11/11 Train safety, salmon volunteers, rain study, landslides, Navy testing

Atlantic puffins (Steve Gravie/BirdNote)

Restoring Bird Colonies with Social Attraction
What does relocating Caspian Terns from an island in the Columbia River have to do with luring Short-tailed Albatrosses away from an active volcano in Japan? They both use methods of social attraction pioneered by Dr. Stephen Kress. Social attraction utilizes visual cues such as decoys and audio recordings of birdcalls. Using these, scientists can entice bird colonies out of harm’s way. These Atlantic Puffins represent another successful use of social attraction: Kress and his team established new colonies of puffins on the coast of Maine! (BirdNote)

Feds reject industry challenges to oil train safety rule
The U.S. Department of Transportation has rejected several appeals by industry groups to its rule issued in May on the safety of trains carrying large quantities of crude oil and ethanol. The department also agreed with tribal groups in the Pacific Northwest that had expressed concern about proposed changes to notification requirements to states for large rail shipments of crude oil. The trade groups, which represented railroads, refiners, and chemical companies, had objected to a variety of components of the rule relating to its scope, to the timeline for completing a retrofit and replacement of tank cars used to carry flammable liquids, what level of fire protection the cars should have and whether they should be equipped with advanced electronic brakes. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Qualicum Beach couple part of Pacific Salmon Foundation's 'mosquito fleet'
A Qualicum Beach couple are good examples of the crucial fleet of locals who are making the Pacific Salmon Foundation's Citizen Science Program a success. Ryan and Nicole Frederickson are two of the many volunteers taking part in the foundation's Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, trying to understand the causes of declines in coho and chinook salmon in the Strait of Georgia and wider Salish Sea. Auren Ruvinsky reports. (Parksville Qualicum Beach News)

UW, NASA deploy scientific blitz to study rainy Olympic Peninsula
The OLYMPEX project will use aircraft, radar, weather stations and volunteers with rain gauges to improve local forecasts and ground-truth satellite data. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Washington Updates Guidelines For Landslide-Prone Slopes
Washington forestry officials have updated state guidelines for evaluating unstable slopes that, if logged, could contribute to landslides. The Washington Forest Practices Board took up the issue Tuesday. It has been a topic of some controversy following the 2014 landslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso in Washington’s North Cascades. Land above the Oso slide zone was logged in 2004 and replanted in 2005 — prompting some critics to blame the removal of trees for the disaster. After lengthy debate and several breaks, the board unanimously approved updates to the guidelines that were favored by the timber industry. However, the board also took steps to address conservationists’ concerns before it meets in February. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Navy ends consultation on historic resources in sonar, explosives testing zone that includes Strait of Juan de Fuca
The federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is getting involved in a dispute between state and Navy officials over cultural and historical resources in a broad area, including the Strait of Juan de Fuca, that has been targeted for sonar and explosives training and testing. The testing area also includes Puget Sound and the Behm Canal in southeastern Alaska. The Navy notified state Historic Preservation Officer Allyson Brooks — referred to as the SHPO — last Thursday that military officials had finished consulting with her on potential adverse effects to the resources, according to a Nov. 5 letter from Larry M. Foster, director of environmental readiness for the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Brooks' response was that she was “stunned.” …. Brooks said Monday she had been consulting with Navy personnel from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, not Pearl Harbor. “It was shocking to get the letter from Pearl Harbor when all the work was being done with Whidbey Naval Air Station,” Brooks said. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Salish Sea News and Weather will not be posted on Thursday and Friday. Mahalo.

Now, your tug-weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 304 AM PST WED NOV 11 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W WIND 20 TO 30 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 12 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS 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.

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11/9 Keystone, BC unmuzzled, NW tribes, Asarco, port races, Wisconsin derail, bag ban, Navy jets, Elwha

Citing Climate Change, Obama Rejects Construction of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline
President Obama announced on Friday that he had rejected the request from a Canadian company to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline, ending a seven-year review that had become a symbol of the debate over his climate policies. Mr. Obama’s denial of the proposed 1,179-mile pipeline, which would have carried 800,000 barrels a day of carbon-heavy petroleum from the Canadian oil sands to the Gulf Coast, comes as he seeks to build an ambitious legacy on climate change. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times) See also: Justin Trudeau 'disappointed' with U.S. rejection of Keystone XL  Kathleen Harris reports. (CBC)

Keystone pipeline rejection means oil tankers could multiply in Strait of Juan de Fuca
President Obama’s decision Friday to reject the Keystone XL pipeline puts a fresh spotlight on other efforts to bring Canadian crude to market, including a $5.4 billion project to boost oil flows to British Columbia. The oil piped from Alberta would be targeted for maritime export, dramatically increasing the number of oil tankers traversing the Strait of Juan de Fuca and raising environmental concerns among Washington state Department of Ecology (DOE) officials.  Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Kristi Miller, muzzled fisheries scientist, felt like a second-class citizen
A federal edict that prevented government scientists from talking publicly about their work turned them into "second-class citizens", a B.C. based molecular geneticist told CBC news Friday. Kristi Miller, a scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, told CBC News Friday that she was excited at news the newly elected federal government had lifted the muzzle from its researchers. Kristi Miller was prevented from talking to media about the results of her study. (CBC) See also: Scientists, ministers get green light to speak under Trudeau  Pauline Dakin reports. (CBC)

Exxon Mobil accused of climate change cover-up
Oil giant Exxon Mobil is being investigated for misleading the public about the impact of climate change. The New York attorney general has sent a request for emails and financial records to the company. Allegations surfaced last month that the company's own scientists raised concerns about global warming decades ago and that Exxon had worked to suppress that information. (BBC) See also: Oil companies and climate change: who should pay?  Environmentalists say an investigation into ExxonMobil may open the door to tobacco-style lawsuitsJason Proctor reports. (CBC)

UW Symposium: Ocean Acidification Pushing Boundaries Of Environmental Law
The University of Washington held its first annual symposium on environmental law last week. The idea is to choose a topic and examine how it fits into current and future regulations. This year’s focus—ocean acidification.  It is sometimes called the evil twin of global warming. Ocean acidification is caused when carbon pollution from fossil fuels dissolves into our waterways. Scientists say it may cause serious harm to life on the planet; some say it is already damaging the local shellfish industry. It is also pushing the envelope of current environmental law. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Northwest tribal leaders fight for government to uphold treaties
A proposed coal terminal and affiliated railway for Cherry Point, Wash., has sparked concern about treaty violations and environmental degradation for many Pacific Northwest tribal leaders, 10 of whom rallied together in Washington, D.C., on Thursday morning against what they said is government disregard for their treaties. Grace Toohey reports. (McClatchy)

Three decades after the Asarco smelter shutdown, its toxic legacy surprises Tacoma newcomers
Tacoma’s industrial history confronted Alex Stillman on a late spring morning while she was up to her wrists in front-yard dirt. A neighbor saw the 27-year-old school nurse, part of the city’s influx of new homeowners, digging to plant a hedge outside her North 40th Street house and walked over to share some friendly insight about the neighborhood. The conversation sent Stillman inside to start learning things no real-estate agent or inspector had explained to Alex or her husband, Bryce, when they bought the place in fall 2014. It fell to Google to tell her about the long-gone Asarco copper smelter that operated less than a mile from where her tidy 1940s bungalow stands, and that the lead and arsenic emitted from its 571-foot-tall smokestack for several decades had polluted her yard and thousands of others with agents linked to cancer and other serious health problems. Derrick Nunnally reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Dangerous, tasty fishery resumes off B.C. coast
One of British Columbia's most unusual and dangerous fisheries is poised for a comeback. Gooseneck barnacles, which grow on the rocks below the high tide line off the west coast of Vancouver Island,.are prized in Spain and served as appetizers by high-end restaurants across North America. With a shell-like top and stubby stalks of rich meat beneath, goosenecks resemble clumps of asparagus. However, the best ones are hard to reach and risky to harvest. Chris Brown reports. (CBC)

Port Commissioner: The Race We Can No Longer Afford To Ignore
As election results continue to filter in, most eyes focus on the big-ticket races—city council members, state ballot measures, and levies. Yet way down near the bottom of the ballot is one of the most important votes that we cast in the Northwest: the races for port commissioner. Historically overlooked by voters and pundits alike, the Northwest’s recent controversies over coal and oil have begun to shift some attention to the leadership of public ports. It’s an entirely appropriate shift, because the elected leaders of the region’s ports play a more important role—for good or for ill—in determining the fate of the thin green line than almost anybody else. (…. Running for an empty seat vacated by outgoing Commissioner Bill Bryant, environmental advocate Fred Felleman, who was an outspoken critic of the Port’s decision to host Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet this summer, defeated Marino Yoshino. Felleman raised $86,000 to Yoshino’s $29,000.) Eric de Place and Nick Abraham report. (Sightline)

2nd Train Derails in Wisconsin in 2 Days, Spills Crude Oil
Canadian Pacific Railway says less than 1,000 gallons of crude oil has spilled after a train derailment that prompted evacuations in southeastern Wisconsin. Thirteen cars derailed around 2 p.m. Sunday in Watertown. Canadian Pacific said in a statement late Sunday night one car was punctured and it leaked some oil. The company says it's working to determine the exact amount, but it's no more than 1,000 gallons…. The derailment Sunday was the second in the state in as many days. On Saturday, a freight train derailed near Alma in western Wisconsin, spilling thousands of gallons of ethanol. (ABC)

California lawmaker plans law to end killer whale captivity
A California congressman announced Friday that he is planning federal legislation that aims to phase out the captivity of killer whales by banning breeding, importing and exporting the animals for public display. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said he will introduce the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act to ensure that orcas now at aquatic parks such as SeaWorld are the last ones and that when they die, no other whales will replace them. The bill also would ban taking any whales from the wild. Although no orca has been captured in U.S. waters since 1976, Schiff says captive killer whales are bred. (Associated Press)

Construction site washout kills salmon on Burnaby Mountain
Water thick with sand and sediment has fouled a fish-bearing creek after heavy rain washed out an active construction site on Burnaby Mountain last week. The silty water poured into Stoney Creek from a tributary, killing spawning Chum and Coho salmon and smolts, said John Preissl, a local streamkeeper. Salmon had been absent from the once polluted creek for half a century, but returned about a decade ago, thanks to decades of rehabilitation work by foundations, government agencies and hundreds of volunteers, Preissl said. Before the accident, streamkeepers had counted nearly 200 salmon in the creek. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Rain causes more problems at Burnaby Mountain construction site  Joanne Lee-Young and Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Victoria council backs ban on single-use plastic bags, staff to study
The days of plastic bags in Victoria could be numbered. Victoria councillors Thursday took the first steps in developing a bylaw that would ban retailers from providing single-use plastic bags. Several councillors said they support the proposal provided the public is properly consulted and the city works in concert with retailers so that the change, if implemented, is even-handed. Bill Cleverely reports. (Times Colonist)

Navy, National Park Service to work together to monitor jet noise over Olympic National Park
The Navy and National Park Service are coordinating efforts to monitor jet noise over Olympic National Park during training missions. “I'm glad the Park Service — the staff who are charged with protecting the visitor experience at Olympic National Park — and the Navy will work together to monitor noise issues and evaluate any increase in noise from Navy training activities,” said U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer in a news release issued Thursday. A Democrat from Gig Harbor, Kilmer represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula. He had requested that the Park Service and the Navy work together on monitoring jet noise. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Taking the pulse of Puget Sound
The state’s effort to improve the health of Puget Sound is moving slowly, even with a variety of fish-focused projects in motion throughout the Skagit River watershed, from major dike setbacks to minor culvert replacements. In a State of the Sound Report released last week, the Puget Sound Partnership describes the progress to restore this inlet of the Pacific Ocean as largely stagnant. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also:  Puget Sound restoration: two steps forward, one back — or vice versa?  Chris Dunagan blogs. (Watching Our Water Ways)

With dams down, restored Elwha River mouth 'a treasure'
No one, not even among those studying the ecology of the Elwha River mouth, expected the degree of change seen there after the dams came down, according to a woman who has researched it for years. An area that once was little more than large cobbles is now a vast tract of quiet, sandy beach speckled with hundreds of seabirds and brushed by ocean waves. It contains pools constantly dimpled by the jumping of fish. Sometimes, looking at the acres of new beach — and the new life it now supports — she nearly cries, said Anne Shaffer, a marine biologist and the executive director of the Coastal Watershed Institute of Port Angeles. Arwyn Rice and Leah Leach report. (Peninsula Daily News) See also:  Who owns new Elwha River land? Discussions begin about ownership, responsibility  Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 228 AM PST MON NOV 9 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY
NE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 14 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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4/21 Shell drill, Kinder Morgan, BP spill, polluted hawk, worst commutes, Pulitzer, humpbacks, cormorant kill

Greg Whitaker, Alki Kayak (Lucas Randall-Owens/KPLU)

Seattle 'Kayaktivists' Building Ranks For Direct Action Against Shell’s Arctic Drilling Fleet
On the shore of Seaview Park in West Seattle, a group of young activists stand behind a row of bright yellow kayaks.  Most of them are new to boating. An instructor from Alki Kayak Tours gives a safety briefing before they head out for a sunset paddle.  While the excursion has the trappings of a simple evening kayak instructional class, it is anything but. This class is a training session for "Kayaktavists." And they are putting in practice time before Big Oil arrives in the Puget Sound. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Protests expected after Kinder Morgan gains access to regional parks
A deal between Metro Vancouver and Kinder Morgan to allow limited access to two regional parks for site inspections on the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline is expected to trigger a round of protests against the expansion project similar to the one on Burnaby Mountain last fall. Metro Vancouver said licence agreements had been concluded with Kinder Morgan, which would provide the pipeline company with limited access to 10 properties, including Surrey Bend and Coquitlam’s Colony Farm and five sites around the Coquitlam landfill, for “site inspections.” Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

5 Years After BP Oil Spill, Effects Linger And Recovery Is Slow
Five years ago, BP's out-of-control oil well deep in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. Eleven workers were killed on the Deepwater Horizon rig. But it was more than a deadly accident — the blast unleashed the nation's worst offshore environmental catastrophe. In the spring and summer of 2010, oil gushed from the Macondo well for nearly three months. More than 3 million barrels of Louisiana light crude fouled beaches and wetlands from Texas to Florida, affecting wildlife and livelihoods. Today, the spill's impacts linger. Debbie Elliott reports. (KUOW)

Hawk found near Langley transfer station among world’s most polluted
A male Cooper’s hawk found near Metro Vancouver’s Langley waste transfer station is polluted with more flame retardant than any other bird tested, globally. A study of the hawk’s liver fat showed 197,000 parts per billion of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, chemicals that persist in the environment and have been used in a wide array of polymer resins and plastics including in furniture, TVs, stereos, computers, carpets, and curtains. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Study shows top 10 Puget Sound areas for worst commutes
1. Vashon 2. Graham 3. Orting 4. Maple Valley 5. Bonney Lake 6. Spanaway 7. Duvall 8. Lake Stevens 9. Enumclaw 10. Snoqualmie (Nerdwallet/KIRO)

Seattle Times wins Pulitzer Prize for Oso landslide coverage
The Seattle Times has won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for its coverage of the devastating landslide in Oso, Wash., which took 43 lives after a hillside above the Stillaguamish River collapsed and tore through the Steelhead Haven neighborhood at 60 mph. (Seattle Times)

Agency proposes lifting most humpback whales' protections
The federal government on Monday proposed removing most of the world's humpback whale population from the endangered species list, saying they have rebounded after 45 years of protections. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries wants to reclassify humpbacks into 14 distinct populations, and remove 10 of those from the list…. Humpbacks were listed as endangered in 1970, four years after the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling. Caleb Jones reports. (Associated Press)

Groups sue to stop plans to kill cormorants to save salmon
Conservation groups have filed a lawsuit to stop plans to shoot more than 10,000 double-crested cormorants in the Columbia River Estuary. Bob Salinger of Audubon Society of Portland says killing the birds to stop them from eating millions of baby salmon is a diversion from the real threat — the hydroelectric dams that kill adult fish on their way to spawning grounds, and juveniles migrating to the ocean. The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Wildlife Services. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 314 AM PDT TUE APR 21 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT
 AT 11 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

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3/23 Slides, herring, Shawnigan Lk, Shell drill, SaltSpring, toxin levels, Skagit steelhead, fracking, Edmonds buffers, snowpack, BC ants

Friday's blog: Skunk Cabbage Welcomes Spring
Today’s vernal equinox in the neighborhood was celebrated under breezy gray skies and sporadic rain. Let the early bloom’d cherry blossoms, daffodils and tulips droop; the real harbinger of spring is the skunk cabbage….

If you lke to watch: Watch a baby hummingbird grow up
In celebration of spring, GirlScientist shares a 2012 video of a rufus hummer by Bellingham's Ann Chaikin-- with music. (The Guardian)

Rules for building in landslide-prone areas virtually unchanged
Snohomish County's rules for building near potential landslide dangers remain more or less unchanged from when the deadly Oso mudslide hit a year ago. The County Council is likely to enact stricter regulations by mid-year, beyond the temporary construction ban already in place for the immediate Oso slide area. Recommendations include expanding the areas near steep slopes where the county would require geotechnical engineering reports before issuing building permits. A summary of the engineer's report would need to be recorded on the title of the property. The property owner also would have to sign a waiver, holding the county harmless should anything go wrong, before a building permit would be issued. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald) See also: Year after Oso disaster, land-use rules slow to change  Lewis Kamb and Jim Brunner report. (Seattle Times)

Heiltsuk First Nation threatens to blockade commercial herring fishery
The Heiltsuk First Nation on B.C.'s Central Coast is vowing to blockade a Fisheries and Oceans Canada approved commercial fishery to preserve what it calls "weak" Pacific herring stocks. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says its science forecasts show herring abundance continues to support modest commercial harvest opportunities. But the Heiltsuk claim herring stocks are on the verge of collapse. (CBC)

Dumping tainted soil near Shawnigan Lake gets go-ahead
A ruling by the Environmental Appeal Board has cleared the way for South Island Aggregates to start receiving tonnes of contaminated soil at its facility near Shawnigan Lake. Concerned the site could contaminate Shawnigan Lake, three area residents, the Shawnigan Lake Residents Association and the Cowichan Valley Regional District had appealed a B.C. Ministry of Environment permit granted to South Island Aggregates. It allowed the company to receive up to 100,000 tonnes a year of contaminated soil at a site on Stebbings Road. Bill Cleverley and Jeff Bell report. (Times Colonist)

Judge OKs lawsuit over lease for Shell Arctic drilling fleet
A lawsuit challenging the Port of Seattle's decision to lease one of its terminals as a homeport for an Arctic oil-drilling fleet can go forward, a Washington state judge ruled Friday. Environmental groups say the port broke state law in February when it signed a two-year lease with Foss Maritime Co. to rent 50 acres at Terminal 5 near downtown Seattle. Foss' client is Royal Dutch Shell PLC, which plans to base its Arctic fleet there. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press)

Jack Knox: Saltspring now Salt Spring? This is anarchy
Flew back from a week’s holiday, landed in a dystopian nightmare. To be precise: Sometime in my absence, Saltspring Island became Salt Spring Island…. Never mind. Here at the Times Colonist, we have always stuck with the official version, Saltspring, as adopted by the Geographic Board of Canada in 1910…. And now we have the shift from Saltspring to Salt Spring, as dictated in a memo from on high. “Every time we use Saltspring, we are sending a message that we know better than the people who live there,” read the directive. “That is not a good message to send.” Jack Knox bemoans. (Times Colonist)

Bellingham council could weigh in on state fish consumption, pollution rules
Bellingham City Council is considering asking the state for tighter pollution rules protecting water and the fish people eat. On Monday, March 23, the council will discuss signing a letter to the Department of Ecology that would request tighter water quality standards than what the department is currently proposing as part of a years-long update process. That would go against the grain of many other cities around the state that support the plan from Ecology and Gov. Jay Inslee as a compromise on health standards and strict pollution guidelines that affect wastewater treatment plants. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Fishless future
Twelve years is a long time to take a break from one of your greatest passions, but some Skagit River fishermen have no choice. Steelhead will soon cease to return during the December-to-February fishing season, which is expected to cut off the treasured recreational opportunity on the mighty river. The steelhead hatchery’s closure last spring, for a 12-year period, is expected to put a near end to tribal customs as well as recreational and commercial fishing…. The fish aren’t expected to return because a year ago, juvenile hatchery fish were barred from being released as a result of a lawsuit between the Wild Fish Conservancy and state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The conservancy argued Fish and Wildlife, which co-manages the state’s hatcheries with treaty tribes, violated the U.S. Endangered Species Act by using Chambers Creek steelhead in the Skagit River system. The state agreed April 25, 2014, not to release 720,000 fish into Puget Sound that spring and to close hatchery operations using the Chambers Creek fish on the Skagit River for 12 years. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Fracking: US tightens rules for chemical disclosure
The Obama administration said Friday it is requiring companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, the first major federal regulation of the controversial drilling technique that has sparked an ongoing boom in natural gas production but raised widespread concerns about possible groundwater contamination. A rule to take effect in June also updates requirements for well construction and disposal of water and other fluids used in fracking, as the drilling method is more commonly known. Matthew Daly and Josh Lederman report. (Associated Press)

Environmental report on Whatcom coal terminal expected no sooner than mid-2016
The original schedule for completing an environmental review of a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point was overly optimistic, and Whatcom County officials are preparing a new contract that will continue the work until mid-2016…. The original contract assumed the two coal-terminal applicants — SSA Marine and BNSF Railway, which would build additional rail to accommodate the coal trains — would provide all requested information within the first month. Some of that information is only coming together now. Other information was never provided, particularly by BNSF. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

In comments to state, Port of Edmonds takes stand against increasing Harbor Square buffers
As the deadline nears for comments on an update to the Edmonds Shoreline Management Program, the Port of Edmonds reiterated Friday that it is strongly opposed to a City of Edmonds proposal to increase the size of setbacks and buffers around the Edmonds Marsh, located adjacent to the port-owned and -managed Harbor Square business complex. (My Edmonds News)

‘Dismal’ snowpack may be new normal in Northwest
Wonder what the weather will be like in Western Washington 50 years from now? Look around. Climatologists say we’re experiencing a sneak preview now. Winter 2014-15 — regarded by many as almost freakishly warm and snowless — will be the new normal, if climate change continues as expected. The basic combination projected for the Northwest by climate models — higher temperatures and about average precipitation — has had a dramatic effect in the Cascades and Olympics. There’s almost no snow. Rob Carson reports. (News Tribune of Tacoma)

Fire Ants force CP to incinerate Arbutus rail ties
CP Rail will begin incinerating old railway ties from the Arbutus Corridor next week in an attempt to control the European Fire Ant. The invasive species has been causing problems in B.C., with reports they have now made their way into virtually every district in the Lower Mainland…. Research has also shown that one of its relatives, the Impressive Fire Ant, has been linked to runway delays at the Vancouver International Airport where birds swarming to eat the ants are crashing into planes. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON MAR 23 2015
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS.
TONIGHT
S WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 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

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3/16 Grays, oil spill, trains, coal dump, BC LNG, octopus, orca feeding, Howe Sound, Oso slide

Tofino gray (Remote Passages Marine Excursions/CBC)

If you like to watch: National Geographic highlights Tofino as whale watching destination
National Geographic has named Tofino whale-watching as one of its best spring-trips for 2015. The publication's "Best Spring Trips 2015" on-line article, says up to 20,000 gray whales pass by the waters off Tofino each year, and advises whale watchers to come prepared for the weather. (CBC) See also: 50 feet of gray, now showing in Puget Sound  Gray whales, which grow to 50 feet long and 40 tons, can live to be 70. Little Patch is one of about a dozen grays that break off from the 20,000-whale migration every year to eat ghost shrimp in shallow Saratoga Passage, earning the nickname “Saratoga grays.” Steve Ringman reports. (Seattle Times) And also: Whale-hunt scolds are off target  Patronizing the Makah Indians or portraying them as somehow not real Indians isn’t going to stop them from hunting gray whales. A more respectful approach would be to make them a better offer. Danny Westneat writes. (Seattle Times)

Feds: Defective valves led to crude oil leaks on train cars in Washington state
Roughly 6,000 tank cars could have defective valves that leaked crude oil and other hazardous materials in several incidents across the country in recent months, including at least one in Washington state, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. In a directive Friday, March 13, the FRA gave all tank car owners notice they have 60 days to replace the defective 3-inch ball valves, which were not approved for use in tank cars. The train cars can be used in the interim, according to the FRA. Samantha Wohlfeil and Curtis Tate report. (Bellingham Herald/McClatchy)

Coal train delays traffic during rush hour in Mount Vernon
A loaded coal train passing through Mount Vernon on its way from Wyoming to British Columbia was stopped on the tracks, blocking Hoag Road for more than an hour Friday afternoon. The train was stopped for a mechanical inspection, blocking street traffic and delaying two trains, said Gus Melonas, Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman. (Skagit Valley Herald) And: BNSF halts railway traffic between Seattle, Everett due to weather  BNSF Railway said Sunday it had interrupted freight and passenger traffic between Seattle and Everett due to mudslides resulting from heavy rainfall. Angel Gonzalez reports. (Seattle Times)

Students Push University of Washington Regents to Dump Coal
Student activists at the University of Washington urged the Board of Regents on Thursday to dump the university's investments in coal. Coal is the leading source of the greenhouse gas emissions that are disrupting the planet's climate. Graduate student Alex Lenferna with Divest UW also blamed the coal industry for government inaction on the climate. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Three LNG projects lead the pack in B.C.
Three LNG projects have emerged as leaders in reaching so-called project development agreements under negotiation by the B.C. government. On the list is the large Petronas-led Pacific NorthWest LNG and two smaller projects, Woodfibre LNG and AltaGas-led Douglas Channel LNG, says the province. Two large projects not on the negotiation list — for the moment at least — are Kitimat LNG led by Chevron and Canada LNG led by Shell. The agreements, unprecedented in B.C. and more common in countries with unstable political climates, are meant to provide long-term certainty around items such as tax rates, gas royalties and possibly greenhouse gas emissions. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

If you like to watch: Five sort-of signs of the octopus uprising
This month, we couldn't help but notice there have been an awful lot of octopus stories in the news lately. It could just be a coincidence, or we could just be remembering them more than stories about other things (octopuses are pretty fascinating, after all).  Or perhaps the hyper-intelligent, many-armed ocean dwellers are planning something. Daniel Martins reports. (Weather Network)

Skagit River GI study needs more money, time
The Skagit River General Investigation Study will hit another delay before its next expected “milestone,” much to the frustration of Skagit County officials. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and county staff said in October they expected the study to wrap up the feasibility phase in June, allowing it to move on to the third phase in a five-step process. The GI study launched more than two decades ago, in 1993, but has been stuck in phase two since 1997. Now the corps says it will need additional time — and money — before the study can move to phase three, which involves engineering and design. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

If you like to watch: Killer whales' feeding frenzy caught on camera
A Vancouver Island man got a treat when a group of orcas came really close to shore and had a feeding frenzy on Friday.  Chad Giesbrecht said he was walking along the Dodd Narrows around 4:20 p.m. PT when he spotted the killer whales. (CBC)

Woodfibre LNG worries Squamish First Nation amid Howe Sound revitalization
After years of heavy industry in Squamish, marine life is starting to return to Howe Sound, but the Squamish First Nation says it's concerned that trend could be reversed if the proposed Woodfibre LNG plant is approved. The project would export just over two million tonnes of LNG from an export facility built at the site of the old Woodfibre pulp mill in a boat-access only area of Howe Sound about seven kilometres from Squamish, B.C. (CBC)

Was Oso mudslide nature's mystery or man's mistake?
Nearly a year after the worst disaster in modern Snohomish County history, a legal battle continues to take shape over whether somebody should be held responsible. Was the March 22, 2014, mudslide near Oso a tragic display of natural forces reshaping the land, or a calamity caused by human hands?
Did local governments have a duty to discourage people from making their homes along the banks of the North Fork Stillaguamish River beneath a slide-prone hill, a place where 43 people later lost their lives?
So far, four lawsuits have been brought in King County Superior Court by those who lost family and homes. Three of the cases, representing the bulk of the plaintiffs, have been consolidated for a single trial, now scheduled for October. Scott North report. (Everett Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON MAR 16 2015
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 9 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.

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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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3/9 Makah whaling, forage fish harvest, local fisheries, WA nukes, LNG, Oso slide

Pig show off (Lauren Frohne/Seattle Times)

If you like to watch: Amy the pig performs at the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show
A seasoned dog trainer charts new territory debuting her mini pig in obedience and agility demonstrations at the 2015 Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show. Lauren Frohne reports. (Seattle Times)

NOAA study could set stage for Makah whaling to resume
On Friday, NOAA Fisheries released a draft environmental study that could set the stage for the resumption of whaling off the Washington coast by the Makah Indian tribe. The draft proposes six options ranging from prohibiting an annual hunt for North Pacific gray whales to allowing up to 24 to be harvested within a six-year period. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

West Coast fishery managers days away from landmark decision on forage fish
West coast fishery managers are poised to make a decision next week that could alter the future of fishing in federal waters off the Pacific Coast, as well as in Oregon's state-regulated nearshore waters. The Pacific Fishery Management Council is scheduled to vote Monday on a proposal to restrict new forage fisheries off the coast of California, Oregon and Washington unless prospective fishermen can prove harvesting a new species would not damage the ecosystem. Kelly House reports. (Oregonian)

Update: Roe herring fishery in Barkley Sound called off
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans called off the opening of the commercial roe herring fishery in Barkley Sound near Port Alberni late Saturday night, citing poor egg quality in the test fishery. “I suspect they were looking for a reason to cancel it,” said Tseshaht Chief Hugh Braker, who got the message just before midnight. His First Nation and four others were prepared to block the commercial fishing vessels on Sunday in the latest attempt to prevent over-fishing of roe herring in what they say is a sensitive area. When they got the news the fishery opening was cancelled they cancelled the protest. Sarah Petrescu reports. (Times Colonist)

Study: Bellingham, Blaine commercial fishing fleet plays big part in local economy
While Whatcom County’s economy has diversified in the past two decades, commercial fishing remains a significant contributor of jobs and revenue. That’s the conclusion of a newly released economic impact study that looked at commercial fishing and seafood processing activity in the Blaine and Squalicum marinas in 2013. According to the study, the industry employed 1,781 people, creating 870 jobs through spending money at other businesses, and another indirect 165 jobs. Those 1,781 people earned $94.5 million in 2013, according to the report. Dave Gallagher reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Nuclear energy scores 2 victories in Olympia
The Washington Senate wants the state Department of Commerce to begin looking for potential manufacturing sites for small modular reactors. By a 27-to-21 vote Friday, the Senate sent a bill to the House that would have the department find places to build and ship small modular reactors. Also Friday, the Senate voted 44-to-5 in favor of establishing voluntary nuclear education programs in schools. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

Oregon LNG project races B.C. rivals
A liquefied natural gas project in Oregon must find suitable partners as it strives to beat B.C. rivals in the race to be the first large exporter of LNG from the West Coast of North America. Veresen Inc.’s Jordan Cove LNG venture has a prospective new partner, Energy Fundamentals Group Inc. (EFG), while other investors waiting in the wings include prominent Canadian hedge fund West Face Capital Inc., which has emerged as a surprise participant in the EFG-led consortium that is seeking to buy a minority stake in the project in Coos Bay, Ore. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Scientists have much more digging to do at Oso mudslide
Before the hillside above the Steelhead Haven neighborhood collapsed, killing 43 people, it was known as a site of periodic slides that did little more than divert the North Fork Stillaguamish River. In the year since, scientists have been trying to understand why a slope that behaved one way for much of recorded history suddenly turned into a massive and deadly mudslide on March 22, 2014. The main question, said Jonathan Godt, landslide coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey, is why the slide traveled so far and so fast across the valley. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
900 PM PDT SUN MAR 8 2015
MON
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
MON NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 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

12/30 Monarch butterflies, Fraser farms & fish, erosion & slides, fish crossings

Monarch butterfly (TexasEagle/Flickr/EarthFix)

Feds Consider Endangered Species Listing For Monarch Butterfly
The monarch butterfly is in line for possible protection under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday it is launching a year-long status review of the monarch population in response to a request from conservation groups. The iconic butterflies face threats from pesticide use and habitat loss – particularly from the loss of milkweed plants, which are the sole food source for monarch caterpillars. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Probe prompts some farmland owners to improve fish habitat (with video)
Two farmland owners in the Fraser Valley have conducted wide-ranging remediation work — and a third is under a provincial order to do so — following a lengthy Vancouver Sun investigation into the environmental impact of farming on fish streams. The Sun’s Minding The Farm series, published in June, probed several cases in which farmers had altered important fish habitat, and it also exposed the B.C. government’s lax laws on farm manure runoff into fish streams compared with neighbouring Washington state. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Erosion damages popular Burien park
Erosion is causing a lot of damage at popular Burien park and it keeps getting worse. A large staircase is about to topple over into Puget Sound and now neighbors are wondering if there's anything the city can do to fix the problem. There would ordinarily be dozens of people running the steps at Eagle Landing Park. But lately there have been just a handful and they're not getting very far. Todd Land reports. (KING) See also: Whidbey slide damage could take time to clean up  (KING)

What's up with those fish crossing signs?
Deer Crossing signs alert motorists to be on the lookout for reckless ruminant mammals. But Fish Crossing signs? Andrea Brown reports. (Herald of Everett)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 1134 PM PST MON DEC 29 2014
TUE
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING. W SWELL 2 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
TUE NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 12 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

12/10 King tide, methane, Victoria sewage, creosote removed, WA budget, native claims, Oso slide, tidal power

Supporting Climate Research with the NASA Earth Exchange
The NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) is an innovative platform that provides the Earth science community with key collaboration and knowledge-sharing capabilities…. To support NASA's goals in climate science research, the NEX science team and collaborators in the Climate Analytics Group have created a new, high-resolution climate dataset, the NASA Earth Exchange Downscaled Climate Projections (NEX-DCP30) and made it available to the community. (NASA)

Vancouver places 30,000 sandbags along waterfront as 'king tide' looms
Some 30,000 sandbags line a stretch of low-lying waterfront land in Vancouver, placed by city workers in a bid to protect local homes from an anticipated king tide. The task was completed by about 45 workers in advance of Wednesday’s forecasted weather event, which could coincide with the same type of high winds and heavy rains that have already cut power to thousands of residents across the south coast and flooded streets. Justin Smallbridge reports. (Canadian Press)

Warming Ocean May Be Triggering Mega Methane Leaks Off Northwest Coast
As the waters of the Pacific warm, methane that was trapped in crystalline form beneath the seabed is being released. And fast. New modeling suggests that 4 million tons of this potent greenhouse gas have escaped since 1970 from the ocean depths off Washington’s coast. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

View Royal site ‘ideal’ for sewage plant, investors say
Investors who own a 3.4-hectare waterfront site at Thetis Cove in View Royal have wasted no time in trying to reignite interest in their property for a regional sewage treatment plant. In a full-page ad in the Times Colonist Tuesday directed at Capital Regional District directors and concerned citizens, the ownership group touts the former Victoria Plywood mill site as “ideal for Victoria’s sewage treatment and biosolids energy centre.” The property at the end of Hallowell Road is zoned for residential development. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Toxic Creosote Pilings Removed From Thatcher Bay
Twenty-eight creosote pilings were recently removed from the waters of Thatcher Bay on Blakely Island to improve water quality for fish and other marine organisms…. The Blakely piling removal was just one component of extensive habitat restoration efforts conducted in Thatcher Bay and on its beaches by Friends of the San Juans, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group and the private landowner. (San Juan Islander)

Talk of taxes: Inslee to propose $1B in new revenue
Gov. Jay Inslee will propose a mix of spending cuts and at least $1 billion in new revenue next week when he releases his proposed budget, according to David Schumacher, director of the state Office of Financial Management. Jim Brunner and Joseph O'Sullivan report. (Seattle Times)

Native group lays claim to Stanley Park, Galiano and Saltspring Islands
Large pieces of Stanley Park, Galiano Island and Saltspring Island are being claimed by a small Indian band that has largely been ignored in British Columbia, although its main village once came under fire from the British Navy. In a notice of claim filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Chief Raymond Wilson and a group he identifies as the Hwlitsum First Nation seek the return of key lands and financial compensation for loss of access to what it claims as its traditional territory. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Study of timber harvest near Oso mudslide inconclusive
An investigation into a possible link between a 2005 timber harvest on the hill above the Steelhead Haven neighborhood and the deadly Oso mudslide in March has come up empty. The logging exceeded the approved size by an acre, but state officials could not determine if it complied with a permit to avoid the adjoining watershed of the landslide-prone area, according to the report released Tuesday by the state Department of Natural Resources. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

FERC upholds Admiralty Inlet tidal project; developer might resume
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has rejected challenges to the pilot hydrokinetic license of the 600-kW Admiralty Inlet Pilot tidal project and said licensee Snohomish County Public Utility District does not intend to surrender the license. Less than three months ago, Snohomish PUD said it would no longer pursue Admiralty Inlet because Department of Energy funding dried up, materials costs have increased, and various entities have mandated increasing amounts of studies and monitoring requirements for what was to be a pilot project in Washington's Puget Sound…. FERC said Snohomish rebutted challenges to the project's economic viability by noting its focus is testing new hydrokinetic technology and not economic value for power generation. (Hydroworld)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST WED DEC 10 2014
STORM WARNING IN EFFECT TODAY
 STORM WATCH FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 35 TO 50 KT. SEAS 18 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 16 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE EVENING.

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

(Laurie MacBride)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

--
"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

11/12 Climate deal, gull diet, pipeline leak, BC salmon, logging landslide, Klipsun Beach, LA coal, film fest

(Phil Hart/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: Why Bird Poop Is White
Birds brighten our lives. They connect us with nature. But sometimes they connect us a bit too directly with nature. Park under the wrong tree - where a flock of starlings or grackles comes to roost - and nature may cover your car so thickly that it takes a trip or two through the carwash just to see through the windshield again. And why is most of the bird poop we see white? The answer is that birds, unlike mammals, don't produce urine. Instead they excrete nitrogenous wastes in the form of uric acid, which emerges as a white paste. Owners of red cars, look out! A study in England found that red cars are most likely to be the target of bird droppings! (BirdNote)

U.S., China strike ‘major’ climate deal
A groundbreaking agreement struck Wednesday by the United States and China puts the world's two worst polluters on a faster track to curbing the heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming. With the clock ticking on a worldwide climate treaty, the two countries sought to move beyond their troubled history as environmental adversaries and spur other nations. Josh Lederman reports. (Associated Press)

Gulls switch to trash-diet as fish stocks run low
Gulls tucking in to discarded food or flocking around landfills has become a familiar sight. Now data spanning 149 years has shown that substituting fish for less nutritious food is linked to population declines and lower fertility in glaucous-winged gulls (Larus glaucescens). Louise Blight from the University of British Columbia and her colleagues looked at 270 gulls' feather samples from museums, taken between 1860 and 2009. Using the ratios of heavy isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, the team pieced together the dietary habits of these seabirds, all of which had lived in the Salish Sea region off the coast of south-western Canada and the north-western US. They found a decline in heavier carbon isotopes, indicating that the gulls shifted from a fishy source of carbon to a terrestrial source. Sandhya Sekar reports. (New Scientist)

Olympic Pipeline shut at Burlington station for leak
The state Department of Ecology and personnel from the Olympic Pipeline Co. are responding to an oil spill at a pipeline pump station south of the Burlington Country Club. Olympic Pipeline Co. first reported the oil to Ecology Oct. 29 after discovering a sheen on water in an excavation pit, Ecology said in a news release. The pipeline was closed that day and state and pipeline personnel responders have been monitoring the site since then to determine the source, type and location of the oil and to plan cleanup strategies. (Skagit Valley Herald)

BC wild salmon tested and certified free of three diseases: federal agency
A two-year investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has found no evidence of three diseases in wild salmonids on the B.C. coast. A total of 8,006 samples of trout and salmon species collected in 2012 and 2013 showed no evidence of infectious salmon anaemia. Of that number, 6,734 were also tested for infectious pancreatic necrosis and 1,272 for infectious haematopoietic necrosis — and all tests were negative. CFIA said in a news release it also evaluated existing surveillance data for farmed salmon in B.C. and found no current or historical evidence of ISA or IPN in these populations. The 2006-to-2011 data came from provincial and federal programs as well as from routine monitoring and testing by industry. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Wash. Forest Practices Board Mulling New Guidelines After Deadly Oso Slide
How to prevent unsafe logging on steep slopes that could cause future landslides will be at the center of discussions in Olympia Wednesday. In the wake of the Oso tragedy, the state’s Forest Practices Board is in the process of updating permitting guidelines.  The board is rewriting the section of its manual that deals with unstable slopes based on the latest and best advice from a panel of geologists. State forester Aaron Everett says while the guidelines are not binding, they should make it harder for companies seeking to log in unsafe areas. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

City Approves $12.5 Million Park Plan At Cornwall Beach
Bellingham City Council this week approved the master plan for the city’s newest park on 17 acres along the northeastern shoreline of Bellingham Bay. As envisioned in this planning document, the park may be the single largest open-space component of the redevelopment strategy for Bellingham’s central waterfront and strongly tie into Boulevard Park and trail systems to the south. Consultants estimated the cost of the park, including upland improvements, at approximately $12.52 million. An additional $7 million is required for habitat restoration under the plan. In August, Kelli Linville notified Lummi Nation that the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board had selected “Klipsun Beach” as the official name for the 14-acre park. More than 300 names had been suggested by the public. Tim Johnson reports. (Cascadia Weekly)

Coal terminal fight strikes familiar chords
A community has filled its yards with signs and packed meeting rooms to oppose a coal terminal. Residents have appealed for more opportunities for public comment. They worry about coal dust blowing off the open coal cars headed to the proposed terminal. The land around the site is environmentally sensitive and needs to remain undisturbed, opponents say. Whatcom County? In this case, I’m referring to Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, La. Talk about wetland restoration. The delta that comprises the parish naturally blunts the force of hurricanes making landfall from the Gulf of Mexico. A coastal restoration project is planned there, to bolster that line of defense and improve habitat. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Monday, Nov. 10, issued a permit for a coal terminal in the parish that would export 6 or 8 million tons of coal a year, depending on which report you read. The terminal would be the third in Plaquemines Parish alone. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

If you like to watch: Wild & Scenic Film Festival comes to Victoria November 13th
Georgia Strait Alliance presents the Wild & Scenic Film Festival this Thursday at St. Ann’s Academy, Victoria. Wild & Scenic films educate, inspire, and motivate people to go out and make a difference in their community and around the world. Eight films are featured at the Festival, including award winning films STAND & North of the Sun. Canadian standup paddleboarder and adventurer Norm Hann, star of STAND, will be on hand to speak about his experience paddleboarding the 400km tanker route from Kitimat to Bella Bella. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED NOV 12 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
TODAY
E WIND 30 TO 40 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 17 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 30 TO 40 KT...EASING TO 25 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 16 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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