6/6 Drones, guns, seastar wasting, Dicks Wildlife Refuge, Van Aquarium, DERT, Oly water quality

If you like to watch: Who Owns The Air? The Fight Over Drones, As Seen From A Drone  Steve Henn reports.  (NPR)

New blog:  Let’s Get Together With Guns
Weren’t those Sunday Seattle Times pictures of women and their concealed weapons wonderful? Photographer Erika Schultz captured them well, as did the reporters in their story. I thought they were a lot better than the Washington Post photo that accompanied a story earlier this week about ‘open carry’ demonstrations in Texas....

A plot to spot wasted stars
....As Port Townsend ramped up for its annual Rhododendron Festival, (Melissa) Miner joined a group of science center volunteers lead by PTMSC marine program coordinator Chrissy McLean and AmeriCorps member Shannon Phillips to establish two long-term monitoring plots of Indian Island. The reason: A mysterious wasting syndrome is killing sea stars along North America’s west coast from British Columbia to Mexico, and its reach has only increased since Olympic National Park researchers first noticed it in ochre sea stars a year ago this month off Starfish Point, two miles north of Kalaloch. Nicholas Johnson reports. (Port Townsend Leader)

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge center to be named Friday for Norm Dicks
Former 18-term congressman Norm Dicks is being honored Friday at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge with a ceremony to name of the visitor center after him. Department Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is scheduled to attend the 11 a.m. event that also includes remarks from U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, U.S. Reps. Derek Kilmer and Denny Heck, and Nisqually Indian Tribe members. Brad Shannon repots. (Olympian)

Vancouver Aquarium facelift aims to make visitors think (with video)
The $45-million renovation and expansion of the Vancouver Aquarium opens next week featuring iridescent exterior cladding that changes colour from blue to grey to green, like fish scales, depending on lighting conditions and angle of view. When the new sections open on Friday, the gallery’s entrance returns to the south from the temporary entrance to the east. Bill Reid’s orca statue Chief of the Undersea World has been returned to the entrance plaza after being in storage for two years. Kevin Griffin reports. (Vancouver Sun)

If you like to watch: Free The Deschutes!
The once healthy and vital Deschutes estuary is now a public and environmental health hazard known as Capitol Lake. Recreational access is closed until the area is restored, and the water is of poor quality and full of invasive species - unhealthy for people and wildlife. The Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team (DERT) leads the campaign for clean water, public access, ecological stewardship, and a renewed economy through the restoration of South Puget Sound. You and DERT can make a difference. Check this out.

Possible code revisions target water quality, pollution reduction in Olympia
Olympia is exploring three water-related initiatives with widespread implications. Representatives of the city’s Storm and Surface Water Utility held a study session Tuesday with the Olympia City Council about possible code revisions that will affect residents, developers and aquatic habitats. These revisions would specifically target water quality, water infrastructure, low-impact development policies, stewardship of natural resources and more. In response to a requirement by the state Department of Ecology, the city formed a work group to evaluate current storm and surface water regulations. The goal is to complete these revisions for council approval by the end of 2015, according to city staff. (Olympian)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI JUN 6 2014
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 4 SECONDS.
SAT
W WIND 10 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 6 SECONDS.
SUN
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 6 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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