7/4 Whatcom closure, coal spill, Grand Alliance, BC Coast Guard

All Whatcom County beaches have been closed to recreational shellfish harvesting because of unsafe levels of paralytic shellfish poison, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Until further notice, clams, mussels, scallops, oysters and cockles may not be harvested at any beaches in the county. Crabs can be taken, but crab "butter" and entrails should be discarded  Toxin levels close all Whatcom County beaches to shellfish harvesting  

This week crews are cleaning up about 30 train cars full of coal that overturned near Mesa , in Eastern Washington. The accident has raised questions about proposed increased train shipments of coal through the nearby Columbia River Gorge.  Coal spill raises questions about boosting exports

Instead of turning left at Elliott Bay, the 66,000-ton containership Dusseldorf Express continued steaming south on Monday afternoon, headed for Tacoma. This was the “first call” to Commencement Bay for the ship, and for the Grand Alliance of three primary shipping lines that once called at the Port of Seattle.  First ship with Grand Alliance arrives at Port of Tacoma  

B.C. Environment Minister Terry Lake is calling on Ottawa to increase the Canadian Coast Guard’s presence along B.C.’s shores, saying the added protection is needed because of an expected uptick in large-scale tankers carrying cargo such as oil and gas.  Environment Minister Terry Lake presses for increased coast guard along B.C. shores  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
900 PM PDT TUE JUL 3 2012
WED
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
WED NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING LIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS

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

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7/3 Summer?, BC orcas, vibriosis, salmon productivity, Cowichan fish, coal rail, toxin display, OR gillnets, BC derelict ships

English Bay orcas (Gary Sutton, Vancouver Sun)

Cliff Mass writes: “It happens almost every year, and we sometimes lose faith that it will occur. The transition to meteorological summer in the Northwest.  Often, as in this year, it happens right after July 4th, and almost certainly by mid-July, resulting in the oft-noted statement by the meteorological cognoscenti that summer starts on July 12th in western Washington. FINALLY, True Summer Begins  

A group of six killer whales was spotted Monday in English Bay, including a full-grown male on the hunt. The transient orcas are the type that eat other mammals, like seals, sea lions and other whales. Orcas spotted in Vancouver's English Bay  

The state Department of Health is urging people to call its Biotoxin Hotline (800-562-5632) to check on closures for pollution, biotoxins or bacteria before eating shellfish gathered on local beaches this summer. The naturally occuring bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus increases in shellfish as the water temperatures warm. The bacteria can cause vibriosis, which has symptoms that usually appear within 12-24 hours and include headache, diarrhea, nausea, cramping, vomiting, fever and chills. Health officials warn of shellfish dangers  

Sockeye salmon spawning on the rivers and streams of Washington state, British Columbia and southeastern Alaska have been producing fewer and fewer adults over the last six decades, a new study suggests.  The topic known as productivity — which is measured by the number of adults produced by each spawning salmon — is addressed in a paper published today in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Sockeye salmon adult populations in widespread decline

Between them, the group of veteran anglers have more than 200 years of experience fishing the Cowichan River – and they think that gives them the right to tell the government how the river on southern Vancouver Island should be managed.  It’s hard to argue otherwise because the group, which gathered for a formative meeting on the banks of the Cowichan last week, represents an astonishing collection of wisdom.  Group wants to make it harder, not easier, to catch fish on Cowichan  

The Bellingham City Council has agreed to postpone action on a resolution that calls for close study of possible disruptions that could result from increased rail traffic through the city if SSA Marine's proposed Cherry Point coal and bulk cargo terminal is built. At a Monday, July 2, committee meeting, council members said they had heard from a number of citizens and groups who had offered additions to the draft resolution that Council President Terry Bornemann had drawn up with city attorneys. Bellingham council postpones action on coal train resolution  

Visitors to the Port Townsend Marine Science Center will be able to learn about the effects of toxins in the marine environment thanks to a recent grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency.  The $56,848 grant will help to create a new permanent educational interactive exhibit, with a first phase scheduled to open in September. Marine center wins $56,848 federal grant for toxin studies  

Oregon voters likely will decide this fall whether to ban gillnet fishing in the Columbia River and other state waters. Campaigners say they turned in enough signatures Monday to qualify their gillnet ban as a ballot measure in the November election. Coalition Says Gillnet Ban Heading To Oregon Ballot  

The Queen of Sidney’s familiar, imposing funnel is just visible from the busy Lougheed Highway passing through this small rural offshoot of Mission. A short jaunt down a country road to the shores of the Fraser River, however, evokes shock.  There, the one-time pride of B.C. Ferries, reduced to a dismal, wasting hulk, floats in the middle of a marine junkyard.  Governments missing the boat on problem of derelict vessels  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 736 AM PDT TUE JUL 3 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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7/2 Coal rail, Fed fish cop, Vashon septics, Elwha Love, WA tribes, Lighthouse Park, Lk Whatcom land, Land Conservancy, Cedar Grove, Kent brownfield grant, Clearwater Commons, BC Ferries, Shell drill, fish tackles

Fairy thimbles (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Perhaps as a result of the cool, cloudy spring we experienced, our foxgloves have reached for the sky this year - some are well over seven feet tall! Every very time I look out the bathroom window, which overlooks their woodland corner, I feel transported to Tolkien’s Middle-earth: it’s as if Elrond and Legolas might emerge from the forest at any moment." An Enduring Gift  

Salish Sea Communications blog: “Who reads this? You do. The Salish Sea News and Weather blog is 10 months old and received 2,001 visits in June. The Salish Sea Communications blog is 9 months old and received 2,456 visits last month....” Why Is Watching Grass Grow Interesting?  

Cliff Mass shares the work of visual poet Darlisa Black who specializes in the most dramatic type of local clouds: lenticular or mountain wave clouds. Sky Poet  

Fish story, great photo: Bald eagle snatches fisherman's catch at Lake Padden  

This week Bellingham city leaders will discuss a resolution that calls for close study of potential rail crossing headaches from SSA Marine's proposed Cherry Point coal and bulk cargo terminal. Among other things, the proposed resolution would endorse a so-called "programmatic environmental impact statement" that would look at the total potential impact of all the proposed coal and bulk cargo terminals in the Pacific Northwest. That discussion is scheduled during a 2:10 p.m. Monday. A vote on the resolution could come during the 7 p.m. regular City Council session. Bellingham council to discuss resolution on coal train impacts   See also: Coal train initiative backers will fight Bellingham's lawsuit  

The special agent in charge of federal fish cops in the Northwest has been removed from her position while internal government investigators pore over documents from her Seattle office, sources say. Her office was the subject of attention earlier this year when it was disclosed that one of her agents had paid $300,000 for a luxury boat without following proper bidding procedure, then used the boat for social outings with friends and family.  Northwest's top federal fisheries cop removed from office

Vashon Island residents are fighting what many consider the Septic System War with King County as new regulations force them to make costly upgrades to leaking septic systems, in an effort to protect Puget Sound. Some 35 now are being fined $25 a day. On Vashon, 263 homes, most built long ago, have been targeted by Public Health — Seattle & King County as pollution culprits, responsible for leaking fecal coliform into Quartermaster Harbor, adversely affecting shellfish. Vashon Islanders, King County facing off over old homes  

Explosives will tear off more of Glines Canyon Dam beginning Monday. Beginning Monday and continuing through July 31, the dam — once 210 feet high and now 110 feet high at its lowest point — will be lowered again by blowing open notches at the top of the dam.  Blow by blow: Blasting to resume Monday at Glines Canyon Dam  

More than 150 years ago, American Indian tribes in western Washington ceded much of the state to the federal government in return for guarantees of salmon and other fishing rights. Now, those tribes say their treaty rights with the U.S. are at risk because the region is losing habitat that salmon need to survive. They say their treaty rights won't mean much if there's no salmon to harvest, and they're warning the federal government that they could resort to court action if more isn't done. W. Wash. tribes say tribal fishing rights at risk  

The Stillaguamish Tribe’s natural resources department is monitoring fish use of the Port Susan estuary before and after a 150-acre restoration project. The tribe was contracted by The Nature Conservancy, which is removing a dike built years ago to create farmland near the mouth of the Stillaguamish River. With the dike removed, the tide will be free to inundate the estuary, giving juvenile salmon access to better rearing habitat, and alleviating a community flood threat.  Stillaguamish Tribe monitors fish use before and after dike removal  

Parking at Lighthouse Park on a nice summer day is tight at best and an ordeal at worst. One reason is parking is free. This could change soon after a meeting Monday night. City officials might finally do what they've talked about for years: charge for parking at Lighthouse Park.  Mukilteo proposes parking fee Lighthouse Park

The state Board of Natural Resources on Tuesday, July 3, will consider a plan to "block up" thousands of acres in the Lake Whatcom watershed that are in different trust designations. Such a move would set up large blocks of land west and east of the lake that could then be transferred to county control for use as parkland.  State board to consider plan to 'block up' land around Lake Whatcom  

Bill Turner, the founder and executive director of The Land Conservancy, is retiring as financial troubles force the non-profit agency to downsize and restructure. The Land Conservancy faces financial crisis; founder Bill Turner retires  

Cedar Grove Composting is asking permission from the state to release an unlimited amount of phosphorus -- a substance that in large amounts can harm fish -- into Steamboat Slough from its plant on Smith Island. Phosphorus is a naturally occurring element but too much of it in the water can deprive fish of oxygen, according to the state Department of Ecology.  Cedar Grove asks to release phosphorus into slough  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the city of Kent $400,000 in two grants to inventory, assess and prioritize contaminated sites in an effort to redevelop the properties. City officials will hire a consultant to help determine location of the sites, how contaminated they are and what would be needed to clean up the properties. The grants are part of what's known as the EPA's Brownfields Program. Kent gets $400,000 EPA grant to study contaminated properties  

When Tom Campbell and Stephanie Sarantos sought out the ideal neighborhood for their family, what they wanted was typical for parents moving to the 'burbs. Good schools for their children, fresh air and friendly neighbors topped their list of priorities.  How the husband and wife set about reaching those goals was anything but typical -- they joined with like-minded families to build their own neighborhood from scratch. Along the way, they pushed the bounds of environmentally sustainable development. Clearwater Commons built for family and environment  

BC Ferries’ bid to increase ridership in June by slashing fares from Friday to Monday through the CoastSaver program fell flat. In fact, the number of passengers on major routes dropped 6.5 per cent compared to last June, while the number of vehicles was down three per cent from a year ago.  BC Ferries ridership dips in June despite discounting of fares  

Royal Dutch Shell could drill several exploratory oil wells into the waters off the north shore of Alaska this summer. The potential prize is huge, but so is the risk, should there be an oil spill in this pristine and remote region. And that risk is on everyone's mind since the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago. Shell is now training hundreds of workers to confront oil in icy waters. But for now, the training is taking place in the calm, ice-free waters far to the south, near the port of Valdez. Ahead of Alaska drilling, Shell practices cleaning up  

Many local fish-tackle entrepreneurships were launched in the Depression era. By the late 1970s, these small businesses had grown, collectively, into the largest fishing-tackle-manufacturing base in the world. Ron Judd at Seattle Times tell you everything you might have wanted to know about the fish-tackle business. Northwest made tackle its business, but the big ones are getting away  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON JUL 2 2012
TODAY
W WIND 10 KT...BECOMING SE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 KT...BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SHOWERS.

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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/29 Lk Whatcom, Fraser flood, Springer, coal lawsuit, Strait closure, DFO, debris dumpsters, Goldstream R.

Lk Whatcom (City of B'ham)

Last Friday in June, here’s to waiting for a stretch of warmer, drier weather to come, soon. We hope. Yes?

The state agency tasked with coordinating the cleanup of Puget Sound has secured new funding to protect Lake Whatcom. Michael Grayum with the Puget Sound Partnership says the $164,000 grant will help support local programs to stop invasive species, and reduce pollutants threatening water quality in the watershed. He says the partnership identified Lake Whatcom as a problem because of invasive species like Asian clams and their effect on water quality.  State Agency Finds Funding To Protect Lake Whatcom

When Stephen Déry looks out at the Fraser River sweeping past Prince George and threatening to overflow its banks, he knows he is looking at something British Columbians could see a lot more of in the future. After analyzing 100 years of hydrological data collected at 139 Environment Canada river gauges scattered throughout the watershed, Prof. Déry and his colleagues have concluded the Fraser is increasingly experiencing extreme flows, largely because of climate change and a catastrophic pine beetle epidemic that has killed off much of the forest in the central province.  More high Fraser River levels forecast for future  

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the rescue of Springer, an orphaned orca whale found alone in Puget Sound far from her family in Canada. The burning question today: can the commitment that brought adversaries together be mobilized to save the Sound’s remaining orcas? Orcas have survived for millions of years but they may go extinct within a hundred years. Martha Baskin has our story.  Can a Ten Year Anniversary Celebration of One Orca’s Rescue Trigger Resolve to Save the Rest?  

The Bellingham City Attorney's office has filed a lawsuit aimed at keeping an anti-coal train initiative off the ballot this November, after the Whatcom County Auditor's Office determined that the measure's backers had gathered enough valid signatures.  The City Council authorized the lawsuit's filing June 18. The city's legal staff had advised them that if the initiative were passed into law by city voters, the city would then be obliged to defend it in court, even though city attorneys believe it won't survive judicial scrutiny. Bellingham files lawsuit to block coal train initiative  

A mussel sample taken from Ediz Hook earlier this week has led to the closure for shellfish harvesting of additional beaches on the Strait of Juan de Fuca because of elevated levels of the potentially deadly paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP. Strait beaches from Dungeness Spit west to Cape Flattery now are closed to recreational harvesting of all species of shellfish. More Strait beaches closed to harvesting  

Heavy workloads and high turnover at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans could jeopardize the federal government's ability to protect Canadians from the dangerous impacts of industrial projects, say internal government records obtained by Postmedia News. High turnover at DFO threatens environmental reviews: records

Oregon is putting out dumpsters at coastal parks for beachgoers to throw away tsunami debris. Governor John Kitzhaber announced Thursday he’s appointed an interagency team to coordinate efforts to dispose of materials washed up from last year’s Japanese tsunami. Oregon sets out dumpsters for tsunami debris clean-up  

A Columbia Fuels truck driver whose vehicle crashed on the Malahat in  April 2011, spilling 42,000 litres of gasoline into Goldstream River, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and violating the Fisheries Act. The slightly-built man, with sandy brown hair and eyeglasses, is also charged with impaired driving and driving with a blood alcohol level over 80 milligrams in connection with the April 16 crash. Trucker who spilled gasoline into Goldstream River pleads guilty   

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI JUN 29 2012
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT THIS MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY THIS MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 KT EARLY...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN EARLY...THEN RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN EARLY...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT.
SUN
W WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT.

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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/28 Lege score, BC flood, Arctic drilling, Cherry Pt reserve, state beaches, POST, cruise ship air, Tsilhqot'in land, Samish Bay

Shell Oil drilling platform (AP/Elaine Thompson)

Do you know the score? Check out how your state legislator rates in Washington Conservation Voters' 2011-2012 Legislative Scorecard

As flood conditions improve in the province’s Interior, high water and a collection of derelict vessels on the swollen Fraser River continue to threaten communities in the Lower Mainland. As of late Wednesday, Transport Canada, the coast guard, the District of Mission and the provincial government had developed a plan to deal with the seven vessels, which include the 102-metre former B.C. ferry, the Queen of Sidney. Derelict vessels still a threat on Fraser

Listen up: As oil giant Royal Dutch Shell prepares to start drilling in the Arctic, environmentalists are stepping up their campaign to protect this natural resource. Greenpeace, the Yes Men, and Occupy activists recently carried out an elaborate hoax at Seattle's Space Needle which generated a buzz and drew attention to deepwater drilling safety. Now a Greenpeace ship is headed toward the Arctic to keep the pressure on Shell. Martha Baskin reports.  Greenpeace Heads to the Arctic While Shell Finalizes Preparations to Drill  

Our Man of the South Sound commented on yesterday’s NY Times story about Interior Secretary Salazar’s confidence in Shell Oil’s ability to clean up an Alaska drilling spill: “Huh?  Anybody else who believes any oil company can collect 90% of the oil spilled in a marine environment like Alaska please raise your hand!  Apparently Salazar wasn't paying attention to the Gulf spill.  And I am so glad they tested a spill containment device in Puget Sound, makes me feel so much better that it worked once in PS in a test, not on a spill or blow out.”

Seattle-based People for Puget Sound (PPS), through a grant from the Washington departments of natural resources (DNR) and fish and wildlife (WDFW), is spearheading an effort to create stewardship committees for five of the state’s seven aquatic reserves, including the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve just south of Birch Bay. PPS is partnering with RE Sources for Sustainable Communities in Bellingham to get the stewardship committee up and running. Group to organize committee for Cherry Point reserve

My favorite candidate in this year’s 42nd legislative district election took a look at the video of the orcas chasing dolphins in Hyacinthe Bay and had a much more benign commentary: “I like to think they were playing tag.”

Water quality at public marine beaches in Washington ranked 10th in 2011 among the 30 states with saltwater beach access, according to a national beach-pollution report released Wednesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council.  The state reported having 1,371 coastal beaches in 2011 but only had funding to regularly monitor 76 of the 200 more widely used beaches through a program administered by the state departments of Health and Ecology.  Water quality at state's beaches ranked 10th out of 30 in 2011  

The Vancouver Aquarium is shutting down a program used to monitor marine life on the west coast, citing lack of funding, including from the federal fisheries department. The Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) program has six ocean-based acoustic receiver lines and one in the Fraser River. Over the past 12 years, scientists have used the lines to track the movements of marine life fitted with transmitters along the west coast from central California to Prince William Sound, Alaska.  Vancouver Aquarium forced by lack of funds to disband marine life tracking program  

The cruise industry opposes international air-quality regulations that will come into effect in North America in August, write local environmental advocates Fred Felleman and Marcie Keever. They urge the industry and Congress to resist efforts to weaken the new rules.  Cruise industry should comply with new air-quality regulations

A fight over aboriginal title and rights that began when natives blockaded a logging road in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia 20 years ago appears headed for the Supreme Court of Canada.  The Tsilhqot’in First Nation, which represents six bands in central B.C., won partial victories when both the Supreme Court of B.C. and the Court of Appeal confirmed their traditional rights to use the land. But the decisions failed to give the Tsilhqot’in what they really want – a clear declaration that they hold aboriginal title over more than 4,000 square kilometres of land west of Williams Lake.  Aboriginal land rights upheld by B.C. Court of Appeal

Samish Bay was reopened to shellfish harvest Wednesday by the state Department of Health.  The shellfish beds had been closed as a precaution June 17 because of high river levels and the associated risk of pollution. Health officials closed the bay when unsatisfactory levels of fecal coliform, a type of bacteria present in human and animal waste, were detected in water samples.  Samish Bay reopened to shellfish harvest  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 239 AM PDT THU JUN 28 2012
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 8 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.

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6/27 Orcas, EPA, coal stories, prairie stewardship, Arctic drilling, Alaska kings, bad gas, BC CG, Vancouver Is quake, Makah timber

Ronnie Mitchell, real person (Paul K. Anderson)

If you like to watch: Our Man on the Peninsula writes, “Thanks to Jules for sharing this with us. An amazing film of orcas hunting dolphins at Hyacinthe Bay BC (north of Nanaimo). And thanks to Grind TV for getting it up online!”  Spectacular film of Orcas chasing Dolphins  

If you like to watch: “Documerica,” the first in-depth pictorial examination of the environment in the United States, can be viewed this week at Seattle’s Discovery Park Learning Center. The nationwide environmental documentary photo project was meant to give a sense for what life was like in the 1970s at the start of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ‘Documerica’ Illustrates the EPA’s Progress  

If you like to listen: Real People, Real Stories at Coal Train Facts

The National Parks Service is seeking public input in developing a long-range stewardship plan for the prairies of American and English camps of San Juan Island National Historical Park. National Parks is hosting a series of meetings this week in Anacortes, Friday Harbor and in Seattle to gather public comment on the Prairie Stewardship Plan, which will direct the manner in which the natural and cultural landscape of American Camp and English Camp's Young Hill are managed.  National Parks seeks input on long-range prairie stewardship plan  

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday that it was “highly likely” that the agency would grant Shell permits to begin drilling exploratory wells off the North Slope of Alaska as early as next month. Mr. Salazar, while acknowledging that the Arctic presented unique environmental and safety challenges for oil and gas operations, said he was confident that Shell would meet the Interior Department’s new standards for offshore drilling. He noted that Shell had successfully tested a new oil spill containment device in Washington State’s Puget Sound in recent days and said he believed the company’s claims that it could collect at least 90 percent of any oil spilled in the event of a well blowout.  Shell Is Likely to Receive Permits for Oil Drilling Off Alaska  

Something in the ocean has been death to Alaska's king salmon. The state's iconic fish, treasured for food, sport and cash, should now be swimming in droves up rivers from the Southeast rain forests to the populated Railbelt and the Western Alaska tundra. But they're not. Decline in king salmon is rooted in the sea, Alaska state biologists say

A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the first-ever regulations aimed at reducing the gases blamed for global warming, handing down perhaps the most significant decision on the issue since a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that greenhouse gases could be controlled as air pollutants. The rules, which had been challenged by industry groups and several states, will reduce emissions of six heat-trapping gases from large industrial facilities such as factories and power plants, as well as from automobile tailpipes.  Federal court upholds EPA's global warming rules  And see Cliff Mass on Cascade Melt Out

Federal Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield is defending his government's funding cuts to the Canadian Coast Guard and says anyone who claims the changes endanger lives in Vancouver is propagating false information.  Minister says it's myth that Vancouver coast guard cuts would put lives at risk

A 4.9 earthquake shook Vancouver Island, British Columbia, at 9:22 p.m. Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter was located more than 50 miles off the western shore and more than 100 miles from most cities on the island. The closest major city, Port Hardy, is 115 miles away from it. 4.9 earthquake rumbles Vancouver Island  

The Makah tribe has made its first purchase using funds from a $25 million settlement with the federal government by buying land for harvesting timber, Tribal Chairman Micah McCarty said Tuesday. The tribe spent $12.5 million of the funds for about 3,000 acres near Lake Ozette in the Umbrella Creek watershed within the Olympic Range Tree Farm, which is owned by a Boston corporation, Tribal General Manager Meri Parker said.  Makah buy timberland with half of $25 million U.S. settlement  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 254 AM PDT WED JUN 27 2012
TODAY
SE WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 KT EARLY...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

6/26 BC flood, levee pact, sea rise, Coquitlam salmon, owl birth, hummers & butterflies

Fraser flooding (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

By the end of the week it will be known whether the flood threat has passed. But for the next few days everyone will be watching to see if water levels drop after peaking just below the lip of the dikes that are holding back the churning waters.  With heavy rainstorms and sudden snow melt causing a flurry of flooding around the province over the weekend, officials were worried the Fraser could rise to levels it has reached only four times before in the Lower Mainland, when the mighty river swept across the flood plain in the valley, where most of British Columbia’s population is concentrated.  All eyes on the mighty Fraser River as breaching point nears  

The Puget Sound Partnership says it has reached a memorandum of understanding with the Army Corps of Engineers and others that will help it resolve the issue of vegetation on levees. The state agency says the corps, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have agreed to work together to make sure levees in the region to protect the public while also protecting salmon. Corps, partnership agree to collaborate on levees

A new report from the National Research Council in Washington DC looks specifically at the West Coast, as compared to global sea level rise over the next century.  It says the problem here won’t be as bad as in California, which is expected to see sea levels slightly higher than projected globally. The report found sea levels in Washington and Oregon are predicted to rise about 2 feet over the next century. Most of California could see a three and a half foot rise.  Study: Rising seas will hit Calif. hardest, but Washington still sees damage

Juvenile salmon are benefiting from a $4-million habitat enhancement project in Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam. It has been confirmed that juvenile chinook, chum, coho, and pink salmon are using the Wilson Farm area of the park as a rearing area for the first time since dikes were built for agricultural purposes about a century ago. Juvenile salmon to utilize Coquitlam's Colony Farm for first time in a century  

A captive pair of northern spotted owls has successfully given birth to a male owlet — for the first time with help from an artificial incubator.  The human-assisted birth offers a flicker of hope for the endangered owls, which have suffered over the years from habitat loss and fragmentation due to logging of old-growth forests. Endangered northern spotted owl born in captivity in Langley

For many passionate gardeners, there is no greater source of joy and inspiration than the sight of hummingbirds and butterflies in the summer garden. After all the digging, composting, planting and garden maintenance, the opportunity to relax, reflect and enjoy these magnificent creatures presents a welcome respite. Jeff and Eileen Bidwell report. Dishing the Dirt: Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 254 AM PDT TUE JUN 26 2012
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 14 SECONDS.

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