11/19 Toilets, sewage, salmon runs, Gateway pipe, coal study, Thurston assets, killing wolves & swans, Sarah Creachbaum, Neil Werner

Eye of the Arbutus (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "For the past couple of weeks I’ve been mired in computer issues – focused on peeling back one layer after another of tiny details. Slowly, carefully, I’ve been working at restoring and rebuilding my system after my hard drive unexpectedly crashed earlier this month. It’s been rather like looking through a long, narrow tunnel, hoping there might be light at the end, and not too far away...” Seeing the Forest Again  

Today is World Toilet Day. A staggering 2.5 billion people – that’s one in every three people worldwide – do not have access to a clean toilet. In 2001, Singaporean businessman Jack Sim founded the World Toilet Organization and today, travelers around the globe seek to bring attention to the lack of sanitation in developing countries. Of course, civilized Victoria has toilets— but please don't flush -- they discharge directly into the Strait. A day to break toilet taboos

Advocates of Greater Victoria's sewage treatment plan - including the infamous Mr. Floatie - are scrambling to come up with a counter-offensive to the growing opposition that threatens to scuttle the megaproject. Environmental groups and activists who helped push the B.C. government to order treatment for the region in 2006 admit they have been caught off guard by increased opposition to the $783-million treatment project in recent months. Rob Shaw reports. Mr. Floatie and Co. taken aback by sewage-treatment opponents

In a milestone for clean water, the new Brightwater treatment plant has begun work after more than a decade in the making and nearly $2 billion invested in the project. The plant began treating sewage and discharged some of the first treated effluent into Puget Sound at the beginning of the month. The plant is so effective it is producing water 30 times cleaner than required under its state permit, and clean enough to use as reclaimed water. Lynda Mapes reports. Ambitious Brightwater sewage project now online after long effort  

Wild salmon runs have been in steep decline in the Pacific Northwest for decades. Restoring runs to historic levels involves substantial economic costs, competing societal priorities, and entrenched policy stances. The Stillaguamish Tribe and Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission say there’s no time to wait. If we don’t act there won’t be any more salmon. Martha Baskin reports. Downstream or Upstream, It’s Uphill for Salmon: Tribes Work to Protect Habitat

After 20 years and more than $40 million spent, the new direction for Snake River sockeye focuses on rebuilding population rather than just preventing extinction. Lynda Mapes reports. The extraordinary effort to save sockeye salmon  

A commercial fish opening off Cowichan Bay has netted 150,000 chum salmon for the market, making it the most successful opening in years. Dozens of gill-net and seine fishboats took part in the fishery, which began Nov. 3 and wound up this week. Chum fishery best in years, says DFO

The environmental review panel examining the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline has added another 10 weeks of hearings. The panel will now return to Prince Rupert in February of next year to hear participants questioned under oath. Panel spokeswoman Annie Roy says the additional hearings were needed after participants gave clearer estimates of how much time they would need for questioning. The hearings will resume in Prince Rupert on Dec. 10.  Northern Gateway review panel adds 10 weeks of hearings to B.C. schedule  

Rep. Jeff Morris and Kristine Lytton write a guest editorial: 40th District Legislators ask state for multi-agency coal study

Thurston County’s natural resources are worth billions of dollars, according to a broad study by a Tacoma-based nonprofit. Earth Economics’ “rapid ecosystem survey” looked at 14 categories, including the area’s forests, wetlands, prairies and shorelines. The eight-month survey, which was funded by a $20,000 contract with Thurston County, took a broad look at the county’s natural value. Chelsea Krotzer reports. County’s natural resources worth billions, study finds

A provincial draft wolf-management plan is little more than a veiled attack on the predator that all but ignores the species’ ecological role, social structure, and potential for tourism, a critic charged Friday. Pacific Wild’s Ian McAllister, an environmentalist who has followed wolf packs for 20 years on the B.C. coast and written two books on them, said the draft plan envisions the slaughter of individuals and entire packs through trapping, liberalized hunting and in some cases use of aircraft. Larry Pynn reports. B.C. wolf management plan criticized as veiled attack on the species

The only way to deal with Richmond’s snow geese problem is to kill thousands of birds in an organized mass cull, according to longtime Coun. Harold Steves. While Steves supports a new program to train volunteers and their dogs to chase the geese away from school playgrounds and parks, he thinks it won’t do much more than move the birds from one field to another. It won’t get at the real problem — too many geese.  The only way to deal with Richmond’s snow geese problem is to kill

Most every employee of the National Park Service has an ideal park at which he or she would like to work, and the expansive wilderness in Port Angeles' backyard is at the top of Sarah Creachbaum's list. “It's Olympic National Park — do you need to say more?” Creachbaum said with a laugh from her superintendent's office at park headquarters in Port Angeles. Creachbaum, 54, began work last week as Olympic National Park's newest superintendent. Jeremy Schwartz reports. Meet the new Olympic National Park superintendent: 'The mountain-sea intersection is something I've always loved'  

Working at the helm of the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group for the past 17 years has not been unlike raising a family, says Neil Werner, executive director of the enhancement group. Werner plans to retire from his position Dec. 31 and is eager to see a new generation of salmon lovers take charge. Ted Smith of Gig Harbor, who served most recently as director of capital giving at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, has been named to replace Neil Werner as executive director of the Pacific Northwest Salmon Center. Arla Shephard reports. Long-time director of Belfair salmon center leaves legacy of education

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 401 AM PST MON NOV 19 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING S 20 TO 30 KT LATE. WIND
WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE
 EVENING...THEN RAIN LIKELY.

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