1/29 Oil spill rules, seal cull, methanol plants, bird adaptation, safer crab pots

Nurse log (PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Saying OK to Decay
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Not unlike me, the old nurse log that rests on the edge of our southern pond seems to be getting lower to the ground and wider in the hips with each passing year. What used to be a round, high and solid surface is now soft, spongy and low enough to step over, even with my short legs. The nurse log supports a variety of colonizing mosses, and the roots of neighbouring firs, hawthorns and willows amble through it…."

If you like to watch: Octopus fights caught on tape reveal signals before battle
Octopuses, long considered solitary creatures, may have more complex social lives than previously thought — including signals to tell the competition whether they're picking a fight or backing down. Researchers watched more than 50 hours of video of shallow-water octopuses in Jervis Bay, Australia, and found intriguing patterns, they report in a new paper published today in Current Biology. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)

New blog: The Future of The Puget Sound
“The” Puget Sound. Does reading or hearing that make your skin crawl, your ears ring? How about riding “the” Metro? Go to “the” Husky Stadium to watch the Huskies play? Blame those Californians for polluting the Puget Sound stylebook; they should go back to where they came from. Maybe then we can go back to calling this place "Whulge."

Push to protect Puget Sound from oil spills may stall in Legislature
Citing increasing use of what they call risky practices when boats haul oil across Puget Sound, environmentalists are making a bid for a new law regulating marine vessels to match 2015’s stricter controls on the boom in oil transport by railroads. But they may have reached their high-water mark for action by the 2015-16 Legislature. Scientists say Puget Sound — in failing health for decades and beset by a litany of insults, including toxic pollution and shoreline development — could be dealt an ecological death blow by an oil spill in its poorly flushed waters. Think of it like drowning a person who already had been dying of the proverbial thousand cuts. Last year, Democrats and Republicans in Olympia eventually made common cause on a hard-fought bill to better regulate trains hauling explosive new varieties of crude oil across land. But the compromise angered environmentalists because similar measures for on-water oil transport had been stripped from the bill. Robert McClure reports. (Investigate West)

Seal cull not yet warranted despite large salmon diet say researchers
Harbour seals off B.C.'s South Coast may consume up to 60 per cent of the Strait of Georgia's young chinook and coho salmon every year, according to UBC research. Growing concerns about B.C.'s salmon numbers has focused on orca populations and rising water temperatures in the past, but this study suggests the dramatic increase in the harbour seal population in recent decades may play a role as well. Still, the connection between low salmon stocks and a large harbour seal population is not clear enough to warrant a seal cull, scientists warn. (CBC)

Gov. Inslee Says Questions About Wash. Methanol Plants' Water Usage Are Legitimate
There are legitimate questions about proposed multi-billion dollar methanol plants at the ports of Tacoma and Kalama, according to Gov. Jay Inslee. He said the plants offer benefits but their water usage and possible pollution need to be carefully considered.  These are projects Inslee touted in January 2015 at an economic forecast conference in Seattle. At the time, he said he had met with the company, Northwest Innovation Works, which is backed by the Chinese government, to secure their commitment to build the methanol plants in Tacoma and Kalama. Ashley Gross reports. (KPLU)

The Surprising Way Birds Are Trying To Dodge Climate Change
New research shows that some birds are moving faster than ever to keep up with shifting climates. Here’s where they’re going. Purbita Saha reports. (Audubon)

How to help crabs survive when you lose a crab pot
A simple alteration to recreational crab pots could save thousands of crabs from going to waste each year, all because crabs are unable to escape from lost crab pots that keep on working, according to a new study. The Crab Pot Escapement Study, commissioned by the Northwest Straits Foundation, is the first to measure how well crabs use the escape routes provided in the design of every crab pot sold in Washington state. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST FRI JAN 29 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  

TODAY  SE WIND RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT EARLY...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT  IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W  SWELL 13 FT AT 16 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS IN THE  AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 14 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SHOWERS.

SAT  SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 13 FT AT  13 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.  SHOWERS.

SAT NIGHT  SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL  10 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

SUN  S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 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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1/28 NW quake, ocean plastic, spill response, new pipe rules, Wolf Bauer, Vic sewer

Elwha Jan 25 (Anne Shaffer/Coastal Watershed Institute)

‘Really Big One’ article puts NW earthquake risk on White House agenda
For decades, geologists, emergency managers and media in the Pacific Northwest have been warning that the region will someday be slammed by a megaquake and tsunami that could be the country’s worst natural disaster. But it took an East Coast magazine to finally elevate the issue onto the White House agenda. Inspired in large part by an article in The New Yorker in the summer, the Obama administration is hosting an Earthquake Resilience Summit on Tuesday — and is expected to underscore its support for an earthquake early warning system on the West Coast. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Earthquake anniversary draws attention  At about 9 p.m. 316 years ago, what scientists call the Great Cascadia Earthquake rocked the Pacific Northwest. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) And also: Earthquake detection: It's time to finish the network, researcher says  (CBC)

If you like to watch: A Place at the Table: Benefits of Beach Restoration
Friends of the San Juans recently completed a beach restoration project on Brown Island with many partners including three private shoreline landowners and local contractors. The video, “A Place at the Table: Benefits of Beach Restoration,” showcases the project, the people involved and its goal of reestablishing a healthy, functioning shoreline and habitat for fish. (Friends of the San Juans)

By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans, study says
There is a lot of plastic in the world’s oceans…. if it was bagged up and arranged across all of the world’s shorelines, we could build a veritable plastic barricade between ourselves and the sea. But that quantity pales in comparison with the amount that the World Economic Forum expects will be floating into the oceans by the middle of the century. If we keep producing (and failing to properly dispose of) plastics at predicted rates, plastics in the ocean will outweigh fish pound for pound in 2050, the nonprofit foundation said in a report Tuesday [1/18]. Sarah Kaplan reports. (Washington Post)

Oil spill responders overstating containment capability: B.C. conservation group
A B.C. conservation group is challenging statements made by the company responsible for containing oil spills on the South Coast, saying it has overstated its spill response capability. "I would echo what the Ministry of Environment says, that we are not ready for a spill on this coast," said Lori Walter with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, pointing to Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC). As National Energy Board hearings continue on the proposed expansion to Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Pipeline, WCMRC says it could successfully contain a 10,000 ton oil spill within 10 days, as required by the federal government. (CBC)

Ottawa lays out new rules for pipeline, LNG projects
A revamped federal environmental review process aimed at restoring public faith in assessments like the current one involving the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion proposal got a cool reception Wednesday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government announced a hybrid review process that allows the current National Energy Board review to wrap up its work on Kinder Morgan, though the federal cabinet will now have until December rather than August to rule on the project. The government said the delay will allow the government to meet its campaign pledge to give a broader assessment of the climate change impact of the project, as well as to ensure greater aboriginal consultation. Those twin objectives will apply to all projects being assessed by Ottawa until a permanent new system can be put in place, which according to Environment Minister Catherine McKenna could take “years.” Projects affected include TransCanada’s $16 billion Energy East pipeline to Eastern Canada, the Woodfibre LNG proposal for near Squamish and the Petronas-led Pacific NorthWest LNG proposal for near Prince Rupert. Peter O'Neil and Rob Shaw report. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Liberal pipeline policy presents 3 key problems  Tracy Johnson and Kyle Bakx analyze. (CBC)

Wolf Bauer, 103, mountaineer, environmentalist dies
Wolf Bauer, accomplished mountaineer and environmentalist with a passion for teaching and sharing, has died at 103. His work influenced generations of skiers, climbers and kayakers and led to protection of shoreline areas. Jack Broom reports. (Seattle Times)

Jensen cools heels on proposal to revisit McLoughlin sewage plant
The public needs an opportunity to digest the idea of taking a second look at locating a sewage-treatment plant at Esquimalt’s McLoughlin Point before politicians make any decisions, says Oak Bay’s mayor. Nils Jensen has withdrawn his motion that the Capital Regional District’s technical advisory panel be asked to examine the feasibility of locating a single regional sewage-treatment plant at McLoughlin Point, saying he would resubmit it for debate Feb. 10. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST THU JAN 28 2016  

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PST EARLY THIS MORNING
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH  THIS AFTERNOON  

TODAY  S WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING SW 15 TO 25 KT EARLY IN THE  MORNING. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 18  FT AT 14 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 16 FT AT 14 SECONDS IN THE  AFTERNOON. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE  AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 16 FT AT 17 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF  SHOWERS.

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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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1/27 Duwamish cleanup, Malheur arrest, Spirit Bear, Gabriola bridge, spill kill, sewer musings, I-735

Sand-verbena (PHOTO: Stephen Hume/Vancouver Sun)

Two-stage battle to save a native flower
The modest pink blooms of the pink sand-verbena, one of Canada’s rarest and most endangered wild flowers, are being propagated for reintroduction to restored sand dune habitat by Parks Canada’s scientists, students and volunteers in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island’s stormy outer coast. Stephen Hume reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Seeking millions to clean up PCBs from Duwamish
The city of Seattle is suing to make Monsanto pay for cleanup of toxic PCBs from the city’s drainage system and the Duwamish River. Monsanto was the sole producer of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) for commercial use in the U.S. from 1935 to 1977, and continued to profit from their sale for years even as its officials knew the chemicals were polluting the environment, causing harm to people and wildlife, said Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes. “When the profit motive overtakes concern for the environment, this is the kind of disaster that happens,” Holmes said Tuesday. “I’m proud to hold Monsanto accountable.” Seattle is the sixth major city in the West to seek cleanup damages from the company, joining San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley, San Diego and Spokane, which Holmes said gave him the idea to file the federal lawsuit.  Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Ammon Bundy and 7 Others Held in Oregon; LaVoy Finicum Is Reported Dead
Ammon Bundy, the leader of an armed seizing of a federal wildlife refuge in rural eastern Oregon, was arrested and one person was killed Tuesday afternoon in a traffic stop in rural Oregon, the F.B.I. and the Oregon State Police said. Seven other people, including Mr. Bundy’s brother Ryan Bundy, were arrested, the authorities said. Another person was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening. The authorities did not identify the man who was killed, but a member of the Nevada State Assembly, Michele Fiore, who has been a supporter of the Bundy family, said on Twitter that it was LaVoy Finicum. Mr. Finicum had become a de facto spokesman for the occupiers. Julie Turkewitz and Kirk Johnson report. (NY Times) See also: Malheur Occupation Costs Oregon Taxpayers $500,000  Chris Lehman reports. (KPLU) And also: Will The Oregon Occupation Ruin Bird Habitat?  (EarthFix)

Scientists ask B.C. government to preserve Spirit Bear habitat
On the eve of a long-awaited land-use agreement for the Great Bear Rainforest, scientists are decrying the fact that Gribbell Island — the greatest habitat on the coast for B.C.’s official mammal, the Spirit Bear — won’t receive official protected-area status. One of those scientists, veteran bear biologist Wayne McCrory, a director of the Valhalla Wilderness Society, fears that without full protection, Gribbell Island could be logged or mined in future, with involvement by the Gitga’at First Nation, and that the Spirit Bears’ critical habitat won’t be assured. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Bridge to Gabriola Island too costly says report
Residents of Gabriola Island are going to be depending on BC Ferries for the foreseeable future, after a new report concluded replacing the service with a bridge would be too expensive to justify…. The government says the engineering report, which was commissioned in 2014, found the cost of a bridge would range between $258 million and $520 million, depending on the route chosen. The report was commissioned after many islanders signed a petition asking the government to look into building a bridge after BC Ferries cut back service to the island. (CBC)

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Devastated Killer Whales
More than two decades after the disaster, the future is bleak for a genetically unique pod of Alaskan orcas…. They’re the subject of a new National Geographic investigative documentary produced by reporter J.J. Kelley exploring the effects of the Exxon Valdez spill on this highly intelligent animal. Jani Actman reports. (National Geographic)

Victoria mayor casts off Saanich’s sewage ‘musings’
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps dismissed Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell’s “musings” about a made-in-Saanich sewage solution Tuesday, urging residents to focus instead on Capital Regional District treatment options now going out for public comment.... “A musing is not the same thing as a motion before council so if Saanich council is interested in going in this direction then I think we have some serious things to consider. But right now what we’re focused on is public engagements on the approved options which Mayor Atwell voted in favour of as did [Oak Bay] Mayor [Nils] Jensen at the CRD table.” Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Washington will get to vote on whether corporations are people
The Secretary of State's Office has certified Initiative 735, meaning Washington gets to vote this fall on whether it wants to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, which opened the way to anything-goes campaign spending. The measure goes to the Legislature, which can approve, ignore or reject it. If  ignored or rejected, which seems likely, I-735 goes onto the November ballot. The fundamental message of I-735 -- that corporations are not people -- is defined in its ballot title: "This measure would urge the Washington state congressional delegation to propose a federal constitutional amendment that constitutional rights belong only to individuals, not corporations, and constitutionally-protected free speech excludes the spending of money." Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST WED JAN 27 2016  

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  

TODAY  SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT...RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT BY  MIDDAY. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 15  SECONDS. RAIN.

TONIGHT  SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED  SEAS 14 TO 15 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS...BUILDING TO  18 TO 19 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 14 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT.  RAIN.

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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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1/26 Oil transport, terminal risks, toxic gear, Vic sewer, Pt Gamble land, BC pipe, Fraser eagles, Samish film

Chestnut-backed chickadee (Eugene Beckes/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: Comparing Chickadee Calls
In the Pacific Northwest, you might see both Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees at your birdfeeder. The Chestnut-back (seen here) sounds different from the Black-capped Chickadee. The call of the Black-capped follows the familiar “Chick-a-dee, dee, dee” pattern. But the call of the Chestnut-back is higher pitched, faster, and has a buzzy quality. While we delight in their music, the birds are engaged in more serious business — they’re keeping their flock together. (BirdNote)

Washington state holds workshops on oil transportation rules
Three workshops this week will allow people to help shape Washington state law on oil transportation, but none are near Whatcom County. However, webinars will be available for those who can’t make the workshops in Lacey, Spokane and Auburn. The state Department of Ecology is drafting and updating three rules related to oil transported by rail and pipeline. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

State attorney says oil terminal risks being underplayed
The state attorney tasked with defending the environment took aim at the Port of Vancouver’s proposed rail-to-marine oil terminal in comments submitted Friday by asserting that the risks of train derailments are being underplayed. The counsel for the environment, a member of the Attorney General’s Office who represents the public’s interest in the environment while the state reviews proposed energy facilities, said the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Vancouver Energy oil terminal understates the risk of oil train derailments and fails to consider the ability of first responders to deal with an accident. Brooks Johnson reports. (Columbian)

New guest blog: The Monster of the Deep
Guest blogger Grant Jones writes: "It was early August in 1953 at Richmond Beach. I was rowing out after breakfast on the high tide to drift along the drop off about a half-mile out. I had caught a big English Sole fourteen inches long on a strip of frozen herring. As the tide ebbed out and the farthest-out sandbars came into sunlight, I came up with a plan…."

Tests find toxic chemicals in outdoor gear
Is your adventure gear making you sick? Greenpeace is worried that a persistent and potentially toxic class of waterproofing chemicals could be accumulating in your body and the environment while you enjoy the great outdoors. The international environmental group has released a new report on the levels of polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in jackets, sleeping bags and footwear as part of its Detox My Fashion campaign to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals from clothing production. Randy Shore repairs. (Vancouver Sun)

Saanich may go it alone on sewage, mayor says
If the Capital Regional District can’t get its act together on sewage treatment this year, Mayor Richard Atwell will recommend a made-in-Saanich solution. Good news on the sewage-treatment project continues to be elusive, Atwell said Monday in his annual address at Saanich council. A number of conceptual designs based on a centralized plant at Rock Bay come with a cost starting at just shy of $1 billion, almost double the cost of a rejected project at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt. Louise Dickson reports. (Times Colonist)

Pope Resources, Port Gamble S’Klallam negotiating conservation easement
…. The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe is in line to receive a $1.5 million grant from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program, or ESRP. According to Fish and Wildlife, the Tribe would use the grant and other funds “to protect the mill site from future development with a conservation easement … for the purpose of restoration, returning the site to a more natural state for future generations.” The site is across Port Gamble Bay from Point Julia and the Port Gamble S’Klallam reservation, where the S’Klallam people relocated after the mill was established in 1853. The Tribe and Pope Resources are working together “to develop a vision for the future of the site that includes restoration, a park setting and recognition of Tribal history,” according to Fish and Wildlife. Richard Walker reports. (North Kitsap Herald)

Expanding Trans Mountain pipeline risky for Victoria: mayor
The risks to Victoria far outweigh any benefits of the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps told a National Energy Board hearing on Monday. An oil-tanker spill off the coast of Victoria could result in significant harm to the community, said Helps, who travelled with Coun. Ben Isitt to Burnaby to testify at the hearings into the pipeline-expansion proposal. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

More eagles flocking to Fraser delta for winter
For a bird that was once on the U.S. endangered-species list, the bald eagle has made a remarkable comeback. It is now so common in the Lower Mainland that even the most urban of city dwellers cannot fail to spot one. With its striking white head and tail, dark body, massive bill and talons, and two-metre wingspan, the adult bald eagle is every inch a North American icon. In the past few decades, the number of bald eagles wintering in the Fraser River delta has increased dramatically, with winter counts averaging between 600 to 1,300 birds. Anne Murray reports. (Georgia Strait)

Samish Indian Nation documentary garners national attention
An award and national recognition have representatives from the Samish Indian Nation pleased with the recent documentary, “Maiden of Deception Pass: Guardian of Her Samish People.” The documentary tells the story of the Maiden of Deception Pass, a cedar carving near Deception Pass that’s both a symbol of the Samish Indian Nation and a reminder of a traditional story of the Samish people. After receiving a people’s choice award at the Local Sightings Film Festival in Seattle last fall, the film will be featured at larger festivals such as the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana, in February, said Leslie Eastwood, the tribe’s general manager. Brandon Stone reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST TUE JAN 26 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY  NIGHT  

TODAY  SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING S 5 TO 15 KT BY MIDDAY. WIND  WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 18  SECONDS...BUILDING TO 12 FT AT 17 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.

TONIGHT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. W  SWELL 12 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.

--
"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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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1/25 BC seals, BC pipe, stormwater rule, green lege, flame retardants, Pt Gamble cleanup, Irvine Slough, eagles, Nanaimo News

Harbour seal (Benjamin Nelson/Vancouver Sun)

Seals are depleting juvenile chinook and coho stocks in Strait of Georgia: study
A bountiful population of harbour seals is a prime suspect in the decline of coho and chinook in the Strait of Georgia, according to a new study…. The population of harbour seals has grown steadily with federal protection, from fewer than 5,000 in 1970 to about 40,000 in 2008 in the Strait of Georgia — a period that corresponds with marked declines in coho and chinook. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

US Tribes Oppose Massive Pipeline Expansion in Canada
A proposed pipeline-expansion project in Canada will put the fishing rights and cultural heritage of U.S. tribes at risk, a lawyer representing several Washington state tribes told Canadian energy regulators. Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain project would nearly triple pipeline capacity from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of crude oil a day. It would carry oil from Alberta's oil sands to the Vancouver area to be loaded on to barges and tankers for Asian and U.S. markets. The project would dramatically increase the number of oil tankers that ply Washington state waters. This project will harm the cultures of the US tribes," said Kristen Boyles, an Earthjustice attorney who spoke against the project Friday on behalf of the Swinomish, Tulalip, Suquamish and Lummi tribes. She made final arguments to Canada's National Energy Board at a hearing in Burnaby, British Columbia, which was broadcast online. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Stormwater ruling favors builders, local governments
A legal argument about stormwater requirements for new construction was resolved last week in favor of homebuilders and local governments, but the outcome disappointed clean-water advocates. Tuesday’s 2-1 ruling from the state Court of Appeals Division II affects a new federally mandated drainage code that took effect Friday. Instead of adhering to new low-impact design requirements to reduce storm runoff in urban areas, the decision will allow projects to be built under rules in place when permits were submitted, even years earlier. The same principle applies to land-use regulations in Washington and is known as vesting. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

Green groups brace for attacks in Olympia
Stung by the defeat last year of their efforts to pass legislation to fight climate change, environmentalists this year are back on their heels and bracing to fight off attacks on state policies governing water, public lands and the fight against climate change, among other areas. In fact, for the first time since the state’s major environmental lobbying groups started laying out annual priorities a dozen years ago, they have made it formal: This year, they are pretty much just playing defense. Last year they not only couldn’t get the climate legislation approved, but they also saw a transportation bill pass that tied the state’s hands on mandating more-efficient fuels for cars and trucks. And they endured passage of a law to regulate oil transport by trains that was largely seen as a win for industry. Robert McClure reports. (InvestigateWest)

Next Generation Toxic Flame Retardants Under Scrutiny
In 2007, the State Legislature banned certain chemicals used to fire-proof things like mattresses and children’s car seats. But a study from an advocacy group suggests the replacements may be more harmful than previously believed. The study found the new generation of flame retardants are floating around in the air we breathe. They’re easy to inhale, unlike the now-banned substances which were primarily ingested through household dust. The findings could inform an important conversation this week – as legislators explore a bill on toxic flame retardants. The bill would shift responsibility for monitoring these chemicals to the Department of Health. Monica Spain reports. (KPLU)

Challenges remain as Port Gamble Bay cleanup progresses
Russ McMillan admits his first count was way off. Looking across Port Gamble Bay from where a lumber mill operated for more than a century, the toxic site cleanup manager said he thought he'd need to remove about 1,400 tar-coated pilings from the narrow waterway. "But that number jumped to 2,300 and it keeps growing," he said. At last count, 3,014 pilings had been plucked from the bay and its shores since the state Department of Ecology and the mill site's owner began an ambitious cleanup program in September. It's a staggering number of pilings, but that's probably not even the half of it, according to McMillan, who works for Ecology. Tristan Baurick reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Eagles on the move
The bald eagles typically found this time of the year along the upper Skagit River are instead being seen in western Skagit County and along the Nooksack River in Whatcom County. They have been spotted in large numbers in the Samish Flats and on Fir Island, areas they don’t typically frequent until February and March. “In the Samish Flats, we’ve had an amazing number of eagles ... I think there’s more eagles than ever,” state Department of Fish & Wildlife Biologist Paul DeBruyn said. “I counted 50 eagles in one tree.” Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Stanwood to divert stormwater runoff from Irvine Slough
City leaders have decided to kick off a 10-year project to better manage stormwater and floodwater so downtown doesn’t get inundated when the Stillaguamish River rises. On Jan. 14 they reviewed a study of options for redirecting the city’s stormwater runoff from the flood-prone Irvine Slough and for speeding up drainage when it does flood. They voted to accept the study and its recommendations, which include two longterm projects expected to cost $18.9 million total. Design work should start soon on a pump station and stormwater pipe, the first pieces of the projects, city administrator Deborah Knight said. Kari Bray reports. (Everett Herald)

Black Press closes Nanaimo Daily News after 141 years of publishing
The Nanaimo Daily News will stop publishing next week, ending 141 years in business. The newspaper on Vancouver Island made the announcement Friday on Facebook and Twitter, thanking its advertisers and readers for their support. The paper, which publishes five times a week, will close on Jan. 29. Its website lists 10 staff members on its news team, including three reporters and a photographer. Black Press bought the paper from Glacier Media in December 2014. The media company also owns the Nanaimo News Bulletin, which publishes twice a week. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  244 AM PST MON JAN 25 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  

TODAY  SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT  11 SECONDS.

TONIGHT  SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT  AT 17 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.
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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

1/22 Whale quiet zones, rogue wave, L Wash salmon, methanol plant, Colstrip closing

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

When Light Dances on Stone
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "When conditions are just right, you can see a beautiful natural light show along parts of Valdes Island‘s eroded western shoreline. At those magical times, sunlight hits the wavelets and is reflected back up on varying angles, bouncing into the salt-eroded sandstone caverns that lie just overhead. The result is a constantly changing filigree of light, dancing along the walls and roof of each of the caves…."

“Acoustic Sanctuaries:” The Newest Way to Save the Whales
Underwater noise pollution is causing measurable harm to whales’ abilities to reproduce and navigate. A team of researchers proposes quiet zones as a solution. David Ferry reports. (Outside Magazine)

If you like to watch: Rogue wave washes up on Washington coast
A "rogue" wave inundated the coast near Pacific Beach in Washington this weekend — and it was all caught on camera.  Luckily no one was caught in the water at the time, but what exactly caused the "mini tsunami"? Called rogue, freak or killer waves, this phenomena has been a part of marine folklore for centuries. But rogue waves have only recently been accepted as an actual scientific event. Johanna Wagstaffe reports. (CBC)

The steady decline of salmon runs to Lake Washington | Part I
Salmon runs have steadily declined  in Lake Washington for nearly 40 years, a phenomenon which has not escaped researchers, ecologists and environmentalists. The Cedar River-Lake Washington watershed runs from Snoqualmie Pass all the way to Puget Sound in an expanding cone-shaped perimeter, with tributaries from Lynnwood to Renton pouring into Lake Washington. The Cedar River is the main tributary for the watershed, providing access to fertile spawning ground for Chinook salmon and other fish in south Lake Washington. Aaron Kunkler reports. (Kirkland Reporter)

Hundreds Of Tacoma Residents Show Up For Meeting About World's Biggest Methanol Plant
The city of Tacoma’s first public meeting about plans for the world’s largest methanol plant drew a much bigger crowd than expected.  One fire marshal estimated that a thousand people showed up. Some couldn’t get into the main room or an overflow room because those were already full. They all came to learn about and comment on the methanol plant that Northwest Innovation Works, a company backed by a Chinese state agency and a group of investors, wants to build at the Port of Tacoma. Ashley Gross reports. (KPLU)

Washington Lawmakers Take Up Partial Closure Of Montana Coal Plant
Washington state lawmakers are considering a bill that paves the way for a partial closure of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant in Montana. In the face of mounting environmental regulations, Puget Sound Energy wants to develop a plan to close two of Colstrip’s four coal units – a move that could reduce the amount of coal-produced electricity used by Washington consumers. The Washington utility is one of six owners of the overall plant, but co-owns units 1 and 2 with just one other company, Talen Energy. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  311 AM PST FRI JAN 22 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE  TONIGHT  

TODAY  SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 14 FT AT 17 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO  12 FT AT 15 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN  SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR  LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.

SAT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT  AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.

SAT NIGHT  W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT  AT 11 SECONDS.

SUN  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 2 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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1/21 Orca rebound, BC pipe hearing, train delays, 2015 climate, Planet 9, Site C dam protest

Puget Sound orca numbers rise fast after 30-year low in 2014
In just over a year, Puget Sound has welcomed nine baby Southern-resident orcas to the fold, as the pod continues to rebound from 30-year-low numbers reported at the end of 2014. The newest members of the J and L pods, which inhabit Washington’s inland waters along with the K pod, face myriad hazards, including pollution, busy shipping traffic and a threatened food supply. The cetaceans have been listed since 2005 for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Chinook salmon, the orcas’ favorite food, are also listed under the ESA. Evan Bush reports. (Seattle Sun)

Correction: Reader Amy Fowler pointed out that the photo accompanying the birth of J55 in yesterday's clips was of J54 taken last December. Know thy whales.

Burnaby calls on national energy regulator to suspend Trans Mountain pipeline review
The National Energy Board should suspend its review of the Trans Mountain pipeline until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reforms the national regulator, a lawyer for the City of Burnaby said Wednesday. “You do not have the authority to speak in the interest of the citizens of Burnaby,” the city’s lawyer Gregory McDade told the NEB panel. Burnaby is both the epicentre of opposition to the $5.4 billion pipeline expansion project and the host city of the current round of NEB hearings on the project, expected to last for 10 days in B.C. and will wrap up in Calgary next month. Geoffrey Morgan reports. (Financial Post)

Study suggests ways to ease train delays in Skagit County
With an increase in rail traffic expected over the next several decades, Skagit County will have options to lessen the burden on its transportation grid, but they could be expensive. Members of the Skagit Council of Governments’ Transportation Policy Board heard a presentation Wednesday on findings and mitigation options from a study that examined traffic last year at 56 of the county’s “at-grade” railroad crossings. Evan Marczynski reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Climate change: 2015 'shattered' global temperature record by wide margin
Global temperatures in 2015 were the warmest on record, according to data published by meteorologists in the UK and US. The Met Office figures show that 2015 was 0.75C warmer than the long-term average between 1961-1990. US data suggests that 2015 "shattered" the temperature record by the widest margin ever recorded. Experts say the record temperatures were due to a combination of El Niño and human-induced warming.  Matt McGrath reports. (BBC)

New evidence points to giant 9th planet on solar system edge 
The solar system may have a ninth planet after all. This one is 5,000 times bigger than outcast Pluto and billions of miles farther away, say scientists who presented “good evidence” for a long-hypothesized Planet X on Wednesday. The gas giant is thought to be almost as big as its nearest planetary neighbor Neptune, quite possibly with rings and moons. It’s so distant that it would take a mind-blowing 10,000 to 20,000 years to circle the sun. Planet 9, as the pair of California Institute of Technology researchers calls it, hasn’t been spotted yet. They base their prediction on mathematical and computer modeling, and anticipate its discovery via telescope within five years or less. Marcia Dunn reports. See also: Discovering Planet Nine  Alan Burdick reports. (New Yorker) (Associated Press)

BC Hydro seeks injunction against Site C dam project protesters
BC Hydro is seeking an injunction against protesters at its Site C dam project, claiming they have been preventing contractors from completing their work on the south bank of the Peace River since Jan. 4.  In a petition filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Hydro asks for an injunction to prevent protesters from impeding work on the site and from threatening or intimidating contractors. The utility is also asking for punitive as well as general damages and costs. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  250 AM PST THU JAN 21 2016  

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING  

TODAY  E WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF  11 SECONDS. RAIN.

TONIGHT  LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. SW SWELL 10 FT AT  11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO W 13 FT AT 18 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN.
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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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1/20 J55, BC pipe hearing, spill costs, sea star disease, carbon cap, tribal equity, Tacoma gas, newsroom cuts

J55 (PHOTO: NOAA)

Ninth baby orca confirmed in Puget Sound 
Whale researchers say they've documented another baby orca born in Puget Sound. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said on Facebook Tuesday their researchers documented the new calf Monday. The Center for Whale Research, which keeps a census of the orcas for the federal government, also confirmed the new orca. Officials say it's the ninth born since December 2014 to the endangered population of killer whales that spend time in Washington state inland waters. NOAA officials also said on Monday they observed an orca pushing around a different newborn calf that had died. They say it is estimated that at least 50 percent of orca babies do not reach their first birthday, so the event is not unusual. (Associated Press)

National Energy Board slammed at Kinder Morgan hearing in Burnaby
National Energy Board advisers have been harshly criticized by a lawyer for the City of Surrey as hearings on the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion began this morning in Burnaby, B.C…. Hearings on the pipeline expansion continue in Burnaby until the end of the month and conclude in Calgary in mid-February. (Canadian Press) See also: Musqueam urge National Energy Board to delay pipeline expansion  Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Aboriginals, environmentalists call for halt to Trans Mountain hearings in B.C.  Laura Kane reports. (Canadian Press)

New report adds billions to cost of oil spill off B.C.'s south coast
Environmental and risk assessments for projects that would increase tanker traffic in southwestern B.C. fail to consider billions of dollars in potential social, economic and environmental impacts, according to a new report on the region by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. The environmental assessments required by senior governments are much too narrow and fail to consider the broader impacts of marine traffic on the ecological health of the region, which includes the Strait of Georgia, Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound, argue the authors of the 108-page report Our Threatened Coast. The Salish Sea's 7,000 kilometres of intricate coastline support ecosystem services from tourism and recreation to flood protection, climate regulation and fish habitat worth tens of billions of dollars, according to studies cited by the authors. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Sea star die-off worst ever recorded
Scientists from across the country met in Seattle last week to discuss their research about the recent mass sea star die off. They are making progress in their efforts to understand why sea stars are dying at such rapid rates -- they're calling it the largest wildlife die-off ever recorded. Several years ago, researchers identified what they began calling Sea Star Wasting Disease.  They've determined the disease is associated with certain bacteria and a virus that's likely in the same family as the Parvovirus, which affects dogs and cats. The virus causes the sea star reproductive system to swell. They believe environmental factors are aggravating the issue, and likely working in combination with viral or bacterial infections. Alison Morrow reports. (KING)

Ericksen's bill would prohibit state agency from setting carbon cap
 A new bill takes aim at Gov. Jay Inslee’s carbon policies by prohibiting state regulators from adopting rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions without legislative direction. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, targets the Democratic governor’s ability to take executive action on the issue. After failing to get legislation passed on his cap-and-trade plan last year, Inslee directed the Department of Ecology to limit carbon pollution using its existing authority under state law. This month, Ecology proposed a draft rule requiring Washington’s largest industrial emitters to reduce carbon emissions by 5 percent every three years. (Associated Press)

B.C. proposal aims to have First Nations own chunks of major projects
A B.C. First Nations-led proposal to unlock billions of dollars in natural resource wealth across the country has received seed funding from the federal government, The Vancouver Sun has learned. And if the First Nations Major Projects Coalition can persuade Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to go a step further and accept their biggest request — loan guarantees to allow aboriginal communities to buy equity stakes in major projects — that could lead to a historic breakthrough, say its backers. Peter O'Neil reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Tacoma Residents Will Get A Chance To Weigh In On Plans For Giant Methanol Plant
A Chinese-backed group wants to build what they say would be the world’s biggest methanol plant at the Port of Tacoma, raising lots of concerns among nearby residents, who will have a chance to weigh in on the project at a scoping meeting this Thursday.  Northwest Innovation Works is the company that’s planning to build the Tacoma methanol plant, as well as two more plants along the Columbia River: one at the Port of Kalama and one in Oregon at the Port of St. Helens. The company is a joint venture partly backed by the Chinese government. What they want to do is take natural gas and convert it to methanol. The plan is to produce as much as 20,000 metric tons (about 6.6 million gallons) each day.  Ashley Gross reports. (KPLU)

Postmedia cuts 90 jobs, merges newsrooms in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa
Newspaper chain Postmedia today announced sweeping changes to its operations, cutting 90 jobs across the country and merging newsrooms from multiple newspapers into one each in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa…. The chain says two papers in those markets — the Sun and Province in Vancouver, the Herald and Sun in Calgary, the Journal and Sun in Edmonton, and the Citizen and Sun in Ottawa — will share newsroom resources, but continue to operate. Pete Evans reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  244 AM PST WED JAN 20 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH  THURSDAY EVENING  

TODAY  S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W  SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.

TONIGHT  E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT  12 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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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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1/19 Forage fish, herring fishery, WY coal, pipe protest, Samish shellfish, Vic Clipper, Puget Sound, green vote

Dr. Milton Love

Marine biologists take vow of chastity, poverty. Otherwise, it's a great job.
Career advice from Dr. Milton Love, an actual marine biologist at UCSB and author of "Certainly More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast." It’s the time of year when high school student seniors, finally addressing what the hell they want to do with their lives, email me and ask about becoming a marine biologist... (KPCC Off-Ramp)

State of the bait: Study yields insight on tiny fish
Josh Frederick hops out of an idling state Department of Fish and Wildlife motorboat and begins scooping beach gravel into bag labeled with his precise location on Hood Canal. He pulls out a handful and gives it a hard look. "Nothing," he says. Spotting the tiny, pen point-sized eggs of Puget Sound's smallest fish isn't easy, but this stretch of Misery Point has just about everything that spawning herring, smelt and other forage fish could want: shade from trees, few nearby homes, no bulkheads and a beach covered in the not-too-fine, not-too-gritty sediment they favor for tucking in their unhatched young…. Finding few eggs in ideal spawning grounds could be part of the mounting evidence that the sound's forage fish are in decline. That's bad news for salmon, seabirds and just about every marine animal bigger than the bait-sized fish. Tristan Baurick reports. (Kitsap Sun)

First Nation and DFO reach agreement on herring fishery
Less than a year after members of the Heiltsuk First Nation occupied federal fisheries offices in Bella Bella, the two parties have reached an agreement over the Pacific herring fishery. Last March the Department of Fisheries and Oceans opened up the herring roe fishery in the Spiller Channel, which the Heiltsuk Tribal Council said should have remained closed to preserve herring stocks. Eventually, after a tense few days, the federal government agreed to shut down the fishery, and the two parties began working on a joint management plan for the stocks. (CBC)

Wyoming officials back various schemes in bid to rescue coal
Public enemy No. 1 for climate change and no longer the fossil fuel utilities prefer to burn to generate electricity, coal has few allies these days. But one state is still fighting to save the industry: Wyoming. From a proposal to burn the stuff underground to hosting a contest to find profitable uses for carbon dioxide from power plants, the top coal-producing state has spent tens of millions of dollars for a coal savior — with little to show. Mead Gruver reports. (Associated Press)

Kinder Morgan protest leads to 7 arrests
Seven people were arrested Monday morning while protesting the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline. According to Burnaby RCMP, four protesters boarded a barge sitting about 100 metres offshore at Westridge Marine Terminal on Sunday, and remained there overnight. Police were called Monday, after more activists joined the protest, and were asked to remove them. The boat is being used for test drilling. (CBC

When it comes to shellfish harvesting, all eyes on Samish Bay
State officials have big goals this year when it comes to increasing shellfish harvest areas, and Samish Bay can play a big part in reaching those goals. Puget Sound Partnership and the Washington Shellfish Initiative, which Gov. Jay Inslee launched into a second phase Friday, want to have 10,800 more acres in Puget Sound open for shellfish harvesting by 2020 than there was in 2007. Since 2007, the state has opened about 3,800 acres. This year’s goal is to bring that to about 6,400 acres, according to the Governor’s Office. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Seattle Clipper sold to German company; new routes planned
The Clipper sale to Förde Reederei Seetouristik is not expected to bring changes to the Victoria Clipper lines. In fact, the acquisition is to allow Clipper to open a route between Vancouver and Victoria. Janet Tu reports. (Seattle Times) See also: See also: New passenger ferry set to run between Victoria and downtown Vancouver  Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

What’s in a name? Further reflections on Puget Sound
My recent story on how a “the” seems to keep cropping up in front of the name “Puget Sound” generated a good deal of comment. I would say from the emails I received that, to local ears, the phrase “the Puget Sound” is akin to fingernails on the blackboard. There seems to be general agreement with my speculation that this phenomenon is a creeping Californiaism. Blaming Californians always feels good, like a bracing slap of wet Pacific air that restores one’s sense of Northwestiness. Knute Berger writes. (Crosscut)

Two big environmental groups back Sen. Murray’s reelection: In lockstep with the Democrats?
Two big, established environmental lobbies — the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters Action Fund — are backing Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray’s bid for a fifth term. The endorsements signal that “big green” groups that once endorsed candidates of both parties have become a virtual functioning arm of the Democratic Party, in Washington and other states. The League of Conservation Voters, and its affiliate Washington Conservation Voters, poured resources into the 2012 election of Gov. Jay Inslee. They are expected to go all-out to get Inslee reelected this fall. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  229 AM PST TUE JAN 19 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS  AFTERNOON  

TODAY  SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 12 FT AT 15 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO  10 FT AT 14 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE  MORNING...THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND  WAVES 1 TO 2 FT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL  9 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN A CHANCE OF  SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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1/18 Tribes united, train protest, coal leases, BC coal, Phillips fine, BC LNG, Mukilteo dock, shellfish initiative, imidacloprid, underwater views, geese shoot, Edmonds pier, PCBs, green prayer, Jason-3

Cherry Point, WA (Seattle Times)

Northwest Tribes unite against giant coal, oil projects
CHERRY POINT, Whatcom County — On this last bit of undeveloped coast between a smelter and two oil refineries, SSA Marine wants to build the biggest coal export terminal in North America, to load up some of the largest ships afloat arriving up to 487 times a year, mostly from Asian ports. The blockbuster $665 million proposal is one of many fossil fuel transport projects under review in the region — from oil pipeline expansions in B.C., to oil-by-rail facilities in Southwest Washington and another coal port in Longview. And while thousands of people have turned out to protest Washington turning into one of the largest fossil fuel hubs in the country, Northwest tribes appear best positioned to win the fight. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

New blog: What Would Dr. King Do?
I’m thinking today about the terrible civil disruption black people cause sitting down in all-white lunch counter restaurants and sitting in the front seats of city buses because they wanted to be treated as equals. I’m thinking today of the inconvenience it cause people when folks in Baltimore gathered downtown to protest the death of Freddy Gray because black lives matter and forced a cancellation of an Orioles baseball game. I’m thinking today of First Nations folks occupying where the Site C dam is planned to be built in northern British Columbia because that’s sacred tribal grounds. I’m thinking today of five activist who were convicted last Friday of trespassing because they chained themselves to railroad property protesting coal trains coming through Puget Sound….

5 activists convicted of trespass on Everett tracks in protest over oil, coal trains
Five Washington activists who blocked BNSF Railway tracks were convicted of trespass Friday in a Snohomish County District Court trial that defense attorneys used to showcase the environmental and health threats posed by trains transporting oil and coal. A six-person jury reached guilty verdicts on misdemeanor trespass charges for all five defendants. The defendants were found not guilty of the additional charge of obstructing or trying to delay trains. Their protest, which lasted for eight hours, unfolded Sept. 2, 2014, on a BNSF rail yard in Everett as they sought to draw attention to the risks of coal and oil trains that travel through the state…. The trespassing count carries a sentence of up to 90 days in jail. The defendants have already spent one day in jail, and they received a suspended sentence for the other 89 days as well as two years of probation. Four of the defendants also must pay $553 in fines and fees, according to Bob Goldsmith, an attorney for Brockway. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Obama administration halts new coal leases on federal lands: Another blow to Big Coal
The federal government will stop issuing new coal leases on federal lands, mainly in Wyoming and Montana, as the Obama administration reviews coal’s impact on climate change as well as the price that big coal companies are paying America’s taxpayers. Announced by U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, the move is another blow to Big Coal. Four coal companies have filed for bankruptcy protection, the latest Arch Coal earlier this week. Natural gas has recently passed coal as America’s largest generator of electricity. Coal plants are being converted or phased out from the Tennessee Valley Authority in the East to the Centralia coal plant in Washington. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com) See also: Coal-lease moratorium a new blow to proposed terminals here   Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Last working coal mine on Vancouver Island shuts down, marking end of era
The last working coal mine on Vancouver Island has halted production indefinitely, marking the end of an industry that established towns, a railway, and some of the province's first labour unions, says a B.C. historian. The owners of Quinsam coal mine near Campbell River suspended operations earlier this month, stating the move is in response to a decline in coal prices and market demand. (CBC)

Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery hit with $324,000 fine 
 The Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery was hit with a $324,000 fine by the state for several workplace violations revolving around fire and hazardous chemical safety. The refinery received the fine for violations that took place in 2014 and were not corrected, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. The 2014 citations are under appeal, but state law requires employers to correct hazards even if the violations are under appeal, according to L&I. Dave Gallagher reports. (Bellingham Herald

B.C. LNG project poses low risk to environment, federal scientists say
Federal scientists say a proposal to export liquefied natural gas from British Columbia poses a low risk to the environment, a crucial ruling that sides with Pacific NorthWest LNG’s contention that its project won’t ruin an ecologically sensitive site. The consortium led by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas wants to build an $11.4-billion terminal on Lelu Island, which is located next to Flora Bank – a sandy area with eelgrass that nurtures juvenile salmon. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Work on future Mukilteo ferry dock ahead of schedule
Demolition of a 1950s-era pier at a former military fuel storage site — the first step in building a new $129 million ferry terminal — is nearly complete. The work is expected to be wrapped up next month, a year ahead of schedule…. The pier's removal was complicated by debris on its surface which also had to be disposed. This included 12,000 feet of fuel lines, 800 40-gallon bags of asbestos, several tons of grass and other organic material that grew on the pier during the 26 years since it was closed, as well as railings, catwalks and mercury-filled lights.The pier's wooden pilings contained an estimated 7,000 tons of toxic creosote, about 4 percent of all the creosote left in Puget Sound, according to the ferry system. Sharon Salyer reports. (Everett Herald)

Washington, NOAA launch next step of shellfish initiative
Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday renewed the state's commitment to protecting Washington's lucrative shellfish resources. Inslee joined federal, tribal and other leaders at the National Fish & Oyster Co. in Olympia to launch the second phase of the Washington Shellfish Initiative, which former Gov. Chris Gregoire initiated in 2011. The state, working with many partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will take new steps to improve water quality, restore native shellfish such as Olympia oysters, improve the permitting process for shellfish-growers and promote ways to address how ocean acidification is affecting shellfish. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Oyster growers have new plans to spray beds with pesticide
Celebrity chefs bemoaned it, two major shellfish producers backed out of it, and ultimately, a group of oyster farmers withdrew from it amid a fervor of bad publicity. But seven months after public outcry derailed a plan to spray a neurotoxic pesticide on the celebrated oyster beds of southwest Washington, a group of shellfish growers has rekindled pursuit of a proposal to control pesky burrowing shrimp that harm oyster production. Earlier this month, the Willapa Bay-Grays Harbor Oyster Growers Association submitted paperwork to the Washington Department of Ecology that seeks to reinstate a previously approved permit — or, if that’s not possible, apply for a new one — so that 12 local shellfish farms can spray the pesticide imidacloprid in coastal estuaries.  Lewis Kamb reports. (Seattle Times)

UW scientists capture underwater eruption with new fiber-optic array, set up HD web cam
The idea was hatched in a bar more than two decades ago. University of Washington oceanographer John Delaney and a colleague were nursing cocktails and venting their frustration with the traditional approach to studying the underwater world. The ocean and seafloor are dynamic environments, with tectonic plates pulling apart, superhot fluids gushing from hydrothermal vents and an ever-shifting cast of creatures on the move.  When his friend mentioned a new technology called fiber optics, it fired Delaney’s imagination. He grabbed a napkin and sketched out a network of sensors attached to cables that could transmit data instantly and continuously. He called it an underwater observatory. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times) See also: With new tech, scientists probe what lies beneath the Sound  Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Unwelcome Canada geese prompt push to allow hunting on Victoria farmland
There's a push to change local firearms bylaws to allow for more hunting of Canada geese on Victoria-area farmland. Farmers are currently allowed to kill a small number of geese per week if they have a crop-damage permit from the Canadian Wildlife Service. But Terry Michell, of Michell Bros. Farm in Central Saanich, said they are losing the battle with a growing number of birds in the region. Megan Thomas reports. (CBC)

Popular Edmonds pier will be closed 3 months for repairs
The venerable Edmonds pier, which attracts an estimated 100,000 visitors a year to the city's waterfront, will be closed for three months for repairs starting in mid-March. It won't be just strollers and bird-watchers who will feel the effect. The pier's closure means there won't be any place in Edmonds for people to cast their fishing lines into Puget Sound until the pier reopens. “It's important for people to know that there won't be an alternative,” said Jen Leach, the city's environmental education and sustainability coordinator. All waterfront shorelines in the city are part of a marine sanctuary, she said. “There is no fishing allowed.” Sharon Salyer reports. (Everett Herald)

This banned toxic chemical is still putting whales at risk 30 years later
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been banned by a worldwide agreement since 1986, and were banned in some countries several years before that. But 30 years later, the toxic compound is still showing up in the wild. According to a study published Thursday in Scientific Reports, European striped and bottlenose dolphins and killer whales have some of the highest concentrations of PCBs in their blubber ever recorded worldwide. The researchers behind the study say that these concentrations are high enough to cause declines in population and make recovery from other ecological challenges more difficult. Rachel Feltman reports. (Washington Post)

Congregations come together over concern for environment
They were drawn together by their concern for the planet. Members from three Edmonds churches held a special prayer service and processional last month as world leaders gathered in Paris to discuss climate change…. A week before the pact was signed, about 100 people attended the Edmonds prayer service. Participants later braved heavy rains for a candlelight processional that stretched from the Methodist church on Casper Street to the city center. The event was organized by church members from Edmonds United Methodist, Holy Rosary and Edmonds Unitarian Universalist. They called their group Interfaith Climate Action. Diana Hefley reports. (Everett Herald)

Jason ocean height mission blasts off
US-European satellite that is fundamental to our understanding of the oceans has launched from California. Jason-3 will measure the shape of the global sea surface to an accuracy of better than 4cm. It will track currents, tides, winds, wave heights, and will help forecast the intensity of storms. But the new mission will also maintain the reference data-set on sea-level rise. This shows the world's oceans to be rising at more than 3mm per year. Jonathan Amos reports. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  643 AM PST MON JAN 18 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST  THIS MORNING  SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  

TODAY  SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 14 FT AT 14 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO  12 FT AT 14 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER  MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 14 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 15 FT AT  14 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN NUMEROUS  SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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