9/20 Salish Sea News & Weather: Barred owls, San Juan shorelines, Ala Spit, big kings, PETA, Monte Cristo, Cosco Busan spill, Shell drilling

PHOTO: Trileigh Tucker

Wake up to the West Seattle Blog... and this morning’s photo by Trileigh Tucker of one of two barred owls: “It’s been quite a few weeks since I’ve seen the Lincoln Park Barred Owl pair, but (Monday) morning (thanks to the loud cacophony of Steller’s Jays announcing them) I saw both owls of the pair, not too far apart. Thought you might like to know they’re here and doing fine!” Lincoln Park’s barred owls, seen again

Today is the first two of four shoreline master program visioning summits held in the San Juan islands this week. Consultant Chris Hoffman describes the importance of this step in the planning process. Determining future of county’s shorelines

Some major restoration work to repair erosion and improve salmon habitat was scheduled to begin yesterday at Ala Spit Park, on the northeast shore of Whidbey Island opposite Hope Island. Ala Spit Park closure is scheduled September 19th – October 31st  The Herald reporter and fly fishing columnist Mike Benbow comments on the work. Saving Ala Spit

Lynda Mapes in The Seattle Times captures the excitement when volunteers released four of 10 large native Elwha Chinooks into Lake Mills above the soon-to-be-removed Glines Canyon Dam. Big kings return to reign in Elwha

Meanwhile, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will protest today on the Elliott Bay waterfront the hooking— and eating— of fish. After that they can go jump in the lake. PETA out to take fish off the hook — and menu

Gale Fiege in The Herald unravels the complications facing cleaning up our toxic past around the abandoned gold and silver mines in the Cascades in east Snohomish County. The mines at the turn of the century placed tailings that contain arsenic, mercury and lead at the headwaters of the South Fork Sauk River. How to fix toxic legacy? Some object to plan to build road to clean up Monte Cristo mine

Justice? The shipping companies responsible for the 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill, which polluted San Francisco Bay and killed thousands of birds and fish, have agreed to pay to restore habitat and reimburse the agencies that responded to the disaster. $44 million settles Cosco Busan oil spill in bay

And on it goes. Shell Oil Company now has an air quality permit for its drilling vessel to explore for oil in the Chukchi Sea and for its fleet of support vessels. Shell gets EPA permit for drilling in Arctic

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PDT TUE SEP 20 2011
  TODAY
 SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT AT 9 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.
 TONIGHT
 SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 2 FT AT 10 SECONDS. CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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