11/13 Rockfish protection, pipeline benefits, landslide guidelines, pipeline lead retiring

(Laurie MacBride)

Wind in the Willow
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "After a month of rain and overly warm temperatures, we’ve entered into a time of cool, bright, windy days – each one, a power failure waiting to happen. But there’s an upside to this weather pattern: the sunny afternoons call me out of doors, and now that my garden chores are mostly finished for the year, I finally have some time to wander and explore. The semi-abstract photo above is an attempt to convey my impressions of being amid all the tremendous natural energy that Mother Nature is throwing at us these days…."

Feds to protect Puget Sound habitat for rockfish
The National Marine Fisheries Service is set to designate about 1,000 square miles in Puget Sound as critical habitat for three species of imperiled rockfish. The habitat protection follows a 2010 decision to list yelloweye, canary and bocaccio rockfish under the Endangered Species Act. The agency says the rockfish are vulnerable to overfishing because they have long lives and mature slowly with sporadic reproduction. The designation will require federal agencies to make sure their actions don't harm rockfish habitat. The rule is scheduled to be published on Thursday. The protected area will cover about 340 fewer square miles that originally proposed, excluding some tribal lands and military areas. (Associated Press)

New blog: The Chief Business of the American People...
"“The chief business of the American people is business.” That’s Calvin Coolidge in 1925 and the quote came to mind right after Hallowe’en when the Christmas (we say ‘Christmas’) decorations began appearing in stores and Black Friday special offers started filling the inbox…"

Kinder Morgan president says B.C. pipeline benefits fair
Duelling reports about job-creation numbers and oil spill cleanup costs for the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C., have prompted the company to defend the benefits it has forecast for the project. Kinder Morgan’s president Ian Anderson said estimates of a high number of jobs in British Columbia during the proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline are based on fair and reasonable assumptions. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

New guidelines adopted to help spot landslide risks
A state board has approved expanded guidelines to help identify potentially dangerous landslide areas, a move that comes eight months after the devastating Oso slide. Some timber companies criticized the guidelines as expensive and unnecessary. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

Janet Holder, Enbridge pipeline project leader, to retire
News that the Enbridge executive in charge of leading the company's controversial Northern Gateway pipeline project is retiring comes just weeks after doubt was raised over a 2018 startup date. Executive vice-president Janet Holder will retire on Dec. 31, after more than 20 years with Enbridge, having been the lead on the pipeline project since 2011. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 241 AM PST THU NOV 13 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 8 TO 9 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT
 WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 15 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
NE WIND 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 14 SECONDS.

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