10/20 Liberal win, weather cams, Hood Canal shellfish, Shell oil trains

Kingfisher (Tony Angell/BirdNote)

Tony Angell Reflects on Nature
Tony Angell, gazing on Puget Sound, writes: "From the beach below, that evocative perfume of the sea, decaying kelp, is wafted up on the breeze... Near the shore, disputing kingfishers rattle in their mercenary manner, chasing one another... Behind me, in the woods, a Cooper's hawk chants and ravens chortle and croak, composing poems and telling jokes. For the moment, at least, all is right with the world." You can read more in Puget Sound Through an Artist's Eye. (BirdNote)

Justin Trudeau to be prime minister as Liberals surge to majority
Justin Trudeau will be Canada's next prime minister after leading the Liberal Party to a stunning majority government win, dashing the hopes of Stephen Harper, who had been seeking his fourth consecutive mandate, CBC News has projected. This will be the second time Canada will be led by a Trudeau, as the Liberal leader follows in the footsteps of his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who served as prime minister for almost 16 years before retiring in 1984. Mark Gollom reports. (CBC) Results: Everything you want to know about last night's election  (CBC) Election 2015: 5 B.C. storylines from election night  (CBC)

If you like to watch: Best Northwest Weather Webcams
One of the great advances in weather observations during the past few years has been the advent of high-definition weather webcams that allows one to enjoy high-resolution views of sky, usually including informative animations.    In addition, there has been an explosion of moderate-resolution webcams all over the region and nation that allows one to explore the weather virtually. Cliff Mass reports. (Weather Blog)

S’Klallam Tribe proposes shellfish nursery to aid Hood Canal
The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe is looking to boost the oyster population in Hood Canal by building a shellfish nursery. The Kitsap Sun reports the tribe has submitted a development permit for a 1-acre structure that would float in the middle of Port Gamble Bay and produce up to 12 million oysters annually. S’Klallam Natural Resources Director Paul McCollum says the oyster population in the Hood Canal has declined over the years, which scientists attribute to ocean acidification. He says the nursery would increase the survival rate. (Associated Press)

Residents raise concerns about additional oil trains
Hundreds of people gathered Monday in Lynnwood to raise concerns about Shell's plan to transport additional oil trains through the region. Crude oil shipments have been transported by train from Montana and North Dakota to Washington since 2012. But additional trains carrying crude oil to a proposed Shell Oil rail unloading facility in Anacortes is creating pushback from the public.  The new site would be approximately 50 acres and would include three miles of new train track. On Monday night there was a protest outside the Lynnwood Convention Center before a planned public hearing. Russ Bowen reports. (KOMO)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 241 AM PDT TUE OCT 20 2015
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 9 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.

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8/15 Vic sewer, election money, oil train resolution, Gina McCarthy, marina dredge, Boardman papers

Western gull (Alex Kerfoot/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: How Birds Drink
How do birds drink? A robin takes a mouthful of water and then tips its head way back to send the water down its gullet. Pigeons are among the few birds that can suck in water with their heads down. Swallows and swifts skim a beakful of water on the wing. Gulls like this Western Gull can even drink salt water. (BirdNote)

Is McLoughlin sewage plant dead? Politicians all over the map
Esquimalt has spurned a sewage plant at McLoughlin Point, the provincial government has refused to overrule Esquimalt, and the Capital Regional District has rejected going directly to Esquimalt voters to get them to change their minds. So is the sewage plant at McLoughlin Point officially dead? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends whom you ask. Lindsay Kines (Times Colonist)

Oil, railroad, coal port money gushes into races for Legislature
Oil refiners, railroads and would-be coal port developers have quietly poured thousands of dollars into Republicans’ coffers in this year’s mid-election battle for control of the Washington Legislature. The biggest giver is Tesoro, which operates a refinery in Anacortes and is proposing to locate a large oil-train terminal and shipment facility at Vancouver along the Columbia River. The oil company has given $22,500 contributions to a pair of committees doing soft money and independent expenditures on behalf of Republican candidates — the Leadership Council and Enterprise Washington — plus $1,900 contributions to GOP candidates in five hotly contested Washington State Senate races. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Bainbridge city council passes oil train resolution
The city of Bainbridge Island joined 11 Washington jurisdictions Monday after the council passed an anti-oil train resolution. During Monday’s meeting, the Bainbridge city council voted unanimously to approve a resolution that calls for stronger regulations, more impact studies and a request that federal and state officials prevent the expansion of oil shipments by railroads. Cecilia Garza reports. (Bainbridge Review)

Head Of EPA Tours Puget Sound, Supports Congressional Cleanup Caucus
She’s been called President Obama’s “green quarterback.” Gina McCarthy is the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and she's known for tackling sources of climate change. And now she’s shining a light on efforts to clean up Puget Sound. McCarthy met with government officials and community groups in Tacoma on Wednesday and toured Commencement Bay by boat to learn more about what still needs to be done. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Kingston marina dredge project begins
The sediment dredge project that was put on hold and delayed for years will begin Aug. 18. The Port of Kingston will close its marina to all vessels during select hours Aug. 18-22. The closure will allow divers to swim safely in the water as work on the marina dredging project begins. The first step is transplanting eelgrass from the sediment near the marina, to an eelgrass nursery immediately outside of the breakwater. The nursery will be between the Washington State Ferry dock and the entrance to the marina, on the south side of the breakwater. Kipp Robertson reports. (North Kitsap Herald)

Judge orders release of Oregon coal terminal documents
A federal judge has ordered the Corps of Engineers to release documents about a planned coal terminal on the Columbia River at Boardman. Columbia Riverkeeper wanted to know why the corps agreed to an easier environmental review for Ambre Energy’s terminal than two others in Washington state. The Oregonian reports the corps withheld more than 300 pages and Riverkeeper sued to get them. (Associated Press)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 242 AM PDT FRI AUG 15 2014
  TODAY
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
 TONIGHT
 W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
 SAT
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
 SAT NIGHT
 W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
 SUN
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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10/24 Elwha fish, orca health, whale noise, Steller ESA, Donkey Cr., climate hearing, coal money, Kennedy Cr., Antarctic preserve

Elwha Chinook (USFWS/Dan Cook)

If you like to watch: Going Home
John Gussman shares: "With the lower Elwha Dam gone, and the Glines Canyon Dam scheduled to be gone in early 2014, the chinook salmon are coming back to their ancestral spawning grounds unreachable for the last 100 years. I spent a week in early September filming them in the Elwha River and one of its tributaries, Indian Creek."

Research shows Orca population in Puget Sound is dwindling  
New research reveals the number of the Orca population in Puget Sound is dwindling -- especially among reproductive age males. "That's clear, they're not recovering," said Bruce Stedman, who heads-up the Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance. He points to numbers from the Center for Whale Research and NOAA, which Stedman claims since 2009, the number of reproductive-age males is down 26 percent, and there are only 14 reproductive age male Orca left. And he worries if those numbers don't get better soon, the result could be devastating. Luke Duecy reports.

Whales in B.C. bombarded by constant shipping noise
A bombardment of constant shipping noise and increased tanker traffic is putting whales along the B.C. coast at ever-greater risk, a new international study concludes. Endangered killer whales are suffering the highest levels of noise in their designated critical habitat while threatened fin and humpback whales living in some of the quietest waters are at risk from increased tanker traffic associated with planned LNG and pipeline projects.... The study, published Tuesday in the journal Animal Conservation, notes that shipping noise is considered a serious threat by inhibiting the ability of whales to communicate, search for prey, navigate and select mates. Military sonar and seismic surveys are other forms of underground noise that can damage or even kill whales, other cetaceans and fish. Larry Pynn reports.

Steller sea lions taken off threatened species list by NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is taking the eastern population of Steller sea lion off the threatened species list. Spokeswoman Julie Speegle said the eastern population has met recovery criteria the agency set out in 2008. In 1979, the federal agency estimated about 18,000 sea lions were in the eastern population, which stretches from Alaska's Panhandle to California's Channel Islands. That number rose to more than 70,000 by 2010, the most recent year a count was available. The western population of Steller sea lions, stretching from Cape Suckling, Alaska, west to Russian waters, remains listed as endangered.

Gig Harbor's Donkey Creek project opens with ceremony, blessing from Puyallup Tribe
It was a blessing for both the past and the future at Donkey Creek in downtown Gig Harbor. Up to 5,000 years ago, the spot where people gathered to see the opening of the Donkey Creek project was filled with the Puyallup Tribe’s ancestors, said Brandon Reynon, archaeologist for the Puyallup Tribe. As they hunted, fished and lived, they enjoyed the land in the same ways many in Gig Harbor do today....Beginning in March, the project started to restore the stream and estuary in the space between Donkey Creek Park and Gig Harbor Bay. The project also included road improvements that widened sidewalks and built a bridge on North Harborview Drive. Notably, the bridge removed a 300-foot pipe that salmon previously had to swim through in order to reach spawning grounds. Karen Miller reports.

Governor Inslee’s Climate Hearing In Seattle Draws Large Environmental Crowd
More than 500 people packed into a waterfront convention center on a foggy Wednesday night to tell Governor Inslee and other lawmakers what they think the state needs to do to reduce green house gas emissions. Ideas ranged from improving public transportation to instituting policies and incentives fostering clean technology companies and alternative energy sources.... Again and again, people took the microphone and asked the politicians before them to “stay strong” and put a price on carbon by putting a carbon tax or a cap and trade system in place... The other theme that ran throughout the evening was the issue of fossil fuel exports in the Northwest.  Ashley Ahearn reports.

Coal terminal, outside money at issue in Whatcom County Council races
Candidates for Whatcom County Council aren't talking about it, and a decision on a proposed coal export terminal at Cherry Point is more than two years away - if it comes at all. But if you follow the money entering the four council races in the Nov. 5 election, most of it leads to coal - either people in the industry who want to see the terminal built, or a conservation group that is waging a campaign to see the terminal proposal fail. Ralph Schwartz reports.

Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail opens soon
The Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail between Olympia and Shelton is set to open to the public Nov. 2, providing birds-eye viewing of the creek's fall chum salmon run. The half-mile trail, which has been open each salmon spawning season for 14 years, is sponsored by the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, and plays host to some 5,000 people each year. Visitors are welcome 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends through Dec. 1, as well as Veteran's Day and the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Delegates To Debate Watered-Down Plan For Antarctic Marine Preserve
Less than 1 percent of the world's oceans are set aside as protected areas, but diplomats meeting now in Australia could substantially increase that figure. Delegates from 24 nations and the European Union have convened to consider proposals to create vast new marine protected areas around Antarctica. This same group met over the summer and didn't reach consensus, so it's now considering a scaled-back proposal. Richard Harris reports.

And, if you truly like to watch: Mauna Kea Heavens Timelapse
Sean Goebel shares: Timelapse of the observatories atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The summit is at an altitude of nearly 14,000 ft and is the premiere site for astronomy in the Northern Hemisphere. And furthermore, Astronomers Discover the Most Distant Known Galaxy: Galaxy Seen as It Was Just 700 Million Years After Big Bang

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU OCT 24 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 13 SECONDS. DENSE FOG WITH
 VISIBILITY LESS THAN 1/4 NM THIS MORNING...THEN PATCHY FOG IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG...THEN AREAS OF FOG 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

Follow on Twitter.

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5/29 Whale Scout, seals, culverts, sewage odour, bad stormwater, harbor cleanups, green paper, anemone venom, Master Gardeners, caterpillars, coal politics

Harbor Seals (Ryan Kitko, Wikimedia)

Celebrate Whales: June is Orca Awareness Month and June 1 is the debut of Whale Scout, a new organization connecting the public with trained naturalists who will share their knowledge about our local whales, assist with whale sightings and offer tips on conservation. The launch party is this Saturday from 3 to 8 pm at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park in Shoreline. Check out Whale Scout

Harbor seals are the homebodies of Puget Sound. In every bay and cove, the appearance of their domed heads breaking the surface for a look around with those dreamy eyes is one of the signature sights of our waters. Unlike orcas that cruise in and out of our view, harbor seals live out their lives in our midst, picking their spots even in urban waterways and sticking around throughout lives that can stretch past 20 years. For scientists, that makes harbor seals valuable sentinels of the Sound. Seals have an important story to tell of resilience and survival, revealed in long-term population studies and in tracking studies of contamination levels in their bodies of PCBs and other pollutants. Lynda Mapes reports. Seals tell tales of Sound’s health  

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is appealing a federal ruling ordering the state to fix culverts that block salmon passages. The state on Tuesday filed a notice of appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals of the March 29 U.S. District Court ruling by Judge Ricardo S. Martinez that set up a timeline to fix hundreds of culverts around the state. State officials have said the ruling could cost billions of dollars — money the state doesn’t have. The Martinez ruling is part of a decades-old legal battle tied to treaties dating back to the mid-1800s. Tribes say the state has blocked salmon passage and contributed to the decline of fish harvests. State appeals demand for culvert work

Metro Vancouver will send a 25-member contingent to Washington state to conduct “sniff tests” on U.S. sewage plants as it pursues a new $400-million Lion’s Gate sewage treatment facility.... The tour, which will visit sewage plants in Blaine, Seattle, Edmonds and Olympia, includes everyone on Metro’s utilities committee, as well as staff from Metro and North Vancouver municipalities, members from the two First Nations bands and chair and vice-chair of the Lion’s Gate public advisory committee. Slated for June or July, the trip is expected to provide Metro Vancouver with insight into newer technologies and odour control mechanisms that have been used in the U.S. plants. The cost is expected to be $30,000. Remuneration for the 13 members of the utilities committee is expected to be $18,000. Kelly Sinoski reports. Metro sending 25 people to sniff out sewage plants in Washington

In the stormwater world, if a rain garden is releasing more pollution into the environment than it’s capturing, word gets around. So when the city of Redmond crunched its first flush of data from a new roadside rain garden and discovered the water coming out of it was tainted with alarming levels of phosphorus, nitrates, and copper, the stormwater community took notice. Washington State regulators went on the record to say that they would be studying the data and possibly revising their rain garden recommendations. Proponents of the technology fear that the results will be overblown and exploited by skeptics of so-called low-impact development solutions. Lisa Stiffler reports. Redmond’s Rain Garden Challenge

The city faces expenses of about $400,000 to install a temporary fix to stop toxic oil from seeping into Bellingham Bay from a city-owned site near the intersection of Wharf Street and Cornwall Avenue. The R.G. Haley wood-treatment plant operated there for many years, and the soil is contaminated with the toxic chemicals that were used there before that plant shut down in 1985. The city purchased the site in 2009 from Douglas Management Co., paying only $1 but agreeing to take on the cost of environmental cleanup, estimated at anywhere between $3 million and $9 million at the time. John Stark reports. Temporary fix of seeping toxins into Bellingham Bay will cost $400,000

Port of Port Angeles commissioners approved Tuesday an additional $35,000 to clean up contamination from the former Peninsula Plywood site. The $35,000 will cover the cost of three sediment contamination tests immediately offshore as part of the demolition of the industrial site at 439 Marine Drive that was home to the PenPly plant and will map pipelines running underneath the 19-acre site leading to the former Peninsula Fuel station on the south side of the property. Arwyn Rice reports.  Port of Port Angeles OKs more money for cleanup of former mill site

Take a look at the notepad on your desk, your ATM receipt or the package of disposable plates you bought for your Memorial Day barbecue. Many paper products are labeled as being sourced from sustainable forests, and many consumers make buying decisions based on those labels. But are the labels trustworthy? A Bellingham-based environmental group, ForestEthics, plans to file a complaint Wednesday with the Federal Trade Commission that says one of the largest organizations that certifies forestry practices misleads consumers about the sources of the products that carry its seal of approval. Erika Bolstad reports. Bellingham group: 'Green' seal not worth paper it’s printed on

Could a synthetic compound derived from a sea anemone venom be used in the fight against obesity? That's what researchers from the University of California Irvine and Seattle-based biotech Kineta Inc. are trying to find out. The college researchers licensed a synthetic compound called ShK-186 to Kineta, which is developing the compound to treat autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, psoriatic arthritis and lupus, but which could be used to treat obesity. Ben Miller reports. Sea anemone venom touted as obesity weapon

On any given day of the week, you’ll find volunteers all around Pierce and Thurston counties giving hours of their time to teach others about gardening. They’re the Master Gardeners, an army of nearly 400 from all walks of life who share two passions – growing plants and sharing knowledge. They’re part of a program that’s just turning 40 years old, has spread to every corner of the nation and beyond and started right here in Pierce County. Rosemary Ponnekanti reports. Master Gardeners celebrate 40th year of program that began locally

Tent caterpillars, which last year wiped out apple crops on Saltspring Island and caused the cancellation of the annual apple festival, are now hatching from their tree-top nests and munching on fresh, green leaves. But these new hatchlings aren’t expected to reach the numbers of last year, nor decimate fruit orchards or deciduous trees to the same extent. Sandra McCulloch reports.  Creepy crawly caterpillars not as populous in Greater Victoria this year

Whatcom County sits at the northwest tip of the continental United States, a pine-fringed strip of 2,100 square miles in Washington state near where Canada meets the Pacific Ocean. Whatcom’s biggest claim to fame until now was as the nation’s top raspberry producer. But this year, a local election—the race for four seats on the Whatcom County Council—is shaping up to have a profound national, even global, impact. The outcome could affect the U.S. coal industry, trade relations with China, and the planet’s changing climate. Already, the county race is on the radar of the coal industry, which campaigned against President Obama in 2012 on the charge that he’s waged a “war on coal,” and of national advocacy groups such as the League of Conservation Voters, which spent $14 million nationally to influence the 2012 elections. “This is a smallish, local election, but the decisions this council will make over the next year or two will have sweeping implications for climate and energy around the world,” says Brendan Cechovik, executive director of the Washington state League of Conservation Voters, which is campaigning in support of four council candidates, and against two. Coral Davenport reports. The Obscure County Election That Could Change the Planet

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAY 29 2013
TODAY
E WIND 10 KT BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY THIS MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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5/1 BC election, low tide, Union River restoration

Baltimore Aquarium

New blog: ‘While growing up, I’d been to some pretty sad zoos and aquariums but I haven’t felt that way recently. Especially not when returning today to visit the National Aquarium in Baltimore and hearing the first “Wow!” from the kid standing next to me upon reaching the first level viewing area exhibit. That “Wow!” and the excitement of parents and adults brought back to me the article by Michael Roberts in Outside about marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols...’ In Praise of the Blue-Spaced “Wows!” in Aquariums

With new oil pipelines, tanker routes, LNG plants, mines and hydro-power projects proposed throughout British Columbia, aboriginal leaders are telling people in their communities to get out and vote, because their future is at stake. For the most part, native leaders are not advising community members on whom to vote for – they say that would be considered disrespectful – but they are urging people to get involved in the political process and to take a hard look at the party platforms. Mark Hume reports. Aboriginal leaders urging voter engagement in B.C. election

If you like to watch: With one more low-low tide coming up this afternoon (-1.7 at 3:12 pm), we’re sharing this scene from the month’s lowest low tide back on Sunday, photographed by Long Bach Nguyen over Alki Point and Constellation Park, as well as the north end of Beach Drive.  West Seattle scene: Low tide from a high-flying perspective  

A restoration project in the Union River estuary is back on track with funding assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to Mendy Harlow of the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group. Construction of two bridges was delayed because of a $220,000 cost overrun caused by “unanticipated issues” related to design changes, bids higher than expected and site conditions encountered at the last minute, according to a letter to funding agencies. The bridges are needed to maintain a trail across an old farm dike after the dike is breached. Breaching the dike and restoring tidal channels will allow seawater to reclaim 31 acres of intertidal wetlands, officials say. Chris Dunagan reports. Union River estuary work to resume

Now, your May Day tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAY 1 2013
TODAY
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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4/30 BC election, sewer sites, creosote removal, plastic recycling

Saturn's storm (NASA/JPL)

If you like to watch: What looks like a “deep red rose of giant proportions” is actually a huge hurricane on Saturn’s north pole, says NASA. Mysterious Hurricane at Saturn's North Pole

B.C. Liberal Leader Christy Clark went on the offensive Monday night against NDP Leader Adrian Dix in the only televised leaders debate of the provincial election campaign, seeking traction for her governing party running far behind New Democrats in the polls. The 90-minute debate was widely seen as a pivotal moment in the 28-day campaign, coming at the halfway mark and with public-opinion surveys pointing to an NDP return to power for the first time since 2001. An Angus-Reid poll last week had the party running 14 points ahead of the Liberals. Ian Bailey and Justine Hunter report. B.C. leaders trade punches in election's only televised debate

Provincial politicians promising not to override Esquimalt if it refuses to rezone property for regional sewage-treatment facilities could be setting a worrisome precedent, says Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard. Waste-management facilities such as landfills and sewage plants are notoriously difficult to locate, Leonard said. But municipalities reluctant to approve them know the province has the ability under the Waste Management Act to override their decisions. Last week, New Democrat platform chairwoman Carole James said an NDP government would not consider overruling Esquimalt if the township refused to rezone a Viewfield Road property to allow a sewage biosolids facility. But if the province were to refuse to override Esquimalt, Leonard wonders if it would also refuse to use its authority under the Waste Management Act in other jurisdictions. Bill Cleverely reports. Promise not to override Esquimalt on sewage could set precedent, Saanich mayor says  

Members of Puget SoundCorps began removing creosote-treated debris Monday from four Kitsap County parks, starting with Old Mill County Park in Silverdale. The work involves identifying creosote debris and hauling it off the beaches. The crew is scheduled to move from Old Mill Park to Point No Point County Park near Hansville on Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, workers will finish up at Norwegian Point County Park in Hansville and Salsbury Point County Park near the Hood Canal bridge. In addition to old creosote pilings, the six-member crew will remove pieces of old docks and man-made structures that have washed up on the park beaches. Creosote debris can leach a mixture of toxic chemicals into the shoreline environment. Chris Dunagan reports. Crew removes creosote debris from Kitsap County parks

Piles of plastic are piling up in some B.C. recycling facilities thanks to a recent Chinese ban on importing unwashed post-consumer plastics. The crackdown is forcing some companies to stop collecting plastics altogether, while others scramble to find new markets for the materials. "I don't want to turn my five acres into a plastic field," said Ed Shea, who collects bottles and bags on his five-acre property in Prince George. Shea used to send the plastic to a Lower Mainland company that shipped them to China, but now the recycling has nowhere to go. Chinese plastic ban affecting B.C. recyclers  

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE APR 30 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT EARLY...BECOMING NW 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
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