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.
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