4/29 Frogs, Shell air, Victoria sewer, Skagit flood study

Pacific Chorus frog (Laurie MacBride)

Salish Sea Communications will be at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference  for the next few days. Look for some blogs on the proceedings and follow @savepugetsound on Twitter #SSEC14

If you like to watch and listen: Leaps and Lullabies
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "I’ve been rushing about, leaping from one task to another. April has kept me hopping, between preparing prints and hanging them for my show which opens this week, planting seeds and transplanting my veggies starts to the garden, doing our income tax returns, and a long list of other “must-do’s”.Fortunately, after each busy day, sleep has come quite easily, thanks to the steady nighttime music provided by the Pacific Chorus frogs (AKA Pacific Tree frogs) who have been hanging out at our pond. For the past six weeks the males’ lusty courting songs have filled our night air – a stimulating sound for the lady frogs, but more like a lullaby for me. (Here’s a link to their calls if you’re curious.)"

A helping hand for endangered frogs
Call it Head Start for frogs. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is working with several partners in Washington to restore the population of native Oregon spotted frogs, which has been listed as an endangered species in this state since 1997. Fish and Wildlife collects egg masses, and the partners raise the tadpoles to adult frogs in a safe environment before they are released. Oregon spotted frogs are found only in Whatcom, Skagit, Thurston, Klickitat and Skamania counties. They now occupy 10 percent or less of its former range of wetlands in the Pacific Northwest. Sharon Wooton reports. (Everett Herald)

Shell air permit gains ‘unprecedented’ public attention
The Northwest Clean Air Agency will host a public hearing Wednesday regarding the Shell Puget Sound Refinery’s draft Air Operating Permit in response to a flurry of phone calls and letters that showed unprecedented community interest. Agency officials believe the public has confused the permitting process with the refinery’s separate crude oil offloading facility proposal, which gained attention with a nationally growing concern over crude-by-rail projects.... Agency officials said they have learned that groups are organizing demonstrations and advertising the public hearing to protest oil trains and refinery emissions. The anticipated crowd is expected to be larger than the 35-person capacity of the agency’s conference room, so Northwest Clean Air has moved the hearing to the Skagit County Administration Building, 700 S. Second St., Room C. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Sewage plan soundly rejected: poll
A new poll says those guiding the Capital Regional District’s $783-million sewage treatment plan are on a collision course with citizens. The Sewage Treatment Action Group commissioned the poll, carried out by research company Popular Change. The poll found 76 per cent of 2,311 respondents from Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay are concerned about the sewage plan.... Victoria Coun. Geoff Young, chairman of the CRD’s liquid waste management committee, said the poll questions were leading. But he said the CRD and some municipalities are indeed on a collision course if the regional government can’t be allowed to make economic decisions about where the sites are going to be. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist) See also: Sewage foes' survey skewed, says Seaterra director  (Times Colonist)

Skagit River GI flood study reaches milestone
The Skagit River General Investigation Study has reached a major milestone, Skagit County Public Works announced Monday. County officials were notified last week that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers settled on a “tentatively selected plan” for the GI Study, according to a news release. The agencies are now moving forward to study the plan’s feasibility. Out of four alternatives, one being “no action,” the Corps selected the Comprehensive Urban Levee Improvement Plan, which includes modifying the upper and lower Baker dams north of Concrete to increase water storage on the Baker River to improve flood-risk management. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PDT TUE APR 29 2014
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 14 SECONDS. CHANCE OF RAIN THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT THROUGH THU
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 TO 6 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.

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