4/22 Earth Day, oilsands, underwater, Skagit Valley, octopus rules, BC whales, Elwha woes, pipeline rules, ocean fertilization, beavers, Anderson Lk, Bremerton shores

Earth Day at Edgewater Park (Frank Vargas, Skagit Herald)

If you like to listen: Celebrate the earth -- from a canyon in the West, where Western Meadowlarks sing … to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, where a pair of Common Loons returns to breed and raise their young, and spring peepers sing for mates … to an old-growth hardwood forest in North Carolina, where warblers and vireos sing and woodpeckers drum. Celebrate the Earth  

Tucking native plants into the soil where there had been ivy and blackberry may seem like a small act. But to hundreds of volunteers who turned out Saturday for Earth Day restoration work at 10 sites along the Duwamish River, it was anything but. “It is amazing to see the difference,” said Stephanie Raymond, of West Seattle, who has been tackling invasive plants along the Duwamish since the 1990s. “It used to be I was carving out blackberries and Scotch broom with an ax. It is so inspiring to see how (the river) has come back.” Lynda Mapes reports. For Earth Day, cleaning up the Duwamish   See also: Volunteers step up for their planet; Earth Day activities include digging ivy at Priest Point   and 15 tons of beach debris removed from coastal beaches  

King Neptune, the Green Queen and their helpers were out in force Friday to pick up garbage and raise awareness about Earth Day on Monday. This is the second year teams from the Laurel Point Inn, Harbour Air Seaplanes, Eagle Wing Tours and Helijet have picked up refuse, competing for the coveted Golden Garbage Award. In one hour last year, Eagle Wing Tours collected 9,400 pieces of garbage — including an automotive tire — to walk away with the award. Pedro Arrais reports. Good Neighbours: Competitors get down and dirty for Earth Day  

The federal Conservatives have decided to mark Earth Day this year, launching a long-promised portal for public access to sensitive environmental data from the oilsands. Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent and his Alberta counterpart Diana McQueen will be at Carleton University in Ottawa on Monday to flick the switch and allow public scrutiny of new research measuring the quality and quantity of the land, air and water in the Athabasca region. Oilsands environmental data to be released for Earth Day  

If you like to watch: Although our treasured Northwest waters appear pristine, they are threatened by a host of concerns. Dive beneath the surface with EarthFix to learn about the unseen dangers and their impacts on area fisheries, marine life and tribal communities. Beneath The Surface: An EarthFix Special  

The Lower Skagit Valley, a lingering teardrop of tillable soil in a swelling asphalt sea, is still decidedly "wild." This is partly due to luck, but a great deal due to human design — a multipronged defense against the very industrial and suburban sprawl that swallowed up nearly every other place in the region where fertile soil once sustained both plentiful crops and endangered critters. Saving the Skagit for farmland and wildlife — complementary goals — is beyond the scope of any single person, government or agency. It is being accomplished by thousands of people, many with seemingly contradictory goals, sharing only a love of the place itself. Ron Judd reports. From wild birds to beet seeds, the Skagit Valley's riches are being kept safe

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has scheduled a public meeting for Tuesday, April 23 in Port Townsend to solicit input on the protection of Puget Sound’s giant Pacific octopus population. The first of two workshops to solicit public input on the issue is set for 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, April 23 at the Cotton Building, 607 Water St., Port Townsend. The second workshop is 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, April 24 at the Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaska Way, on Pier 59.  Octopus fishing rules are topic of meeting April 23 in Port Townsend  

Endangered killer whales on the B.C. coast will have no one dedicated to protecting them from unlawful whale-watch activities this summer unless funding is restored to two non-profit groups. For the past decade, Straitwatch has monitored illegal activity and educated private boaters who are unaware that federal law prohibits disturbing or harassing of the whales and that a guideline asks them to maintain a distance of 100 metres. The group had been funded by Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program, but had only $100,000 in start-up funding last season; it began operations in May and ceased in July when no additional money was provided.  Larry Pynn reports.  Lack of cash leaves guardians of killer whales on B.C. coast tied to shore

Elwha dam removal is hostage to repairs at water-treatment facilities built as part of the $325 million federal river-restoration project. The National Park Service, which is leading the dam-removal project, has hired a contractor for the repairs, and said work on taking down the last third of Glines Canyon Dam will resume July 1. The agency predicts work will be complete well before the contract to remove the dams ends in September 2014. But it could be a much longer wait. Contractors don’t yet have a proven fix for the problems bedeviling the project since last October. And even if they fix the problems by July, some experts say dam removal will likely remain on hold until next year. Lynda Mapes reports. Elwha dam removal hostage to water plant repairs    See also: Government expects legal action in wake of Elwha River sediment flowing into, clogging water plant  

The National Energy Board says it has strengthened regulations for federally regulated oil and natural gas pipelines to make them safer for people and the environment. The amended regulations that came into effect earlier this month require companies to do more to address safety, pipeline integrity, security, environmental protection and emergency management.  Pipeline rules strengthened by National Energy Board  

The controversial Haida Salmon Restoration Corp. wants Environment Canada to return scientific data and samples — seized during office searches last month — so it can prepare for a second ocean fertilization experiment this summer. Last year, the Old Massett-based corporation unloaded more than 100 tonnes of iron sulfate, plus iron oxide and iron dust, into the ocean 320 kilometres off the coast of Haida Gwaii. The experiment, which was designed to increase salmon runs by creating an algae bloom for the fish to feed on, led to international controversy and accusations of geoengineering. Judith Lavoie reports.  Haida readying for second round of iron dumping in ocean  

Bremerton’s Shoreline Master Program, approved by the Bremerton City Council, is now under review by the Washington Department of Ecology, which is taking comments on the plan. The master program must be approved by both the city and Ecology before it goes into effect. Comments will be taken by Ecology until May 24. Chris Dunagan reports. Bremerton shoreline plan under review  

A B.C.-based animal rights group says it has the perfect low-cost solution for Canadian municipalities that still trap and kill pesky beavers. The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals insists that for just a few hundred dollars, communities can buy water-flow devices that effectively discourage the beavers’ dam-building habits that cause serious flood damage to roads and property. Beaver Deceivers rid Mission of pesky rodents  

Anderson Lake, which has the dubious distinction of setting a poisonous world record in 2008, is under a microscope. The goal: to try to find out why one of the North Olympic Peninsula's most popular fishing spots has been plagued since 2006 by soaring levels of anatoxin-a, a potent nerve toxin produced by blue-green algae. In June 2008, the 60 acres of lake within Anderson Lake State Park near Port Townsend contained the highest level of anatoxin-a ever recorded in the world: 172,640 micrograms per liter. The safety threshold for the toxin, which can kill in four minutes after ingestion, is 1 microgram per liter. Jeremy Schwartz reports.  What makes Anderson Lake so unusually toxic? Scientists to try to find answer  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON APR 22 2013
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
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