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

Great Gray Owl (BirdNote)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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10/5 BC whale, Navy EIS, porpoise, salmon sex, salmon swim, Lummi crab, BC pipe, Shell drill, stream study

Grey Whale in False Creek (Kim Stallknecht, Vancouver Sun)

Whale spotted near Vancouver's Maritime Museum
A large grey whale was seen swimming through False Creek near the Maritime Museum in downtown Vancouver on Sunday, Oct. 4 (Vancouver Sun)

Navy issues final environmental impact document on use of sonar, explosives in waters of Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound and Alaskan canal
The U.S. Navy has released its final environmental impact statement on its proposals for use of sonar and explosives for training and testing in the Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Behm Canal in southeastern Alaska. The release of the Northwest Training and Testing Final Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement starts a 30-day clock before a final decision. No further public input meetings or comment periods are planned. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Critics Say Whales Put At Risk By Navy Testing Plan  Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Getting to know harbor porpoises
After years diving with dolphins in the clear waters off of Florida and the Bahamas, Cindy Elliser moved from one corner of the nation to another on a mission to get to know the lesser-known dolphin relative, the harbor porpoise. After two years in Anacortes, where she spends hours stationed on bluffs overlooking Burrows Pass and even more sorting through images and data files, she is able to call about 35 of Puget Sound’s harbor porpoises by name. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

It's Time to Free Lolita, a Puget Sound Killer Whale That's Been Held Captive in Florida for 45 Years
Christopher Frizzelle writes. (The Stranger)

Salmon Sex in the City
My friend Sam called from the banks of the Duwamish River, in the industrial heart of Seattle, planes overhead, trains nearby, truck traffic whooshing past. On a cloudless day of high-def perfection, he was excited by a frenzy of sex. Salmon sex. The river, once a junk-hold of toxins and tires, still a Superfund site, was alive with big fish summoning all their remaining energy for a chance to mate and die. There was nothing subtle or coy in those waters; it was all aggression and tail flashing, preening and cruel selection based on looks and strength. Tim Egan writes. (NY Times)

Snorkelling with salmon offers a unique BC experience
More tourism operators are offering a unique experience in B.C. waterways during salmon spawning season: snorkelling with the fish. "It's an unbelievable experience, and it's unique to B.C., because there are very few places in the world that have all the things necessary to make it happen," said Sam Waddington, owner of Mt. Waddington Outdoors in Chilliwack. He said the practice doesn't disturb the fish, and can be done in a number of places. (CBC)

Our state’s greatest gift to the nation just got canceled
Happy 50th birthday to one of Washington state’s greatest gifts to the nation, the park-land preservation program. Oh, and you’re canceled. Danny Westneat writes. (Seattle Times)

Crabbing highlights importance of coal port site to Lummis
Jay Julius steered his boat into the deep water off of Cherry Point, heading north from Fisherman’s Cove Marina to where he had dropped some of his crab pots…. Julius, a member of Lummi Nation who sits on the tribe’s council, likes to say fishing opens up his imagination. On this outing, he was picturing a proposed coal terminal in operation at the same time as he and hundreds of fellow tribal members were out crabbing. “Imagine one of those Capesize tankers coming through right here on its way to the terminal,” Julius said. “It would probably take out 30 of these pots.” Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Northern Gateway talks excluded First Nations’ governance rights
Two First Nations waging a court battle to overturn approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline project say federal officials refused to discuss their claim of decision-making power over ancestral lands. Lawyer Cheryl Sharvit said the Nadleh Whut’en and Nak’azdli are not declaring the right to veto resource projects on traditional territories in British Columbia’s Central Interior. But she said the bands’ asserted authority to govern their lands should have at least been considered by the Crown during consultations on the $7-billion proposal by Calgary-based Enbridge Inc.. Laura Kane reports. (Globe and Mail)

Myths about Shell's Arctic Alaska pullout persist
When Royal Dutch Shell announced that it had lost its big-money bet in the Chukchi Sea and would end its entire program in the offshore U.S. Arctic, the hyperbole and finger-pointing began in earnest. Yereth Rosen reports. (Alaska Dispatch News)

Skagit streams included in six-state drought study
About every eight weeks, hydrologic technician Jeffrey Paulat climbs down the banks of the Samish River to check on a U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gauge. He and his colleagues will sometimes wade into streams and rivers such as the Samish to take additional measurements that they can use to can cross-check the data from the gauges. For the first time, similar samples are being taken on small, remote streams in the Skagit River basin as part of a USGS Western U.S. Low Flow Survey. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Comment on the Everett Smelter cleanup
The state Department of Ecology is crafting plans to continue its cleanup of areas polluted by the Everett Smelter, and is soliciting public comment until Nov. 3. A public meeting will also be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Hawthorne Elementary School. The smelter contaminated much of north Everett with heavy metals, including arsenic and lead. The residential neighborhoods affected are either clean, in the process of being cleaned or in the planning stages. Ecology has released two studies of the 230-acre “lowlands” area, which is a mostly industrial tract between East Marine View Drive and the Snohomish River. The Supplemental Remedial Investigation provides details about polluted areas, and the Feasibility Study outlines potential cleanup options. (Everett Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON OCT 5 2015
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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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

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8/17 Bulkheads, pinks, Vic sewer, shellfish, green fund, oil train, ospreys, sea stars, sunk boat, Marina Beach

(PHOTO: Hugh Shipman/Dept. Of Ecology)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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7/27 Salmon stress, Shell drill, oil port, divestment, disaster class, spill kits, boat racetrack, Bowker Cr, Squaxin park, Western Flyer

The rains came... (Nick Procaylo/Vancouver Sun)

Stillaguamish River, threatened fish species weather silt, slides and drought
....The Stillaguamish is home to three species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act: Chinook salmon, steelhead trout and bull trout. In recent years, however, the river suffered two blows that have threatened the survival of those species. First came the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. In addition to killing 43 people and cutting off Darrington from the rest of the county, the slide dumped tons of sediment into the river, turning the north fork opaque gray…. Then came the second blow: record low winter snowpack combined with high temperatures and drought caused record low water levels this summer just as the salmon started to return. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald) See also: Snowpack drought has salmon dying in overheated rivers   Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Kayactivists Paddle In Protest As Shell Prepares For Arctic Drill
Portland's Swan Island basin was still and remarkably quiet Saturday as a flotilla of kayakers dipped their paddles in and out of the water, pulling themselves north toward the Vigorous, the largest dry dock in America. Then, with a cry, a drumbeat began. One hundred paddles smacked the water, and people yelled, "Shell no!" It was a moment of spontaneous drama in an otherwise meticulously planned floating protest of Shell's imminent plan to drill exploratory wells for oil in the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic, and the Obama administration's decision to issue Shell the environmental permits to proceed. (KUOW)

Judge Rules In Favor Of Vancouver Port On Oil Terminal Lease
Clark County Judge David Gregerson ruled Friday that port leaders in Vancouver, Washington didn’t violate state laws in 2013 when they negotiated a lease for an oil terminal. The lease between Tesoro-Savage companies and the port remains in place. If built, the terminal project could ship 360,000 barrels of oil daily from the port to refineries along the West Coast. Conrad Wilson reports. (EarthFix)

Victoria seeks powers to divest from fossil fuels
Victoria council wants local governments to be able to divest themselves of investments in fossil fuels. After hearing from several speakers Thursday, councillors passed a resolution calling for several actions relating to socially responsible investments, including…. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Crude Oil Spill Disaster Classes Offered As Communities See Increased Oil Train Use
A year ago Friday, an oil train from North Dakota derailed under Seattle’s busy Magnolia Bridge during the height of the morning commute. No one was hurt and nothing burned in that accident but the scare has prompted changes to the emergency response to a similar accident should one occur. The reason? As many as two thousand black oil tanker cars now roll through Seattle each week, carrying crude from North Dakota’s Bakken region…. “Everybody that makes up the city - believe  it or not - is going to have a role to play," said John Malool, who teaches occupational safety at Rutgers University in New Jersey Malool  also is the fire chief in his hometown of Ridgefield Park, outside New York City. He’ll be teaching classes next week in Seattle and  Everett on how communities can prepare for oil train accidents. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Free oil spill kits can help curb Puget Sound boating pollution
In an effort to curb pollution from recreational boats, a partnership of agencies will be giving away oil spill kits in Western Washington. The free kits will be handed out by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotillas during free vessel examinations. During the last 10 years, more than 19,000 gallons of pollution has been spilled into Puget Sound. Of that, 75 percent came from recreational boaters and commercial fishing vessels, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard. (The Olympian)

EPA settlement imposes $14,000 fine, wetlands restoration order on sprint boat racetrack in Port Angeles; track will stay
An agreement has been reached between Extreme Sports Park co-owner Dan Morrison and the federal Environmental Protection Agency that will keep Morrison’s sprint boat racetrack intact. But Morrison’s A2Z Enterprises will have to pay a $14,000 fine and restore 1.3 acres of wetlands that were filled when the track was built, the EPA announced Friday. A final restoration plan has not been released, EPA spokeswoman Brianna Stoutenburgh said. (Peninsula Daily News)

Bowker Creek restoration a textbook example of environmental healing
A revitalized Bowker Creek will be an added touch to the new Oak Bay High School, set to open in September. The creek is a prominent feature at the south end of the school grounds, where it cuts a swath, then flows a few more kilometres to the ocean near Willows Beach. Work began this month on a restoration along 120 metres of the creek, where much of the growth was invasive and not conducive to a healthy environment. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

State to sell former island park to Squaxin Island tribe
Washington State Parks will sell a former state park to the Squaxin Island Tribe, which forced the park’s closure more than two decades ago. The Kitsap Sun reported that the parks commission on Thursday unanimously approved the sale of the former Squaxin Island State Park in Mason County to the tribe for $45,000. (Associated Press)

Boat associated with John Steinbeck getting $2 million renovation in Port Townsend
The Western Flyer is about to be uncloaked.  Three months after the beginning of a $2 million renovation to transform the battered hulk of a boat once used by author John Steinbeck into a floating science center, those working on the project are lifting the shroud of secrecy and allowing the public to look but not touch.  Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON JUL 27 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 9 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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3/3 Tulips, port sued, WA transport, salmon forecast, hunting hawk, BC protected areas, Yakima spill

Early Skagit tulip (KOMO)

Warm winter bringing out the tulips early at Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Walk around the Puget Sound area and you'll notice trees starting to bloom and perhaps the whirr of a lawn mower or two, even though winter still had a solid 3-4 weeks left in its reign.  Seattle finished up February as the warmest on record, on the heels of a very warm January (and record-warm December) as well, and the early spring-time weather has in tandem brought out the first signs of spring. That applies to the tulips and flowers that normally bloom in April for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. With the warm winter this year, they too are getting a bit of a head start.  Scott Sistek reports. (KOMO)

Environmental groups sue port to block Shell Oil project at Terminal 5
Five environmental groups filed suit against the Port of Seattle Monday, in an attempt to block the lease of West Seattle's Terminal 5 for oil-drilling vessels operated by Shell Oil. The lawsuit seeks to force cancellation of the contract between the port and Seattle-based Foss Maritime, which would operate the site as a base for Shell vessels exploring for oil off Alaska's North Slope…. The suit was filed in King County Superior Court by Earthjustice, the Sierra Club, Seattle Audubon Society, Puget SoundKeeper Alliance and the Washington Environmental Council. Steve Wilhelm reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Senate OKs transportation package, boost in gas tax
Over the objections of most of the chamber’s Democrats, the state Senate on Monday passed a $15 billion transportation packageincluding an 11.7-cent gas tax increase…. The gas-tax bill passed 27 to 22. Lawmakers also passed a spending bill that allocates the money to specific projects…. Many Democrats opposed to the proposal cited environmental concerns, including a provision intended to keep Gov. Jay Inslee from enacting low-carbon fuel standards as a way to cut greenhouse gases. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Washington Lt. Governor Tosses Two-Thirds Rule For 'New' Taxes  Austin Jenkins reports. (KUOW)

Strong pink salmon run expected in 2015, as well as chinook in the ocean and Columbia River
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife Monday in Olympia released the forecasts for salmon runs in Puget Sound, Pacific Ocean and Columbia River.… Slightly more than 900,000 fall chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River this year. That would be the third largest run on record since 1938, said Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator. The ocean abundance of Columbia River coho this year is expected to be nearly 777,000 fish, down from 964,000 last year. Jeffrey P. Mayor reports. (Olympian)

If you like to watch: Hawk Cam Captures the Hunt
Thanks to a helmet camera, researchers discovered that a goshawk mixes its methods of chasing its prey. Poh Si Teng and James Gorman report. (NY Times)

New bill adds to B.C. parks, protected areas
A new bill introduced Monday would add more than 1,500 hectares to B.C.’s protected areas and parks, according to the B.C. environment ministry. Bill 8 — the Protected Areas of B.C. Amendment Act, 2015 — would add land to six parks, increase public safety along Highway 3 (the Crowsnest Highway) and make administrative changes to clarify legal descriptions. Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Crews Work To Clean Up Yakima River Oil Spill
Emergency crews are responding to a 1,500-gallon oil spill in Central Washington’s Yakima River.  The used motor oil has threatened wildlife since it escaped Sunday from an above-ground storage tank at the site of a former feedlot. The heavy oil flowed across a paved area and into an irrigation ditch, known as Sulphur Creek, which drains into the Yakima River. An oil sheen flowed as south as Prosser, about 25 miles away. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW Public Radio)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 241 AM PST TUE MAR 3 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL
 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 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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2/25 Octo crab, Keystone, Shell smell, snow pack, sea rise, surf fall, seawall, Meadowdale Park, BC ferries

Octo crab (PHOTO: Porsche Indrusie/Guardian)

If you like to watch: Octopus filmed jumping out of water to catch and devour passing crab
Octopus are amazing creatures in many ways, but this remarkable video, recently captured by Porsche Indrisie in Yallingup, Western Australia… (The Guardian)

Defying GOP, Obama vetoes Keystone XL pipeline bill
Defying the Republican-run Congress, President Barack Obama rejected a bill Tuesday to approve construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, wielding his veto power for only the third time in his presidency. Obama offered no indication of whether he’ll eventually issue a permit for the pipeline, whose construction has become a flashpoint in the U.S. debate about environmental policy and climate change. Instead, Obama sought to reassert his authority to make the decision himself, rebuffing GOP lawmakers who will control both the House and Senate for the remainder of the president’s term. Josh Lederman reports. (Associated Press) See also: Obama veto isn’t only problem for Keystone pipeline  Sean Cockerham reports. (McClatchy)

Shell refinery apologizes for odor released over Anacortes
Shell oil refinery at Anacortes has apologized to its neighbors in the city and on the Swinomish Indian Reservation for releasing a strong sulfur odor. Spokesman Cory Ertel told the Skagit Valley Herald the odor was released Friday during maintenance work and was stopped as soon as the source was identified. He said Monday no harmful levels were detected. (Associated Press)

B.C.'s low snow pack could affect salmon run in summer
Balmy winter weather in B.C. could lead to trouble in the months ahead, if the unseasonably small snow pack doesn't improve and leads to dangerously low water levels. Snow levels have been so low that six ski resorts in the province have closed, according to the British Columbia Snow Report. And with Environment Canada forecasting sunshine and temperatures up to 10 C this weekend, it doesn't look like snow conditions will improve anytime soon. (CBC)

US sea level north of New York City 'jumped by 128mm'
Sea levels north of New York City rose by 128mm in two years, according to a report in the journal, Nature Communications. Coastal areas will need to prepare for short term and extreme sea level events, say US scientists. Climate models suggest extreme sea level rises will become more common this century. Helen Briggs reports. (BBC)

Climate change may flatten famed surfing waves
On a summer day in 1885, three Hawaiian princes surfed at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River on crudely constructed boards made from coastal redwoods, bringing the sport to the North American mainland. Today their wave-riding successors consult satellite weather forecasts on smartphones before heading to Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz to don neoprene wetsuits. But the new century could bring the biggest transformation yet to surfing - the waves themselves. A rapidly changing global climate will likely affect prime surfing spots worldwide. In California, the forecasts for Monterey Bay's famed big swells, while far from certain, are also far from good. James Urton reports. (San Jose Mercury News)

Seattle’s new seawall also a highway for fish
Seattle’s $330 million replacement seawall is taking shape — and local fish are taking notice. Workers have completed the first section of the wall, including a migratory corridor for juvenile salmon that will eventually run the entire length of the downtown waterfront. The finished section sits between South Washington Street and Yesler Way, near the Colman Dock ferry terminal at the southern end of the waterfront. It features a suite of design elements meant to attract fish and other aquatic animals and plants. Daniel Beekman reports. (Seattle Times)

Deal ensures land near Meadowdale Beach Park won’t be developed
For the past decade, the future of 13 acres of wooded, steep hillside overlooking Meadowdale Beach Park has been debated. Now that battle has come to an end. The city of Lynnwood has reached an agreement to buy the property from developers for $6 million, Jared Bond, the city’s environmental and surface water supervisor, said Tuesday. Sharon Salyer reports. (Everett Herald)

BC Ferries petition with 20,000 signatures moves to legislature
Frustrated by soaring ferry costs that make it increasingly difficult to leave Powell River for family visits, Laural Eacott turned to the world’s largest online petition platform in an attempt to get government attention. And she certainly got it Tuesday, when a list of more than 20,000 names collected over the past year on Change.org was tabled in the B.C. legislature. The petition calls for BC Ferries to be stripped of its independent status and be returned to the jurisdiction of the provincial highways department, which could provide it with additional funding. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 218 AM PST WED FEB 25 2015
TODAY
S WIND TO 10 KT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.

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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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2/18 Oil train safety, Winter 2070, Buckingham Cr., Elwha studies, grant boost, national park visits

(Steve Keenan/Associated Press)

W.Va. oil train derailment was 1 of 3 with safer tank cars
The fiery derailment of a train carrying crude oil in West Virginia is one of three in the past year involving tank cars that already meet a higher safety standard than what federal law requires -- leading some to suggest even tougher requirements that industry representatives say would be costly. Hundreds of families were evacuated and nearby water treatment plants were temporarily shut down after cars derailed from a train carrying 3 million gallons of North Dakota crude Monday, shooting fireballs into the sky, leaking oil into a Kanawha River tributary and burning down a house nearby. It was snowing at the time, but it is not yet clear if weather was a factor. John Raby and Jonathan Mattise report. (Associated Press) See also: West Virginia, Canada derailments renew focus on oil tank cars  Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

The Winter of 2070
Climate scientist Cliff Mass writes: "There is a fascinating aspect of our present anomalously warm/snow-free winter. It is very similar in many ways to what will be experienced about a half-century in the future --more so than any year I can think of…."

Illegal tree cutting under investigation in Burnaby, B.C. salmon spawning creek
The City of Burnaby, B.C. is investigating complaints of illegal tree cutting after more than a dozen alder trees were cut down without a permit last week near a salmon spawning creek. Resident Alicia Schuurmans says she contacted the city when she saw someone had removed the trees from a property that backs onto Buckingham Creek…. The trees ranged in size and age, all were near Buckingham Creek, one of a number of sensitive waterways in the Central Valley watershed near Deer Lake. The city says the property owner did not have a permit to cut them down, and would likely not have been given one, because the trees provide shade and nutrients to spawning fish. (CBC)

Silt, sediment and change: Federal government releases scientific studies on Elwha River dam removal
Five peer-reviewed studies on the effects of the Elwha River dam removal were released this week. Authors with the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, Washington Sea Grant, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe and the University of Washington provide detailed observations about the changes in the river’s landforms, waters and coastal zone during the first two years of dam removal, which began in 2011. In the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams were demolished, allowing the river to revert to its wild state. The five new papers can be found in Elsevier’s peer-reviewed journal, Geomorphology. (Peninsula Daily News)

Philanthropy Group Says Foundations Plan To Boost Grantmaking As Assets Recover
The stock market has bounced back from the recession, and philanthropy is climbing along with it. That’s the message from Philanthropy Northwest, a group that tracks grantmaking to nonprofit organizations in the Pacific Northwest.  "The trend here in Washington, the trend in the Pacific Northwest and the trend nationally are all aligned. Everybody’s feeling very positive," said Jeff Clarke, chief executive of Philanthropy Northwest, a member organization of foundations, corporations and individuals who make charitable grants. "I would say it’s probably the most positive sentiment that I’ve heard since pre-2008." Ashley Gross reports. (KPLU)

National parks set attendance record for 2014; Olympic 6th most-visited national park in system
The national park system in the United States has a new attendance record for 2014. More than 290 million people visited one of the many national parks or recreational areas in the country. The old attendance record was set in 1999 when more than 287 million people visited the park system.  The 2014 record was an increase from 2013 by 7 percent, or 19 million.  The actual attendance for 2014 was 292,800,082 million people, 3,243,872 of whom visited Olympic National Park. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 258 AM PST WED FEB 18 2015
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SW. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT AND THU
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 OR 12 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

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12/22 Rainier, killer whales, vessel traffic, avian flu, stormwater, Slocan fuel spill, bird counts, fish spy

(PHOTO: Dean J. Kloepfler/News Tribune of Tacoma)

Losing Paradise: Climate Change is Changing Mount Rainier
If the scientists are right, the end is near for a Northwest treasure — at least as we know it. Global warming is melting Mount Rainier’s glaciers at six times the historic rate. For years now, the melting has sent floods of water and rock pounding down the mountain, filling up rivers, killing old-growth forests and endangering historic national park buildings. Rob Carson reports. (News Tribune of Tacoma)

Ten years after ESA listing, killer whale numbers falling
Puget Sound’s already small killer-whale population has declined in the decade since it was protected under the Endangered Species Act. Some experts view the death this month of a pregnant female orca as an alarm bell for the region’s southern residents. Craig Welch reports. (Seattle Times)

Study: Vessel traffic for proposed Whatcom coal port would increase spill risk, disrupt tribal fishing
A new study of ship traffic that would come with a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point indicates a higher probability of oil and cargo spills. But state officials say the study, dated Nov. 4 and posted to the state Department of Ecology website on Thursday, Dec. 18, is not the definitive word on the hazards posed by ships headed to Gateway Pacific Terminal. The median number of oil spills in north Puget Sound in 2019 would increase 26 percent with the terminal in full operation, compared to traffic without the terminal, according to the study. That’s a change from about 10 spills a year to about 13. The quantity of oil spilled into the sound would increase 28 percent, according to the study — from 656 gallons to 857 gallons. The statistical analysis was done conservatively, in that it assumed more risk when available data was insufficient. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

B.C. avian flu virus has Asian origin; first such outbreak in North America
The avian flu virus involved in an outbreak in B.C. is related to a deadly strain that has spread through Asia and is now affecting North American poultry for the first time, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says. Experts say the presence of an avian flu virus with Asian lineage does not increase the danger to humans - which remains very low - but it could pose a significant risk to the poultry industry. Nearly 250,000 chickens and turkeys are either dead or set to be euthanized due to avian flu, which has infected 11 sites in B.C.'s Fraser Valley since the beginning of the month. James Keller reports. (Canadian Press)

Stormwater runoff is killing Puget Sound
Taking in the view from the pier on the city’s waterfront, it’s hard to sense anything could be wrong with Puget Sound. The water is clear. It’s a popular place for people to cast their fishing lines or to toss metal-mesh crab pots into the water. Seals occasionally bob up among the rows of boats in the nearby marina. In winter, rafts of goldeneye ducks float on the waves near the ferry dock. For all this, Puget Sound, with 2,500 miles of shoreline, isn’t nearly as healthy as it looks. And that’s one of the biggest challenges facing the Puget Sound Partnership, the state organization charged with improving the Sound’s health. Sharon Salyer reports. (The Herald of Everett)

Marilyn Burgoon gets private charge approved following Slocan fuel spill
A B.C. provincial court judge has approved a charge under the Fisheries Act against the B.C. government and Executive Flight Fuel Services brought by a local resident. Judge Mayland McKimm has approved a charge under Section 36 of the Fisheries Act stemming from a massive discharge of jet fuel into Lemon Creek last year. The charge, filed by longtime Kootenay resident Marilyn Burgoon is under a section of the federal Fisheries Act that prohibits "the deposit of deleterious substances in rivers...or water where fishing is carried on." A tanker truck was transporting fuel for helicopters fighting a nearby forest fire on July 25, 2013, when it rolled into Lemon Creek after heading up an unmaintained forestry road that couldn't support its weight. (CBC)

Port: Bellingham waterfront negotiations will continue into new year
Negotiations with an Irish development group that hopes to rebuild part of the city’s waterfront will push into next year as the Port of Bellingham finalizes details of an agreement. The Port Commission first approved negotiating with Dublin-based Harcourt Developments in February this year. The negotiations involve the northwestern corner of a contaminated section of Bellingham’s waterfront that was formerly home to a Georgia-Pacific Corp. pulp and tissue mill. The site includes the Granary Building. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Bird season in Skagit
Even in urban parts of Skagit County, birds are a common sight. It doesn’t take an expert to spot common crows and pigeons, or even the region’s iconic great blue herons and bald eagles. But something special happens in the fall and winter, when large swaths of birds flock to the Skagit Valley, a prime wintering destination for birds traveling the Pacific Flyway. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Turkey vultures soar, skylarks missing in annual bird count
Large turkey vultures normally in Mexico by now were sighted in record numbers soaring around Greater Victoria but little brown skylarks were nowhere to be seen during Saturday’s Christmas Bird Count around Greater Victoria. Despite rain and dreary weather, as many as 200 bird lovers took part in the annual citizens’ science project, sighting 139 species from 7:30 until 6:14 p.m., Christmas Bird Count coordinator Ann Nightingale said. Katherine Dedyna reports. (Times Colonist)

How can a fish be a spy? - in 15 secs
The US Navy has developed a surveillance robot disguised as a tuna fish. The GhostSwimmer could be used to sneak up on enemy vessels, or deliver supplies to friendly operatives. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON DEC 22 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
NW WIND TO 10 KT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 11 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING E 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 16 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

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11/17 Burnaby pipe, stormwater kills, Skagit salmon, Chester, breeding ban, piling removal, Adventuress, coal study, Trout Unlimited, black scoter, waterfront park

Transient Killer Whales (Capt. Mark Malleson/KOMO)

If you like to watch: Sightings of 'exotic' transient orcas on the rise in Puget Sound
Northwest whale watchers say they are witnessing a historic boom in sightings of seal-eating transient orcas in the inland waters of Washington state and British Columbia, including a mysterious group of rarely seen whales that usually spend their time in the ocean off the California coast. (KOMO)

Kinder Morgan Burnaby Mountain protest injunction granted
Kinder Morgan has been granted an injunction against protesters who have been blocking crews from doing work in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area.​ The company said the protesters have been interfering with survey and drilling work it needs to complete for its submission to the National Energy Board on the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. On Friday, just before 10:30 a.m. PT, a B.C. Supreme Court judge's ruling was released, giving protesters until 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, to dismantle their campsites and barricades, and to clear out of Kinder Morgan's survey work areas. (CBC) See also: Mayor Derek Corrigan says Burnaby will stop Kinder Morgan pipeline in the courts  Tara Carman reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Death by dirty water: Storm runoff a risk for fish  
Just hours into the experiment, the prognosis was grim for salmon that had been submerged in rain runoff collected from one of Seattle's busiest highways. One by one, the fish were removed from a tank filled with coffee-colored water and inspected: They were rigid. Their typically red gills were gray….. This was the fate of coho salmon exposed to the everyday toxic brew of dirt, metals, oil and other gunk that washes off highway pavement after rains and directly into Puget Sound. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Making strides for salmon
Since the Skagit River Chinook Recovery and Monitoring Plan was adopted in 2005, how has the population changed? What have researchers learned? Skagit Watershed Council board members and area fish experts met this week to reflect on progress over the last decade and what remains to be done. What they determined is that so far, population observations show short-term rises and falls with a continuing decline over the long term. They also concluded that chinook productivity is not so much limited by spawning habitat, but by the amount of rearing habitat available to juvenile fish that stay in freshwater to “beef up” before heading out into Puget Sound. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

If you like to listen: Chester, the false killer whale, thrives at aquarium's rescue centre (with video)
When Chester, the false killer whale, was rescued on Chesterman Beach near Tofino in July he was 86 kilograms and 199 cms. Still a baby at four to six weeks of age, he was near death, so weak he had to be supported in a sling and monitored around the clock once he was transferred to the Vancouver Aquarium’s marine mammal rescue centre. Importantly, he was also silent. More than four months later, Chester is 125 kilograms and 220 cms, swimming effortlessly in a pool at the rescue centre, playing with floating toys, interacting with staff, and producing a surprising repertoire of vocalizations that extend well beyond the human ability to hear. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Vancouver Aquarium breeding ban to be lifted say NPA commissioners
Vancouver NPA park commissioners John Coupar and Sarah Kirby-Yung say they were elected Saturday in part on their party's promise to reverse the aquarium breeding ban imposed by the Vision Vancouver dominated park board. With the NPA now holding a four-to-three majority, Coupar says the party intends to fulfill that commitment. (CBC)

Two-week creosote piling cleanup starts Monday on Vashon, Maury islands
Approximately 170 creosote-saturated piling will be removed from Vashon and Maury islands starting Monday, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources announced in a statement Friday morning. The two-week cleanup project will cost an estimated $161,555. The DNR contracted the Quigg Brothers, an Aberdeen company, for the project. Craig Hill reports. (Olympian)

Refurbished tall ship to serve as a public school 'classroom'
Renovations complete, the Adventuress will spend this winter serving as a floating classroom. For the past five winters, the 101-year-old schooner has been pulled out of the water for major renovations in a $1.2 million project completed this spring. Now that it has been spruced up, the tall ship will augment a special Port Townsend School District curriculum program. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

UW professor seeks money to study pollution from coal trains in Whatcom County
A scientist who uses the Internet to solicit donations for his research on coal trains may bring his work to Whatcom County. Dan Jaffe, professor of atmospheric and environmental chemistry at the University of Washington-Bothell, said his research is too politically charged to attract funding through the normal government channels. He’s also been the target of criticism from a union that supports the construction of a coal export terminal at Cherry Point. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Centralia Council votes no on oil train resolution
The Centralia City Council has rejected a resolution that would have encouraged rail companies, the governor and state agencies to ensure oil shipped by rail be moved safely and asked shippers to take responsibility after a spill. “This comes at no political cost to any of us,” said Councilor Pat Gallagher, who proposed the resolution. “But it addresses concerns for safety of shipping a dangerous product through our town … It should be an open-and-shut thing, a no brainer.” But it wasn’t. The resolution was voted down 5-2. The neighboring Chehalis City Council passed a similar resolution in July. Dameon Pesanti reports. (Chronicle)

Trout Unlimited creating new steelhead conservation group
Trout Unlimited, one of the nation’s largest fishing conservation organizations, will turn its focus to wild steelhead. The organization will launch Thursday the Wild Steelhead Initiative, a project to protect and restore wild steelhead and the fishing opportunities they provide throughout their native range in Washington, Alaska, California, Idaho and Oregon. At the forefront of this effort will be the creation of a new conservation organization, Wild Steelheaders United. The goal of this new group will be to bring together steelhead anglers, regardless of their preferred fishing method, to work on protecting and recovering wild steelhead populations. Jeffrey Mayor reports. (Olympian)

Bird Lore: Black Scoter  
Simple elegance in evening dress. The Black Scoter male (drake) always sports his black suit, accented by the yellow nob on his bill. Scoters (Surf, White-winged, and Black) are dark sea ducks that spend most of the year on the ocean in large flocks. On our inland marine waters, Surf Scoters are most abundant and seen most regularly, followed by White-winged Scoters. Black Scoters, seen much less frequently, winter in Edmonds waters. Carol Riddell reports. (My Edmonds News)

Bellingham approves plan for new waterfront park
When fully developed, the city’s newest waterfront park would have three beaches for water access; a large, open lawn; children’s play area; a viewing hill; a coffee shop or cafe and 250 parking spaces. Now unofficially called Cornwall Beach Park, it also could have a business that rents bicycles or stand-up paddle boards, trails and improvements to shoreline habitat. Those were among the details in the master plan that will guide development of the 17-acre waterfront park. The Bellingham City Council approved the plan Monday, Nov. 10. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 255 AM PST MON NOV 17 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 2 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 2 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

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