11/19 Statoil drill, sea rise, BC scallops, greenhouse gas, San Juan ridge, derelict boats, Fort Nisqually

Great Gray Owl (BirdNote)

The Ears of an Owl
Exactly where are an owl's ears? Well, the eyes of this Great Gray Owl are set in a broad, dish-shaped face. Ridges of tiny hair-like feathers rim the owl's face, creating "facial disks." Just below the margins of the facial disks, concealed by feathers, are the openings to the owl's ears. The facial disk acts as a sound collector — like an old-fashioned ear trumpet — and guides sound to asymmetrically placed ears. There's always more to learn about owls' ears! (BirdNote)

Another big global oil company abandons plans for Arctic offshore drilling in Alaska
The government-owned Norwegian firm Statoil said Tuesday it is pulling out of oil leases in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, just two months after Shell Oil abandoned its $7 billion Arctic program after drilling an unsuccessful well…. The company cited “recent exploration results in neighboring leases,” a direct reference to Shell’s failure. Statoil is walking away from 16 leases along with 50 stakes in ConocoPhillips leases. The leases were due to expire in 2020. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

If you dare to watch: The Coming of Climate Change and Mass Inundation of the Puget Sound
The progressive change that sea level rise could have locally is obvious. Entire communities like low-laying Georgetown and South Park could be swept away. Pioneer Square could finally sink back into Elliott Bay. And even Seattle's industrial economic engines south of Downtown — as widespread as the Green River Valley — could be permanently submerged. Only the freeways of I-5 and I-405 that once served them would remain, and that's merely because they're on higher ground. Stephen Fesler reports. (The Urbanist)

The B.C. Scallop Farmer's Acid Test
Rob Saunders points a flashlight into the depths of an immense plastic tank at his hatchery, illuminating millions of scallop larvae as tiny as dust particles. "Think of these as canaries in a coal mine," says the marine biologist turned embattled shellfish farming CEO. It is here at Island Scallops' facility in Qualicum Beach, located just inland from British Columbia’s shellfish farming epicentre of Baynes Sound, that ocean acidification wreaked havoc. Beginning in 2011, the company's scallop brood stock (adult shellfish bred over 25 years to be disease-resistant and exceptionally meaty), began to die. Christopher Pollon reports. (The Tyee)

Washington State Plowing Ahead With Greenhouse Gas Limits
The administration of Washington Governor Jay Inslee is moving ahead with a plan to limit greenhouse gas pollution from the state's largest industrial sources. State regulators fielded dozens of questions Wednesday about the efficacy, design and compliance costs of the proposal to slow climate change…. In late summer, Governor Inslee asked the Ecology Department to develop quickly what he called a "cap and reduce program." The carbon pollution limit ratchets down over time. Tom Banse reports. (KUOW)

Another Mount Constitution? Islanders unite to preserve San Juan ridge for views, trails
Approached on a winding road that leads from Friday Harbor, squat Mount Grant is cloaked under a canopy of old-growth trees, shrouding it from islanders who live on the pastoral lands at its feet. Virtually unbeknown to neighbors, it has long held one of the island’s great secrets: the 740-foot ridge’s spectacular views, taking in postcard vistas of surrounding islands, the Olympic Mountains, Mount Baker, the Twin Sisters — and, on a clear day, Mount Rainier and Glacier Peak…. Mount Grant has the potential to be the Mount Constitution of San Juan Island, said San Juan Preservation Trust executive director Tim Seifert, referring to the famed viewpoint on neighboring Orcas Island. Tan Vinh reports. (Seattle Times)

Victoria won’t make waves on derelict boat problem
Victoria will take a “slow and steady” approach to clearing out derelicts and other boats moored in the Gorge waterway, says Mayor Lisa Helps…. The city has been working for about two years to find a way to deal with the boats, some derelict, anchored just northwest of the Selkirk Trestle off Banfield Park. In the summer of 2014, councillors adopted a bylaw to rezone the waterway for recreational use only. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Future of Fort Nisqually public input wanted
Metro Park Tacoma is looking for public input on the future of Fort Nisqually. The board recently approved the Point Defiance Park Master Plan, so the next phase is public meetings to help refine programs and improvements on several focus areas within in the park…. Stepping into Fort Nisqually is like stepping back in time and seeing what life was like pre-Civil War. Fort Nisqually first opened in 1833, even before Washington was a state. British-based Hudson's Bay Co. established the first non-native settlement in the Puget Sound Region. The living and walking museum runs some amazing programs, camps, and tours. Teresa Yuan reports. (KING)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 316 AM PST THU NOV 19 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
NE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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9/2 Orca protection, Malahat LNG, Janet Holder, Clean Water, fed election, jellyfish, derelict boats

July 31, 2015 (Elaine Thompson/AP)

Patrols keep US boaters in line, protect killer whales
Against a backdrop of rocky bluffs, a pod of orcas jumped out of the emerald waters of the Puget Sound before splashing their massive black-and-white bodies back into the water. Shadowing the whales on a recent afternoon were several recreational and commercial whale-watching boats that ferry people out to watch the orcas breach, one of nature's most impressive spectacles. But the combination of boats and whales has state and federal authorities worried now that the Southern Resident pod of killer whales has four new calves. Manuel Valdes reports. (Associated Press)

Agreement signed for 128km pipeline to service Malahat LNG facility
The Island Gas Connector Project would be an independent pipeline that would transport natural gas 52.8 kilometres from Sumas, Washington to Cherry Point, Washington, then 75.2 kilometres under water to the proposed Malahat LNG Project in the Saanich Inlet. Steelhead LNG has signed a pre-construction agreement with United States pipeline developer Williams to commence with the design and regulatory approvals for the Island Gas Connector Project. Environmentalists are concerned that an undersea pipeline could be built through B.C. waters and particularly the sensitive Saanich Inlet. April Lawrence reports. (CHEK)

Janet Holder, public face of the Northern Gateway pipeline project, dies
Janet Holder, who rose to prominence as the project leader for Enbridge's controversial Northern Gateway Pipeline project, has died of leukemia…. Holder was named Enbridge executive vice president of Western Access in 2011, and soon afterwards, relocated from Toronto back to her home town of Prince George. She became a recognizable face to many after fronting a number of folksy-themed television ads promoting the pipeline project.

Obama's Clean Water Act rule faces deepening opposition  
A federal judge in North Dakota has provided the stiffest challenge yet to a new rule from the Obama Administration that aims to protect ecologically-vital temporary waterways. Last week, US District Judge Ralph Erickson in Fargo issued a temporary injunction to stop the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers from regulating the waterways under a reinterpretation of the Clean Water Act. But the scope of the injunction remains unclear. While the EPA argues that it only applies to the 13 states that sued, the North Dakota attorney who filed the request on their behalf says it applies to all 50 states. Michael Holtz reports. (Christian Science Monitor) See also: Why The EPA’s Clean Drinking Water Rule Is So Controversial  Emily Atkin reports. (ThinkProgress.Org)

Federal election a 3-way race in Metro Vancouver; Marine protection a top issue for voters in the upcoming federal election
To live in B.C.'s Lower Mainland is to live on the water, whether it's the commuters who speed over the Fraser River each day or the dog walkers strolling the seawall around Vancouver each night. And it's the waterfront providing a backdrop to many key election issues here, from the affordability of living along it to how it's used to send natural resources abroad. (Stephanie Levitz reports. (Canadian Press)

Marine animal colony is a multi-jet swimming machine, scientists report
The University of Oregon's Kelly Sutherland has seen the future of under-sea exploration by studying the swimming prowess of tiny jellyfish gathered from Puget Sound off Washington's San Juan Island. n a paper with four colleagues in the Sept. 2 issue of the journal Nature Communications, Sutherland details how a tiny type of jellyfish - colonial siphonophores - swim rapidly by coordinating multiple water-shooting jets from separate but genetically identical units that make up the animal. (Phys.Org)

DNR cleans local waterways of sunken, derelict, abandoned boats
A double-masted sailboat and a WWII-era tugboat disappeared from local waters in August — and most people probably consider it good riddance. A state Department of Natural Resources program that works to remove abandoned boats from waterways around the state has focused of late on the Everett area. Contractors will remove seven derelict vessels from local sloughs and riverbanks, if all goes as planned. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED SEP 2 2015
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS. A
 SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN
 THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS 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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8/17 Bulkheads, pinks, Vic sewer, shellfish, green fund, oil train, ospreys, sea stars, sunk boat, Marina Beach

(PHOTO: Hugh Shipman/Dept. Of Ecology)

Have we turned the corner on Puget Sound bulkhead construction?
Chris Dunagan blogs: "It’s hard to describe the surprise I felt when I first glanced at a new graph plotting bulkhead construction and removal along Puget Sound’s shoreline since 2005. On the graph was a blue line that showed how new bulkhead construction had declined dramatically the past two years. But what really caught my eye was a green line showing an increase in bulkhead removal. Amazingly, these two lines had crossed each other in 2014, meaning that the total length of bulkheads removed had exceeded the total length of bulkheads built last year. Not only was this the first time this has ever happened, it was totally unexpected. Few people really believed that bulkhead removal could exceed construction anytime soon." (Watching Our Water Ways)

Interest flags in pink salmon fishery at Dungeness River mouth after number of returning fish turns out lower
Interest has waned in a pink salmon fishery at the mouth of the Dungeness River now that the numbers originally expected haven’t developed, said the natural resources director for the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe. The beach seine fishery, in which weighted nets are used to pull fish to shore, was developed by co-managers of the Jamestown S’Klallam, Port Gamble S’Klallam and Point No Point Treaty Council and approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to weed out some of the 1.3 million pinks expected to return this season, said Scott Chitwood on Friday. Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Crews deepen channels to help struggling salmon amid drought Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Technical panel to oversee CRD sewage project
The capital region’s sewage committee has created a technical oversight panel that didn’t exist under the Seaterra program, in hopes of avoiding another failed project. The six-member panel will provide independent vetting of the engineering, business case, lifecycle costing and other project analysis. The committee has also hired a fairness and transparency adviser to handle any complaints about the process. In addition, the committee agreed to pay $250,000 for the next step in technical support, detailed cost analysis and engineering work by Urban Systems and Carollo Associates. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

New sensor system monitors water temperature for shellfish safety
In the ongoing effort to reduce “bad oyster” illnesses, the state Department of Health recently installed 13 sensors along the shoreline. One of the sensors was installed in Samish Bay with the help of Taylor Shellfish Farms. Samish Bay averages at least one case of vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria-related illness each year, according to Department of Health data. As of this week, the sensors are sending real-time water temperature, air temperature and salinity data to nanoos.org, which is run by Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems. The goal is to help commercial and recreational shellfish harvesters, as well as the state, keep a closer eye on water conditions. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Biotoxin infesting part of Hood Canal usually free of it
.... The Department of Health found high levels of the marine biotoxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning in Hood Canal early this summer, leading the state to close several beaches in Jefferson and Mason counties to shellfish harvest, many for the first time. Aria Shephard Bull reports. (Kitsap Sun) See also: More shellfish harvest closures in effect in Clallam County; shut areas stretch from Cape Flattery to Jefferson line  (Peninsula Daily News)

Federal conservation money for iconic parks in jeopardy
A 50-year-old government fund that’s helped preserve Mount Rainier National Park, historical sites in the San Juan Islands, and the Mountains to Sound Greenway in Washington state is in danger of disappearing because of funding disputes in Congress. The Land and Water Conservation Fund has paid for $637 million in conservation and recreation projects in Washington state, and nearly $17 billion in work across the nation ranging from the Gettysburg civil war battlefield to the Grand Canyon to the Florida Everglades. The money comes from royalties that oil companies pay the government for offshore drilling rights, not with taxpayer dollars. But the fund is set to expire Sept. 30 unless reauthorized by Congress – and with Congress on vacation until Sept. 8 the chances are not looking good. Sean Cockerham reports. (McClatchy)

Experts say best plan for oil train fire is evacuation and containment
Each oil tanker car that passes through Snohomish County carries about 33,000 gallons. Multiply that by 100 to 110 cars per train. Often, it's Bakken crude oil, which is easier to refine but far more volatile. The Pacific Northwest now is averaging 2.5 loaded oil trains per day, most headed toward refineries in Skagit and Whatcom counties. Local firefighters have been talking about how they can be prepared if one turns into a fireball. The message from experts is that, most likely, local firefighters won't be able to extinguish the flames. Instead, their focus will be evacuating the area and keeping the fire from spreading into buildings, said Brad Reading, an assistant chief at Snohomish County Fire District 1. In his district, the railroad tracks run through downtown Edmonds and along steep waterfront bluffs toward Everett. Rikki King reports. (Everett Herald)

Anti-pipeline campaigners grab onlookers’ attention with environmental street theatre
Anti-pipeline campaigners with the Sierra Club spent Sunday morning at English Bay, trying to grab the attention of selfie-snapping tourists with a little environmental street theatre. The performance was an attempt to dramatize the some of the predicted health impacts of an oil spill if Kinder Morgan is allowed to go through with its planned expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Bethany Lindsay reports. (Vancouver Sun)

If you like to watch: Birdwatching 2.0: Webcam keeps an eye on UVic ospreys
A University of Victoria webcam documenting the round-the-clock activity of a family of ospreys has become a hit on campus and online, drawing viewers from around the world. Video of the ospreys has been streaming live since early July, netting as many as 1,000 views a day. Thanks to a webcam placed in view of the nest, which is located atop a soccer field light standard near the school’s Centennial Stadium, followers are being given a rare glimpse into the daily activities of the birds of prey…. The webcam can be viewed by visiting uvic.ca/osprey. Mike Devlin reports. (Times Colonist)

Volunteers provide crucial surveys of sea stars to monitor a mysterious, devastating disease
Michael Kyte and his team were more than an hour into their search when they spotted their first dying sea star. The orange mottled sea star had two detached arms and exposed white flesh — telltale signs of sea star wasting syndrome. A semi-retired biology consultant from Seattle, Kyte has been leading volunteer groups to track signs of sea star wasting at Camano Island State Park since the spring of 2014. This was the first diseased specimen they had found in more than a year…. Kyte's group is one of seven citizen-science groups monitoring sea star populations in Washington's intertidal zones. Other observers contribute data from points stretching from Anchorage, Alaska, down to Baja California. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald) See also: Will the sea stars ever be able to recover?  Anna Meyer reports. (Islands' Weekly)

State fines Brinnon boat owner more than $16,000 for spill after sinking; DNR presents $123,446 bill for vessel’s recovery
The state Department of Ecology has fined the owner of Avalon, a 1929 wooden purse seiner, $16,244 after it sank and spilled diesel near Brinnon on Sept. 14. The owner, Randall Schleich, 56, of Brinnon, said he plans to partially contest the ruling, although he said he doesn’t have the resources to hire legal counsel and accepts responsibility for the spill. “I am going to contest it because I can’t afford to pay it,” he said. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Whale Watcher: Orca Network volunteer passionate about tracking whales from Whidbey’s shores
Rachel Haight admits that her passion for orca whales borders on obsession. Even her 6-year-old daughter Lily will shake her head at the suggestion of another car trip to catch a whale sighting…. Haight, who lives in Oak Harbor, is a sighting volunteer with the Langley-based Orca Network who’s been very busy lately. Ron Newberry reports. (Whidbey News-Times)

Marina Beach Master Plan public hearing on Edmonds City Council agenda for Tuesday
After taking a week off to celebrate Edmonds’ 125th anniversary, the Edmonds City Council will hold both a business meeting and study session this Tuesday, including a public hearing on the draft master plan for redesigning Marina Beach to accommodate the daylighting of Willow Creek through the Edmonds Marsh and into Puget Sound. (My Edmonds News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON AUG 17 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 6 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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1/30 Navy pier, Lolita, whale show ban, Jpod travels, Polley mine, Keystone Okd, Shell drill, derelict boats, deer cull, Willow Cr.

Lion’s Mane medusa (Laurie MacBride)

Beauty on a Dark Day
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Cruising on the remote, outer Central Coast of BC, we had anchored in a cove on Stryker Island. It was an utterly gray day with an almost steady rain, so I declined the invitation to go paddling. Taking some “alone time” in the relatively dry confines of our boat seemed the better option. When the rain finally stopped for a few minutes, I ventured out to the foredeck with my camera, in case anything interesting could be found among the copious bits of seaweed, wood and other debris that were floating by in the current. To my delight, a large orange jellyfish was undulating towards the boat…."

Navy unveils plans for pier, facilities on Port Angeles' Ediz Hook
The U.S. Navy has disclosed formal plans for constructing a pier and support facilities for berthing seven submarine-escort vessels on Ediz Hook. An environmental assessment is underway for the three potential sites at the end of the long, narrow spit along shoreline occupied by Coast Guard Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles, home to more than 250 Coast Guard personnel. But one of the three alternatives for the $16.7 million project that was revealed in early 2014 continues to draw the ire of diving enthusiasts, area tribes and the Puget Sound Pilots, according to Peninsula Daily News interviews conducted this week. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Lolita’s Fate Unclear As Decision Looms Over Captive Orcas
he fate of the killer whale known as Lolita looms as a decision from the federal government is expected soon. For years, animal activists have campaigned to free Lolita who was captured from Puget Sound waters in 1970 and has been performing at Miami Seaquarium in Florida for over four decades.,,, A decision from the federal government is expected as early as next week. (CBS)

Washington Lawmaker Proposes Ban On Whale, Dolphin Performances  
SeaWorld is famous for its choreographed dolphin and Orca whale performances. Now a Washington state lawmaker wants to make sure what happens at SeaWorld stays at SeaWorld. Washington state Sen. Kevin Ranker introduced legislation to prohibit marine mammal shows in Washington. Austin Jenkins reports. (KPLU)

J pod killer whales still making the rounds, mostly up to the north
Over the past week, J pod continued to hang out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and general San Juan Islands area, as revealed by a satellite transmitter attached to J-27, a 24-year-old male named Blackberry. For the past month, J pod has remained in the inland waterways, traveling from the mouth of the Strait up into the Canadian Strait of Georgia, approaching Campbell River. J pod is one of the three orca pods that frequent Puget Sound. The location of K and L pods remains largely unknown among whale researchers. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Mount Polley report into cause of spill expected Friday
An independent report on the cause of the Mount Polley tailings spill is scheduled to be released Friday morning. When the dam at the Mount Polley tailings pond breached last August, it released 10 billion litres of water and 4.5 million cubic metres of metals-laden sand, contaminating lakes, creeks and rivers near the town of Likely in the province's interior.  (CBC)

Bellingham, Northwest Jobs Alliance respond to Lummi’s coal terminal letter
This week, the City of Bellingham and the Northwest Jobs Alliance have both written letters following up on Lummi Nation’s letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Senate passes bill approving Keystone XL oil pipeline  
The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday approved a bipartisan bill to construct the Keystone XL oil pipeline, defying a presidential veto threat and setting up the first of many battles with the White House over energy and the environment. Dina Cappiello reports. (Associated Press)

Shell poised to resume drilling off North Slope
Shell Oil plans to resume exploratory oil drilling in the Arctic waters off Alaska this summer. The decision could create local jobs by turning a Seattle port terminal into an fleet hub, but environmental groups are opposed to a lease now under negotiation. Hal Bernton and Coral Garnick report. (Seattle Times)

More Oil Trains Could Roll Through Puget Sound To Shell Refinery
Shell Oil wants to build more tracks at its refinery in Anacortes, Washington, to receive oil by rail. At a packed hearing in Skagit County on Thursday, more than 100 people turned up to comment on the proposal. Shell’s refinery in Anacortes is the last of Washington’s five oil refineries to apply for permits to receive oil by rail from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix) See also: Proposed Oil-By-Rail Expansion At Shell’s Anacortes Refinery Drawing Crowds  Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

County officials identify 18 problem boats; three considered ‘derelict’
A two-day survey of Kitsap County’s shoreline identified 90 boats moored on buoys, at anchor or aground — and 18 of them were found to have some kind of problem, according to Richard Bazzell of the Kitsap Public Health District. … Of the 18 vessels with problems, three were declared “derelict” boats with a high risk of sinking or polluting the water, based on criteria developed by the state’s Derelict Vessel Removal Program. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Oak Bay gets permit for cull of 25 deer
Oak Bay has received its permit to cull 25 deer, but Mayor Nils Jensen is keeping tight-lipped about the details. “We’re not disclosing when it’s going to begin or where it’s going to begin,” said Jensen, adding that receipt of the permit from the province is “just another step in the process.” …. Kelly Carson, of DeerSafe Victoria, was not surprised by the issuance of the permit. But she said the secrecy surrounding the cull is very telling. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Edmonds receives $157K grant for Willow Creek
The City of Edmonds will receive a $157,331 grant from the State of Washington Recreation and Conservation office, Salmon Recovery Funding Board to continue work on the Willow Creek “daylighting” project. The grant is part of $18 million given to organizations around the state for projects that restore and protect salmon habitat….. The city will use this grant along with city funds to prepare a preliminary design and permit applications for a daylighted channel from Edmonds Marsh, under BNSF railroad tracks, and across Marina Beach to Puget Sound. (Edmonds Beacon)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI JAN 30 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT THIS MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 2 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE
 MORNING.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG AFTER
 MIDNIGHT.
SAT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
SAT NIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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12/12 Elwha, storm, Rhapsody necropsy, lake vs. estuary, bad oyster, BC pipe, vessel demolition

(Edmonds Beacon)

An artist’s voice for salmon

The illusion of light illuminating the waters of the Puget Sound has been captured by a local artist who created a fabric installation to alter the space of Edmonds’ shorelines and bring awareness to the plight of salmon. “I’ve lived in Edmonds my whole life,” artist Marni Muir said, “and am deeply committed to the Edmonds way of life”…. Muir, 64, temporarily displayed the 5-yard untitled “altered space fabric piece” along the Edmonds waterfront, and draped it over a section of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks and the tall, billowing grasses of the Edmonds Marsh. She said current waterfront developments have created blocked pathways for salmon, making it impossible for them to complete their spawning cycle. Laura Daniali reports. (Edmonds Beacon)

If you like to watch: Elwha River at flood stage 12/9 and 12/10
John Gussman treats us to a short clip of some of the flooding on the river this week.

BC Hydro power outages affect thousands after wind storm  (CBC) Storm is over, but thousands still without power  (KING)

Orca necropsy shows fetus died first: report
A 19-year-old orca whose body was found last week off Courtenay had a near full-term fetus disintegrating in her uterus, says a preliminary necropsy report from the Center for Whale Research. It appears the fetus died some time before the mother, said Kenneth Balcomb, executive director and principal investigator at the centre in Friday Harbor, Washington. The mother’s death was probably caused by difficulties trying to expel the fetus, he said…..During the necropsy, Balcomb observed that the whale’s blubber layer was relatively thin and dry of oil, indicating that J-32 existed on an inadequate diet for an extended period. He noted that her spleen was enlarged and there was an enlarged lymph node adjacent to the uterus, which suggests something had been wrong for a while. Louise Dickson reports. (Times Colonist)

Lake-estuary impasse will be tough to break
Capitol Lake sits at the center of a years-long debate over a complex public policy issue in Olympia: Should it remain a lake, or be restored as an estuary? A new report says collaboration among key players is the best way to find a solution for managing the 260-acre man-made reservoir. However, collaboration will be difficult at best with the estuary camp wanting the Fifth Avenue Dam removed and the lake supporters wanting it to stay, the report went on to say. The two groups’ dueling science and financial cost estimates for the lake-estuary options are other barriers to collaboration. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Raw oysters sicken 12, prompt shellfish harvest closure and recall
Washington state health officials have ordered an emergency harvest closure and a multistate recall of all shellfish from a portion of Mason County’s Hammersley Inlet after at least a dozen people who ate raw oysters became ill. Norovirus is suspected in the illnesses reported last month; laboratory tests confirmed the infection in two people, health officials said. The recall announced Thursday includes nearly 4,000 dozen oysters and nearly 3,000 pounds of Manila clams from the area processed from Nov. 10 to Dec. 5. The shellfish was sent to a dozen states including Oregon, Nevada, Florida, Minnesota, Illinois, California, New York, Maine, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia. JoNel Aleccia reports. (Seattle Times)

Pipeline expansion proposal in B.C. has Washington groups worried, too
Kinder Morgan’s plans to boost the export of Alberta tar sands oil to Asia through its British Columbia pipeline picked up more opposition south of the border Tuesday when Seattle-based Sightline Institute released research critical of the company’s safety and environmental record. The report adds to aggressive efforts by the U.S.-based nonprofit Forest Ethics and environmental groups in the San Juan Islands to stop Kinder Morgan from expanding its Trans Mountain pipeline in southern British Columbia. Floyd McKay reports. (Crosscut)

San Juan tops in state demolition 'turn-in' program; five dismantled in two days time
Tearing apart a boat that’s past its prime is nothing new for Michael Durland. In fact, it’s more akin to business as usual at Orcas Island’s Deer Harbor Boatworks, where, over the course of two days, Nov. 13-14, Durland and crew demolished five boats whose owners had surrendered various vessels they could no longer maintain or dispose of themselves to the grindstone of the state-funded voluntary turn-in program coordinated by San Juan County’s derelict vessel removal program. Scott Rasmussen reports. (San Juan Journal)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 301 AM PST FRI DEC 12 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 10
 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 15 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SUN
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 16 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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11/26 Port Susan, Burnaby Mtn, oil port, BC LNG, sunk vessels, Carlsborg sewer, breed ban, coal suit, Pebble Mine, whale meat

If you like to watch: Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area
The Snohomish Marine Resources Committee recently completed a video featuring the Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area. Videographer Faith Haney interviewed farmers, MRC staff, Stillaguamish Tribe staff and Port Susan residents who have highlighted the importance of Port Susan for both people and marine resources.

Kinder Morgan Burnaby work site arrests now include 84-year-old librarian
An 84-year-old retired librarian said she was willing to violate a court injunction and go to jail, and she was arrested Tuesday as she and other anti-pipeline protesters crossed a court-ordered no-go line in Burnaby, B.C. Barbara Grant joined activists on Burnaby Mountain, east of Vancouver, to demonstrate against Kinder Morgan's proposed plan to nearly triple its pipeline capacity to transport Alberta oil to British Columbia. (CBC)

Proposed oil terminal would be biggest in volume
By any measure, the size of the proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver [WA] is eye-catching. The oil-by-rail facility would handle an average of 360,000 barrels of crude per day, or up to four oil trains daily. The terminal would dwarf anything currently operating in Washington. In fact, at full capacity, the proposal known as Vancouver Energy would handle more oil by rail than any single facility in the United States, according to an analysis of crude-by-rail terminals by The Columbian. Eric Florip reports. (Columbian)

BC Ferries expects to save millions by converting largest vessels to LNG
BC Ferries plans to convert its two largest vessels to liquefied natural gas in an effort to save fuel costs after sinking $126 million into marine diesel fuel last year. The company announced Tuesday that it has the BC Ferries commissioner’s approval to upgrade the Swartz Bay-to-Tsawwassen route ships. (Canadian Press)

Petronas-led LNG project clears B.C. environmental hurdles
he B.C. government has granted environmental approval for two natural gas pipelines and Petronas’s proposed liquefied natural gas plant near Prince Rupert. The environmental assessment certificates come with a variety of conditions to mitigate the effect to local wildlife, forests and marine life. They do not necessarily mean the projects will be built, as the companies involved have yet to make final investment decisions on the multi-billion-dollar pipelines and facilities proposed as part of their LNG ambitions. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Tax dollars used to clean up floating toxic junkyards
They're left tied up to docks, pulled up on beaches and sometimes sent to the bottom of Puget Sound. When a boat becomes too expensive or too far gone to maintain, some owners simply leave them in the water. Taxpayers are picking up the bill. “At any given time we have about 150 reported to us. That number hasn't seemed to change over the years even though we've removed over 500 boats in 10 years,” said Melissa Ferris with the Washington state Department of Natural Resources. Kevin McCarty reports. (KIRO)

‘A big milestone:’ Carlsborg sewer pact approved
Clallam County and the city of Sequim have approved a long-term pact that secures wastewater treatment for the unincorporated hamlet of Carlsborg. In a joint meeting Monday night in Sequim, the Board of County Commissioners and Sequim City Council unanimously passed a 30-year interlocal agreement for the county’s use of the city’s sewer. The agreement outlines the county’s right to discharge wastewater into the city’s water reclamation facility and the city’s right to get paid for it. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Oregon, Washington Prison Inmates Enlisted To Help Endangered Plants & Animals
In a growing number of Northwest prisons, inmates are rearing endangered plants, butterflies, turtles and frogs for release in the wild. It started just over a decade ago at a minimum security prison near Olympia. Now inmates at four Washington prisons and three in Oregon are raising dozens of different types of plants, insects and animals to use in restoration, many of them rare or endangered. Tom Kaye directs the Institute for Applied Ecology, one of the partners in the Oregon Sustainability in Prisons Project. He said the advantages of working in prisons outweigh the security complications. Tom Banse reports. (Northwest News Network)

Paul Allen bankrolls federal lawsuit to limit coal mining
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is making a big investment in fighting climate change, by bankrolling a lawsuit that aims to limit coal mining on federal lands. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by Friends of the Earth and the Western Organization of Resource Councils against the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is being completely financed by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Steve Wilhelm reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Judge puts brakes on EPA’s action against Alaska’s Pebble Mine
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Environmental Protection Agency from taking action against a massive Alaska mining project that the agency says could be catastrophic for the best run of wild salmon remaining on the planet. Fishermen in Washington state and Alaska, along with tribal groups, environmentalists, chefs and even jewelers have fought the proposed Pebble Mine for years and thought it dead. But the ruling gives at least some temporary hope to the Canadian developers of the project. The ruling by Judge Russel Holland stops the EPA from taking action until he makes a decision on Pebble’s lawsuit claiming the agency broke the law to stop the mine. Sean Cockerham reports. (McClatchy)

Cetacean breeding ban for Vancouver Aquarium fails to pass at park board
It was a tense meeting [Monday] night at the Vancouver Park Board as the controversial issue of cetaceans in captivity was once again on the agenda. In July, the Vision Vancouver-dominated board voted to ban the breeding of whales and dolphins in captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium, but didn't pass the bylaw amendment before the municipal election earlier this month. The incoming NPA commissioners, who will dominate the park board in the new year, have already promised to kill the proposal to ban cetacean breeding. Nevertheless at the outgoing board's last meeting Monday night before the new board takes over next year, outgoing commissioner Sarah Blyth tried to push through a vote on the ban….. In the end Blyth's motion was defeated, but the board did pass a motion to require a review of the aquarium's policy of cetaceans in captivity next year. (CBC)

Greenpeace seeks to halt shipments of whale meat through Canada
Greenpeace activists on Tuesday delivered a petition with more than 65,000 signatures to Port Metro Vancouver urging the federal agency to refuse future shipments of endangered fin whale meat. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED NOV 26 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING SW 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 10 SECONDS.
 RAIN.
THU
SW WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/21 L120, BC LNG, Cedar River Chinook, Simushir, oil port, Dungeness River logjams, commute time

L120 and L86 (PHOTO: Carrie Sapp/KCPQ)

7-week-old baby orca missing, presumed dead
A baby orca born less than two months ago to one of Puget Sound’s killer whale pods is missing and presumed dead, according to a report on Q13 FOX. The station said that the Center for Whale Research confirmed on Monday that the orca known as L120, the first whale born to that pod since 2012, was not with his or her mother, L86, when the whales were recently in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. L86’s last calf, L112, was found dead in February in Long Beach, Wash., the station said.  She was about 3 years old. The southern resident killer whale community is now down to 78 members, the station said, as low or lower than it was in 2001.  In 2005, the group was protected under the Endangered Species Act. Linda Shaw reports. (Seattle Times)

B.C. promises world-leading emissions targets for LNG industry with new law
British Columbia can have a liquefied natural gas industry and still meet its targets to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, Environment Minister Mary Polak said Monday as she introduced a new law that she promises will foster the “cleanest LNG facilities” in the world. To achieve that difficult balance, the province will need to take tougher action around greenhouse-gas emissions in other sectors to compensate for the new industry. The government hopes to see five LNG plants built on the coast, which would increase the province’s annual emissions by 13 million tonnes – if industry meets the ambitious benchmark. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

B.C. LNG tax regime announcement coming today
The B.C. government is expected to unveil today how it plans to tax companies that operate liquefied natural gas plants. Both critics and investors have said the tax regime will play a big role in determining whether new B.C. LNG projects will go ahead. Minister of Finance Mike de Jong has hinted the long-awaited legislation he'll introduce today will be similar to what he talked about last February—a two-tiered tax, balanced between taxpayer benefit and affordability for companies. (CBC)

Chinook Face Final Obstacle At Landsburg Dam Before Reaching 'Shangri La'
For more than a hundred years, the aqueduct at Landsburg Park near Maple Valley was the end of the line for salmon in the Cedar River watershed. Built between 1899 and 1901 through a voter initiative to provide water for the city of Seattle after the great Seattle fire, the water system is the envy of municipalities all over the country. Two-thirds of the water supply comes from reservoirs that are surrounded by mountains and pristine lands, many of which were once logged but are now largely untouched by human civilization. The area above Landsburg Dam is some of the best fish habitat in the region. But like so much infrastructure built at the turn of the century, its construction did not take the needs of fish into account. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Simushir kept afloat by 'blind luck,' federal opposition argues  
B.C.'s northern coast dodged a bullet this week when a disabled cargo ship drifted dangerously close to the shores of Haida Gwaii, opposition critics charged Monday in the House of Commons…. NDP finance critic Nathan Cullen demanded in the Commons to know whether the Conservative government is comfortable with a marine safety plan he said is based on "blind luck" and American intervention. (CBC)

Proposal to deliver crude by rail prompts concerns over shipping
A plan to construct a new petroleum unloading system at the Puget Sound Refinery in Anacortes has raised concern among islanders. The proposed rail terminal would have the capacity to unload one 102-car unit train carrying crude oil per day, with a maximum of six trains per week. The refinery is an unloading zone for crude oil, not a shipping point. According to Shell, once the oil is refined the majority is transported through the Olympic Pipeline; however, some does go onto tankers. Emily Greenberg reports. (San Juan Journal)

Jamestown builds ‘starter’ logjams on Dungeness River to aid salmon
Using helicopters to strategically place logs and to create jams on the Dungeness River, the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe and Olympic National Forest are working on a plan to create more rearing and spawning ponds for salmon… The plan, currently under an environmental analysis, calls for 15 log jams to be placed in the Dungeness and Gray Wolf rivers along the boundary of Olympic National Forest. Joe Smillie reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Region’s commute times worsen
Traffic congestion became much worse from 2011-13, even though the number of miles driven in Washington state barely changed. Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather-- WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PDT TUE OCT 21 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON
 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS
 LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS. RAIN.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/20 Velella, Simushir, CWA, shore restoration, Pt Wells, greenhouse gas, Oly Park, Dunagan, aqua reserve

Velella

If you like to watch: The secret life of Velella: Adrift with the by-the-wind sailor
In the spring, beaches can be covered by thousands or even millions of blue jellyfish relatives called Velella velella, the by-the-wind sailors. Velella typically live on the surface of the open ocean far from shore, propelled by winds pushing on their tiny sails. (MBARI)

Incapacitated Russian cargo ship Simushir towed to Prince Rupert
An incapacitated Russian cargo ship is now in port in Prince Rupert on British Columbia's north coast, ending fears that the vessel, which lost power Thursday night, would drift ashore, hit rocks and spill hundreds of tonnes of fuel…. The Simushir lost power due to a mechanical failure late Thursday off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it made its way from Everett in Washington state to Russia. The Canadian Coast Guard ship Gordon Reid arrived on scene Friday night and started towing the disabled ship away from shore, but three attempts to keep a towline attached failed and the ship was adrift again for six hours Saturday daytime. (CBC)

As Clean Water Act ages, Washington state groups spar over its meaning
The nation’s primary law to keep its waters clean has a birthday Saturday – but any celebration will have to compete with a contentious battle over what the law actually means. At issue is a proposal intended to clarify what waterways are and aren’t covered by the Clean Water Act, which dates to 1972. But that so-called “Waters of the United States” proposed rule has turned contentious, with federal officials receiving more than 200,000 comments from citizens and organizations nationwide. Chris Adams reports. (McClatchy)

Agencies develop plan to restore 5,000 acres of Sound shoreline habitat  
Public comments are being sought on a tentative proposal to restore more than 5,000 acres of central and northern Puget Sound shoreline habitat. A 45-day comment period on the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project draft feasibility report and environmental impact statement will run through Nov. 24. In addition, the proposal will be discussed at a public meeting from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 5, in the council chambers of Burlington City Hall, 833 South Spruce St… The project website is at pugetsoundnearshore.org (Olympian)

Searching for signs of success
During low tide, marine ecologist James “Jamey” Selleck scours the Anacortes shoreline where the Custom Plywood mill once stood, bending to get a closer look at the beach and turning pebbles with a gloved hand. He’s on the hunt for tiny eggs that indicate feeder fish have come to the beach to spawn. It’s been almost a year since the state Department of Ecology removed more than 1,000 creosote-coated pilings that once lifted a dock over the water, along with several thousand tons of contaminated sediment from this section of shoreline. Other pilings, structures and nearly 33,600 tons of contaminated soil were also removed in 2011. The state agency funded the $14.6 million, multiphase cleanup project that restored the beach and built a pocket estuary to improve fish habitat. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) In summary: Port, Ecology clean up Anacortes waterfront

Point Wells developer wants to expedite condo project
A developer seeking to build more than 3,000 condos at Point Wells has offered to pay for extra Snohomish County planning staff to expedite the project. That has some neighbors worried about a potential conflict of interest. Their issue isn't with Blue Square Real Estate's offer to pay for three county staff positions as much as the wording in a draft contract. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

State greenhouse gas pollution rates see spike; power plants lead hike
The state’s major industrial sources released about 6 million more metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2013, a 30 percent jump from the previous year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The state’s only coal-burning power plant in Centralia topped the list, emitting 7.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming. Emissions from the plant spiked up about 82 percent from 2012 after experiencing a big drop the previous year. TransAlta spokeswoman Leanne Yohemas said in an email that carbon dioxide emissions at the company’s Centralia plant were substantially below normal levels in 2012, which explains the increase. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Olympic National Park plans overlooks out of parts of old Glines Canyon Dam on Elwha River
The National Park Service plans to transform the site of the former Glines Canyon Dam into a destination where the public can learn about the ongoing efforts to restore the Elwha River…. The removal of Glines Canyon Dam was completed with a final blast Aug. 26, but the abutments on either side of the once-210-foot-tall structure were left in place to eventually serve as observation points. Michael J. Foster reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Taking a moment for reflection, but I’m not saying good-bye
Chris Dunagan at Kitsap Sun's Watching Our Water Ways writes: "After 37 years at the Kitsap Sun, I’m writing one last salmon story today as a member of the newsroom staff. I was offered an early-retirement package, and I decided to take it. But that does not mean I’ll soon be shopping for a rocking chair. For one thing, I plan to continue writing this blog, and I intend to beef it up with even more original reporting. I’m also committed to completing the Kitsap Sun’s 10-part series called ‘Taking the Pulse of Puget Sound.’ The series has examined every corner of our troubled waterway, taking clues from the Puget Sound Partnership’s 'vital signs indicators.' Beyond those projects, I will continue to work for the Sun in a freelance capacity." See: Salmon soon to make a splash in Kitsap waters

Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve focus of Bellingham forum
People can learn about Cherry Point herring and the risks that increased vessel and rail transportation pose to the Salish Sea during a Saturday, Oct. 25, forum about the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve. The event is free and open to the public. It is 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bellingham Technical College, Building G Room 102A/103B, at 3028 Lindbergh Ave. The Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stewardship Committee is hosting the event. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Environmental Groups Say Oregon Got It Wrong With Oil Terminal Permit
Local and national environmental groups filed a petition Friday claiming Oregon erred in granting an air quality permit to Oregon’s largest oil train terminal. Their petition claims the Department of Environmental Quality should have considered pollution from the trains and ships that move oil in and out of the terminal, rather than just the terminal itself. Columbia Riverkeeper, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Neighbors for Clean Air and the Northwest Environmental Defense Center jointly filed the petition challenging the permit for the facility at Port Westward, about 60 miles west of Portland. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON OCT 20 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 15 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE
 AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 11 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN
 THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/16 Rockfish, Site C dam, orca talk, vessel deconstruction, Navy warfare, Oregon frog, Oly GBH

Dr. Milton Love and friends

Do otters eat a lot of rockfish?
Here's some irony. Rebounding rockfish populations have created a concern that river otters may be eating enough to hamper continuing population growth. “It's more of a lack of information,” said Joe Gaydos, director and chief scientist of SeaDoc Society. Predation on rockfish populations is poorly understood. “It's better to take a look at the issue.” Banning commercial fishing for rockfish on the U.S. side of the Salish Sea and creation of several marine protected areas probably have been effective in boosting the number of rockfish. But then there are those hungry otters. Sharon Wootton reports. (Everett Herald)

First Nations challenge to Site C approval could make dam a test case
BC Hydro has cleared major environmental hurdles for its Site C megaproject, but opposition from First Nations is almost certain to result in new court action. And that could make the dam a test case for the thorny legal question of when and how public interest can trump aboriginal claims. Wendy Stueck reports. (Glboe and Mail)

Protected zone for orcas? Find out about it at The Whale Trail’s upcoming Orca Talk
The Whale Trail brings Bruce Stedman of Orca Relief to C&P Coffee Company in West Seattle to discuss a a proposal for “A Protected Zone for Puget Sound Orcas,” 7 pm Thursday, October 30th. $5 suggested donation, kids free. Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/902186

Ecology creates new permit for over-water vessel deconstruction
Marine vessels may now be disassembled over water under the terms of a new state permit that’s designed to protect water quality and prevents pollution. The Department of Ecology recently finalized the new Vessel Deconstruction General Permit. Businesses and boat owners who plan to dismantle older vessels while they are still in the water will need the permit prior to starting work. (Skagit Valley Herald)

West End residents line up to express worries to Navy over warfare range proposal
A plan to conduct electronic warfare training along the Pacific Coast and on the West End brought out more than 100 area residents for a community meeting with officials from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Forest Service. More than two dozen residents at the Tuesday night gathering expressed their environmental and safety concerns with the Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range proposal, which calls for using one fixed and three mobile electronic emitters to help train aviators from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in electronic warfare.  Mark Couhig reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Rare frog species takes leap into new life in Pierce County
Two dozen people were gathered in a Pierce County wetland to watch the newcomers begin their new lives. Then more than 150 dark green and mottled frogs – rare Oregon spotted frogs – took their first leaps into the wild at the end of September. Valery Jorgensen reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Land purchase will help protect great blue herons in Olympia
An Olympia woman has purchased land containing the city’s lone great blue heron colony in an effort to protect the birds from a nearby townhome development. This month, Alicia Elliott bought the 1.84-acre wooded parcel at the end of Dickinson Avenue Northwest on the city’s west side. The site includes the colony – also known as a heronry or rookery - with about 15 nests perched high in the trees. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU OCT 16 2014
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN
 LIKELY.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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5/14 Climate, ghost nets, steelhead vandal, Vashon shore, Woodfibre LNG, boat fine, logging ban, state $s

Melting ice lifts all floes

New blog: Antarctic Ice Melting is So Scary We Need A Laugh
News that a part of the the West Antarctic ice sheet is not only in the process of falling off but also there’s nothing much that can be done to stop the process is pretty grim news. Anybody got something funny to say about that?

If you like to watch: Responding to the Risks of Marine Debris: Derelict Fishing Gear
Marine debris poses a threat to our environment, human health and to the economy. The Northwest Straits Foundation has spent the last decade recovering lost fishing nets in Puget Sound. This video is just one day in the life of those sea captains, biologists, environmentalists and scuba divers that made a commitment to address this particular risk of marine debris. (Oregon Sea Grant)

Police seek steelhead bandits who released 25,000 fish l
Washington state’s five steelhead hatcheries are on high alert after someone broke into a facility overnight and released approximately 25,000 juvenile fish into the Snoqualmie River.  State Fish and Wildlife Hatchery managers are concerned it was an act of defiance against a new agreement that sharply curtails the state’s steelhead hatchery program. The agreement resulted from a lawsuit filed by a fish protection group, Wild Fish Conservancy, which accused the State of violating the Endangered Species Act. State Fish and Wildlife Managers agreed to stop planting winter steelhead hatchery fish in all but one river. This set off a wave of criticism by some sport anglers who eagerly await the steelhead runs each year. Gary Chittim reports. (KING)

Loss of natural shoreline confirms concerns about Puget Sound health
Despite shoreline restoration efforts, Vashon has seen an overall loss of natural shoreline in the last decade, a recent study found, leading some to call for better education for homeowners, stricter permitting enforcement and even the banning of bulkheads. “It’s a bit disheartening when you work on so many different projects and we’re still treading water and not forging ahead,” said Greg Rabourn, Vashon’s basin steward for King County. In recent years on Vashon, Rabourn said, the county has removed almost 600 feet of bulkheads, shoreline armoring that harms the environment by stopping natural beach processes and destroying important habitat. However, the installation of bulkheads on private property — as well as retaining walls, docks and stairs — outpaced those conservation efforts, according to the recent study, and Vashon has still seen a net loss of natural shoreline since 2005. Natalie Martin reports. (Vashon Beachcomber)

Woodfibre LNG chooses electricity over natural gas to power Squamish plant
Woodfibre LNG announced Tuesday it will use electricity to power cooling compressors for its proposed $1.6 billion liquefied natural gas plant near Squamish. The use of BC Hydro electricity, instead of natural gas, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent as well as other smog pollutants, according to the company, a subsidiary of Indonesian billionaire Sukanto Tanoto’s company Royal Golden Eagle. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Crab boat owner fined $300K
The state Department of Ecology levied a $301,000 fine against the man whose crab boat caught fire and sank in Penn Cove in 2012, causing an oil spill that temporarily shut down nearby Penn Cove Shellfish. It’s just the latest bad news for Rory Westmoreland, a 51-year-old scrap-metal dealer with a history of running afoul of environmental rules, according to the Department of Ecology. Westmoreland is facing a misdemeanor charge in Island County District Court for allegedly abandoning the 128-foot Deep Sea crab boat. Jessie Stensland (Everett Herald)

No Logging Moratorium In Wake Of Oso Landslide
In the wake of the deadly landslide near Oso, Washington, there will be no immediate moratorium on logging around unstable slopes. Some conservationists and regulators wanted to push for that. One of them, Peter Goldman, director of the Washington Forest Law Center in Seattle, says the state Forest Practices Board learned Tuesday it doesn’t have the authority to impose a logging moratorium. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Revenue report: Monthly state collections were up $36.1 million over forecast
State government’s coffers grew by $36.1 million more than predicted over the past month, according to the May 12 revenue collections report by Washington’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. The growth in revenue came despite weaker than expected growth in jobs and home-construction activity. The boost in revenues from April 11 to May 10 was 2.9 percent above the Feb. 19 forecast. Top state forecaster Steve Lerch’s monthly report said that brings the total revenue increase above the forecast to $61.8 million so far. Of that, $37.9 million of that due to one-time payments that had not been incorporated into his quarterly forecast. Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 301 AM PDT WED MAY 14 2014
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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