11/12 Whale talk, nearshore action, starfish deaths, Vic sewage, coal rules, Colquitz Cr., Sally Jewell

Northern Flicker (BirdNote)

If you like to listen: BirdNote-- Bird Feeders and Whaling Ships
In the opening lines of Moby Dick, the narrator, Ishmael, confesses to "a damp, drizzly November in my soul." One sure way to brighten November's damp and drizzly mood is to welcome birds into your yard with birdfeeders. Black-oil sunflower seed is especially popular. Hang suet in a wire cage to attract a Northern Flicker like this one. Then, just add water, and you're all set.

ALERT: Brad Hanson's presentation on 11/12 at C&P Coffee Company is sold out! Due to limited space, there won't be any tickets sold at the door.  If you didn't get a ticket, you can watch it online - the presentation will be posted later this week at thewhaletrail.org

What Are Killer Whales Saying?  
Carl Safina writes: "People who are listening to the killer whale calls in my previous posting are asking whether we have any idea yet of the meaning. Answer: not as language, but we do know some things. What we don’t know: We don’t know if they have words or language. We think they have signature calls (names) and recognize each other. We do know they can hear each other over tens of miles (about 30 miles, though some large whales such as fin and blue whales can hear each other over hundreds of miles)..." And then again: What Does the Fox Say? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

News Release: Strengthen Puget Sound Nearshore Protections, Local Watchdog Group Says
Sound Action and 14 environmental groups ask for— and get— public comment time for Hydraulic Code revisions extended from November 15 to December 13. Action is what it’s going to take to protect nearshore habitats and recover Puget Sound’s health. (Also see SoundActionNW on Facebook and “like” Sound!Action.)

Mystery disease might have hit Puget Sound starfish
An environmental advocate and photographer has made a troubling discovery on the shores of West Seattle that could be linked to a mysterious disease ravaging starfish along the entire West Coast. "Diver Laura" James posted a video documenting the death of more than 100 dead sea stars in the Brace Point area near Fauntleroy after stumbling upon them over the weekend. (http://vimeo.com/79076295) It's not known if they are tied to "sea star wasting disease." The widespread disease is being blamed for an epidemic along the coast from Alaska to Southern California. Josh Kerns reports.

CRD's sewage sweetener for Esquimalt aims to seal a deal
A tentative deal to give the Township of Esquimalt cash and a host of amenities in exchange for an unpopular sewage treatment plant will go before Greater Victoria politicians on Wednesday. The proposal, hammered out by senior staff from Esquimalt and the Capital Regional District, could clear one of the last hurdles for the $783-million sewage treatment project by settling a long-running zoning dispute at McLoughlin Point. The CRD is offering an annual $55,000 “community impact mitigation fee” for at least five years to compensate Esquimalt for the proposed plant, as well as stringent odour control, a promise to barge construction material to the site, a million-dollar bike and path system, public art and an oceanside walkway. Rob Shaw reports.

New EPA rules could throw a wrench into NW coal game  
This past Thursday, it seemed coal was on trial again in Seattle. About 250 people turned out, on a fiercely windy and rainy afternoon, for a meeting held by the U.S. EPA in the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building downtown. It was one of 11 “listening sessions” that the EPA has held around the country to gain public input on new rules for power plants and the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. Madeline Ostrander reports.

Bishops: Coal ports must get ‘exhaustive, independent review’
Huge proposed coal export terminals at Longview and Cherry Point, north of Bellingham, must get “exhaustive and independent review” of potential environmental, economic and climate change impacts, Washington’s four Catholic bishops said in a statement adopted Friday. The bishops have aligned themselves squarely with environmental and public health groups, and with Govs. Jay Inslee of Washington and John Kitzhaber of Oregon, in wanting evaluation of all consequences if the Northwest is to start exporting millions of tons of coal to China. Joel Connelly reports.

Colquitz Creek salmon run a fine kettle of fish
Despite all the threats it faces, Colquitz Creek in Saanich is thriving as a home for salmon. Colquitz is an urban stream under tremendous pressure from homes along its bank, storm drains that empty into it and runoff from farming and light industry. It weathered a number of spills in 2010-11, when some fish died but many others survived. On one day last week, volunteers counted 449 coho and two cutthroat trout — more than the entire run last year. Sandra McCulloch reports.

Interior secretary says Obama may bypass Congress on monuments
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says she will recommend that President Barack Obama act alone if necessary to create new national monuments and sidestep a gridlocked Congress that has failed to address dozens of public lands bills. Jewell said the logjam on Capital Hill has created a conservation backlog, and she warned that the Obama administration would not "hold its breath forever" waiting for lawmakers to act...Congress has not added any acreage to the national park or wilderness systems since 2010. Jewell blamed ramped-up rhetoric in Washington for the impasse. She said the appetite for preserving American historic and cultural sites remains high but some officials seek to avoid the appearance of publicly embracing more government protection. Julie Cart reports. See also: Sizing Up Sally Jewell

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 637 AM PST TUE NOV 12 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN TAPERING OFF TO SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. 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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11/11 Alabama spill, Idle No More, Boeing tax break, Southlands battle, CA fish farms, Skagit flood, new shark

PHOTO: Laurie MacBride

If you like to watch: Fall Magic
Ah, mushroom season-- and calisthenics. Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Thousands of mushrooms are popping up all over our property, in what’s turning out to be one of the best wild mushroom seasons in a long time.  As a result, my walks lately have been more of a slow amble – but still, they do involve some exercise. Most of the individual mushrooms are small, so to get a good look – and especially to photograph them – requires a form of calisthenics that’s not normally part of my daily routine: deep knee bends. Dozens and dozens of them!"

Welcome back, Skagit Leeks: In The Wilderness

Train in Alabama oil spill was carrying 2.7 million gallons of crude
A train that derailed and exploded in rural Alabama was hauling 2.7 million gallons of crude oil, according to officials. The 90-car train was crossing a timber trestle above a wetland near Aliceville late Thursday night when approximately 25 rail cars and two locomotives derailed, spilling crude oil into the surrounding wetlands and igniting a fire that was still burning Saturday. Each of the 90 cars was carrying 30,000 gallons of oil, said Bill Jasper, president of the rail company Genesee & Wyoming at a press briefing Friday night. It’s unclear, though, how much oil was spilled because some of the cars have yet to be removed from the marsh. Soumya Karlamangla reports.

Idle No More anniversary sees divisions emerging
Idle No More, the indigenous movement that began a year ago today, says it has a database of 254,000 supporters. Some, however, are concerned about the direction its founders want to go.  A Saskatoon teach-in on Nov. 10, 2012 marked the founding — by Jessica Gordon, Sheelah McLean, Sylvia McAdam and Nina Wilson — of Idle No More, which initially focused on opposing a federal omnibus bill, now law, and its perceived threats to land, water and aboriginal rights. Nevertheless, Idle No More hit a chord and, by also making skillful use of social media, quickly became one of the most significant protest movements Canada has seen in a long time.

Legislature Moves Swiftly to Extend Boeing Tax Breaks  
Washington lawmakers have moved swiftly to extend aerospace tax breaks in a bid to satisfy Boeing Co. The Legislature gave final approval Saturday of a bill to extend the tax incentives all the way to 2040. The benefits have a projected value of $9 billion. Even though the tax breaks weren't set to expire for several more years, Gov. Jay Inslee called the Legislature back to Olympia this week for a special session dedicated to the Boeing bills. Along with the tax package, lawmakers voted to spend millions of dollars on worker-training programs and an effort to aid permitting for large aerospace manufacturing sites. Mike Baker reports. And see: Professor: Boeing Wants 'Amazing Concessions' from Machinists

Delta council approves controversial development for Tsawwassen's Southlands
Delta council has approved the controversial Southlands development in Tsawwassen, but the 30-year-old battle appears far from over as those opposed to the move say they have already started lobbying the Metro Vancouver board to reject it. The contentious plan, which was passed 6-1 Friday by Delta council, requires a two-thirds weighted vote by Metro Vancouver to proceed. This is because the 217-hectare Southlands parcel — the site of the former Spetifore Farm — is outside Delta's designated urban containment boundary, which prescribes where development can and cannot be built. Kelly Sinoski reports.

Legal issues holding up fish-farming complaint to environmental commission
An effort by environmentalists, a First Nation and commercial fishermen to use a NAFTA side agreement to force Canada to change the way it polices British Columbia's salmon farms has bogged down in legal arguments. Fish-farming opponents from B.C. and the United States wrote the Commission for Environmental Co-operation in October 2012, alleging the federal government wasn't enforcing the Fisheries Act. The groups claim Ottawa is exposing wild salmon to sea lice, disease, toxic chemicals and concentrated waste. Environment Canada wrote the commission last month, arguing a continuation of the complaint would interfere with two legal cases that are currently underway. The commission has now written back asking for further explanation within 30 working days and has a set final deadline of Dec. 17. Kevin Drews reports.

Event: Public Forum on Risky Business: How oil transport threatens Washington’s health, economy and waters
Washington State is becoming center stage in transportation of oil. Learn more about oil transport proposals, the risks they pose to Washington, what protections and safeguards are currently in place, and what gaps need to be addressed to reduce the risk of oil spills. Tuesday, November 19, 6:30 PM, Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle. To RSVP: Rein Attemann.

Floods wash through Hamilton’s history
This town on the Skagit knows all about flooding since its original section sits directly in the river’s 100-year flood plain. Parts of the town regularly flood whenever the river rises, as newspaper reports dating to the 1890s attest. Much of the town of 304 residents was last inundated in 2003, when floodwater reached Division Street and Janicki Industry’s Punkin Center, approaching Highway 20. The town had to raise the high-water line on its historic flood marker that year, Hamilton Mayor Joan Cromley said. Kimberly Cauvel reports. And: Skagit River floods — always a threat

New Species of Shark: Carolina Hammerhead
Discovering a new species is, among biologists, akin to hitting a grand slam, and University of South Carolina ichthyologist Joe Quattro led a team that recently cleared the bases. In the journal Zootaxa, they describe a rare shark, the Carolina hammerhead, that had long eluded discovery because it is outwardly indistinguishable from the common scalloped hammerhead. Through its rarity, the new species, Sphyrna gilberti, underscores the fragility of shark diversity in the face of relentless human predation.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON NOV 11 2013
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 25 TO 35 KT EASING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 4 TO 7 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN 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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11/8 Fish protections, B'ham waterfront, coal war, BC LNG, herding birds, hurting birds, data tracking, Jan Angel wins

Penpoint gunnel (PHOTO: Ann Dornfeld/KUOW)

If you like to watch: Photos Down Under: A Light Beams From Puget Sound
KUOW's Ann Dornfeld shares her photos and her love of the Sound. "Her favorite marine invertebrate is a nudibranch. (Her favorite nudibranch is a Cockerell's dorid.)" Magnificent!

Changes to Fisheries Legislation Have Removed Habitat Protection for Most Fish Species in Canada
Federal government changes to Canada's fisheries legislation have eviscerated the ability to protect habitat for most of the country's fish species, scientists at the universities of Calgary and Dalhousie say in a new study. The changes were politically motivated, unsupported by scientific advice -- contrary to government policy -- and are inconsistent with ecosystem-based management, fisheries biologists John Post and Jeffrey Hutchings say. Their comprehensive assessment, in a peer-reviewed paper titled "Gutting Canada's Fisheries Act: No fishery, no fish habitat protection," is published in Fisheries, a journal of the 10,000-member American Fisheries Society.

Bellingham council gives preliminary OK to waterfront redevelopment plan
On a 6-0 vote, City Council has given preliminary approval to a master plan meant to guide decades of redevelopment on 237 waterfront acres. The affected land stretches around the bay from the I&J Waterway next to the Bellwether development, all the way to a large new park site at the southern end of Cornwall Avenue. It includes the Port of Bellingham property formerly owned by Georgia-Pacific Corp. The master plan still faces a final formal council vote at an upcoming Monday evening council session, after it has been drawn up in the form of an ordinance. Port of Bellingham commissioners also will need to approve the plan. John Stark reports.

Brighter outlook but no assurances for progressives in the coal port war
The coal train express missed a signal Tuesday in Whatcom County as voters went for a slate of four Democrats who were supported for county council seats by opponents of the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal, which would be built at Cherry Point north of Bellingham. Floyd McKay reports. Whatcom County voting swung toward environmentalists but coal supporters and opponents have lots of battles ahead.

Secret report measures impact of LNG on B.C. environment
The B.C. government is sitting on a report commissioned by its climate-action secretariat that measures the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with developing a liquefied natural-gas industry. The pursuit of LNG is Christy Clark’s central ambition as Premier but it is one that is widely expected to collide with the province’s legislated requirement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. So far, her government has sidestepped questions about how former premier Gordon Campbell’s legacy on climate change will be reshaped to accommodate Ms. Clark’s agenda around resource development. Justine Hunter reports.

If you like to listen: BirdNote--Restoring Bird Colonies with Social Attraction
What does relocating Caspian Terns from an island in the Columbia River have to do with luring Short-tailed Albatrosses away from an active volcano in Japan? They both use methods of social attraction pioneered by Dr. Stephen Kress. Social attraction utilizes visual cues such as decoys and audio recordings of birdcalls. Using these, scientists can entice bird colonies out of harm’s way.

Fowl play: Who's shooting blow darts at ducks, gulls?
The Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center continues receiving reports of birds being blow-darted even as Director Jaye Moore prepares to release in Sequim's Carrie Blake Park four mallard ducks that were injured this summer. Two sea gulls reportedly were attacked in recent months, Moore said. One was spotted at Ediz Hook in Port Angeles around mid- to late summer with a dart through its leg. Moore also received several reports of another sea gull with a dart imbedded in its chest at the Haynes Viewpoint parking area at Front and Peabody streets in Port Angeles in October. Paul Gottlieb reports.

Data trackers monitor your life so they can nudge you
Once you know everything about a person, you can influence their behaviour. A thousand students with tattletale phones are going to find out how easy that is... This is sociology on a different scale, gathering detailed data about an entire group and then using that information to "nudge" them into changing their behaviour. Used ethically, the results could improve the way society works, transforming everything from healthcare and public transport to education and governance. Used for the wrong reasons, it could be extremely dangerous. Hal Hodson reports.

With Jan Angel's victory, state Senate majority will grow
A new alignment in the Washington state Senate calls for some new math. “The difference between 25 and 26 isn’t one,” Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom said Thursday. “It’s exponential.” Tom and his coalition that runs the Senate will welcome Republican Jan Angel as the group's 26th member. Democrat Nathan Schlicher conceded the 26th District race Thursday after Angel’s lead widened to 1,543 votes on the third day of counting ballots. Today, one vote is all that keeps the majority in the hands of 23 Republicans plus Democrats Tom of Medina and Tim Sheldon of Potlatch. Losing a single member risks allowing Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, a Democrat, to step in to break a 24-to-24 tie. Jordan Schrader reports.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI NOV 8 2013
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
E WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
E WIND 10 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL
 6 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

11/7 Winds!, Ruth Louise, ocean research, Edison wetlands, Maria Mudd Ruth, Boeing special session, FeederWatch

Project FeederWatch

More Winds!
Climate scientist Cliff Mass writes: Another wind event will hit western Washington tomorrow, but it should not be as bad as last Saturday.   First, the horizontal pressure differences associated with this storm will not be as large....thus less winds.   Secondly,  a lot of the vulnerable branches have already been "pruned" by Saturday's blow and there are less leaves on the trees.

New blog: Now, What About Puget Sound?
It’s pretty obvious that the Puget Sound Partnership, the state agency charged with coordinating the recovery of Puget Sound, doesn’t want to be held accountable for what it’s supposed to be doing— namely, having a healthy Sound that’s fishable, swimmable and diggable by the year 2020...

State exploring ways to raise sunken boat at West Bay Marina
The Ruth Louise, a more-than-80-foot-long wooden-hulled vessel, was still sitting at the bottom of the Sound near a slip at West Bay Marina on Tuesday after it sank unexpectedly the morning of Oct. 21. Now, state agencies, including the state Department of Ecology and the state Department of Natural Resources, are working with the West Bay Marina’s owner and management to try to come up with a solution to raise it and tow it away. Jeremy Pawloski reports.

Canada’s ocean-research leadership at risk: study
The lack of a single organization to manage Canada’s ocean research is putting the country at risk of lagging behind other nations and preventing scientists from efficiently pooling resources, says a new report... The report, Ocean Science in Canada: Meeting the Challenge, Seizing the Opportunity, assesses the state of ocean science in Canada and addresses issues such as human capacity, infrastructure, funding and scientific collaboration. Sarah Petrescu reports.

Comment on state’s Edison wetland project
Skagit County is accepting public comment on the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s proposal to convert the Welts property, a public access site at the mouth of the Samish River used for bird watching, hunting and fishing, into a wetland. The county will accept public comment on the project through 4:30 p.m. Nov. 22. A public hearing will also be scheduled with the Skagit County Hearing Examiner’s Office. Kimberly Cauvel reports.

Event: Maria Mudd Ruth reads Rare Bird
Maria Mudd Ruth, author of Rare Bird, shares her stories about the Marbled Murrelet and its life in the ancient forests and the seas. Tuesday, November 12, 7 PM, The Cotton Building, 607 Water St., Port Townsend. Presented by the North Olympic Sierra Club Group, in conjunction with Olympic Forest Coalition and Admiralty Audubon. To RSVP: Connie Gallant

Peter Callaghan: Why does this Boeing special session seem so familiar?
Present and future passengers of Boeing’s commercial jetliners should take comfort knowing that if the company is half as good at building planes as it is at playing politicians they are very safe. Not that Boeing doesn’t have a reputation for quality and safety. But those technical skills are nothing compared with the way its leaders have scored benefits from states and nations both. Now, the Chicago-based company has extended that skill to wringing concessions out of its biggest and baddest union as well — District 751 of the International Association of Machinists. As troubling as it is to watch — and pay for — it is also impressive how the jet maker has not just won tax breaks and policy changes, but has done so time and time again.

Project FeederWatch wants your bird photos
If you’re a birdwatcher who loves to take pictures, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great project for you. The BirdSpotter photo contest is back for Project FeederWatch season. Send in your best bird photos and you can win prizes. You simply submit your photos based on each week's theme on the contest web page - and vote there for your favorites. This week's theme is "Your Feeder Setup." Head on over to enter and vote. Susan Wyatt reports.

Now, your tug weather--WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU NOV 7 2013
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT SWITCHING TO W 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 14 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11
 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 25 TO 30 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

11/6 Whatcom vote, oil pipe, CO2 levels, miracle salmon, safe fish, Cathedral Grove, Janine Boire, birdwatching, port zinc

Progressives sweeping Whatcom County races in early returns
If the Whatcom County Council elections were a referendum on a proposed coal export terminal, then the community appears to have taken a stand against it. The four progressive candidates held wide leads over their conservative opponents according to the first ballot count, released late Tuesday, Nov. 5. Incumbents Ken Mann and Carl Weimer, and challengers Rud Browne and Barry Buchanan, were portrayed by Washington Conservation Voters as opposed to a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point. All four men maintained they were neutral on the issue, which they could help decide in their upcoming term. Ralph Schwartz reports.

B.C.-Alberta deal could clear the way for oil pipelines to our coast
B.C. and Alberta have agreed to endorse each other’s energy strategies in a move that could more easily pave the way for oil pipelines to B.C.’s west coast. B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Alberta Premier Alison Redford jointly announced a new framework agreement that they say will allow energy projects to potentially move product, like oil, across provincial boundaries to the B.C. coast to be shipped to overseas markets. With the deal in place, Alberta accepts B.C.’s five conditions for pipelines, including a fair economic benefit for the province. In return, B.C. agrees not to pursue Alberta’s royalty or tax revenues and will sign on to the Alberta-led Canadian Energy Strategy. Rob Shaw reports.

Greenhouse gas levels hit new record high  
Atmospheric volumes of greenhouse gases blamed for climate change hit a new record in 2012, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Wednesday. "For all these major greenhouse gases the concentrations are reaching once again record levels," WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud told a news conference in Geneva at which he presented the U.N. climate agency's annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. Jarraud said the accelerating trend was driving climate change, making it harder to keep global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius, a target agreed at a Copenhagen summit in 2009.

Salmon make a miraculous reappearance in East Vancouver
Chum salmon are spawning again at an urban creek in the heart of East Vancouver. The salmon returned this week to Still Creek, which sits in a ravine surrounded by warehouses and a nearby Skytrain line. The creek — running into Burnaby and through pipes to the Brunette and Fraser rivers — was once one of the most polluted streams in the province, thanks to urban garbage, sewage and toxic chemicals. According to area resident Carmen Rosen, last year was the first time in 80 years salmon had spawned at Still Creek. She's thrilled they're back now, proving that last fall’s occurrence wasn't a fluke.

State to Lay Out Options for Clean Water, Fish Consumption Updates
Fish consumption is at the heart of the state Department of Ecology's quest for compliance with the federal Clean Water Act, which aims to protect human health. Fish absorb toxins from polluted water. So when people eat it, their health might be at risk. That risk increases with more fish in their diet.  Right now, the state Department of Ecology officially assumes that people eat only about one meal of fish per month—a standard that’s known to be outdated and insufficient to protect human health. As a result, the state is working on proposals that would better reflect reality and force tougher limits on the amount of toxins industries and cities or water districts are allowed to discharge. The state will lay out its options for the first time at a public meeting on Wednesday. Bellamy Pailthorp reports.

Old-growth forest cutblock to be logged, groups fear
A new logging road through a formerly protected old-growth forest near Cathedral Grove has conservation groups, and one area MLA, worried that the area’s habitat is under immediate threat... Island Timberlands, the company that owns the land, also has closed south-ridge access to the Mount Horne trail — a popular hiking and mushroom-picking area. The area of concern is a marked 40-hectare cutblock, 300 metres from MacMillan Provincial Park and directly upstream from Cathedral Grove, an international tourist destination known for its ancient Douglas fir trees. Sarah Petrescu reports.

Sustaining curiosity: Janine Boire takes the helm at Port Townsend Marine Science Center 
“Meaningful change happens at the family level,” said Janine Boire, two months into her new job as executive director of Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC). “As an adult, it can be easy to fall into that mentality that you always have to be right, but science is more about the questions than the answers,” she told the Leader. “Youth remind us that it’s ok to explore, to take risks and to always remain curious.” Boire added that she sees curiosity as the core solution to the center’s mission to inspire conservation of the Salish Sea. Megan Claflin reports.

9 Rules for the Black Birdwatcher
Rule 3: "Don’t bird in a hoodie. Ever." And 8 more pointed gems by J. Drew Lanham in Orion Magazine.

Snow geese fly far faster than thought
Washington researchers have discovered new information about the migration and regional travel patterns of snow geese using satellite technology. Each year, thousands of snow geese make the flight from Wrangel Island in Russia to winter feeding grounds along North America’s West Coast, where they stay mid-October through early May. Of about 80,000 birds that land in Western Washington, the majority congregate on Skagit County’s Fir Island. Last February, after hunting season and before the birds headed back to the Arctic, researchers collected nine geese at Fir Island and one near Stanwood and gave them satellite transmission tags. The tags remotely monitor each bird’s travel and log data to an online computer program. Results have shown the birds complete their annual migration in a week or less, stopping off the coasts of Alaska and Siberia along the way, Fish and Wildlife’s waterfowl section manager Don Kraege said. Kimberly Cauvel reports.

And, for the birds, the 2013 Christmas Bird Count Regional Summaries for Canada, Central and South America, Mexico/Belize, Pacific Islands, West Indies/Bermuda, and United States
This is where you can peruse counts for British Columbia/Yukon Territory  and Washington/Oregon.

Tracing the source: Port of Port Townsend eyes wastewater solutions
Efforts by the Port of Port Townsend to collect and treat wastewater from the Port Townsend Boat Haven complex are failing to meet benchmarks set by the state pursuant to the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act. Despite installing two stormwater Rx treatment Aquip units to treat stormwater in response to findings in 2011 – about a half-million dollar investment – samplings continue to measure higher than permit benchmarks for zinc and copper in stormwater runoff, Al Cairns, port environmental enforcement officer, told the Leader.... The Port of Port Townsend could face a lawsuit this November for failing to comply with requirements of the federal Clean Water Act. On Sept. 18, Seattle-based law firm Smith & Lowney, PLLC delivered a 60-day notice on behalf of Waste Action Project (WAP) to the public port district. The letter addresses port operations in regards to stormwater discharge, according to documents obtained by the Leader through a public records request. Megan Claflin reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED NOV 6 2013
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.

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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

11/5 Vote, climate change, oil train, Whale Whisperer, orcas in winter, ocean plastic

Last day to vote if you live in Washington: your ballot must be postmarked with today’s date or in a ballot drop box by 8 PM.

What Climate Change Means For Northwest’s Rivers, Coasts and Forests
Northwest residents from Idaho farmers to Puget Sound tribes will be impacted by climate change, according to a new report written by scientists at Oregon State University and the University of Washington. The report was issued Monday. It’s based on models that predict average temperatures in the Northwest will rise over the next fifty years. Amelia Templeton reports.

The high stakes of oil-by-rail
Despite the cancellation of a high-stakes meeting between the premiers of BC and Alberta Tuesday, the option of transporting oil from Alberta to the coast by rail remains a hot topic. But a recent slew of derailments and crashes involving rail cars carrying oil and petroleum products, including a fiery explosion in Alberta last month involving a train bound for Metro Vancouver, is raising concerns about a potential human or environmental disaster in BC. Larry Pynn and Gordon Hoekstra report.

Whale Whisperer Don Pachico Mayoral is Gone
Carl Safina remembers: "Don Pachico Mayoral, the first man to make physical contact and develop friendly relationships with some of the gray whales of Baja, Mexico, is gone. A stroke took him on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. He was 72."

Event: Killer Whales in Winter - Recent Findings about Range, Diet and Behaviors
Where do the southern resident orcas go during the winter? What do they eat? And how will that information help move this endangered population towards recovery? The Whale Trail presents NOAA Fisheries ecologist Brad Hansen in a discussion about the innovative research techniques that are being deployed to answer these and other key questions. Tuesday, November 12, 7-9 PM, C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave SW. $5 suggested donation, kids free. Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com

If you like to watch: Alaska fishermen rescue Orca whale stuck on rock
Two fishermen came to the rescue when they saw an Orca whale get stranded on a rock. The incident happened on Sept. 30 in Klakas Inlet on Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska. Jason Vonick and Nick Segal said the whale was trying to catch a seal when it got stuck on the rocks at low tide. The two posted videos on YouTube showing their efforts to keep the whale cool and calm by splashing water on its back and fins. Susan Wyatt reports.

Drowning the oceans in plastic
You've probably seen the images of dolphins caught in abandoned monofilament fishing nets, or of vast areas of plastic trash floating in remote waters of the Pacific, or of sea turtles consuming plastic bags that look remarkably like one of their favorite foods: jellyfish. Or perhaps, after a rainstorm, you've walked on a beach that resembled a landfill. Some 20 million tons of plastic pollution enters the oceans each year, and it's devastating the marine environment. Plastic litter is also costly. On the West Coast alone, according to a recent EPA study, the cost of cleaning up marine litter comes to more than $13 per person per year. And because plastic typically does not degrade in the ocean, today's pollution will be a problem for many generations to come. Mark Gold and Cara Horowitz report.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE NOV 5 2013
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 15 SECONDS. A
 CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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11/4 Dolphins, starfish deaths, bad bulkheads, ocean acid, coal train health, BC 'fracking,' hydro harm fish, sunfish

Pacific white-sided dolphins (NOAA/NMFS)

If you like to watch: 1,000 dolphins swim beside ferry off Gulf Islands
Passengers aboard a BC Ferries vessel were treated to a rare sight on Friday, as a pod of about 1,000 Pacific white-sided dolphins swam next to the boat for several minutes. Rob Maguire caught it on video.

Widespread starfish deaths reported on West Coast
Marine scientists are finding a large number of dead starfish along the West Coast stricken with a disease that causes the creatures to lose their arms and disintegrate. The starfish are dying from "sea star wasting disease," an affliction that causes white lesions to develop, which can spread and turn the animals into "goo." The disease has killed up to 95 percent of a particular species of sea star in some tide pool populations.... Even starfish in an aquarium at the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary visitor center in San Francisco died from wasting disease after water was pumped in from the ocean in September.

Are bulkheads bad for Puget Sound?
Enviros and waterfront owners have argued the question for years. UW biologist Megan Dethier is out to find the answer. Puget Sound has more armor than the Tower of London — 600-plus miles of concrete, rock and timbers enclosing about 26 percent of its total shoreline. And it’s still spreading: According to data collected by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, a little over a mile of concrete and riprap gets laid along the Sound each year, 76 percent of it on residential property. This trend may accelerate as climate change proceeds and sea levels rise, spurring waterfront owners to seek more protection. Eric Scigliano reports.

Sea Change: Can sea life adapt?
The violet bottom-dwelling, prickle-backed spheres wriggling in the tank in Gretchen Hofmann’s lab aren’t really known for their speed. But these lowly sea urchins adapt so quickly they’re helping answer a question that’s key to understanding ocean acidification: As fossil-fuel emissions disrupt marine life, will evolution come to the rescue? Craig Welch reports.

Coal trains cause air quality issues, local researcher says
New research by a University of Washington-Bothell professor finds coal and diesel trains in our region pose air quality issues and could impact the health of people living near the railroad tracks. Dr. Dan Jaffe, Ph.D., tested the amount of diesel exhaust and coal dust escaping from more than 500 trains over the span of one month. He tested air quality levels in a house in North Seattle and at a location in the Columbia River Gorge. For people living near the railroad lines, Dr. Jaffe's data suggests that there is a concern with air quality from diesel exhaust. He says coal trains appear to release some larger particulate matter, which is likely to be coal dust. Jake Wittenberg reports.

Day of the Dead ~ 4th Annual Tribute
Orca Watcher Monica Wieland blogs: "Every year I write a blog post to honor and remember the Southern Residents who passed away during the previous year. As I was preparing for this post, I was flipping through my ID guides, looking at the family groups of the whales we've lost. As I did this, it struck me just how many elder whales have died in recent years. While no longer reproductive, older female whales likely play an extremely important role in Southern Resident Killer whale society, both as leaders and carriers of cultural information. Both last year and this year we have lost three females born before 1970. J2 Granny and L25 Ocean Sun are now the only living whales that were adults when photo ID studies began in the early 1970s..."

B.C. premier's home 'fracked' by protesters  
The home of B.C. Premier Christy Clark was 'fracked' on Sunday, when anti-fracking activists set up a fake rig on her lawn, to protest the premier's support of hydraulic fracturing for liquefied natural gas (LNG). Protesters with Rising Tide-Vancouver Coast Salish Territories argue exploiting northeastern B.C.'s shale gas resources is too dangerous for the environment and want Clark to reverse her LNG strategy. Clark made LNG exports a central plank of her re-election campaign earlier this year and has just returned from a tour of North America and Asia to promote the export of B.C.'s natural gas.

Most run-of-river B.C. hydro projects can harm fish
Almost 100 per cent of private run-of-river power projects studied in B.C. are located on streams where they could affect fish, an interim study for the Pacific Salmon Foundation has found. Foundation president and CEO Brian Riddell said in an interview that while “most people sort of assume” that these hydro projects are located in stretches of river away from fish habitat, the reality is quite different. Larry Pynn reports.

Biologist thinks jellyfish may have lured 300-pound sunfish to Puget Sound
A 300-pound sunfish caught off Elliott Bay earlier this week has created quite the buzz around town after the owner of Sunfish Fish & Chips put the massive catch on display Wednesday...According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, sunfish sightings in the Puget Sound are pretty rare but have, on occasion, happened in the past. "It may have gotten entrained in a warm cell and found itself in the Sound following its food supply," said Bob Pacunski, a marine fish biologist with Fish and Wildlife. The sunfish is known to primarily munch on jellyfish, and Pacunski said it wouldn't surprise him if that's what this particular specimen was after. Kiersten Throndsen reports.

Ian Mulgrew: Land Conservancy founder says creditor protection move ‘appalling’
The move by TLC — The Land Conservancy of B.C. — to seek creditor protection threatens to do irreparable harm to charities and the land-trust movement, according to its founder Bill Turner. The man who led the TLC for most of its life before leaving in 2012 to set up a similar organization, Turner says the legal manoeuvre “is an appalling attempt to change the rules” and the government should intervene.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON NOV 4 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PST TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
E WIND 10 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 15 SECONDS. A
 CHANCE OF RAIN THIS MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
E WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 17 SECONDS. RAIN.
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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