1/7 Treaty rights, culverts, tanker study, bay cleanup, SEPA, Shell drill, quake, orca tag, Idle No More, Great Bear

Red-breasted nuthatch (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye On Environment writes: "Though it’s cold and dreary much of the time these days, it turns out that even in January, there’s good reason to be outdoors here on Gabriola Island right now. The light is lasting a tiny bit longer with each passing day, crocus and daffodils are starting to push up, and birds like this Red-breasted nuthatch can easily be found for the looking..." Savoring Quiet Stretches

Despite all the good intentions, hundreds of millions of dollars spent, lawsuits won and treaty rights affirmed in the highest courts, the battle to save the salmon and the habitat that supports them is being lost — not only here, but all over Western Washington. In a blistering State of Our Watersheds report issued recently, the 20 treaty tribes across Western Washington, through the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, which (Billy) Frank Jr. chairs, documented habitat loss destroying salmon runs all over the region. The tribes' reports affirm findings by both state and federal agencies. NOAA Fisheries is charged with protecting salmon and steelhead in Puget Sound under the Endangered Species Act. A report for that agency found that habitat protection is the single most important step to restoring Puget Sound chinook — and that from tree cover to eel grass, the basics that salmon need to survive are still being lost. Lynda Mapes reports. Tribes: Hard-won fishing rights here worthless without fish

Washington state officials could be required to hasten replacement of nearly 1,000 salmon-blocking culverts under a federal court ruling that has been stalled for more than three years. U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez ruled five years ago that Washington state was violating tribal treaty rights by operating culverts that block or hinder the passage of salmon. The blocking culverts diminish the number of salmon available to the tribes, thus violating their right to take fish, Martinez ruled. Martinez pressed state and tribal officials to work out a fair schedule for repairing or replacing culverts on state highways. But after two years, the negotiations fell apart, and Martinez was asked to impose a remedy to meet his order. Christopher Dunagan reports. Culvert case remains unresolved after three years

Concerns south of the border over oil tanker traffic from British Columbia have spurred a U.S. Coast Guard review of proposed increases in Canadian oil exports. A legislative amendment proposed by Washington state Sen. Maria Cantwell and signed into law by President Barack Obama a couple of weeks ago gives the U.S. marine safety agency six months to conduct a risk assessment of the planned expansion of oil pipeline capacity to the West Coast. While several proposed projects would see oil from the Alberta oil sands brought to the B.C. coast for export primarily to China, the legislation deals specifically with tanker traffic out of the Vancouver area. Dene Moore reports. BC Tanker Traffic Prompts US Coast Guard Review

Cleanup will start Monday night, Jan. 7, on a small section of shoreline near downtown Bellingham contaminated with petroleum, according to the Washington Department of Ecology. Crews from Bellingham's Ram Construction will dig out about 80 truckloads of petroleum-contaminated soil and sediment from a 5,000-square-foot portion of beach at the Central Waterfront cleanup site, near the west end of C Street. Zoe Fraley reports.  Nighttime cleanup starts on portion of contaminated Bellingham shoreline

The state Department of Ecology has adopted a new rule that increases the thresholds local governments may adopt to exempt minor new construction projects from the state's environmental review. The State Environmental Policy Act, enacted in 1971, was set up to help state and local agencies identify possible environmental impacts that could result from government decisions, such as issuing permits for private projects, constructing public facilities or adopting regulations or plans. To comply with the new law passed by the 2012 state Legislature, Ecology's new rule increases the size and scale of thresholds for building projects local governments can choose to exempt from the SEPA review. Ecology adopts rule for environmental review exemptions

Responders say a main tow line has been attached to a Shell oil-drilling ship that grounded on rocks near a remote Alaska island. Unified Command spokesman Ignacio Gonzalez says the Royal Dutch Shell's Kulluk was attached to the towing vessel about 4 p.m. Sunday. Gonzalez, a Shell employee, says the tow line's tension is being tested on the drill ship grounded off Sitkalidak Island. Tow line attached to grounded drilling ship in Alaska

What becomes of the shuttered Kimberly-Clark mill and surrounding parts of the city's central waterfront hinges on crucial City Council votes expected Wednesday night. The council is weighing two potential visions for the waterfront. One option would continue to set aside the shoreline for water-dependent industry, taking advantage of the property's rare and valuable access to a deep water port and rail lines. The other option would step away from the industrial past. Under that scenario, the 90-plus acres would become home to office parks, light manufacturing and increased public access to the water. Noah Haglund reports. Fate of old Kimberly-Clark mill site up for vote  

A powerful earthquake sparked a tsunami warning along the coastlines of southern Alaska and British Columbia, but the alert was cancelled when no damaging waves were generated. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary reading of 7.5 and struck at 12:50 a.m. PT (11:50 p.m. local time Friday), about 102 kilometres west of Craig, Alaska and some 300 kilometres west-northwest of Prince Rupert, B.C. The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center had issued a tsunami warning for the southern coast of Alaska, stretching for 765 kilometres to the northern tip of Vancouver Island — but the centre cancelled the warning a few hours later.  B.C. tsunami warning cancelled after strong quake  

Federal biologists have attached a small satellite transmitter to one of Puget Sound's killer whales, and a week of tracking may have revealed some important information, they say. The tag was attached to a K-25, a 21-year-old male orca named Scoter, as the orcas passed through Colvos Passage off South Kitsap on Saturday, Dec. 29. Within two days, the male orca — presumably swimming with the rest of K pod — was on his way into the open ocean, according to an online map posted by NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center. By Saturday morning, the whales were 25 miles south of Newport, Ore., according to NOAA researcher Brad Hanson. Christopher Dunagan reports. Satellite tags helping track killer whale pod down the coast

The Idle No More movement is gaining support from south of the border as Americans met with Canadians at several border points Saturday, including the Peace Arch crossing south of Vancouver. Idle No More protesters stage Peace Arch demonstration   And: Several hundred protesters blocked the Coho ferry terminal in downtown Victoria Saturday, stranding motorists and adding fuel to the growing Idle No More movement across Canada. Idle No More protesters block Coho ferry traffic

 Environmentalists are ready to give up on the acclaimed Great Bear Rainforest conservation agreement, saying the forest industry is not moving quickly enough to achieve ecological and economic goals in the world’s largest temperate rainforest. The forest industry says a final agreement is achievable and that the industry has come a long way toward getting there. It’s proving difficult, but not impossible, to develop models that reach the conservation goals, given the restraints logging is now under. Gordon Hamilton reports. Environmentalists, forest industry struggle to complete Great Bear Rainforest conservation plan

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 856 AM PST MON JAN 7 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE
 EVENING...THEN RAIN LIKELY.

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