10/22 Orca, geoduck, oil train, BC pipe, basking shark, Quiet Cove, tribe rights, melting, goose cull

J16 and calf (NOAA Fisheries)

Puget Sound’s killer whales looking fat and healthy
Seattle’s most celebrated residents — the J, K, and L pods of southern resident killer whales — are looking good. The population of the 81 endangered whales appear to be in excellent health. They are fat and sleek, and several appear to be pregnant. The news was revealed by photogrammetry: measurements made from photographs, that help scientists understand the health of whales and other wildlife. In the case of the orcas, photos and videos taken this summer by a drone helicopter about the size of a large pizza reveal the animals are looking fat and robust. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Vancouver Aquarium and U.S. agency team up for drone research of killer whales  Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Gear, not geoducks, impacts ecosystem if farming increases
The equipment used to farm geoducks, including PVC pipes and nets, might have a greater impact on the Puget Sound food web than the addition of the clams themselves. That’s one of the findings of the first major scientific study to examine the broad, long-term ecosystem effects of geoduck aquaculture in Puget Sound, published last week in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea’s Journal of Marine Science. Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today)

Skagit Valley Sounds Off
Not that Anacortes isn’t well acquainted—even friendly—with Shell Oil. They’ve lived together for 104 years. That long ago, Shell made its first venture into the U.S. gas and oil business with a terminal a few miles from where its refinery now operates. At Anacortes Middle School last week, a number of speakers critical of Shell’s proposed oil-by-rail project began by stressing that Shell has been an O.K. neighbor, an excellent employer and supporter of local schools.  Then they turned a verbal corner to say, “However…” The “however” is Bakken crude oil, the highly volatile feedstock Shell wishes to bring into the Skagit community by the trainload. The same that has made itself famous in 10 spectacular explosions in the United States and Canada since 2013. Bob Simmons reports. (Cascadia Weekly) See also: Residents ask for broad study of Shell’s oil-by-rail project  Joan Pringle reports. (Anacortes American)

Northern Gateway hopes to change Trudeau's mind
While on the campaign trail Justin Trudeau went on record with his strong opposition to the Northern Gateway Pipeline, so it would be fair to assume his election win means certain death for the project. But no so fast says Northern Gateway. Communications Manager Ivan Giesbrect told CBC in an emailed statement, "We look forward to the opportunity to sit down with the new Prime Minister and his government to provide an update on the progress of our project and our partnerships with First Nations and Métis people in Alberta and B.C." (CBC)

Basking shark populations teeter on the brink of extinction
With a massive body and a mouth that emerges from the deep blue like a man-made dungeon cell, the basking shark resembles a great and terrible monster. But this is an animal whose terror resides only in its appearance. This harmless creature floats through the water with its mouth agape under a bulbous nose feeding mainly on plankton. It is only its size and the industry of man that has brought the basking shark from an abundant population to the brink of extinction. Twenty years ago kayakers and boaters in the Salish Sea would have had a chance to see a fairly common dorsal fin that did not belong to a whale. The basking shark, who is named for “sunning” itself on the surface of the water, is called “sunfish” or “sailfish” in some parts of the world. Basking sharks in this region are often referred to as the gentle giant slaughtered almost into oblivion. Cali Bagby reports. (San Juan Journal)

Cleanup planned for Anacortes' Quiet Cove
An environmental cleanup project is in the planning stage for an old fuel yard in Anacortes. The state Department of Ecology says the cleanup could promote future development of the site. Ecology is working with the Port of Anacortes on the project, which would remove soil and water pollution on the property at 202 O. Ave. known as Quiet Cove. Kimberley Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

How will treaty rights influence environmental restoration?
Treaties signed 160 years ago guarantee Native Americans the right to take fish from Puget Sound for all time. A case now before the courts will help determine whether those same treaty rights place limits on how property is developed in the state of Washington. Specifically, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last week heard arguments about whether the state of Washington violated the treaties by building culverts that block or restrict the passage of salmon.... If the appeals court upholds a ruling by U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez, the state could be obligated to fix about 1,000 culverts within 17 years at an estimated cost of $1.9 billion, according to state officials. That’s 1.9 billion with a “b.” Chris Dunagan explains. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Glacier melt in B.C. mountains reaches 'shocking' levels
You've heard about glaciers melting for years, but what happened last summer across Western Canada is different, because it's much faster — giving what one researcher calls a "sad window" into our future, where the glaciers are gone. In the past decade, the bluish-white ice of the tongue, or terminus, of the glacier has receded over 200 metres, at a rate of roughly 15 metres a year. This summer though, the melt rate accelerated dramatically to about two and half times that pace, says Brian Menounos, a geography professor and glacier researcher at the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George. Chris Brown and Chris Corday report. (CBC) See also: Permafrost warming in parts of Alaska 'is accelerating'  Matt McGrath reports. (BBC)

43 Canada geese killed in region cull at $725 each
It cost about $31,200 — about $725 each — to capture and kill 43 Canada geese in a cull undertaken by the Capital Regional District this year. The CRD had a permit to cull up to 250 geese on private agricultural land on the Saanich Peninsula, but managed to bag just 43. While CRD staff said the project met objectives to test culling methods, some CRD directors wondered about the cost. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 244 AM PDT THU OCT 22 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 15 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

8/14 Derelict gear, coal terminal, oil pipes, geoducks, safe oysters, drought, power sales, mine safety

Ken Woodside at work
(Bellingham Herald)

Lost nets, crab pots pulled from Puget Sound waters
Divers pulled more than 5,660 derelict fishing nets from Puget Sound’s shallow water — within 105 feet of the surface — as part of the work to remove lost and abandoned gear that had snared and indiscriminately killed marine life, sometimes for decades. Bellingham-based Northwest Straits Foundation led the project. It started in 2002 and ended June 30 this year. About 3,800 crab pots also were removed. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald) See also: Long-running effort to remove deadly ghost nets reaches major milestone  Christopher Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Finally, Some Real Rain
Cliff Mass writes: "For almost a week the models have been advertising a significant rain event today (Friday).  And the most recent forecast is no different.  A substantial rain event that will substantially reduce water use for several days and perhaps put some meaningful water into reservoirs.   The first significant rain of the summer…." (Weather Blog)

Coal company buys stake in Gateway Pacific Terminal
Coal producer Cloud Peak Energy has purchased a 49 percent stake in a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point, according to a joint announcement by Cloud Peak and majority owner SSA Marine. Cloud Peak paid $2 million up front and will pay up to $30 million in future permitting costs, according to the announcement Thursday, Aug. 13. In the short term, SSA Marine gets an infusion of cash and some relief from what has already been an expensive permitting process. SSA Marine has paid more than $11 million so far for an ongoing environmental review that is scheduled to be completed next year. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Shipping oil by pipeline safer than rail, says Fraser Institute report
While a new study finds transporting crude oil by pipeline is much safer than by rail, pipeline opponents argue there is no safe way to transport oil and given the threat of climate change, the discussion should be how to reduce the need to transport fossil fuels. The Fraser Institute report was released Thursday, ahead of an anticipated rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline project by U.S. President Barack Obama. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

New blog: Old Japanese Pitcher Throws No-Hitter
Japanese-born Hisashi Iwakuma pitched a no-hitter on Wednesday in Seattle. At 34 years old, Iwakuma is the oldest pitcher since Randy Johnson threw a non-hitter in 2004. That’s according to Tim Booth, the Associated Press sports writer. Did it matter that Iwakuma needed to be identified as Japanese-born by the sports writer?

Geoduck farms expand along with rules and critics
New geoduck farming rules are rolling out across Puget Sound, prompting a renaissance in the clam harvest and a growing movement to stop it. In the last decade, Taylor Shellfish has expanded geoduck farms by 30 acres, with another 25 awaiting permit. They produce 7,000 pounds of geoduck per year, through which hundreds of jobs have been created. Their nursery is filled with tens of thousands of growing geoduck seed…. Now, counties across Puget Sound are adopting the new geoduck rules. That's prompted renewed interest, along with big demand in Asia. The Department of Ecology counts 28 new geoduck farm permits since 2012. However, geoduck growth has also grown grit from critics. Alison Morrow reports. (KING)

Growers say B.C. oysters are ‘safe to eat raw’ despite Vancouver-wide ban
Vancouver Coastal Health issued an order this week instructing all restaurants to cook their B.C. oysters before serving them to customers, explaining that a naturally occurring bacterium called Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is found in coastal waters, is linked to a rise in gastrointestinal illness. Other health authorities across the province, including on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley, followed suit. Raw oysters harvested elsewhere are unaffected. But the B.C. Shellfish Grower’s Association, which represents about 70 per cent of shellfish growers in the province, disputed that its members had anything to do with the illnesses. Executive director Roberta Stevenson said the province’s oysters are fine when they come out of the water. Kat Sieniuc reports. (Globe and Mail)

If you like to listen: Drowned Out
If you’re a whale, you use your ears to navigate. Unfortunately, humans can have a hard time seeing all the noise they make, and what it’s doing to the world of sound. Christopher Clark can explain. He’s a senior scientist in bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and is part of a “listening culture” of scientists. And he knows a lot about whales. This is an audio story about listening. (NPR)

Peninsula drought intensifies; status boosted from severe to extreme
The North Olympic Peninsula's drought status has been upgraded from severe to extreme. The U.S. Drought Monitor announced the change Thursday. The new categorization indicates regional impacts that include major crop and pasture losses and widespread water shortages or restrictions. It is based on multiple factors including soil moisture, rainfall, river flows and groundwater availability. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Drought Cuts Seattle City Light's Revenue By Millions
Seattle’s electric utility says it's taking a big financial hit because of the weather: The lack of rain has affected its ability to produce surplus power to sell in the open market. Its revenue from selling that surplus is down more than 40 percent, KUOW has learned. The utility relies primarily on hydropower, and in this normally wet corner of the country, it typically produces a lot more power than its customers need. Deborah Wang reports. (KUOW)

The Animas River spill and the myth of mine safety
The definition of a mine, said Mark Twain, is a hole in the ground owned by liars. And this month the industry's biggest lie — that it can be trusted with our water — is once again on display as another mining disaster has spilled millions of gallons of toxic mining waste and chemicals into our streams, rivers and lakes. Joel R. Reynolds reports. (LA Times)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PDT FRI AUG 14 2015
TODAY
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE 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 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.
SAT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

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

J50 (Clint Rivers, Eagle Wing Tours/KING)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 600 AM PDT MON JUL 20 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. AREAS OF DRIZZLE AND FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
--
"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

6/18 Pope's revolution, seastars, Shell drill, geoducks, killer whales, Orca Network, restore Shannon Pt.

Buzzy the hummingbird (Laurie MacBride)

Time for Buzzing Off
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "It seems quieter around our house than usual, and I think I know the reason: in the last day or two, Buzzy and the other adult male Rufous hummingbirds appear to have taken off on their southern journey. They’ll be heading over to the Rockies, where they’ll tank up on wildflower nectar, then on to Mexico – completing a 4000+ mile-long, clockwise circuit of the continent…"

Pope urges revolution to save Earth, fix ‘perverse’ economy
Pope Francis called Thursday for a bold cultural revolution to correct what he calls the “structurally perverse” economic system of the rich exploiting the poor that is turning Earth into an “immense pile of filth.” In a sweeping manifesto aimed at spurring action in U.N. climate negotiations, domestic politics and everyday life, Francis explains the science of global warming, which he blames on an unfair, fossil fuel-based industrial model that he says harms the poor most. Citing Scripture and past popes’ and bishops’ appeals, he urges people of all faiths and no faith to undergo an awakening to save God’s creation for future generations. It’s an indictment of big business and climate doubters alike. Nicole Winfield, Rachel Zoll and Seth Borenstein report. (Associated Press)

Starfish Are Still Disappearing From Northwest Waters
A couple of years ago, divers in Puget Sound began to notice something odd: Starfish were disappearing. The sea creatures would get sores and then melt into piles of mush. Sea star wasting syndrome is a gruesome disease and it spread to starfish all along the West Coast. Scientists still don’t know a lot about it. Katie Campbell, a reporter for EarthFix and KCTS9, says that although scientists have isolated the cause, the creatures continue to die.  Katie Campbell and Isolde Raftery report. (EarthFix)

Greenpeace protesters confront Shell Arctic drilling rig off B.C. coast
Protests against Royal Dutch Shell's Arctic drilling program continued Wednesday, with Greenpeace activists confronting the drilling rig off the coast of B.C. on its trip north from Seattle, Wash. First Nations activist Audrey Siegl, who lives in Vancouver, wore traditional Musqueam regalia while drumming in front of the 90-metre tall rig, according to photos and video provided by Greenpeace. (CBC)


Washington state auctions deepwater quotas amid wider geoduck farming push
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources this month has auctioned 14 quotas for geoduck farming, the Seattle Globalist reported. The deepwater plots are on privately owned areas around Central Puget Sound, the Hood Canal and Hood Head East, the news outlet reported. The industry has also been attempting to increase harvests on private tidelands, and this year is the first time that state-owned lands will be leased for aquaculture, the news outlet reported. (Undercurrent News)

'Of Orcas and Men' review: Killer whales could teach us a few things
If you live in Seattle, you may be peripherally aware that a fellow form of intelligent life is somewhere out on Puget Sound, communicating away while dodging the ferries, freight ships and other maritime traffic. But you probably won't know much more about Orcinus orca than that. David Neiwert's passionate, informative "Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us" fills some of the gaps. Michael Upchurch reviews. (Oregonian)

Whidbey Audubon honors orca protectors
Howard Garrett and Susan Berta received Whidbey Audubon’s Excellence Award at the group’s biennial recognition dinner June 11 in Coupeville. Garrett and Berta founded Orca Network to raise awareness and promote conservation of Pacific Northwest whales. Orca Network programs include the increasingly popular Whale Sighting Network and Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network. (Whidbey News Times)

Orcas in Thurston County’s Eld Inlet getting hassled by boaters
Over the last few months, Kim Merriman has seen orcas frequently from her Eld Inlet home — and she’s also seen plenty of people crowding them. “People are excited to see the orcas, and when there’s one or two boats that’s a different story,” said Merriman, who’s lived on the inlet for 20 years. “But then there’s 10 or 15 or 20, and it gets hard for the (killer whales).” Boaters, kayakers and paddle boarders are effectively trapping the orcas in the inlet at times, or separating them. Merriman said this problem occurs nearly every weekend when the killer whales come to visit, since many people are out on the water. Natalie Deford reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Group documents intertidal life in preparation for Shannon Point restoration project
What is left exposed when the tide rolls out may not look like much more than damp sand and slimy rocks, but an abundance of sea life can be found there. Within about 2 1/2-square-feet of beach at Shannon Point on Wednesday, Michael Kyte and Pattie Hutchins found various types of marine life, including a sea star no more than 2 1/2 inches wide…. The Skagit Marine Resources Committee, under the Northwest Straits Foundation, plans to remove the riprap from along the beach. Made of large, granite boulders, the shoreline armoring stands out from the rest of the scenery. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU JUN 18 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 2 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

5/27 Geoducks, 'Chester,' Pt Gamble Bay, quiet RRs, fuel use, Longview oil, steelhead, cormorants

Geoduck check (Katie Campbell/EarthFix)

Poaching 100-Year-Old Geoducks For Big Money
Of all the shellfish that sell on the black market, one clam is above the rest -- the geoduck…. Wholesale geoduck prices at Puget Sound docks have more than doubled from $4 per pound in 2006 to as much as $15 per pound today. With the average adult geoduck weighing one to three pounds, a good geoduck diver can harvest thousands of dollars’ worth in a few hours…. Rising demand, especially among China’s growing middle class, has sent geoduck retail prices in Asia to as high as $150 per pound. Those soaring prices have created an incentive for poachers back in Puget Sound, giving rise to an international black market.  Katie Campbell reports. (KUOW) See also: Go Undercover With Northwest Shellfish Detectives  Katie Campbell reports. (KU)W)

False killer whale 'Chester' won't be released from Vancouver Aquarium, says DFO
A young false killer whale, nicknamed "Chester", rescued from a Tofino, B.C. beach last summer by the Vancouver Aquarium, won't be released to the wild because he doesn't have the skills to survive, said a fisheries official. Fisheries and Oceans Canada convened a panel of marine mammal experts to make the decision independently of the aquarium, said Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator for the department. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)

You can help: Kitsap Forest & Bay Project Needs $15,000 to complete its online campaign to “Save Grovers Creek Preserve” by raising money towards the purchase of over 200 acres of ancient trees, wetlands, and salmon stream in North Kitsap County. The campaign ends on May 29 and you can get more info and make a donation at igg.me/at/SaveGroversCreek.

Port Gamble Bay cleanup starts in July
A major cleanup project that starts this summer will dig up and remove decades-old contaminated sediments and other materials from Port Gamble Bay’s waters. At a meeting 4:30-7:30 p.m. May 27 at Hood Canal Pavilion in Port Gamble, residents can talk with Washington Department of Ecology staff members about the project. According to Ecology, preliminary work is expected to start in June with cleanup work slated to begin in July. The project is expected to last about two years. (Kingston Community News)

Feds to meet with Bellingham neighbors to discuss railroad quiet zones
People interested in learning why trains blast their horns and how they might be silenced are invited to attend an informational meeting on railroad quiet zones Wednesday evening, May 27. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Chrysalis Inn meeting room, 804 10th St. in Fairhaven. Chris Adams, a grade crossing manager from the Federal Railroad Administration, will make a short presentation, and she will be available to answer questions from attendees. The event was put together by members of the South Hill and Fairhaven neighborhood associations. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Despite huge anti-oil protest, 93% of Puget Sound drivers are gas guzzlers
Anti-oil protesters may have filled Elliott Bay with colorful kayaks to protest Royal Dutch Shell Oil’s presence at the Port of Seattle because of concern over use of fossil fuels, but, according to a new study by the Puget Sound Regional Council, many Puget Sound-area residents are heavy users of fossil-fuel burning vehicles themselves. In 1999, 86 percent of people in the region drove regularly. Compare that to 2014, where 82 percent still drive their cars regularly. That's despite increases in public transit, such as the light rail and Rapid Ride buses, and more bike lanes. While hybrid and electric vehicle use is on the rise nation-wide, PSRC data found that 93 percent of 2014 drivers still use gas to fuel their cars. The other 7 percent use diesel, drive a hybrid, electric car or use flex fuel. Eastside residents make up the highest percent of hybrid drivers. Sarah Aitchison reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Longview port in talks over oil refinery on Columbia River
The Port of Longview says it is negotiating with an energy company on a proposal for a new crude oil refinery on the Columbia River. The Longview Daily News reports the project by Riverside Energy LLC would receive oil-by-rail shipments from the Bakken region in North Dakota at a 47-acre site in southwest Washington. The proposed refinery would process 45,000 barrels a day, including 30,000 barrels of crude oil and 15,000 barrels of seed oil and used cooking oil. (Associated Press)

Steelhead tags track mortality
Researchers are taking a unique opportunity to figure out why steelhead are dying on their way to the ocean through Puget Sound. Near the Nisqually River on Tuesday morning, NOAA fishery biologist, Megan Moore, made tiny incisions in the gut of nearly 20 juvenile steelhead…. Moore inserted an acoustic tag in each and sewed them up…. The signal transmitted from the tag is picked up receivers at several points along Puget Sound, with the final one in the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Most importantly, researchers can track when and where the signal dies off. Alison Morrow reports. (KING)

Officials Start Killing Columbia River Cormorants
Crews with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services have started killing cormorants on an island the Columbia River, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The crews are shooting adult birds using rifles with silencers and applying vegetable oil to unhatched eggs to kill unborn chicks. It’s part of the Corps’ controversial plan to reduce the number of nesting cormorants on East Sand Island to protect salmon. The plan calls for cutting the number of birds on the island from 14,000 breeding pairs to 5,600 by 2018. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAY 27 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS. PATCHY 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

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

(Heather MacIntyre/Nature's Keeper Photography)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAY 14 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE
 EVENING.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/19 Sea lion, bag ban, geoduck farm, bird counts, Vashon septics, gas tax, WY coal, refineries

Sea lion rescue (SeaDoc Society/Islands Sounder)

SeaDoc scientists rescue Steller sea lion
Rescuing a wild animal is no easy feat. Rescuing a 1,400-pound sea mammal is an entirely different feat. A few weeks ago, Joe Gaydos found himself facing a Steller sea lion entangled by a piece of plastic packing strap off Fanny Bay in British Columbia. Cali Bagby reports. (Islands Sounder)

Kirkland City Council passes ordinance banning plastic bags
The Kirkland City Council voted to approve a proposed ban on most plastic bags at city businesses, despite a 2013 survey of residents that showed overwhelming opposition. The ban prohibits single-use plastic bags while allowing exemptions for plastic bags such as those used for transporting bulk food, hardware items, frozen foods, meats, and newspapers. It also requires retail stores to charge customers at least five cent fee for recyclable paper bags. The new policy is scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2016. It is estimated that the new regulation will affect approximately 170 retail businesses in Kirkland. Mayor Amy Walen, who voted in favor of the ordinance, has said a ban is necessary for environmental reasons. TJ Martinell reports. (Kirkland Reporter)

Taylor Shellfish Farms officials present plan for Dungeness Bay
Taylor Shellfish Farms officials continue to move forward with plan for a 30-acre geoduck farm in Dungeness Bay, but not without community questioning. The later half of the Dungeness River Management Team meeting Feb. 11 was devoted to Taylor officials in order to answer public inquiries pertaining to the geoduck farm anticipated in Dungeness Bay. About 50 interested residents came with questions for Bill Dewey, the Taylor Shellfish Farms spokesman, and Marlene Meaders, senior marine biologist with Confluence Environmental Company, representing the largest producer of farmed shellfish in the United States, Taylor Shellfish Farms. The company already has about 80 acres of geoduck-specific aquaculture in Puget Sound, but the farm in Dungeness Bay would be its largest – trumping its 16-acre geoduck farm in Discovery Bay. Alana Linderoth reports. (Sequim Gazette)

Bluebirds rebuilding colony on southern Vancouver Island
A flock of 14 Western bluebirds spotted on Mount Tzouhalem, near Duncan, have conservationists hopeful that a once common species is returning to the Island. It’s an auspicious sign that repopulation efforts are on track and could also mean the birds chose not to migrate this season. While the long-term implications of staying home for a season are unknown, it bodes well in the short term, said Gemma Green, project co-ordinator for the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team, which leads the Bring Back the Bluebirds Project. “We think it’s great in the sense that these bluebirds, if they survive the next few weeks, will be here to start the breeding season,” Green said. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist) See also: It's early, but rising sea bird populations a good sign  Kari Bray and Noah Haglund report. (Everett Herald)

County pushes for septic fixes, hoping to open harbor to shellfishing
After working for years to get waterfront homeowners to update their failing septic systems, King County says it nearly has something to show for its effort. If 18 more homes along a stretch of Quartermaster Harbor can prove their septic systems are up to code and not polluting the water, that shoreline could be opened for shellfishing — something officials say would indicate a healthier harbor and open the way for millions in revenue from tribal and commercial geoduck harvesting. (Vashon Beachcomber)

Ad hoc hazardous waste dump on Renton property prompts jail sentence
The former owner of an oil-spewing hulk anchored off Whidbey Island has been sentenced to two months in jail for keeping leaking barrels of hazardous waste on a Renton property. Facing felony charges in King County Superior Court, Rory Westmoreland was sentenced Wednesday to 60 days in jail and ordered to pay $127,300 in clean-up costs. He pleaded guilty to unlawful dumping and violating state environmental laws. Westmoreland was previously fined $301,000 for violations related to the Deep Sea, a fishing vessel he owned that burned and sank off of Penn Cove. The sinking cost more than $3 million to contain and imperiled mussel beds in the area. Levi Pulkkinen reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

‘Poison pill’ in gas tax plan worry enviros
Some environmental groups objected to a “poison pill” that could hurt state funding for transit. Other people at a hearing on a proposed state transportation package praised the plans for new highways and bridges…. But representatives from a half-dozen Puget Sound environmentalist organizations — plus an adviser to Gov. Jay Inslee — objected to the “poison pill” provision in the package. That provision says that if Inslee installs low-carbon fuel standards, a pet project of his, then the Senate would shift transit, pedestrian and bike-path money to work on roads. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

Wyoming bill would help finance coal ports in the Northwest
Wyoming lawmakers are pushing a bill that would allow the state to issue $1 billion in bonds to support possible construction of a Northwest port for shipping Wyoming coal to Asia. Wyoming, the nation's leading coal-producing state, has been stymied so far in its fight to get access to Asian markets. State officials are facing slumping domestic demand for coal because of tough federal rules for power plant emissions and cheaper natural gas. The bill pending in Wyoming's ongoing legislative session would expand the authority of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, a state agency. Ben Neary reports. (Associated Press)

Tesoro to invest $390M in Anacortes refinery
The Tesoro Corp. Board of Directors approved two major construction projects planned for its Anacortes refinery, the company announced in a news release Wednesday. Included are a $90 million naptha isomerization project to allow the refinery to meet 2017 federal requirements for lower-sulfur gasoline while reducing production costs, as well as a $300 million project to facilitate the extraction of xylene — a product high in demand in Asia to make polyester fibers and films, according to Tesoro news releases. Mark Stayton reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: Explosion rocks Southern California oil refinery  Tami Abdollah reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU FEB 19 2015
TODAY
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS BUILDING TO 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

11/25 Stormy weather, Burnaby protest, geoducks, Growlers, tank trucks, Polley mine, John Dodge, Burke Museum

(PHOTO: Kent Landerholm/BirdNote)

The Thanksgiving Wishbone – and Dinosaurs
The anatomical structure we call the wishbone was long thought unique to birds. But fossil discoveries of recent decades have shown that some dinosaurs, including the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, and the Velociraptors of ”Jurassic Park,” also had wishbones. And there is now wide consensus among experts that this group of dinosaurs includes the direct ancestors of modern birds. Not only did they have wishbones but, like birds, they likely incubated their eggs, had hollow bones, and were clad in feathers! Bob Sundstrom explains. (BirdNote)

Heavy Precipitation, Flooding, and a Cascade Meltdown
Yes, a typical Thanksgiving in the Northwest. Cliff Mass forecasts.  Heavy rainfall warning issued for Fraser Valley Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

74-year-old protester arrested over Kinder Morgan pipeline
In 74 years, the biggest black mark Della Glendenning had against her was a library fine. But on Monday, she was arrested and jailed after she deliberately stepped over police lines on Burnaby Mountain to protest Kinder Morgan's exploratory drilling on site. Glendenning, supported by about two dozen protesters who marched with her to the drilling site on Centennial Way, was the 76th protester to be taken into custody since the protests began on Burnaby Mountain last Thursday. Most have been arrested under civil contempt charges for violation of a court injunction that allows Kinder Morgan to drill under the mountain. Kelly Sinoski and Mike Hager report. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Protesters rally against Trans Mountain pipeline, but drilling continues  Ian Bailey reports. (Globe and Mail)

Tsartlip members cite environment in opposing Trans Mountain pipeline
Members of the Tsartlip First Nation in Central Saanich voiced their opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion at National Energy Board hearings in Victoria Monday, saying the project would increase tanker traffic along the West Coast, threatening sensitive marine life on which First Nations people rely. Katie Derosa reports. (Times Colonist)

Geoduck farm proposed for Dungeness Bay
The largest producer of farmed shellfish in the United States, Taylor Shellfish Farms, recently began the permitting process to establish a 30-acre geoduck farm in Dungeness Bay. Although the world renown shellfish farm includes 11,000 acres of tidelands along the Washington coast and British Columbia, with numerous farms around the Puget Sound, the proposed geoduck farm would be the first shellfish farm operated by the company in Clallam County. Alana Linderoth reports. (Sequim Gazette)

From Macklemore To Chief Seattle’s Descendent, Many Are Eager For Duwamish River Cleanup
The EPA will soon announce a final plan for spending hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up Seattle’s polluted Duwamish River. How clean is clean? That question is at the crux of the debate over spending and strategy. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Navy to hold a public meeting on Lopez to discuss Growlers
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen last week announced that the Navy will hold a public meeting on Dec. 3 on Lopez Island to listen to citizens’ comments about EA-18G Growler operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. This announcement about a date and time for the meeting follows Larsen’s previous announcement about the Navy’s decision to hold an additional public meeting. The Navy had indicated it likely would hold the meeting on Friday Harbor, but selected Lopez Island instead. The meeting is Wednesday, Dec. 3, 3–6 p.m. at the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. (San Juan Journal)

Tesoro builds fuel rack to fill tanker trucks
A $23 million construction project will soon give the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes the capability to fill fuel tanker trucks. The truck rack south of the refinery’s main gate on March’s Point Road is under construction and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2015. Tesoro currently sends finished unleaded gasoline and diesel via pipeline to a nearby Shell rack…. The new facility is expected to increase fuel sales by loading fuel faster than Tesoro does now; 600 gallons a minute.... Mark Stayton reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Mount Polley mine spill cleanup requires pressing action, says B.C. environment ministry
Four months after a torrent of mine water and waste gushed into two south-central B.C. lakes, the province says the mine's owner is only at the forefront of a clean-up that is expected to take years. The B.C. environment ministry released its first progress report Monday into the Mount Polley tailings pond breach, identifying a number of pressing actions that are required to restore the water and land. Returning the outdoor surroundings to their original state will take years, not months, said Environment Minister Mary Polak as she laid out the long-term goal the government has set for Imperial Metals Corp. (CBC)

Reflecting on a long career in journalism
I always get a little anxious when I’m on the answering end of an interview. Journalists are trained to ask the questions, not be the one pressed for answers. But there I was Monday, serving as the guest speaker at the Olympia Rotary Club luncheon, asked to reflect on my 38-year career in journalism. Has it really been that long? John Dodge reflects. (Olympian)

Burke Museum’s New Map Shows Seattle’s Original Shoreline
If you walk through Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood with Peter Lape, he can show you the things that used to be. Standing at the corner of First Avenue and Washington Street on a recent day, he gestured downhill. "About half a block down is probably where that shoreline was ... when non-Native settlers moved here," Lape said. Ed Ronco reports. (KPLU)

Peru investigates deaths of 500 sea lions on north coast
Peru is investigating the deaths of some 500 sea lions found on a beach on its northern coastline. The local governor has accused fishermen of poisoning the mammals, which usually come close to the shore looking for food. But Peruvian environmental police are looking into other possible causes for the deaths, including disease and the accidental ingestion of plastic. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 212 AM PST TUE NOV 25 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY
NW WIND 10 KT...BECOMING E 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS SUBSIDING TO 7
 FT. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. NW SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 8 FT AT
 12 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

11/3 Elwha, warm ocean, oil-train meet, hydraulics code, Burnaby protest, Taylor geoduck, Beaconsfield bluff, Shawn Atleo, septic fee, Gabriola bridge

Elwha (Tom Roorda/Peninsula Daily News)

Elwha River mouth grows as sediment creates new habitat, estuaries
Sediment once locked behind two dams has built some 70 acres of new estuary at the mouth of the Elwha River since 2011, according to the Coastal Watershed Institute. That has created new habitat that fish are flocking to use, said Anne Shaffer, a biologist who is executive director of the Coastal Watershed Institute based in Port Angeles. Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Bizarre sea-life visitors arrive with North Pacific’s historic warmth
Ocean waters off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, Canada and Alaska appear this year to be warmer than they’ve ever been, prompting the arrival of some very unusual visitors. Craig Welch reports. (Seattle Times)

More than 750 people turn out for meeting on oil-train study
State officials are proposing more funding and more regulatory authority to step up oversight of the surging numbers of oil trains carrying crude through Washington, and to better prepare for any possible spills. The proposals are included in the preliminary findings of a state Department of Ecology study, which was reviewed at a Thursday evening meeting that drew more than 750 people, the vast majority of whom are opposed to increased oil train traffic in the state.  Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Fish & Wildlife commission updating hydraulics
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider approving an update of the state’s hydraulic code rules and will conduct a public hearing on a proposed Willapa Bay salmon-management plan at a meeting scheduled Nov. 7-8 in Olympia. The commission, a nine-member panel that sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will convene at 8:30 a.m. both days in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St ., on the state Capitol Campus. An agenda for the meeting is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/. (Wahkiakum County Eagle)

Burnaby protesters win time to respond to Kinder Morgan injunction
Lawyers for Trans Mountain pipeline will be back in B.C. Supreme Court Nov. 5 to seek an injunction against protesters who have blocked survey work in a Burnaby Mountain conservation area. The subsidiary of energy giant Kinder Morgan filed two separate court actions against protesters after demonstrators confronted Trans Mountain crews Wednesday. Kevin Drews and Vivian Luk report. (Canadian Press)

Hearings and appeals follow Taylor Shellfish’s permit request for geoduck farm
The issue of geoduck aquaculture is back front and center on the Key Peninsula. Geoduck farming elicits strong feelings. Neighbors are concerned about aesthetics, debris and noise. Environmentalists raise concerns about the effects on water, biodiversity and beach structure. Those in the industry note that shellfish farming has been a highly renewable crop that benefits the economy. Taylor Shellfish has applied for a permit to establish a geoduck farm on the west shoreline of the Key Peninsula and east shoreline of Case Inlet, approximately ¾ mile south of Dutcher’s Cove, leasing 11 acres of tideland from the Haley family. Sara Thompson reports. (Key Peninsula News)

Restoration of Beaconsfield Feeder Bluff to begin soon
The Beaconsfield Feeder Bluff, a 1,000-foot, 5.5-acre stretch of shoreline in Normandy Park, will be restored soon at a cost of $4.4 million dollars as part of a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the project is to “restore and protect one of the last undeveloped and restorable feeder bluffs in Central Puget Sound,” according to a statement. The Beaconsfield Feeder Bluff is located north of Marine View Park. The bluff restoration site is composed of several narrow residential parcels along 1,000 feet of shoreline. About 80 percent contains intermittent concrete vertical bulkheads and rock revetment armoring. This armoring blocks sand and gravel movement necessary to sustain beach structure and function. The proposed project should provide a sediment source to the degraded drift cell by restoring a connection between the feeder bluff and beach. (Normandy Park Blog)

B.C.’s Clark appoints Shawn Atleo to help improve dialogue with First Nations
Shawn Atleo has listened to grandmothers in the Arctic, heard the concerns of the youth in his home village of Ahousaht on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and felt Ottawa’s cold winters and its harsh politics, making him ideal for the new British Columbia position of Shqwi qwal. A Shqwi qwal, pronounced she-qwall, is a West Coast aboriginal name given to a community leader who helps build new paths and relations. B.C. Premier Christy Clark said that there is no better connected, respected or qualified aboriginal communicator in Canada as she appointed Atleo as Canada’s first Shqwi qwal at a ceremony at Vancouver Island University on Thursday. Dirk Meissner reports. (Globe and Mail)

State committee suggests fee to finance septic maintenance
A state Septic Finance Project advisory committee recommends charging septic system owners in the Puget Sound area an annual fee to support county management programs and setting aside state and federal money for a maintenance loan program. As one of 12 counties in the Puget Sound region, the proposed program changes would apply to the 13,500 homeowners with septic systems in Skagit County if approved. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Gabriola Island Bridge project prompts new opposition from residents
A group of Gabriola Island residents called 'Bridge-Free Salish Sea' is planning to mount a petition campaign to gauge concerns over how a new bridge to Gabriola Island could change life in the remote B.C. community. Last month, Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced a provincial study to look at the idea of building a bridge to Gabriola Island to replace BC Ferries' service to the Southern Gulf Island. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON NOV 3 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 7 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS.
 RAIN.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

9/22 Puget Sound health, climate action, geoduck poacher, train oil spill

Kiwi time (Laurie MacBride)

Race for the Kiwis
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "It’s kiwi time, and the race is on. Each September as our Hardy kiwis (Actinidia arguta) start to ripen, we begin a delicate balancing act, deciding exactly when to harvest. We want them soft, ripe and sweet, but if we wait too long, many will vanish in the night…."

Better measurements needed to track the health of Puget Sound  (paywall)
The ongoing restoration of Puget Sound has scored some successes and probably some failures, according to Sheida Sahandy, executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership. But if people really want to know how well things are going, better measurements are needed. That is the message Sahandy says she will take to the Legislature next year, as she seeks funding for more complete monitoring of the Puget Sound ecosystem. Sahandy said she will ignore political advisers who tell her that requesting money for monitoring is the last thing she should do in a tight budget year like 2015. Basic scientific measurements are essential to understanding how fish and wildlife populations are changing and whether restoration projects are working, she told a group of scientists during a conference Thursday in Shelton. Chris Dunagan reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Worldwide rallies call for action now on climate change
In Seattle, New York and around the world, people took to the streets Sunday, urging policymakers to address conditions they say threaten the survival of future generations. The grass-roots demonstrations came just before the start of the U.N. Climate Summit. (Seattle Times) See also: Protesters march against climate change in Vancouver (Vancouver Sun)

Geoduck poacher sentenced to jail time
A Port Orchard man received a four-month sentence after illegally harvesting 300 pounds of geoduck clams from the Olympia area and dumping them near Port Orchard. Matthew R. Petersen, 27, pleaded guilty to first-degree unlawful shellfish trafficking and two counts of second-degree theft in Kitsap County Superior Court on Sept. 8. He was sentenced to 4 months with credit for time served by Judge Leila Mills. Deputy Chief Mike Cenci, of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, said Petersen’s case was long and complicated — as is common for many poaching cases. He called the case a “rare win” for the department. Amelia Dickson reports. (Olympian)

Train Spills 2,000 Gallons Of Diesel In Washington
A rock punctured a BNSF train engine Friday outside Pasco, Washington, causing about 2,000 gallons of diesel to spill along the tracks. The engine held about 3,000 gallons of diesel. None of the fuel has leaked into the Columbia River, a BNSF spokesman said. The boulder tumbled early Friday morning from nearby cliffs and onto the track, where the train ran atop it. The 108-car train was carrying freight to Seattle. Courtney Flatt reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON SEP 22 2014
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN LIKELY
 AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told