10/28 Salish Sea News and Weather: State budget, Cherry Point herring, jobs, trains, Little Squalicum, bald eagles, Burien shoreline, oil spill readiness

Got herring? (NMFS)

Viadoom? And, if you like to watch: Viaduct deconstruct: Time-lapse video of the Alaskan Way Viaduct demolition

Governor says cut more than $1.5 billion from health care, social services, prisons and education. Gregoire outlines grim choices for budget cuts

Bob Simmons in Crosscut on shipping docks at Cherry Point, coal export and herring. Big Coal meets Cherry Point's tiny herring 

Part 2 of NPR’s story by Richard Harris on shipping coal to China, this one entering the hall of mirrors of energy economics. The Global Coal Trade's Complex Calculation 

Bellingham Herald’s John Stark reports on how many jobs the coal port might bring— as calculated by economists hired by the coal export facility proponent. Economists: Cargo terminal would bring fewer construction jobs, slightly more permanent ones   See Floyd McKay’s story in Crosscut, too. New study points to jobs from Bellingham coal port

Railroad story: Residents may be concerned about whether Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad’s tree cutting along its right of way in Everett will de-stabilize the slope but there’s nothing the city can do about it. According to city attorney Jim Iles, an interstate commerce clause allows BNSF to monitor and care for property around the tracks. Anyway, “They aren’t always easy to get a hold of or deal with,” he said.  Why the city can’t stop the railroad from cutting down trees

Good news: Bellingham Bay’s Little Squalicum Park is open after initial cleanup work was completed at two toxic sites at the park and Little Squalicum Creek was rerouted into its historic channel. Initial cleanup complete at Little Squalicum Park

More good news: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that removing toxins from paper mill wastewater has made a difference.  Bald eagle eggs collected last year have dramatically lower levels of the contaminant dioxin than they did 15 years ago. Bald Eagle Eggs Show Dioxin Regulations Working

What’s government for, anyway? The Burien City Council wants to let shoreline property owners unhappy with the Department of Ecology’s shoreline master program requirements meet directly with Ecology officials to work differences out. Mayor Joan McGilton doesn’t think so: “McGilton said it’s not reasonable when talking about the health of the entire Puget Sound to allow requirement exceptions for Burien.” Burien property owners may negotiate with Ecology department on shoreline plan

The Olympian editorializes on very good reasons to be ready to respond to a large-scale oil spill. Continually upgrade ability to respond to oil spills 

And, for your weekend pondering: Science Daily reports that the mere presence of a predator causes enough stress to kill a dragonfly, even when the predator cannot actually get at its prey to eat it, say biologists at the University of Toronto. Insects Are Scared to Death of Fish

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PDT FRI OCT 28 2011
  GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING
  TODAY
 SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT LATE MORNING...THEN BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT LATE. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
 TONIGHT
 W WIND 15 TO 25 KT EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
 SAT
 SW WIND 10 KT BECOMING E LATE. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
 SAT NIGHT
 SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 7 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
 SUN
 SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT BECOMING W 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.

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