11/10 SeaWorld, BC LNG, tribe climate, winter prep, Vic sewer trees, night tide walk, cruiser trippers

SeaWorld San Diego (John Gastaldo/San Diego Union Bulletin)

Killer Whales to Take Final Bows at SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld said on Monday that it planned to phase out next year its San Diego killer whale performance, a central point for criticism of how its animals are treated. The company, which also has parks in Orlando, Fla., and San Antonio, said in a company document posted on Monday that it would replace its theatrical Shamu show in San Diego with an “informative” experience that has a “conservation message inspiring people to act.” The announcement does not affect shows with orcas at the parks in Texas and Florida, said Fred Jacobs, a company spokesman. Daniel Victor reports. (NY Times) See also: Washington Senator Plans To Reintroduce Orca, Dolphin Captivity Ban  …. Democratic state Senator Kevin Ranker cautiously welcomed the news about SeaWorld phasing out its orca shows in San Diego.Austin Jenkins reports. (NW PUblic Radio)

Activist group urges Trudeau to block LNG project to protect B.C. salmon
A new alliance formed by aboriginal leaders and environmental activists wants the newly elected Liberal government to block a liquefied natural gas project in northwestern British Columbia. Donnie Wesley, a Lax Kw’alaams tribal chief who started a protest camp in August on the site of the proposed LNG terminal, is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna to take action to protect juvenile salmon habitat. Mr. Wesley has enlisted the backing of nearly 80 native groups, environmental organizations, unions and an array of other supporters.  Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Washington Tribe Confronts Climate Change, Sea Level Rise
A big question will confront international leaders in the next round of climate talks in Paris: How do they help poor, island and coastal nations threatened by rising oceans, extreme weather and other climate change-related risks? In the Northwest, sea-level rise is forcing a Native American tribe to consider abandoning lands it has inhabited for thousands of years. Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Snow coming to Cascades, storms to Western Washington  Jack Broom reports. (Seattle Times) More rain on the way for Metro Vancouver after record-setting weekend storm  Bethany Lindsay reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Vancouver prepares for winter flooding, 'King Tides'
Vancouver city crews sandbagged a two-block stretch of sidewalk along Locarno Beach on Monday, to guard against the possibility of storm-driven flooding during seasonal high tides later this month. The sandbags have become an annual precaution along the low-lying stretch of Northwest Marine Drive between Tolmie and Trimble streets. But city officials say a more permanent solution is planned in anticipation of a future of increasingly intense and more frequent storms, and higher sea levels due to climate change. Glen Schaefer reports. (Vancouver Sun)

How rejecting a sewage plant led to removing 5,000 trees
The impending cut of nearly 5,000 trees on Watkiss Way to make way for a hay farm complies with Saanich and B.C. regulations, but has raised questions about the unintended consequences of recent council decisions, as well as concerns about climate change…. The vast majority of the fir and cedar trees on 24 acres behind Victoria General Hospital — purchased two years ago by Allen Vandekerkhove — will be taken down…. Given the loss of so many trees, it would have been wiser had council voted last summer to forward the site to Capital Region District directors for consideration for a sewage treatment plant, said Mayor Richard Atwell. That motion was defeated twice, 5-4 and on a 4-4 tie, largely because of opposition voiced by councillors to using a property in B.C.’s Agricultural Land Reserve for a sewage project, he said. Katherine Dednya reports. (Times Colonist)

Nighttime low tide walk an otherworldly experience
After a hiatus of a few years, a pair of local naturalists are offering a guided tide-pool walk during an extreme low tide next month — an event that occurs at night in winter. Scouring the shallows during an extreme low tide can be an otherworldly experience. Tide pool exploration is even more fascinating at night, said Holly Roger of Wild Whatcom, a local nonprofit dedicated to outdoors education. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

More cruise visitors expected next year on bigger ships
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority marked the end of a record cruise-ship season with the arrival of Princess Cruises’ Star Princess at Ogden Point on Monday. Overall, the harbour authority welcomed 227 ship visits and about 533,000 passengers in 2015 — up from 206 ship visits and about 465,000 passengers the previous year. “It’s a record year,” said Ian Robertson, chief executive officer of the harbour authority…. Robertson said the harbour authority expects the same number of ships in 2016, but even more passengers as cruise lines continue to increase the size of their ships. Lindsay Kines reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE NOV 10 2015
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 10 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS. RAIN.

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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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9/30 Pesticides, Erich Hoyt, fish waste, eco-bylaw, Chesapeake Bay, more vessels, BC LNG, citizen science

Little owl (Athene noctua)

Reader’s note: ‘A gathering of species of the Strigiformes order is commonly referred to as a "parliament of owls."’ (Tony Angell)

EPA Toughens Pesticide Rules To Protect Farmworkers
Stronger rules for pesticides sprayed on farms and in forests, greenhouses and nurseries can cut health risks for workers, the federal government said in rolling out new safety standards this week…. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the new rules on Monday. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy says the change are long overdue…. One major change is the setting of a federal age requirement for the first time. Workers who handle pesticides will need to be at least 18. Other states already have implemented a similar rule – in Washington, the minimum age is 18. EPA also will now require that workers get training on pesticide risks - every year. Currently workers have to be trained only every five years. Other changes include whistleblower protections, better notification around work sites and stricter enforcement of rules. The EPA expects to phase in the changes next year. Liz Jones reports. (KUOW)

Erich Hoyt returns to Puget Sound; whale sign goes up near Hansville
Chris Dunagan writes: "Erich Hoyt, who has spent most of his life studying whales, returns to Puget Sound in October for talks in Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle. I enjoyed interviewing Erich last year before he visited this region. (See Water Ways, May 3, 2014.) We talked about the ongoing capture of killer whales in Russia, where government officials refuse to learn a lesson from the Northwest about breaking up killer whale families and disrupting their social order. (Watching Our Water Ways)

What Americans do with fish is shocking
…. Of all the food that Americans waste — and Americans waste a lot of food — it's the seafood that never gets eaten that should trouble us most. Few sources of nutrition, after all, are as coveted as fish. They're high in protein, and low in fat. Eating them is associated with all sorts of beneficial health outcomes. And yet, few foods are discarded so frequently. Between 2009 and 2013, as much as 47 percent of all edible seafood in the United States went to waste, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF). Roberto A. Ferdman reports. (Washington Post)

Saanich mayor outvoted on ditching eco-bylaw
Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell has tried unsuccessfully to scrap the district’s controversial environmental bylaw with councillors solidly outvoting him. After a nearly four-hour torrent of negative comments about the Environmental Development Permit Area, Atwell said that “what I’m hearing tonight is that the burden is unbearable and overwhelming.”…. Coun. Vic Derman said scrapping the bylaw at this stage would be “beyond the pale” and Coun. Judy Brownoff said “chaos” would be the result. They said ditching the bylaw would fly in the face of an open house on the issue Saturday and a public meeting in October. “It’s a matter of a few months before we come back with our results, which is fair to everyone,” Brownoff said. The bylaw states that “alteration of land, subdivision and construction are prohibited within an environmental development permit area, according to the Local Government Act, unless an exemption applies or a development permit is issued.” It is meant to protect from development areas that the municipality calls “rare ecosystems and vital habitat.” Katherine Dedyna reports. (Times Colonist)

Tour shows journalists Chesapeake’s good, bad & plans for future
…. Many of the 14 other journalists on the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources tour had much of the same reaction as the group embarked on the IJNR’s first Chesapeake Bay Institute in more than a decade…. Tristan Baurick, who covers the environment beat for the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, WA, said he applied to the institute because he wanted to see the parallels between the Chesapeake Bay and the Puget Sound. The sound struggles with some of the same issues as the Bay: algae blooms, sewage spills and a combined stormwater and sewage system in Seattle and King County that often overflows. And yet, Baurick said, he was surprised to learn about swim advisories after rainfalls and about riverkeepers and counties that put out fecal coliform warnings. “Nobody ever says ‘you can’t swim.’ That was amazing to me,’” Baurick said…. “We’re dealing with some of these same problems,” Baurick said of the Puget Sound and the Bay. “I don’t think either of us have the solutions to those problems.” Rona Kobell reports. (Bay Journal)

Storms for Salish Sea
Royal Dutch Shell said it will end oil exploration in offshore Alaska “for the forseeable future’’ after an exploratory well in the Chukchi Sea failed to yield the hoped for oil and gas, but that doesn’t mean the impacts of energy expansion projects will end on the Salish Sea. Our region is targeted for export projects that could dwarf the XL Pipeline. If all the new and expanding terminal and refinery projects in the Salish Sea are permitted and developed, including projects that became operational in 2014, there would be a 43 percent increase in large, commercial marine vessel traffic. Tim Johnson reports. (Cascadia Weekly)

Metlakatla signs agreement in support of Prince Rupert Gas Transmission
The Metlakatla First Nation has become the eighth aboriginal group to support TransCanada Corp.’s Prince Rupert Gas Transmission, a B.C. pipeline project that would transport natural gas to a West Coast export terminal. TransCanada’s $5-billion pipeline venture aims to supply a proposed plant that would export liquefied natural gas from Lelu Island to customers in Asia. The Metlakatla, one of five Tsimshian First Nations consulted during a provincial environmental review last year of Pacific NorthWest LNG, signed a project agreement with TransCanada. The pact details financial, employment and other benefits for the Metlakatla. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Olympia middle school launches Citizen Science Institute
About 45 Marshall students spent three days at the YMCA’s camp on Case Inlet on the Puget Sound near Longbranch last week for its Outdoor Environmental Education Program. They’re part of the newly launched Citizen Science Institute, a grade 6-8 alternative program that combines science, research and community service activities…. During the next school year, CSI students will spend about a half day each week conducting field investigations for a variety of environmental and community organizations, such as the Pacific Shellfish Institute, Garden Raised Bounty and the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Projects include migratory bird counting, water quality testing in local streams and assisting a research project that’s measuring nitrogen levels found in mussels. Lisa Pemberton reports. (The Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 248 AM PDT WED SEP 30 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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9/1 Naming names, Gorge cleanup, Wild Future, oil terminals review, Fidalgo Bay Days

Koma Kulshan (WikiCommons)

Here Are Seven Northwest Mountains Named For White Men
North America's highest mountain has a new name. Or rather, an old one. President Obama has announced that Alaska's Mount McKinley will now be called Denali, which is what natives call the peak. Like Denali, mountains in the Pacific Northwest had names before white settlers re-named them. [How many can you name in WA, OR & BC?] Chris Lehman reports. (KUOW)

European settlers renamed many Washington mountains, too
If President Barack Obama starts a trend to change the name of a mountain back to the one used by a region’s original inhabitants, there’s plenty of possibilities in Washington state. European late-comers to the Northwest made it a habit of sticking new names on many of the state’s peaks, from Mount Spokane to Mount Rainier. Jim Camden reports. (Spokesman-Review)

Shoreline focus of cleanup after barge spills flattened cars
A shoreline cleanup specialist started picking debris from the Gorge shoreline on Monday, three days after a listing barge sent dozens of flattened cars into the Gorge Waterway…. The shoreline specialist was contracted by Schnitzer Steel, a scrap-metal recycling company in the Rock Bay area which was operating the barge. Brach said the cleanup effort couldn’t start until the barge was stabilized. (Times Colonist)

State invites comments on fishing, hunting, rec programs and policies
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking the public for help in identifying conservation and recreation priorities for the next several years. Fish and Wildlife is calling the new, multiyear initiative “Washington’s Wild Future: A Partnership for Fish and Wildlife,” according to a news release. The partnership is an effort to strengthen the department’s relationships with communities, increase support for conservation and recreation on public lands, and help ensure the state’s services meet the public’s needs. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Draft Environmental Review Released For Oil Terminals On Washington Coast
The Washington State Department of Ecology has just released its draft environmental review of two proposed oil terminals on the Washington coast. A third proposed terminal has not yet begun the environmental review process. The terminals could be built in Grays Harbor, near Aberdeen, doubling current vessel and train traffic levels there. (KUOW)

Fidalgo Bay Day lets kids play, learn about marine life
A power outage caused by high winds Saturday didn’t dampen spirits at Fidalgo Bay Day. And though the weather forced organizers to move some activities indoors, including educational discovery stations that were to be installed along the Tommy Thompson Trail, visitors interested in the aquatic environment spent the afternoon learning about sea life and marine habitat. Evan Marczynsk reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE SEP 1 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING S TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN
 THE MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER
 MIDNIGHT.

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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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7/28 Marbled murrelet, drought, aquifer, BC LNG, science reporting, whale deaths, Nisqually

Marbled murrelet (Rich MacIntosh/USFWS/Seattle Times)

Little seabird’s advocates hope protection plan is near
In 1992, a small, speedy seabird called the marbled murrelet was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Its home — the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest — had dwindled, leaving it few places to nest. Twenty-three years later, the population of the bird has continued to decline. By some counts, its numbers are 50 percent lower than they were a decade ago. Now its advocates have joined together in a new campaign to save the bird, which can fly at up to 100 mph, swims underwater and has a roundish body. Maria Mudd-Ruth, whose 2005 book about the species was reissued in 2013, described it as a “brown potato with a beak.” The Murrelet Survival Project, which started last August, is pressuring the state and federal governments to come up with a long-term conservation plan, aimed at increasing the murrelet’s nesting habitat. Miguel Otarola reports. (Seattle Times)

Water Shortage Response Plans Ask For Conservation, Don't Mandate It
Seattle, Tacoma and Everett have activated their water shortage response plans. The hot, dry weather has increased demand for water just as river levels are at historic lows. Seattle Public Utilities, Tacoma Public Utilities and the city of Everett issued a joint  release announcing the implementation of the first stage of the response plans. In the first stage, no one will be forced to stop watering their lawn…. If water supplies go too low, Seattle, Tacoma and Everett, which supplies water for most of Snohomish County, would move to stage two, which would mean asking customers to voluntarily cut back. Under stage 3, mandatory restrictions would kick in. Paula Wissel reports. (KPLU) See also: Drought prompts water-use advisories in Everett, Seattle and Tacoma  Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald) See also: Tacoma Water joins Seattle, Everett in water shortage plan  Kate Martin reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Massive underground aquifer helping to keep Vancouver green
As Vancouver increasingly relies on an underground aquifer to water its street trees and the Langara golf course in the midst of this summer’s punishing drought, one hydrology expert is cautioning that we don’t know enough about how readily it can be replenished. For more than 25 years, Vancouver’s parks department has used the city’s largest aquifer to irrigate its Langara golf course, taking pressure off the region’s treated drinking water supplies. Now, as the Lower Mainland experiences a drought that shows no signs of ending, Vancouver is considering gently expanding its use of the vast underground Oakridge aquifer for non-potable water needs. Jeff Lee reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. LNG job numbers overstated, report claims
The B.C. Liberal government’s claim that liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports will create 100,000 jobs is a vastly exaggerated forecast, says a report by a think tank that has touched off a controversy about how much of an employment boon the sector will actually create. “We find that this claim is not credible and that potential employment impacts have been grossly overstated,” said the study by the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

A few random thoughts about reporting and environmental science
Christopher Dunagan, who retired from daily reporting at the Kitsap Sun and now blogs, wrote of his 35 years of reporting: … "I grew up believing that science was a particular set of facts that explained the workings of nature. For the longest time, I failed to see that the most important thing about science was formulating the right questions about things we don’t know. Science teachers should, of course, convey what is known, but I believe they should also lead their students to the edge of the unknown, revealing some of the questions that scientists are attempting to answer right now. That is what much of my reporting on Puget Sound has been about. We’ve known for years that the health of the waterway is in decline. It has been rewarding to help people understand why things have been going wrong and what can be done to reverse the downward trends. While there is much work to do, we’re at a point where we can expect Puget Sound residents to limit their damage to the ecosystem and become part of the restoration effort." (Watching Our Water Ways)

Scientist: Whale deaths off Alaska island remains mystery
Researchers may never solve the recent deaths of 18 endangered whales whose carcasses were found floating near Alaska's Kodiak Island, a scientist working on the case said Monday. Samples taken from one of the 10 fin whales were at least a week old, which could throw off test results, said Kate Wynne, a marine mammal specialist for the University of Alaska Sea Grant Program. The carcasses of eight humpback whales also were found. The carcasses of the marine mammals were discovered between Memorial Day weekend and early July. Most of the animals were too decomposed for sampling. Rachel D'Oro reports. (Associated Press)

Explore the Nisqually wildlife refuge during walks, programs
The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a great destination when you want to get outdoors and only have a few hours to spend. There are several miles of trails for hiking, a multitude of places to watch resident and migrant birds and spots to look for other wildlife. Along with its natural attractions, the refuge also is offering a number of programs in the coming weeks…. The refuge is located just off Interstate 5, at Exit 114. For more information, call the refuge at 360-753-9467 or go to fws.gov/refuge/nisqually. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE JUL 28 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT...BECOMING 2 FT OR LESS IN THE AFTERNOON. W
 SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 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.

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7/20 Orcas, Inslee, BC oil spill, glacier melt, humpies, False Cr, Cowichan R, BC LNG, Tesoro, Army training, eelgrass, 'phallic' clam

J50 (Clint Rivers, Eagle Wing Tours/KING)

Baby orcas thriving in the Northwest
Baby orcas are jumping for joy in Northwest waters. The Pacific Whale Watch Association says: "The Salish Sea continues to be a 'pre-school' of sorts for the four youngest members of the Southern Resident Community of orcas." (KING) See also:  Orca baby boom: Enough to save the endangered whales?  (Christian Science Monitor)

Inslee, the ‘greenest’ governor — not so much
Gov. Jay Inslee has long advocated reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. But the state Legislature adjourned this month without taking the kind of major climate action desired by Inslee and his environmentalist allies. Jim Brunner reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Inslee to decide whether to revise water-pollution standards for the state  …. We can’t forget that Inslee had publicly stated that if the Legislature failed to act on his full pollution-cleanup program, he would revisit the water-quality standards — presumably to make them stronger. So the governor kind of boxed himself in, and that’s where we stand today. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Oil spill in English Bay reached several Vancouver beaches, scientist say
Scientists have conclusively linked oil that washed up along numerous Vancouver beaches with the grain container ship that leaked bunker fuel in English Bay in April. Testing by researchers from the Vancouver Aquarium also shows that the fuel may have harmed aquatic organisms and wildlife in the water and along the shores. Peter Ross of the Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Research Program and his team did a detailed forensic analysis of the oil from the MV Marathassa, looking at more than 100 hydrocarbons that create a unique so-called fingerprint. (Canadian Press)

How will the Pacific Northwest change when its glaciers are gone?
Glaciers set the Pacific Northwest apart and are essential for supplying the region’s drinking water, hydropower and for ensuring the survival of the region's iconic salmon. But disappearing glaciers make the Northwest uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Washington has more glaciers than any other state, except Alaska. Some 376 glaciers feed the Skagit River. That number alone sets the Evergreen State apart from the rest of the country, but it also makes it uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Robert Boos and Ashley Ahearn report. (Living on Earth/PRI)

Drought raises concern over return of humpies
Millions of pink salmon are bound for Washington rivers and streams this year. Biologists are worried that when they return, they might find the water too warm and shallow for spawning and cause more problems for fish already struggling in drought conditions. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is estimating that almost 6.8 million pink salmon will make it to Puget Sound this year. Of those, 1.6 million are forecast for the Snohomish River, 600,000 for the Skagit River and 210,000 for Stillaguamish River. Amy Nile reports. (Everett Herald)

E. coli levels in False Creek have potential to rise even higher
A look at E. coli levels for the past six years reveal a drastic spike in last year's numbers. This year's levels are already higher than average as well…. City officials acknowledge the high numbers this year, and say they are working toward keeping the levels down. Wanyee Li reports. (CBC)

Cowichan anxious to solve a drying river
Cowichan Tribes Chief Chip Seymour has watched the once robust Cowichan River reduced to a mere stream. Drought conditions are stranding salmon fry in warm pools, he said, and hampering mature chinook from completing their spring run up to Cowichan Lake…. A long-term solution seems desperate. But stakeholders say one has already been identified: Raise the weir. The problem is, it hasn’t been implemented. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

B.C. to pass 25-year LNG law, but industry wants more; labour, tax concerns
A liquefied natural gas industry: the British Columbia government fought an election on it, launched an extraordinary summer legislative session and made financial concessions, but it still isn't enough for the companies that want even lower taxes and have expressed concerns over the availability of workers. The Liberal government's LNG dream is expected to move towards reality this week when a bill is adopted for a 25-year agreement on what could be B.C.'s first LNG plant. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Tesoro to appeal fines connected to fatal 2010 explosion
After five years of hearing delays, Tesoro’s appeal of safety and health violations and $2 million in fines connected to a fatal explosion is set for next week in Mount Vernon. In 2010, a heat exchanger at the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes exploded, killing seven employees…. After the 2010 explosion, Labor and Industries cited Tesoro for 39 willful violations and five serious violations of state and workplace safety and health regulations, according to a department report. Shelby Rowe reports. (Skagit  Valley Herald)

Army eyes North Cascades for helicopter training
Army aviation officials at Joint Base Lewis-McChord want to create a North Cascades training area for helicopter pilots to practice flyovers and high-altitude landings on U.S. Forest Service lands. The high-elevation mountain training area would extend over an aerial space largely east of the Cascades from around Leavenworth up to the Canadian border. It would include seven remote landing zones, including one just inside the boundary of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and another within a mile of the Pacific Crest Trail north of Highway 20. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Camps take to Puget Sound to teach environmental stewardship
Environmental stewardship takes on a whole new feel from inside a kayak navigating the Squaxin Passage on Puget Sound. The overnight camp on Hope Island Marine State Park in Mason County and the nearly half-mile kayak trip from Carlyon Beach to the park is just one of the camps being offered to South Sound teens this summer by the nonprofit Mount2Sound Adventures. Lisa Pemberton reports. (Olympian)

The new face of Seattle’s Aquarium (maybe)
The Seattle Aquarium released its Master Plan For Expansion this week, rolling out a proposal that would increase exhibit space by at least 40 percent and cost a minimum of $90 million. Our favorite part is the Shark tank. The biggest addition is the Tropical Pacific Pavilion (which would house the shark tank). It would rise to the east of today’s aquarium, connecting the waterfront with the Pike Place Market. The pavilion would allow nearly twice the number of visitors as today. Alex Cnossen reports. (Crosscut)

Researchers probe how much sulfide Puget Sound eelgrass can withstand
What’s green, thin, slimy and sways in the water? It’s eelgrass, an often unseen marine plant that is important for the environment and economy in the Puget Sound region. The eelgrass in Puget Sound is sort of like a canary in a coal mine for the underwater world, serving as an indicator of marine health. It can affect many species that depend on it, from crabs to salmon. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: Tracking eelgrass changes  Padilla Bay research program documents eelgrass presence. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

East Bay Drive residents plant oyster seeds in Olympia’s Budd Inlet
The shores of Budd Inlet are lined with mesh bags, filled with oysters. Each year, residents of Olympia’s East Bay neighborhood check the bags, and if the oysters are big enough, they’re set free. The bags are then replaced with new ones, filled with oyster seeds…. The oysters aren’t for eating... The goal of the program is to rebuild the local oyster population and improve water quality. Amelia Dickson reports. (Olympian)

The 'phallic' clam America sells to China
It's not the most beautiful dinner to look at and it has a very odd name... but in China the geoduck is an expensive delicacy, so on North America's Pacific coast the race is on to farm them and cash in. James Morgan reports. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 600 AM PDT MON JUL 20 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. AREAS OF DRIZZLE AND FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
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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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6/30 Jim Toomey, state budget, BC LNG ships, Colstrip, EPA mercury, plastic bag ban

(Jim Toomey/San Juan Preservation Trust)

If you like to watch: "Islands are Different" and "Shorelines: Connecting Land & Salmon"
The San Juan Preservation Trust enlisted Jim Toomey, a marine conservationist and creator of the internationally-syndicated comic strip “Sherman’s Lagoon”, to help answer the question: what does protecting land have to do with salmon? The result: two short, entertaining videos.

Legislature approves budget that cuts tuition, funds state worker raises
State lawmakers have approved a new two-year spending plan that will cut college tuition, give teachers cost-of-living raises and help satisfy a court order that the state fully fund public schools. The state Senate passed the $38.2 billion budget Monday evening on a 38-10 vote, and the state House approved the spending plan shortly afterward, 90-8. Lawmakers were racing to pass the budget to avoid a partial shutdown of state government Wednesday. The measure now goes to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee, who must sign it by the end of the day Tuesday to avoid lapses in state services and temporary layoffs of state workers. Melissa Santos and Jordan Schrader report. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Trudeau open to LNG ships on northern B.C. coast
Federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Monday his mind is closed to oil tankers plying the waters of northern B.C. but open to shipping of liquefied natural gas as well as increased oil tanker traffic through Port Metro Vancouver — on the condition proper reviews are conducted. In an interview with The Vancouver Sun, Trudeau said that the Harper Conservative government could have saved everyone a lot of time and trouble by nixing the Enbridge Northern Gateway project, emphasizing “the Great Bear Rainforest is not a place for an oil pipeline.” Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Coal plant operator says Colstrip remains profitable for now
The formation of a new company to run Montana's largest power plant has raised questions among analysts and plant detractors about how long it can keep going, as pollution control costs rise and coal's share of the electricity market crumbles. The plant's new operator has an answer: There are no plans to shut down the 2,100-megawatt Colstrip Steam Electric Station. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)

Supreme Court: EPA erred in rule on toxic emissions from power plants
The Supreme Court dealt a major blow Monday to the Obama administration’s efforts to keep toxic mercury out of the nation’s air and waterways, saying U.S. officials failed to properly consider economic costs when they imposed expensive pollution controls on coal-burning power plants. The court, in a 5-to-4 decision, halted further implementation of the 2011 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule, the Environmental Protection Agency’s landmark regulation that required electric utilities to reduce mercury pollution, linked in multiple studies to respiratory illnesses as well as birth defects and developmental problems in children. The decision’s ultimate impact on pollution controls was uncertain. The justices declined to strike down the rule altogether and left open the possibility that the regulation could be altered and reinstated. Moreover, a sizable majority of the country’s coal-burning utilities already have taken steps to meet the EPA’s requirements, muting the decision’s practical effects, at least in the near term. Joby Warrick and Robert Barnes report. (Washington Post)

PAC wants to pay to put plastic bag ban on Lacey ballot
Will Lacey take the money? That’s the question facing Lacey City Council after a local group called on the council last Thursday to support their cause. The group, a political action committee called the Effective Self-Governance Association of Thurston County, is prepared to write a check to the city for $2,500 to pay to get a city plastic bag ban before voters this November. After the representative made her pitch Thursday night, Councilman Jason Hearn made a motion to accept the money and to put the issue on the fall ballot. His motion won support from Councilman Lenny Greenstein, but Mayor Andy Ryder quickly put the brakes on the discussion, saying it would be an unprecedented move for the city to take the money. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE JUN 30 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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5/15 Shell drill, safe train, BP spill, coal stock, no-coal tribes, Ericksen's education, green oil $, test oysters, NOAA species, opah blood

Polar Pioneer in Seattle (KUOW/Gil Aegerter)

Shell Oil Rig Arrives At Port Of Seattle
Environmental activists in kayaks paddled into the middle of Seattle's Elliot Bay  on Thursday afternoon to meet -- or, as they say, "un-welcome" -- a huge Shell oil rig to the city. John Ryan reports. (KUOW) More protests planned after giant oil rig muscles in  Activists expect a larger turnout Saturday, when a flotilla rally is scheduled against the Polar Pioneer’s presence in Seattle. Another big event is planned for Monday near Terminal 5. Daniel Beekman and Coral Garnick report. (Seattle Times)

Gov. Inslee signs oil train safety bill
Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a measure Thursday that attempts to improve the safety of oil transportation as a sharp increase in trains carrying volatile crude oil poses new safety and environmental risks in the state. A compromise reached on the last day of the regular legislative session resolved differences between competing bills in the Senate and House. Phuong Le and Rachel La Corte report. (Associated Press)

Gulf oil disaster film: The last word belongs to …?
The invisible in Margaret Brown’s documentary The Great Invisible (available on Netflix and online on PBS’s Independent Lens until May 21) refers to both the damage done to the lives and landscape of the Gulf Coast following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (the largest in U.S. history), and the free pass awarded to BP in the years after the disaster. Sure, they paid billions of dollars in fines and fees to clean up the spill, but the amount will add up to a drop in their endless bucket of oil profits. The company continues to drill new offshore wells, hidden from view and unscathed by government regulations, while the devastation from the accident resulted in both a human and environmental post-traumatic stress that neither BP, the United States government, the media, nor the rest of us care to think about. Out of sight, out of mind. Rustin Thompson reports. (Crosscut)

UW Becomes Biggest University To Give Coal Investments The Boot
The University of Washington’s Board of Regents voted to sell off its investments in thermal coal. That’s the kind of coal used to generate power. It’s a big deal because the university has only “divested” its endowment three times before: with South Africa, tobacco and Sudan. Joshua McNichols reports. (KUOW) In symbolic move, UW votes to divest from coal  Regents at the University of Washington voted unanimously Thursday to divest the university’s endowment from coal companies, but they refused to touch investments in other fossil fuels. Leah Todd reports. (Seattle Times)

Tribes stand against coal-export terminal
Leaders from nine Native American tribes have urged the Army Corps of Engineers to deny permits for a proposed coal-export terminal near Bellingham. The leaders from Washington, British Columbia and Montana met in Seattle on Thursday to oppose the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. That project would export as much as 48 million tons of coal each year from Montana and Wyoming to Asia. (Seattle Times)

Coal barges nixed in FSD plan, Lafarge says 20 to 30 jobs gone
Open barges will not be transporting four million tonnes of U.S. coal per year to Texada Island under a new plan announced May 4 by Fraser Surrey Docks (FSD). Coal barging opponents were “cautiously optimistic” over the revised plan, which would see the same volume of coal loaded directly onto ocean-going ships in Surrey…. If the plan is approved by Port Metro Vancouver, FSD said it intends to replace all barges with 80 ocean-going vessels per year, “but would retain barging as a potential secondary option.” The announcement means the loss of up to 30 future jobs at Lafarge Canada’s loading facility on Texada Island, the company said Monday. John Gleeson reports. (Coast Reporter)

Ericksen to conservative media: Schools feed climate activists ‘propaganda’
Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, had a response Tuesday, May 12, for students who would have his Western Washington University degree revoked. He felt sorry for them. In an interview Tuesday, May 12, on a Freedom Foundation podcast called “Freedom Daily,” Ericksen blamed the universities and public schools for feeding students “a line of propaganda” that has made them into partisan climate activists. “I really feel sorry for these young people, in our colleges and our public schools today because they’re being fed such a line of propaganda, and it’s such a heavily partisan atmosphere,” Ericksen said in the podcast, hosted by Ron Valencia of the Freedom Foundation… Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Phillips 66 donates $166,000 to local nonprofits
Phillips 66 has donated a total of $166,000 to five Whatcom County nonprofit organizations. The grants are going to the Northwest Straits Foundation ($50,000), Whatcom Community Foundation ($50,000), United Way of Whatcom County ($41,000) and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County ($25,000). According to a company news release, Phillips 66 wanted to focus on public safety and health with this round of grants. The Northwest Straits Foundation will use the grant to fund its Derelict Fishing Gear Program, which removes lost or abandoned fishing gear from the Salish Sea. Dave Gallagher reports. (Bellingham Herald)

'State of Oyster Study' to test Hood Canal, Puget Sound shellfish for health
How safe are your oysters? Each year Washington Sea Grant’s State of the Oyster Study helps shoreline dwellers determine whether the oysters and clams on their beaches are safe to eat or contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria. Residents are invited to gather five large oysters or 24 clams from their beaches, bag them securely, and deliver them on designated collection days (May 17, June 14, July 5, or Aug. 2)to any of four sites on South Hood Canal and South Puget Sound. For modest fees, a lab will test these samples for fecal coliform bacteria and/or Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a common bacterium that can sicken people who eat raw shellfish, and report the results by phone within 10 days…. For more information, contact Teri King or Jennifer Runyan at Washington Sea Grant, 360.432.3054, wsgcanal@uw.edu. (Port Townsend Leader)

Kamloops fined for spilling 4,100 cubic metres of sewage into river
The city of Kamloops is coming clean about a series of mistakes that led to untreated sewage being released into the South Thompson River. Eight months ago, 4,100 cubic metres -- or the capacity of two Olympic size swimming pools -- of sewage spilled from a sewer lift station into nearby ditches and creeks. That spill in the Dallas area led the province's Community Environmental Justice Forum to order the city of Kamloops spend $20,000 to do rehabilitation work on the Tranquille River. It must also pay $8,000 to upgrade alarm systems at all sewer locations to prevent a similar accident from happening undetected. (CBC)

Species in the Spotlight campaign highlights NOAA Fisheries' endangered species conservation efforts
NOAA Fisheries announced [5/14] a new Species in the Spotlight campaign to focus recovery and public education efforts on eight marine species that are at risk of extinction. The eight species highlighted, all listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, are the Gulf of Maine population of Atlantic salmon, Central California Coast coho salmon, Cook Inlet beluga whales, Hawaiian monk seals, Pacific leatherback sea turtles, Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon, Southern Resident killer whales in Puget Sound, and California Coast white abalone. (Phys.Org)

Scientists identify opah as world's first fully warm-blooded fish
Deep in the ocean, scientists have found the first known example of a fish with warm blood. The large circular fish is called an opah, or sometimes a moonfish, and researchers have determined that it can keep its internal temperature 5 degrees Celsius warmer than its environment…. There are other fish in the sea capable of elevating the temperature of specific parts of their bodies. For example, some families of tuna and sharks are able to warm their aerobic swimming muscles. Billfish, including sailfish and marlin, are able to warm their eye and brain region. However, until now, no fish had ever been discovered that can warm its entire body. Deborah Netburn (LA Times)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAY 15 2015
TODAY
SW WIND 10 KT...BECOMING NW 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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5/14 Humpback, Shell drill, BC LNG, Vic sewer, geoduck, Orcas Wild, peregrine falcon

(Heather MacIntyre/Nature's Keeper Photography)

If you like to watch: Rare B.C. humpback encounter leaves whale watchers in awe
A group of whale watchers off B.C. Saturna Island were in awe when a humpback whale known to locals as Windy came within reach of their boat last weekend. "In about 20 years of watching these whales, I've never seen anything like this," said Heather MacIntyre of Legacy Charters. MacIntyre captured the encounter, in Haro Strait between San Juan Island and Vancouver Island, and off East Point near Patos Island, Wash... Bal Brach reports. (CBC)

Shell oil rig arriving Thursday is just the start of Arctic drilling fleet
The Polar Pioneer oil rig expected to arrive in Seattle on Thursday afternoon is the biggest piece of a muscular fleet Shell Oil has mustered in the Pacific Northwest to resume its controversial high-stakes oil-exploration effort in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska’s North Slope. The company will have 25 vessels in and out of the Pacific Northwest in preparation for the season, according to spokeswoman Kelly op de Weegh, but Shell has been tight-lipped about detailing its plans. The Peninsula Daily News reported the Polar Pioneer began moving out of Port Angeles at about 1:40 a.m. Thursday for the approximate 12-hour trip to Seattle. Coral Garnick and Hal Bernton report. (Seattle Times)

B.C. First Nations group rejects $1-billion offer for LNG venture
Lax Kw’alaams members voting in the final of three meetings have unanimously rejected a $1-billion cash offer from Pacific NorthWest LNG, declining to give aboriginal consent sought by the project while creating uncertainty for plans to export liquefied natural gas from British Columbia’s north coast. The lure of the money, which would be spread over 40 years, is being overshadowed by what the native group views as excessive environmental risks. The Lax Kw’alaams fear the Pacific NorthWest LNG project led by Malaysia’s Petronas will harm juvenile salmon habitat in Flora Bank, located next to the proposed export terminal site on Lelu Island. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

CRD to reconsider advance levy for sewage treatment
The Capital Regional District will take a second look at how much it is collecting in taxes for sewage treatment until it has a better handle on what it plans to build…. Projecting that eventual debt and operating costs for sewage treatment would total about $35 million a year, the CRD decided in February 2013 to begin collecting taxes in advance to soften the blow to taxpayers once it was built. The idea was to have annual increases of $5 million, ramping up to the total projected $35-million annual cost at program completion. But those estimates were for a single regional treatment plant to be built at McLoughlin Point. That plan went off the rails last year, when Esquimalt refused to rezone the site and the province declined to overturn the decision. Now the search is on for one or more sites for treatment that can be approved by June. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Geoduck farming takes off as demand for clams grows in Asia
John King plunges his arm up to his shoulder into the mudflats of Puget Sound, roots around and soon pulls from the muck the world's largest burrowing clam. The mollusk squirts water from its long obscene-looking neck. King dodges the spray, already using a water hose to loosen sand and harvest the next one. Within hours, the geoduck (pronounced gooey duck) is packed live on ice at nearby Taylor Shellfish Farms — on its way to be served raw as sashimi or added to hot-pot dishes to satisfy a growing appetite for the unique Pacific Northwest delicacy…. Last year, the U.S. exported $74 million, or about 11 million pounds, worth of live wild and farmed geoduck, mostly to China and Hong Kong. That's double the volume and value exported in 2008. An average clam weighs about 2 pounds and can fetch up to $100 per pound overseas. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Orcas Wild Interpretative Center opens in Eastsound
Orcas Wild, a new interpretive wildlife center, is opening in Eastsound across from the Episcopal Church on Main Street. Demi Gary, a naturalist, boat captain and executive director of Orcas Wild, said the center is a place for “learning and discovering.” It will be open to the public on May 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Watch the Sounder for information about the grand opening on June 9. Visitors to Orcas Wild will find installments of visual posters by local naturalists. There will also be interactive elements to the center like a video area for screening of films donated by the Center for Whale Research and iPads equipped with whale sounds to show the diversity of each animal’s “voice.” Cali Bagby reports. (Islands Sounder)

Peregrine falcon named as Vancouver’s bird of the year
The peregrine falcon doesn’t nest in Vancouver but certainly likes to eat here, according to Rob Butler, one of the experts who chose the bird as Vancouver’s Bird of the Year…. They come to the city to dine out — usually on pigeons. Gerry Bellett reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAY 14 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE
 EVENING.
--
"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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5/5 GiveBIG, PS Starts Here, clingfish, sea star disease, Shell drill, FHL pix, Cherry Point, Padden Cr., Fraser coal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAY 5 2015
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS AND A CHANCE OF TSTMS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 7 FT
 AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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4/23 Green "goose egg," Earth Day action, B'more water wheel, Earth Day critters, crow war, cruise ships, Growlers

Baltimore Harbor water wheel (story below)

On Earth Day, Inslee Gives Lawmakers 'Goose Egg' On Environment
Washington Governor Jay Inslee used Earth Day to chastise state lawmakers for their environmental record. The Democrat spoke Wednesday on the lawn outside one of the Capitol press houses. He said the legislature has failed to send him measures on carbon pollution, oil train safety and toxic chemicals. “The score at the moment is legislators 103 days, environment zero because so far the legislators have an absolute goose egg when it comes to doing anything for the environment this year,” Inslee said. Austin Jenkins reports. (KUOW)

University of Victoria professor urges Earth Day action
As thousands of British Columbians celebrate Earth Day today, it raises the question: If so many people believe in environmental protection, why aren’t more of us taking action? Robert Gifford, a professor of psychology and environmental studies at the University of Victoria, has spent the past seven years studying the attitude-behaviour gap plaguing the environmental movement. Part of the problem is a belief that problems such as climate change are far-away events in either space or time, he said — but that can be changed. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

Baltimore: Water Wheel scoops 19 tons of Inner Harbor trash in one day
The Inner Harbor Water Wheel, the solar- and water-powered contraption that removes trash and debris from Baltimore's waterfront, collected a record 19 tons of waste on Monday, officials said. The Waterfront Partnership last spring launched the Water Wheel recognizable by a trash collecting device that resembles a steamboat paddle wheel. The device is turned by the Jones Falls River current as it scoops up trash and debris that is placed onto a conveyor belt and poured into a dumpster barge. The barge then hauls away the trash and another dumpster is put in its place. Solar panels provide additional power, officials said. Joe Burris reports. (Baltimore Sun)

Five Critters To Watch This Earth Day
Humpback whales have rebounded so successfully that federal wildlife managers say most should be removed from endangered species protection – with a caveat for whales off Washington state. That's a bit of good news for this Earth Day. Below we've  summarized the debate over the status of a few other threatened or endangered species in Washington state… Gray wolf, wolverine, Northern spotted owl, Canada lynx, Gil Aegerter reports. (KUOW)

Earth Day volunteers get to the root of the ivy problem  (Seattle Times) Port Townsend kindergartners get hands-on lesson with tree-planting activity for Earth Day  (Peninsula Daily News)

Neighbors at war over feeding of crows in Portage Bay
When one family began feeding crows in the Portage Bay neighborhood, and attracting them in large numbers, a nearly two-year neighborhood battle ensued. Erik Lacitis reports. (Seattle Times)

Victoria cruise ship season brings big bucks — and complaints
It's cruise ship season again in Victoria, and with 229 ships expected to visit, residents are raising fresh concerns about noise, traffic and dirty air. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority says between now and November about 513,000 passengers are expected to stop by on their way from Alaska to Seattle. The longer the cruise ships stay, the more tourists may spend on the local economy, says Bruce Carter, with the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce…. However, residents who live near the cruise ship port argue that the tourism boost is accompanied by loud buses, pollution and congestion as tourists travel to and from city attractions. (CBC)

Navy War Games over Olympic National Park and Forest
.... The US Navy plans to permanently use and periodically close large swathes of the Olympic National Forest, along with airspace over it and the Olympic National Park as well as the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, for electromagnetic warfare testing and training. They are also ramping up their use of explosives and sonar and training activities in the waters surrounding the Olympic Peninsula. Their stated goal is to turn the western portion of Washington's Olympic Peninsula and surrounding waters into an Electromagnetic Warfare Range. The area encompasses a world heritage site and one of our national treasures: the Olympic National Park. Connie Gallant writes. (Daily Kos)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 303 AM PDT THU APR 23 2015
TODAY
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE
 AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
 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.

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4/3 Crab moves, Navy sonar, coal power, PT MSC, ferry reservations, AK oil, drought

(Ocean Networks Canada/Vancouver Sun)

If you like to watch: Video: Rare footage of mass crab migration off Vancouver Island
An Ocean Networks Canada seafloor observatory has obtained rare footage of a mass migration of grooved tanner crabs at a depth of almost 1,000 metres at Barkley Canyon, about 100 kilometres off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Researchers believe the migration to shallower waters is related to mating and egg laying. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Court Rules Navy's Sonar Training In Pacific Violates Environmental Laws
A federal judge on Tuesday said the National Marine Fisheries Service violated environmental laws when it approved the Navy's plans for training in waters off Hawaii and Southern California. The agency failed to support its finding that the training would have a "negligible impact" on marine life, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Oki Mollway wrote in her ruling. The Navy, she said, also failed to take a hard look at alternatives such as training in different areas or at different times to avoid potentially harming dolphins, whales and other species. Environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Conservation Council for Hawaii, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Honolulu. (ABC News)

The Northwest Struggles With Coal-Generated Power From Out Of State
Northwest utilities are fighting pressure to end to all use of coal-fired power -- even when it's generated in places like Utah and Montana. Many people are surprised to find out how much coal-fired power the Northwest still uses, even with all of its hydroelectric dams and wind farms. Oregon still gets about a third of its electricity from coal. In Washington, it's about 15 percent. And while the two coal plants based in Oregon and Washington are both scheduled to close – Eastern Oregon's Boardman plant in 2020 and Eastern Washington's Centralia plant in 2025 – that won't mean the end of coal-fired power in the two states. Both states have utilities that get some of their power from out-of-state coal plants. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Port Townsend Marine Science Center exhibit opens for season today
The Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s marine exhibit opens for the spring season today to offer visitors up-close-and-personal contact with area sea life. A variety of sea animals are in open pools at the exhibit at the end pier at Fort Worden State Park. Hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News) And: WHO AM I? Help name the new octopus at Port Angeles' marine life center in today's Peninsula Poll

San Juan Islanders largely OK with ferry reservation system
Washington State Ferries implemented a three-tier vehicle reservation system Dec. 2 to better manage congestion on ferries between the Anacortes terminal and the San Juan Islands. Reservations have been taken for travel via ferry since Jan. 5. And while there have been some complaints about the system, locals say it’s better than waiting hours to get on a sailing. Shelby Rowe reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Hit to Alaska from dropping oil prices could dampen Puget Sound trade
Economic damage to Alaska from low oil prices may hit the Puget Sound area economy hard in 2016. That was the warning from a panel of Alaska experts in Seattle Thursday, who said purchases of Washington goods and even Alaska-bound cruise tourism could suffer. Alaska, which depends on oil for 90 percent of its state government revenue, is facing a $3 billion state budget shortfall, about a quarter of a normal budget…. Washington state and Alaska are closely linked economically, with113,000 direct and indirect Alaska-linked jobs paying $6.2 billion in the Puget Sound region, according to a January report, “Ties that Bind,” by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Steve Wilhelm reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Western Drought Response Kicks Into Higher Gear
California Governor Jerry Brown ordered statewide mandatory water saving measures Wednesday. Water managers are preparing for drought in Oregon and Washington state as well. Washington and Oregon's governors have already declared drought emergencies in select counties where farmers depend on runoff for irrigation. In Olympia, a drought and water supply committee that has been dormant for years has been reconvened. Tom Banse reports. (KUOW)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI APR 3 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT BY NOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT
 10 SECONDS. RAIN TAPERING OFF TO SHOWERS BY NOON. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS THIS AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 7 OR 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS THIS EVENING. SHOWERS
 LIKELY.
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 13 SECONDS. SHOWERS
 LIKELY.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 OR 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS.

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

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