6/24 Northern lights, BC LNG, Shell drill, garburators, Vic sewer

(PHOTO: Jay Cline/Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to watch: Northern lights dazzle in Vancouver after unusual solar flares
Vancouverites caught a rare glimpse of the northern lights on Monday night, due to an unusually strong solar storm on the surface of the sun. The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, are created by solar flares on the sun's surface that create gusts of solar winds that pass through the Earth's atmosphere causing particles to emit the brilliant colours. (CBC) See also: Aurora borealis lights leap up in North Olympic Peninsula skies

B.C. government plans rare summer legislature session for LNG deal
The B.C. government plans to have a rare summer sitting of the legislature to pass law changes that would clear the way for a controversial LNG facility near Prince Rupert. Finance Minister Mike de Jong announced Tuesday the legislature will be recalled on July 13, to debate legislation that would enable the project agreement signed between B.C. and Pacific NorthWest LNG, which is owned in majority by Malaysia's Petronas. Last month, Premier Christy Clark announced the agreement in principle with the energy giant to build a terminal on Lelu Island, south of Prince Rupert, which Clark said would mean $36 billion investment for the province. (CBC) See also: Petronas agrees to conduct more studies on B.C. terminal’s impact  (Globe and Mail)

Groups say Shell’s drilling plans don’t protect marine mammals
Environmental groups say that Shell’s plans for oil exploration this summer in the Chukchi Sea don’t comply with federal rules that seek to protect marine mammals. In a Tuesday letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, environmental groups said this represented a “fundamental flaw,” and that Shell should not be allowed to proceed with the summer drilling. The Interior Department’s 2013 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibit the drilling of wells within 15 miles of each other to minimize the cumulative effects of oil exploration on the walrus. The two wells that Shell wants to drill this summer are about 9 miles apart. (Seattle Times)

Metro Vancouver fears rising use of garburators will strain sewage plants
As Metro Vancouver prepares to impose fines to stop the dumping of organic food waste in the garbage, officials at the regional district now worry too many residents and businesses will instead use garburators to send the problem down the drain. As a result, Metro planners are now considering a ban on the installation of new food waste grinders by restaurants and other businesses, and they're mulling how to keep households from using garburators that are already widespread in newer homes. Using in-sink disposals to grind up food and flush it down the drain is convenient for people and businesses who don't have organic waste pickup service or don't want to use it. Jeff Nagel reports. (Peace Arch News)

Saanich rules out potential sewage-treatment site on ALR land
A 12-hectare property on Watkiss Way adjacent to Victoria General Hospital won’t be sent to the Capital Regional District for consideration as a sewage-treatment site, despite the urging of proponents who say it has strong potential. The privately owned forested rural property, part of the Agricultural Land Reserve, had to be vetted by Saanich council to be placed on the CRD’s list of possible sites, said Ray Parks, representing owner Allen Vandekerhove. Council voted 5-4 Monday night not to send the proposal to the CRD. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 830 PM PDT TUE JUN 23 2015
WED
LIGHT WIND BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 16 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
WED NIGHT
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT BUILDING TO 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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2/5 Boldt40, oil tax reform, Enbridge pipe, oil safety rules, Sally Jewell, ocean iron dump, herring

Boldt 40: a day of perspectives on the Boldt Decision
The treaty tribes in western Washington come together today to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Boldt Decision at the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Skookum Event Center. Agenda: Fine words will be spoken.

Correction: Georgia Strait Alliance alerts BC folks to make their application before February 12 to comment officially to the National Energy Board review of Kinder Morgan's proposal to expand its Trans Mountain Pipeline.  The clock is ticking- apply to take part in the Kinder Morgan hearings today

What Would Repealing an Accidental Tax Break Cost Oil Refineries?
Facing a Supreme Court order to fund public education, Governor Inslee and others have combed through the state tax code in search of outdated and perverse tax loopholes. Perhaps none of them is more bizarre than the “extracted fuel use tax exemption”—a purely accidental giveaway to oil refineries that costs the state $59 million each budget cycle. Oil companies are stalling to prevent paying the same taxes everyone else does, even though the cost of closing the loophole would represent only a tiny fraction—less than 1 percent—of their overall costs. Eric de Place reports.

Enbridge confident of Northern Gateway approval
Enbridge is so confident of a favourable decision by the federal government that it is already preparing to launch a procurement process for the Northern Gateway pipeline project. A Joint Review Panel recommended approval of the 1,200-kilometre project in mid-December, saying it would be in the best interest of Canadians. The federal cabinet has 180 days from the time it receives the report to make a final decision. Since the JRP announced its findings, the pipeline has come under increased attack, with several environmental groups and First Nations filing applications in Federal Court calling for a judicial review. Mark Hume reports.

Oil-by-rail regulations bill clears first House hurdle; Senate weighs study
Lawmakers in the House and Senate both agree more study is needed to counteract the growing public safety risk posed by increasing shipments of oil by rail tanker cars and marine waters. But the chambers are moving along quite different tracks to deal with a risk that is still hard to quantify. The House Environment Committee voted 8-to-5 along party lines Tuesday to approve Substitute House Bill 2347, which gives the Department of Ecology new rule-making authority to decide on tug escort requirements for shippers in Grays Harbor and along the Columbia River.  The measure from Democratic Rep. Jessyn Farrell of Seattle also requires oil refineries and recipients of shipments of oil to report quarterly to Ecology on oil shipments by railroad. But the measure was amended to ensure that data kept by Ecology is not released publicly in a way that identifies an individual refinery.... The Senate, meanwhile, heard a bill Tuesday from Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen of Ferndale that would require more study of the safety of shipping oil and hazardous materials over land routes as well over water routes. SB 6524 also would put $10 million toward the effort, which Ecology would be asked to complete by year’s end - a timeline that one agency manager said will be difficult. Brad Shannon reports. And: Safer oil trains: Legislature on collision course with itself  And: Crude Oil Train Oversight Divides Washington Legislature

Secretary Of The Interior Tours Mount Rainier
Hot on the heels of President Obama’s latest state of the union address, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, came home to Washington to meet with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service. But this wasn’t your usual boardroom PowerPoint session. The group snowshoed out to a snowy overlook to check out the Nisqually Glacier. That’s the source of the Nisqually River, which drains from the slopes of Mount Rainier out into Puget Sound. Ashley Ahearn reports. And: Jewell Visits Mount Rainier, Discusses Climate Change At UW Roundtable

Haida Gwaii ocean iron dump investigation to proceed
The lawyer for a company that conducted a controversial experiment in ocean fertilization to boost salmon populations off B.C.'s north coast maintains his clients have not violated any Canadian laws. In 2012, the Haida Salmon Restoration Corporation dumped about 100 tonnes of iron-rich dust into the ocean about 300 kilometres west of the islands of Haida Gwaii on B.C.'s West Coast. The corporation's lawyer Jay Straith said studies are underway to find out if the experiment worked, but the company has already seen encouraging signs.

Herring off Vancouver Island attract flocks of tourists
The annual herring spawn off Vancouver Island, which provides a feast for sea lions, migratory birds and many other marine species, is attracting a whole different species: tourists. After last year’s successful boat tours, the Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association is again selling the March spawn as a tourist attraction. This year, Deep Bay marine field station plans to run two three-hour boat excursions out of Union Bay on Sunday, March 2. The tours will take in not only the spawn, where the water turns milky blue, but also cruise by sea lions, Brant geese and other wildlife that converge for the feast. Sandra McCulloch reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED FEB 5 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PST TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 4 TO 5 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 25 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 13 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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12/27 ESA, Chickamauga, Kitamat pipe, Sally Jewell

Canary rockfish (WDFW)

Endangered Species Act marks 40 years  
Forty years after the passage of the federal Endangered Species Act, the state and Snohomish County remain squarely on the edge of that preservation frontier. More than 40 animal species in Washington are listed by the federal government as either endangered or threatened under the law, signed by President Richard Nixon on Dec. 28, 1973. Many others are listed as species of concern. Among creatures found in waters in and around Snohomish and Island counties, seven species of fish or marine mammals are listed under the act. Southern resident killer whales and bocaccio rockfish are listed as endangered. Puget Sound chinook salmon, Puget Sound steelhead, bull trout, yelloweye rockfish, canary rockfish and Pacific smelt are threatened. Bill Sheets reports.

Wash. may take custody of boat that sank in harbor  
Washington state officials may take custody of a boat that sank in a Bainbridge Island harbor... officials are taking action because they say the owner hasn't taken responsibility of the tugboat Chickamauga. The state Department of Natural Resources intends to take custody of the boat in mid-January. The state could then use or dispose of the vessel and the owner would be liable for the associated costs.

Kitimat chief wants jobs for people in town expecting bust-to-boom times
A decade ago, Kitamat Village in northwest British Columbia was broke as residents of the First Nations community faced non-existent job and economic development prospects.

Interior head Sally Jewell brings outsider’s perspective to job
In her journey from REI to the Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell is learning how to navigate Washington, D.C. Lenny Bernstein reports.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI DEC 27 2013
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 16 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG THIS MORNING. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 17 SECONDS.
 SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN.
SAT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 15 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 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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11/12 Whale talk, nearshore action, starfish deaths, Vic sewage, coal rules, Colquitz Cr., Sally Jewell

Northern Flicker (BirdNote)

If you like to listen: BirdNote-- Bird Feeders and Whaling Ships
In the opening lines of Moby Dick, the narrator, Ishmael, confesses to "a damp, drizzly November in my soul." One sure way to brighten November's damp and drizzly mood is to welcome birds into your yard with birdfeeders. Black-oil sunflower seed is especially popular. Hang suet in a wire cage to attract a Northern Flicker like this one. Then, just add water, and you're all set.

ALERT: Brad Hanson's presentation on 11/12 at C&P Coffee Company is sold out! Due to limited space, there won't be any tickets sold at the door.  If you didn't get a ticket, you can watch it online - the presentation will be posted later this week at thewhaletrail.org

What Are Killer Whales Saying?  
Carl Safina writes: "People who are listening to the killer whale calls in my previous posting are asking whether we have any idea yet of the meaning. Answer: not as language, but we do know some things. What we don’t know: We don’t know if they have words or language. We think they have signature calls (names) and recognize each other. We do know they can hear each other over tens of miles (about 30 miles, though some large whales such as fin and blue whales can hear each other over hundreds of miles)..." And then again: What Does the Fox Say? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

News Release: Strengthen Puget Sound Nearshore Protections, Local Watchdog Group Says
Sound Action and 14 environmental groups ask for— and get— public comment time for Hydraulic Code revisions extended from November 15 to December 13. Action is what it’s going to take to protect nearshore habitats and recover Puget Sound’s health. (Also see SoundActionNW on Facebook and “like” Sound!Action.)

Mystery disease might have hit Puget Sound starfish
An environmental advocate and photographer has made a troubling discovery on the shores of West Seattle that could be linked to a mysterious disease ravaging starfish along the entire West Coast. "Diver Laura" James posted a video documenting the death of more than 100 dead sea stars in the Brace Point area near Fauntleroy after stumbling upon them over the weekend. (http://vimeo.com/79076295) It's not known if they are tied to "sea star wasting disease." The widespread disease is being blamed for an epidemic along the coast from Alaska to Southern California. Josh Kerns reports.

CRD's sewage sweetener for Esquimalt aims to seal a deal
A tentative deal to give the Township of Esquimalt cash and a host of amenities in exchange for an unpopular sewage treatment plant will go before Greater Victoria politicians on Wednesday. The proposal, hammered out by senior staff from Esquimalt and the Capital Regional District, could clear one of the last hurdles for the $783-million sewage treatment project by settling a long-running zoning dispute at McLoughlin Point. The CRD is offering an annual $55,000 “community impact mitigation fee” for at least five years to compensate Esquimalt for the proposed plant, as well as stringent odour control, a promise to barge construction material to the site, a million-dollar bike and path system, public art and an oceanside walkway. Rob Shaw reports.

New EPA rules could throw a wrench into NW coal game  
This past Thursday, it seemed coal was on trial again in Seattle. About 250 people turned out, on a fiercely windy and rainy afternoon, for a meeting held by the U.S. EPA in the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building downtown. It was one of 11 “listening sessions” that the EPA has held around the country to gain public input on new rules for power plants and the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. Madeline Ostrander reports.

Bishops: Coal ports must get ‘exhaustive, independent review’
Huge proposed coal export terminals at Longview and Cherry Point, north of Bellingham, must get “exhaustive and independent review” of potential environmental, economic and climate change impacts, Washington’s four Catholic bishops said in a statement adopted Friday. The bishops have aligned themselves squarely with environmental and public health groups, and with Govs. Jay Inslee of Washington and John Kitzhaber of Oregon, in wanting evaluation of all consequences if the Northwest is to start exporting millions of tons of coal to China. Joel Connelly reports.

Colquitz Creek salmon run a fine kettle of fish
Despite all the threats it faces, Colquitz Creek in Saanich is thriving as a home for salmon. Colquitz is an urban stream under tremendous pressure from homes along its bank, storm drains that empty into it and runoff from farming and light industry. It weathered a number of spills in 2010-11, when some fish died but many others survived. On one day last week, volunteers counted 449 coho and two cutthroat trout — more than the entire run last year. Sandra McCulloch reports.

Interior secretary says Obama may bypass Congress on monuments
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says she will recommend that President Barack Obama act alone if necessary to create new national monuments and sidestep a gridlocked Congress that has failed to address dozens of public lands bills. Jewell said the logjam on Capital Hill has created a conservation backlog, and she warned that the Obama administration would not "hold its breath forever" waiting for lawmakers to act...Congress has not added any acreage to the national park or wilderness systems since 2010. Jewell blamed ramped-up rhetoric in Washington for the impasse. She said the appetite for preserving American historic and cultural sites remains high but some officials seek to avoid the appearance of publicly embracing more government protection. Julie Cart reports. See also: Sizing Up Sally Jewell

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 637 AM PST TUE NOV 12 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN TAPERING OFF TO SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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5/24 Skagit bridge, Ecology 'eyes,' Tzeporah Berman, Sally Jewell, Moby Doll, Haida iron sulfate dump

PHOTO: Frank Varga, Skagit Valley Herald

In case you missed this: No one is known to have died, but vehicles plunged into the water and three people were taken to the hospital after the Skagit River Bridge on Interstate 5 collapsed Thursday evening. The state Department of Transportation said its engineers are looking into an oversized, overheight vehicle striking a critical portion of the bridge span, spokesman Travis Phelps said. A large flatbed truck passed under the bridge, hitting several of the steel trusses on its way, Trooper Mark Francis of the State Patrol said. The truck came to a stop about 100 yards away from the structure on its south side, he said. Beverly Crichfield, Kate Martin, Lynsi Burton and Gina Cole report. Bridge collapse disaster, but no tragedy

Alas, Skagit Valley traffic using alternate routes to cross the river will feel like Tulip Time on steroids. Skagit County Sherriff Chief Will Reichert urged patience from Skagit County citizens unused to having I-5 traffic re-routed through small country roads. "We have some very small county roads that will be packed with traffic they're not used to seeing," Reichert said. No immediate fix for I-5 traffic woes  And former state Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond says, "I know the department is ready to respond.... The first order of business is to establish a detour for the over 70,000 vehicles that use I-5 in this area daily. This will require close coordination with the city and county on appropriate local roads that can accommodate a long-term diversion of freeway traffic..." How WSDOT will manage the I-5 collapse  

And more: Depending on its cause, Thursday night’s Skagit River bridge collapse might figure into discussions in Olympia about whether to raise gas taxes and fees to pay for transportation work. State transportation officials were unsure late Thursday why the bridge collapsed after it was struck by a truck carrying an oversize load. Lawmakers were unable to say what, if anything, the Legislature should do. Jordan Schrader reports. Lawmakers lack answers on bridge  

If you like to watch: The Washington Department of Ecology's Marine Monitoring Unit distributes a monthly report combining high resolution aerial photographs with satellite and ground-truthed monitoring data for Puget Sound surface conditions. Eyes Over Puget Sound: surface conditions report from May 20th, 2013

Tzeporah Berman, the eco-activist who gained notoriety a generation ago as a “whacked-out nature worshipper” for blockading logging roads during British Columbia’s divisive War in the Woods, was honoured Thursday at the University of B.C. with a doctorate. Berman’s evolution, from tree hugger to joining forest industry icons H.R. MacMillan and Peter Bentley, who have also received honorary doctorates from the university, marks the maturation not only of the B.C. environmental movement but of the ideals the university recognizes.... Berman was arrested and jailed in the summer of 1993 for organizing logging road blockades at Clayoquot Sound, at the time the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history. At that time, she was referred to on national TV as a “whacked-out nature worshipper.” A few years later, former B.C. premier Glen Clark called her an enemy of the state when she was leading the fight to restrict clearcut logging in the Great Bear Rainforest. Gordon Hamilton reports. UBC bestows doctorate on 'whacked-out nature worshipper' Tzeporah Berman

Interior Secretary Sally Jewel made her first public stop in the Northwest in Portland Thursday, six weeks into the job. The Seattleite and former REI chief executive‘s official business in Portland was to announce roughly $4 million in grants to give young people summer jobs in conservation and trail work. During her visit, she pitched in digging up invasive grasses on the edge of a wildlife refuge. Amelia Templeton reports. Jewell Makes First NW Return As Interior Secretary

A conference this weekend on Saturna Island will highlight changes in the attitude toward and treatment of orcas. The Moby Doll Symposium, which begins today and continues through Sunday in East Point Regional Park, will bring nine researchers to the island. The symposium is named after an orca, dubbed Moby Doll, that was captured in 1964 off the coast of Saturna and died in captivity three months later at the Vancouver Aquarium. The whale was the world’s first orca to be displayed in a public aquarium. Orcas the topic of Saturna conference

The Haida Salmon Restoration Corp., the group responsible for releasing 100 tonnes of iron sulphate in the international waters off Haida Gwaii, says it has also dumped its lead scientist Russ George. In a statement Thursday, the company’s board of directors announced George was removed as a director on the board and an officer of the corporation.... The group caused an international firestorm and came under intense scrutiny last October following the dump of 100 tonnes of iron sulphate and 20 tonnes of iron oxide some 350 kilometres off the Haida Gwaii archipelago in what would become known as the world’s largest — and unsanctioned — iron fertilization project. Zoe McKnight reports. Haida Salmon Restoration Corp. drops lead scientist ahead of second experiment

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAY 24 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS.
SAT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 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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4/11 Sally Jewell, Sound Action, BC bluebirds, Anne Shaffer, dandelions

(KOMO-TV)

New blog: “Gun safety is public safety and the U.S. Senate begins its deliberations this week. Our state legislature seems to have already tucked its head neatly into the sand on the issue, with state legislators going on a shooting junket last week. Maybe you need to handle a gun to have any cred in talking about gun safety as public safety...” Gimme That Gun! (Or, Lessons Guns Have Taught Me)

The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Sally Jewell as the new secretary of the Interior Wednesday, sending the REI chief executive to the helm of sprawling agency grappling with major decisions ranging from Arctic oil exploration to protection for the lesser prairie chicken. The 87-11 vote came three weeks after Jewell’s nomination passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee by a 19-3 vote and two months after President Obama made her the first woman picked for his second-term cabinet. Jewell, 57, is expected to be sworn in at the White House as early as Thursday and immediately replace Ken Salazar, who resigned to return to his ranch in Colorado. Kyung Song reports. Senate confirms Sally Jewell as Interior secretary

A new environmental group, called Sound Action, will serve as a “watchdog” to protect shoreline habitats throughout Puget Sound, according to Amy Carey, the group’s first executive director. Carey, who headed the group Preserve Our Islands, said the new group includes some of the same board members but has added new members to give the group a regional focus. Preserve Our Islands became known for its successful effort to stop a major gravel operation on Maury Island until the land could be purchased for protection. “We found out through our fight how broken the regulatory system is,” Carey said. “Agencies were rubber-stamping projects, and we found that DFW (the state Department of Fish and Wildlife), for whatever reason, was not applying fish windows. We had to take legal action against them.” Chris Dunagan reports. New Puget Sound 'watchdog' group formed

There will be bluebirds over the meadows of the Cowichan Valley this week and hopes are high that others will be flying in shortly. It’s the first sign bluebirds are returning to Vancouver Island. Three pairs of Western bluebirds flew into the sunset Monday evening after being released from aviaries in the Somenos-Quamichan Lake area. The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team is asking for help spotting the brightly coloured birds. Judith Lavoie reports.  Eyes turn to the sky for bluebirds’ return to Vancouver Island

A Port-Angeles-based marine biologist and one of the armada of scientists studying the ongoing Elwha River restoration project has been honored for her conservation efforts. Anne Shaffer, executive director of the Coastal Watershed Institute, has been named the 2013 Conservationist of the Year by the Society for Ecological Restoration's Northwest chapter, based in Seattle. Jeremy Schwartz reports. Port Angeles woman honored for conservation efforts


If you like to watch: Paul Wheaton says, "New video with Sepp Holzer, Toby Hemenway, Owen Hablutzel, Alexia Allen, Jacqueline Freeman, Eden Gal, Michael Pilarski and many more.  20 people total.  I think Norris Thomlinson said it best that it starts off as a weed, then it's a nutrient accumulator so you don't pull it anymore, then it turns out also be a food crop, then it turns out to be a major food crop and one of the most important things to grow in any garden." Dandelions in Permaculture

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU APR 11 2013
TODAY
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A
 CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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3/22 SJ National Monument, Sally Jewell, Ferndale garbage, Ucluelet arsenic, Nooksack water, Lisa Graumlich

President Obama plans to designate a national monument in the San Juan Islands, handing a long-sought victory to island residents and members of Washington’s congressional delegation. Obama will sign a proclamation Monday creating the monument, a White House official said Thursday. The action will provide permanent protections for nearly 1,000 acres of undeveloped federal lands on the islands, including Lopez Island’s Iceberg Point and Chadwick Hill and the Cattle Point Lighthouse on San Juan Island. Jim Brunner reports. Obama to designate national monument in San Juan Islands

New blog: “I’m still waiting to see what difference it makes paying to read the online version of the Seattle Times, Bellingham Herald, Skagit Valley Herald, The News Tribune of Tacoma, The Olympian, Vancouver Sun, Times-Colonist, and Globe and Mail makes— aside from paying for what previously didn’t cost me to read....” Pay To Read: Still Waiting

Sally Jewell's nomination as Interior Secretary won approval (Thursday) morning from the U.S. Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The committee voted 19-3 in favor of the Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) chief executive's nomination. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., a member of the committee, voted in favor of confirmation. Jewell's nomination by President Barack Obama will go before the full Senate for final approval. U.S. Senate committee approves Sally Jewell's Cabinet nomination


If it's in the garbage, then it's also getting on the paved grounds at Recycling and Disposal Services, a transfer station off Slater Road. So it may not be surprising that 17 samples at RDS from 2003 to 2006 exceeded accepted levels of lead, copper, zinc, acid, oil and other measures of unhealthy water. A Puget Sound environmental group took notice and threatened to sue. "RDS is a clean transfer station. It's not a dump," said Lee First, a RE Sources pollution prevention specialist and the tour guide on that stormy morning.  Ralph Schwartz reports. Garbage site in Ferndale cleaned up its act by reducing water pollution

The British Columbia government has shut down a marina and campground near Ucluelet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, after the discovery of high levels of arsenic, selenium and cobalt. Health officials say they are most concerned about arsenic in the Toquaht Bay marina and campground, which can be poisonous in small doses. Arsenic shuts Ucluelet campground and marina

Local Indian tribes sought federal legal action to clarify critical Whatcom County water rights issues more than 18 months ago, but so far there has been no response. The tribes contend that their fishing rights, recognized by the federal courts based on the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855, also contain a guarantee of Nooksack River water that is abundant enough and clean enough to support the salmon that spawn in the river and the shellfish in the tidelands that can be harmed by pollution. Local governments don't dispute that, but years of negotiations have failed to reach agreement on how much water must be left in the river and its many tributaries to maintain tribal fisheries. John Stark reports. Tribes waiting for answer to key Whatcom water rights question

Lisa Graumlich, Dean of the UW College of the Environment blogs: "When you think about saving Puget Sound in the 21st century, for example, it's not like you can find a single answer that will automatically extend its precious life. To be perfectly honest, these issues are just too big for one person or one lab to solve. The days of the one person, the "hero," who will save us all through research or advocacy are long over. Instead, we must rely on teams of excellent scientists doing cutting-edge research. They provide the base from which we can assess trade-offs while looking for solutions that embrace the full complexity of the environmental systems we live and work in today...." How to Tackle the Most Critical Environmental Issues of 2013

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAR 22 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING
TODAY
NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT
SW WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING SE 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 18 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 19 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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3/8 Fish pens, BC carbon tax, Sally Jewell, San Juans reserve, toxic food

(North Sound Baykeeper)

Baykeeper Intern Matt Schwartz blogs: Cherry Point by Kayak.  Mid-February 2013  

It’s technologically possible to raise salmon in closed containment pens but questions remain whether it’s financially viable for the aquaculture industry, says a parliamentary report released Thursday. The report, by members of the House of Commons’ standing committee on fisheries and oceans, was delivered Thursday and included testimony from all sides of the controversial issue of closed containment aquaculture. The committee, which began the study in 2011, heard arguments about the environmental impacts of farming salmon in open net pens and decided the data is inconclusive. “Substantial disagreement remains among scientists as to the significance of this issue,” says the report. “Much scientific research remains to be carried out and made publicly available in order to instill greater public confidence in the environmental management of the aquaculture industry.” Committee members also noted that closed containment will carry its own set of environmental impacts because of its carbon footprint. Recommendations to government include a study of the effect on coastal employment of a transition to closed containment. Judith Lavoie reports. Closed-pen fish farms offer challenges and opportunities: study

A coalition of environmental and clean energy groups is urging the province’s political parties to raise the carbon tax and expand its coverage to include the natural gas and cement industries as a way of generating an additional $1 billion in provincial revenues. Better Future British Columbia, a coalition of five groups, said its proposal to raise the tax, is the key element of its plan to put climate change back on the political agenda leading up to the May 14 general election. B.C. was a leader in implementing a carbon tax five years ago but since then, has let the climate change issue slip to the point that other countries are now taking the lead, said Merran Smith, of Clean Energy Canada, the clean energy arm of the Tides Canada Foundation. Gordon Hamilton reports.  Environmental coalition urges B.C. to raise and expand carbon tax

Recreational Equipment Inc. chief executive officer Sally Jewell worked Thursday to convince Republican senators rattled by her leadership in conservation groups that she supports fossil fuel development and should be the nation’s next interior secretary. “Many people, as they enjoy the outdoors, jump in a car to get there,” she said at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. But Jewell also pledged to support renewable energy and said climate change is not in debate. “There is no question in my mind it is real and that the scientific evidence backs it up,” Jewell told the senators. Sean Cockerham reports. Interior nominee Sally Jewell tells Senate she'll balance development, conservation

Washington state's congressional delegation joined forces this week in reintroducing legislation that would designate 1,000 acres of land and some entire islands in the San Juans as a national conservation area. In addition, U.S. Reps. Rick Larson (2nd Dist.) and Suzan DelBene (1st District), and democratic senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell recently sent a letter to President Obama asking once again that he use the presidential powers provided by the Antiquities Act of 1906 to register the lands and islands as a national monument. State's U.S. delegation renews 'Conservation Area' designation quest See also:  Lawmakers push for protection of San Juans land  

A Tacoma radiator shop has been fined $40,000 for “dangerous waste violations,” according to the state Department of Ecology. Performance Radiator, 2705 South Tacoma Way, is working to fix a 3-by-3-foot hole in the floor of the shop that was allowing high levels of lead, copper and zinc to leak in to the environment. The repair shop is in the South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District and is adjacent to a well. Tacoma radiator shop hit with $40,000 fine for violations

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have discovered phthalates, industrial chemicals, in common foods purchased in the United States. Phthalates can be found in a variety of products and food packaging material, child-care articles and medical devices. "Although it's not completely understood how phthalates get into our food, packaging may be a contributor to the levels of the toxin in food," said lead investigator Arnold Schecter, M.D., M.P.H., professor of environmental health at The University of Texas School of Public Health Dallas Regional campus, part of UTHealth. Industrial Chemicals Found in Food Samples

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 238 PM PST THU MAR 7 2013
FRI
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 16 SECONDS.
FRI NIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
SAT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 15 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told