5/31 Duwamish cleanup, Enbridge pipe, scotch broom, tree roots, ISAV, Willow Cr., Tesoro air, Vic sewage

Ag apocalypse? (BLM)

If you like to watch: I-5 at Skagit River Bridge DOT cameras

Coming up: The Whale Trail hosts a presentation by noted author, whale researcher and marine conservationist Erich Hoyt, author of Orca: The Whale Called Killer, on Saturday, June 8, at 7 PM at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 9131 California Ave. SW in Seattle. Hoyt discusses "Adventures with Orcas in the North Pacific — From A1 Stubbs to Iceberg, the White Russian Bull." Suggested donation is $5, kids free; Brown Paper Tickets

The final hearing Wednesday on a cleanup plan for one of the Northwest’s most polluted rivers brought out concerns that it doesn’t do enough to protect fish, wildlife and human health. More than 300 people came out to learn about the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed cleanup plan for the Duwamish River. There were presentations and posters detailing the techniques that will be used to clean up the river. The plan will involve a combination of capping off contaminated areas and removing hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of polluted muck. Cleanup could last 17 years and cost $305 million. But here’s the central question on people’s minds, asked by a member of the audience after the presentations were over: When the cleanup is finished will residents be able to regularly eat fish and shellfish from the river and its mudflats? Ashley Ahearn reports. EPA’s Duwamish Cleanup Plan Draws Skepticism

Friday is one of the final chances for Enbridge Inc., the British Columbia government and other stakeholders to pitch their arguments to a National Energy Board review panel on the Northern Gateway oil pipeline project. But for John Carruthers, president of Northern Gateway, it will be simply another day in the long effort to convince an often skeptical public that the $6-billion project moving Alberta crude across B.C. for export to Asia should proceed. The company was heartened by the re-election earlier this month of the Christy Clark Liberals, despite Premier Clark’s insistence that the project must meet five conditions before the provincial government would consider supporting Northern Gateway, Carruthers said Thursday during an event in Richmond. Scott Simpson reports.  Enbridge aims to meet with Premier Christy Clark to discuss concerns

If scotch broom, the invasive weed, is not curtailed, it will spread into the equivalent of an agricultural apocalypse, according to a Kala Point man who has started an online petition for statewide mandatory control of the weed.  “Scotch broom’s growth has exploded in Washington,” said David Tonkin, a retired technology worker. “If we don’t control it, in five or 10 years, it will choke out all the other vegetation,” he said. Charlie Bermant reports. Not so mellow about this yellow: Peninsula petition urges mandatory control of scotch broom

When you think of a tree, you probably think of the trunk and all those parts you see above ground. But there’s a whole lot more going on under the soil than meets the eye. Scientists are now digging into the hidden world of tree roots in an effort to illuminate some unexplained mysteries. Sarah Waller reports.  Scientists Peek Into The Hidden World Of Tree Roots

Recent tests of salmon from Washington’s waters show no signs of a fish virus that can be deadly to farm-raised Atlantic salmon, state, tribal and federal resource managers announced today. Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISAV) was not detected in tissue samples taken from more than 900 wild and hatchery-produced Pacific chinook, coho, sockeye, chum and steelhead, as well as farm-raised Atlantic salmon. ISAV is not harmful to people. Specific strains of the virus have caused a deadly disease in farm-raised Atlantic salmon. Outbreaks with significant losses have occurred in farmed Atlantic salmon in Maine, Eastern Canada, Chile and several European countries. ISAV has not been documented in farmed, wild or hatchery salmon in Washington. Tests show no signs of ISA virus in Washington’s salmon

Jerry Schuster, stormwater engineering program manager for the City of Edmonds, brought some potentially good news on salmon habitat when he made a presentation to the City Council on the results of a “Willow Creek Daylight Early Feasibility Study” for the Edmonds Marsh. The study shows that by “daylighting” Willow Creek, the Edmonds Marsh would become more salty by allowing more saltwater into part of the marsh during high tides. That in turn would encourage juvenile salmon to escape into the marsh to live in greater safety as they grow. Daylighting of Willow Creek means removing drainage pipes and creating an open-air creek to allow fish from Puget Sound easier and more natural passage into the marsh. Pat Ratliff reports. Fix the marsh and you stop the flooding  

Tesoro has agreed to pay a $1.1 million penalty to resolve violations of federal air pollution laws at its four refineries, including one in Anacortes, Wash. The Environmental Protection Agency reached the agreement with Tesoro over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at four refining facilities that produce gasoline. EPA accused Tesoro of failing to comply with record keeping, reporting, sampling and testing requirements under the agency's fuel program. It said the violations also occurred at facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah; Mandan, N.D. and Anacortes. Tesoro to pay $1.1 million for clean air violations at refineries

Leading world climate change experts have thrown cold water on the idea that planting trees can offset carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Professor Brendan Mackey of Griffith University Climate Change Response Program is the lead author of an international study involving researchers from Australia and the U.K. Their findings are reported in "Untangling the confusion around land carbon science and climate change mitigation policy," published in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change. Land-Based Carbon Offsets: False Hope? Forest and Soil Carbon Is Important, but Does Not Offset Fossil Fuel Emissions

Greater Victoria’s commission of sewage experts got an earful from angry taxpayers who called Thursday for the megaproject to be paused and independently reviewed. Representatives of the Sewage Treatment Action Group, a community group of concerned citizens, called on the commission to halt work on the sewage project and launch an arm’s-length examination into the $783-million project’s full life cycle costs over 50 years. The group also sent a letter to B.C.’s auditor general, asking the office to audit the project to see if it’s in the best interest of taxpayers. Rob Shaw reports.  Sewage project pause sought by Greater Victoria citizens group

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAY 31 2013
TODAY
W WIND 10 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W
 SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SAT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SUN
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 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.

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5/30 Herring, Kitsap shores, Powell R. aquaculture, Ecology, Cap Sante cleanup, Oly isthmus, Weed Watchers

PHOTO: DFO/VENUS Project

Once one of the most abundant fishes in coastal waters, many populations of Pacific herring, a cornerstone of the marine food web, have been on a downward spiral. A new population spawning in Elliot Bay may show the tide is turning. Marine ecologists are diving into near shore waters to determine their genetic identity. It’s not yet clear if the population will take up permanent residence. Martha Baskin reports. A New Phenomenon: Diving for Spawning Herring in Elliot Bay  

Forterra and Pope Resources signed a purchase and sale agreement Wednesday for 535 acres of forestland and 1.5 miles of shoreline along Port Gamble Bay and State Route 104. The Kitsap Forest and Bay Project is a longtime effort to conserve 6,700 acres and 1.8 miles of shoreline in north Kitsap County. The forests and shorelines have cultural significance to local Tribes and communities; draw thousands of outdoor recreationists annually; and support fish and wildlife in the integrated ecological and watershed systems of Port Gamble Bay, Hood Canal and Central Puget Sound. Forterra signs purchase agreement for Port Gamble shoreline block  

City of Powell River officials are continuing to explore the possibility of establishing an aquatic industries park in conjunction with Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation. The proposal centres on about 40 hectares (100 acres) of undeveloped waterfront land owned by PRSC Partnership Ltd. next to Catalyst Paper Corporation’s Powell River division. The site has a number of infrastructure advantages for aquaculture, according to a brochure produced by PRREDS (Powell River Regional Economic Development Society), including both salt and fresh water supplies, electricity and thermal energy. Laura Walz reports. Officials explore closed containment facility

One potentially divisive piece of the Washington Senate-House budget talks is whether the Washington Department of Ecology faces significant cuts, including the potential closure of its Bellingham office. As with much of the rest of the state's operating budget, the Republican-oriented Senate wants to trim part of Ecology's budget for 2013-2015. The Senate's Majority Coalition Caucus — an alliance of 23 Republicans and two Democrats — believes the ecology department has become too fat and should be trimmed to become more cost-effective. The ecology department disagrees. The Bellingham office plays a variety of roles, ranging from helping out in the response to the recent I-5 bridge collapse to working on the review of a proposed coal port north of the city. John Stang reports. Ecology budget squeeze: Efficiency or neglect?

A public comment period on draft documents related to the final cleanup work in the west basin of the Cap Sante Marina opens Thursday. Most cleanup work is already done at the site between 11th and 13th streets east of Q Avenue on the Fidalgo Bay shore. Ecology and the Port of Anacortes, which owns the site, are working to finish and maintain cleanup efforts. That includes long-term monitoring and protecting people and the environment from two remaining small pockets of low-level contamination. The site known as the Cap Sante Marine site was formerly occupied by that company’s chandlery from the late 1970s to 2007. Joan Pringle reports. Ecology seeks comments on final cleanup plans for Cap Sante Marine site

The Olympia City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to scrap a requirement that the city secure $1 million in state funding to purchase property on the downtown isthmus for a park. While the city still is pursuing the state money, council members also expressed their willingness to take money from several other parks projects — including developing a park at Ward Lake — to pay for the isthmus project if the state money doesn’t come through. The council in April approved a purchase and sale agreement to pay an estimated $3.3 million to Capital Shores Investments to acquire the parcels at 505 and 529 Fourth Ave. W., which total 2.3 acres. The council previously committed $1.7 million to the park, plus $600,000 in Conservation Futures funding from Thurston County. Matt Batcheldor reports.  Olympia council prepared to use parks money to buy isthmus

Oxeye daisy can take over meadows. English ivy can crawl up trees and choke the life out of them. Japanese knotweed can push out other plants at creeks. These weeds and others cause major problems in forests. That's why the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Washington Department of Natural Resources have teamed up with the Mountaineers and King County Noxious Weed Program to train volunteers to find invasive plants on trails. Jim Davis reports. Weed Watchers on alert for noxious and obnoxious

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAY 30 2013
TODAY
S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SW 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 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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5/29 Whale Scout, seals, culverts, sewage odour, bad stormwater, harbor cleanups, green paper, anemone venom, Master Gardeners, caterpillars, coal politics

Harbor Seals (Ryan Kitko, Wikimedia)

Celebrate Whales: June is Orca Awareness Month and June 1 is the debut of Whale Scout, a new organization connecting the public with trained naturalists who will share their knowledge about our local whales, assist with whale sightings and offer tips on conservation. The launch party is this Saturday from 3 to 8 pm at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park in Shoreline. Check out Whale Scout

Harbor seals are the homebodies of Puget Sound. In every bay and cove, the appearance of their domed heads breaking the surface for a look around with those dreamy eyes is one of the signature sights of our waters. Unlike orcas that cruise in and out of our view, harbor seals live out their lives in our midst, picking their spots even in urban waterways and sticking around throughout lives that can stretch past 20 years. For scientists, that makes harbor seals valuable sentinels of the Sound. Seals have an important story to tell of resilience and survival, revealed in long-term population studies and in tracking studies of contamination levels in their bodies of PCBs and other pollutants. Lynda Mapes reports. Seals tell tales of Sound’s health  

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is appealing a federal ruling ordering the state to fix culverts that block salmon passages. The state on Tuesday filed a notice of appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals of the March 29 U.S. District Court ruling by Judge Ricardo S. Martinez that set up a timeline to fix hundreds of culverts around the state. State officials have said the ruling could cost billions of dollars — money the state doesn’t have. The Martinez ruling is part of a decades-old legal battle tied to treaties dating back to the mid-1800s. Tribes say the state has blocked salmon passage and contributed to the decline of fish harvests. State appeals demand for culvert work

Metro Vancouver will send a 25-member contingent to Washington state to conduct “sniff tests” on U.S. sewage plants as it pursues a new $400-million Lion’s Gate sewage treatment facility.... The tour, which will visit sewage plants in Blaine, Seattle, Edmonds and Olympia, includes everyone on Metro’s utilities committee, as well as staff from Metro and North Vancouver municipalities, members from the two First Nations bands and chair and vice-chair of the Lion’s Gate public advisory committee. Slated for June or July, the trip is expected to provide Metro Vancouver with insight into newer technologies and odour control mechanisms that have been used in the U.S. plants. The cost is expected to be $30,000. Remuneration for the 13 members of the utilities committee is expected to be $18,000. Kelly Sinoski reports. Metro sending 25 people to sniff out sewage plants in Washington

In the stormwater world, if a rain garden is releasing more pollution into the environment than it’s capturing, word gets around. So when the city of Redmond crunched its first flush of data from a new roadside rain garden and discovered the water coming out of it was tainted with alarming levels of phosphorus, nitrates, and copper, the stormwater community took notice. Washington State regulators went on the record to say that they would be studying the data and possibly revising their rain garden recommendations. Proponents of the technology fear that the results will be overblown and exploited by skeptics of so-called low-impact development solutions. Lisa Stiffler reports. Redmond’s Rain Garden Challenge

The city faces expenses of about $400,000 to install a temporary fix to stop toxic oil from seeping into Bellingham Bay from a city-owned site near the intersection of Wharf Street and Cornwall Avenue. The R.G. Haley wood-treatment plant operated there for many years, and the soil is contaminated with the toxic chemicals that were used there before that plant shut down in 1985. The city purchased the site in 2009 from Douglas Management Co., paying only $1 but agreeing to take on the cost of environmental cleanup, estimated at anywhere between $3 million and $9 million at the time. John Stark reports. Temporary fix of seeping toxins into Bellingham Bay will cost $400,000

Port of Port Angeles commissioners approved Tuesday an additional $35,000 to clean up contamination from the former Peninsula Plywood site. The $35,000 will cover the cost of three sediment contamination tests immediately offshore as part of the demolition of the industrial site at 439 Marine Drive that was home to the PenPly plant and will map pipelines running underneath the 19-acre site leading to the former Peninsula Fuel station on the south side of the property. Arwyn Rice reports.  Port of Port Angeles OKs more money for cleanup of former mill site

Take a look at the notepad on your desk, your ATM receipt or the package of disposable plates you bought for your Memorial Day barbecue. Many paper products are labeled as being sourced from sustainable forests, and many consumers make buying decisions based on those labels. But are the labels trustworthy? A Bellingham-based environmental group, ForestEthics, plans to file a complaint Wednesday with the Federal Trade Commission that says one of the largest organizations that certifies forestry practices misleads consumers about the sources of the products that carry its seal of approval. Erika Bolstad reports. Bellingham group: 'Green' seal not worth paper it’s printed on

Could a synthetic compound derived from a sea anemone venom be used in the fight against obesity? That's what researchers from the University of California Irvine and Seattle-based biotech Kineta Inc. are trying to find out. The college researchers licensed a synthetic compound called ShK-186 to Kineta, which is developing the compound to treat autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, psoriatic arthritis and lupus, but which could be used to treat obesity. Ben Miller reports. Sea anemone venom touted as obesity weapon

On any given day of the week, you’ll find volunteers all around Pierce and Thurston counties giving hours of their time to teach others about gardening. They’re the Master Gardeners, an army of nearly 400 from all walks of life who share two passions – growing plants and sharing knowledge. They’re part of a program that’s just turning 40 years old, has spread to every corner of the nation and beyond and started right here in Pierce County. Rosemary Ponnekanti reports. Master Gardeners celebrate 40th year of program that began locally

Tent caterpillars, which last year wiped out apple crops on Saltspring Island and caused the cancellation of the annual apple festival, are now hatching from their tree-top nests and munching on fresh, green leaves. But these new hatchlings aren’t expected to reach the numbers of last year, nor decimate fruit orchards or deciduous trees to the same extent. Sandra McCulloch reports.  Creepy crawly caterpillars not as populous in Greater Victoria this year

Whatcom County sits at the northwest tip of the continental United States, a pine-fringed strip of 2,100 square miles in Washington state near where Canada meets the Pacific Ocean. Whatcom’s biggest claim to fame until now was as the nation’s top raspberry producer. But this year, a local election—the race for four seats on the Whatcom County Council—is shaping up to have a profound national, even global, impact. The outcome could affect the U.S. coal industry, trade relations with China, and the planet’s changing climate. Already, the county race is on the radar of the coal industry, which campaigned against President Obama in 2012 on the charge that he’s waged a “war on coal,” and of national advocacy groups such as the League of Conservation Voters, which spent $14 million nationally to influence the 2012 elections. “This is a smallish, local election, but the decisions this council will make over the next year or two will have sweeping implications for climate and energy around the world,” says Brendan Cechovik, executive director of the Washington state League of Conservation Voters, which is campaigning in support of four council candidates, and against two. Coral Davenport reports. The Obscure County Election That Could Change the Planet

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAY 29 2013
TODAY
E WIND 10 KT BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY THIS MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 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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5/28 State budget, climate change consultant, clam gardens, Feiro homage, Fort Worden woes, 'Rite of Spring'

PHOTO: Laurie MacBride

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "We live among ravens. Day in, day out, the raucous calls, mechanical-sounding “toc” notes and powerful wing swishes of these large birds punctuate our soundscape. The raven was known to First Nations people as The Trickster, for good reason. This bird lives for up 40 years and has a wide range of vocalizations, from the gentlest “coo” to the harshest “kraak’, and everything in between. Ravens mate for life and often the pair will work together to snag a meal, one bird serving as decoy, the other as bandit...." The Trickster Goes Flower Picking  

Staffers in the state’s financial management agency have been conducting legal and historical research to determine what would happen if lawmakers fail to pass a budget before the start of the fiscal year. David Schumacher, the budget director under Gov. Jay Inslee, said the work is being done in order to keep officials prepared and insisted that it’s not a sign that budget negotiations are at an impasse. Still, Senate Minority Leader Ed Murray called the pace of negotiations “glacial.” Mike Baker and Rachel La Corte report. Sides still far apart in ‘glacial' state budget talks

Fourteen candidates want to become state government’s consultant on climate change. The state Office of Financial Management took bids through Wednesday and is assigning scores to the 14 proposals it received. A newly formed committee made up of Gov. Jay Inslee and four state lawmakers will choose the consultant. At a cost of up to $350,000, the contractor will study what strategies could work to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the state, and what the costs could be. That includes a look at what has been done elsewhere, with California’s cap-and-trade system of pollution credits and British Columbia’s carbon tax as likely subjects of comparison. Jordan Schrader reports. State receives 14 applicants for climate job

The excavation of what appears to be an ancient food storage system along the beach of Russell Island, at the entrance to Swartz Bay, is helping to cast more light on the history and development of local aboriginal groups. Six years after researchers discovered two clam gardens along the beachfront, University of Victoria students are sifting through sand, gravel and shells to figure out how and when the gardens were built. Some researchers have suggested the gardens helped augment a community’s food supply. The gardens are beach areas where clams grow naturally and have been enhanced to increase clam production. 1,000-year-old First Nations clam gardens unearthed near Sidney

Two of the builders are long gone — yet they're not.  Standing beneath a 13-foot Western red cedar tree adorned with copper sea life, friends and family shared memories of Will Wirt and Art Feiro. The occasion for this gathering Friday afternoon was “Kindred Spirits,” the cedar monument freshly installed at the Arthur D. Feiro Marine Life Center on City Pier. Diane Urbani de la Paz reports. Feiro Marine Life Center's founders feted with new monument  

Enemy forces never got the chance to attack the artillery batteries at Warden State Park in Port Townsend, but it is now under assault on three fronts. Budget cuts, erosion and vandalism are taking a toll on the famous fort overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Employees and volunteers on Wednesday were installing a new fence on bluff near one of the old batteries. The trouble started when winter storms ate away at the bluff, undercut it and left a portion of park jutting out over the cliff supported by only a thin layer of soil and sod... To make matters even worse, someone apparently took temporary protective barriers workers placed on the bluff and threw them off the cliff. Gary Chittim reports. Budget cuts, vandals and nature gang up on Fort Worden  

If you like to watch: Composer, pianist and software engineer Stephen Malinowski has created one brilliant solution to an age-old problem: how to communicate and understand what's going on in a piece of music, particularly if you don't know standard musical notation. Over the course of some forty years, he's honed what he calls his "Music Animation Machine" from a 20-foot printed scroll to the software and iPad apps he's created — but the results are art.  Anastasia Tsioulcas reports. A mind-blowing visualization of 'The Rite of Spring'

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 757 AM PDT TUE MAY 28 2013
TODAY
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SHOWERS THIS MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE
 AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 RAIN...THEN RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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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.

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5/24 Skagit bridge, Ecology 'eyes,' Tzeporah Berman, Sally Jewell, Moby Doll, Haida iron sulfate dump

PHOTO: Frank Varga, Skagit Valley Herald

In case you missed this: No one is known to have died, but vehicles plunged into the water and three people were taken to the hospital after the Skagit River Bridge on Interstate 5 collapsed Thursday evening. The state Department of Transportation said its engineers are looking into an oversized, overheight vehicle striking a critical portion of the bridge span, spokesman Travis Phelps said. A large flatbed truck passed under the bridge, hitting several of the steel trusses on its way, Trooper Mark Francis of the State Patrol said. The truck came to a stop about 100 yards away from the structure on its south side, he said. Beverly Crichfield, Kate Martin, Lynsi Burton and Gina Cole report. Bridge collapse disaster, but no tragedy

Alas, Skagit Valley traffic using alternate routes to cross the river will feel like Tulip Time on steroids. Skagit County Sherriff Chief Will Reichert urged patience from Skagit County citizens unused to having I-5 traffic re-routed through small country roads. "We have some very small county roads that will be packed with traffic they're not used to seeing," Reichert said. No immediate fix for I-5 traffic woes  And former state Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond says, "I know the department is ready to respond.... The first order of business is to establish a detour for the over 70,000 vehicles that use I-5 in this area daily. This will require close coordination with the city and county on appropriate local roads that can accommodate a long-term diversion of freeway traffic..." How WSDOT will manage the I-5 collapse  

And more: Depending on its cause, Thursday night’s Skagit River bridge collapse might figure into discussions in Olympia about whether to raise gas taxes and fees to pay for transportation work. State transportation officials were unsure late Thursday why the bridge collapsed after it was struck by a truck carrying an oversize load. Lawmakers were unable to say what, if anything, the Legislature should do. Jordan Schrader reports. Lawmakers lack answers on bridge  

If you like to watch: The Washington Department of Ecology's Marine Monitoring Unit distributes a monthly report combining high resolution aerial photographs with satellite and ground-truthed monitoring data for Puget Sound surface conditions. Eyes Over Puget Sound: surface conditions report from May 20th, 2013

Tzeporah Berman, the eco-activist who gained notoriety a generation ago as a “whacked-out nature worshipper” for blockading logging roads during British Columbia’s divisive War in the Woods, was honoured Thursday at the University of B.C. with a doctorate. Berman’s evolution, from tree hugger to joining forest industry icons H.R. MacMillan and Peter Bentley, who have also received honorary doctorates from the university, marks the maturation not only of the B.C. environmental movement but of the ideals the university recognizes.... Berman was arrested and jailed in the summer of 1993 for organizing logging road blockades at Clayoquot Sound, at the time the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history. At that time, she was referred to on national TV as a “whacked-out nature worshipper.” A few years later, former B.C. premier Glen Clark called her an enemy of the state when she was leading the fight to restrict clearcut logging in the Great Bear Rainforest. Gordon Hamilton reports. UBC bestows doctorate on 'whacked-out nature worshipper' Tzeporah Berman

Interior Secretary Sally Jewel made her first public stop in the Northwest in Portland Thursday, six weeks into the job. The Seattleite and former REI chief executive‘s official business in Portland was to announce roughly $4 million in grants to give young people summer jobs in conservation and trail work. During her visit, she pitched in digging up invasive grasses on the edge of a wildlife refuge. Amelia Templeton reports. Jewell Makes First NW Return As Interior Secretary

A conference this weekend on Saturna Island will highlight changes in the attitude toward and treatment of orcas. The Moby Doll Symposium, which begins today and continues through Sunday in East Point Regional Park, will bring nine researchers to the island. The symposium is named after an orca, dubbed Moby Doll, that was captured in 1964 off the coast of Saturna and died in captivity three months later at the Vancouver Aquarium. The whale was the world’s first orca to be displayed in a public aquarium. Orcas the topic of Saturna conference

The Haida Salmon Restoration Corp., the group responsible for releasing 100 tonnes of iron sulphate in the international waters off Haida Gwaii, says it has also dumped its lead scientist Russ George. In a statement Thursday, the company’s board of directors announced George was removed as a director on the board and an officer of the corporation.... The group caused an international firestorm and came under intense scrutiny last October following the dump of 100 tonnes of iron sulphate and 20 tonnes of iron oxide some 350 kilometres off the Haida Gwaii archipelago in what would become known as the world’s largest — and unsanctioned — iron fertilization project. Zoe McKnight reports. Haida Salmon Restoration Corp. drops lead scientist ahead of second experiment

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAY 24 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS.
SAT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 12 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.

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5/23 Low tides, coal big pic, BC coal, Vic sewage, Port Angeles cleanup

You can take advantage of very low tides this holiday weekend by getting a naturalist’s view of a largely unseen world. What can you find? Anemones, moon snails, clams and another slimy surprise or two. Volunteer naturalists will be wandering the beaches, teaching folks about the life-forms that make their home between the tides and about the challenges the animals face. Richard Seven reports. Explore sea life on shore at low tide

The state Department of Health has closed beaches in northern Whatcom County to recreational shellfish harvesting because of unsafe levels of the biotoxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning. The ban affects beaches from Point Whitehorn north to the Canadian border, including Point Roberts. Northern Whatcom County beaches closed to recreational shellfish harvesting  

Environmental groups and a public health organization want the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider the big picture - from mining in Wyoming to air pollution in China - before allowing development of three Northwest ports to ship up to 100 million metric tons of coal a year to Asia. The groups filed a formal petition Wednesday asking the corps to consider all three ports together - two in Washington and one in Oregon - as well as the environmental and health effects of more coal mining, massive coal trains and greenhouse gas emissions. Jeff Barnard reports. Groups ask for big picture look at NW coal ports

Jeff Scott, president and CEO of Fraser Surrey Docks, needs to turn his business around and hopes a new $15-million coal transfer plan to ship four million tonnes of U.S. coal a year is the answer. Residents and environmentalists think it’s the wrong answer. Elaine O'Conner reports. Environmental groups oppose $15-million coal shipment plans; Surrey, Delta coal export plan faces opposition

Greater Victoria’s sewage treatment megaproject barrelled forward Wednesday after a closed-door meeting of regional politicians reaffirmed a tight new timeline that won’t wait for Esquimalt’s approval. The Capital Regional District board voted in-camera to push the project forward due to cost concerns, meaning it will put the proposed McLoughlin Point treatment plant out for construction bids before Esquimalt council has decided whether to rezone the land to allow a plant. Rob Shaw reports. Sewage plan plows ahead despite Esquimalt rebuke

The (Port Angeles) City Council has put its stamp of approval on two documents necessary for the cleanup of the western portion of Port Angeles Harbor. The agreed order and work plan for the cleanup process, approved Tuesday night by a 5-1 vote, with Councilman Max Mania opposed and Councilwoman Sissi Bruch recusing herself, formalizes how the city will work with four partners to develop a plan for studying and cleaning up industrial toxins from the bottom of the harbor’s west portion, City Attorney Bill Bloor said. The state Department of Ecology has named the city, the Port of Port Angeles, Georgia-Pacific LLC, Nippon Paper Industries USA and forest services company Merrill & Ring as at least partially responsible for cleaning up such contaminants as heavy metals that were found in the harbor during a 2008 Ecology study. Jeremy Schwartz reports. Port Angeles City Council puts stamp of approval on harbor cleanup plans

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAY 23 2013
TODAY
NE WIND TO 10 KT THIS MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY THIS
 MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY...
 THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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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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5/22 Steller sea lions, Duwamish Tribe, Bowen Is. docks, Everett invasives

Steller sea lion (NOAA)

On Vashon: Alaska oil activist and author Riki Ott will give a talk on banning toxic dispersants used in oil spills tonight on Vashon at 7 p.m. at Chautauqua Elementary School. She will provide information about the dispersants, laws that authorize their use, the Pacific Northwest Contingency Plan and opportunities for change. Here's the issue:  An oil spill cleanup could harm our waters  

More on Vashon: Sound Action will be filling in as "Guest" Bartenders at The Hardware Store Restaurant on Vashon Island this Thursday from 6-9 pm with a portion of the bar proceeds going to support the organization’s work to protect Puget Sound. Check out “Puget Sound in JEOPARDY”

It’s tough to persuade a suffering 1,000-kilogram Steller sea lion to stay still so that the fishing gear or garbage slowly killing it can be removed. Approaching a fully alert sea lion is not usually an option, said marine mammal biologist Wendy Szaniszlo of Ucluelet, but using a tranquilizer dart is a tough call — if the animal makes it to the water before being caught, it can drown. Szaniszlo hopes a workshop being held today at the Vancouver Aquarium will result in some innovative ways to help the mammals, which are considered critically endangered in some areas. Judith Lavoie reports.  Saving sea lions goal of workshop

Seattle’s native people, the Duwamish, will learn today (Tuesday) about their next step in a decades-old legal battle.  The tribe has petitioned the US government for federal recognition, which would make the Duwamish eligible for certain benefits like health care, fishing rights and the chance to run a casino. The petition, which has been in limbo since 1977, was briefly approved in 2001 and then denied days later as the White House changed hands from President Bill Clinton to President George W. Bush. In March, US District Judge John Coughenour ordered the Department of the Interior to reconsider its denial, indicating federal officials had handled the Duwamish case differently than similar ones. Tuesday is the deadline for the feds to respond. Liz Jones reports. Duwamish Fight For Federal Status Inches Forward   See also: Seattle's Fragmented Duwamish Tribe Struggles For Identity  See also: Tribal judge refuses to block disenrollment of 306 Nooksacks

When construction on the first of four private docks began at an exclusive waterfront development on the southwestern tip of Bowen Island earlier this month, some residents of the idyllic island were shocked. Now, roughly a quarter of the island’s residents have signed a petition to “Stop the Docks” being built by those set to move into four of 14 waterfront estates at Cape Roger Curtis, an area best known for its prime picnicking and panoramic views of the Strait of Georgia. Mike Hager reports. Plans for private docks spark outrage on Bowen Island

The city's urban forests are being eaten alive. The culprits are Himalayan blackberries, English ivy and other invasive plants. Without action, native conifers and other trees that populate Everett's parkland could be gobbled up within a few decades. The city recently published details of a 20-year plan to keep that from happening. The report is part of the Green Everett Partnership, a collaboration between the city's parks department and Forterra, the Seattle conservation group formerly known as the Cascade Land Conservancy. Noah Haglund reports. Out with the bad plants; Everett parks personnel on the offensive against invasive species

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAY 22 2013
TODAY
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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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.

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5/21 Water tests, UW green portfolio, ghost nets, ghost ships, plastics, sea sounds, overfishing, BC election oops

Hazel Wolf (r.) at Wenas, 1966 (UW Special Collections)

If you like to listen: The song of a Western Meadowlark rings out across the eastern slope of Washington’s Cascade Mountains. Come Memorial Day weekend, members of Audubon and friends will celebrate 50 years of gathering at the Wenas Campground to welcome the birds and wildflowers of spring. Two hundred and fifty-seven species of birds have been recorded in the area. Few, however, in quite the way as Hazel Wolf, the legendary environmental activist, did. BirdNote: Celebrating 50 Years and One Rare Bird at Wenas; Featuring Puns for Wenas by Hazel Wolf

A summer-long program to make sure your local beach is safe for swimming kicked off this week. Water samples taken from beaches like the one at Golden Gardens Park will be tested to make sure people who play in the water will be safe and not get sick from bacteria. If unsafe bacteria levels are found it could result in a public advisory or a total closure. Beaches around Puget Sound and on the Washington coast will be tested weekly. John White reports. Water quality tests conducted on local beaches

Students at the University of Washington want the school to dump its investments in major fossil fuel companies like Exxon and BP as part of a nationwide campaign to combat climate change through public institutions.  The University of Washington prides itself on being a green campus, but Kyle Murphy thinks they should have a green portfolio too. Murphy is one of the founders of UW Divest, the student group proposing a change to the way the UW Endowment Fund invests its money. He said that this is about ethics more than economics, “It’s about preserving and creating a world that allows everybody to live in it equitably and securely; and climate change threatens all of that.” Allie Ferguson reports. UW Students Seek End of Fossil Fuel Investments  

Doug Monk captains the 39-foot Bet Sea out into the waters of Puget Sound, just south of the Canadian border. He’s heading for a favorite fishing spot off Point Roberts, where a shallow shelf is lined with reefs and boulders. This is excellent habitat for migrating salmon and Dungeness crab. Monk has been a commercial diver on the Olympic Peninsula for some 20 years, harvesting shellfish and sea cucumbers, but for the past decade, he’s been after a different harvest: ghost nets. Ashley Ahearn reports. Vanquishing Zombie Fishing Nets In Puget Sound  

Plastics have only been in wide use since the 1940s, yet they are everywhere, from sandwich bags to phones, to keyboards, to rain gear. Even the cans of soup in the grocery aisle are lined with it. It's hard to imagine a world before these conveniences. What would your life be like without plastics? Seattle resident Samantha Porter decided to find out. She works behind the scenes of the Burke Museum, which is hosting an exhibit titled "Plastics Unwrapped." Bellamy Pailthorp reports. Exhibit inspires woman to try living plastics-free for entire month

Legislation that would encourage state officials to deal with derelict vessels earlier than usual was signed Monday by Gov. Jay Inslee. Key provisions of the bill include extending a $1 surcharge on vessel registrations to help pay for the program, authorizing state agencies to board vessels that threaten public health and the environment, changing violations from a criminal offense to a civil infraction to improve enforcement efforts, and requiring owners of vessels longer than 65 feet and older than 40 years to obtain an inspection before selling the boat. The inspection provisions take effect in July 2014. Chris Dunagan reports. Derelict vessel bill signed into law  

If you like to listen: The oceans are very noisy places: Shrimp crackle, fish bark, dolphins click, humpbacks sing, and many species talk to each other. Humans steer loud ships through the waters. According to research by a graduate student at the University of Washington, even the gravelly seabed contributes to the cacophony, particularly when the tide is strong. Indeed, the noise of the gravel can be so loud it often drowns out the other noises, making it impossible for scientists to hear the other sounds of the sea if the animal is not close to the microphone. "The reason for my project is that scientists are starting to look at these environments to exploit the power of these currents for renewable energy generation," said Christopher Bassett, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering. "Studying the sound is one way of addressing the potential for tidal energy development." Joel Shurkin reports. Tide-born pebbles on the seabed can drown out other ocean noises

The consequences of overfishing have led fisheries to rely on a handful of highly valuable shellfish—but new research shows this approach is extremely risky. Overfishing has reduced fish populations and biodiversity across much of the world’s oceans. New research, published today in Fish and Fisheries, shows that traditional fisheries targeting large predators such as cod and haddock have declined over the past hundred years. In their place, catches of shellfish such as prawns, scallops, and lobsters have rocketed as they begin to thrive in unnaturally predator-low environments often degraded by the passage of trawls and dredges. In many places, including the UK, shellfish are now the most valuable marine resource. The research by the Environment Department at York suggests that although a shellfish-dominated ecosystem appears beneficial from an economic perspective, it is highly risky.  Lack of biodiversity could topple fisheries

In a parallel universe, British Columbia’s NDP party swept to power in last week’s general election and leader Adrian Dix created an “unbroken string” of “green” governors and premiers along the West Coast from B.C.’s north to California’s border with Mexico. At least that’s what a column posted on a prominent Seattle news site reported soon after the final ballots were cast last Tuesday night. The piece, which states “Washington Gov. Jay Inslee should find a soulmate in Dix,” was still on The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s mobile site Monday night. Mike Hagar reports. Seattle news site accidentally calls B.C. election for the NDP

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAY 21 2013
TODAY
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 16 SECONDS...BECOMING W 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN THIS MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER
 MIDNIGHT.

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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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5/20 Mt. St. Helens, whale collision, Shell drill, tidal turbine, toxic algae, Enbridge pipe, seafloor lab, bird sanctuary

PHOTO: Associated Press

In case you missed this on Saturday and 33 years ago: Saturday is the 33rd anniversary of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens that killed 57 people, knocked down a forest and filled the sky and rivers with volcanic ash. The mountain in southwest Washington may be the best known volcano in the state, but it's not the only one or the most dangerous. Remembering Mount St. Helens blast 33 years later

A Campbell River man underwent facial surgery Friday after a whale breached and collided with his boat, prompting marine life researchers to warn boaters to be on the lookout for increasing numbers of humpback whales around Vancouver Island. The whale breached in front of the man’s Grady-White fibreglass boat and the impact cracked the hull and sent him through the windshield. Judith Lavoie reports. Man undergoes facial surgery after humpback whale breaches, collides with his boat

The Coast Guard will kick off hearings Monday on how a Royal Dutch Shell PLC drill barge used for Arctic Ocean exploratory drilling ended up aground off a remote Alaska island. The Kulluk was under tow and bound from the Aleutian Islands' Dutch Harbor to a Seattle shipyard when it ran into rough Gulf of Alaska water. It broke from its towing vessel, and after four days of futile attempted hookups, ran aground New Year's Eve in shallow water off Sitkalidak Island, near Kodiak Island. Damage to the ship led to Shell's decision not to drill in Arctic waters in 2013. Dan Joling reports. Coast Guard to take testimony on Shell grounding

An Irish company that builds tidal-power turbines is exploring the possibility of locating a plant in Western Washington -- possibly in Everett. Representatives of OpenHydro of Dublin visited Everett last week to discuss their technology with political and business leaders from Snohomish County, the region and the state. The Snohomish County Public Utility District has applied with the federal government for a license to start an experimental tidal-power project in Admiralty Inlet between Fort Casey State Park and Port Townsend. Bill Sheets reports. Everett potential site for tidal-power turbine plant

Anderson Lake is closed to fishing and other recreation. High levels of the potent nerve toxin anatoxin-a were detected in water samples taken from Anderson Lake on Monday.... Upon the county’s recommendation, State Parks Ranger Mike Zimmerman, closed the lake to fishing, boating and swimming. People also are urged to keep pets out of the water. Anderson Lake closed because of high toxin level

Enbridge’s Northern Gateway oil pipeline has failed to meet the British Columbia government’s five conditions for approving the project, the government stated Friday. In an email response to The Sun over demands from aboriginal groups opposed to the project who want to meet Premier Christy Clark, the ministry of aboriginal relations and reconciliation said the project has not met the province’s standard. Gordon Hamilton reports. Province says Northern Gateway still fails to meet its five conditions

Scientists are eager for access to information from a quarter-billion dollar lab at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean that they hope will teach them about climate change, earthquakes and even the origins of life on Earth and other planets. The $239 million National Science Foundation project will install video cameras, seismic monitors and other gauges along a volcano in deep waters off the Pacific Northwest coast, giving researchers the ability to monitor activity 2 miles below the ocean surface. The project could potentially warn of earthquakes that would threaten the Seattle area, according to scientists. Donna Gordon Blankinship reports. Scientists excited about new lab at bottom of Pacific Ocean  

People are invited to learn the latest details about a proposed wildlife sanctuary at Wednesday's Parks Board meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Snohomish Boys & Girls Club, 402 Second St., Snohomish. The board is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council on the sanctuary steering committee's plan or ask for changes. The public can also make recommendations. The wildlife viewing area also has a proposed name: Snohomish Riverview Sanctuary. Alejandro Dominguez reports. Bird sanctuary in works at Snohomish wetland  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 246 AM PDT MON MAY 20 2013
TODAY
SW WIND 10 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. RAIN.

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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.

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5/17 First Salmon, BC pipes, Noctiluca, stormwater permits, sewage PR, Johnny Depp fossil

Japanese nettle jellyfish (Ward Perrin, PNG)

New blog: “British Columbia has survived its 40th provincial election. If you are going to run for public office in Washington state, you will have to register as a candidate by the end of today. Have you every considered being a candidate? Some people run for public office. Why?...” Deciding To Run For Public Office?

If you like to watch: More than 15 varieties of jellyfish are on display at the Vancouver attraction. Weird and wonderful jellyfish at Vancouver Aquarium

If you like to watch: Our west-facing view from The Herald is spectacular. Along with Navy ships, Boeing jets and Olympic peaks, there's a new attraction. A mother crow is sitting on hatchlings in a nest just outside a newsroom window. We're watching an up-close show of nature and survival. Julie Muhlstein reports. Bird's-eye view of nest gives peek at world of crows

The bounty of the Salish Sea was evident as hundreds of people heaped their plates high with seafood. Fresh-caught chinook salmon; succulent, thick crab legs; steamed clams and mussels; bright prawns thicker than a man’s thumb; and, of course, fry bread adorned most plates in the packed gymnasium during the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s annual Blessing of the Fleet and First Salmon ceremony Thursday in La Conner. The hall held more than 500 people, including tribal members, neighbors and area elected officials. Kate Martin reports. Feeding the spirit; protecting the people  

The collapse of the NDP at the polls this week denied power to a party that would have blocked oil pipelines in British Columbia. But opponents of two proposed pipelines, one that would cross central B.C. to Kitimat and another that would expand an existing route to Vancouver, say a Liberal win does not mean the projects are any more likely to proceed. Mark Hume reports. Pipeline foes hope to sway B.C. Liberals

Springtime means red algae blooms in Puget Sound.  Noctiluca is a harmless single-celled micro-organism that bioluminesces and occurs normally at this time of year. This kind of plankton does not photosynthesize, but gets its red color from the phytoplankton it eats. This type of bloom shows up as large, red-brown, even orange tomato-soup-like streaks along current and tidal convergence lines, according to the state Department of Ecology. Noctiluca is a harmless bloom, rather than the so-called red tide that refers to paralytic shell fish poisoning. Lynda Mapes reports. Sunshine plus Puget Sound equals red algae See also: Orange waters reveal an early, harmless plankton bloom

We recently updated you on the new stormwater permits that will soon dictate how Washington State’s most populated areas manage polluted runoff that damages water quality and can flood low-lying property. Here we’ll tackle the new Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit, which covers the next most populated areas and affects nearly 100 cities around the state.... The rules governing how cities and other jurisdictions manage this dirty runoff are contained in municipal permits, which were recently updated in Washington State and are about to kick in throughout much of the state. Ashley Pedersen and Jennifer Langston report.  The Skinny on WA’s New Stormwater Permits (#2)

The Victoria communications firm that helped rebrand VicPD and save the Victoria International Marina project is being tapped to make over the region’s controversial sewage-treatment project. Acumen Communications Group is being recommended for up to $50,000 in communications work for the Capital Regional District’s sewage-treatment project. Rob Shaw reports. Victoria police and marina PR firm tapped to take on sewage

Edward Scissorhands actor Johnny Depp has been immortalized in the name of a newly discovered fossil species from ancient Canada — a 505-million-year-old marine creature with “scissor-like claws” found by a British researcher in British Columbia’s Kootenay National Park. 505-million-year-old fossil found in B.C. park named after Johnny Depp

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 246 AM PDT FRI MAY 17 2013
TODAY
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10
 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
SAT
SE WIND 10 KT...BECOMING W IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 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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5/16 Hood Canal easement, fish in warming oceans, Jpod, TMDL vs PIC, BC pipes, BP fears

PHOTO: Laurie MacBride

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "When life hands us lemons, we’re told to make lemonade. So what do you do when nature knocks down your beloved lilac tree? You fill the house with flowers, make photographs, and feed your friends! We awoke last Sunday morning to a changed view from our living room window: an open vista where the lilac tree had stood. Overly tall and top heavy with blossoms, its two largest trunks had fallen over during the night in the heavy rain and wind..." Lilac Lemonade  

The Navy has proposed a conservation easement on state lands in Hood Canal, a proposal that could kill the controversial pit-to-pier project. The conservation easement, which would apply to subtidal lands in Jefferson County, would effectively preclude new commercial or industrial construction that would extend from the shoreline, according to information provided by the Navy and Washington Department of Natural Resources.... The easement will be a strip of underwater area from the Hood Canal bridge south to a point just south of the Jefferson-Mason County line near Eldon. In most areas, the protected bedlands will be defined by their depths, from 18 feet below the average low tide to 70 feet down. More than 4,000 acres are covered by the easement. Commercial projects that require the use of subtidal lands — such as a new industrial pier or marina — would be unable to acquire the necessary leases as a result of the agreement. Dan Baskins, spokesman for a group hoping to develop a 1,000-foot pier near Shine in Jefferson County, said the group had not been informed about the proposed easement....  Baskins said he expects that the pit-to-pier project can still move forward, because Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark, who heads the DNR, has a duty to balance public and private interests. Goldmark must recognize that the company, Thorndyke Resource, has followed the required approval process in good faith, he said, and the rules cannot be changed at the end.  Chris Dunagan reports. Navy easement could end controversial pit-to-pier project

Climate change is gradually altering the fish that end up on ice in seafood counters around the world, according to a new study. "The composition of the [global] fish catch includes more and more fish from the warmer areas, and cold-water fish are getting more rare, because the temperatures are increasing," says Daniel Pauly at the University of British Columbia, a co-author of the study. As oceans warm — a result of climate change — fish maintain their preferred water temperature by moving away from the equator and toward the poles. Richard Harris reports. Go fish (somewhere else): Warming oceans altering catches  

From Howie Garrett and Susan Berta at Orca Network: "J pod appeared off Victoria [Wednesday]. They looked around and headed east, then north along San Juan Island. They shuffled between Lime Kiln and Henry Island all afternoon, and were last seen heading north up Haro Strait. None were missing since they were seen last more than two months ago, and no new babies were seen. It's a relief to know they are back, although about a month later than normal." Orca Network http://orcanetwork.org/

When it comes to cleaning up bacterial pollution in Puget Sound, we seem to have a clash — or at least some redundancy — in the methods we use. In Kitsap County, water-quality officials are saying studies conducted by the Washington Department of Ecology, which allocated total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), have not been much help in attacking the local pollution problem. That’s because the approach developed by Kitsap County, called the Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Program, has been highly successful in tracking down and cleaning up bacterial pollution. Chris Dunagan blogs. Embracing a new approach to nonpoint pollution?  

Christy Clark’s stunning election victory has raised the likelihood that one or both of the oilsands pipeline projects to the B.C. coast will be built, supporters and opponents of the proposals said Wednesday. While Clark set five tough conditions for the projects involving environmental protection, aboriginal rights and financial benefits, the New Democratic Party’s Adrian Dix was a clear opponent. Kennedy Stewart, NDP MP for Burnaby Douglas, called the election result a “big game changer.” Peter O'Neil and Scott Simpson report.  Even opponents think B.C. oil pipelines more likely after Liberal victory

BBC business editor Robert Peston has learned that BP feels its financial recovery is in jeopardy because the compensation system is being abused. The financial burden of paying fictitious and inflated claims may even make BP a takeover target, it fears. BP wants Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene over the escalating cost of compensating US companies for the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster in 2010. BP to ask for Cameron's help as oil spill costs escalate

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 244 AM PDT THU MAY 16 2013
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SLIGHT 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.

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5/15 BC election results, GiveBIG, UW ocean acid, streaked horned lark

Northwest Spring (Photo: Kathleen Carpenter)

British Columbians voted overwhelmingly to send the Liberal Party back to power Tuesday in one of the most dramatic political comebacks in recent Canadian history. The election was a stunning turnaround for Premier Christy Clark, although she lost her own seat in Vancouver-Point Grey. Polling had for months put her far behind NDP Leader Adrian Dix, and many thought a change was inevitable after 12 years of Liberal rule. Mark Hume, Ian Bailey and Justine Hunter report. Christy Clark's B.C. Liberals win election in surprise turnaround; Turnaround after ‘full-on battle’ surprises even B.C. Liberals

GiveBIG 2013: Grow your gift! Credit card donations made through The Seattle Foundation's website TODAY, May 15 between midnight and midnight (Pacific Time) will be stretched thanks to $850,000 in support for GiveBIG from The Seattle Foundation and GiveBIG sponsors. Choose your non-profit and GiveBIG

If you like to watch: Check out KOMO News's collection of Northwest Weather Photos: Showing off our spectacular spring

A team of scientists in Friday Harbor is providing a window into the future of the ocean. Martha Baskin reports. Why UW scientists are speeding up ocean acidification

A songbird called the streaked horned lark has a curious propensity for risky neighborhoods. That's not a good quality for a bird proposed for listing as a threatened species. Its preferred hangouts include airports, Army training fields, and dredge spoil dumping sites along the lower Columbia River. A two-state experiment seeks to find out if these rare larks can be enticed to safer habitats.... At this point, there are fewer than 2,000 left. Tom Banse reports. Can this rare songbird be lured away from risky neighborhoods?  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 233 AM PDT WED MAY 15 2013
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
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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