10/24 Salish Sea News and Weather: Viadoom, PSP targets, PSP $, Party of Pollution, Marine Harvest, KAPO, Doc Hastings, botulism, fish regs, GKFBP, microplastics

Viaduct 1953 (seattletransitblog.com)

Got Viadoom?

Rabbits’ Guy continues the discussion on the blog “What Is A ‘Constituency’ For Puget Sound” with the suggestion, “Looking at the new PSP "Wheel" of indicators might give a start for a campaign that picks out and sticks to just a very few easily related-to ideas ... and then continues a steady drumbeat via many channels.” Read here.

The last three Puget Sound Partnership recovery targets— those dealing with land use-- were adopted Friday. As reported in the Kitsap Sun, Partnership executive director Gerry O’Keefe said, “We know where we are going and what Puget Sound recovery looks like in 2020.  Partnership establishes targets on land use to help Puget Sound

Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency says the Partnership mishandled grant money due to a “fundamental systemic weakness” in its internal controls and wants $120,000 in grants returned. EPA Yanks Puget Sound Partnership Funds

Great minds thinking alike: Rod Brown and Scott Wyatt in a Seattle Times guest editorial argue that state lawmakers who screw with the Northwest's long-standing environmental assets and values screw businesses and qualified workers. Dire economy should not betray Northwest's environmental values   Paul Krugman in the NY Times says we’re finally talking about jobs and the GOP jobs plan is to allow more pollution. Party of Pollution

Up north, activist-scientist Alexandra Morton has succeeded in getting the courts and the Canadian government to hold farmed salmon producer Marine Harvest accountable for the unintended capture of wild salmon and herring at two of its northern Vancouver Island facilities.  Salmon firm to admit breach of bycatch law

Consistently rebuffed in the courts, the Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners is now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review its lawsuit over Kitsap County shoreline regulations. KAPO attorneys seek review of case by US Supreme Court

In the Skagit, agriculture interests now want the county to join the state’s Voluntary Stewardship program that would use incentives rather than regulations to protect critical habitat. Deadline nears for new habitat protections

Washington’s own Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Pasco) chairs the House Natural Resources Committee and thinks that the Border Patrol "has become encumbered with layers of environmental regulations.” His solution, along with his GOP committee members, is to exempt the Border Patrol from 36 environmental laws on federal lands in a 100-mile zone along the Canadian and Mexican borders. GOP wants Homeland Security exempt from environmental laws along borders

About 6,000 dead birds may have died from botulism after eating dead fish.  Thousands of dead birds wash up on Ontario shores, botulism blamed 

Public comment on the Washington Fish and Wildlife 2012-13 fishing regulations will be limited this year to staff recommendation due to funding cuts and staff layoffs. Angler suggestions won't be heard this time  
 
Congratulations to Port Angeles: its Waterfront & Transportation Improvement Plan got an outstanding achievement award from the American Planning Association and the Planning Association of Washington.  Port Angeles waterfront plan receives award 

It’s a mouthful but the Great Kitsap Forest & Bay Project (GKFBP), a large consortium of community and business groups, has been formed to engage, educate and create enthusiasm for the effort to conserve 7,000 acres of forest land and two miles of shoreline along Port Gamble Bay. Community group aims to help proposed conservation effort succeed                  

What’s in your bathroom? Tom Watson in the Seattle Times says the plastics you can’t see in your bath products are not good for our Sound’s critters. Bathroom shelf may be source of microplastics in Sound

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PDT MON OCT 24 2011
  TODAY
 W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
 TONIGHT
 W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING LIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 OR 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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