3/29 Landslide, coal trains, Inslee taxes, Kitsap forest, tsunami dock, ocean acid, saving beaches

It's a Party: SJ Is. National Monument

Celebrate! It’s a Party: This coming Monday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will host an event to celebrate the San Juan Islands National Monument at 10 am at the Anacortes Senior Center Great Room, 1701 22nd St. At 5:30 pm Islanders for a San Juan Islands National Monument will host a party at the Lopez Center, 204 Village Road. You did it! Come celebrate.

How massive was the landslide Wednesday that took down a chunk of a beach cliff on the west side of Whidbey Island? Enough to fill a football field 90 feet high with dirt. State geologists estimate some 5.3 million square feet of earth were moved by the slide at the Ledgewood Beach development. The ground continued to move Thursday. Erik Lacitis reports. Landslide, among state’s worst, still on the move

New blog: Thoughts on landslides and other disasters. Acts of God, Acts of Man

The Puget Sound Regional Council wants to know how a constant stream of mile to mile-and-a-half long coal trains will impact railway congestion, trade and development, property values, land use and employment in the cities, towns and rural areas along the route to an export terminal proposed for Cherry Point north of Bellingham. The council on Thursday approved a study of impacts, not just in Whatcom County but in cities such as Seattle, Tacoma, Mukilteo, Edmonds and Marysville that would see a constant stream of trains along their waterfronts. Joel Connelly reports. Regional council will study coal trains’ impacts

If you like to watch: Environmental groups say they've discovered coal falling from trains into Puget Sound at an alarming rate - and they say it would increase five-fold if proposed coal export terminals are built. Divers were at the Ballard Locks on Thursday and shot underwater video. Environmentalists say coal is falling from trains as they pass overhead on the railroad trestle. About two trains pass each day now, but that will increase to 10 or more if those export terminals are built. The issue over coal dust falling onto the side of the tracks is not new. But this is the first time coal has been found in the delicate marine ecosystems. Jeff Burnside reports. Environmentalists: Coal trains already polluting Puget Sound  See also: What’s In The Water Under The Ballard Rail Bridge?  

Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his budget proposal Thursday, a mix of extending temporary taxes and ending some tax exemptions to address both the state's projected budget deficit and a court-ordered requirement to put more money into the state's basic education system. Inslee seeks to raise some $1.2 billion from tax changes, with more than half of that coming from extending business and beer taxes that were about to expire. The rest of the money would come from eliminating or lowering tax exemptions, raising new money from bottled water sales, trade-in vehicles and sales taxes on non-residents. Gov. Inslee proposes extension of temporary taxes Rachel La Corte and Mike Baker report. Gov. Inslee proposes extension of temporary taxes

Forterra, which is leading the effort to acquire up to 7,000 acres of forestland in North Kitsap, is ready to negotiate a land deal, but how much property will end up in public hands has not been determined. Michelle Connor, Forterra’s executive vice president, notified Pope Resources Wednesday that she intends to move forward with a land purchase on behalf of the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project. Her notification comes at the end of an 18-month option agreement between Forterra and Pope Resources, the owner of the property. Potentially, nearly $12 million in grants and other funds have been approved so far to buy a portion of the 7,000 acres, which is listed in five separate “blocks.” Chris Dunagan reports. Huge forestland deal coming together in North Kitsap

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the last of a 65-foot long dock that traveled across the ocean after the Japanese tsunami has been removed from a remote beach on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The Undersea Co. of Port Townsend began the work March 17, cutting up and airlifting out pieces. Company President John Nesset says it was like opening a 185-ton concrete package filled with foam packing peanuts. The job was finished Thursday. Tsunami dock removed from Washington coast

"Ocean acidification," the shifting of the ocean's water toward the acidic side of its chemical balance, has been driven by climate change and has brought increasingly corrosive seawater to the surface along the West Coast and the inlets of Puget Sound, a center of the $111 million shellfish industry in the Pacific Northwest. USA TODAY traveled to the tendrils of Oyster Bay as the second stop in a year-long series to explore places where climate change is already affecting lives. Dan Vergano reports. How climate change threatens the seas

More than 4 out of 5 Americans want to prepare now for rising seas and stronger storms from climate change, a new national survey says. But most are unwilling to keep spending money to restore and protect stricken beaches. The poll by Stanford University released Thursday found that only 1 in 3 people favored the government spending millions to construct big sea walls, replenish beaches or pay people to leave the coast. Seth Borenstein reports. Americans oppose paying for storm-ravaged beaches

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 241 AM PDT FRI MAR 29 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 18 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 17 SECONDS.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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3/28 Whidbey slide, poor folk health, Kitsap streams, land fish farm, fish budget, mason bee, Glines Canyon dam

(PHOTO: Ted Warren, Associated Press)

It is a part of the Puget Sound geology, a legacy of the glacier that formed this area: Massive chunks of shoreline hillsides just slide off. Early Wednesday morning, just such a 1000-foot-wide swath fell off in the Ledgewood Beach development on the west side of this island. The slide was so powerful, it pushed one home at the bottom of the cliff some 200 feet out into the water, said Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue Chief Ed Hartin, and it took out 300 to 400 feet of Driftwood Way, the road that led to the shoreline. Erik Lacitis reports. Whidbey landslide: 'Where I had been standing was no longer there'

Ginny Broadhurst and Bill Dewey write: "Chemistry is not always easy to learn or communicate about, but it is at the very root of the problem our oceans face today. The chemistry of the world's oceans and inland marine waters, such as Puget Sound, is changing significantly and with unprecedented speed. The most serious of these radical changes is ocean acidification. We must pay attention to this problem and act to reduce the threat it poses..." Threatened Puget Sound marine life shows global threat of ocean acidification  To learn more tonight: Ocean Acidification Seminar features local experts from the WA State Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification. 6 pm, Bellingham Cruise Terminal Dome Room, free.

New blog: “I’m going to the workshop in Bellingham this evening at the Cruise Terminal to hear local experts talk about ocean acidification. I don’t expect to come home feeling very cheerful...”  Drinking Ocean Acid

A new study claims that people living in the Duwamish Valley are exposed to more pollution and live shorter lives than residents in other parts of the Seattle.  Two local nonprofits – Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (DRCC) and Just Health Action – helped to create The Duwamish Valley Cumulative Health Impacts Analysis in an effort to influence the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently released plan to clean up the Duwamish River. The study compared the 98108 zip code, which includes South Park, Georgetown and part of Beacon Hill, to 10 other zip codes in Seattle. Researchers looked at all exposures to toxic substances that affect health – such as air pollution and contaminated soils – as well as things known to make people more vulnerable to illness, such as stress or lack of health insurance. They found the average life expectancy in the Georgetown and South Park neighborhoods is 73.3 years, eight years shorter than the Seattle average. Rose Egge reports. Study: Duwamish residents have short life expectancy

Efforts to track down and clean up sources of pollution in Kitsap County continue to pay off, as revealed in the latest water-quality report issued by the Kitsap Public Health District. Kitsap County streams showing long-term improvements in water quality reached 22 last year — the greatest number in the 17-year history of the health district’s monitoring program. That’s about one-third of the 58 streams targeted for monthly testing of bacterial pollution. Chris Dunagan reports. Kitsap water quality continues to improve

B.C. seafood firm Willowfield Enterprises will begin harvesting next week the world’s first commercial supply of sockeye salmon raised on a land-based farm. The Langley fish farm expects to produce up to 500 kilograms of sockeye a week under the West Creek brand for wholesaler Albion Fisheries, according to company president Don Read. It will be sold at Choices Markets. Randy Shore reports. World's first land-based-farm sockeye salmon ready for harvest in B.C.

Money in this year's federal budget for aquaculture has critics wondering when Ottawa plans to speak up for wild salmon on the west coast. The government gave the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) $57.5 million over five years "to enhance regulatory certainty" in the aquaculture industry, but it has yet to respond to the final report of the $26-million Cohen Commission, which was set up to look into the decline of sockeye salmon in the Fraser River. Money for aquaculture, but not wild salmon, critics note

The remaining 60 feet of Glines Canyon Dam will linger until at least July because of sediment clogging a water treatment plant on the Elwha River. Demolition of the dam, originally set to resume two months ago after a fish window closed, won't restart until after repairs are completed on Elwha Water Treatment Plant intakes, the National Park Service announced this week. Jeremy Schwartz reports. Glines Canyon Dam removal postponed by water plant woes

Researchers, federal fisheries officials and employees of a Vancouver Island salmon farm are trying to figure out what caused the death of a humpback whale found floating near some of the company's nets. The whale was discovered by workers before first light Wednesday morning at Mainstream Canada's Ross Point farm, located northwest of Tofino on Vancouver Island's west coast, said company spokeswoman Laurie Jensen. Researchers probe death of whale found at B.C. salmon farm

When gardeners talk about bees, the buzz is usually about honeybees. After all, honeybees pollinate fruit blossoms and produce sweet amber honey. But with colony collapse disorder decimating their numbers, gardeners are turning to an unsung heroine, the native mason bee. These gentle, solitary bees are pollinating powerhouses. One mason bee can do the pollinating work of 100 honeybees. A local mason-bee entrepreneur has taken note. All he needs are bee-raising partners to help increase their population and ensure the nation’s food supply. Martha Baskin reports. Mason Bees to the Rescue: Gentle Pollinators Emerge to Solve Food Crisis

Illegal construction and landscaping work done in defiance of a stop-work order triggered a landslide and dump of sediment into fish-bearing Rodgers Creek last week, according to the District of West Vancouver. The slide happened at 2785 Chelsea Close west of Panorama Village, just above the Trans-Canada Highway. Brent Richter reports. Illegal work triggers landslide into fish-bearing creek in West Vancouver

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 232 AM PDT THU MAR 28 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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3/27 Trans Mountain, coal barges, herring, Tethys, Easterbrook, Oly comp plan, harbor toxics

Declining Pacific herring (NOAA)

New blog: “I’ve been eating at several different tables these last few months and paying more attention to how menus have become rather elaborate in their descriptions and highlighting their ‘local’ ingredients...” Eating ‘Local’

A First Nation from British Columbia's southern Interior is taking the federal government and an oil company to court over plans to almost triple the capacity of an oil pipeline that crosses its reserve. Documents filed in Federal Court by the Coldwater Indian Band argue the minister of Indian affairs is ready to consent to a plan that would see Kinder Morgan increase the amount of oil in the Trans Mountain pipeline near Merritt, B.C. The band is requesting a judicial review and wants the court to set aside any approval the minister may give to the company, stating the minister has the legal obligation to act in the best interests of the band. B.C. First Nation takes Trans Mountain expansion to court

The possibility that coal barges will soon be plying the south arm of the Fraser River has raised concerns about the environmental impact it could have on the waterway and Richmond residents. “It’s right up there at the top of the list of incredibly bad projects for the Fraser River Estuary,” said Coun. Harold Steves. Surrey Fraser Docks submitted a project permit application last summer to Port Metro Vancouver to develop a coal transfer facility just off the south eastern tip of Annacis Island that would initially handle up to four million metric tonnes annually from a massive deposit in the western U.S., called the Powder River Basin. Richmond councillor worried about pollution from plan to barge millions of tonnes of fossil fuel

Pacific herring might be the most popular dish in Puget Sound. The small silvery swimmers are called “forage fish” not because they’re rummaging for food, but because just about everything wants to eat them. They fill the bellies of Puget Sound sea life, from giant sea lions to the iconic chinook salmon to tiny jellyfish, which means that they’re key players in the local marine ecosystem. That makes herring fundamentally important – and it makes their shrinking numbers alarming. Lisa Stiffler reports. The mysterious decline of Puget Sound herring

Anacortes’ proposal to change its urban growth area and possibly make way for a large-scale bottling plant took another step forward Monday, as the county’s planning department recommended that the county Board of Commissioners consider the proposal. The next step of the process will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, in the Skagit County Commissioners’ hearing room, when commissioners could decide to review the proposal. Public comment also will be accepted at the meeting. Mark Stayton reports. County planning recommends review for Anacortes UGA change

A new Republican-dominated majority in the state Senate dedicated a rare block of time Tuesday to hear the views of a global warming skeptic who argued that federal scientists have been manipulating climate data to inflate temperatures. The views of retired geology professor Don Easterbrook are considered in the minority. A 2010 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that 97 percent of the most cited and published climate scientists said climate change was a man-made problem. Mike Baker reports. Washington lawmakers hear from global warming skeptic

The Olympia Planning Commission has finished its recommendations on the draft update of the city’s comprehensive plan, an effort that has been years in the making. Planning Commission Chairman Jerry Parker gave the council a peek at some of the proposed regulations Tuesday night, but the full draft isn’t expected to be released until May 20. Amy Buckler, a city planner, said city staff are working to have the plan ready for approval by the end of the year. It’s up to the council to make the final decision on the plan. Parker’s preview for the council indicated that the expected sea-level rise because of global warming is a major focus of the plan. The commission urged the city to “consider all policy options including future retreat” from shoreline areas that could be flooded, he said. Matt Batcheldor reports. Sea-level rise a part of Olympia comprehensive plan

A $1.8 million contract has been awarded to a Seattle consulting firm to complete an investigation of sediment pollution in western Port Angeles Harbor, near Tumwater Creek. Under the contract awarded by the Port of Port Angeles, Floyd Snider Inc. also will conduct a feasibility study on cleaning up the western harbor as part of an agreement under which five public and private entities that are responsible for the pollution will share the the cost of the $1.8 million study, with oversight from the state Department of Ecology. An Ecology open house on three draft documents — the remedial investigation and feasibility study work plan, a public participation plan and the agreed order between the five entities — will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in Linkletter Hall at Olympic Medical Center, 939 Caroline St. Paul Gottlieb reports. Firm hired to look into Port Angeles Harbor sediment pollution

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 238 AM PDT WED MAR 27 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 15 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/26 National monuments, anti-tanker ad, greenhouse gas, coal letter, BC fish farms, Asarco cleanup, Port Gamble, Renton sewer, pipeline ads, derelict vessels, Olympic logging, black riverkeeper

Iceberg Point, SJI National Monument (Wikimedia)

New blog: “I got treated on my birthday to the best piece of cheesecake I’ve ever had— a piece of haupia cheesecake baked by the one-named cheesecake baker Otto who does business on the edge of Honolulu’s Chinatown as Otto Cake. Not light. It was like eating light...” Otto Cake Light and Dark

Upcoming: March 26— Joe Gaydos of Sea Doc Society talks about Bears to Barnacles: Incredible Animals of the Salish Sea, 7 pm, at Seattle’s Town Hall, $5.  March 28-- The Whale Trail presents a talk on harbor porpoises by Cascadia Research director John Calambokidis, 6:30 pm, at C&P Coffee in West Seattle. Tickets, $5 suggested donation, brownpapertickets.com  And on March28-- Ocean Acidification Seminar featuring local experts from the WA State Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification. 6 pm, Bellingham Cruise Terminal Dome Room, free.

President Obama on Monday established five new national monuments, including one in Washington’s San Juan Islands and one in northern New Mexico. Bettina Boxall reports.  President Obama creates five new national monuments  

If you like to watch: Video: Anti-tanker ad sets Exxon Valdez spill to Simon & Garfunkel classic

A measure championed by Gov. Jay Inslee to study the best practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions has passed the state House and heads next to the governor's desk. Under the measure passed Monday, an outside consultant would review both Washington state's ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions and similar endeavors elsewhere. It would then report back to the governor and legislative leaders. Jonathan Kaminsky reports. Inslee's climate change bill passes Legislature

Gov. Jay Inslee has joined with Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber to ask the Obama administration to review the climate-change consequences of leasing and exporting Western coal. “Increasing levels of greenhouse gases and other pollutants resulting from the burning of coal ... are imposing direct costs on people, businesses and communities in the U.S. and around the world,” said the letter sent Monday to Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality. The letter also called for the Obama administration to undertake a review of coal lease rates on federal lands to determine if they are too low and helping to subsidize coal exports. Hal Bernton reports. 2 governors wade into coal-export controversy

Critics of British Columbia's salmon-farming industry fear they could be "shouted down" and that their concerns will disappear into a "black hole" when a new committee meets to advise federal fisheries officials on aquaculture issues. The advisory committee, which is being set up by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as part of its Integrated Management of Aquaculture Plan, is expected to hold its first meeting on Wednesday in Richmond, B.C.  Kevin Drews reports. B.C. fish-farm foes criticize aquaculture committee, fear being "shouted down"

The state Department of Ecology has released plans for a $62 million cleanup of some 1,200 residential yards polluted by the old Asarco smelter in Ruston. The voluntary program will cover homes not only within the one-square-mile Asarco Superfund site but also some 3,900 homes outside the Superfund boundaries in West Tacoma. It also includes an estimated 700 properties on southern Vashon and Maury islands. Rob Carson reports. State plans to clean up land polluted by Asarco smelter

Port Gamble's historic forest is ripe for development. Can water quality wins shift the tides of conservation so long dominated by logging interests? Dan Chasan reports. Rolling the dice on the Kitsap Peninsula's sweetest forests

The decades-old fight by the Duwamish to be recognized as a tribe gained new life in a legal victory last week. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour on Friday vacated the 2001 denial of the tribe’s recognition by the U.S. Department of the Interior and told the agency to take another look. Lynda Mapes reports. Duwamish get another shot at recognition as a tribe

King County’s clean-water utility has budgeted $195.7 million in capital projects to expand the wastewater system, modernize existing facilities, and ensure continued compliance with environmental laws. King County is budgeting $6 million to upgrade pumping equipment and system controls at the South Treatment Plant in Renton. King County plans $6 million upgrades for treatment plant in Renton

One of the key concerns for the federal government in a multimillion-dollar Natural Resources advertising campaign was the negative publicity around the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, according to internal government documents. In particular, the statement of work provided to the ad company a year ago noted that media coverage had been critical of legislative changes that gave the federal cabinet power to override the National Energy Board recommendations on project approval. There was also criticism of changes that limited public participation in joint review panel hearings that are currently taking place in B.C., said the April 2012 document obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Federal ad campaign driven by Northern Gateway criticism

Bills to fund the clean up and prevention of derelict vessels have now been passed in the Washington house and senate. Final legislation is expected in the coming weeks, but no permanent sources of funding for large vessel removal have been identified.  Ashley Ahearn reports. Washington Set To Pass Legislation On Derelict Vessels But Funding Problems Remain

U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer said he’s meeting with timber industry officials and other interest groups in hopes of coming up with a plan to boost production in Olympic National Forest. It’s been a decades-long complaint that the U.S. Forest Service has never met the logging goals set forth in the Northwest Forest Plan, despite an increased demand for timber. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said she will reintroduce legislation this year that would expand wilderness designations and put areas just outside Olympic National Park off limits to logging. Kilmer, who succeeded Dicks in Congress, has not yet signed on to the plan. Steven Friederich reports. Kilmer hopes to boost Olympic National Forest timber production  

Around the time that Patuxent Riverkeeper Fred Tutman, now 54, was certified as a riverkeeper, the African American Environmentalist Association issued a report card for 26 environmental groups based on their diversity for 2003-2004. Eighteen declined to respond to the request for the makeup of their staffs, and most of the others received poor scores. Of at least 200 riverkeepers in the world, Tutman today is the only African American. Darryl Fears reports.  Within mainstream environmentalist groups, diversity is lacking  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 229 AM PDT TUE MAR 26 2013
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT THIS MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 17 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 16 SECONDS.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/25 Exxon Valdez, Port Gamble, Victoria sewer, DuPont gravel, Stavis NRCA, B'ham jobs, Marysville offramp, bathing crabs, Point No Point lighthouse, Alderwood sewer, Shell drill

Exxon Valdez (NOAA)

New blog: “On most days, real issues are painted in shades of gray and we need to tease out the surrounding facts and values in order to come to a clearer position. Some days, we’re blessed. Today, President Obama will will designate the 1,000-plus acres in the San Juan Archipelago under the Bureau of Land Management as the San Juan Islands National Monument, the third in Washington state....”  A True Legacy

Where were you 24 years ago on March 24, 1989 when the Exxon Valdez went aground in Prince William Sound? Oil Spill Facts

Art Sterritt with Coastal First Nations says the catastrophic Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska over two decades ago is proof that massive oil tankers don't belong in B.C. waters because the state is still trying to clean up. Sterritt is launching a TV and social media campaign to air on networks along the proposed pipeline route to warn the public about the potential threat to B.C.'s environment. He says a spill like the Exxon Valdez disaster would cost taxpayers approximately $21.4 billion to clean up and destroy thousands of jobs in the fishing and tourism industries. Enbridge, the company behind Northern Gateway, has launched a multi-million dollar ad campaign of its own in support of the pipeline. First Nations group launches anti-pipeline ads on 24th anniversary of Alaskan oil spill  And: Anti-tanker ad marks anniversary of Alaskan oil spill  See also: Group launches anti-pipeline ads on anniversary of Exxon Valdez oil spill

Funny, sad but true: British Columbia’s largest oil spill response vessel got stuck on a sandbar en route to a federal news conference about strengthening Canada’s oil spill defences. The shipping-industry-funded company in charge of the vessel confirmed it ran aground briefly on an uncharted sandbar off Sand Heads at the mouth of the Fraser River en route from its Esquimalt base to the Coal Harbour news conference. But it denied the ship had a “close quarters situation” with a B.C. ferry near Active Pass earlier Monday – as claimed by the Coast Guard’s marine communications union. Mike Hager reports on 3/21. Oil spill clean-up ship hit sandbar en route to government news conference in Vancouver

Breaking their weeks-long impasse, the Washington Department of Ecology and Pope Resources have agreed on a $17-million cleanup plan for Port Gamble Bay. The agreement, to be spelled out in a legally binding consent decree, ensures that Ecology will provide $2 million toward the purchase and protection of 83 acres of tidelands and 470 acres of uplands along the western shoreline of Port Gamble Bay. The agreement will allow Pope Resources to keep two docks at the south end of the former Pope & Talbot sawmill site until 2015. The company had been seeking to keep the docks in place until a new one at the north end of the property could be approved. No agreement was reached for settling natural resource damage claims to be paid by Pope Resources. That raises questions about whether plans can move forward to use Ecology funds to purchase additional property on the mill site, where an educational and research center had been proposed. Chris Dunagan reports. Agreement reached on Port Gamble Bay cleanup

Esquimalt’s MLA joined the town’s mayor Thursday in opposing a plan to build two sewage treatment facilities on prime Esquimalt property, calling it a “betrayal” of local taxpayers. NDP MLA Maurine Karagianis said she refuses to accept a Capital Regional District proposal to build a sewage sludge facility on a Viewfield Road property that the CRD bought for $17 million. Combined with a proposed secondary sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point and an existing sewage outfall at Macaulay Point, Esquimalt is in the unfair position of having three regional sewage facilities, Karagianis said. Rob Shaw reports. Esquimalt MLA, mayor up in arms over proposed sewage facility

CalPortland got one step closer yesterday to expanding its mining footprint in DuPont. The City of DuPont has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement that examines a proposal to sequentially clear, mine and reclaim 142 of 201 acres CalPortland Company owns adjacent to and north of its existing sand and gravel mine. The DEIS indicates that North Parcel mining would result in no significant unavoidable adverse impacts to the environment. Plus, 45 acres of bluffs and nearly a mile of Puget Sound shoreline would be preserved as open space, wildlife habitat and visual screening. CalPortland closer to mining site approval

About 455 acres of state land within Stavis Natural Resources Conservation Area would be protected forever under a land-transfer plan announced this week. The 4,300-acre Stavis NRCA, south of Seabeck, is one of the largest areas of intact lowland forest in the Puget Sound region. It is associated with Kitsap Forest, which contains some of the last old-growth trees on the Kitsap Peninsula. Chris Dunagan reports. Stavis land to be transferred for protection

Environmentalists and labor union members are joining forces to stress the need for rigorous cleanup and living-wage jobs on the waterfront. At a Thursday, March 21, public hearing on waterfront plans conducted by the city planning commission, it was clear that the two groups had made a conscious decision not to let their bitter dispute over a Cherry Point coal terminal get in the way of an alliance on other issues. John Stark reports.  Unions, environmentalists call for living-wage jobs on Bellingham waterfront

A proposed coal terminal in Bellingham that could bring 18 more trains per day through Marysville could, in a backhanded way, work to the city's advantage. It could help Marysville get money for a major road project: an offramp from northbound I-5 to northbound Highway 529 at the new Ebey Slough Bridge. Currently there's no funding for the $50 million project. The ramp has been on Marysville's wish list for years and would help the city's traffic problems, with coal trains or without, officials said. Bill Sheets reports. Coal terminal could help Marysville build offramp

Deep beneath the ocean surface, in Bubbly Gulch off Vancouver Island, a crab doing an inadvertent backflip has given scientists new information about the world’s largest source of untapped fossil energy. The crab was taking a Jacuzzi-style bath in bubbles of methane gas percolating from the ocean floor in Barkley Canyon when its muddy face was caught by cameras on Wally the Crawler, NEPTUNE Canada’s undersea robot. The methane bubbles — which are lighter than water — stuck under the crab’s shell, upsetting its balance and fascinating NEPTUNE scientists looking at the changing rates of bubbles and whether a warming ocean is affecting the ice-encased gas hydrates. Judith Lavoie reports. In Bubbly Gulch of Vancouver Island, bathing crabs hint at vast potential of an untapped fuel

After undergoing more than $200,000 in upgrades, Point No Point lighthouse officials are now asking for the community to help complete the restoration project. The lighthouse needs to raise $50,000 by June to receive a matching grant from the Birkenfeld Memorial Trust to restore a building called the keeper’s house, one of three registered historic structures part of Point No Point lighthouse. Amy Phan reports. $40,000 needed for Point No Point lighthouse renovations

Construction on a $93.4 million sewage treatment plant in south Snohomish County is nearly two years behind schedule and $400,000 over budget -- and the roof leaks. Work at the site at 6315 Picnic Point Road between Edmonds and Mukilteo is expected to wrap up in the next few months, said Nancy Davidson, capital projects manager with the Alderwood Water & Wastewater District, based in Lynnwood. Rikki King reports. Alderwood sewer plant late and $400K over budget

The heavy-lift vessel Xiang Rui Kou is in Dutch Harbor, preparing to pick up the Kulluk, Shell’s Arctic floating drilling platform, and carry the Kulluk to Asia for repair, Shell spokesman Curtis Smith confirmed in a March 19 email to Petroleum News. The drillship Noble Discoverer that Shell is using in the Alaska Arctic is also being carried to Asia by a heavy-lift vessel for repair. Smith also confirmed that Shell is in the process of testing its Arctic containment dome in Puget Sound, near Seattle. Shell has had modifications made to the dome since a failed test in September. Kulluk being picked up from Dutch harbor

Upcoming: March 28-- The Whale Trail presents a talk on harbor porpoises by Cascadia Research director John Calambokidis, 6:30 pm, at C&P Coffee in West Seattle. Tickets, $5 suggested donation, brownpapertickets.com  And on March28-- Ocean Acidification Seminar featuring local experts from the WA State Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification. 6 pm, Bellingham Cruise Terminal Dome Room, free.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON MAR 25 2013
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate


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3/22 SJ National Monument, Sally Jewell, Ferndale garbage, Ucluelet arsenic, Nooksack water, Lisa Graumlich

President Obama plans to designate a national monument in the San Juan Islands, handing a long-sought victory to island residents and members of Washington’s congressional delegation. Obama will sign a proclamation Monday creating the monument, a White House official said Thursday. The action will provide permanent protections for nearly 1,000 acres of undeveloped federal lands on the islands, including Lopez Island’s Iceberg Point and Chadwick Hill and the Cattle Point Lighthouse on San Juan Island. Jim Brunner reports. Obama to designate national monument in San Juan Islands

New blog: “I’m still waiting to see what difference it makes paying to read the online version of the Seattle Times, Bellingham Herald, Skagit Valley Herald, The News Tribune of Tacoma, The Olympian, Vancouver Sun, Times-Colonist, and Globe and Mail makes— aside from paying for what previously didn’t cost me to read....” Pay To Read: Still Waiting

Sally Jewell's nomination as Interior Secretary won approval (Thursday) morning from the U.S. Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The committee voted 19-3 in favor of the Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) chief executive's nomination. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., a member of the committee, voted in favor of confirmation. Jewell's nomination by President Barack Obama will go before the full Senate for final approval. U.S. Senate committee approves Sally Jewell's Cabinet nomination


If it's in the garbage, then it's also getting on the paved grounds at Recycling and Disposal Services, a transfer station off Slater Road. So it may not be surprising that 17 samples at RDS from 2003 to 2006 exceeded accepted levels of lead, copper, zinc, acid, oil and other measures of unhealthy water. A Puget Sound environmental group took notice and threatened to sue. "RDS is a clean transfer station. It's not a dump," said Lee First, a RE Sources pollution prevention specialist and the tour guide on that stormy morning.  Ralph Schwartz reports. Garbage site in Ferndale cleaned up its act by reducing water pollution

The British Columbia government has shut down a marina and campground near Ucluelet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, after the discovery of high levels of arsenic, selenium and cobalt. Health officials say they are most concerned about arsenic in the Toquaht Bay marina and campground, which can be poisonous in small doses. Arsenic shuts Ucluelet campground and marina

Local Indian tribes sought federal legal action to clarify critical Whatcom County water rights issues more than 18 months ago, but so far there has been no response. The tribes contend that their fishing rights, recognized by the federal courts based on the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855, also contain a guarantee of Nooksack River water that is abundant enough and clean enough to support the salmon that spawn in the river and the shellfish in the tidelands that can be harmed by pollution. Local governments don't dispute that, but years of negotiations have failed to reach agreement on how much water must be left in the river and its many tributaries to maintain tribal fisheries. John Stark reports. Tribes waiting for answer to key Whatcom water rights question

Lisa Graumlich, Dean of the UW College of the Environment blogs: "When you think about saving Puget Sound in the 21st century, for example, it's not like you can find a single answer that will automatically extend its precious life. To be perfectly honest, these issues are just too big for one person or one lab to solve. The days of the one person, the "hero," who will save us all through research or advocacy are long over. Instead, we must rely on teams of excellent scientists doing cutting-edge research. They provide the base from which we can assess trade-offs while looking for solutions that embrace the full complexity of the environmental systems we live and work in today...." How to Tackle the Most Critical Environmental Issues of 2013

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAR 22 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING
TODAY
NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT
SW WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING SE 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 18 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 19 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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3/21 Coal, tanker safety, state budget, Vic sewage, Tethys, logging roads, Oly shores, tulip time

Gabriola Island forest (Laurie MacBride)

Thunder, rain and maybe even snowflakes — a repeat of what Snohomish County saw Wednesday night — are headed to the Puget Sound area Thursday and Friday. Coming up: Storms and possibly snow

Laurie MacBride at Eye on Environment writes: “It’s spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, a cause for celebration as those longer days return. Today is also World Forestry Day – a time to think about the importance of forests, no matter what the season or where we live....” Celebrating Forests

Last year's elections brought bad news for promoters of coal exports through Northwest ports. But a vote this November could raise prospects for at least one proposed facility, near Bellingham. Floyd McKay concludes his three-part report. Coal Wars: How voters are shaping their leaders' decisions

New blog: “Some of us must remember why George Bush and his cronies said it was important to go to war 10 years ago in Iraq. Some of us didn’t agree and thought the reasons were phony and destructive to our country. And the reasons turned out to be phony and destructive to our country....” Where Did You Stand 10 Years Ago? Where Do You Stand Today?

"So you're telling me there's a chance ..." Whether the odds of an oil tanker spill on Canada's West Coast are one in a hundred or one in a million - to borrow from the movie Dumb and Dumber - for a lot of people in British Columbia it's the chance of that "one" they can't get out of their minds. The risk of even a single oil tanker spill looms large over plans to ship millions of barrels of oilsands bitumen from Alberta through B.C. ports to the Pacific Rim. Just one day after the federal government announced plans to improve tanker safety along Canada's 243,000 kilometres of coastline, the Victoria-based Dogwood Initiative launched a new series of TV ads - in advance of B.C.'s May election - as part of its No Tankers campaign. Stephan Ewart reports. Group fires salvo against tankers

Washington's budget shortfall has grown to $1.2 billion, officials said Wednesday, as increased reliance on government services overpowered relative stability in the state's economy. The state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council cited higher-than-forecast expenses in areas like Medicaid as the cause of new budget trouble. Government revenues remained stable, something Gov. Jay Inslee's budget director cited in calling the forecast relatively good news. Forecasters say the revenues for the next budget cycle could still fluctuate dramatically in either direction. A variety of outside economic forces could help or hurt the state, including how Congress handles its recent budget cuts, Europe's economic troubles and whether the Chinese economy slows down. Mike Baker reports.  State lawmakers face $1.2 billion shortfall   And: Budget battle lines take shape in Olympia  

Esquimalt could soon be home to both the region’s sewage plant and its sludge disposal facility, under a new land deal that the town’s mayor calls a “travesty” for her community. The Capital Regional District announced Wednesday it had paid $17 million for the 1.7 hectare Wilson Foods warehouse site on Viewfield Road in Esquimalt, as a potential location for a sewage treatment biosolids facility. The deal, negotiated in-camera by regional politicians, was only made public after it was signed. Rob Shaw reports. CRD plan to build sewage sludge plant in Esquimalt irks mayor

Anacortes’ proposal to modify its urban growth area and potentially make way for a massive bottling plant in Anacortes took another step forward Wednesday morning, when the county Growth Management Act Steering Committee recommended that the Skagit County Commissioners consider the proposal. In front of a crowd of about 50 in the Burlington City Council hearing room, the committee recommended that the county commissioners officially review the proposal to include 11.2 acres of county zoned rural reserve into the city's growth area. Public comment was not taken at the meeting. The next step of the process will take place at 6 p.m. April 9, at the Skagit County Commissioners’ hearing room. Mark Stayton reports. Anacortes UGA expansion review moves forward

The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday decided in favor of the timber industry in a case that challenged the regulation of muddy water that flows off logging roads. The case was originally filed in Oregon by an environmental group. It argued roads in state forests were violating the Clean Water Act. Amelia Templeton explains.  What The Supreme Court Logging Roads Ruling Means

The Olympia City Council voted 5-2 late Tuesday night to keep its earlier recommendation of a 30-foot development setback on about the northern half of West Bay. During deliberations on the proposed Shoreline Master Program, Councilman Nathaniel Jones proposed changing development restrictions to within 50 feet from the shoreline, which is more restrictive than the council’s position stated earlier this month. He suggested that the setback could be reduced to 30 feet if developers provided certain amenities, similar to an approach the council has recommended for other parts of the shoreline. But the majority of council members suggested sticking with the 30-foot setback. Matt Batcheldor reports. Olympia council votes to keep 30-foot setback

In case you were wondering: The 2013 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival doesn’t officially begin until Monday, April 1, but related events begin this weekend, and the gala opening celebration is scheduled for Thursday, March 28. Time for tulips

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAR 21 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY. A CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NW 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
 SCATTERED SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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3/20 Coal export, Tethys water, BC herring, pesticide pollution, pipeline, Port Gamble, species-at-risk, harbor porpoise, giant squid, sage grouse, GM salmon

Pacific herring (NOAA)

Scoop Jackson didn’t have the Internet in mind when he wrote the Environmental Protection Act in 1969, but that marvelous invention has dramatically changed the way the Washington senator’s legacy has operated. The democratizing of information has given community activists a shot at the Big Guys, who always have had access to data. Floyd McKay reports. Coal Wars: Port opponents make big use of access to information

The Skagit County Growth Management Act Steering Committee today meets from 11 AM  to 1 PM at Burlington City Hall to discuss the city of Anacortes’ petition to modify its urban growth area (UGA) to include six parcels needed by Tethys to build a plant that could bottle up to five million gallons of water a day. Then: Anacortes Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer at a public meeting tonight at 7 PM in the Anacortes Public Library will make a presentation and answer questions about Skagit River water: how much water Anacortes draws from the river, what the “instream flow” rule means and why residents are occasionally asked to cut back consumption while new customers are brought on. Skagit water system questions answered  

Sierra Club B.C. and some fisheries scientists are calling for a moratorium on B.C.’s herring fishery because of fears declining stocks could affect the entire marine ecosystem. Herring are eaten by coho and chinook salmon, humpback, minke and killer whales, other marine mammals and seabirds. Herring roe is eaten by bears and wolves, and the roe-on-kelp fishery — which does not kill the fish — is important to coastal First Nations. Judith Lavoie reports. Advocates call for moratorium on B.C. herring fishery in wake of declining stocks

Scientists have discovered an overall improvement in the amount of pesticides flowing in Washington State streams. That announcement wouldn’t mean much in the past because the levels can change from year to year depending on rainfall, stream flows, temperature and dozens of other factors. But now, researchers with the state departments of Agriculture and Ecology have ten years of accumulated testing, enough to show a trend. State Agriculture officials said pesticide concentrations declined over the past decade in salmon bearing streams. They also said most were below levels of concern. But they did find 10 of the 74 pesticides they test for were increasing in concentrations. Gary Chittim reports. Pesticide detectives discover what's streaming our waterways  

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has named an envoy to defuse the tension between First Nations and the energy and pipeline industry that threatens his plan to quickly develop Canada's natural resources. Vancouver-based lawyer Doug Eyford will focus on energy infrastructure in Western Canada and submit a preliminary report directly to Harper by the end of June and a final report by the end of November. Envoy to deal with First Nations concerns on pipelines  

A community meeting seeking input for an upcoming environmental analysis of the Port Gamble revitalization project attracted more praise for the project than concerns. The meeting, which attracted about 40 people Monday to Poulsbo City Council chambers, is part of a public comment period known as scoping for an environmental-impact statement. Amy Phan reports.  Public generally upbeat about Port Gamble plans

The B.C. government released a draft species-at-risk plan Tuesday that was immediately dismissed by environmentalists as an empty pre-election gesture that offers little for conservation. The draft plan emphasizes that any efforts to save species at risk must “take into consideration social and economic interests.” Larry Pynn reports. B.C.’s draft species-at-risk plan criticized as ‘hollow’ conservation effort

Construction on Gig Harbor's scenic North Harborview Drive may be causing headaches for drivers, but locals remain in high spirits. The project, Donkey Creek Restoration, aims to clean up the intersection of Harborview Drive, North Harborview Drive and Austin Street. The project will also improve the local fish habitat. Migrating fish currently swim through 200 feet of buried pipe to get from Donkey Creek to the harbor. The pipe will be removed and a channel will be dug, creating open access to the harbor. Nathan Shoup reports. Gig Harbor road project a headache, but 'saving salmon is really cool'

What do you know? The 85 or so southern resident Orcas are doubtless the Sound’s most famous inhabitants. The movie stars of the maritime Northwest, our local paparazzi photograph and report their every move. We know a lot about them, as we should, given their iconic status. Yet of the Sound’s most populous whale or dolphin, we know only a little. As it turns out, local scientists are beginning to think that the Orca’s plebeian cousin, the harbor porpoise, may reveal much about the state of the Sound—and yet we scarcely bother to count or track them. Numbering more than 10,000 when last we checked a decade ago, harbor porpoises are genuine residents of the Sound. Unlike the jet-setting “resident” Orcas who in truth spend much of their time far from the Sound, a distinct population of harbor porpoises lives out their lives in the Salish Sea—eating, breeding, and raising their young solely in its waters. Eric de Place blogs. Should the Harbor Porpoise Be the New Orca?  

They're the stuff of myth and B-grade horror movies, giant tentacled sea monsters roaming the deep in search of prey. In recent years giant squid have made an appearance off the West Coast, and now new research is shining some light on the B.C. sea monsters and their siblings. A team headed by Danish researchers tested DNA samples from 43 giant squid from around the world — including a specimen from Newfoundland. They were stunned to find that there is likely just a single species of the massive squid that migrates to oceans around the world. B.C. sea monster research delivers more questions than answers, says scientist

Sign-ups have started for the next training session for Beach Naturalists. Beach Naturalist volunteers explore Kitsap beaches and learn about marine life and local water issues. They receive extensive in-class and on the beach training and, in return, give back to the community through a variety of volunteer projects. This year’s training begins March 28.  Registration begins for Beach Naturalist training

The federal government has pulled a veil of secrecy over its plans – or even whether it has any plans – to save the greater sage grouse, a critically endangered species known for its fantastical courtship rituals. In the Federal Court of Appeal, Tuesday, a panel of three judges listened while lawyers argued over whether Environment Minister Peter Kent has to reveal if he has made a recommendation to cabinet concerning the fate of the sage grouse. Mark Hume reports. Court weighs Peter Kent’s right to silence on endangered sage grouse  

Several supermarket chains have pledged not to sell what could become the first genetically modified animal to reach the nation’s dinner plates — a salmon engineered to grow about twice as fast as normal. The supermarkets — including Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s and Aldi — stated their policies in response to a campaign by consumer and environmental groups opposed to the fish. The groups are expected to announce the chains’ policies Wednesday.  Andrew Pollack reports. Markets pledge not to sell genetically-modified salmon

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAR 20 2013
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SW WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING W 30 TO 40 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 7 TO 8 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 9 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 14 TO 16 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 10 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN THIS MORNING...THEN SHOWERS AND A CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 20 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 18 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS.
 A CHANCE OF TSTMS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/19 Hummer, Earth Hour Capital, coal port, Davy Crockett, Liberty Bay, tsunami debris, suing PSE, Pt Angeles shore, Joel Sartore, Wendell Tangborn

PHOTO: Eric Pittman

Jennifer Duncan first noticed the green and white speckled bird at her feeder about 10 days ago. Eric Pittman, who has been lecturing on hummingbirds for five years, identified the bird as a piebald Anna’s hummingbird. The term “piebald” refers to a leucistic abnormality, similar to albinism, which prevents pigment from being properly deposited on a bird’s feathers. Amy Smart reports. A rare hummingbird has been spotted in North Saanich

The city of Vancouver has won a victory in its bid to become the greenest city in the world after being crowned the Global Earth Hour Capital 2013 by the World Wildlife Fund. The city was given the award at a ceremony Tuesday in Malmo, Sweden, beating five other finalists including cities in India, Italy, the U.S., Sweden and Norway, according to a news release from the city of Vancouver. The Global Earth Hour Capital award recognizes a city taking serious action to address climate change, the release said. Vancouver crowned Earth Hour capital by World Wildlife Fund


Supporters of a coal port near Bellingham want to keep the focus on what they see as the main issues: More jobs and revenue for local governments. Floyd McKay reports in three parts on what the major players want. Coal Wars: Export backers push jobs, try to limit environmental review

When Bret A. Simpson heard the hulking old barge Davy Crockett was for sale several years ago, “he saw the steel and he saw dollar signs,” said assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Oesterle. Simpson, of Ellensburg, figured he could scrap the 400-foot former Navy ship and walk off with a tidy sum. (I)n the midst of his ragtag scrapping operation, the Davy Crockett began spilling oil into the Columbia River. On Monday, Simpson was sentenced to four months in federal prison plus a period of home detention, community service and supervised release for violations of the Clean Water Act. The mess cost $22 million in federal funds to clean up. It was the first time in Washington that a boat owner was sent to federal prison in such a case. Maureen O'Hagan reports. Ship owner gets more than he bargained for: prison time

The South Fork of Dogfish Creek, along with Big Scandia, Bjorgen and Lemolo creeks, have been listed as priority streams for cleanup under a new water-quality plan for Liberty Bay. The plan, issued by the Washington Department of Ecology, supports ongoing efforts to clean up bacterial pollution in Liberty Bay — including pollution identification and correction projects by the Kitsap Public Health District. Ecology will hold a public meeting on the cleanup plan Thursday in the Poulsbo Fire Department’s community room, 911 Liberty Bay Road. An open house will begin at 6:15 p.m., followed by a short film at 6:40 p.m. and a discussion at 7 p.m. Chris Dunagan reports. Liberty Bay cleanup plan under review  

When Karla Robison dreams, she puts a Styrofoam densifier, glass-crusher and wood-chipper at the top of her wish list. Robison, Ucluelet’s environmental and emergency services manager, co-ordinates the tsunami debris regional working group, made up of communities from the west coast of Vancouver Island, First Nations and local agencies. Judith Lavoie reports. Tsunami cleanup continues on coast

Why is the state’s largest electric utility with a reputation for clean energy burning coal for 20% of its power supply? The Sierra Club and Montana Environmental Information Center are asking the same thing. The two are seeking a court order requiring Puget Sound Energy and other owners to install modern pollution controls at the Colstrip Generating Facility in eastern Montana. The coal plant is one of the biggest greenhouse gas polluters in the West. Martha Baskin reports. Puget Sound Energy’s Green Reputation Gets A Black Eye: Sierra Club Sues Utility Over Ownership in Coal-Fired Power Plant

The state Department of Ecology (Ecology) is seeking public comment on the city of Port Angeles’ recently updated shoreline master program. The proposed updated shoreline master program combines local plans for future development and preservation with new development ordinances and related permitting requirements. Ecology will accept public comment on Port Angeles’s proposed shoreline program through April 11. Ecology Seeks Public Comments on Port Angeles’ Shoreline Program

It’s hard to find a job title that sums up Joel Sartore. Officially, he’s been a freelance photographer for National Geographic for two decades. But he’s also a lobbyist for endangered species, a traveler, speaker, teacher, author of at least four books and conservationist. Stacia Glenn reports. National Geographic photographer says work is race to document species 'before they no longer exist'

Wendell Tangborn thinks he has invented a better mousetrap. He's still waiting for the scientific world to beat a path to his door. Sitting in a cramped home office overlooking the (rising) waters of Puget Sound, Tangborn talks about his plan to monitor 200 glaciers around the world to see whether or not — and, if so, how quickly — they're melting away. People often cite the waxing or waning of glaciers to prove that the earth is or is not getting warmer. But according to Tangborn, no one is looking systematically at a large number of glaciers so that trends become obvious and the glaciers which are behaving contrary to the trends can be seen clearly as outliers. Dan Chasan reports. Tracking glaciers the Tangborn way

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 19 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
SE WIND RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT. COMBINED SEAS BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 9 SECONDS. RAIN.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/18 BC review, Port Gamble revival, WA lege, bay cleanups, Elwha mud, Tethys water, Woodard Bay, BC fish, gravel mining bill, BC trees, Shell drill, boo BP, dying Lk Erie

Governor Booth Gardner (AP)

Farewell, Governor. Booth Gardner, Washington state’s 19th governor, has died from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Former Gov. Booth Gardner dies at 76

The B.C. and federal governments have signed a deal that will eliminate duplicate environmental assessments of major resource projects. Under the agreement, the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, with the help of some federal experts, will conduct a single review of specific projects, including ensuring the proper consultation with First Nations. The results will be given to the federal and provincial environmental ministers to make separate decisions on the impacts of the projects. B.C., federal governments eliminate duplicate environmental reviews

Plans to revive the town of Port Gamble by building 176 new homes and commercial buildings are moving forward with a public meeting scheduled for Monday. The meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. at Poulsbo City Hall, is for people to describe what issues they think should be examined in an upcoming environmental analysis. Chris Dunagan reports. Meeting will review plans for Port Gamble development

If you like to watch: Aurora turns Washington skies green for St. Patrick's Day

Last December, Sen. Rodney Tom announced that he would leave his caucus to helm a majority consisting of himself, another like-minded Democrat and 23 Republicans. The Medina lawmaker said the new coalition would focus on a discrete set of goals. “This is about jobs, education and the budget,” Tom said. With the session halfway gone, the biggest fight remains on the horizon: how to plug an estimated $975 million budget hole while adhering to a state Supreme Court decision requiring more money for public schools. At halfway point, big state budget hole still looms  

A bill advanced by a local state senator would make it easier to fund slow-moving cleanup projects on Bellingham Bay. Part of the solution, said Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, would be to change the way the agency overseeing the cleanups does its job. The bill, which is still being debated in the Senate, would make money more readily available to projects that have passed all reviews and are ready to begin. It also would benefit projects still under review by creating an incentive for the Department of Ecology to review projects more efficiently. Ecology would be required to commit to a 10-year funding plan. Ecology, which is supposed to be a partner in the cleanup program, has become more of a barrier, Ericksen said. Ralph Schwartz reports. Senator: Bill would fund cleanup projects on Bellingham waterfront this year   See also: Bellingham waterfront plan ready for community feedback

A mother lode of mud is making its way down the Elwha River, and with it, an armada of floating and waterlogged debris. Contractors are taking two dams out of the Elwha River as part of a watershed and fishery recovery project that is the largest of its type ever in the world. The first, Elwha Dam, came out a year ago. Glines Canyon dam is about two-thirds gone. Scientists recently learned there was about 41 percent more sediment trapped behind the dams than originally thought — and that the river is transporting more mud and wood than they expected. As the river, dammed for 100 years, comes back to life, the other surprise is a forest of waterlogged wood and other organic debris the Elwha is muscling out of the former lake beds of the reservoirs. Lynda Mapes reports. Elwha gnaws away at a century of sediment See also: Kelp armageddon at the mouth of the Elwha

A proposal by the city of Anacortes to include into its urban growth area about 11 acres of county land where Tethys Enterprises Inc. hopes to build a massive beverage bottling plant will have its first county-level public meeting Wednesday. The regional Growth Management Act Steering Committee will consider including a petition from the city of Anacortes to change its urban growth boundary as part of the Skagit County Comprehensive Plan Amendment process. If fully constructed, the Tethys bottling plant could use up to 5 million gallons of city owned water per day. Kate Martin reports. Committee to hear urban growth expansion proposal  

The Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area is now open after being closed for the winter as contractors completed $700,000 worth of restoration, part of a long-term project to restore the closed log dump to its natural state. The conservation area was purchased by the Department of Natural Resources from Weyerhaeuser and transformed from its timber-harvest operations to a natural resource reserve. The state declared the area eight miles north of Olympia a wildlife sanctuary in 1987. The area closed to the public in October while contractors removed 16,000 cubic yards of earthen fill and 500 tons of creosote-soaked materials at Woodard Bay and Chapman Bay Pier. Chelsea Krotzer reports. Woodard Bay reserve reopens  

B.C. has decided that "Pacific salmon," an umbrella group of seven salmon and trout subspecies, will be its official provincial fish emblem. The announcement, which came Saturday, adds a ninth entry to B.C.'s collection of representative symbols. 'Pacific salmon' named B.C.'s official fish

A Senate bill to fast-track approval of a gravel mining project near Hood Canal stalled this week amid opposition from lawmakers convinced it would speed up permitting of a controversial coal export facility in Whatcom County. Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, said his Senate Bill 5805 sought to simply bring the gravel mining operation under a state law allowing expedited permitting of major industrial projects. But environmental groups said the bill's wording was broad enough to also enable speedier approval of other mega-projects such as the coal export pier at Cherry Point. Jerry Cornfield reports. Bill to fast-track gravel mining project dies

British Columbia is the last place in Canada where you can still find ancient, monumental trees standing outside parks. We are not talking here just about big, old trees, but about trees 250 to 1,000 years old, that tower 70 metres in height. If one grew on the steps of Parliament, its tip would block out the clock face on the Peace Tower. And set down in Vancouver, they would be as tall as many office towers. Mark Hume reports. The fight to protect what’s left of old-growth forests  

Interior Department officials, in a report released Thursday, faulted Shell Oil for poor oversight of contractors during a troubled season of exploration in the Arctic last year off Alaska. The problems included an oil-spill-containment system that initially failed to pass a Coast Guard inspection, an oil drill ship cited for safety and environmental violations and a drill rig that broke loose from a tow line in a December storm and went aground off Kodiak Island. Hal Bernton reports. Interior cites Shell’s contractor oversight in Alaska oil troubles

Oil giant BP is taking legal action in the US to limit payouts by a fund set up to compensate those affected by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP said some of the claims being paid by the scheme's administrator were "fictitious" and "absurd". BP appeal over 'absurd' Gulf oil spill payouts

For those who live and play on the shores of Lake Erie, the spring rains that will begin falling here soon are less a blessing than a portent. They could threaten the very future of the lake itself. Lake Erie is sick. A thick and growing coat of toxic algae appears each summer, so vast that in 2011 it covered a sixth of its waters, contributing to an expanding dead zone on its bottom, reducing fish populations, fouling beaches and crippling a tourism industry that generates more than $10 billion in revenue annually. Michael Wines reports. Spring Rain, Then Foul Algae in Ailing Lake Erie

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 903 PM PDT SUN MAR 17 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING
MON
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO
 4 FT...SUBSIDING. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
MON NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR
 LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
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