3/10 Fraser salmon, Everett mill, Tarboo planting, traffic, Adventuress, WY coal, Whidbey slide, tsunami debris

Robin (Paul Bannick/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: Cheery American Robin
First song in the morning - and the last at night! (BirdNote)

Scientists find way to better predict size of salmon runs in Fraser River
Researchers have found a more accurate way to predict the size of sockeye salmon runs in the Fraser River, which could help officials make better decisions about how many fish to allocate to commercial, First Nations and recreational fisheries. Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California found their new method was more accurate than most preseason forecasts of Fraser River sockeye runs from the past 58 years. Maura Forrest reports. (Globe and Mail)

Ecology: Everett mill site no longer hazardous
It’s taken 20 years, but the state says a former Weyerhaeuser mill site on Everett’s north side is clean. Contaminated soil at the site has either been trucked away or covered up and doesn’t pose a health threat, according to the state Department of Ecology. From 1914 to 1992, Weyerhaeuser operated several mills at the 35-acre site along the Snohomish River, turning out pulp, boards and other wood products. The site is at 101 E. Marine View Drive, just west of the Highway 529 bridge. Dan Catchpole reports. (Everett Herald)

Crew with Port Townsend institute wraps up plantings in Tarboo watershed this week; 11,000 plants put in place this season
A five-person field crew with the Northwest Watershed Institute will wrap up the planting season this week, having completed plantings and weed control at restoration sites along Tarboo Creek and Dabob Bay.  Overall this winter, Plant-A-Thon volunteers and the institute's field crew have planted 11,000 native trees and shrubs on the Tarboo watershed, said Peter Bahls, executive director. That includes 4,500 bare-root and potted plants and 6,500 live stakes at 10 sites. The plantings are part of a long-term effort of the institute, a nonprofit based in Port Townsend, to restore habitat for salmon and other wildlife in the Tarboo-Dabob watershed south of Port Townsend and northwest of Quilcene. (Peninsula Daily News)

I-5 traffic delays in Seattle skyrocket
It's not your imagination. Traffic on Interstate 5 in Seattle is really getting that bad. That's one of the messages from a new study by the Puget Sound Regional Council set to be released Thursday….The PSRC says 144,000 people have moved to the region since 2010, or 3.9%. That means, in theory, more people are on the roads and on transit. But the study suggests the delays on regional freeways have gone up more than 52% since 2010. Olson says the delays increased by 25% just between 2013 and 2014. Yet, broken down, the issues have not been as significant in Kitsap and Pierce counties as they have in King. Chris Daniels reports. (KING)

USCG detains MOL containership in Seattle
U.S. Coast Guard personnel detained the containership MOL Precision in Seattle, Thursday, March 5. Port State Control officers, from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, discovered several significant violations during a port state control exam of the Panamanian-flagged ship, which was required to remain in Sector Puget Sound's Captain of the Port zone until the violations were corrected. (Marine Log)

Adventuress begins sailing season with four captains at helm of educational endeavor
The schooner Adventuress opens its sailing season this month with four new captains who will share the responsibility of bringing forth the vessel’s ecologically inclined educational mission.  Sound Experience, a Port Townsend-based nonprofit that owns and operates the 102-year-old tall ship, finished crew training last week and offered its first public sail of the season Saturday. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Wyoming Legislature approves bill to support coal port bonds
Wyoming is prepared to up the stakes in its high-dollar push to override local opposition in the Northwest and get access to ocean ports to allow coal exports to Asia. The Wyoming Legislature has approved a measure to allow a state agency to issue up to $1 billion in bonds to finance construction of coal ports in the Northwest. The bill is before Republican Gov. Matt Mead, who has declined comment on it. But Mead has made no secret of his support for coal — and his desire to see trainloads of it heading from Wyoming, the nation's leading coal-producing state, bound for Asia. Ben Neary reports. (Associated Press)

Ongoing Whidbey Island slide destroys another beach cabin
An ongoing landslide at Brighton Beach destroyed another Whidbey Island shoreline cabin late Friday, and officials are warning people to stay away from the area. The slide zone, below a 200-foot bluff, is extremely dangerous and should be avoided, said Jon Beck, deputy chief of the South Whidbey fire district. In December and last month, other buildings were seriously damaged by sliding mud and debris. The latest event took place at about 10 p.m. Friday. The building was not occupied and no one was hurt. Justin Burnett reports. (South Whidbey Record)

Japanese tsunami debris B.C. pickup pitched by Gulf of Alaska Keeper
As we approach the fourth anniversary of the Japanese tsunami, U.S. group Gulf of Alaska Keeper wants to use helicopters and a huge barge to remove tonnes of material still littering B.C. and Alaska coastlines. The group plans to float the barge around the north Pacific this summer, picking up huge loads of debris still stranded in coastal Alaska, with other pickup sites proposed for B.C. (CBC)

B.C. sport fishing society hooks province's fish licence revenues
The non-profit society that promotes sport fishing in British Columbia will receive 100 per cent of the revenues generated from fishing licences, the provincial government announced Monday. The announcement means the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. will receive about $10 million starting next month, an increase of about $3 million from what it currently receives. The society has been receiving 70 per cent of fishing licence revenues for the past 11 years. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 10 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF MORNING FOG.
TONIGHT AND WED
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 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.

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11/17 Burnaby pipe, stormwater kills, Skagit salmon, Chester, breeding ban, piling removal, Adventuress, coal study, Trout Unlimited, black scoter, waterfront park

Transient Killer Whales (Capt. Mark Malleson/KOMO)

If you like to watch: Sightings of 'exotic' transient orcas on the rise in Puget Sound
Northwest whale watchers say they are witnessing a historic boom in sightings of seal-eating transient orcas in the inland waters of Washington state and British Columbia, including a mysterious group of rarely seen whales that usually spend their time in the ocean off the California coast. (KOMO)

Kinder Morgan Burnaby Mountain protest injunction granted
Kinder Morgan has been granted an injunction against protesters who have been blocking crews from doing work in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area.​ The company said the protesters have been interfering with survey and drilling work it needs to complete for its submission to the National Energy Board on the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. On Friday, just before 10:30 a.m. PT, a B.C. Supreme Court judge's ruling was released, giving protesters until 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, to dismantle their campsites and barricades, and to clear out of Kinder Morgan's survey work areas. (CBC) See also: Mayor Derek Corrigan says Burnaby will stop Kinder Morgan pipeline in the courts  Tara Carman reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Death by dirty water: Storm runoff a risk for fish  
Just hours into the experiment, the prognosis was grim for salmon that had been submerged in rain runoff collected from one of Seattle's busiest highways. One by one, the fish were removed from a tank filled with coffee-colored water and inspected: They were rigid. Their typically red gills were gray….. This was the fate of coho salmon exposed to the everyday toxic brew of dirt, metals, oil and other gunk that washes off highway pavement after rains and directly into Puget Sound. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Making strides for salmon
Since the Skagit River Chinook Recovery and Monitoring Plan was adopted in 2005, how has the population changed? What have researchers learned? Skagit Watershed Council board members and area fish experts met this week to reflect on progress over the last decade and what remains to be done. What they determined is that so far, population observations show short-term rises and falls with a continuing decline over the long term. They also concluded that chinook productivity is not so much limited by spawning habitat, but by the amount of rearing habitat available to juvenile fish that stay in freshwater to “beef up” before heading out into Puget Sound. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

If you like to listen: Chester, the false killer whale, thrives at aquarium's rescue centre (with video)
When Chester, the false killer whale, was rescued on Chesterman Beach near Tofino in July he was 86 kilograms and 199 cms. Still a baby at four to six weeks of age, he was near death, so weak he had to be supported in a sling and monitored around the clock once he was transferred to the Vancouver Aquarium’s marine mammal rescue centre. Importantly, he was also silent. More than four months later, Chester is 125 kilograms and 220 cms, swimming effortlessly in a pool at the rescue centre, playing with floating toys, interacting with staff, and producing a surprising repertoire of vocalizations that extend well beyond the human ability to hear. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Vancouver Aquarium breeding ban to be lifted say NPA commissioners
Vancouver NPA park commissioners John Coupar and Sarah Kirby-Yung say they were elected Saturday in part on their party's promise to reverse the aquarium breeding ban imposed by the Vision Vancouver dominated park board. With the NPA now holding a four-to-three majority, Coupar says the party intends to fulfill that commitment. (CBC)

Two-week creosote piling cleanup starts Monday on Vashon, Maury islands
Approximately 170 creosote-saturated piling will be removed from Vashon and Maury islands starting Monday, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources announced in a statement Friday morning. The two-week cleanup project will cost an estimated $161,555. The DNR contracted the Quigg Brothers, an Aberdeen company, for the project. Craig Hill reports. (Olympian)

Refurbished tall ship to serve as a public school 'classroom'
Renovations complete, the Adventuress will spend this winter serving as a floating classroom. For the past five winters, the 101-year-old schooner has been pulled out of the water for major renovations in a $1.2 million project completed this spring. Now that it has been spruced up, the tall ship will augment a special Port Townsend School District curriculum program. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

UW professor seeks money to study pollution from coal trains in Whatcom County
A scientist who uses the Internet to solicit donations for his research on coal trains may bring his work to Whatcom County. Dan Jaffe, professor of atmospheric and environmental chemistry at the University of Washington-Bothell, said his research is too politically charged to attract funding through the normal government channels. He’s also been the target of criticism from a union that supports the construction of a coal export terminal at Cherry Point. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Centralia Council votes no on oil train resolution
The Centralia City Council has rejected a resolution that would have encouraged rail companies, the governor and state agencies to ensure oil shipped by rail be moved safely and asked shippers to take responsibility after a spill. “This comes at no political cost to any of us,” said Councilor Pat Gallagher, who proposed the resolution. “But it addresses concerns for safety of shipping a dangerous product through our town … It should be an open-and-shut thing, a no brainer.” But it wasn’t. The resolution was voted down 5-2. The neighboring Chehalis City Council passed a similar resolution in July. Dameon Pesanti reports. (Chronicle)

Trout Unlimited creating new steelhead conservation group
Trout Unlimited, one of the nation’s largest fishing conservation organizations, will turn its focus to wild steelhead. The organization will launch Thursday the Wild Steelhead Initiative, a project to protect and restore wild steelhead and the fishing opportunities they provide throughout their native range in Washington, Alaska, California, Idaho and Oregon. At the forefront of this effort will be the creation of a new conservation organization, Wild Steelheaders United. The goal of this new group will be to bring together steelhead anglers, regardless of their preferred fishing method, to work on protecting and recovering wild steelhead populations. Jeffrey Mayor reports. (Olympian)

Bird Lore: Black Scoter  
Simple elegance in evening dress. The Black Scoter male (drake) always sports his black suit, accented by the yellow nob on his bill. Scoters (Surf, White-winged, and Black) are dark sea ducks that spend most of the year on the ocean in large flocks. On our inland marine waters, Surf Scoters are most abundant and seen most regularly, followed by White-winged Scoters. Black Scoters, seen much less frequently, winter in Edmonds waters. Carol Riddell reports. (My Edmonds News)

Bellingham approves plan for new waterfront park
When fully developed, the city’s newest waterfront park would have three beaches for water access; a large, open lawn; children’s play area; a viewing hill; a coffee shop or cafe and 250 parking spaces. Now unofficially called Cornwall Beach Park, it also could have a business that rents bicycles or stand-up paddle boards, trails and improvements to shoreline habitat. Those were among the details in the master plan that will guide development of the 17-acre waterfront park. The Bellingham City Council approved the plan Monday, Nov. 10. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 255 AM PST MON NOV 17 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 2 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 2 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

--
"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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9/8 L120, toxic fish, Strait sewage, Elwha fish, oil spill mapping, Canadian forests, sea star wasting, Adventuress

L120 & pod ( PHOTO: Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale Research)

Orca calf born to Puget Sound resident L pod
The Center for Whale Research is celebrating the birth of an orca calf in the Salish Sea, the first one since 2012. The proud mother is 23-year-old L86, and this is her second calf. The newborn has been designated L120. Susan Wyatt reports. (KING)

Tribes reject Inslee's water quality plan, will ask EPA to act
An alliance of tribes is rejecting Gov. Jay Inslee’s approach to revising the state's water quality standards and will ask the Environmental Protection Agency to enact new rules for Washington. The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission sent Inslee a letter on Thursday in which members express their “dissatisfaction” with a proposal they say won’t change the status quo. “The tribes’ principal objective for revised water quality standards is to protect the health of future generations, and we have determined that your proposal does not meet this goal,” reads the letter. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Ron Judd in "The Wrap" writes: "Brown Trout Derby Update: Port Angeles accidentally released about a million gallons of “insufficiently disinfected effluent” into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Across the “natural toilet” known as the Strait, giddy Victoria, B.C., officials promptly invited the town to become an official Sewage Sister City." (Seattle Times)

Fish migrate into upper Elwha River for first time in century
Fish have migrated into the upper Elwha River for the first time in a century.  Olympic National Park biologists confirmed last week that two radio-tagged bull trout had migrated from the lower river through the former area of Glines Canyon Dam and reached at least as far as Rica Canyon above the former Lake Mills, some 15½ miles from the mouth of the Elwha River.  Four bull trout had been detected earlier as they passed a telemetry station upriver from the former Glines dam.  Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

DFO looking to map ocean floor of B.C. to prep for potential tanker spills
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is looking for someone to map the ocean floor near the British Columbia coast, an area it says could be affected by spills with the expected increase in tanker traffic. The department issued a request for proposals Friday for mapping the floor of the Pacific Ocean around the Haida Gwaii archipelago, and the Queen Charlotte and Johnstone straits. DFO also wants an update to the current map for the Strait of Georgia, between the mainland and Vancouver Island. (Canadian Press)

Canada's degradation of pristine, intact forests leads world
The world's precious few remaining large forests are fragmenting at an alarming rate, and the degradation in Canada leads the world, a new analysis shows. The degradation of such pristine "intact" forests threatens species such as Canada's woodland caribou and Asia's tigers that rely on huge unbroken expanses of natural ecosystems in order to survive, said Nigel Sizer, global director of forest programs with the World Resources Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based research institute focused on resource sustainability. Emily Chung reports. (CBC)

Sea stars wasting in local waters
Witnesses describe the phenomenon as a grisly scene. Colorful creatures hang limp, lose their limbs and eventually disintegrate. Sea star wasting syndrome has baffled beach-goers and scientists along the West Coast, including observers of Skagit County’s marine shorelines, over the past year. Researchers say what causes the disease, how it’s spread and whether the dwindling populations of sea stars will recover still isn’t certain. But it has ravaged the invertebrates along Washington’s coast, including the Salish Sea, which escaped its grasp for the greater part of the year. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Her 'voice': Tall ship Adventuress officially gets its long lost bell back
The 101-year old Adventuress has been reunited with its original bell. The lost bell, recently discovered and brought to Port Townsend in June, was installed onto the historical ship in a 15-minute ceremony over the weekend. “The Adventuress is a very lucky boat,” said Port Townsend Mayor David King during the ceremony, which drew about 400 spectators to City Dock. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON SEP 8 2014
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. AREAS OF DRIZZLE AND FOG IN THE MORNING. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.

--
"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

6/24 EPA rule, Oso slide, BC pollution, oil train info, ship bell, Wild Olympics

Supreme Court upholds rules curbing greenhouse gases from power plants
The Supreme Court in a split decision Monday upheld most of the Obama administration’s environmental rules designed to limit greenhouse gases from power plants. The outcome is likely to be welcomed by environmentalists because it confirms the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to restrict greenhouse gases. The justices handed down two separate rulings in a dispute over permits for new or modified power plants and factories. In a 7-2 vote, the justices agreed the Environmental Protection Agency could force major polluters to use new and better technology to limit their emissions of carbon dioxide.... But in a separate 5-4 vote, the court struck down an EPA regulation that could have extended the required greenhouse gas permits to millions of other facilities. Scalia said EPA had stretched the law to cover new facilities that were not major polluters. While most of the court’s opinion dealt with the rejected permitting rules, the court said EPA had won more than it had lost. David Savage reports. (LA Times)

County Council to take up land use in slide areas
Homebuilders and conservationists are honing arguments to sway the Snohomish County Council's policy decisions about building near landslide zones. They'll get to put their powers of persuasion to the test during a hearing scheduled Wednesday. That's when county lawmakers plan to take up proposed land-use changes reacting to the catastrophic Oso mudslide. They could vote to pass some into law, after two months of back-and-forth. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald) See also: Mudslide geological data to be released soon  Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Polluters now face fines of up to $75,000
Polluters could face stiff new fines of up to $75,000 under administrative penalties announced by the government on Monday. The new penalties fill “a gap” between warnings, violation tickets and criminal prosecutions for such offences as dumping waste, the government said in a statement. Those violations include releasing too much of a regulated substance into the environment, and not following other regulatory rules under the Environmental Management Act and Integrated Pest Management Act. Fines would fall into categories of $2,000, $10,000, $40,000 and $75,000 depending on the offence, the Ministry of Environment said in a statement. (Vancouver Sun)

BNSF Won’t Seek Injunction To Stop Release Of Oil Train Info In Washington
BNSF Railway says it’s not going to court before Monday’s deadline to block Washington state from releasing oil train notification information under its public records law. “BNSF does not intend to file an injunction regarding prospective handling of the information provided,” spokeswoman Courtney Wallace wrote in an email Monday. “The determination about how such information is controlled or communicated is ultimately a decision for the federal government and subsequently the Washington State Emergency Response Commission.” Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix) See also: Wash. state senators say public has right to know about oil trains

Original Adventuress bell to be reunited with schooner in Port Townsend
A belle of the seas is getting her bell back. Lost for 99 years, the schooner Adventuress’ original ship’s bell arrived in Washington state Sunday after being retrieved from a Belmont, Calif., family by cinematographer John Leben and Catherine Collins, executive director of Sound Experience, the Port Townsend-based nonprofit that owns and operates the vessel for youth education programs. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Wild Olympics legislation an investment in environmental, economic future, proponent tells Jefferson County chamber
The Wild Olympics bill represents an investment in the future that makes good economic and environmental sense, a speaker told the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce on Monday. “Business owners willingly tell you what they do, but they won’t always tell you why,” said Roy Nott, president of Surfactor Americas LLC in Centralia, a manufacturer of surfaces for the woodworking industry. “In this case, my ‘why’ has to do with my 6-year-old granddaughter Mariam and her peers and their future.” Nott addressed about 45 people at the chamber’s weekly meeting at the Port Townsend Elks Club. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE JUN 24 2014
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY...
 MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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4/7 Herring, jellyfish, Vic sewer, Canada geese, slide pollution, Adventuress, Shell drill, Skagit fish, coal, ospreys

Herring (DFO/VENUS)

Fish affected by a legacy of pollution
Dipping a nylon mesh into a shallow tank of seawater here in late March, fish biologist Jim West prepared to capture herring eggs as they underwent in vitro fertilization. Biologist Andrea Carey slowly dribbled the herring eggs into the water, where they were instantly fertilized as they fell onto the plastic mesh. As they contacted the mesh, the sticky eggs cemented themselves onto the plastic, where they will stay throughout this experiment in Port Gamble Bay. Herring populations in the bay have declined dramatically in recent years, and biologists would like to know why. Placing fertilized embryos into the bay and examining their development could be the most direct way to tell how they are being affected by toxic chemicals. Christopher Dunagan (Kitsap Sun)

Puget Sound Jellyfish show up in areas of poor water quality
Pulsating gelatinous sea creatures, which float through the water like alien life-forms, appear to be on the increase in portions of Puget Sound. Jellyfish are not welcomed by most biologists, who have learned that these translucent creatures tend to show up when the ecosystem is troubled. They'll take a bite out of the lower portion of the food web, gobbling up plankton that could otherwise feed herring and other forage fish — which, in turn, are important prey for salmon, birds and marine mammals. Casey Rice of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center said there is a lot to learn about jellyfish, but one thing seems clear. When the number of jellyfish is high, the number of forage fish, such as herring, is low. Chris Dunagan reports. (Kitsap Sun)

McLoughlin sewage-plant faces critical test in Esquimalt on Monday  
The Capital Regional District’s plan to build a sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point faces a major hurdle Monday as Esquimalt councillors sit to decide whether to rezone the site. The decision follows a round of public hearings that stretched over four sessions in February and March. Councillors heard about 117 presentations during the sessions, though some people spoke more than once. Of those, only one clearly supported the bylaw and one felt that the township had an obligation to support the bylaw, according to Bill Brown, Esquimalt director of developmental services. Bill Cleverely reports. (Times Colonist)

Canadian authorities looking to control Canada geese populations
Metro Vancouver residents may look overhead and marvel at a V-shaped gaggle of migrating Canada geese, but the on-the-ground antics of resident geese first introduced here decades ago have authorities brainstorming ways to control the exploding population. Environment Canada lists the geese as being “a significant safety threat” to aviation, and a problem in local parks, pastures, golf courses and any other grassy area. Nesting Canada geese can also get quite nasty — aggressive pairs can sometimes injure small children and pets. And goose droppings are expensive to clean up (although they haven’t been linked to any health concerns for humans, according to the federal department). Mike Hager reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Pollution Is Not The Top Priority At Oso Landslide Site, But It Is A Concern
As the search-and-rescue effort shifts gears into cleanup mode, officials are beginning to assess potential environmental and public health risks in the landslide zone near Oso, Wash. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

With 5 years of repairs complete, Adventuress is back at sea and ready for sailing programs
After a five-year, $1.2 million centennial renovation project, the schooner Adventuress is ready for another 100 years of adventures.... The 100-ton ship was strapped into a lift Friday at the Port Townsend Boat Haven and transported about 50 yards from its winter berth into the water. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Coast Guard Blames Kulluk Grounding on Shell Oil's Complacence, Risk Taking
A US Coast Guard investigation blames Shell Oil's complacence and risk-taking for an oil rig running aground on a remote Alaskan Island on New Year's Eve 2012. A single tugboat, the Aiviq, was towing an oil rig called the Kulluk to Everett, Wash., in late December when the tug's engines failed. Despite several attempts to corral the wayward rig, the Kulluk's 18 crew members had to be evacuated by helicopter, and the rig ran aground... The Coast Guard investigation found that Shell's decision to move its cone-shaped oil rig across the Gulf of Alaska in December was influenced by the millions of dollars in state taxes that Shell believed would kick in if the rig stayed in Alaska past the new year. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Skagit steelhead run hangs in balance of legal battle
Two years from now, an already restrictive winter steelhead season on the Skagit River may see even lower returns of hatchery fish to supply recreational and tribal fisheries, unless the state Department of Fish and Wildlife can resolve a legal battle that has been brewing with the Wild Fish Conservancy since early this year. Following a 60-day notice of intent to sue the state agency over its management of early winter steelhead hatchery programs, the nonprofit Conservancy filed a complaint Monday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleging Fish and Wildlife violated the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Coal port developers ask for support in Pacific Northwest
Developers said Wednesday they are politically outmatched in their battle to build two coal ports in Washington state, and they’re begging for help from Montana industry. That means letters, online comments and even trips to hearings in the Pacific Northwest, where regulators are conducting an “unprecedented” environmental review, developers said during Montana Energy 2014 in Billings. Erik Olson reports. (Missoulian)

Home upgrade for Chambers Bay ospreys
Bird-watchers who regularly visit Chambers Bay and the shoreline along the Pierce County-owned Chambers Creek properties in University Place may have noticed something new atop two wooden piles along the beach. Two metal cones recently appeared at the top of the aging piles in an attempt to block returning ospreys from making them their home this year. In place of the piles, the county built a telephone-like pole nearby with a platform where it hopes the ospreys will establish a new residence. Brynn Grimley reports. (News Tribune of Tacoma)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 202 AM PDT MON APR 7 2014
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.
--
"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.

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1/29 Seahawks, salmon disaster, AMTRAK & trains, Burfoot sewage, SJ CAO, eagle fest, Adventuress

CBC

Super Bowl wager of native mask upsets B.C. First Nation
A Super Bowl wager between two art museums in Seattle and Denver may not happen, after it upset the B.C. First Nation with a connection to the deal. When the Seattle Seahawks take on the Denver Broncos this Sunday, the Seattle Art Museum and the Denver Art Museum were planning to bet a major work of art on the outcome of the game. The winner would get to display the other city's piece for several months. But it's what the Seattle Art Museum chose to wager that attracted attention north of the border: a forehead mask from the Nuxalk First Nation, which is located on B.C.'s Central Coast near Bella Coola. Nuxalk First Nation Chief Wally Webber was not happy about how he found out about the exchange. Webber says no one had the courtesy to pick up a phone and tell him.

Feds Declare Salmon Fishery Disaster For Washington Tribes
The U.S. Secretary of Commerce has declared the Fraser River sockeye salmon run a “fishery disaster” for nine tribes and non-tribal fishers in Washington state. The Fraser River empties out near Vancouver, British Columbia. The sockeye salmon from that river are a key resource for the state and tribal fishing industries in Washington. The Fraser River sockeye salmon runs are worth more than $4 million each year, and they’ve been in decline for 30 years. The fishery was closed altogether in 2013. Fisheries managers blame the decline on poor ocean conditions, warm river temperatures and habitat decline, among other things. Tuesday’s disaster declaration empowers Congress to allocate money for fishermen and fishing communities that are affected by the crash. Ashley Ahearn reports.

New blog: 12th Man et al: When Was The Last Time You Cheered?
“The last time a lot of folks in Washington state cheered was two weekends ago and the next time they expect to cheer will be when the Super Bowl is played this Sunday. Since then, I watched rugby being played on television with the sound off last weekend and, not knowing much about the game’s rules, was amazed at the players’ prowess but had no idea what to cheer about. On Sunday, I watched the Grammy Awards with the sound on and heard a lot of cheering but just couldn’t figure out what the cheering was about. In high school, I cheered.... “

Amtrak train delayed 6 hours by coal train; passengers irked
Washington state’s passenger-rail director apologized Tuesday for a blockage that left Amtrak riders stranded for six hours Sunday night in Ferndale, Whatcom County, just south of the Canadian border. Ron Pate said he will discuss solutions with Amtrak, as well as BNSF Railway, whose disabled coal train clogged a single-track stretch of the Puget Sound mainline.... Amtrak Cascades Train 517 left Vancouver, B.C., for Seattle around 5:45 p.m., with 98 passengers aboard. Two hours later it stopped. A conductor announced a coal train had become uncoupled, said passenger Rachel Lane, 34, who said she was returning from a birthday trip with her partner and sister. BNSF owns and operates the regional corridor, while providing track time for passenger lines. The coal train became disconnected in three places, and a locomotive stopped running, Pate said. “Everything went wrong that could go wrong,” he said. Mike Lindblom reports.

Coal and oil: A mix to fuel NW fears
The masses that stormed the gates of Big Coal in 2013 are turning their fury on Big Oil as the new year opens and the Pacific Northwest considers a future as a massive pipeline on rails connecting the fossil-fuel deposits of Wyoming and North Dakota to the furnaces and factories of Asia. Floyd McKay reports.

Partially treated sewage prompts closure at Burfoot Park
The Washington Department of Ecology told the Seashore Villa mobile home park in Thurston County that it needs to fix its wastewater treatment plant that discharges to Budd Inlet, just north of Priest Point Park in Olympia, and that it faces fines for every day the plant remains off line. Ecology inspected the treatment plant Jan. 24 and discovered that the mobile home park was bypassing its treatment plant and sending partially treated sewage directly to Budd Inlet.  Also Jan. 24, the Thurston County Health Department issued a closure for Burfoot Park in Budd Inlet due to the discharge. The public is advised to have no contact with the water until further notice.

Pacific Legal Foundation jumps into legal battle over CAO
The Pacific Legal Foundation has filed an amicus curiae brief with San Juan County Superior Court in the appeal of the Growth Management Hearings Board decision on the critical areas ordinances. The brief supports the positions of the Common Sense Alliance and P.J. Taggares Company, petitioners in the continuing challenge to the final decision and order of the Hearings Board. The Pacific Legal Foundation, based in Sacramento with an office in Bellevue, is an active litigator in property rights and environmental cases across the United States, most often on behalf of property owners. Among many other cases, the foundation in 2012 sought to have Endangered Species Act protections removed for southern resident killer whales, a petition that was rejected in 2013. In this case, the PLF's "friend of the court" brief argues that water quality buffers in the CAO create "an unconstitutional burden on the development of property," according to a CSA press release.

Celebrate eagles during weekend festival
The annual Arlington-Stillaguamish Eagle Festival pays homage to the iconic birds of prey that nest along local rivers in the winter, taking advantage of salmon spawning runs and giving locals a good reason to bundle up and head outside with the binoculars. The 2014 Eagle Festival takes place this weekend, Friday and Saturday, with most events scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1, and clustered around downtown Arlington on Olympic Avenue.  Beckye Randall reports.

Public input sought on ship’s educational programs at February meetings in Port Townsend, Seattle
Landlubbers are being invited by the resident schooner Adventuress to determine what kind of educational sailing programs the tall ship should offer in the future. “We are moving forward,” said Catherine Collins, executive director of Sound Experience, the nonprofit that manages and operates the sailing ship that is based in Port Townsend... It is now beginning a yearlong process to examine Sound Experience’s current offerings and develop new ones, to provide programs that support the Next Generation Science Standards that now are being implemented in public schools throughout Washington state, Collins said.  The town hall-style meetings are scheduled in Seattle at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Center for Wooden Boats, 1010 Valley St.; and in Port Townsend at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Pope Marine Building at the corner of Water and Madison streets. Charlie Bermant reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED JAN 29 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 7 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"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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2/4 Anacortes growth, coal lawyers, Chico Creek park, Adventuress, ocean acid, net pen ban, Lummi land trust, Kokish River

Snohomish Slew (Geena Martin, The Herald)

The Snohomish River Valley was enshrouded in fog Saturday morning. But Snohomish Slew, the famous bullfrog weather prognosticator, didn't see it as an indicator of things to come. Nope, he thinks spring will come early this year. He's so sure, he predicted it with his croak. Sharon Salyer reports. Early spring, Snohomish Slew predicts 

New blog: “Long before the ‘buy local’ movement got going, environmentalists and labor unions worked together to get legislation passed that would give a leg up to Washington shipbuilders to build new ferries locally. That was the Build Them In Washington campaign....”  Build Them In Washington  

The city (of Anacortes) has made a big step toward changing its long-term growth area and making way for a massive bottling plant after submitting all the materials needed to begin the review of the proposed land-use change. But those materials include a major difference from the earlier application, which called for signing over 14.7 acres of industrial-zoned land to the Samish Indian Nation. Instead of signing over those acres, the new proposal includes turning into public land 16.6 acres of land bordering the south end of Fidalgo Bay that are now zoned for light manufacturing. One City Council member said he’s unhappy with the change, which was made without the council. Mark Stayton reports. Major change to Anacortes growth area application  

Eric de Place and Nick Abraham at Sightline reveal: Several well-known Northwest law firms, including two that cheerfully market themselves as green leaders, have thrown in their lot with the coal industry. They aim to help coal companies avoid a comprehensive public review of plans to export as much as 140 million tons of coal annually from the region. Yet it’s probably fair to say that many of these law firms care deeply about their reputations and would rather not have their work for the coal industry broadcast too widely. Read about the coal work of Gordon Thomas Honeywell; Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt; Stoel Rives; K&L Gates and the PR firm, Smith & Stark. Look Who’s Taking Coal Money, Part 2  Joel Connelly writes: Northwest’s so-called ‘green’ law firms working for Big Coal

With her dad watching closely, 7-year-old Hailey Mullen gripped a pair of pruning shears and clipped a blackberry vine close to the ground near the edge of Chico Creek. Young Hailey joined with more than 100 volunteers who turned out Saturday to attack the weeds at this undeveloped county park on Chico Way, known as Salmon Viewing Park. Organizers hope to transform the weed-infested park into a wonderful place for families to visit — especially during the fall salmon-spawning season.  Chris Dunagan reports. Volunteers begin to shape Chico Creek salmon park  

If you like to watch: About 150 people took an early afternoon break Friday to participate in what was billed as the first-ever “flash chantey.” The event commemorated a date exactly 100 years ago when the schooner Adventuress, which is now based in Port Townsend, first splashed into the water in East Boothbay, Maine, on Feb. 1. 1913. Charlie Bermant reports. 'Flash chantey' marks Adventuress centennial splash  Watch the video.

Last year, Washington came up with a tentative plan to fight the growing acidity of its Puget Sound and coastal waters — a shift that is hurting the state's shellfish harvests. The challenge now faces the state Legislature. Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas island, introduced a bill Friday to create a council to advise the state government on how to tackle ocean acidification. The bill also calls for considering the acidity of water runoff in urban planning efforts. John Stang reports. Legislator hopes to save shellfish  

A bill sponsored by a Sequim Democrat in the state House would allow counties to ban net pen aquaculture. The one-page bill, filed Thursday by state Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, a Sequim Democrat, says: “Master programs may include provisions for siting or prohibiting the siting of marine aquaculture net pen facilities.” Charlie Bermant reports. Bill would allow counties to ban fish farming  

Whatcom County and the city of Ferndale have written letters to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs opposing Lummi Nation's move to get trust land designation for an 80-acre site south of Slater Road and west of Interstate 5. The land had been mentioned as a possible site for both a new county jail and a new Costco store before the tribe acquired it from Ralph Black and family for a reported $5.4 million in late 2011. Ten of the 80 acres are inside the Ferndale city limits, while the remainder is within Bellingham's legally designated urban growth area. That means it is earmarked for eventual Bellingham annexation. Tribal trust designation would move the parcel out of city, county and state jurisdiction and take it off property tax rolls. John Stark reports. Lummis move to get trust land status worries local governments

Federal scientists struggled to protect fish in the Kokish River from potential adverse effects of a hydroelectric project, but concerns of on-the-ground staff were watered down by the time a final memo reached the desk of the fisheries minister, documents obtained by the Wilderness Committee show. The progression unfolds through more than 1,000 pages of memos and emails obtained by the wilderness protection group through an access to information request. Fisheries and Oceans staff negotiate to get better conditions and water flows for fish. Then, the tone of memos to senior staff changes, and at least one biologist objects to his name being on a memo. Judith Lavoie reports. Kokish River power project approved by government despite scientists' concerns

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON FEB 4 2013
TODAY
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE
 EVENING...THEN RAIN.
--
"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 coal, BC marine areas, Shell drill, BC toilets, Fish Tale Brew Pub

BC Neptune Terminals (Wayne Leidenfrost)

NEXT FRIDAY, Feb. 1: At exactly 12:30 PM in Port Townsend, Sound Experience will recognize the  exact day a century ago that the historic schooner Adventuress “splashed” in E. Boothbay, Maine. You're invited to come aboard for a "Flash Shanty" to sing the shanty "Paddy Lay Back" filmed for YouTube-- or to post your own singing of the shanty on YouTube. For more, visit Sound Experience.

Port Metro Vancouver has approved a $200 million expansion project at North Vancouver’s Neptune Bulk Terminals that will double the terminal’s coal export capacity. The decision, announced on the port’s website Jan 23, is the first of two applications before the port authority that will help secure Metro Vancouver’s role as North America’s largest coal export hub. It comes at a time when public awareness is growing over coal exports, the role coal plays in global warming, and the port’s procedure in approving the expansions in-house. Neptune proposes doubling its capacity from 8.5 million tonnes of coal a year to 18.5 million tonnes. The terminal exports metallurgical coal – used in steelmaking – but it has become caught up in the controversy over thermal coal exports generated by an application from Fraser Surrey Docks to establish a terminal on the Fraser River for exporting American thermal coal to Asia. Port Metro Vancouver has yet to rule on that application. The two proposals, coupled with Westshore Terminal’s coal exporting capacity, would push total coal exports from the region to over 50 million tonnes a year. Gordon Hamilton reports. Port Metro Vancouver approves first of two controversial coal export projects  See also: Vancouver coal-shipment permit rocks environmentalists

Federal promises to create a network of marine protected areas are progressing at a snail’s pace, and there are fears that federal cutbacks will slow the process even further, says a report by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. Canada made a commitment in 2010 to protect at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020, but, with only one per cent protected so far, there is a long way to go, said Sabine Jessen, the conservation group’s national oceans manager. Judith Lavoie reports. Federal government promise to protect marine areas is way behind target

A Shell drilling rig that ran aground near Alaska's Kodiak Island remains anchored in a nearby sheltered bay three weeks later, and its fate is as unknown as whether the oil company will be able to drill in waters off the state this year. The damaged Kulluk drillship is a key part of Royal Dutch Shell's ambitious plan to drill for oil in two parts of the Arctic Ocean. Beyond its work last year in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's northern coast, it serves as a required backup for Shell's contracted rig, the Noble Corp-owned Discoverer. Yereth Rosen reports. Shell Arctic plans anchored with its Alaska drillship

A number of B.C. public agencies say their composting toilets are not working as advertised. Metro Vancouver and B.C. Parks are retrofitting units built with the once-celebrated green technology. And UBC is re-evaluating five high-profile composting toilets in the CK Choi building after testing revealed problems with the by-products. Jason Proctor reports. Composting toilets not working as advertised

The Fish Tale Brew Pub, an Olympia area gem, will be featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" next month. Food Network host, Guy Fieri, brought the TV show’s video crew to the Olympia area favorite for filming last October, in conjunction with his appearance at a Saint Martin’s University special event.  Fish Tale Pub goes national on TV

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI JAN 25 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PST EARLY THIS MORNING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT EARLY...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 15
 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 18 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
SAT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 16 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS.

--
"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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10/9 Orcas, fishermen's coal, ocean acid, Enbridge pipe, watersheds, Port Angeles waterfront, Adventuress wheel

(Photo: Seattle Aquarium)

For those who like to watch: Puget Sound's killer whales have begun venturing south into Central Puget Sound as they do each fall during their annual hunt for chum salmon. J Pod and possibly members of K and L pods were spotted Monday morning off Point No Point in North Kitsap and later in the day off Bainbridge Island, according to Susan Berta of Orca Network. Chris Dunagan reports. Orcas moving south into Puget Sound  When you see them: How to report whale sightings   And watch: Orcas swimming off Point No Point  And: West Seattle Whale Watch: Orca photos, round 1

Tribal and non-tribal fishermen on Monday lined up their boats on their unified opposition to plans for a coal export facility at Cherry Point. A plan to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to the site near Ferndale for export overseas is currently being studied. Both groups are concerned the plan would increase train traffic that would disrupt the daily lives of citizens. They also worry the increased shipping traffic on the water could increase chances of a major accident and spill in the productive crab and fishing area.  Gary Chittim reports. Lummi Tribe takes on coal plan 

One way to measure the urgency of the scientific response to ocean acidification is by its carbon footprint. In 2004, 125 marine scientists gathered in a single room in Paris to ponder the effects that surging loads of human-generated carbon dioxide into the atmosphere might have on the sea below. They heard 24 research presentations, nearly the sum total of papers published on the subject worldwide that year. Four years later, 227 researchers gathered in Monaco for the second installment, with 44 presentations. Two weeks ago, 542 racked up the air miles to get to Monterey, California for the Third International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World. Eric Scigliano reports.  Science faces the fate of the sea    At home: Ocean use planning, acidification subjects of Oct. 10 public meeting

Organizations founded by an American oil baron and a Silicon Valley philanthropist are among the foreign charities being targeted by Enbridge in its battle against critics of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. Tens of millions of dollars have been donated to conservation groups and initiatives in B.C., for everything from Earth Day celebrations to aboriginal salmon recovery programs. It’s a point of contention for the pipeline proponent, which has asked the environmental review panel examining the Northern Gateway project to compel funding information from its critics. The panel returns to B.C. this week for final hearings on the controversial project. Northern Gateway pipeline critics questioned on Rockefeller foundation, Seattle philanthropist    And: Energy advocate doubts Enbridge’s ability to get Northern Gateway pipeline built  

Hey, this is cool. Finally got a chance to look over what Tony Meyer of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission sent me and I think you'll find it interesting, too: State of our Watersheds Report

The first phase of the $3.9 million waterfront esplanade began Monday, as crews closed off the western half of Railroad Avenue. Traffic is now blocked on Railroad Avenue between Laurel Street — at the MV Coho ferry terminal — and Oak Street to the west for the start of the $17 million Downtown Waterfront Development Project. Arywn Rice reports. Work begins on Port Angeles waterfront face-lift

Ah, this is sick and sickening: In case someone steals the wooden wheel aboard your 99-year-old schooner, it's good to know there's a spare nearby. The ship's wheel on the Port Townsend-based schooner Adventuress was stolen in Olympia on Saturday night. A loaner wheel was secured in time and installed by Sunday night for a previously scheduled educational program that is the specialty of Sound Experience, the nonprofit that sails the Adventuress. Charlie Bermant reports. Schooner Adventuress wants its wheel back — but using loaner in meantime

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT MON OCT 8 2012
TUE
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 20 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
TUE NIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 18 SECONDS. PATCHY
 FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

--
"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.  

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6/25 Springer, BC flood, crabs, Elwha hatchery, Skagit water, swales, no-go zone, Joshua Berger, tribal settlement, Squamish bowl, Mukilteo shores, tribal journey, Rio+20, drones

Le-La-La dancer at Celebrate Springer!

On Saturday, several of the people responsible for Springer’s rescue and reconnection with her family gathered at the Alki Bathhouse to share their story, encourage community involvement in saving the whales and protecting the waters they frequent, and dedicate four new Whale Trail signs in West Seattle.  Orphan orca Springer’s saviors honored at Alki; Four Whale Trail signs going up in West Seattle   See also: Whale of a (true-life) tale, 10 years later: Celebrating Springer  

Martha Kongsgaard, chair of the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council, gave some powerful opening remarks at last Saturday’s festivities in Seattle celebrating the 10th anniversary of the orphan orca Springer’s rescue in Seattle and reuniting with her Northern Resident family. Here’s an excerpt:  Saving the Sound, Saving the Whales

Rushing rivers, swollen by heavy rains, have wreaked havoc around British Columbia, forcing emergency officials to evacuate hundreds of residents in one community and search for man who’d been swept away in another.  It’s happened because of thunder and rain storms, which hammered the Interior Saturday and dumped in one day as much rain as some communities see in an entire month. Hundreds evacuated, one missing after flooding in BC   Meanwhile, in Puget Sound: Summer Squall

After a banner Puget Sound Dungeness crab fishery last summer, many are gearing up for another good season beginning July 1.  State fisheries managers are basing their outlook on some preseason evaluations that included a tribal fishery on east side of Whidbey Island and Saratoga Pass, and the state's test fisheries in other parts of Puget Sound.  Crabbers gearing up for season, and early sockeye numbers promising  

The public can comment through July 16 on an updated draft management plan that will be used to operate the hatchery program for chinook salmon in the Elwha River watershed. The draft plan, written by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, describes the operation of the artificial production program for chinook salmon in the Elwha River and the potential effects of the program on wild fish species, such as salmon and steelhead, that are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act.  Comments open for updated Elwha chinook hatchery plan  

Thomas Crane presents something of a conundrum with Skagit County and the state and could add another dimension to the ongoing conflict over water in two Skagit River creek basins. Earlier this year, a county worker discovered Crane’s two-story home, nestled in a spreading meadow not far from Fisher Creek, was using an illegal well. Crane’s home is in the Fisher-Carpenter creek basin, an area closed last year by the state Department of Ecology to residential development that requires wells.  Now, both the state and the county say they don’t know what to do about it. In letters to each other, officials from both agencies appear to be walking on eggshells. Their unspoken fear — should either approve Crane’s use of his well — is that the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community might file a lawsuit.  Rural water war has a new twist

The West Seattle neighborhoods of Sunrise Heights and Westwood are in for major changes in the coming years as King County plans to install a series of “bioretention swales,” similar to rain gardens, along many streets. The neighborhoods were chosen because they contribute 45 percent of the water and sewage processed by the Barton station. Some at peace, others still frustrated with King County’s sewage overflow plans in West Seattle  

The Coast Guard has declared a 500-yard safety zone to keep people away from two drilling ships when they leave Seattle for the Alaska Arctic this summer. Shell Oil has been preparing two drill ships in Seattle to explore for oil and natural gas this year in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas off Alaska's north coast. Environmental groups oppose the drilling because they fear an oil spill in ice-choked ocean waters. Coast Guard declares drill ship safety zone in Puget Sound

The captain of the schooner Adventuress has received a $10,000 fellowship that he intends to use to develop a program to develop “green” standards for building boats.  Joshua Berger is one of 40 recipients nationwide of awards given by Toyota and the National Audubon Society.  'Adventuress' captain gets grant to develop 'green' boats  

Some Native American tribes have started receiving their shares of a $1 billion settlement with the U.S. government over mismanagement of their money and trust lands, while others are waiting and remain undecided on what to do with their funds. The Makah tribe in Neah Bay — one of 44 tribes across the nation who are receiving money from the settlement — is receiving $25 million.  Tribes start receiving settlement money; Makah are beneficiaries of $25 million

The discovery of an ancient stone bowl in Squamish may shed some light on the lives and ceremonies of the Coast Salish peoples who once lived on the banks of the Squamish River. The bowl, carved out of organic rock and revealed to be about 1,600 years old, is similar to those used by early aboriginal cultures in California and the American southwest.  Ancient stone Squamish artifact bowls over SFU researchers  

Mukilteo wants and deserves to reclaim our 4.8 miles of beautiful waterfront. Joe Marine opines. Mukilteo's waterfront has a shining future  

The arrival on July 29 of about 13,000 American Indians, representing some 130 West Coast tribal communities, dressed in regalia and landing in beautifully carved cedar canoes, sounds a lot like another spectacular Olympia party. It is not. Charlene Krise, a member of the Squaxin Island Tribal Council and executive director of the tribe’s Museum Library and Research Center, says the revival of the canoe journey has rejuvenated tribal nations to reclaim their traditions.  Support Squaxin tribe’s journey to keep heritage alive  

The Rio+20 summit ends with an agreement from world leaders that charities say represents a "missed chance" to tackle environmental problems. Rio ends with corporates warning  But: Government progress on the environment is slow, but the world’s people can assert their power to fix problems. Op-Ed: We Have Met the Solution and It Is Us  

In Hawaii over the weekend: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is conducting a demonstration off Oahu's North Shore this week of a small unmanned aircraft the agency hopes will improve ocean monitoring and aid environmental research in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The Puma AE, which has a 10-foot wingspan and weighs 13 pounds, can stay aloft for two hours and capture high-definition still photos and video. It is remotely operated. Unmanned aircraft have been used to help NOAA researchers and military personnel around the world with oil spills, hurricane tracking, surveillance, combat and other tasks.  Federal officials test drone as monitor of ocean wildlife  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 241 AM PDT MON JUN 25 2012
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

--
"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