater contamination. It is expected to reopen by midday Friday. According to a news release: Officials estimate that 22,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed from a manhole at 2100 West Bay Dr. NW after heavy rain showers on Tuesday. Lisa Pemberton reports.

Navy Says Failed Pump Led To Oily Wastewater Spill In Puget Sound
The Navy is blaming a failed pump for its spill of nearly 2,000 gallons of oily wastewater into Puget Sound. Tom Danaher, spokesman for Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, said the Navy was using a pumping system on one of its piers to remove oily bilge water from a ship late Monday. An electrical ground prevented the pump from automatically shutting off when a 4,000 holding tank was filled –- and because the operation was not attended, it took about 20-30 minutes before naval staff realized that oil-contaminated waste-water was pouring into the sound, Danaher said in an interview Wednesday....Mark Toy, a spokesman for the Washington Department of Health, said his agency is continuing to advise against shellfish harvesting in the area affected by the spill... “While at this time there’s not any evidence that shellfish have been affected, we’ve taken the precaution of advising against harvesting from the area,” he said. Ashley Ahearn reports.

Skagit flood groups prepare next move
The long-running Skagit River General Investigation Study’s team could choose next month one of the flood control projects it has been studying to receive expanded analysis. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will meet Feb. 24 to select a “tentatively selected plan” to bring to 35 percent design. The study has been considering four alternatives. The meeting to choose an alternative was scheduled to take place in December, but was pushed back almost three months. The GI study, which has cost more than $11 million, has been ongoing for more than 16 years. It aims to give communities study results that can be used to get federal funding for flood-control projects. Rachel Lerman reports.

Port of Bellingham selects waterfront developer for possible deal
The Port of Bellingham soon may begin negotiations on a waterfront redevelopment contract with Harcourt Developments Limited, a Dublin-based firm best known for a huge Belfast project that includes a Titanic museum on the site of a shipyard where the ill-fated ocean liner was built. The matter will be on port commissioners' agenda for their next meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at port headquarters, 1801 Roeder Ave. If port commissioners approve, Port Executive Director Rob Fix and his staff will have 120 days to work out a complex development contract with Harcourt that also would be subject to port commissioners' approval when it is completed.... Fix said Harcourt was the consensus choice of an evaluation committee that considered the qualifications of Harcourt and two other groups that expressed interest: Portland, Ore.-based Williams/Dame & Associates and Uniting Creatives/Four Pillars, a team of local activists and visionaries joining forces with The Perfume Foundation. The other contenders need not be shut out of the project, Fix said. All three organizations had good ideas, and Harcourt is being encouraged to work with them to incorporate their best ideas and perhaps get them involved in the project.  John Stark reports.

Whatcom council agrees to $2.5M in Costco stormwater funding
A stormwater control system for 80 acres in northwest Bellingham, including for a 160,000-square-foot Costco proposed for West Bakerview Road, will get $2.5 million from the Whatcom County government after all. The loan-grant combination was initially approved by the county council in October 2013 but was cast in doubt after council members expressed reservations about the award. Council was able to reconsider its offer because it had to vote a second time, to authorize the county executive to sign over the funds from the county Economic Development Incentive program.... About two thirds of the funding, $1.675 million, comes as a loan that would be paid back in part through the fee Costco would pay to use the stormwater system. Ralph Schwartz reports.

Written in saltwater: It's time to stand up for Washington's maritime history
....Professional and amateur historians, historical societies and small museums have spent decades telling the stories of the ships, lighthouses, waterfronts and shorelines of Washington and now they want to take another step toward educating local communities, the state's 6.9 million residents, and tens of thousands of visitors about Washington's maritime past. They have asked the Legislature to enact a law designating the state's saltwater shoreline a “Washington State Maritime Heritage Area.” Without adding any new regulations affecting property owners, a Washington State Maritime Heritage Area enables non-profit organizations such as the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle, and the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority in Aberdeen to improve coordination and marketing of the state's maritime heritage resources to neighboring states, the country as a whole, and nearby Canadian provinces. Two bills, HB 2386 and its companion SB 6246, would create the heritage area. The bills are now under consideration at the state capitol. Neither proposal affects the state budget. Joe Follansbee advocates.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU FEB 13 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING
TODAY
W WIND 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING SW 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11
 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 11 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS. RAIN.

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