11/9 Keystone, BC unmuzzled, NW tribes, Asarco, port races, Wisconsin derail, bag ban, Navy jets, Elwha

Citing Climate Change, Obama Rejects Construction of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline
President Obama announced on Friday that he had rejected the request from a Canadian company to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline, ending a seven-year review that had become a symbol of the debate over his climate policies. Mr. Obama’s denial of the proposed 1,179-mile pipeline, which would have carried 800,000 barrels a day of carbon-heavy petroleum from the Canadian oil sands to the Gulf Coast, comes as he seeks to build an ambitious legacy on climate change. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times) See also: Justin Trudeau 'disappointed' with U.S. rejection of Keystone XL  Kathleen Harris reports. (CBC)

Keystone pipeline rejection means oil tankers could multiply in Strait of Juan de Fuca
President Obama’s decision Friday to reject the Keystone XL pipeline puts a fresh spotlight on other efforts to bring Canadian crude to market, including a $5.4 billion project to boost oil flows to British Columbia. The oil piped from Alberta would be targeted for maritime export, dramatically increasing the number of oil tankers traversing the Strait of Juan de Fuca and raising environmental concerns among Washington state Department of Ecology (DOE) officials.  Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Kristi Miller, muzzled fisheries scientist, felt like a second-class citizen
A federal edict that prevented government scientists from talking publicly about their work turned them into "second-class citizens", a B.C. based molecular geneticist told CBC news Friday. Kristi Miller, a scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, told CBC News Friday that she was excited at news the newly elected federal government had lifted the muzzle from its researchers. Kristi Miller was prevented from talking to media about the results of her study. (CBC) See also: Scientists, ministers get green light to speak under Trudeau  Pauline Dakin reports. (CBC)

Exxon Mobil accused of climate change cover-up
Oil giant Exxon Mobil is being investigated for misleading the public about the impact of climate change. The New York attorney general has sent a request for emails and financial records to the company. Allegations surfaced last month that the company's own scientists raised concerns about global warming decades ago and that Exxon had worked to suppress that information. (BBC) See also: Oil companies and climate change: who should pay?  Environmentalists say an investigation into ExxonMobil may open the door to tobacco-style lawsuitsJason Proctor reports. (CBC)

UW Symposium: Ocean Acidification Pushing Boundaries Of Environmental Law
The University of Washington held its first annual symposium on environmental law last week. The idea is to choose a topic and examine how it fits into current and future regulations. This year’s focus—ocean acidification.  It is sometimes called the evil twin of global warming. Ocean acidification is caused when carbon pollution from fossil fuels dissolves into our waterways. Scientists say it may cause serious harm to life on the planet; some say it is already damaging the local shellfish industry. It is also pushing the envelope of current environmental law. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Northwest tribal leaders fight for government to uphold treaties
A proposed coal terminal and affiliated railway for Cherry Point, Wash., has sparked concern about treaty violations and environmental degradation for many Pacific Northwest tribal leaders, 10 of whom rallied together in Washington, D.C., on Thursday morning against what they said is government disregard for their treaties. Grace Toohey reports. (McClatchy)

Three decades after the Asarco smelter shutdown, its toxic legacy surprises Tacoma newcomers
Tacoma’s industrial history confronted Alex Stillman on a late spring morning while she was up to her wrists in front-yard dirt. A neighbor saw the 27-year-old school nurse, part of the city’s influx of new homeowners, digging to plant a hedge outside her North 40th Street house and walked over to share some friendly insight about the neighborhood. The conversation sent Stillman inside to start learning things no real-estate agent or inspector had explained to Alex or her husband, Bryce, when they bought the place in fall 2014. It fell to Google to tell her about the long-gone Asarco copper smelter that operated less than a mile from where her tidy 1940s bungalow stands, and that the lead and arsenic emitted from its 571-foot-tall smokestack for several decades had polluted her yard and thousands of others with agents linked to cancer and other serious health problems. Derrick Nunnally reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Dangerous, tasty fishery resumes off B.C. coast
One of British Columbia's most unusual and dangerous fisheries is poised for a comeback. Gooseneck barnacles, which grow on the rocks below the high tide line off the west coast of Vancouver Island,.are prized in Spain and served as appetizers by high-end restaurants across North America. With a shell-like top and stubby stalks of rich meat beneath, goosenecks resemble clumps of asparagus. However, the best ones are hard to reach and risky to harvest. Chris Brown reports. (CBC)

Port Commissioner: The Race We Can No Longer Afford To Ignore
As election results continue to filter in, most eyes focus on the big-ticket races—city council members, state ballot measures, and levies. Yet way down near the bottom of the ballot is one of the most important votes that we cast in the Northwest: the races for port commissioner. Historically overlooked by voters and pundits alike, the Northwest’s recent controversies over coal and oil have begun to shift some attention to the leadership of public ports. It’s an entirely appropriate shift, because the elected leaders of the region’s ports play a more important role—for good or for ill—in determining the fate of the thin green line than almost anybody else. (…. Running for an empty seat vacated by outgoing Commissioner Bill Bryant, environmental advocate Fred Felleman, who was an outspoken critic of the Port’s decision to host Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet this summer, defeated Marino Yoshino. Felleman raised $86,000 to Yoshino’s $29,000.) Eric de Place and Nick Abraham report. (Sightline)

2nd Train Derails in Wisconsin in 2 Days, Spills Crude Oil
Canadian Pacific Railway says less than 1,000 gallons of crude oil has spilled after a train derailment that prompted evacuations in southeastern Wisconsin. Thirteen cars derailed around 2 p.m. Sunday in Watertown. Canadian Pacific said in a statement late Sunday night one car was punctured and it leaked some oil. The company says it's working to determine the exact amount, but it's no more than 1,000 gallons…. The derailment Sunday was the second in the state in as many days. On Saturday, a freight train derailed near Alma in western Wisconsin, spilling thousands of gallons of ethanol. (ABC)

California lawmaker plans law to end killer whale captivity
A California congressman announced Friday that he is planning federal legislation that aims to phase out the captivity of killer whales by banning breeding, importing and exporting the animals for public display. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said he will introduce the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act to ensure that orcas now at aquatic parks such as SeaWorld are the last ones and that when they die, no other whales will replace them. The bill also would ban taking any whales from the wild. Although no orca has been captured in U.S. waters since 1976, Schiff says captive killer whales are bred. (Associated Press)

Construction site washout kills salmon on Burnaby Mountain
Water thick with sand and sediment has fouled a fish-bearing creek after heavy rain washed out an active construction site on Burnaby Mountain last week. The silty water poured into Stoney Creek from a tributary, killing spawning Chum and Coho salmon and smolts, said John Preissl, a local streamkeeper. Salmon had been absent from the once polluted creek for half a century, but returned about a decade ago, thanks to decades of rehabilitation work by foundations, government agencies and hundreds of volunteers, Preissl said. Before the accident, streamkeepers had counted nearly 200 salmon in the creek. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Rain causes more problems at Burnaby Mountain construction site  Joanne Lee-Young and Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Victoria council backs ban on single-use plastic bags, staff to study
The days of plastic bags in Victoria could be numbered. Victoria councillors Thursday took the first steps in developing a bylaw that would ban retailers from providing single-use plastic bags. Several councillors said they support the proposal provided the public is properly consulted and the city works in concert with retailers so that the change, if implemented, is even-handed. Bill Cleverely reports. (Times Colonist)

Navy, National Park Service to work together to monitor jet noise over Olympic National Park
The Navy and National Park Service are coordinating efforts to monitor jet noise over Olympic National Park during training missions. “I'm glad the Park Service — the staff who are charged with protecting the visitor experience at Olympic National Park — and the Navy will work together to monitor noise issues and evaluate any increase in noise from Navy training activities,” said U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer in a news release issued Thursday. A Democrat from Gig Harbor, Kilmer represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula. He had requested that the Park Service and the Navy work together on monitoring jet noise. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Taking the pulse of Puget Sound
The state’s effort to improve the health of Puget Sound is moving slowly, even with a variety of fish-focused projects in motion throughout the Skagit River watershed, from major dike setbacks to minor culvert replacements. In a State of the Sound Report released last week, the Puget Sound Partnership describes the progress to restore this inlet of the Pacific Ocean as largely stagnant. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also:  Puget Sound restoration: two steps forward, one back — or vice versa?  Chris Dunagan blogs. (Watching Our Water Ways)

With dams down, restored Elwha River mouth 'a treasure'
No one, not even among those studying the ecology of the Elwha River mouth, expected the degree of change seen there after the dams came down, according to a woman who has researched it for years. An area that once was little more than large cobbles is now a vast tract of quiet, sandy beach speckled with hundreds of seabirds and brushed by ocean waves. It contains pools constantly dimpled by the jumping of fish. Sometimes, looking at the acres of new beach — and the new life it now supports — she nearly cries, said Anne Shaffer, a marine biologist and the executive director of the Coastal Watershed Institute of Port Angeles. Arwyn Rice and Leah Leach report. (Peninsula Daily News) See also:  Who owns new Elwha River land? Discussions begin about ownership, responsibility  Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 228 AM PST MON NOV 9 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY
NE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 14 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

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"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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11/4 State of Puget Sound, climate change kids, rising rivers, algae bloom, tangled orca

(Matthew G. Hull/BirdNote)

The Oystercatcher's World
Black Oystercatchers prey on shellfish in the wave zone, especially mussels and limpets. The waves cause mussels to open often, making them easier to eat. The Black Oystercatcher nests on ledges just off shore, and its eggs and young suffer far less predation by mammals. Contrary to their name, oystercatchers rarely eat oysters. (BirdNote)

2015 State of the Sound report: Analysis of ecosystem recovery shows mixed progress
The 2015 State of the Sound, released [Nov. 3] by the Puget Sound Partnership, indicates that while the Puget Sound recovery community is making progress in effectively restoring habitat, measures for Chinook salmon, Southern Resident Killer Whales, herring, and other native species show a decline, and local improvements in water quality still don’t add up to improvements at the regional scale…. The State of the Sound presents the latest findings on Puget Sound recovery by evaluating the progress of several aspects of the ecosystem called Puget Sound Vital Signs. The report also shows how successful regional partners are in implementing Puget Sound Action Agenda, the shared plan for recovering the ecosystem. (Puget Sound Partnership News Release)

Kids Sue Over Climate Change And A Judge In Wash. State Is Listening
Kids packed a courtroom in Seattle on Tuesday to hear oral arguments in a case about their future. Eight young teenagers are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state Department of Ecology. They want to force action on climate change. “It just feels like there’s not enough people who care about, like, animals and other things that can’t talk for themselves – babies who haven’t been born yet, people from the future, basically,” said 13-year-old Lara Fain. She’s one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which says the State Department of Ecology isn’t doing enough to limit the carbon pollution that causes global warming. 15-year-old Aji Piper agrees. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Skagit, Samish rivers rise with rain
The rains that dampened the Skagit Valley over the weekend sent the Skagit River surging over Young’s Bar in downtown Mount Vernon and caused a shellfish harvest closure in Samish Bay. The increased water level and river flow, however, did not cause the Skagit River to cross the flooding threshold. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Algae Bloom Off Pacific Coast Blamed For Marine Mammal Poisoning
Scientists have found dozens of poisoned dolphins, whales and sea lions off the coast of Washington, Oregon and California this year. They tested positive for a toxin caused by a massive algae bloom this summer in the Pacific Ocean.  Toxic domoic acid is produced by algae in the ocean, and this year the algae are thriving in the largest bloom ever recorded here. Marine mammals are poisoned when they eat fish that are contaminated. Jes Burns reports. (EarthFix)

Orca may be entangled in rope and buoy near Nanaimo
A killer whale that may be entangled with a rope and buoy has prompted Fisheries and Oceans Canada  to ask whale watchers in the South Salish Sea to alert them if they spot the orca. Transient killer whale 77A was spotted with the gear from the Thetis Island-Chemainus ferry in Stuart Channel near Nanaimo, B.C. on Sunday. Fisheries and Oceans Canada marine mammal coordinator Paul Cotrell told CBC said it has an expert team ready to go to the whale if it's still entangled. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 240 AM PST WED NOV 4 2015
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
E WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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"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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10/16 Humpbacks, BC LNG, Columbia coal, train derail, NW drought, disaster prep, Jude Rubin

Humpback (Andrew Lees/KING)

Humpback whales resurging in Salish Sea  
After traveling north for the summer, humpback whales have migrated back to the Salish Sea. The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) said they've resurfaced in record numbers. “We’ve seen more humpbacks this year than ever, and they’re popping up now everywhere, in the San Juan Islands, Georgia Strait, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Haro Strait, Rosario Strait, Saanich Inlet – repopulating the areas where they were once abundant pre-whaling," said Captain Mark Malleson, veteran whale watch captain for Prince of Whales Whale Watching. " Very exciting time out there now.” Kate Clark reports. (KING)

New blog: Wow! “Clean Up Puget Sound— Now”
Hadn’t heard that in a while so it got me excited last Friday when I saw the Seattle Times editorial headline, “Stop political inaction, clean up Puget Sound — now”. The problem, according to its editorial board, is — guess what? -- politics. The solution, according to its editorial board, is — guess what? -- more politics….

Pacific NorthWest planning 2016 LNG start despite legal challenge
The president of Pacific NorthWest LNG says the energy consortium is poised to start construction next year, undaunted by a native group’s legal challenge of the project’s proposed British Columbia site for exporting liquefied natural gas. “We’re shovel ready, and ready to move ahead as soon as we’ve got the final federal government approvals and final permits,” Michael Culbert said in an interview during an international LNG conference in Vancouver. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is expected to rule in early 2016 on the proposal submitted by Pacific NorthWest LNG, a consortium led by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Review of coal-export project on Columbia River delayed
Local, state and federal regulators have delayed their review of a coal export project along the Columbia River near Longview. The state Department of Ecology said Thursday that a draft environmental impact statement would be out next year, not in November as scheduled. The agency says more time is needed to "ensure reliable and accurate data is used to carry out objective and rigorous" evaluations. Millennium Bulk Terminals-Longview wants to build a facility to handle up to 44 million metric tons of coal a year. The coal would arrive on trains from Montana and Wyoming and exported by ships to Asia. (Associated Press)

Nobody injured, nothing spilled in Tacoma train derailment
Nobody was hurt Thursday afternoon when seven cars of a freight train derailed in Tacoma. Gus Melonas with Burlington Northern Sante Fe said the six-engine, 106-car train was heading from Pasco to Seattle when the last seven cars derailed near State Route 509 and Interstate 705 in Tacoma. The train was carrying flour, rock products and ethanol, but the cars that went off the rails were empty, Melonas said. (KOMO)

NOAA: El Nino Means More Drought For Eastern Washington
The latest El Nino forecast report is out from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- and it looks like the drought will continue into next year for most of Washington. NOAA releases regular temperature and precipitation predictions and the latest information confirms what it has been saying for months. El Nino is expected to be very strong in the Pacific at least through January, but the impact on Washington state will be mixed. Lisa Brooks reports. (KUOW) See also: Did the Pacific Northwest Pass the Global Warming Stress Test? Cliff Mass answers. (Weather Blog)

Floods, fires, slides: Experts at Seattle summit bracing for disasters
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell traveled to Washington Thursday to discuss heightened risk of natural disasters because of climate change. In Oso, Snohomish County, slammed by a mudslide that claimed 43 lives last year, Jewell and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, watched an earthquake- preparedness drill and walked the disaster site. And later in Seattle, Jewell met with a panel of scientists, environmental and tribal leaders on the topics of fire, floods, earthquakes, landslides, sea-level rise and more. Preparedness was the watchword. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

'Bag Monster' conservation leader recognized with Eleanor Stopps Environmental Leadership Award in Port Townsend
Judith “Jude” Rubin, who has worked in support of a variety of environmental causes, is this year's recipient of the Eleanor Stopps Environmental Leadership Award.  “On behalf of the many hundreds of people who collaborated on these important projects, I am deeply honored to accept this award,” Rubin, 50, said Thursday. Rubin's selection for the 11th annual award was announced at a Wednesday breakfast at Fort Worden State Park. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 251 AM PDT FRI OCT 16 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

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"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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5/5 GiveBIG, PS Starts Here, clingfish, sea star disease, Shell drill, FHL pix, Cherry Point, Padden Cr., Fraser coal

Today, GiveBIG
The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG is a one-day, online charitable giving event to inspire people to give generously to nonprofit organizations who make our region a healthier and more vital place to live. The people behind these organizations, those who work tirelessly to improve the lives of everyone in Greater Seattle, are champions. GiveBIG is a day to support their championship-worthy work. Donate today

New blog: Whither Puget Sound Starts Here?
Governor Inslee proclaims the month of May as Puget Sound Starts Here month. The Puget Sound Partnership laments that, due to funding cuts, Puget Sound Starts Here needs to find another home. Do you care?….

Puget Sound’s clingfish could inspire better medical devices, whale tags
Scooting around in the shallow, coastal waters of Puget Sound is one of the world’s best suction cups. It’s called the Northern clingfish, and its small, finger-sized body uses suction forces to hold up to 150 times its own body weight. These fish actually hold on better to rough surfaces than to smooth ones, putting to shame industrial suction devices that give way with the slightest uneven surface. Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today)

Sea star wasting syndrome may have spread to Haida Gwaii
A disease that causes sea stars to fall apart may have spread to Haida Gwaii. If confirmed, this will be the first time sea star wasting disease would have been found in northern B.C. waters. The condition has killed millions of the marine creatures from California to Vancouver. Aggie Cangardel, a marine biologist for the Council of the Haida Nation, says scientists believe they have found it off the coast of Haida Gwaii. (CBC)

Mayor blocks lease, says Port of Seattle must get new permits to host Shell Oil
The Port of Seattle will have to apply for new permits in order for Shell Oil to use Terminal 5 to stage oil rigs. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray made the announcement to a roar of applause at the Climate Solutions annual breakfast Monday morning. “We need not continue with the past. It’s time to turn the page. Things like oil trains, coal trains and oil drilling rigs are the past,” he said. “If it was up to me, there would be no place for Arctic offshore oil drilling equipment in Seattle.” Steve Wilhelm reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

If you like to watch: The Friday Harbor Labs Image Gallery
Enjoy amazing photos of organisms and researchers from the Salish Sea region and around the world. We want to continue to update this gallery with new photos of FHL classes, research and marine plants and animals.... This image gallery is maintained by the UW Friday Harbor Laboratories as a resource for teachers and students at all levels and stages of their education. The images are being provided by scientists at FHL, and can be used free of charge for all non-profit purposes including lectures, reports, etc. Any for-profit use or publication of these images is prohibited without prior consent of the photographer.

Proponent of Cherry Point coal port prepares response to Lummi opposition
The company that would build a coal terminal at Cherry Point has until May 10 to respond to Lummi Nation’s request to reject the terminal. SSA Marine received a letter April 10 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking for the company’s response, along with copies of information the tribe originally sent to the Corps to support its Jan. 5 request that the agency refuse to grant a permit for the terminal. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Padden Creek project will remove tunnel that’s a barrier to migrating fish
For more than 120 years, a nearly half-mile section of Padden Creek between 22nd and 17th streets has been forced through a tunnel away and hidden from the sun. It’s believed that part of the creek, located off what is now Old Fairhaven Parkway, was routed through the tunnel in 1892 to help drain wetlands in part of Happy Valley so a train station could be built for Great Northern Railroad. That’s where the creek has been since. Now, the city of Bellingham will remove 2,300 feet of the creek from the 8-foot-tall and 4-foot-wide tunnel and return it to a more natural state in a $2.8 million “daylighting” project. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Fraser River port considers Panamax coal shipments
Fraser Surrey Docks is considering shipping coal directly from its planned transfer terminal on large ocean-going vessels rather than sending it by barge to Texada Island. The change of plans would cut the number of vessels brimming with U.S. thermal coal and navigating local waters, but the company would have to amend its permit and is asking for public feedback. The amendment would see as many as 80 Panamax-size vessels leave the docks annually. Each would carry about four trainloads of coal in a closed hatch. There would be no change in the total amount of coal — about four million metric tonnes annually — that would be shipped from the site. The company’s current permit allows for up to 640 loaded barges per year — nearly two per day. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAY 5 2015
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS AND A CHANCE OF TSTMS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 7 FT
 AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.
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"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

1/2 Orca birth update, Puget Sound recovery

Elwha River, 12.31.14 (Tom Roorda and Coastal Watershed Institute)

Update: Newborn joins J-pod; mother may be missing
The excitement of spotting a newborn orca calf in J-pod became shrouded in mystery after further study revealed uncertainty surrounding its birth. The Center for Whale Research confirmed seeing and photographing 42-year-old J-16 with, presumably, her newborn baby, off the south shores of North Pender Island in Canadian waters on Dec. 30. The baby, known as J-50, is the second calf to be born in 2014, after a two-year lull of no births among the Southern Resident killer whales. Although researchers initially recognized the peculiarity of 42-year-old J-16 giving birth (no other female has given birth at that age in four decades of demographic field studies of the Southern Resident orcas), the calf appeared to be healthy and energetic, swimming alongside its presumed mother…. While studying the photos of the calf it appeared to [Ken] Balcomb and his team that newborn J-50 had teeth marks on its dorsal fin, which could indicate a difficult birth, where another whale had to use its mouth to help pull the baby out of its mother's uterus…. Perhaps the most important missing link to the story is J-36, the 16-year-old daughter of J-16, who wasn't seen when the baby was discovered amidst the clan. Under normal circumstances, J-36 would be traveling with or near her family. Having strung all the pieces together, Balcomb speculates that J-36, who is of prime breeding age, is the mother of J-50, and could have died during a complicated birth--meaning that J-16 is the calf's grandmother and will not be able to provide milk. "Worst case scenario is we have another example where a female died giving birth," Balcomb said. "Best case  is that grandma (J-16) is mom, and J-36 missing is coincidence." Emily Greenberg reports. (San Juan Journal)

Puget Sound: Hopeful signs shine through complex cleanup effort
Chris Dunagan writes: "While putting the final touches on a two-year, 10-part series about the Puget Sound ecosystem, I couldn’t help but wonder about the true character of Washington state and its citizens. How much do people really care about salmon and rockfish, eagles and herons, killer whales, cougars, and many lesser-known species in and around Puget Sound? Do we have a political system capable of supporting the needed efforts — financially and legally — to correct the problems? After interviewing hundreds of people over the past few years, I have a pretty good feeling about this state, especially when considering other parts of the country. There is hope that we can save some of the remaining gems of the Puget Sound ecosystem while restoring functioning conditions in other places…." (Kitsap Sun)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 842 PM PST THU JAN 1 2015
FRI
W WIND RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
FRI NIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SUN
E WIND RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT...THEN EASING LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS.
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"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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12/29 Pinto abalone, Hood Canal geoduck, Partnership, oil route, birds, global warming, ferry reservations

Pinto abalone (Josh Bouma/PS Restoration Fund)

No endangered listing for prized pinto abalone
The National Marine Fisheries Service has declined to list a prized 6-inch Pacific Ocean marine snail as an endangered or threatened species. The federal agency announced this week that its status review found the pinto abalone is not currently in danger of extinction and does not warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act at this time. Pinto abalone, valued for its delicate flavor and mother-of-pearl shell, are found from Alaska to Baja California. Two conservation groups petitioned the agency in July 2013 to conduct a status review for pinto abalone. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Proposal for Hood Canal geoduck farm dropped
A controversial proposal for a geoduck and oyster farm on Hood Canal is being pulled. The Kitsap Sun reported that according to Kitsap County planners, Scott Kimmel, the owner of New Day Fisheries, has decided not to pursue permit applications for the project. The Poulsbo fisherman had been seeking approval for a geoduck farm he installed without permits on private tidelands in 2013. Kimmel said he didn't know he needed permits to plant more than 9,000 geoduck seeds in plastic tubes embedded in the sand just north of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. (Associated Press)

Partnership perspectives on Puget Sound's future
The seven-member Leadership Council is the governing board for the Puget Sound Partnership, which is charged with restoring Puget Sound to health by the year 2020. Members were asked to provide brief written statements about their visions for the future. (Kitsap Sun)

Gulf Islands landowners retain natural sites, reap tax savings
The meadow down the steep side of Mount Elizabeth on Robert and Francis Rose’s North Pender Island property is one of their favourite places to spend time…. That meadow is now protected in perpetuity. In exchange for placing a covenant on their land, the Roses receive an annual 65 per cent property tax exemption through the Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program (NAPTEP), administered by the Islands Trust Fund…. The Roses, who are in their mid-70s, are among 23 landowners who have joined the program since its launch in 2005, according to the Islands Trust Fund. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

Race to build on Columbia River could block Pacific oil route
Some environmentalists are pushing a $1.3 billion real estate project along the Columbia River as a way to stop a proposed oil train plan. Kirk Johnson reports. (NY Times)

States, cities brace for global-warming fallout
Eroding beaches and the seawater that laps onto the Embarcadero waterfront during high tide - not to mention severe storm flooding - were sending a clear message to a city surrounded by water on three sides. San Francisco responded in September, when its Capital Planning Committee decreed that in all future construction projects, city and county agencies, including low-lying San Francisco International Airport, must acknowledge the rising sea level and come up with plans to adapt to. The sea level around San Francisco rose nearly 8 inches in the past century, and it is projected to rise by as much as 55 more inches by 2100. Rita Beamish report. (Stateline.org)

Ladner beats Victoria in annual Christmas count of bird species
Greater Victoria lost its title for finding most species in B.C.’s annual Christmas bird count by a single species. Bird watchers in Ladner, Victoria’s traditional rival, counted 141 species this year, compared with Greater Victoria’s 140…. The Christmas bird count is conducted on any one day from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 within a 24-kilometre diameter area that stays the same from year to year. There were 21 teams out in the radius centering on the Marigold area of Saanich this year, some of which had more than 15 members fanning out for the count. (Times Colonist) See also: A tally of tail feathers  Bob Kuntz and Kraig Kemper stood behind their scopes Saturday morning at the bay shore near Bay View State Park. They were among more than 60 people who participated in the National Audubon Society’s 115th annual Christmas Bird Count at Padilla Bay. (Skagit Valley Herald)

A bird’s-eye view of bald eagles
So far this season, wildlife experts say the bald eagle population that winters on the upper Skagit River appears to have returned in even stronger numbers than seen last year. While the birds have been sweeping into the east Skagit Valley for more than a month, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and Eagle Watchers representatives say they expect plenty of people to flock there to see them in January. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

As Canada Goose Populations Recover, Northwest Farmers Pay The Price
Canada Geese have made a significant comeback in the West. But as the population increases, it’s farmers in Oregon and Washington who are paying the price for the recovery. Seven different subspecies of the Canada geese travel along a metaphorical superhighway, called the Pacific Flyway, from summer nesting grounds in Alaska down into Washington, Oregon and California. The cackling Canada goose is one them. In the 1980s there were only about 25,000 left. But now wildlife officials say the population is averaging more than a quarter million. Jes Burns reports. (EarthFix)

Discover Puget Sound’s past during Archeology Day
The history of humans living along Puget Sound during the past 500 years will be the focus of Archaeology Day Jan. 10 at the Burke Museum. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about recent archaeological discoveries, how archaeology is used to study the past and the present and see some of the research being done in local communities. (Bellingham Herald)

San Juan ferry reservations available now
Ferry officials hope a reservation system to begin serving the San Juan Islands will greatly reduce long waits and long lines at the ferry terminals, and encourage travelers to take off-peak runs. The “Save a Spot” system, years in the planning, will make reserved spots available on all westbound sailings from Anacortes, and eastbound sailings from Friday Harbor and Orcas Island. Jack Broom report. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON DEC 29 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
E WIND 20 TO 30 KT...RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 14 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
NE WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 14 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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9/22 Puget Sound health, climate action, geoduck poacher, train oil spill

Kiwi time (Laurie MacBride)

Race for the Kiwis
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "It’s kiwi time, and the race is on. Each September as our Hardy kiwis (Actinidia arguta) start to ripen, we begin a delicate balancing act, deciding exactly when to harvest. We want them soft, ripe and sweet, but if we wait too long, many will vanish in the night…."

Better measurements needed to track the health of Puget Sound  (paywall)
The ongoing restoration of Puget Sound has scored some successes and probably some failures, according to Sheida Sahandy, executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership. But if people really want to know how well things are going, better measurements are needed. That is the message Sahandy says she will take to the Legislature next year, as she seeks funding for more complete monitoring of the Puget Sound ecosystem. Sahandy said she will ignore political advisers who tell her that requesting money for monitoring is the last thing she should do in a tight budget year like 2015. Basic scientific measurements are essential to understanding how fish and wildlife populations are changing and whether restoration projects are working, she told a group of scientists during a conference Thursday in Shelton. Chris Dunagan reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Worldwide rallies call for action now on climate change
In Seattle, New York and around the world, people took to the streets Sunday, urging policymakers to address conditions they say threaten the survival of future generations. The grass-roots demonstrations came just before the start of the U.N. Climate Summit. (Seattle Times) See also: Protesters march against climate change in Vancouver (Vancouver Sun)

Geoduck poacher sentenced to jail time
A Port Orchard man received a four-month sentence after illegally harvesting 300 pounds of geoduck clams from the Olympia area and dumping them near Port Orchard. Matthew R. Petersen, 27, pleaded guilty to first-degree unlawful shellfish trafficking and two counts of second-degree theft in Kitsap County Superior Court on Sept. 8. He was sentenced to 4 months with credit for time served by Judge Leila Mills. Deputy Chief Mike Cenci, of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, said Petersen’s case was long and complicated — as is common for many poaching cases. He called the case a “rare win” for the department. Amelia Dickson reports. (Olympian)

Train Spills 2,000 Gallons Of Diesel In Washington
A rock punctured a BNSF train engine Friday outside Pasco, Washington, causing about 2,000 gallons of diesel to spill along the tracks. The engine held about 3,000 gallons of diesel. None of the fuel has leaked into the Columbia River, a BNSF spokesman said. The boulder tumbled early Friday morning from nearby cliffs and onto the track, where the train ran atop it. The 108-car train was carrying freight to Seattle. Courtney Flatt reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON SEP 22 2014
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS 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

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7/11 BEACH funding, emissions poll, BP dock, false killer, Tim Egan, beer sewage, Garry oaks, sea rise, BC LNG

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Time for a Weather Eye
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "The past week has brought plenty of sunshine along with the strong and steady northwest winds that generally predominate here in early July. Right now the seas are nowhere near as calm as they were on the spring day when I took this photo of Entrance Island lighthouse and the Strait of Georgia (taken from Orlebar Point on Gabriola Island). Those relentless northwest winds can wreak havoc with boaters’ plans to cross the Strait and they inevitably slow any northward progress. So it’s just as well we’re not going north this year and instead, will be taking our little boating holiday very close to home, in the Gulf Islands...."

Bay View beach monitoring may lose funding
For the popular saltwater beach near the Bay View State Park campground, some weeks are better than others as far as water quality goes. Since 2000, some water samples collected from the beach have shown unacceptable amounts of fecal coliform bacteria, while others are well below state standards for human contact. Whether or not swimming should be allowed during the summer months is a gamble with the ever-changing numbers. For now, a group of volunteers is equipped with the knowledge, equipment and money to collect samples regularly during camping season. If they detect a problem, they alert the Skagit County Health Department to close the beach to swimming, and warning signs are posted to notify visitors. But the federally funded BEACH Program that allocates money to coastal and Great Lakes states to coordinate volunteer sampling efforts like those at Bay View may be eliminated from the federal budget next year. Thanks to Pete Haase for the link. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

New Polling Shows Support In Northwest For Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A new survey finds most Northwestern residents think addressing climate change should be an urgent priority. The survey was conducted for EarthFix by the independent and nonpartisan firm, DHM Research. A representative sampling of 1,200 residents of Washington, Idaho and Oregon participated and 62 percent of them said they consider it an urgent priority for state and local governments to address global warming. A majority of respondents also registered support for specific proposals to reduce the emission of carbon that contributes to climate change. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Environmentalists want limits on BP Cherry Point dock
After an 8-year process, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could recommend that part of an oil-shipping dock that has been used at BP Cherry Point refinery since 2001 remain in use. The Corps will solicit public input on its draft environmental impact statement for the dock at a 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, hearing in the Shuksan Middle School gym, 2717 Alderwood Avenue. An open house will start at 6 p.m. The draft explores the possible impacts of operating the north wing of a Y-shaped dock at the refinery. The two-wing dock was first permitted and partially constructed by the then-ARCO-owned refinery in 1971. Construction of the north wing wasn't started until 1996, after the Corps issued a permit. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Howard Garrett at Orca Network writes to take exception to the recent Associated Press article posted in our 7/7/14 edition about the longevity of marine mammals in captivity as misleading and self-serving. He suggests reading How long do orcas live?

Rare false killer whale rescued on B.C. coast
A rare false killer whale calf that washed up on a beach near Tofino has been rescued by a team from the Vancouver Aquarium. The young female whale was found Thursday morning in poor condition on North Chesterman Beach, and staff from the aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre were sent to the scene, according to a press release. The small cetacean was transported back to the rescue centre in Vancouver for treatment Thursday evening, and arrived in critical condition. Bethany Lindsay reports. (Vancouver Sun)

A reader of yesterday's posting about objections to the Partnership's dog poop video writes: "About Freedom Foundation's bitch, pun intended: they've been publishing dog shit for so long they think they have proprietary control. The problem the video deals with is a real one. [We] did a story on the research that has resulted in the PPS video that caused Freedom Foundation to quiver like a dog doing you know what. The numbers might surprise you. Like having a city of 30,000 flush directly into the Sound. No one would tolerate that, not even Freedom Foundation (well...maybe). Here's a link." The animal-waste problem is, and is not, a load of crap

Let ’Em Eat Dirt http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/opinion/timothy-egan-let-em-eat-dirt.html
In the tardy twilight of a Puget Sound evening, we caught a glimpse of a boy, maybe 6 or 7, playing in mud exposed by low tide. Ankle-deep in vibrant muck, he called out a discovery to his father. “I found a bunch of baby crabs,” he said. “A jillion of them.” From there, he slipped into the woods, chasing some other curiosity of the natural world. A butterfly, I think. He disappeared for some time, without a word of concern from his parents. “You don’t see much of that anymore,” a friend said. Timothy Egan writes. (New York Times)

Craft beer breweries straining Vancouver sewage system
Trouble could be brewing for the B.C. Lower Mainland's burgeoning craft beer industry, as Metro Vancouver claims microbreweries are overwhelming the sewage system. The region wants bylaw changes that could force brewers to pay to deal with organic matter produced through fermentation, saying many of the new businesses are pumping out more than just great suds. (CBC)

Victoria Harbour’s last Garry oak meadow rescued
The last Garry oak meadow on Victoria’s harbour is quietly protected by a small group of volunteers who pull and lop invasive plants in the Matson Conservation Area near the Westsong Walkway. “Garry oaks are among the most endangered ecosystems in Canada,” said Lesley Marian Neilson, from the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which helps facilitate conservation activities around the region — though rarely in the urban areas....About a dozen volunteers in garden gloves and boots hacked at English ivy and Himalayan blackberry roots in the tall, dry grass and tree savannah below the Swallow’s Landing condominiums in Esquimalt on Wednesday. Sharon Petrescu reports. (Times Colonist)

If B.C. is latecomer in race to build LNG plants, it will lose out: report
If B.C. does not act quickly and aggressively to enter the market to export liquefied natural gas overseas to Asia, it will be beat out by competitors, warns a University of Calgary report. Those competitors include global-heavyweights Qatar and Australia, but also new entrants to the LNG market such as the U.S. and Mozambique in East Africa. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Students calculate future sea-level rise in Olympia
Many scientists are working to establish what we can know about future climate. One statistician is focusing on what we can’t know – gauging the uncertainties around projections of climate change. That professor helped eight University of Washington students do a detailed study of the rising level of south Puget Sound in Olympia, the state capital, and the uncertainties around those estimates. All are co-authors on a paper to be published in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology. Hannah Hickey reports. (UW News)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT THU JUL 10 2014
FRI
LIGHT WIND BECOMING NW 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
FRI NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
SAT
NW WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
SUN AND SUN NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 15 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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7/10 Pollution rules, SJ clearcut, Hood Canal easement, warm water salmon, poop video, Vic sewer, young greens, Capitol Lake

(Investigate West)

Washingtonians Could Safely Eat More Fish Under New Water Pollution Rules
Washington’s pollution standards would be made much tougher — making water clean enough that people can safely eat a daily serving of fish — under a plan laid out by Gov. Jay Inslee. The governor announced Wednesday that he wants Washington to use the same fish-consumption standards that guide water pollution rules in Oregon.... In the new plan the governor called on the State Department of Ecology to limit zinc, PCBs, pthalates, plasticizers and other chemicals commonly found in household goods, building materials and runoff from paved surfaces. Inslee said expanding the use of permeable pavement and rain gardens, while boosting research on eco-friendly roofing and green chemistry, will help stymy pollutants before they get into waterways. Tribal members and environmental groups said the new plan was a step in the right direction, but they cautioned that the new plan allows for a slight increase in cancer risk for fish consumers. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

State fines SJ Island westside property owner $79K for waterfront clearcut
The cost of the waterfront clearcut at the former Mar Vista Resort just got quite a bit steeper. The state Department of Ecology announced July 9 that it has leveled $79,000 in fines against owners of the westside waterfront property, Orca Dreams, an incorporated entity formed by Dave Honeywell, for violating state water-quality rules and for cutting down about 80 trees without proper permits. San Juan County authorities previously fined Honeywell and the contractor that clearcut a 1.25-acre area of the shoreline a total of $3,000 for violating local land-use rules. (San Juan Journal)

Project manager: New state, Navy conservation easement for areas of Hood Canal won't halt pit-to-pier
A conservation easement between the state Department of Natural Resources and the Navy that prohibits industrial development along areas of Hood Canal won't stop a gravel-moving facility nicknamed the “pit-to-pier,” the project manager said. The agreement signed earlier this week suggests that the proposed construction of the project would not be allowed. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Salmon can adapt to warmer environment, study says
With climate change heating up British Columbia’s rivers, there are growing concerns about the vulnerability of cold-water species such as salmon. But a new study shows salmon may have the ability to adapt to a warming world because Chinook that lay larger eggs produce offspring that have greater heat tolerance. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Enviro agency spent $27,000 in tax dollars on anti-dog poop music video
Critics are outraged after learning that a government agency tasked with cleaning up Washington’s Puget Sound spent $27,000 on an anti-dog poop rap video.... The Freedom Foundation, a government watchdog based in Olympia, criticized the Puget Sound Partnership, saying that the hip hop video is just the latest piece of evidence that the group spends tax dollars recklessly. Dustin Hurst reports. (Watchdog.Washington)

Costs laid out for Colwood sewage plant
Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton has put forward a motion calling on the CRD to support those municipalities and First Nations wanting to develop their own approaches to sewage treatment. It will probably cost Colwood $1 million to develop its sewage treatment plant to the shovel-ready stage, says Michael Baxter, the municipality’s director of engineering. The municipality is using a $25-million sewage treatment plant being built in Sechelt as a potential model for the Colwood Resource Recovery Centre. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Meet 4 young leaders changing Northwest environmentalism
Call them the advance guard in our evolving clean energy revolution. One plays Captain Kilowatt on his home turf in Idaho. Another heads Washington's largest community energy efficiency program. A third skirted a career in nuclear energy to become an energy efficiency advisor at Washington's largest utility. The fourth uses affordable, clean energy to tackle joblessness and environmental and social justice issues. Martha Baskin reports. (Crosscut)

Lake, estuary debate is as hot as the summer sun
As the summer heats up in South Sound, so does the years-long debate over whether or not to keep Capitol Lake or remove the Fifth Avenue Dam to allow the Deschutes River to flow freely. The Thurston Chamber of Commerce, firmly in the pro-lake camp, heard on Wednesday a lake-friendly report from retired Evergreen State College marine sciences professor David Milne, who recently analyzed a voluminous technical report and computer model used by the state Department of Ecology to look at pollution loading in the Deschutes River, Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet. The Ecology team of three professional engineers concluded that the Capitol Lake dam has a negative effect on Budd Inlet water quality, specifically reducing dissolved oxygen levels critical to marine life in lower Budd Inlet. Milne comes to a far different conclusion about the lake and the dam. He said the two working in concert intercept and trap 50 percent to 90 percent of the nitrogen entering the lake from upstream on Deschutes River. John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

Skagit oil train protest continues
They were nurses, teachers, waitresses, artists and students. Two were younger than 10 years old, and others were in their 70s. A year has passed since a fiery explosion claimed the lives of 47 people in Quebec, but their story is far from forgotten. The tragic train derailment sparked a growing awareness of the booming oil-by-rail industry, and with it concern in communities across the nation, including Skagit County. About 80 people convened at Skagit Station on Monday and walked across the BNSF Railway tracks that divide downtown. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

What's up on the beach? More than you might think
You may be surprised to learn that there are two kinds of marine fish, Pacific sand lance and surf smelt, that use the upper portions of sand and gravel beaches to spawn and incubate their eggs. Smelt and sand lance are part of a small group of species of schooling fish in the area more commonly known as "forage fish" for the important role they play as food for larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. As of today, forage fish spawning activity has been documented along 10 miles of local beaches, comprising just four percent of the total length of shoreline in San Juan County and 10 percent of non-bedrock shores. (San Juan Journal)


Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT WED JUL 9 2014
THU
LIGHT WIND BECOMING E TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
THU NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 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

3/14 Session ends, BC parks, geoduck talks, BC sewage, salmon fishing, gene banks, oil trains, Exxon Valdez, Whidbey 'wall,' Kurt Musgrove, PA stormwater

Olympia Oyster (VIUDeepBay/Flickr)

An almost forgotten history of Native Oysters on Vancouver Island
We have been searching through 1800′s literature and newspapers to track the exploitation and disappearance of Native (Olympia) oysters from Baynes Sound and Vancouver Island as a whole. This is our longest post to date but is some research we are very excited about. We hope you enjoy this almost forgotten chapter of Vancouver Island estuarine ecosystems. (Deep Bay Marine Field Station Updates)

New blog: Hey, Puget Sound! It’s A “New Path Forward!”  
That’s what the Puget Sound Partnership says Governor Inslee has done by reconstituting the Partnership’s Leadership Council. And, having named a new executive director, Governor Jay has his new team now to make or break Puget Sound recovery on his watch...

Legislative session ends without tackling some major issues
As legislative sessions go, this was largely a forgettable one. State lawmakers finished their two-month session Thursday night by passing an operating budget that slightly increased state spending and then heading home without dealing with a plethora of other major issues. Brian M. Rosenthal and Andrew Garber report. (Seattle Times)

And, since you didn’t ask: The True Meaning of Pi Day

Province adds 55,000 hectares to B.C. parks
The province introduced a bill in the legislature Thursday that, if passed, would add more than 55,000 hectares to B.C.’s parks, conservancies and other protected areas. This will add to more than 14 million hectares the province has already protected. Among the changes announced Thursday is the addition of marine waters amassing 6,438 hectares of Queen Charlotte Strait to Mahpahkum-Ahkwuna/ Deserters-Walker Conservancy. At nearby Qwiquallaaq/ Boat Bay Conservancy, 72 kilometres southeast of Port Hardy, an addition of 736 hectares of marine water includes kelp and seagrass beds and important marine mammal habitat. Sandra McCulloch reports. (Times Colonist)

Talks Set In Beijing On West Coast Shellfish Ban
There are signs of a thaw in the icy trade relations between the United States and China over a Chinese ban on imported shellfish from the West Coast of the U.S. Chinese officials have agreed to meet next week with U.S. counterparts to discuss China’s import ban on shellfish harvested from Alaska, Washington, Oregon and part of California. China banned shellfish imports from most of the West Coast in December over concerns about contamination. The move has cost the shellfish industry in Washington hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Sewage spill could cost Greater Vancouver district $110,000
Spilling 650 cubic metres of raw sewage into the waters off Stanley Park will likely cost the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District $110,000. The district pleaded guilty this week to a violation under the Fisheries Act for dumping the untreated waste water into waters frequented by fish — in this case, into the waters off Brockton Point from the Chilco Pump Station. Kim Pemberton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Salmon fishing ocean limits at levels not seen since late ’70s
“Here we are in 2014, and it’s like a time machine going back to the good old days of salmon fishing,” says Tony Floor, director of fishing affairs for the Northwest Marine Trade Association. Mark Yuasa reports. (Seattle Times)

Wild Fish In Gene Banks, Hatchery Fish In Elwha — Why The Two-Headed Strategy?
Washington state has banned hatchery-raised steelhead from three tributaries of the Upper Columbia River basin. The aim of these so-called "gene banks" is to maintain strongholds for wild fish, and the state plans to designate additional gene banks in the future. So why were the state and federal governments back in court this week, defending the decision to place a new hatchery on the Elwha River as part of the dam removal process? Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Oil-by-rail bills die for lack of support by Senate majority
A bill slapping a 5-cent per barrel tax on crude oil entering Washington by rail car died in the state Senate late Thursday as lawmakers moved toward adjournment by midnight. Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen of Ferndale said it appeared a $300,000 study of oil-by-rail impacts in the state - which budget writers inserted into the supplemental budget - was the only move lawmakers would make this year to deal with the increasing oil traffic on state rail lines.... Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, said he was prepared to add amendments to Senate Bill 6567 that would have let the Department of Ecology collect better data on rail shipments from oil refineries. But Ericksen, who has close ties to the oil industry and has a refinery in his hometown, lacked votes from his caucus to bring the oil-fee measure to a floor vote - as long as Ranker and fellow Democrats were pushing amendments. Brad Shannon reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Exxon Valdez: disaster remembered, series of events in store
On March 24, 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez was steered onto a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, resulting in an oil spill of 11 million gallons of crude oil. The 25th anniversary of the disaster, a continuing environmental nightmare and human tragedy, will be memorialized in San Juan County with a series of events and activities beginning Friday, March 14, and ending with a unique oil spill simulation on March 24. The commemoration is being produced by the San Juans Alliance, a new consortium of the Lopez NO COALition, the Orcas NO COALition, the Friends of the San Juans and San Juan Islanders for Safe Shipping. (Journal of the San Juans)

'Wall of Whidbey' blocking 100 years of public beach access
The wealthy homeowner who built a wall to block a century of public access to a cherished Whidbey Island beach tells KOMO 4 News it's his land and he's got the documents to prove it. Bruce Montgomery, a successful developer of pharmaceuticals who lives in Medina, has two beach homes near Greenbank at the end of Wonn Road. And now there is a stone wall crossing the foot of Wonn Road that once extended an additional 15 yards providing access to the beach. He says there may have been 100 years of public access to the beach. But he says he has documents showing Island County has billed the landowners for taxes for 100 years as well. Jeff Burnside reports. (KOMO-TV)

Orca lovers mourn loss of dedicated researcher Kurt Musgrove
Orca lovers are mourning the loss of a dedicated whale researcher. Martin (Kurt) Musgrove is being remembered as a kind, considerate man who often hand-carved a wooden mushroom as a parting gift for fellow volunteers at OrcaLab, a remote B.C. orca monitoring station. “For the moment, we just want to share this incredibly sad news, so the many friends Kurt has made at OrcaLab over the past 30 years will know, and be able to remember him with us,” wrote Paul Spong and Helena Symonds on the OrcaLab blog. Ian Austin reports. (The Province)

Design of Port Angeles stormwater treatment system over budget by 50 percent
Design of a stormwater treatment system for 42 acres of Port of Port Angeles industrial property will cost $150,000 — 50 percent more than budgeted. Tenant lease rates and rates for users of the port's marine terminals and log yard might have to increase to help pay for the system, which is targeted for completion between 2015 and 2016 and does not yet have an estimated cost, port Engineer Chris Hartman said Wednesday. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12
 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN EARLY...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING S TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W
 SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
SUN
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 10 FT AT 20 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 12 FT AT 18 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.
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