11/16 Tanker ban, BC pipe, storm poop, BC CG, Lummi life, toxic crab, KPLU sold, rail bridges, Tacoma LNG

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Stone-Faced
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Over time, the sandstone shores of our region have been eroded by the elements, producing all manner of fascinating textures, patterns and visual oddities. I’ve written before about the natural art gallery you can find here and its strange shape-shifting tendency. When the tide is right, you can find some pretty interesting “faces” along many stretches of shoreline in the Gulf Islands. This one, off Portland Island, jumped out at me when I was rowing our dinghy there this summer – though I’m not sure whether its open mouth was welcoming me or warning me off."

Trudeau bans oil tankers on B.C.'s north coast, threatening pipeline plan; But Enbridge says it will proceed with Northern Gateway
Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway plan is, at least for now, dead in the water after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a letter of instruction Friday telling his transport minister to ban oil tanker traffic on British Columbia’s north coast. A ban would prevent hundreds of tankers each year from carrying diluted bitumen extracted from Alberta’s oilsands and piped to northern B.C. from being shipped for export overseas. Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

100 groups urge Trudeau to end pipeline reviews
Environmental, community and business groups are pushing for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to shut down a pair of pipeline reviews before heading to Paris for climate talks. The City of Burnaby, the Georgia Strait Alliance, Greenpeace Canada and the Sierra Club B.C. are among 100 groups seeking a halt to National Energy Board reviews of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion and TransCanada’s Energy East proposal. In a joint letter sent Thursday to Trudeau, the groups say the reviews should be put on hold until fundamental flaws in the process are fixed…. Trudeau has voiced his support for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, but has also said the approval system is broken and designed to support the previous government’s objectives. The Liberals have pledged to overhaul the federal environmental review process so future projects would have the public trust. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. storm causes sewage overflows in Greater Victoria
The heavy rains that hit B.C. on Thursday have caused the Capital Regional District to advise people to stay away from beaches on southern Vancouver Island, after storm water and sewage combined to create overflows. The waste water is pumped, raw, into the Strait of Juan de Fuca by the CRD municipalities, and now the CRD has advised the public not to wade along the shorelines or allow their pets into the water in the core area of Greater Victoria. (CBC) See also: Sewage flood forces Savary Island Pie Company to lay off 35 staff  Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Trudeau orders Kitsilano Coast Guard station re-opened
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ordered Vancouver's Kitsilano Coast Guard station re-opened in a mandate letter to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Hunter Tootoo. The move was promised during Trudeau's election campaign, and is included in a list of initiatives the prime minister labeled "top priorities" in his letter. Max Haberstroh reports. (CBC) See also: Justin Trudeau makes Coast Guard fleet refresh 'top priority'  (CBC)

For Lummis, fishing is more than a living — it’s a way of life
Members of Lummi Nation say that for them, fishing is different. Tribal and nontribal fishers alike must keep to the seasons and mind their catch quotas. Still, for most Washington residents, fishing is a privilege granted by the state government, said Jay Julius, a Lummi member who has a seat on the tribe’s council. The tribe, on the other hand, has been fishing for 150 generations, Julius said. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Calif. boats sit idle as algae threatens Dungeness crab season
San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf typically bustles this time of year as workers prepare to haul millions of pounds of Dungeness crab that are a tradition at Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. But crab pots are sitting empty on docks, boats are idled and fishermen are anxiously waiting for California authorities to open the lucrative Dungeness crab season. California has delayed the Nov. 15 start of its commercial crab season after finding dangerous levels of a toxin in crabs. Officials in Oregon and Washington are testing crab samples and will decide soon whether to open its coastal season by Dec. 1 as planned. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Manchester stormwater project to help clean up Puget Sound
On a rainy day in Manchester Nov. 6, a cluster of people gathered to celebrate completion of Kitsap County’s stormwater retrofit project. The park has been named qaqad, which translated means “a place to dry clams,” and will serve as a stormwater purification area for runoff from more than 80 acres of surrounding land…. The project took shape in 2009 after the Stormwater Advisory Committee was established at the request of the Manchester community. Sara Miller reports. (Port Orchard Independent)

University of Washington will buy KPLU-FM, pull the plug on its news operation
Pacific Lutheran University announced Thursday that it will sell its broadcasting licenses to the University of Washington, in a plan that will turn the current KPLU at 88.5 FM into an all-music, all-jazz station while KUOW at 94.9 FM becomes the Seattle outlet for National Public Radio and Northwest news…. The sale is expected to close in 2016 when FCC approval is received. The purchase price for KPLU and its assets is $8 million, with $7 million in cash and $1 million of “underwriting announcements” over 10 years. Proceeds from the sale will go to Pacific Lutheran’s endowment, which currently totals $85 million. The sale, and change of formats, will deprive the Puget Sound area of a first-rate news operation. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.com)

Study adds 37 species to Salish Sea’s fish list, bringing total to 253
…. A new analysis published this fall puts the region’s total number of fish species at 253. That includes 37 species never before documented in the Salish Sea — the 6,500-square-mile expanse that includes Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Georgia. And since the report, “Fishes of the Salish Sea: A Compilation and Distributional Analysis,” was finished, scientists have added another five to the list. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Environment groups' study calls attention to rail bridge safety
Environment groups from throughout the country say government oversight, industry transparency and safety standards fall short when it comes to railroad bridges that in recent years have seen an increase in the number of oil trains that cross them. A study released Tuesday titled “Deadly Crossings: Neglected Bridges and Exploding Oil Trains,” urges government and industry officials to take action to prevent derailments such as the one that killed 47 in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, in July 2013 or the one that spilled burning oil into the James River in Lynchburg, Virginia, earlier this year. The study comes from RE Sources in Bellingham, which collaborated with international environment groups ForestEthics and the Waterkeeper Alliance to develop the report. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Tacoma Moves Ahead On Plans For A Liquefied Natural Gas Plant At The Port
Plans for a liquefied natural gas facility at the Port of Tacoma are one step closer to reality, after the Tacoma City Council passed a resolution to move ahead on an agreement with the port about the project. Puget Sound Energy says it needs a place to store natural gas and the way to do that is to chill it to a liquid form. So the company wants to spend $275 million to build the plant which would convert the gas to a liquid and then keep it on port property in a 140-foot-tall storage tank. Ashley Gross reports. (KPLU)

Explosive tanks carried in unmarked cars
Every work day, a small fleet of vehicles travels the roads and highways of Western Washington carrying cargo that, if mishandled or damaged in an accident, can explode. The fleet is not comprised of SUVs or heavy trucks equipped to safely transport cargo that could explode if not handled properly. The cargo is compressed hydrogen gas, and it is transported into neighborhoods and business districts, near schools, playgrounds, coffee shops and senior centers -- in ordinary cars…. The company responsible is Puget Sound Energy, the big utility serving hundreds of thousands of customers. The hydrogen gas, ironically, is used to make sure PSE's network of natural gas pipes running under nearly community are not leaking. Chris Ingalls reports. (KING)

Cadboro Bay threatens to secede over Saanich’s ecological bylaw
The Cadboro Bay Residents Association is threatening to separate its neighbourhood from Saanich if a controversial Environmental Development Permit Area bylaw isn’t changed by next spring. The bylaw, introduced in 2012, affects about 2,000 residents. It kicks in with restrictions and requirements when someone tries to build on land that the bylaw deems to be a rare ecosystem or vital habitat…. In a heated four-hour townhall meeting at the Garth Homer Society on Thursday, the threat was cheered by the more than 300 people who packed the meeting space and spilled into the hallways. The majority of residents were angry and asked councillors to rip up the bylaw or remake it. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

To save the orcas, do we need to demolish dams?
The show is over — at least it’s almost over. SeaWorld has announced that next year, it will phase out its killer whale performances in San Diego. The theme park has been under fire — and, perhaps more importantly, losing visitors — ever since the 2013 movie Blackfish documented its abusive treatment of captive killer whales. But the whales – endangered Puget Sound orcas, if you prefer – need more than just to be freed from captivity. Not surprisingly, they need to eat. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Have a whale of a time at Langley’s new center dedicated to Puget Sound whales
The Langley Whale Center is drawing an increasing number of visitors to its new location in Langley... The move is next door to the previous location but provides far more visibility and double the space for educational displays, information and a gift shop. They also have a lending library for books and DVD’s relating to Puget Sound whales…. The Langley Whale Center is a project of Orca Network, which is based in Freeland, Washington, and is a non-profit started by Howard Garrett and his wife, Susan Berta, in the 1990’s. The organization is dedicated to raising awareness of the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats. Carolyn Tamler On reports. (Whidbey News Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 259 AM PST MON NOV 16 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS...
 SUBSIDING TO 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 9 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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8/7 Ugly fish, WA oil terminal, BC LNG, White River, fish die-off, BC spill averted, pier removal, tsunami debris

Lasiognathus dinema (UW)

Scientist discovers ugly new species of fish in Gulf of Mexico
By conventional standards, the new species of fish discovered deep in the Gulf of Mexico is not beautiful. Actually, by almost any standard, it’s hideous. But this spiky, snaggle-toothed fish, a sea creature from somebody’s nightmares, is adapted to the harsh world below 3,000 feet, where it was co-discovered by a scientist at Nova Southeastern University. Deep-sea expert Tracey Sutton identified the species while studying sea life at extreme ocean depths in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, the university announced Wednesday. David Fleshler reports. (Sun Sentinel)

New blog: Sitting on The “Big One.” This Is Your Northwest
“How do you think about your own death and destruction? Maybe you’ve seen the disaster movies. Are you in the masses that die or the few that survive? Here’s why I have a hard time thinking about this...”

If you like to watch: Swimming with the Partnership
As people who encouraged me on Swim Duwamish, I thought you might enjoy this Swim Duwamish video featuring Martha Kongsgaard and Sheida Sahandy, leaders of the Puget Sound Partnership. Mark Powell shares.

Settlement Reveals New Details Of Vancouver Oil Terminal Deal
A largely unredacted lease between the Port of Vancouver, Washington state and companies looking to build the largest oil-by-rail terminal in the country has been released as the result of a legal settlement. The proposal, called the Vancouver Energy Project, is a joint-venturbacked by oil company Tesoro and logistics company Savage Industries. The lease, turned over Wednesday, contains only three redactions, which cover proprietary information about pricing between the Port of Vancouver and Tesoro-Savage. In May, a Clark County-based environmental group sued the port over a 2014 public records request for an unredacted version of the lease. Conrad Wilson reports. (EarthFix)

B.C.’s LNG project poses threat to salmon habitat: study
A new study co-authored by six British Columbia First Nations warns that a proposed terminal for exporting liquefied natural gas on the province’s northern coast poses a threat to salmon habitat in the Skeena River estuary. The research argues Pacific NorthWest LNG’s planned terminal on Lelu Island will harm Flora Bank, where juvenile salmon are nurtured by eelgrass beds. Flora Bank, a sandy area that is visible at low tide, is next to the proposed LNG site near Prince Rupert. Brent Jang reorts. (Globe and Mail)

Parties restoring key habitat for salmon on White River
More than 56 parties have agreed to restore key salmon habitat on the White River, which flows through King and Pierce Counties in Washington State, to resolve their liability for natural resource damages caused by hazardous substances released into the Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood Waterways in Tacoma’s Commencement Bay, the Justice Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Department of the Interior announced today. The habitat project will reopen 121 acres of historic floodplain for salmon, and reduces future flood risk to nearby homes and businesses. The project results from the collaborative efforts of settling parties and natural resource trustees: NOAA, the Department of the Interior, the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. (Enumclaw Courier-Herald)

Heat causes massive fish die-off at Whatcom Falls hatchery
Water that was too warm killed about 5,400 rainbow trout — nearly all of them — at the Whatcom Falls Park hatchery during a summer marked by drought and high temperatures. Most of the fish were in two large shallow ponds at the hatchery, which belongs to the Washington state Department of Fish & Wildlife but is operated by Bellingham Technical College’s fisheries program. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

B.C. coast guard, tug crew avert major diesel and gas spill
Coast guard officials and the crew of a tug had to work fast to prevent what could have been a major spill off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. A barge loaded with 60,000 litres of diesel and gasoline hit rocks Wednesday afternoon and began taking on water in Surge Narrows near Campbell River, B.C. (Canadian Press)

Pier Demolition Makes Way for Ferry Terminal
Demolition of the Mukilteo tank farm pier has begun. The work makes way for a new terminal to replace Washington State Ferries’ existing, 60-year-old facility in Mukilteo. The project will result in a cleaner Puget Sound by removing 7,000 tons of toxic creosote-soaked timber piles, about 4 percent of the remaining creosote in the sound. Ric Haun reports. (MarineLink.Com)

Massive barge carrying tsunami debris arrives in Seattle
A barge the size of a football field carrying debris from the massive Japanese earthquake and tsunami is now in Puget Sound. Seattle is one of the final stops in a two-year shoreline cleanup. The barge is carrying thousands of bags of marine debris that washed up on Alaska shores, some presumably from the 2011 tsunami in Japan. Now that it’s in Seattle, recyclable material will be sorted out. (KIRO)

Hollywood Beach closed again by mysterious bacterial contamination
High levels of bacteria have closed Hollywood Beach again, just a month after it was closed over the Fourth of July weekend. Sue Waldrip, Clallam County Environmental Health division specialist, said testing Thursday morning revealed the possible presence of human fecal matter. The Clallam County Health and Human Services Department says people should not swim or wade in the water or get it into their mouths, noses or eyes. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 253 AM PDT FRI AUG 7 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SAT
LIGHT WIND. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. CHANCE OF RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

5/18 Drought, volcano, no Shell, spills, trains, CG app, poaching, Skagit study, Navy warfare, Seaterra, crows

(Seattle Times)

Inslee declares statewide drought emergency
A widespread lack of snowfall this season has left Washington state in a deepening drought, and the prospects are grim: threats to crops and fish and increasing worries about wildfires. (Seattle Times)

The 'hidden' Cascade volcano that poses a threat
Monday marks the 35th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens that killed 57 people. Mount Rainier is considered the world's most dangerous volcano because of its size and how close it is to the population centers of Tacoma and Seattle. But there's another mountain you've probably never seen that's finally getting attention for the risks it poses to our northern counties. Glacier Peak lurks within the northern Cascade Mountains. Unlike most of the other Cascade volcanos viewable from I-5 or even Seattle, this is the mountain no one notices. Yet Glacier Peak sits within the borders of Snohomish County and has a record of violent, even extreme eruptions. Glenn Farley reports. (KING)

35 years after Mount St. Helens erupted: A new world of research
The eruption of Mount St. Helens — 35 years ago Monday — coincided with an explosion in digital and cellular technology. When the volcano erupted on May 18, 1980, the fledgling company Microsoft had just developed the MS-DOS operating system. The online world was still a novelty. Cellphones were unheard of in the United States, and GPS was being developed for aiming missiles. Volcano research changed so suddenly and dramatically in the decades after the eruption that stories about the old days — when geologists ventured into erupting volcanoes to take measurements with tools as basic as surveyors’ transits and tape measures — seemed like tales from the ancient and almost unbelievable past. Rob Carson reports. (Tacoma News Tribune) See also: 35 years after Mount St. Helens’ deadly eruption, the volcano has become a laboratory  Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press) And also: Soundings: Mount St. Helens habitat growing in complexity  John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

Anti-Arctic drilling activists hold 'Shell No' protest
Hundreds of activists decked out in neoprene wetsuits and life jackets took to the waters of Elliott Bay on Saturday in kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and other vessels to send the message that Royal Dutch Shell should cancel its plan to drill in the Arctic Ocean. The "Paddle in Seattle" - a daylong, family friendly festival in a West Seattle park and an on-the-water protest by "Shell No" kayaktivists - was held only blocks from where Shell's Polar Pioneer drilling rig is docked at the Port of Seattle's Terminal 5. The brightly colored boats lined the grass as paddlers loaded gear while lights on the towering rig twinkled in the background. Martha Bellisle reports. (Associated Press)

Seattle Port Commissioner Bill Bryant launches campaign for governor
Two-term Seattle Port Commissioner Bill Bryant, in the limelight as a supporter of the Shell Oil home port, launched his campaign for governor on Thursday just as the Arctic drilling rig Polar Pioneer was pulling into Terminal 5 at the port. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com) More: Puget Sound activist Fred Felleman and others file as candidates for Bryant’s vacated position, King County Elections.

Oil tanker spill off Vancouver would reach shorelines within hours: study
If a large tanker spilled a fifth of its oil while under the Lions Gate Bridge, the toxic substance would float out into English Bay within two hours, and likely begin washing up on the shores of tony West Vancouver within six hours, if no response was launched by authorities. In nine hours, absent any official response, the tide would have carried about the equivalent amount of oil into Coal Harbour that was estimated to have spilled from the MV Marathassa’s bunker fuel tanks last month. Within 40 hours, the wind and tidal currents would have combined to bring thousands of litres of oil into Burrard Inlet and its surrounding shorelines, causing significant harm to the local economy, population and environment. Mike Hager reports. (Globe and Mail)

Freight Railroads In Northwest Unlikely To Meet Deadline To Install Safety Upgrade
Freight railroads in the Northwest appear unlikely to meet an end-of-the-year deadline to install the type of system safety regulators say could have prevented Tuesday's deadly Amtrak crash in Philadelphia. The technology is designed to automatically stop or slow a a speeding train when it senses an accident or collision could occur. It will also be programmed to know the speed limit on every stretch of rail, so if a train is going too fast for whatever reason, it will initiate automatic braking. Tom Banse reports. (KUOW) See also: Railroads required to plan for a worst-case oil train spill in Washington state  Under a new state law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday, May 14, large railroads will be required to plan with the state for “worst-case spills” from crude oil unit trains, but exactly what that worst-case scenario looks like is not yet clear. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Coast Guard introduces free smartphone app for mariners
The Coast Guard has gone high-tech for the average mariner with a smartphone. It released its first-ever boating safety app for mobile devices Saturday. The free app is available on Apple App Store and Google Play online store, and is designed to provide boating safety resources to mariners. Features include state boating information, a safety equipment checklist, free boating safety check requests, navigation rules, float plans and calling features to report pollution or suspicious activity.  When location services are enabled, users can receive the latest weather reports from the closest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather buoys as well as report the location of a hazard on the water. David G. Sellars reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Poachers Get Rich Harvesting This Sea Snail To Near Extinction
In a dark fish tank at a government-run lab, a striking sea snail slowly inches from its hiding spot. It’s a pinto abalone, and its numbers are dangerously low in Washington state after decades of overharvesting and poaching. This little-known animal is a delicacy, still served in U.S. restaurants, and its shell is a source of mother-of-pearl. Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOw)

Federal scientists push for protection from political interference
Public-service unions are asking the federal government for the first time to enshrine scientific integrity language into their collective agreements. The language is intended to ensure that researchers employed by the government can speak openly about their work, publish results without fear of censorship and collaborate with peers. With contract negotiations set to resume this week, there will also be a series of demonstrations for the Ottawa area on Tuesday to focus attention on the issue. Ivan Semeniuk reports. (Globe and Mail)

Without funding, Skagit River General Investigation Study faces unclear future
…. The threat of what is termed a “100-year flood” is why the corps and Skagit County have worked since 1993 on the Skagit River General Investigation Study; its goal is to create a plan to minimize the effects of a major flood. But in April, Skagit County cut off funding for the study after deciding the process had drawn out too long. Over 22 years the county has spent $7.2 million. What is next for the GI study isn’t clear. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Flood of public comments pushes back Navy plans for electronic warfare testing on Peninsula
A flood of public comments has pushed back the Navy's target date for an $11.5 million expansion of electronic-warfare range activities on the Olympic Peninsula from September to early 2016. The U.S. Forest Service, which had said a decision on a Navy request for a permit would be made by September, is hiring a third-party contractor to handle the 3,314 comments it received in response to the Navy's special-use permit application. That will push the Forest Service decision to early 2016, agency spokesman Glen Sachet said last week. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

CRD urged to disband Seaterra sewage body
Pressure is mounting on local politicians to dismantle Seaterra, the arm’s-length body mandated by the province to build Greater Victoria’s sewage treatment plant. Capital Regional District directors have received a petition from local business owners complaining it is ludicrous to be spending more than $100,000 a month on Seaterra to manage building a sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point when that plan is no longer being considered. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

‘Vicious’ dive-bombing crows back terrorizing shopping centre
High above the stores in Clover Square Village shopping centre, a pair of nesting crows are once again vigorously defending their turf, forcing customers to duck and dash to avoid them. “They’re vicious little things — I’m scared of them now,” said Tricia Lawrence, who has been attacked five times in the past few weeks. “The last time, it got me twice … I screamed like an idiot.” (Surrey Now/Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON MAY 18 2015
TODAY
NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/16 Chum, oil spill, Shell drill, WA ferries, tank cars, Shell EIS, new refinery, glacier melt, orcas, septics, city bird

Dog and chum ( Mark Harrison/Seattle Times)

Let’s hear it for chum: The underdog salmon has a serious drive to thrive
The undervalued fish will do absolutely anything it can to get upstream. The life-and-death journey is the survival specialty of the tiger-striped, snaggletoothed spawning chum. Ron Judd reports. (Seattle Times) See also: No summer king fishery in central Puget Sound for first time in years  Mark Yuasa reports. (Seattle Times)

Vancouver oil spill: Vancouver Aquarium gathering oil samples from ocean floor
Scientists from the Vancouver Aquarium are currently analyzing oil, water, sediment and shellfish samples from the shoreline to determine the recent impact of an oil spill from the bunker of a grain ship near English Bay…. According to the Aquarium, its analysis is taking place independently, alongside the work being completed by government agencies. (CBC) See also: 10 vessels in Vancouver Island fleet could tackle oil spill  (Times Colonist)

Coast Guard decides against plans to accommodate protests of giant oil rig's visit to Port Angeles  
The Coast Guard said it has no plans to set up a “voluntary First Amendment area” in Port Angeles Harbor for activists to protest Friday's expected arrival of a huge semi-submersible offshore drilling rig from Asia. The Coast Guard, in detailing security measures Wednesday, said it will set up such an area for protesters who plan to launch boats and kayaks in Seattle's Elliott Bay when the oil rig is moved from Port Angeles to Puget Sound later this month or in early May. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Washington’s ferry reservation system breaks down on first day for summer bookings
Washington State Ferries  kicked off the summer vacation planning season with online reservations for summer ferry travel, including to the popular San Juan Islands. But the system failed on the first day of the new reservation season Tuesday and, because of technical difficulties, summer reservations won’t be available for at least a week, said WSF. The technical failure knocked out reservations, by phone or online,  for summer travel on the San Juan Islands route, Port Townsend/Coupeville ferries and Anacortes/Sidney, B.C. route. (Associated Press and Settle Times) See also: Ferry briefly loses power in Puget Sound with 173 people aboard  (Associated Press)

U.S. House bill seeks ban on DOT-111 tank cars for oil trains
Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, on Wednesday introduced a bill to address safety issues with crude oil trains following a series of recent derailments, including an immediate ban on tank cars that are vulnerable to punctures and fire damage. Matsui cited the multitude of railroad tracks passing through Sacramento, some of which have been used to transport crude oil. The oil shipments have declined recently, but could rise again once new terminals are approved and constructed. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Skagit County asked court to dismiss Shell lawsuit over EIS decision
Skagit County filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Shell Puget Sound Refinery in March on the grounds that the legal action is premature, said county civil prosecuting attorney Will Honea. Shell filed a lawsuit last month against the county and Hearing Examiner Wick Dufford, seeking a review of Dufford’s decision to require a comprehensive environmental impact statement before Shell could build a crude oil unloading facility at the refinery in Anacortes. Shannen Kuest reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Refinery Proposed Last Year For Columbia River, Records Show
Washington’s Port of Longview says it is in talks with an energy company that last year submitted plans for a crude oil refinery on the Columbia River. Details of the company’s planned refinery surfaced Wednesday through public records obtained and released by Columbia Riverkeeper. A potential agreement between Riverside Energy, Inc. and the port, outlined in an unsigned memo of understanding dated July, 2014, described plans for the development of the first refinery on the Columbia River and the first on the West Coast in 25 years. The refinery would have a capacity of 30,000 barrels per day and produce a mix of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel all primarily for regional use, according to the documents, which were sent Wednesday to media organizations. Conrad Wilson and Tony Schick report. (EarthFix)

Frozen giants retreat: Glaciers fading away in Olympic Mountains, national park audience shown
The pictures tell the story: Glaciers are receding in the Olympic Mountains and around the world, a team of University of Washington researchers told an overflow audience at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center. Blue Glacier on Mount Olympus, the largest and most studied glacier in the national park, is being monitored for clues it may reveal about long-term changes in snowfall and temperature, said Michelle Koutnik, a UW research professor. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Spectacular Oregon Coast Orca Visitation Caught on Camera
While much of the world is captivated by the inundations of purple jellyfish to the Oregon coast, there are much bigger creatures wandering these waters as of late, ready to make an even bigger splash. Literally. It's clear as day that the annual spring visits by Killer Whales have arrived. (Pacific Coast Beach Connection)

Maybe the World's Loneliest Whale Isn't So Isolated, After All
Some evidence indicates that the singer of a higher-pitched whale song may not be alone. Marissa Fessenden reports. (Smithsonian)

When septic systems go bad: There’s help for homeowners
Snohomish County has launched a new initiative to replace and repair aging septic systems by providing homeowners with convenient financing options. The county launched its Savvy Septic program earlier this month. The three-year pilot program offers loans, grants and rebates for work to make septic systems cleaner, safer and better-functioning. (Everett Herald)

Vote early, vote often for next City Bird of Vancouver
The birds have been chosen and the tweeting has begun in the annual campaign for the next City Bird of Vancouver. Members of the public can vote as often as they want for the bird of their choice: the western grebe, the barn swallow, the peregrine falcon, or the barn owl. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 246 AM PDT THU APR 16 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 10 FT AT
 19 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 16 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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4/15 Spilled oil, Navy tow, Shell drill, oil tax, toxic fish, Saanich bylaw, Bainbridge SMP, Kply, climate, protected puffins, orca noise, Deschutes cleanup, kelp study, Dick Goin, tsunami

English Bay oil (Vancouver Aquarium/CBC)

Vancouver oil spill was small but 'nasty' and spread quickly
The oil spill in Vancouver's English Bay last week was relatively small, but the highly toxic bunker fuel spread quickly, and will keep washing up on beaches, said city manager Penny Ballem in an update to council. Ballem said it's still not clear exactly how much Bunker C fuel oil spilled from the grain ship Marathassa on April 8, despite estimates from the coast guard that approximately 2,700 litres were released. But Ballem said the fuel is highly toxic and very viscose or thick, so it forms globs that are carried to distant beaches, including some 12 kilometres away from the spill site at New Brighton Park in East Vancouver. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC) See also: Vancouver oil spill stops recreational shellfish and groundfish fishing  Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC) See also: B.C. minister says Coast Guard took more than a day to take control of Vancouver fuel spill  Sunny Dhillon and Justine Hunter report. (Globe and Mail)

Navy cargo ship towed into Port Angeles Harbor after losing power in Strait
A Navy Military Sealift Command cargo ship was towed into Port Angeles on Saturday after it lost power overnight in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The 685-foot Cape Intrepid was undergoing sea trials after a long period docked in Tacoma when it lost power about 2:30 a.m. Saturday north of Clallam Bay in Canadian waters, according to the Coast Guard. Clallam Bay is 50 miles west of Port Angeles. Coast Guard Lt. Ben Weber said the Cape Intrepid drifted about two miles before the emergency tug Jeffrey Foss reached it approximately two hours later. (Peninsula Daily News)

Coast Guard creates ‘First Amendment zone’ in Puget Sound for anti-Shell protests
he U.S. Coast Guard, with help from activist groups, has identified an informal  “First Amendment Zone,” just north of Terminal 5, where protesters can take to the water against Shell Oil’s Arctic drilling fleet when it arrives at the Port of Seattle. “I didn’t choose this area:  I gave them a chart and asked them where they wanted to be,” Capt. Joe Raymond, captain of the port, said Tuesday. Raymond initiated a meeting on Monday with organizers of a “sea of kayaks” protest. He described the zone as “an excellent place” for protesters wishing a high-visibility presence while not interfering with ferries, tugs and other marine traffic in the harbor. Still, a key player in the anti-Shell protests — Greenpeace — says no accord was reached at the meeting on where sea-borne protests can take place. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com) See also: Headed to Seattle, controversial Arctic drill rig will stop in Port Angeles on Friday  Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

House OKs bill to increase tax on oil shipped through state
The state House on Tuesday passed its version of a bill to impose new safety regulations on the increasing amount of oil that is shipped through Washington by rail, boat and pipeline. A modified version of a bill that cleared the Senate in March passed the House with a 58-40 bipartisan vote. The Senate version extended a barrel tax to fund oil cleanups. In that version, the barrel tax is applied to all oil that enters Washington by train but exempts oil that travels by pipelines. Derrick Nunnally reports. (Associated Press) See also: Rules on oil train, pipeline safety not moving fast enough, lawmakers say  Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Reducing toxics in fish involves politics, maybe more than science
When it comes to eliminating toxic pollution from our waterways and the foods we eat, almost everyone agrees that the best idea is to track down the chemicals, find out how they are getting into the environment and then make decisions about how to handle the situation. It’s all common sense until politics comes into play. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Lobby group opposes Saanich environmental protection bylaw
About a dozen Saanich residents have created a lobby group against an environmental protection bylaw they say might reduce property values for no reason. The Environmental Development Permit Area bylaw intends to protect sensitive natural areas by requiring homeowners to obtain permits for everything from disturbing soil to building a deck. The goal is to protect areas of high biodiversity, as well as require restoration to damaged and degraded ecosystems during development. But Saanich Citizens for a Responsible EDPA, as the newly formed lobby group is called, says the process for identifying land was flawed. Areas with little ecological value are protected, while others might not have been flagged, they say. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

Hearings board rejects challenge to Bainbridge SMP
A growth management hearings board has ruled in favor of the city of Bainbridge Island in a challenge over the city's controversial Shoreline Management Master Program. A group of shoreline property owners had filed a challenge to the city's updated plan in October, and claimed it violated state law, conflicted with Bainbridge's development regulations and also ran afoul of the city's and the park district's comprehensive plans. In the April 6 decision, the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board said the group did not prove its case. (Bainbridge Review)

State Department of Ecology: Cleanup of former plywood mill site in Port Angeles could be finished by September 2016
Cleanup of the former KPly mill site on the Port Angeles Harbor could be finished as soon as September 2016, although pollutants could linger there another three decades. Those contaminants, however, will be capped, excavated and trucked off, consumed by bacteria or ventilated away by any future user of the 19 acres at 439 Marine Drive in Port Angeles, about two dozen people at a community meeting were told Wednesday. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Cliff Mass Explains How Climate Change Will Impact Northwest Weather In the Next Century
Cliff Mass is one of the region’s clearest communicators about the weather. We talked this week about the impacts of climate change in the next century. He has indicated in the past that we are relatively lucky when it comes to climate change. But there will be changes, in the future. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Warm ‘blob’ off our coast may explain weird weather
A gargantuan blob of warm water that’s been parked off the West Coast for 18 months is part of a larger pattern that helps explain California’s drought, Washington’s snow-starved ski resorts and record blizzards in New England, according to new analyses by Seattle scientists. The researchers aren’t convinced global warming is to blame, which puts them at odds with other experts who suspect Arctic melting upset the “polar vortex” and contributed to the misery on the East Coast the past two winters. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

New Ferry Ready To Serve San Juans Beginning June 14
The brand new, 144-car ferry Samish is set to officially take its place amid Washington state’s world-class ferry system. The new ferry will begin service on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route Sunday, June 14, just in time for the start of the summer sailing season. On Friday, April 10,  2015 Washington State Ferries accepted the Samish from builder/contractor Vigor Industrial following two months of sea trials and crew training. (San Juan Islander)

State protection changes for puffins, sea lions
Tufted puffins will soon get more protection on the state endangered species list, while Steller sea lions will be removed from the list. The state Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the changes last week. Tufted puffins are native seabirds once considered common along parts of the coast, according to a Fish and Wildlife news release. In recent decades, the population has significantly declined. Now that the bird is listed, Fish and Wildlife will develop a plan to help the species recover. Steller sea lions are being removed from the list because the population has rebounded in recent years. Some protection will be maintained at the state level and under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, but the sea lions will no longer be listed as threatened. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Orcas Are Shouting Over Boat Noise – And It Might Be Making Them Hungry
Picture yourself at a noisy bar. You realize that you have been shouting at your date all night in order to be heard. Well, orcas in Puget Sound are in kind of the same situation. Marla Holt, a research biologist with NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, has found that loud boat noise forces endangered orcas to raise the volume of their calls. But the question, Holt says, is "so what? What are the biological consequences of them doing this?” To answer that question, Holt and her NOAA colleague, Dawn Noren, a research fishery biologist, studied captive bottlenose dolphins. Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Input sought on draft plan to clean up Deschutes watershed
Thurston County's growing population has contributed to a decline in Deschutes River water quality. The Department of Ecology has released a draft water cleanup plan for the river, and is hosting public meetings to gather comment over the next six weeks. The draft plan looks at the daily load of pollution that enters the river above Tumwater Falls and on streams flowing to Budd Inlet. A second phase later will look at water quality in Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet. The report found a number of factors contributing to a decrease in water quality, including warmer water temperatures, high bacteria and sediment levels, and low levels of dissolved oxygen. (Olympian)

Our lives and livelihoods depend on saving the Salish Sea
Over the past 200 years, humans have drastically altered the Salish Sea to a degree previously associated only with the geological creation of ecosystems. As a result, we have diminished the ecosystem’s ability to provide for us. Audrey DeLella Benedict and Joseph K. Gaydos authors, “The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest.” (Seattle Times)

Hood Canal kelp studied for future of ocean life
Researchers are planning to grow 3 acres of sugar kelp north of the Hood Canal Bridge in an effort to save shellfish, and thereby larger ocean life. "Sugar kelp is a native species. It grows naturally here in Puget Sound," said Puget Sound Restoration Fund Executive Director Betsy Peabody. PSRF received a $1.5 million grant from the Paul Allen Family Foundation to conduct the research in partnership with NOAA and the Washington State Department of Resources. (KING)

Dick Goin, defender of Elwha River salmon, dies at age of 83
Dick Goin, who gave voice to the Elwha River's salmon, has died. Services are pending for Goin (pronounced GOH-in), 83, who died of natural causes Sunday night at his Port Angeles home surrounded by family members, said Marie, his wife of 64 years, on Tuesday. The Goins received the Clallam County Community Service Award in 2007 and the Eleanor Stopps Environmental Leadership Award from the Port Townsend Marine Science Center in September 2011. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Fast walking could spare thousands from NW tsunami, study says
A new analysis shows more than 100,000 people are at risk from a tsunami on the Northwest coast — but the outlook isn’t uniformly grim. In many communities, residents should be able to make it to high ground in time simply by walking at a brisk pace. Tsunami surges are expected to slam into some parts of the coast within 15 to 30 minutes of an earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, the offshore fault where two tectonic plates collide. Published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the analysis takes the most comprehensive look yet at the threat along the 700-mile-long coast of Washington, Oregon and Northern California — and finds surprising variability. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PDT WED APR 15 2015
TODAY
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
S WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS 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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3/10 Fraser salmon, Everett mill, Tarboo planting, traffic, Adventuress, WY coal, Whidbey slide, tsunami debris

Robin (Paul Bannick/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: Cheery American Robin
First song in the morning - and the last at night! (BirdNote)

Scientists find way to better predict size of salmon runs in Fraser River
Researchers have found a more accurate way to predict the size of sockeye salmon runs in the Fraser River, which could help officials make better decisions about how many fish to allocate to commercial, First Nations and recreational fisheries. Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California found their new method was more accurate than most preseason forecasts of Fraser River sockeye runs from the past 58 years. Maura Forrest reports. (Globe and Mail)

Ecology: Everett mill site no longer hazardous
It’s taken 20 years, but the state says a former Weyerhaeuser mill site on Everett’s north side is clean. Contaminated soil at the site has either been trucked away or covered up and doesn’t pose a health threat, according to the state Department of Ecology. From 1914 to 1992, Weyerhaeuser operated several mills at the 35-acre site along the Snohomish River, turning out pulp, boards and other wood products. The site is at 101 E. Marine View Drive, just west of the Highway 529 bridge. Dan Catchpole reports. (Everett Herald)

Crew with Port Townsend institute wraps up plantings in Tarboo watershed this week; 11,000 plants put in place this season
A five-person field crew with the Northwest Watershed Institute will wrap up the planting season this week, having completed plantings and weed control at restoration sites along Tarboo Creek and Dabob Bay.  Overall this winter, Plant-A-Thon volunteers and the institute's field crew have planted 11,000 native trees and shrubs on the Tarboo watershed, said Peter Bahls, executive director. That includes 4,500 bare-root and potted plants and 6,500 live stakes at 10 sites. The plantings are part of a long-term effort of the institute, a nonprofit based in Port Townsend, to restore habitat for salmon and other wildlife in the Tarboo-Dabob watershed south of Port Townsend and northwest of Quilcene. (Peninsula Daily News)

I-5 traffic delays in Seattle skyrocket
It's not your imagination. Traffic on Interstate 5 in Seattle is really getting that bad. That's one of the messages from a new study by the Puget Sound Regional Council set to be released Thursday….The PSRC says 144,000 people have moved to the region since 2010, or 3.9%. That means, in theory, more people are on the roads and on transit. But the study suggests the delays on regional freeways have gone up more than 52% since 2010. Olson says the delays increased by 25% just between 2013 and 2014. Yet, broken down, the issues have not been as significant in Kitsap and Pierce counties as they have in King. Chris Daniels reports. (KING)

USCG detains MOL containership in Seattle
U.S. Coast Guard personnel detained the containership MOL Precision in Seattle, Thursday, March 5. Port State Control officers, from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, discovered several significant violations during a port state control exam of the Panamanian-flagged ship, which was required to remain in Sector Puget Sound's Captain of the Port zone until the violations were corrected. (Marine Log)

Adventuress begins sailing season with four captains at helm of educational endeavor
The schooner Adventuress opens its sailing season this month with four new captains who will share the responsibility of bringing forth the vessel’s ecologically inclined educational mission.  Sound Experience, a Port Townsend-based nonprofit that owns and operates the 102-year-old tall ship, finished crew training last week and offered its first public sail of the season Saturday. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Wyoming Legislature approves bill to support coal port bonds
Wyoming is prepared to up the stakes in its high-dollar push to override local opposition in the Northwest and get access to ocean ports to allow coal exports to Asia. The Wyoming Legislature has approved a measure to allow a state agency to issue up to $1 billion in bonds to finance construction of coal ports in the Northwest. The bill is before Republican Gov. Matt Mead, who has declined comment on it. But Mead has made no secret of his support for coal — and his desire to see trainloads of it heading from Wyoming, the nation's leading coal-producing state, bound for Asia. Ben Neary reports. (Associated Press)

Ongoing Whidbey Island slide destroys another beach cabin
An ongoing landslide at Brighton Beach destroyed another Whidbey Island shoreline cabin late Friday, and officials are warning people to stay away from the area. The slide zone, below a 200-foot bluff, is extremely dangerous and should be avoided, said Jon Beck, deputy chief of the South Whidbey fire district. In December and last month, other buildings were seriously damaged by sliding mud and debris. The latest event took place at about 10 p.m. Friday. The building was not occupied and no one was hurt. Justin Burnett reports. (South Whidbey Record)

Japanese tsunami debris B.C. pickup pitched by Gulf of Alaska Keeper
As we approach the fourth anniversary of the Japanese tsunami, U.S. group Gulf of Alaska Keeper wants to use helicopters and a huge barge to remove tonnes of material still littering B.C. and Alaska coastlines. The group plans to float the barge around the north Pacific this summer, picking up huge loads of debris still stranded in coastal Alaska, with other pickup sites proposed for B.C. (CBC)

B.C. sport fishing society hooks province's fish licence revenues
The non-profit society that promotes sport fishing in British Columbia will receive 100 per cent of the revenues generated from fishing licences, the provincial government announced Monday. The announcement means the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. will receive about $10 million starting next month, an increase of about $3 million from what it currently receives. The society has been receiving 70 per cent of fishing licence revenues for the past 11 years. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 10 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF MORNING FOG.
TONIGHT AND WED
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
--
"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

3/2 Gulls, March weather, BC CG, Raven song, BC pipe Qs, tribes & fish, more salmon, WA pols, Navy range, mining rules

Gloucous-winged gull (Louise Blight/phys.org)

Salish Sea seagull populations halved since 1980s
The number of seagulls in the Strait of Georgia is down by 50 per cent from the 1980s and University of British Columbia researchers say the decline reflects changes in the availability of food. Researchers collected 100 years of data on population numbers of Glaucous-winged Gulls, the most common seagull species found in the Lower Mainland, Victoria, Nanaimo and elsewhere in the region. They found that the population increased rapidly beginning in the early 1900s, but started to drop after the mid-1980s, with their work pointing to diet as one factor in the decline of the bird's health. (Phys.Org) Then see: Barn owls surge with early spring  (CBC)

Lions, Lambs and March Weather
There is the old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out as a lamb. In other words, March starts out cold and stormy, but by the end of the month the weather has warmed and moderated considerably. But is that true here in the Northwest?   Is it true anywhere in the U.S.? Cliff Mass answers the questions.

Coast guard closures to go ahead, raising fears for safety
The Canadian Coast Guard is pressing ahead with plans to close three of five marine communications centres in B.C. and run everything out of Victoria and Prince Rupert. Despite union warnings that the moves will undermine safety, the federal agency intends to shut the Ucluelet and the Vancouver centres by the end of April and close a third station at Comox later this year or early in 2016. The centres broadcast weather and navigational warnings, regulate marine traffic and monitor distress and safety calls. Lindsay Kines reports. (Times Colonist)

If you like to listen: Raven's Love Song
Ravens are seen as tricksters in many traditions. But Common Ravens have a softer side. During courtship, a pair will often sit side by side, sometimes preening each other's feathers. And during that ritual, one or both may make soft warbling sounds. Raven nestlings sometimes make this same sound after they've been fed. Compared to the usual raucous raven calls, this one is soothing. It's called a comfort sound. You can hear more raven songs at macaulaylibrary.org. (BirdNote) Also: If you liked the story Friday about how crows give gifts (The girl who gets gifts from birds) check out Gifts of the Crow by John Marzluff and Tony Angell for more stories.

Without diversity, do enviros risk becoming marginalized?
The environmental movement has been described as one of the most segregated sectors of American society.... Despite years of talk, mainstream environmental groups still have not achieved much diversity in their ranks. And head out into nature, and the picture is still overwhelmingly white. Alison Hawkes reports. (Bay Nature)

Kinder Morgan leaves half of Vancouver, Burnaby's pipeline questions unanswered
Kinder Morgan has failed to answer almost half of the questions posed by the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby on the company's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion into B.C. In a statement issued Friday, the City of Vancouver states that Kinder Morgan has failed to answer 291 of nearly 600 questions submitted by them through the National Energy Board (NEB), and 315 of the 688 questions submitted by Burnaby. The more than 1200 questions submitted by the two municipalities covered a broad range of issues connected to Kinder Morgan's 15,000-page proposal, including those covering job creation levels, climate change and emergency response plans. (CBC)

Fishing Rights Between Olympic Peninsula Tribes At Stake in U.S Court
A federal court will hear oral arguments Monday in Seattle, in a case that pits the United States against the State of Washington. It has to do with who gets to take how much fish. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez has set aside 3 weeks in his calendar to hear issues involved. Three tribes are mentioned in the current litigation: the Makah, the Quileute and the Quinault Indian Nations. They’re fighting with each other. The dispute is about their treaty rights with the state of Washington and how much fish they get to take from the waters off the west coast. Bellamy Pailthorp report. (KPLU)

Good news: more salmon, and even more wanted
From deep in my college memories, I recall one definition of politics as “the exercise of power, influence and authority.” In the Northwest, salmon are politicians. They are power for the metaphorical machine that drives decisions on billions of dollars of public spending. They influence our outlook, our actions and plans for the future. They supply political leverage and motivation for countless government actions, programs and appropriations. All salmon politics are based on scarcity. There are not enough salmon, and we all work for their future abundance. We may see change when the great day comes. Tracy Warner writes. (Wenatchee World)

Video: Orca Advocates Want Snake River Dams Breached
A call to action from a group of killer-whale advocates is dramatic: breach the four Lower Snake River Dams. The dams provide electricity to the Pacific Northwest, but members of the Southern Resident Killer Whale Chinook Salmon Initiative insist that whales in the Puget Sound are dying as a result of dwindling numbers of salmon making their way from the Lower Snake River to the ocean. The SRKWCSI is petitioning to have the dams removed. George Prentice reports. (Boise Weekly)

State Senate doing its oily best to ignore us on transportation
The state Senate is doing its best to ignore a plan that would tax big polluters to pay for transportation. But it’s catching on with a group that used to matter in democracy: the people. Danny Westneat reports. (Seattle Times) See Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Public Opinion Survey February 26, 2015.

Questions raised about Sequim City Council at closed-door Navy-Jamestown S'Klallam meeting
The Sequim City Council apparently sailed into a gray area when a quorum of the council attended the Navy's Feb. 20 briefing to the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe. If council members simply sat and did nothing, they probably complied with state law that requires them to meet and act in public, according to Nancy Krier, assistant state attorney general for open government. However, if they took “testimony” — depending on how the term is defined — or acted — which could be construed to include forming opinions — they may have tripped over Washington's Open Public Meetings Act, according to Krier. Ron Richards, a former Clallam County commissioner and a critic of the Navy's Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range proposal, said the meeting was illegal. Sequim's city attorney said it was legal. And Krier said she's uncertain which man is right. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Department of Natural Resources says 'not interested' in participating with Navy  Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

New Whatcom rules would consider environmental impacts of mining sooner
In a move favored by environmentalists and the neighbors of Whatcom County mines, the County Council is finalizing rules that would require an earlier review of the impacts of mining on the site itself and the surrounding area. The rules come to a public hearing before the council at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, at the county courthouse, 311 Grand Ave, Bellingham. Getting approval to mine in the county is a two-step process. The review of environmental impacts, which includes possible groundwater contamination, noise and added truck traffic, would move from the second to the first step under a proposal put forward in 2014 by council members Barbara Brenner and Carl Weimer. Instead of waiting until a mineral company applies to mine the land, the environmental review would come when the company takes the preliminary step of applying to designate the site for mining — what’s called a mineral resource land designation. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald) See also: Concrete Nor’West loses appeal on Acme mine  The County Council’s decision to block Concrete Nor’West from expanding its Acme mine survived in Appeals Court. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 240 AM PST MON MAR 2 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/11 J-pod, ocean acid, tanker stop, oil future, Grays Harbor, crude export, Puyallup R., logging rules, wolf kill, Pineapple Express

Elwha 2/8 (Anne Schaffer/Coastal Watershed Institute)

Research cruise will observe J pod orcas for the next 21 days
A team of marine mammal biologists and other researchers will set out tomorrow morning on a 21-day cruise to study Southern Resident killer whales from aboard the 209-foot Bell M. Shimada research vessel. The researchers are fortunate that a satellite tag is still attached to J-27 and remains operable, making it possible to locate J pod without searching far and wide. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Lawsuit over ocean acidification in Oregon, Washington gets a hearing in Seattle
A lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency over the impacts of ocean acidification on Oregon and Washington's oysters and other sea life will get a hearing Thursday (Feb. 12) in Seattle. U.S. District Court Judge James Robart will hold a motion hearing in the suit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect endangered species and habitat. The center says it's challenging a 2012 decision in which the EPA ruled that Oregon and Washington's sea water meets water-quality standards meant to protect marine life despite increasing acidity. Susannah Bodman reports. (Oregonian)

Coast Guard detains tanker in Port Angeles Harbor
Coast Guard personnel has detained the oil tanker Overseas Jademar in Port Angeles Harbor over alleged safety violations. The 748-foot, double-hulled tanker was traveling along the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Malaysia to Anacortes to offload cargo at the time of an inspection Monday, the Coast Guard said Tuesday. Port state control officers from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound said they discovered several significant safety violations during a port state control exam of the Marshall Island-flagged tanker, which will remain detained in Sector Puget Sound's captain of the port zone until the safety violations are corrected. The deficiencies found onboard included non-functioning distress signaling equipment and fire safety systems. (Peninsula Daily News)

Oil on wild ride: How will it end?
Predicting oil prices is especially tricky now because the oil market has never quite looked like this. Oil-price collapses of the past were triggered either by plummeting demand or an increase in supplies. This latest one had both. Jonathan Fahey reports. (Associated Press) See also: UBC divestment vote calls on university to end fossil fuel investment  (CBC)

A Coastal Community In Washington Contemplates Oil Terminals
Grays Harbor, with its deep-water berths and fast access to Pacific Ocean shipping routes, has all the ingredients to be a world-class port. In some respects, it already is. The Port of Grays Harbor once bustled with shipments of lumber from nearby forests. Next came cars, grains and biofuel. Now, local leaders are warming up to the idea of adding crude oil to the mix. Roughly 3 billion gallons of crude move from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota into Washington state by rail each year. As oil companies look for the fastest and most cost-effective way to get their product to West Coast refineries, proposals for new oil facilities are popping up around the region. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Groups Say Changing Crude Oil Exports Could Change Role Of Northwest Refineries
The changing composition of crude oil could have big consequences for the future of the Pacific Northwest economy. That’s one of the key ideas behind a Freedom of Information Act request filed Tuesday by three environmental nonprofit groups. It has to do with exceptions being made to the nation’s 40-year policy of banning most exports of crude oil. Seattle’s Sightline Institute has joined the Earthjustice law firm and a group called Oil Change International in asking the U.S. Department of Commerce for documentation of new exemptions quietly issued to companies including Pioneer Natural Resources Company and Royal Dutch Shell. The groups want such decisions to get more public scrutiny. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Guest: A new way to tame rivers is better for humans and salmon
WHEN the rain-swollen waters of the Puyallup River rose rapidly this winter, the town of Orting braced itself for flooding. In 2006, and again in 2009, the river topped its levees and sent people fleeing from homes, businesses and schools in cities all the way to the Port of Tacoma. But this time, something different happened. The river found new man-made channels created when the old levees were torn out and replaced with new earthen berms set farther back. The river had room to spread out, slow down, and it stayed within the levees, leaving Orting safe and dry. Joachim Pestinger writes. (Seattle Times Opinion)

State adopts new logging rule for landslide-prone areas
A new state rule approved Tuesday makes clear that anyone seeking to log in landslide-prone areas might have to provide additional scientific data to show the safety of the public is adequately protected. The state Forest Practices Board, an independent panel that regulates logging, voted unanimously to adopt the rule that's been in the works since May 2014. That's when the state Department of Natural Resources revised its timber harvest application to clarify that the agency may require additional geotechnical reports before being allowed to log near potentially unstable slopes or landforms. Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark ordered the change following the deadly Oso mudslide and Tuesday's action cements it into place. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

B.C. wolf cull will likely last 5 years, deputy minister says
The point man for the British Columbia's effort to save endangered mountain caribou says a controversial wolf cull will likely be necessary for the next five years. Assistant deputy minister Tom Ethier told CBC News the 180 wolves being shot from helicopter in the South Peace and South Selkirk regions this winter are just the beginning. (CBC)

What does Pineapple Express actually mean for B.C.?
1. Pineapple Express is the catchy name for what is known to scientists as an “atmospheric river,” says SFU professor and climate researcher Karen Kohfeld. And some years — such as this year — these water-laden storms can supply as much as a quarter of B.C.’s annual rainfall in as little as seven days. 2. SFU professor John Clague, a natural hazards expert, says these storms bring potentially damaging rockfalls and debris flows that can block highways and rail lines and threaten lives when they roll over mountainous terrain. They also strip snow off local mountains. Gerry Bellett reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED FEB 11 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS EXPECTED THURSDAY
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO W 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN AT TIMES.
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