7/18 Sanctuary, Martinac shipyard, boat insurance, Ohop Cr., shellfish dig, Pebble Mine

(IMAGE: Olympic Coast NMS)

New blog: Happy 20th Birthday, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Twenty years ago this week the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary was dedicated, the nation’s 12th marine sanctuary authorized under the Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (full name: Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 aka Ocean Dumping Act). Today, it’s impossible to imagine Congress passing such comprehensive environmental legislation....

Tacoma’s oldest shipyard to be sold on courthouse steps Friday
A last-hour rescue effort for Tacoma’s sole remaining major shipyard has failed. The 90-year-old J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Co.’s Foss Waterway shipyard will be sold Friday morning in a foreclosure auction on the plaza of the county courthouse. Joe Martinac Jr., the shipyard’s president, and the last of a long line of family shipyard managers, said eleventh hour efforts to find new business for the shipyard failed to produce new contracts that would stave off the shipyard’s auction. John Gille reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

New law targets purchase, sale, condition of older, longer boats
A new Washington state law requires boat owners to carry insurance for vessels 65 feet or longer, and for boats age 40  and over. Approved by the state legislature, the law went into effect July 1. The law applies to owners of commercial and private boats, and also requires inspection of boat and its condition prior to sale. (San Juan Journal)

Tribe, Land Trust Break Ground on Ohop Creek Restoration Project
The Nisqually Indian Tribe, Nisqually Land Trust and South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group broke ground on 1.5 miles of restored salmon habitat on Ohop Creek on Saturday. Ohop Creek, near Eatonville, is a vital tributary to the Nisqually River, according to a press release from the land trust. The Ohop River flows into the Nisqually River about 15 miles southeast of Yelm. Steven Wyble reports. (Yelm Online)

Mystery Bay, Kilisut Harbor reopened to shellfish harvest of all but butter, varnish clams
Mystery Bay and Kilisut Harbor have reopened for recreational shellfish harvesting of all species except butter and varnish clams, the Jefferson County Health Department said Thursday. Levels of the marine biotoxin that cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, or DSP, are currently below the safe level of 16 micrograms per 100 grams of tissue, according to Michael Dawson, water quality lead for the county department. The area remains closed to the harvest of butter and varnish clams due to their tendency to retain marine biotoxins for a long time, up to a year. (Peninsula Daily News)

Opponents say Alaska mine would devastate salmon, Washington state fishing industry 
Supporters of the embattled Pebble Mine project in Alaska are making a desperate effort in Congress and the courts to keep it alive in the face of warnings from the Environmental Protection Agency that it could devastate the finest run of wild salmon left on the globe. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are pushing a bill to keep the EPA from blocking the mine, despite opposition from Washington state lawmakers who say the project could be devastating to the fishing industry in their state. Sean Cockerham reports. (McClatchy) See also: EPA proposes to block Alaska mine over salmon risk  Becky Bohrer reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI JUL 18 2014
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W
 SWELL 5 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 4 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 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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