6/14 HPAs, orcas, Barker Cr., forage fish, algae blooms, Port Orchard, BC bag ban, LNG, Mojo

OrcaSing 2011 Poster  (Troy Coleman)

A permit for construction in and around state waters — free of charge since the program started in 1943 — will now cost $150 for processing. The permit, called a hydraulic project approval, or HPA, is used to ensure that construction projects adequately protect fish and shellfish. Christopher Dunagan reports. Permit fee added for construction near state waters

Howard Garrett from the Orca Network is the featured speaker at the Mukilteo Historical Society meeting tonight. The meeting will begin at 7:15 PM in the Fowler Room of the Rosehill Community Center. Refreshments, including the Orca favorite of salmon, will be served.  Noted orca expert to speak at historical society meeting  

Every summer the City Cantábile Choir, directed by Fred West, conducts a "musical celebration of the environment" at Limekiln State Park on San Juan Island. This annual summer solstice event at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 16 is dedicated to the recovery of the resident orca population.  Orca Sing Saturday June 16 at Limekiln State Park  

Barker Creek cuts through the semi-rural landscape of hobby farms and small towns on Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula. And like many small waterways in this region, Barker Creek has had problems with fecal coliform. Rain washes the bacteria from animal manure and leaky septic systems into nearby waterways. In some watersheds, the contamination can get so bad that officials have to close shellfish beds and post signs warning people to stay away from the water. But, for the first time since 1996, Barker Creek has its fecal coliform levels under control. Ashley Ahearn reports. Tackling Water Pollution One Creek At A Time

The Pacific Fisheries Management Council could dive into the protection of the smaller species that feed marine mammals, salmon, tuna, and other fish that people love to eat. Big fish, little fish: Fisheries Council looks at pre-emptive protection  

Scientists are amazed at the size and number of algae blooms staining the waters of Puget Sound. The Department of Ecology has conducted flyovers of Puget Sound the last two days and what they saw has them searching for answers. They are hoping other agencies will sample and test water from the blooms to determine what they are and maybe where they came from. Unexplained algae blooms have scientists searching for answers  

Capping a three-year public process, the Port Orchard City Council on Tuesday approved a revision of its Shoreline Master Program, which regulates development near fresh- and saltwater shorelines. Other local jurisdictions are at various stages of shoreline updates. Poulsbo approved its shorelines plan in May. Kitsap County's Planning Commission held a hearing on the county's revised plan June 6. Chris Henry reports.  Port Orchard approves shorelines plan  

Sixty per cent of British Columbians say prohibiting retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags is a good idea, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found. The online survey involved of a representative national sample of 1,019 Canadian adults. The margin of error — which measures sampling variability — is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. Most British Columbians want plastic bags banned - poll  

Wearing red shirts and small white buttons with the acronym LNG crossed out, dozens of opponents of a proposed “bi-directional” liquefied natural gas terminal in Warrenton were greeted at an informational open house Tuesday evening by project staffers with their own decorative baubles: Large green buttons stating that LNG is good for business. ‘We would just like LNG to go away’  

With a clean bill of health and 230 more pounds on its chassis, Wolf Hollow's most voracious guest checked out and hit the beach at the end of May. Nicknamed Mojo, the young Stellar sea lion that spent nearly four months being nursed back to health at the San Juan Island-based wildlife rehabilitation center was escorted back to Washington's outer coast May 29 and released back into the wild, south of the Olympic Peninsula, in an area where many of its kind are known to congregate. Scott Rasmussen reports.  Homeward bound: fit, fat and back to sea    And: From stuck in the mud back to the skies

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PDT THU JUN 14 2012
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND PATCHY DRIZZLE THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 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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6/13 Springer, dead humpback, coal export debate, SJ Monument, timber habitat plan, biomass, Woods Tour, Navy wharf, tsunami debris, algae blooms, Pt Westward coal port

White Rock humpback (Photo: Nick Procaylo)

June 13, 2002: NOAA Fisheries and its partners completed the initial rescue action. A73 was moved safely to a floating net pen at a federal facility on the west side of Puget Sound. Veterinarians assessed her medical condition and treated her. The whale soon recovered her health and gained weight. Video monitoring was an important part of making sure A73 didn't become too attached to people. The staff collecting behavioral data around the clock could watch from a remote video observation station and see what she was doing. Observations of A73 feeding on live salmon put in the pen could be done from a distance, so she wouldn't learn to associate food with people. NOAA: Orphan Killer Whale A73 (Springer)  

With the death of a whale in White Rock on Tuesday shining a spotlight on the health of our oceans, our government is being urged to get to work pulling old fishing gear out of the water.  The cleanup is happening in Washington state, but environmentalists say it's a different story here in Canada. The whale in White Rock was entangled in some kind of line, and the Georgia Strait Alliance believes we can help prevent other sea creatures from meeting the same fate.   Environmentalists want old fishing gear cleaned up   See also: Immature humpback whale washes ashore, dies in White Rock  

Both of Washington’s major gubernatorial candidates used Tuesday’s debate to call for a comprehensive review of Washington’s three proposed coal export terminals. And while neither Democrat Jay Inslee or Republican Rob McKenna gave bottom line positions on the issue, each used their first debate together to hint at where they might come down if forced to choose. Ashley Ahearn reports. Wash. Gubernatorial Hopefuls Weigh In On Coal  

President Obama should follow in the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt and Bill Clinton, and use his authority to designate a new national monument in Washington, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., said Monday.  In a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Larsen said it’s time for the administration to step in and preserve a 955-acre network of pristine places in the San Juan Islands. Joel Connelly reports. Larsen to Obama: Get moving on Monument     See also: Larsen joins chorus calling for San Juans National Monument  

The state, conservation groups and timber industry have agreed on a plan that should make the 50-year habitat conservation plan for state and private forestlands work better. The settlement agreement averts a legal challenge by conservationists, who said the habitat conservation plan was plagued by lack of funding, spotty compliance and cumbersome decision-making. John Dodge reports.  Parties amend habitat plan

Our Man on the Peninsula writes: "Excellent news. Thanks to The Puget Soundkeeper Alliance for their work. This funding will allow a lot of smaller organizations to apply to drive forward their projects to make the Sound cleaner."  New funding source for water quality based non-profits  

Five environmental groups are proceeding with their appeal against Port Townsend Paper Corp.’s ongoing biomass project before the state Court of Appeals. No Biomass Burn, the Olympic Environmental Council, the Olympic Forest Coalition, the World Temperate Rainforest Network and PT AirWatchers will file their first supporting brief by mid-July in an effort to get Port Townsend Paper to prepare an environmental impact statement on the project. Paul Gottlieb reports.  Biomass appeal proceeding in Port Townsend    See also: Foes of Port Angeles biomass plant digest judge's rejection of their appeal  

North Sound Baykeeper Lee First writes: “I’m no stranger to logging operations in Washington.  I spent 5 years working as a member of a 50-person reforestation collective planting trees on clear cuts throughout the Pacific Northwest.  So when I was invited to attend the 29th annual “Woods Tour,” sponsored by Whatcom Women in Timber, I jumped at the chance....” Meeting the Bull of the Woods  

Skanska's U.S. unit will earn $149 million from a U.S. Navy contract for building an explosives handling wharf in Silverdale, Washington. Skanska to build U.S. Navy explosives wharf

Federal officials say its likely that much of the foamlike material that is littering beaches in Southwestern Washington and Oregon is some of the first debris from Japan's calamitous 2011 tsunami to show up on U.S. shorelines.  Coastal debris comes in; cleanup alert goes out  

Algae blooms that changed water off several Bainbridge shorelines bright red this week pose no risk to humans or shellfish, according to Kitsap County Public Health District officials.  Algae blooms near Bainbridge pose no risk  

One of the proposed Port Westward coal export terminals near Clatskanie will nearly double barge traffic past Longview and will have "unavoidable impacts" on protected fish and habitat in the Columbia River, according to biological assessment of the project.  The report, written by civil engineering firm Anderson Perry in La Grande, Ore., was created for Ambre Energy as part of its Morrow Pacific project application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Report: Columbia River coal transport likely to threaten fish habitat

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED JUN 13 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. PATCHY DRIZZLE AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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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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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

6/12 Springer, humpback, orcas & boats, Kitsilano CG, sea cucumber farm, pipeline, Lisa Jackson

Celebrate Springer! (Mark Sears, 2002)

Tonight, the Vancouver Aquarium invites you to join in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the successful rehabilitation and reintroduction of the wild orphaned killer whale Springer (A73)! Celebrate Springer  

A whale has washed ashore in White Rock Tuesday morning. The whale is approximately eight to 10 metres long and it is unclear if the whale is alive or dead. Vancouver Aquarium staff is heading to White Rock to assess the whale, which is believed to be a humpback whale.  Humpback whale washes ashore in White Rock  

A recent tiff over showing a critical look at whale-watching activities illustrates a bigger issue: Is there a way to move forward that is good for all? Maybe so.  Dan Chasan at Crosscut delves deeply. Whale-watching boats: no 'room' for the orcas  

Despite public and political opposition, federal Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield says he won’t back down on the decision to close the Canadian Coast Guard search-and-rescue station in Kitsilano.  The decision to close the Kitsilano facility has been sharply opposed by Premier Christy Clark and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, among others, who say it will compromise safety in the busy waters around central Vancouver. Fisheries Minister defends decision to close Kitsilano Coast Guard station  

Concerned the public has been misled by false information, the applicants for a proposed sea cucumber farm in Baynes Sound will answer questions and present information about the application Wednesday evening in Union Bay. A public information meeting is being held at 7: 00 at Union Bay Hall. In addition to a presentation by the applicants, residents will hear from representatives of the Deep Bay Shellfish Research Station and various government agencies.  Sea cucumber farm proponents hope to dispel misinformation

The oil-pipeline spill into Alberta’s Red Deer River underscores the fears felt in British Columbia about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project, which would cross several hundred salmon streams on its way to the coast. Just how likely is it, if the Enbridge pipeline gets built, that it will one day leak into a tributary of the Skeena or Fraser Rivers? DFO risk assessment of Northern Gateway is, at best, a work in progress  

It’s been a bumpy road for Lisa Jackson through three and a half years as chief administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But the 50-year-old chemical engineer doesn’t look fazed or fed up. A scientist-turned-insider who has learned that the levers of power don’t always budge without a fight, she shows a little steel in her eyes as she ticks off achievements and notes setbacks. But she also lets mischief color her laugh as she acknowledges what she calls the “toxic attitude of absolute certainty” that paralyzes progress on climate and other issues.  ‘Screaming headlines’ vs. reasonable people: A talk with the EPA’s Lisa Jackson   

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 242 AM PDT TUE JUN 12 2012
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF 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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6/11 Coal trains, snakehead, noctiluca, Elwha Love, undersea volcano, Gorst landfill, Skagit 2060, Port Angeles waterfront, tent caterpillars, Stillwaters

Saturday paddle down the Skagit

What did you do last weekend?  Salish Sea Communications blog: “Thirty-two souls had a great day of paddling adventure down the north fork of the Skagit River on Saturday, thanks to Lee First and staff of RE Sources for Sustainable Communities and Denny, Dylan and Morgan of Yeager’s Sporting Goods in Bellingham....” Take Me to the River

Since the early days of the ongoing public debate over a proposed coal export terminal at Cherry Point, backers of that terminal have argued that increasing numbers of coal trains would rumble through the city even if the Whatcom County terminal were never built. On Friday, Communitywise Bellingham issued a report that challenges that argument. Their report contends that the planned expansion of Canadian coal export terminals could not generate anywhere near the amount of train traffic that the Gateway Pacific Terminal project would.  John Stark reports. Bellingham group's report questions rail impact of Canadian coal ports    Read the report here.

The elusive snakehead fish in Burnaby Central Park lagoon was finally caught Friday after previous attempts failed to capture the invasive critter. But-- only hours after biologists netted the fish from a Burnaby lagoon, B.C.’s environment minister vowed to change provincial regulations to ban its live importation.  Elusive snakehead fish finally caught after Burnaby Central Park lagoon partially drained (with video)


The reddish water along some Seattle beaches this weekend is caused by single-cell organisms known as noctiluca. Photos at  ‘Red water’ noctiluca bloom spreading, outside West Seattle too  

Elwha Love: Despite tons of sediment left behind, vegetation is beginning to transform a drained lake bottom in the Elwha River Valley.  New life emerges as dams come down    More Love:  Jeff Crane will read from his book, Finding the River: An Environmental History of the Elwha, at the Port Angeles Library on Monday night.  Author to read from book on Elwha  

If you like to listen: Here are recordings of the eruption of an undersea volcano off the Northwest coast at a place called Axial Seamount about 300 miles out to sea from Cannon Beach, Oregon. Caught on tape! Undersea volcano erupts off Northwest coast  

Experts estimate that it will cost more than $2.6 million to stabilize an old landfill that has been known to discharge garbage into Gorst Creek and could trigger a blowout of Highway 3.Removing and hauling away all the garbage would cost an estimated $34 million, according to an EPA-funded report. The proposed plan involves forcing a new pipe through the base of the garbage, opening a new route through which Gorst Creek can flow.  Expensive solution posed for Gorst Creek landfill  

A regional effort to plan for 50 years of population growth has earned high marks from the governor. Envision Skagit 2060, which has involved citizen input and local elected officials, was one of two projects selected statewide for Gov. Chris Gregoire’s Smart Vision award.  Governor lauds countywide planning efforts  

The Port Angeles City Council wants to energize the downtown waterfront. The Arthur D. Feiro Marine Life Center at City Pier needs more room. And the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary office is running out of space. All three entities are contributing to a joint solution, putting their money where their needs are by beginning the process last week to create a combined marine-research, public-outreach center on the waterfront.  Port Angeles vision of a marine research ‘campus’ takes first sail  

Yuk. They defoliate alders, strip apples, devour ash. They chew cherry, masticate willow, nibble wild rose. They denude hawthorns, an outcome no one wants. The Western tent caterpillar is a voracious insect with an insatiable appetite for succulent leaves. The caterpillar is an uninvited guest that shows up in trees and bushes – and on decks and picnic blankets – every year at this time. They are yellow and black with brilliant blue spots. Fuzzy, but not cuddly. An unsightly, creepy, squishy infestation  

Stillwaters is a nine-acre wildlife refuge and environmental education center in Kingston. The non-profit organization strives to restore and preserve the local watershed through various programs, including water quality and habitat monitoring, workshops for the public, and outreach programs with local schools.  Employer spotlight: Stillwaters Environmental Center  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PDT MON JUN 11 2012
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/8 Crows, BC floods, BC fires, Scotch broom, Eagle Harbor, Toronto bag ban, honey bees, diversity

Salish Sea Communications blog: “You can’t blame everything about the zombie-like progress of Puget Sound recovery on the economic downturn.” On Saving Puget Sound  

Cliff Mass writes: “The May climatological numbers are in and the contiguous U.S. has had its second warmest May on record.  But guess what region did not share in the balmy conditions? You guessed it...the Pacific Northwest.” Depressing But True  

Crows have a bad rap for being loud, lurking creatures that overpopulate the city. Often used as figures in art, film and literature, they're considered clever creatures at best. But researchers insist crows are much more complex. In fact, crows and other corvidae are more like humans in their ability to communicate, feel emotion and understand cause and effect. Authors John Marzluff and Tony Angell illustrate the depth of these intelligent creatures in their new book, Gifts Of The Crow. What can we learn from our neighbors in the sky? And what do they learn from us? Gifts Of The Crow   (at 13.55)

Rising river levels fed by heavy rains have triggered flood warnings and evacuation alerts in parts of B.C. The River Forecast Centre issued a flood warning for the Prince George area Thursday, predicting flooding along sections of the Fraser River and warning people to stay away from river banks that may be eroded by fast moving water. The centre says the river could begin to recede by Friday. Heavy rains and rising rivers trigger B.C. flood warnings, evacuation alert

The number of major forest fires in B.C. will likely increase by 50 per cent or more in the next 40 years according to a recent report on climate change. Telling the Weather Story, released this week by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, addresses altering weather patterns across the country in the coming decades and urges Canadians to adjust to the realities of climate change. Climate change to bring more severe wildfires to B.C.: report  

Mill Hill Regional Park will look a little less yellow after Wednesday’s removal by helicopter of bundles of Scotch broom. Over the last decade, nearly 63 tonnes of invasive weeds have been removed from the 71-hectare park in Langford. The park was closed Wednesday while a helicopter hoisted bundles of broom from the mountainous park and dropped them in the lower parking lot for transport. The shrubs will be processed into biofuel at a commercial facility. Helicopter helps with removal of invasive Scotch broom at Mill Hill  

Contractors with the Environmental Protection Agency will be photographing and sampling beach sediment on the North Shoal East Beach in June and July, the agency announced. The sampling will help locate and determine the size of pools of creosote under the beach sediment, and is part of the ongoing study of the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund site.  EPA collects samples at North Shoal site  

Toronto has become the largest city in North America to opt for an outright ban on the use of plastic bags. The ban was approved by the city council despite Mayor Rob Ford originally only seeking to overturn an existing five cent levy. Plastic bag bans already exist in Seattle, San Francisco and in Fort McMurray, Alberta.  Toronto plastic bag ban surprises Mayor Rob Ford  

When half of all bees began mysteriously dying in the US and parts of Europe and Asia six years ago, beekeepers and food growers took note. What’s happened since then? Are honeybees in recovery? And what about those watermelons, apples and cherries we couldn’t live without? Martha Baskin reports.  The Buzz on an Otherwise Quiet Environmental Crisis: Colony Collapse Disorder and the Food We Eat    See also: Highly Contagious Honey Bee Virus Transmitted by Mites  

Experts worldwide have long talked about the importance of preserving the diversity of life for the sake of beauty and wonder, or in the hopes of new medical discoveries, or for moral reasons. A group of scientists is reporting that biodiversity also helps sustain human life.  Biodiversity helps sustain human life, scientists say  

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI JUN 8 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS EARLY.
SAT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.
SUN
W WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. SW SWELL 5 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

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

6/7 Orca health, Fisheries Act, Billy Frank, coal port, GEMS, 3 Crabs, Kimberly-Clark, shoreline rules, Tani Cr., gasoline production

Orphan orca Springer welcomed home, 2002 (NOAA)

Not having enough Chinook salmon to eat stresses out southern resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest more than having boatloads of whale watchers nearby, according to hormone levels of whales summering in the Salish Sea. In lean times, however, the stress level normally associated with boats becomes more pronounced, further underscoring the importance of having enough prey, according to Katherine Ayres, an environmental and pet-behavior consultant who led the research while a University of Washington doctoral student in biology. Ayres is lead author of a paper appearing online June 6, in the journal PLoS ONE. Too Few Salmon Is Far Worse Than Too Many Boats for Killer Whales  

Springer was an underweight, sickly killer whale calf when she turned up alone in Puget Sound a decade ago and it seemed the chances of successfully reuniting her with her pod on northern Vancouver Island were slim. But, this month, celebrations are being held in Seattle and Vancouver, with a reunion at Telegraph Cove in July, marking the 10th anniversary of Springer's unique rescue, which saw the orphaned whale brought back to health, transported to northern Vancouver Island and released as members of her pod swam through Johnstone Strait. 10 years later, Springer the killer whale still defies the odds; Sickly orca was rescued and reunited with family - now celebrants await her return, perhaps as a mom   

While farmers and municipalities would like to see some flexibility, they worry the Harper government's omnibus legislation goes too far. Larry Pynn reports in Part 3 of the series. Stakeholders wary of slippery slope that comes with changes to Fisheries Act  

Billy Frank Jr. speaks for the salmon. He always has and he always will. The message delivered by one of the most famous Indians in Washington history rings loud and clear through a new biography released this week entitled “Where the Salmon Run, The Life and Legacy of Billy Frank Jr.” The book authored by Trova Heffernan is the 13th in a series of oral histories and biographies by the Legacy Project housed in the Office of the Secretary of State. Voice for salmon heard again  

The Whatcom County Council has approved a modified version of an environmental consulting contract for the Gateway Pacific Terminal project that mandates an expanded public comment period at the first stage of the regulatory process. The council unanimously agreed to specify a minimum of 120 days for public comment on the scope of the environmental study. Whatcom County mandates extended comment on coal terminal study   Also see Survey: 46% of Oregon voters favor coal export  

The old red cannery building along Guemes Channel is for sale.  Plans by local developer GEMS LLC to build a restaurant, hotel and marina at the site have not moved forward since 2010. A listing for the light manufacturing-zoned property appeared on the Commercial Brokers Association Web site recently. The asking price —for the old red cannery, surrounding waterfront and three nearby houses — is nearly $5 million. The buyer will also receive plans and reports with the option to continue a development plan GEMS began when it purchased the property for $1.7 million in 2006, according to the listing. Cannery building for sale; GEMS backs off waterfront hotel, restaurant plans  

The building that has long housed The 3 Crabs restaurant would be removed under a proposed state Fish and Wildlife purchase of the Dungeness Bay landmark location.The state Fish and Wildlife Commission last week approved the $1 million purchase of the nearly 52 acres of land and tideland property along Dungeness Bay's shores overlooking New Dungeness Lighthouse 3 Crabs site would be razed after state buy, proposal says

Kimberly-Clark may begin demolishing its mill site on the waterfront as early as next month, a company spokesman says.  Kimberly-Clark also is considering imploding some of the buildings, but company officials haven't made a decision. K-C mill set for demolition as early as July  

Property rights and protections for shoreline environments were the primary topics at a hearing Tuesday night focused on the proposed Kitsap County Shorelines Master Program. Bob Benze of the Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners said the county's proposed shoreline buffers are unjustified by studies that have examined the effects of development on shorelines. In fact, he said, saltwater habitat near developed properties is just as healthy as habitat near undeveloped properties. Shorelines plan undergoes public review

The San Juan County Council Tuesday agreed with a staff recommendation to send the draft Shoreline Master Program’s Inventory and Characterization Report back to the consultants who compiled it for revisions.  County Senior Planner Colin Maycock told the Council that, after a review of the draft by the Council-appointed Shoreline Master Program Technical Advisory Committee and county staff, it was apparent further revisions were needed.  Maycock characterized the expected changes as significant, most pertaining to the analytical framework used to describe and characterize the shoreline’s geology and associated ecological activities. A new five-week public comment period on the report will begin after the revisions are complete.  Council backs revision of shoreline inventory report  

The Kitsap Public Health District has suspended the "No Contact" advisory for Blakely Harbor and Tani Creek that was issued last month after a sewage spill made it into the headwaters of Tani Creek. The advisory was lifted Tuesday, and the warning signs that were posted at local public access areas have been removed, health officials said.  'No Contact' warning lifted for Tani Creek and Blakely Harbor  

West Coast oil refiners cut gasoline production after a fire earlier this year at the BP Cherry Point refinery, creating a supply shortage that has left West Coast motorists paying very high gas prices at a time when the rest of the nation is seeing prices plunge, according to an influential senator and a veteran energy analyst. In a letter being sent to regulators on Thursday, June 7, and obtained by McClatchy, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., calls on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate refinery operators Alon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Tesoro and BP following the shutdown of BP's Cherry Point refinery near Ferndale.  Cantwell seeks probe of West Coast gas prices after Cherry Point fire  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU JUN 7 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS. RAIN THIS MORNING... THEN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

6/6 Saving Puget Sound, low tides, bag bans, Penn Cove mussels, Otto Langer, Mike Mottice, BC beaches

PHOTO: Laurie MacBride

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes about "how in early summer the Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale) come to life, all decked out in their colourful, voluminous skirts, kicking up their heels in an all-too-brief fling." The Dancers Return

The great crusade to restore Puget Sound is five years old. What crusade? People who've moved here since that start of the financial crisis may not recall that on May 7, 2007, Gov. Chris Gregoire stood on the shore of Puget Sound, signed the law that created the Puget Sound Partnership, and launched a campaign to restore the Sound by 2020. The time laid out for the cleanup is more than one-third up. By now, some political insiders have grown to think badly of the Puget Sound Partnership, but most people don't think of it at all. The Sound currently inspires little or no visible leadership. Dan Chasan at Crosscut writes.  After 5 years, Gregoire's Puget Sound progress is uncertain  

Some of the lowest tides of the year are drawing beachcombers to the water’s edge this week. It's a great time to check out sea life and geographic features. Low tides were happening around Victoria Tuesday from about noon to 1 p.m. and will happen again Wednesday around the same time.  Low tides reveal beach secrets  

Issaquah joined a string of cities along Puget Sound to outlaw plastic bags at local retailers Monday, after months of sometimes-acrimonious debate about adverse impacts to the marine environment and the regional economy. In the end, concerns about the environment led the City Council to decide 5-2 to eliminate most retail uses for plastic bags. The legislation is scheduled to go into effect in March 2013 for most businesses.  City Council outlaws plastic bags in Issaquah  

The Port Townsend City Council has approved the concept of a ban on single-use plastic bags. The council unanimously adopted a plastic-bag ban on a first reading Monday night. Before final approval — expected when the council votes after a second reading of the new law this month or next month — changes will be made to the draft bag ban. Port Townsend council votes to adopt plastic-bag ban  

Because a crew of trained noses smelled pollution in some mussel samples from Penn Cove on Tuesday, only a part of the area was deemed safe to reopen.  Mussels face the nose test; part of Penn Cove OK for shellfish harvesting  See also: Derelict crab boat: Up, up and away  

Otto Langer has devoted his adult life to protecting fish habitat. Now he wonders if it was all for nothing.  The retired head of habitat assessment and planning for the federal Fisheries Department in B.C. and Yukon describes the Conservative government’s planned changes to the Fisheries Act as the biggest setback to conservation law in Canada in half a century. Second in a series. Larry Pynn reports. Conservationists, scientists fear Fisheries Act changes  

The federal Bureau of Land Management has announced its new acting state director for Oregon and Washington. The agency said Tuesday that Mike Mottice replaces Ed Shepard, who served as state director from 2006 until the end of May. Mottice will serve during a search for a permanent state director. The agency manages more than 15.7 million acres of public land in Oregon and about 425,000 acres in Washington, as well as some 23.4 million acres of federal subsurface minerals.  New BLM acting director for Oregon-Washington  

For Lucas Harris, every piece of garbage that a small group of surfers collects on B.C.’s supposedly pristine beaches helps to paint a bigger picture on marine debris.  The plastic bottles, fuel containers, buoys, fish nets, ropes and blocks of Styrofoam his group collects (more than one ton of garbage on a recent outing) all help to reveal patterns of waste in the mass of detritus washing ashore daily on Canada’s coastlines.  Inspection reveals B.C. beaches a global garbage dump  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED JUN 6 2012
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NE 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY EARLY...THEN RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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