10/20 Sunk tug cleanup, First Nations fishing, Hood Canal honors, Port Angeles CSO

Painted turtles (NW Nature Notes)

There are no sea turtle in the Salish Sea but…
There are no sea turtle in the Salish sea but there are two native freshwater turtles in the Pacific Northwest. The Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) are seen basking on logs and rocks in lakes in summer. The Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata), once widespread in western Washington and Oregon, has disappeared from much of its range north of the Columbia River. The Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta) is an introduced species, discarded by households tired of having the turtle as a pet. (From Northwest Nature Notes)

New blog: Since The First Time I Voted For President
This year, I’ll vote for Hillary and, having said that, won’t tell you how to vote but will tell you about the first time I voted for president… (read more)

Stormy weather puts clean-up operations on hold for sunken B.C. tug
Stormy weather has paused the operation to remove thousands of litres of diesel from a sunken tug off British Columbia’s central coast. Salvage crews have recovered more than 88,000 of the estimated 200,000 litres of fuel from the Nathan E. Stewart, which ran aground and sank last week in Seaforth Channel, about 20 kilometres west of Bella Bella. The latest joint situation report says more fuel is scheduled to be emptied Wednesday, but smaller boats working on the operation have been told to stand down because of predictions of gale- to storm-force winds. Other parts of the operation, including shoreline clean-up assessment, wildlife observations and environmental sampling were also put on hold because of the forecast. The local Heiltsuk First Nation says in a news release that responders are concerned the tug may move in the storm, causing fuel to spill. (Canadian Press)

First Nations leaders say 'frustration is mounting' over fishing negotiations
First Nations on Vancouver Island are calling out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over a lack of action on fishing rights. Several court rulings have upheld commercial fishing rights for five Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations on Vancouver Island's west coast, but negotiations over the past seven years that would allow them to take part in the industry have stagnated. At a Wednesday meeting in Vancouver, they and other Indigenous leaders used the one-year anniversary of the federal Liberals being in power to express their frustrations. Liam Britten reports. (CBC)

Hood Canal awards honor local efforts to improve ecosystem
Mike Anderson, chairman of the Skokomish Watershed Action Team, and Thom Johnson, a leading expert in the recovery of Hood Canal summer chum salmon, have been named recipients of this year’s Hood Canal Environmental Awards. Other recipients of the awards, which are sponsored by Hood Canal Coordinating Council, are Shore Friendly Mason and Shore Friendly Kitsap, two programs that actively enlist waterfront property owners in the protection and restoration of their shorelines. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Port Angeles, Combined Sewer Overflow system builder in $1 million dispute
A $1 million dispute centered on building delays and construction costs has bubbled up between city officials and the builder of key components of the city’s new $47 million Combined Sewer Overflow system, the priciest public works project in the city’s history. An auditing firm will review Bellingham-based TEK Construction Inc. records today for the city, Public Works and Utilities Director Craig Fulton told City Council members at their regular meeting Tuesday. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  900 PM PDT WED OCT 19 2016  

THU  SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 8 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN  IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
THU NIGHT  S WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT  AT 11 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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