11/25 Septic sins, freed orca, vessel adrift, BC pipe, oil train DEIS, coal trains, KPLU, Kply, pocket gophers

(BirdNote)

National Symbol - Turkey vs. Eagle
When the eagle was considered for national emblem in 1782, wise Benjamin Franklin championed the turkey. He said: "The Bald Eagle is too lazy to fish for himself; when the Osprey has taken a fish ... the eagle pursues him and takes it away from him. ... Besides he is a rank coward ..." frightened by a kingbird. But the Wild Turkey, Franklin wrote, is "a bird of courage [that] would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards, who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on." (BirdNote)

Septic sins catching up with counties
In June, Island County Public Health tacked up a notice at Maple Grove Boat Launch. In careful and official words, it said that wastewater from homes in the area was likely entering the water. Tests showed high levels of fecal coliform. People should stay out of the water. And, while no data showed that shellfish were contaminated, shellfish are filter-feeders, so it was best to play it safe and not eat them…. And while Maple Grove is one example, it’s by no means the only problem. Jeremiah O'Hagan reports. (Stanwood/Camano News)

Orca spotted free of rope tangle near D'Arcy Island
An orca spotted three weeks ago entangled in a rope and float appears to be free, the Pacific Whale Watch Association says. T77A, as the 19-year-old killer whale is known, was photographed off the Thetis Island-Chemainus ferry in Stuart Channel on Nov. 4, prompting a search by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. After a three-week search that the whale watch association was actively involved in, the orca was found Monday afternoon near D’Arcy Island. Michael Reid reports. (Times Colonist)

Large cargo vessel adrift off Haida Gwaii
A large cargo vessel is adrift about 90 kilometres west of Haida Gwaii. The U.S.-flagged M/V North Star – a vehicle carrier, according to ship tracking websites – was en route from Anchorage to Tacoma when it lost propulsion, said Karen Calla, a communications director with the federal department. Canadian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel Gordon Reid was dispatched from Prince Rupert to support the ship if its crew failed to fix the problem. The ship is expected to reach the North Star early morning Wednesday. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Burnaby’s battle with Kinder Morgan heads to appeal court
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan says the city will appeal Monday’s B.C. Supreme Court ruling involving Kinder Morgan and the National Energy Board, noting the matter may eventually wind up in the Supreme Court of Canada. “We authorized the appeal (Monday) night at our in camera meeting after hearing from our staff,” said Corrigan. “We will be having further conversations with our lawyer as to the right way to proceed.” Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Plan would boost oil-train traffic
A major oil terminal proposed for Vancouver would bring an additional 28 oil trains per week across Washington and spawn a new era of oil tanker traffic down the Columbia River, a draft state study says. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Analysis forecasts derailment every other year if oil train terminal is built  Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy) Read: Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Project Draft EIS

Study: Coal Trains Pollute More Than Diesel Trains Into The Columbia Gorge
A study from the University of Washington shows coal trains are releasing more pollution into the Columbia River Gorge than freight trains. The trains emitted about twice the particulates as diesel freight trains, according to the study. The study also found that coal trains with uncovered cars were major polluters of the Gorge. They polluted at six times the rate of diesel trains. Eric Tegethoff reports. (EarthFix)

KPLU Listeners Express Anger Over Station's Surprise Sale To KUOW
More than 200 people showed up at a meeting of KPLU’s Community Advisory Council on Monday to express frustration over the recently announced sale of the public radio station to the University of Washington, and its licensee KUOW. The meeting gave the public its first chance to offer feedback on a sale negotiated without much attention ahead of its announcement on November 12. And there wasn't a lot of gray area there. People came to talk about why they support the station's mix of jazz and news, and to vent their frustrations over its sudden sale. Zachariah Hughes reports. (KPLU) See also: Public station, private owners: KPLU sold amid university’s financial struggles  David Kroman reports. (Crosscut)

Rain delays KPly site cleanup in Port Angeles; work might resume in July
Mud. Awww, crud. Heavy rains have turned earth to muck and interrupted cleanup of the Port of Port Angeles' former KPly mill site barely three weeks before contractors hoped to finish the 19-acre tract at 439 Marine Drive. Chris Hartman, director of engineering, told port commissioners Tuesday the work might resume in July after soaked soils dry out enough for contractors to backfill and compact them. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Lawsuit filed against Thurston County over pocket gopher process
Olympia Master Builders, the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce, and Hinkle Homes filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in Lewis County Superior Court over Thurston County’s interim permitting process put in place to protect the Mazama pocket gopher, according to a news release. In April 2014, four subspecies of the pocket gopher — known as the Olympia, Roy Prairie, Tenino and Yelm pocket gophers — were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In June, the county began using a review process for building permit applications that was recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in response to the gopher listing. Lisa Pemberton reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 258 AM PST WED NOV 25 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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11/20 'Frankenfish,' murrelet, storm sewage, Mt. Polley, oil rules, train safety, Inslee on refugees

“Frankenfish” AquAdvantage salmon (LA Times) 

Genetically engineered salmon is fit for dinner, FDA says in first decision of its kind
Perhaps that last breed does not evoke images of ancient and frigid headwaters in Alaska or Arctic Canada, where wild salmon spawn every year, or even the humble hatcheries that produce less expensive species consumed by millions of people. But on Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that the AquAdvantage salmon — developed using growth hormone from Chinook salmon and a gene from an eel-like ocean fish that makes it reach market size twice as quickly as other salmon — has become the first genetically engineered animal approved for American consumption. AquaBounty Technologies Inc., the Massachusetts company that created the fish, calls it "the world's most sustainable salmon." Opponents call it "Frankenfish." The FDA, which was accused of delaying the decision for years amid public concern, now says you can call it dinner. William Yardley reports. (LA Times)

State considers conservation options for marbled murrelet
The state Department of Natural Resources is reviewing conservation plan options for the marbled murrelet, a seabird that is found along the state’s coast, including several bays on Skagit County’s shoreline. The state agency worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to draft five strategies to conserve the bird’s habitat. The options would protect between 594,000 and 734,000 acres of land managed by Natural Resources. The marbled murrelet is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act, meaning it is likely to become endangered. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Deadly storm flushes sewage into Seattle's waterways
Heavy rains means heavy runoff making its way into bodies of water around Seattle. But that's not all that's making its way into area lakes and the Puget Sound. The recent storms that moved over Seattle and the Pacific Northwest and knocked out power to thousands, also sent rivers of stormwater into underground pipes. As pipes became overwhelmed, they were flushed into local bodies of water, carrying not only stormwater, but sewage as well. Richard Oxley reports. (MyNorthwest.Com)

Critics warn of another disaster at Mount Polley
 Rapidly rising water levels in a vast containment pit at the Mount Polley mine are now a scant six metres below the level where they could seep into groundwater and the Quesnel River system. Bigger worries loom for spring. Winter snow melt could overwhelm storage capacity causing another catastrophic spill like August 2014, when a breach dumped 10 billion litres of water and 4.5 billion litres of slurry into Polley Lake. Stephen Hume reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Ecology working on new rules for movement of oil
he state Department of Ecology is developing new rules for transporting oil by train and pipeline. The changes could require companies moving oil through the state to improve accident response plans and provide advanced notice about the movement of oil. The changes could go into effect as early as 2016. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

No more breaks on positive train control, agency chief tells railroads
The nation’s rail safety chief told a group of railroad officials she expects them to complete a long-delayed collision-avoidance system by the end of 2018 and to not count on Congress to give them an additional reprieve. Recent legislation approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama gives them a three-year extension to complete positive train control, though with some wiggle room to seek an additional two years if necessary. Sarah Feinberg, who heads the Federal Railroad Administration, encouraged attendees of the Rail Trends conference in New York Thursday to make 2018 their goal. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Why My State Won’t Close Its Doors to Syrian Refugees
OVER the last week, a growing number of governors, representatives, senators and presidential candidates have demanded that America slam shut our borders to refugees who are fleeing unspeakable horrors at the hands of the Islamic State. On Thursday the House passed a bill containing impossibly onerous vetting procedures for new refugees from Syria. The American character is being tested. Will we hew to our long tradition of being a beacon of hope for those chased from their homelands? I have always believed that the United States is a place of refuge for those escaping persecution, starvation or other horrors that thankfully most in America will never experience. Governor Jay Inslee writes. (NY Times)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI NOV 20 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. 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.

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11/18 Nooksack dace, Stanley Park seawall, stormwater fees, BC pipe, climate change, BC LNG, Big Oil, El Nino

Nooksack dace (PHOTO: Mike Pearson)

Stoney Creek spill leaves endangered fish either homeless or 'buried alive', biologist fears
Washouts along the banks of a fish-bearing creek in Burnaby may have seriously harmed a rare little fish that's so endangered in Canada it's found in only four streams, says biologist Mike Pearson. The fish is the Nooksack dace, and one of those four streams — Stoney Creek on Burnaby Mountain — recently had a bank cave in at a City of Burnaby construction site, sending sand and silt into the water….. You might not be familiar with the Nooksack dace, but streamkeepers and environmentalists have been working since the 1990s to stop the freshwater fish from going extinct, even taking the federal government to court over its failure to protect it. (CBC)

If you like to watch: Photos: Section of Stanley Park Seawall collapses from wind, waves
 A large section of the seawall — from Third Beach to the Lions Gate Bridge — will be closed for up to a month while crews repair Monday’s damage. Wind and waves are being blamed for the collapse, with climate change a major contributing factor. Here are pictures from Monday's collapse. (Vancouver Sun)

New stormwater fees set to address flooding, drain problems
A new stormwater fee is set to appear on next year's tax statements for about 4,800 property owners in unincorporated Snohomish County. That and other changes to stormwater fees were approved by the County Council on Monday. The county's Surface Water Management Division is expected to receive an extra $1 million per year as a result. The money will pay for projects to lessen problems with drainage and flooding. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

Efforts to stop Kinder Morgan review unlikely to succeed
A lobbying campaign calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to stop the federal review of Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion is doomed to fail, experts say. There is no clear legislative basis for Ottawa to agree to the suspension requests sent earlier this month from Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan and from a coalition of environmental groups, they say. Peter O'Neil reports. (Vancouver Sun)

State of Knowledge: Climate Change in Puget Sound
A 2015 report from the University of Washington provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of the expected impacts of climate change on the Puget Sound region. (Encyclopedia of Puget Sound)

Climate change stickers mandatory on North Vancouver gas pumps
North Vancouver, B.C. is believed to be the first city in the world to make climate change warning labels mandatory on gas pumps. The city council passed the bylaw unanimously in a vote on Monday night.  Rob Shirkey, the founder of the Our Horizons not-for-profit group championing this cause, called the vote a "historic global first." He said other Canadian and American cities have come close by supporting similar initiatives, but the City of North Vancouver is the first to make it mandatory. Tamara Baluja reports. (CBC)

LNG terminal ‘not likely’ to harm Flora Bank
Flora Bank is a resilient area that would emerge unscathed in the event that liquefied natural gas is produced on Lelu Island, a report commissioned by Pacific NorthWest LNG concludes. Visible at low tide, Flora Bank contains eelgrass that nurtures juvenile salmon in the Skeena River estuary near Prince Rupert. Pacific NorthWest LNG, led by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas, wants to build an $11.4-billion export terminal on Lelu Island, which is located next to Flora Bank. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Will the "tobacco strategy" work against Big Oil?
According to InsideClimate News, the office of New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman had been investigating ExxonMobil for a year before it issued a recent subpoena for “documents on what Exxon knew about climate change and what it told shareholders and the public.” The subpoena compelled ExxonMobil to hand over scientific research and communications about climate change dating back to 1977. (Exxon and Mobil merged to become a single corporation in 1999.) The investigation is based on New York State’s consumer-protection and general-business laws and, crucially, the state’s Martin Act, InsideClimate News reported. That statute prohibits fraud or misrepresentation in the sale of securities and commodities, and gives the Attorney General extraordinary power to fight financial fraud. Lincoln Caplan reports. (The New Yorker)

Pacific Ocean temperatures hint at a record El Niño
Temperatures in a key area of the Pacific Ocean west of Peru rose to 5.4 degrees above average for the week of Nov. 11, exceeding the highest comparable reading for the most powerful El Niño on record, in 1997. Rong-Gong Lin II and Rosanna Xia report. (LA Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PST WED NOV 18 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST EARLY THIS MORNING
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LESS THAN 1 FT. W
 SWELL 14 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.

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

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10/19 Elwha, vote, fish passage, Arctic drill, coal ports, Shell train, mussel power, buffleheads, new allies, orca breeding, saving turtles, Derek Kilmer

Elwha 10/15/15 (Tom Roorda/CWI)

Elwha Nearshore October 15, 2015
Anne Shaffer of Coastal Watershed Institute writes: "The last lovely days of low flow early fall in this captivating place and time. Thank you to Tom Roorda for continuing to provide these important photos. And what it means? The main river channel is much shorter and closer to its original length than in past months of dam removal. The delta on the other hand has grown by around 45 hectares and is much more diverse habitat wise. Fish use the new areas. They began using them as soon as the habitat was available. Upshot? Most of the new delta fish habitat is side channel and estuary-not main river channel. The quiet weather patterns should soon give way to fall winds, swell, and rain, and re-activate the marine and river hydrodynamic engines. This will include pushing sediment east where it is so sorely needed!"

What you need to know for Monday’s federal election
B.C. polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19. One of the longest federal election campaigns in Canadian history comes to a close at 7 p.m. Monday, after the final ballots are cast in British Columbia. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

Judges hear Washington challenge to fish-passage ruling
In a case that could have implications for dams and development in the Northwest, federal appeals judges heard arguments Friday about whether Washington state should have to spend billions of dollars to replace large pipes that allow streams to pass under roadways — but which also block salmon from migrating upstream to their spawning grounds. The lawsuit is the latest twist in more than 40 years of litigation between Washington and Native American tribes over fishing rights since a federal court decision guaranteed the tribes the right to half of Northwest salmon harvest. Washington's tribes, backed by the U.S. Justice Department, sued the state in 2001, trying to force the state to replace the culverts with bridges or other structures that better allow fish to pass. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press)

Seattle Enviros Celebrate Cancelation of Oil Drilling Leases In The Arctic
Local environmentalists are celebrating the Obama administration’s announcement that it is canceling upcoming auctions for drilling rights in the Arctic’s Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The Interior Department also announced it has denied requests for extensions of Arctic leases currently held by Shell and Statoil. Shell’s Arctic fleet became a lightning rod for activism in Seattle this summer, launched by flotillas of “Kayaktivists” and others opposed to drilling. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Wyoming and Montana to promote coal ports in Washington
A delegation of Wyoming and Montana state lawmakers and others are looking to highlight the economic importance of opening ports to export U.S. coal to Asian markets and counter arguments against the ports during a trip to Washington. “We hope to have a broader conversation about why these terminals are important not only to Washington state, but to the people and economies of Wyoming and Montana,” said Jocelyn McCabe, a spokeswoman for the Keep Washington Competitive group, which is sponsoring the visit on Monday. (Associated Press)

Refinery, rail lines: How far should EIS scope reach for Shell rail project?
Skagit County government and the state Department of Ecology are collecting public input on a project that, if built, would mean more oil trains moving through the Skagit Valley. Together, the agencies will review the Shell Puget Sound Refinery’s East Gate Rail Project under the state Environmental Policy Act. But before starting an environmental impact statement, the agencies are trying to determine the scope of study. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) Some groups want rail EIS to extend beyond Shell refinery  Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)  Shell wants limited EIS scope for oil-by-rail project Aaron Weinberg reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) Oil train hearing set for Monday in Lynnwood  Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Penn Cove mussels to help track pollution flowing into Puget Sound
Late at night when the tide is low enough, an army of volunteers will fan out along Puget Sound and help anchor cages of native Penn Cove mussels near the shore. Starting Oct. 26, the cages will go into 73 spots around Puget Sound. Eight of those will be in Whatcom County, with California Creek where it flows into Drayton Harbor as the farthest point to the north and Clark’s Point in Chuckanut Bay the southernmost spot. The cages will be put in over seven days, and the mussels will stay there until February 2016. Their job is to help scientists find out what contaminants are washing from land into the sound during fall and winter, when Western Washington is wet. The bivalves also will show how well efforts to protect Puget Sound against stormwater pollution are working over time. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Punctual ducks feted with All Buffleheads Day
Californians celebrate the punctuality of the swallows of Capistrano. So why don’t Islanders celebrate the annual arrival of bufflehead ducks? The bufflehead is every bit as regular as the swallows, arriving in the waters of Victoria and south Vancouver Island each Oct. 15 (plus or minus a day).
… Now the Friends of Shoal Harbour and Nature Canada are hoping to earn some recognition for the bufflehead’s remarkable punctuality. On Friday, B.C. Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon marked Oct. 15 as All Buffleheads Day. Richard Watts reports. (Times Colonist)

New alliance has big goals for salmon, orca recovery
Even with Endangered Species Act protection, two iconic Salish Sea species are struggling, and a newly formed alliance is calling attention to their plight. “It’s pretty critical that we have to do something, so let’s put the prey and predator together and let’s save them,” said Ken Balcomb, executive director of the Center for Whale Research based on San Juan Island. The center is one of many local, national and international groups that recently formed the Orca Salmon Alliance. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: Critics of Snake River dams say it’s time to tear them down  The decades-old idea of breaching four giant dams that interfere with endangered salmon runs has gained new momentum Nicholas Geranios reports. (Associated Press)

SeaWorld to challenge Calif. ban on orca breeding
SeaWorld announced Thursday that it will challenge a state ruling that banned the company from breeding captive killer whales at its San Diego park. The announcement comes a week after the California Coastal Commission endorsed a $100 million expansion of the tanks SeaWorld uses to hold orcas in San Diego. That ruling also outlined a series of restrictions on SeaWorld, including a ban on breeding and prohibitions on the sale, trade or transfer of the whales. Michael Blood reports. (Associated Press) See also: Orca pod spotted in Howe Sound  Tracey Tufnail reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Endangered western painted turtles get new beach
A population of western painted turtles in Burnaby will soon have a clean new home, free of the chunks of metallurgical coal they have been living with since a train derailed in their backyard last year. For the last few days, Deanna MacTavish and other members of the Coastal Painted Turtle Project have been digging turtle hatchlings out of a nesting beach near Silver Creek in Burnaby Lake Park. The group built the beach in 2010 and turtles were thriving there until a Canadian Pacific train operated by a Canadian National crew on CN tracks derailed in January 2014, dumping coal into the creek. When crews and officials arrived to clean up after the spill, they scrambled to dig up the nesting turtles before the machines moved in. The hatchlings that were saved were reared off site, then brought home later that spring. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Feds eye refuges for cold-water species in 5 states
Federal scientists using new technologies have mapped what is being called a Cold Water Climate Shield, an area spanning five western states that could support viable populations of native species if the region continues its warming trend. Mapping the cold-water refuges for cutthroat trout, a favored sport fish among anglers, and threatened bull trout could help resource managers make decisions aimed at preserving populations of those and other cold-water native species in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Wyoming. Keith Ridler reports. (Associated Press)

Conservancy names Rep. Derek Kilmer ‘Champion of Nature’
The Nature Conservancy in Washington state has given U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer its “Champion of Nature” award. Mike Stevens, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Washington state, presented the award Oct. 8 after he and members of the organization’s trustee board and staff traveled to Capitol Hill to urge Congress to renew the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which expired Sept. 30. Kilmer, a Democrat from Gig Harbor and a Port Angeles native, represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PDT MON OCT 19 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING. RAIN THROUGH THE DAY.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A SLIGHT 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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10/13 Shell drill, oil sands, marbled murrelet, WOTUS, Ludlow Bay sewage, rain gardens, Brit bags

B.C. Thanksgiving weekend double rainbow (Michele Empey/CBC)

Polar Pioneer oil rig set to make return to Port Angeles Harbor, though arrival date is uncertain
The Polar Pioneer oil rig will once again loom over the waters of Port Angeles Harbor. The 355-foot-tall rig was in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on Monday for a brief stopover with the Noble Discoverer rig after exiting the Alaskan Arctic and before heading farther south, Shell Oil Co. spokeswoman Megan Baldino said Monday. The Noble Discoverer will make its way to the Port of Everett. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Alberta oil-sands boom dries up, taking thousands of jobs with it
At a camp for oil workers here, a collection of 16 three-story buildings that once housed 2,000 workers sits empty. A parking lot at a neighboring camp is now dotted with abandoned cars. With oil prices falling precipitously, capital-intensive projects rooted in the heavy crude mined from Alberta’s oil sands are losing money, contributing to the loss of about 35,000 energy-industry jobs across the province…. Despite a severe economic downturn in a region whose growth once seemed limitless, many energy companies have too much invested in the oil sands to slow down or turn off the taps. In addition to the continued operation of existing plants, construction persists on projects that began before the price fell, largely because billions of dollars have already been spent on them. Oil-sands projects are based on 40-year investment time frames, so their owners are being forced to wait out slumps. Ian Austen reports. (NY Times)

In the face of timber development, one more chance to save a remarkable seabird
The seabird at the center of the state’s 21st century timber wars manages an astonishing feat during breeding season. The marbled murrelet, its plumage a mix of brown, bisters and umbers, dines in deep coastal waters. It then flies inland, sometimes as much as 50 miles, to feed its young in a tall conifer. When it lands in the nest, says ornithologist Daniel Froelich, it has to “stick” its landing “like a gymnast, aiming for perfection with no wobble or bounce.”…. This week, after years of advocacy, lawsuits and scientific study, the DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold public hearings at a special murrelet board meeting on October 15. Four possible habitat conservation plans will be presented by an out-of-state murrelet expert. The plan adopted later in the year will form the basis for a new long-term conservation strategy. Martha Baskin reports. (Crosscut)

Appeals court puts the brakes on EPA's clean water rule
A US Court has temporarily blocked the a federal water rule that would fold temporary waterways into Clean Water Act protections, Friday. The US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit granted a temporary stay against the Water of the United States (WOTUS) rule. The stay is the latest of several attempts to derail many Obama administration environmental policies. The WOTUS rule was intended to clarify which bodies of water are under the supervision of the Clean Water Act. Corey Fedde reports. (Christian Science Monitor)

Sewage release closes waters of Port Ludlow Bay to recreation until Saturday
A sewage spill into Port Ludlow Bay caused by equipment failure at the wastewater treatment plant is not serious or life-threatening, but the area is now closed to recreation until Saturday. Jefferson County Public Health has issued a “no contact” health advisory that will remain in effect until then. The public is advised to avoid any contact with the water in Port Ludlow Bay, including swimming, kayaking, fishing and harvesting of shellfish and seaweed. (Peninsula Daily News)

Let It Rain
Water is a big topic these days—from droughts across the nation to keeping our oceans, rivers, and lakes clean and cool for fish and other species, there is a lot to think about. Here in the wet and wild Pacific Northwest we have the option of creating rain gardens to help protect our water sources—something the folks the Washington State University know a little something about. (KOMO)

Charge for Plastic Bags in Britain Draws Applause, Anger and Humor
Some warned of “bag rage” by irate shoppers. The Daily Mail predicted, “Plastic Bags Chaos Looms.” Chloe Metzger, a 21-year-old blogger and student, wrote on Twitter: “I understand the whole #plasticbags thing but it couldn’t be more annoying.” Nerves were rattled, jokes were made and the annoyance of it all was duly noted in Britain this week. Nevertheless, shoppers pulled off something that has also occurred in other cities, states and countries: They began weaning themselves off plastic shopping bags. Starting this week, the government introduced a 5 pence charge for plastic bags for most groceries, clothes and other purchased items. And while it did not lead to a nationwide mutiny, as some had warned, it did create some tension in cashier lines. Dan Bilefsky reports. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE OCT 13 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS SUBSIDING TO 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND BECOMING E TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 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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9/23 Quiet habitat, no Keystone, Exxon climate, Dockton pier, grouse ESA

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

May the Fronds be With You
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "“Current affairs” factor into our decisions when we’re kayaking. If there’s next to no surface current, we’ll often just dawdle along, soaking up the scenery. When the current is stronger and it’s going in our direction, the paddling is easy so we’re able to make good speed towards a destination. By contrast, going against the current can make for hard slogging, so we usually try to time our passages to match its direction – especially if we’re heading home after an already lengthy paddle. At worst, if we’re fighting a current, we hope it’s a minor one. But currents can be localized and dynamic, changing several times over the course of the day. So how do we judge their relative speed and direction?…."

Race on to protect whales, dolphins from noise pollution
B.C. has the opportunity to conserve “globally rare” quiet habitat for endangered and noise-sensitive whales and dolphins, but fast action is required, say the authors of a new study. At least 20 liquefied natural gas plants are proposed for the B.C. coast, which could add thousands of tanker trips a year to coastal waters from Howe Sound to the Hecate Strait, the body of water between Haida Gwaii and the mainland near Kitimat and Prince Rupert. But ocean noise from shipping and other marine traffic is disruptive to marine mammals — and likely many other species — causing the animals stress, disrupting navigation, feeding and their ability to detect predators over vast areas. Noise travels hundreds of times farther in water than air, according to the study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Clinton says she opposes Keystone XL pipeline
Hillary Rodham Clinton broke her longstanding silence over the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, telling voters at a campaign stop in Iowa on Tuesday that she opposes the project assailed by environmentalists. The Democratic presidential candidate said the project had become an impediment to efforts to fight climate change. Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey report. (Associated Press)

What Exxon Knew About Climate Change
Wednesday morning (Sept. 16), journalists at InsideClimate News, a Web site that has won the Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on oil spills, published the first installment of a multi-part exposé that will be appearing over the next month. The documents they have compiled and the interviews they have conducted with retired employees and officials show that, as early as 1977, Exxon (now ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest oil companies) knew that its main product would heat up the planet disastrously. This did not prevent the company from then spending decades helping to organize the campaigns of disinformation and denial that have slowed—perhaps fatally—the planet’s response to global warming. Bill McKibben reports. (The New Yorker)

Remnants of south-end pier to be replaced
In an effort to mitigate the environmental impact of the seismic retrofit of the north-end ferry dock, crews will begin work next week to remove the remnants of the old pier next to the Tahlequah dock, as well as clean up beach debris in Dockton. Blackwater Construction has been commissioned by Washington State Ferries (WSF) to remove the creosote-soaked pilings of the old pier at the south end, in order to mitigate work on the north-end dock that will result in some increased over-water coverage, which can alter and negatively impact the near-shore environment. Sarah Low reports. (Vashon Beachcomber)

US Rejects Protections For Greater Sage Grouse
The U.S. Interior Department says the greater sage grouse does not need federal protections across its 11-state western range. The long-awaited decision affects millions of acres across the Western states.  “Today I’m proud to mark a milestone for conservation in America, because of an unprecedented effort by dozens of partners in 11 western states, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the greater sage grouse does not require protection under the Endangered Species Act,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who oversees the Fish and Wildlife Service. Amanda Peacher reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 222 AM PDT WED SEP 23 2015
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A
 CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE
 OF RAIN.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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9/18 Wildlife watch,,BC oysters, PA crabs, ferry link, salamanders, CA ESA, oil export ban, rail safety

Wolf, Pacific Wild (Ian McAllister/CBC)

If you like to watch: Great Bear Rainforest live cams capture wolves, seals and salmon at play
Now you can catch sea wolves playing, seals scratching themselves or salmon jumping from a stream through three live stream cameras set up in the Great Bear Rainforest. The Great Bear LIVE program has installed what it describes as non-invasive technology that captures the animals in their element. "It's a unique opportunity for people to see first hand what is happening here and see animals behaving in a natural way," explained Diana Chan, conservation biologist with Pacific Wild. Watch the live stream. (CBC)

If you like to watch: Transient orcas catch sea lion near Lopez Island
A private whale watching tour witnesses a group of transient orcas hunting for a meal. In this case, members of the T-137 group attacked a thousand-pound Stellar sea lion. According to Mystic Sea Charters, passenger Mike caught the hunt near Lopez Island on camera. Elizabeth Wiley reports. (KING)

B.C. raw oyster ban lifted by Vancouver Coastal Health
Oyster growers in B.C. are back in business after Vancouver Coastal Health lifted the ban on serving raw oysters that's been in place since August. All restaurants under VCH's jurisdiction have been required to cook any oysters served up to customers after an outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. (CBC)

Study: Eating large amounts of Port Angeles Harbor crab could raise risks of cancer
Eating a lot of crab from Port Angeles Harbor could increase the risk of cancer, according to 13-year-old research presented to the Clallam County Board of Health on Tuesday. The report issued in February 2005 stems from samples taken in 2002 mostly off the old Rayonier mill site, a firmer pulp mill that became a cleanup site in 2000. In 2007, a health warning against eating crab or shellfish from the harbor was issued. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

New ferry would link Victoria and Vancouver downtowns
A foot passenger ferry service between Vancouver and Victoria could soon be operating out of the Inner Harbour’s historic CPR Steamship Terminal, along with a deep ocean education centre affiliated with the University of Victoria. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority said Wednesday that it is negotiating long-term leases with two potential tenants: Riverside Marine, a major Australian marine operator and Ocean Networks Canada, which operates the NEPTUNE and VENUS cabled ocean observatories. Not only would the two potential tenants make the money-losing harbour authority viable, said CEO Ian Robertson, but help return the building to its maritime origins dating to 1905. He hopes tenancy agreements will be worked out by mid-November. Katherine Dedyna reports. (Times Colonist)

Pacific Northwest Salamanders May Qualify For Protection
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says two salamanders in Oregon and Washington may qualify for Endangered Species Act protection. The findings on Tuesday about the Cascade torrent salamander and Columbia torrent salamander mean the agency will initiate full status reviews for the species to see if they warrant protection. The findings come in response to a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity. The Center first asked for protection for the salamanders in 2012. The petition said they are increasingly rare because of habitat loss due primarily to logging and road building. The four-inch brown salamanders live in forest streams and are found only in a small stretch of the Cascades and Coast range. (Associated Press)

Canada sidesteps protection of endangered fish, study finds
Endangered and threatened marine fish species in Canada are routinely refused protection by the federal government, contrary to scientists' recommendations, a new study has found. In fact, the more endangered the fish are, the less likely they are to get protection under Canada's endangered species legislation, researchers at the University of Victoria and the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax report. "It's a bit of a perverse outcome," Julia Baum, a University of Victoria biologist who co-authored the report, said during an interview with CBC Radio's Quirks & Quarks that airs Saturday…. And while the federal government says that species that aren't listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) will still get protection under the Fisheries Act, Baum and her colleagues found "absolutely no evidence" that that has ever happened. (CBC)

Chambers Creek dog park, beach reopen Friday
The off-leash dog park and access to the beach at Chambers Creek Regional Park will open Friday (Sept. 18)…. Close to 800 creosote piles and two dilapidated docks were removed from the water and beach area. Removal work began last fall but was completed during the park’s extended closure after the U.S. Open golf championship June 15-21 at the county-owned park and golf course. The piles and cement structures removed from the waterfront were left over from the site’s former operation as a gravel mine. Brynn Grimley reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

House moves one step closer to lifting ban on crude oil exports
The House Energy and Commerce Committee took a major step Thursday toward allowing crude oil exports from the United States. Three Democrats joined all of the Republicans on Thursday in voting for a bill that would lift the decades-old ban on exports. The tally was 31-19. The vote sends the legislation to the full House for final passage, something that Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said would happen in the coming weeks. Republicans said the bill would benefit the economy, jobs, national security and other areas, while most Democrats decried it as a giveaway to oil companies that would threaten energy prices. Timothy Cama reports. (The Hill) See also: Does Anyone Even Want to Buy Crude Oil From the U.S.?  Sheela Tobben and Mark Shenk report. (Bloomberg)

Rail service crisis looms as Congress looks to modify safety law
President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the nation’s rail safety agency told lawmakers Thursday that the agency would hold railroads to a year-end deadline to install collision-avoidance technology even if it meant that freight and passengers could be left stranded. Congress set a Dec. 31, 2015, deadline for railroads to implement positive train control back in 2008. The Government Accountability Office reported Wednesday that few companies would actually make the deadline. That conclusion was no surprise: The GAO had warned Congress of it in another report two years ago. While lawmakers sought guidance from Sarah Feinberg, the Federal Railroad Administration’s acting administrator, on what she thought they should do about it, she told them that whether and how to extend the deadline was up to them. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Court date set for Cape Roger Curtis dock lawsuit
A hearing date has been set for November 16 and 17 for a lawsuit filed by two property owners on Cape Roger Curtis against the municipality. The landowners want the courts to set aside Bylaw No. 381, 2015 which does not allow the building of any further docks at Cape Roger Curtis. They received permission from the province to build their docks 10 days prior to the adoption of the bylaw. Martha Perkins reports. (Bowen Island Undercurrent)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI SEP 18 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS. A
 CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE
 OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.
SAT
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 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

Follow on Twitter.

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9/17 BC vote, McCallum Slough, RR quiet zones, BC Hydro exemption, Coho dock

(PHOTO: Jeff Poklen/BirdNote)

Jaegers Give Chase in September
A tern or gull plunges headfirst into the water, then bounces aloft grasping a small fish in its bill. But before the bird can swallow its catch, a Parasitic Jaeger swoops in. The jaeger nips the bird's wing, and it drops its hard-won fish. The pirate catches the fish in mid-air and gulps it down. The jaeger (German for hunter) is built for sprinting speed and predatory feats. Here's a photo of a jaeger in pursuit of a juvenile Western Gull. (BirdNote)

B.C. residents split on oil pipeline projects
B.C. residents are split on proposed oil pipeline projects, but fairly optimistic about the economy despite news of a mild recession, according to a recent poll. Mainstreet, a national public research firm, polled residents on Sept. 15 about some of the key issues going into the federal election and came away with an indication that there could be more three-way races in this province than in any other. The poll shows Vancouver Island painted in New Democratic orange, B.C.'s north bathed in Conservative Party blue, and the Lower Mainland pulsing with Liberal red. But in many ridings, particularly those in the Lower Mainland, the leading party did not appear to have much breathing room, said Quito Maggi, the president and CEO of Mainstreet. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. government steps in to save endangered fish
The B.C. government has stepped in at the 11th hour to fill a void created by the weakened federal Fisheries Act, providing the District of Kent with a series of conditions before it can conduct flood-related excavations in a known hot spot for endangered species…. The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations provided The Sun with a copy of its conditions for conducting works on McCallum Slough near Agassiz. The district must, in part: provide a plan to ensure existing environmental features are maintained or enhanced; replant along riparian areas to shore up the banks and reduce in-stream growth; hire a professional biologist to monitor the work; complete in-stream work by Oct. 15 to protect spawning fish. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Rules for setting up railroad quiet zones need adjustment, residents say
Residents of Blanchard decried Tuesday what they called a unclear payment structure and excessive liability on individuals wanting to create railroad quiet zones. The residents spoke at a public hearing with Skagit County Commissioners and county Public Works. About 10 members of the community, which has four rail crossings in close proximity, spoke, advocating for a streamlined process for requesting quiet zones — areas where train conductors do not need to blow their whistles. The criticism stems from a draft of the procedure for establishing quiet zones, which would require a majority of those living within a half-mile of the crossing to sign on. County officials agreed to rework the draft. Brandon Stone reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Province seeks to exempt two BC Hydro projects from review
The provincial government is seeking to bypass a regulatory review to fast-track two major projects designed to supply the natural gas industry with clean energy for production. The bid to exempt the transmission line projects from an independent evaluation comes on the heels of a commitment last spring from the B.C. Liberal government to restore the powers of BC Hydro’s watchdog, the B.C. Utilities Commission. The Crown corporation says it needs to move quickly to respond to what it calls “some of the most dramatic, single industry load growth in a discrete area that it has experienced over the past 50 years.” That demand is fuelled by plans to electrify gas plants developing the Montney shale gas deposits in the Peace region in B.C.’s northeast. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

Coho ferry dock work in Victoria Harbour expected to start next month
Work could begin as early as Oct. 13 on new docks in Victoria Harbour for the Coho car ferry. The project, which could take about 18 months and cost more than $10 million, will see Black Ball Ferry Line rebuild its docks, replace the dolphins and car ramps, improve U.S. Customs facilities and establish covered walkways for passengers. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU SEP 17 2015
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 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

Follow on Twitter.

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9/10 Fraser sockeye, Skagit pinks, reconciliation talks, Orca Tour, Dungeness Spit, WA ESA

Whimbrel (Gregg Thompson/BirdNote)

If you like to watch: Late Summer Shorebirds
In September, all across North America, the southward migration of shorebirds reaches its peak. Millions of shorebirds – the sandpipers and plovers that grace our shorelines – are on the move. And many birders now flock to the mudflats to watch the annual pilgrimage. Gregg Thompson is one of those. (BirdNote)

River temperatures down in B.C., but so are projected sockeye returns: DFO
Late summer can be “sockeye crazy” in British Columbia’s rivers, but one fish expert says this year’s salmon season seems to be non-existent. Low river flows and hot water temperatures likely combined to create poor conditions for the annual sockeye migration, said Ken Ashley, director of the Rivers Institute at the B.C. Institute of Technology. But because the weather has cooled in recent days, warm water that’s often lethal to returning salmon has become more hospitable, said the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Wednesday. Tamsyn Burgmann reports. (Canadian Press)

Low pink salmon return prompts Upper Skagit Indian Tribe to close its fishery
Because it saw few returning fish, the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe made the difficult decision Wednesday to close its pink salmon fishery…. The tribe sets its pink salmon fishery based on how many fish it expects to return to the river. The forecasts are based off previous spawner surveys and fish harvests. This year, the tribe expected to see about 500,000 pinks return to the Skagit River to spawn. Based on past catch records, this week should have been the peak of the season. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

B.C. chiefs call reconciliation talks 'strike two'
The chasm separating British Columbia's political and aboriginal leaders could not have been defined more clearly as the second annual all-chiefs meeting got underway in Vancouver Wednesday. B.C.'s Minister for Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, John Rustad, opened the two day gathering by calling advances over the past decade "remarkable."… But for some, it seems, patience is wearing thin. Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs Grand Chief Stewart Phillip responded that when it comes to reconciliation, B.C. is at "strike two." Dirk Meissner reports. (CBC News)

News Release: Killer Whale Expert and Author Erich Hoyt In October "Orca Tour 2015" Talks in BC, Puget Sound
Internationally-renowned author and killer whale expert Erich Hoyt will speak in October along the Whale Trail at locations in British Columbia and Puget Sound.  “Orca Tour 2015” celebrates the seasonal return of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales to central Puget Sound and builds awareness of the whales throughout their range in the Salish Sea and along the Pacific Coast. This transboundary tour is especially timely with the birth of the fifth calf in the Southern Resident Killer Whale pods since December 2014. (The Whale Trail)

Mother Nature and the Dungeness Spit
How does Mother Nature affect the Dungeness Spit? Let me count the ways, starting at the beginning. Current estimates are that the spit is about 6,000 years old, older than the first pyramids in Egypt. But its origin goes back to the last ice age when the Cordilleran glacier, a mile deep river of ice, came south. This particular glacier bulldozed millions of tons of rocks, sand and clay south out of the mountains of British Columbia and onto our shores. John Maxwell reports. (Sequim Gazette)

State reviews status of spotted owl, snowy plover
The state Department of Fish & Wildlife has released draft status reviews for snowy plovers and Northern spotted owls that recommend keeping the birds on the state’s endangered species list. The agency is taking public comment on the draft recommendations through Dec. 8. The birds are two of 46 species the state has listed as endangered, threatened or sensitive. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU SEP 10 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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7/31 Warm waters, Shell drill, BC pipe, coal port, fuel cap, salmon plight, tribe fight, BC ferries, tangled whales

(San Juan Journal)

Storm drain mural highlights art and environmental issues
The sea creature glides over the pavement, its red and pink tentacles splayed out and reaching, one of its eight arms curling over the curb. An octopus on the run in Friday Harbor? Close, but not quite. Its a new painting of an octopus in the ocean, painted on a storm drain outside of the Whale Museum to remind passerby’s that the water running through there flows out into the ocean. Anna Smith reports. (San Juan Journal)

Salmon Losing, Jellyfish Winning
When Lewis and Clark were exploring the Pacific Northwest, they talked about salmon running so thick you could cross the river on their backs. You don’t see salmon like that around Puget Sound anymore. What you do see are jellyfish. Joshua McNichols reports. (KUOW)  See also: ‘The Blob’ may warm Puget Sound’s waters, hurt marine life  Scientists say they are concerned about the continued ecological effects of the unusually warm and dry conditions in the Puget Sound region this summer. Paige Cornwell and Sandi Doughton report. (Seattle Times)

Shell icebreaker slips by; authorities force protesters from Portland bridge
After law-enforcement officials removed three of 13 roped Greenpeace activists from a bridge, a Shell icebreaker early Thursday evening was able to begin its journey down the Willamette River en route to the Chukchi Sea. The MSV Fennica passed under the bridge shortly before 6 p.m., capping a tumultuous day of protest here by activists opposed to Shell’s efforts to explore for oil off Alaska’s North Slope. Hal Bernton and Evan Bush report. (Seattle Times)

 Kinder Morgan pipeline opponents furious about ‘chaotic’ review process
The National Energy Board is facing a fresh round of resistance to its embattled review of the proposed Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Three separate parties – British Columbia’s Opposition New Democrats, the City of Burnaby and the Sierra Club – all issued renewed challenges to the process on Thursday…. The strongly-worded letter from B.C.’s opposition party details four major concerns with the NEB process, including that it lacks the public’s confidence, doesn’t consider climate change, hasn’t required Kinder Morgan to disclose its emergency response plans and failed to ensure First Nations were on board. Laura Kane reports. (Canadian Press)

Montana scrambles, but Corps not close to coal port decision
A U.S. senator and representative from Montana hurriedly circulated petitions in their respective chambers to ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not to kill the proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point. The 16 U.S. senators who signed their letter, including Montana Republican Steve Daines, were appealing to the Corps to not halt Gateway Pacific Terminal as requested in January by Lummi Nation until after a thorough environmental review is completed, with the release of a draft environmental impact statement. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Inslee says cap would hit largest carbon sources, including gas distributors
Not wanting to swallow a “poison pill” provision in the Legislature’s transportation package helped keep Gov. Jay Inslee from creating a clean-fuel standard targeting the tailpipes that are Washington’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. But Inslee told The News Tribune editorial board Wednesday that the regulations he is now pursuing would cover distributors of vehicle fuel. “Basically what this is about is breaking the monopoly and the stranglehold on Washingtonians of the oil and gas industry,” the Democratic governor said. Jordan Schrader reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

As salmon vanish in the dry Pacific Northwest, so does Native heritage
As a drought tightens its grip on the Pacific Northwest, burning away mountain snow and warming rivers, state officials and Native American tribes are becoming increasingly worried that one of the region’s most precious resources — wild salmon — might disappear. Native Americans, who for centuries have relied on salmon for food and ceremonial rituals, say the area’s five species of salmon have been declining for years, but the current threat is worse than anything they have seen. Darrly Fears reports. (Washington Post)

Lummi, S’Klallam Nations In Court Over 30-year-long Dispute Over Fishing Territory
The Lummi and S’Klallams were among the Indigenous Peoples who fished a vast inland sea off northwest Washington, bounded by Haro Strait to the west, Rosario Strait to the east, Georgia Strait to the north, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound to the south. In the middle are the San Juan Islands, which the Lummi believe is their place of origin. To the south is the Olympic Peninsula, the place of origin of the Elwha, Jamestown and Port Gamble S’Klallam peoples…. Both sides are in U.S. District Court, in their third decade of legal battles to determine who has the treaty right to fish those waters. District and appellate court decisions have seesawed in favor of the S’Klallams and the Lummi Nation. Richard Walker reports. (Indian Country Today)

Willapa Bay plan cuts Chinook production by one-third
The production of hatchery Chinook in Willapa Bay will decrease by more than one-third as a result of a policy adopted recently by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. The policy, adopted in June, also is likely to decrease the number of fish commercial fishermen can catch if the commission’s action survives a legal challenge. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have said that they needed to adopt the new policy to avoid having the Chinook listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. (Longview Daily News)

The secret scientific life of B.C.’s ferries
B.C. Ferries passengers may not know they’re also aboard a mobile ocean observatory. Three vessels that cross the Strait of Georgia have been outfitted with instruments for collecting ocean and atmospheric information, through a partnership with Ocean Networks Canada. Scientists are using the data to monitor the strait’s habitat health, which has implications for everything from micro-organisms to larger species such as salmon and orcas. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist) See also: Some Google Street View Cars Now Track Pollution Levels  Sam Sanders reports. (NPR)

If you like to watch: Storm on the Deschutes
DERT's Board member and historian Helen Wheatley put this video together after a early fall storm on the Deschutes a few years ago. Its the sentiments of sediment. See here.

Whale entanglements increasing off B.C. coast
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says four whales entangled in fishing gear have been rescued off the B.C. coast in the past five weeks. Entanglement can be a death sentence for whales if netting prevents them from breathing and feeding. But in some cases, whales can go on for months or even years dragging along the gear before someone spots them and calls for help. (CBC)

Illuminating the Plight of Endangered Species, at the Empire State Building
Travis Threlkel was standing on the roof of a building on Fifth Avenue and 27th Street looking uptown at his canvas. It’s hard to miss: It’s the Empire State Building, and on Saturday evening he and his collaborator, the filmmaker and photographer Louie Psihoyos, will project digital light images of endangered species onto the building in an art event meant to draw attention to the creatures’ plight and possibly provide footage for a coming documentary.… On Saturday, using 40 stacked, 20,000-lumen projectors on the roof of a building on West 31st Street, Mr. Threlkel and Mr. Psihoyos, director of the Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove,” will be illuminating the night from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. with a looping reel showing what Mr. Psihoyos calls a “Noah’s ark” of animals. A snow leopard, a golden lion tamarin and manta rays, along with snakes, birds and various mammals and sea creatures will be projected onto a space 375 feet tall and 186 feet wide covering 33 floors of the southern face of the Empire State Building — and beyond, thanks to cellphones and Internet connections. Tom Roston reports. (NYTimes)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI JUL 31 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SAT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT...BECOMING 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 5 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W
 SWELL 5 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

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.
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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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