2/18 "New" Elwha, 3 Crabs estuary, Mar Vista fine, Whale Trail presents, ferry work, flood maps

“Old” Glines Canyon Dam (PHOTO: John Gussman/KPLU)

If you like to watch: With Second Dam Nearly Gone, New Era Blossoming On The Elwha River
The slow-motion demolition of two hydroelectric dams on the Elwha River is radically changing the landscape near Port Angeles, but it’s not a scene you can witness on your own.  Just a handful of dedicated photographers and filmmakers have been given permission to place their cameras at key posts near the Glines Canyon Dam to capture the changes as crews of skilled technicians carefully notch into the concrete walls and place dynamite in just the right places. Bellamy Pailthorp reports.

$3.8 million project to provide face-lift for Dungeness’ 3 Crabs estuarine area
Rerouting Sequim-Dungeness Way, removing a century of shoreline armoring and expanding wetland lagoons will soon be done under a plan to restore the beach and estuary at 3 Crabs.  Led by the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, the $3.8 million project’s goal is to protect and restore “some of the most high value coastal lands on the continent,” said Jamie Michel, project manager for the North Olympic Salmon Coalition. When finished, the organizations spearheading the project hopes it will help return Meadowbrook Creek to its natural channel as well as make the beach easier for the public to reach. Joe Smillie reports.

Waterfront clearcut at former Mar Vista Resort draws $3K fine
David Honeywell has paid a $1,000 fine for clearing some 80 trees and several acres of shrubs and other vegetation from waterfront land at their Orca Dreams estate, formerly the Mar Vista resort, near False Bay on the west side of San Juan Island. The fine was imposed as part of a “Notice of Violation” issued on Feb. 6 by the San Juan County Community Development and Planning Department. The violation lists Orca Dreams of Spokane, Wash., as the property owner and Dave Honeywell as the responsible person. The notice also included Allen Benjamin Engle, who did the work on the property through his business, Solid Ground, as an additional responsible person. Engle was fined $2,000; he has reportedly told the county he will pay the fine. Steve Wehrly reports.

The Whale Trail Presents: Salmon Recovery Efforts in Puget Sound
Salmon are the key to the recovery of the endangered southern resident orcas. How are the salmon populations of Puget Sound doing, and what can we do to help? Jeanette Donner, manager of the Puget Sound Partnership's Ecosystem and Salmon Recovery Program, is the featured speaker at the February 27 Orca Talk, 7 pm, held at C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave SW, Seattle. $5 suggested donation, kids free; tickets at brownpapertickets.com

Out-of-state companies may get chance to bid on ferry work
Simmering frustration with the cost of building state ferries has lawmakers again considering stricter controls on contracts and relaxing a requirement to build vessels only in Washington. The state House approved a bill Monday to allow out-of-state companies to compete if bids from in-state shipbuilders are substantially higher than estimated constructions costs. House Bill 2759 also would require contracts issued in the future to be for a fixed-price, contain a smaller contingency fund than permitted in the past and be overseen by an independent project manager hired by the state. Jerry Cornfield reports.

Why Taxpayers Will Bail Out the Rich When the Next Storm Hits
As homeowners around the nation protest skyrocketing premiums for federal flood insurance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has quietly moved the lines on its flood maps to benefit hundreds of oceanfront condo buildings and million-dollar homes, according to an analysis of federal records by NBC News. The changes shift the financial burden for the next destructive hurricane, tsunami or tropical storm onto the neighbors of these wealthy beach-dwellers — and ultimately onto all American taxpayers. In more than 500 instances from the Gulf of Alaska to Bar Harbor, Maine, FEMA has remapped waterfront properties from the highest-risk flood zone, saving the owners as much as 97 percent on the premiums they pay into the financially strained National Flood Insurance Program. Bill Dedman reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PST TUE FEB 18 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SW WIND 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING W 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13
 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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