2/11 Maia Bellon, BC CG, Enbridge, Bainbridge shores, Oly shores, Dungeness septics, ocean acid, shore birds

Dunlins at Port Susan Bay (Mike Siegel, Seattle Times)

Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday promoted from within and appointed Maia Bellon as the new director of the state Department of Ecology. Bellon has headed the Water Resources Program at the Department of Ecology, where she’s worked since 2010. Inslee appoints new director of state Department of Ecology  

Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed today that his government would not be reversing its decision to shut down the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station. The move to close the station has drawn criticism from Premier Christy Clark, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Roberton and local boaters, who all claim the closure will put lives at risk. The government is replacing the year-round, 24-hour Kitsilano station with a three-person inshore rescue team based in Stanley Park during the summer months and increased service from a new hovercraft station at the Sea Island station in Richmond. Harper confirms Kitsilano coast guard station will close

A lawyer representing environmental groups wants to know what guarantees the public has that the promises Northern Gateway is making on its pipeline plan will endure for the 50-year lifespan of the project. The latest set of hearings in Prince Rupert wrapped up Friday. Karen Campbell, who represents ForestEthics, Raincoast Conservation and Living Oceans, asked a panel of company experts at federal review hearings Friday if promises of a marine spill response and wildlife recovery studies will survive the 50-year life of the project.  Northern Gateway's 50-year viability questioned

A room full of disgruntled shoreline homeowners couldn’t quite sway the City Council on Wednesday night. The council narrowly voted to maintain “nonconforming” status for shoreline structures that don’t meet regulations under the new Shorelines Master Program update, despite vehement opposition from waterfront property owners. The vote was preliminary, as the draft shorelines plan is still two months away from final approval. The council also gave informal approval to special provisions for properties on the Point Monroe sand spit. Tad Scoter reports. Bainbridge council passes 'nonconforming' language in shorelines plan

A majority of Olympia City Council members favor spending $16,250 to add a computer visualization to the Shoreline Master Program process, a move Mayor Stephen Buxbaum warned will mean more time spent on process. Councilman Steve Langer proposed the city move forward with the visualization process late into Tuesday’s City Council meeting, saying it will help people understand changes in the shoreline plan. The plan, which the council is updating, restricts development along major city shorelines, notably Budd Inlet. Matt Batcheldor reports. Olympia seems to back shoreline visualization

With many of the decades-old septic systems that handle waste from homes in the Dungeness and Three Crabs neighborhoods leaking into the waters that feed Dungeness Bay, officials are looking into the need for a new community sewer system.  Options for replacing the current septic systems range in cost from $13 million to $25 million, Damon McAlister with the Parametrix engineering firm of Bremerton — which has developed a draft Dungeness Wastewater Treatment Feasibility Study — told landowners at a meeting at the Dungeness Schoolhouse on Saturday morning. Joe Smillie reports. Officials outline Dungeness septic options, costs 

Before leaving office, former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire convened a panel to come up with recommendations for dealing with the threats of ocean acidification. Now, Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-San Juan Islands, has introduced a bill to put those recommendations into action. The first step would be to create an advisory council that would include representatives from tribes, governmental agencies and officials from coastal counties and cities in Washington state. Ranker’s bill is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday. Ashley Ahearn reports. Washington To Consider Ocean Acidification Legislation  

Thousands of shorebirds swished and swooped over the hammered silver of Puget Sound, their bellies flashing white against wintry gray skies. So important is Port Susan Bay as habitat for these shorebirds, that the Greater Stillaguamish Delta, of which it is a part, and the Greater Skagit Delta next door to the north, have just been named a site of regional importance in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The only one in Puget Sound, the designation recognizes that the Greater Stilly and Skagit Delta — which the birds use as one connected habitat — is an important stopover and wintering ground for more than 20,000 shorebirds a year. Lynda Mapes reports. Deltas are prized spot for shorebirds

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 153 AM PST MON FEB 11 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING S TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 16 SECONDS. OCCASIONAL DRIZZLE IN THE MORNING...
 THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.

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