4/4 BLM, Barker Cr, Tani Cr, state budget, L112, Kitsap clams, megayachts, Pierce Co floods

Spring bunny (Dave Green)

In an unanimous vote San Juan County Council agreed to send a letter to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar asking him to ask President Barack Obama to sign a proclamation creating San Juan National Monument. This would permanently protect the 1,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management Land in San Juan County.  One giant step closer to permanent protection for BLM land in SJC  

State health authorities have lifted a shellfish closure in Dyes Inlet at the mouth of Barker Creek near Silverdale, following a successful pollution cleanup program, officials say. A pollution identification and correction (PIC) program launched by the Kitsap Public Health District in 2004 reduced levels of fecal bacteria in Barker Creek by half, according to Stuart Whitford, the district's PIC program manager. The stream now meets state standards for bacterial pollution. Barker Creek meets clean water standards

Kitsap County health authorities have issued a no-contact advisory for Tani Creek and the head of Blakely Harbor following a sewage spill at the Fort Ward treatment plant. The spill occurred Friday through a 1-inch rupture in a digester tank containing liquid sewage sludge.  Sewage spills near Fort Ward  

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire’s deadline for a bipartisan budget deal has come and gone. Lawmakers Tuesday failed to agree on a plan to rebalance the state budget and implement so-called government reforms. Now, House Democrats say they will pass their own budget in hopes of breaking the logjam. The clock runs out next Tuesday on the current 30-day overtime session.  No budget deal in Washington, House plans action

Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research writes about the death of L112 (Sooke): "Her death was undoubtedly caused by humans, and we have to look for the source of the blast. I have asked the law enforcement division of the National Marine Fisheries Service to investigate so that there will be a clear set of rules concerning withholding, filtering, or losing evidence in this case. The southern resident killer whale population was designated "endangered" under the federal Endangered Species Act, and its protective management is under NOAA, NMFS." Bombing range or sanctuary? One in the same for endangered orcas  

From Liberty Bay to Port Gamble to Elliott Bay, efforts are underway to make sure that clams destined for the dinner table are aplenty now and in future generations. And that no clam or its habitat becomes extinct under our watch.  Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes in the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal explains. When the tide is out the table is set... with help from local efforts  

A new bill will make it easier for owners of foreign-flagged megayachts to spend time — and money — in Washington.  The legislation, which was recently signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire, eases pilotage requirements for foreign-flagged vessels. Under the bill, boats up to 750 gross tons or under 200 feet can apply for a pilotage exemption, which was previously capped at 500 gross tons or 200 feet. Vessels over the cap are required to have a licensed pilot onboard any time the boat is moved, even if it’s just going to the fuel dock, at a cost of more than $150 an hour.  New bill makes it easier for big boats to visit Washington waters

The Pierce County Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to create a countywide taxing district to pay for flood control, a step one council member called a milestone but another said would create an unnecessary additional tax. Several council members cited the need to protect the public from catastrophe by forming a flood-control zone district. It would pay for projects ranging from rebuilding levees to buying up flood-prone properties. Pierce County Council approves forming flood-control district

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED APR 4 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
W SWELL 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SE WIND 10 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS. A CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W SWELL 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS. W WIND 10 TO 20 KT... BECOMING 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. A CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE EVENING. SCATTERED 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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4/3 BLM, Everett waterfront, Sheldon resigns, Bella Bella protest, bag ban, SSA permits, ghost ship, small fish, Pierce flood district, "Satellite" Sandy, Scotch broom, Bainbridge SMP, coal dollars, John Murray, Pacific radiation

Speaking out in Bella Bella (Anthony Bonello, Globe and Mail)

Speak Up: The San Juan County Council today will be deciding if they support a dual approach to conserve Bureau of Land Management lands in the San Juans as a National Conservation Area and/or a National Monument. Support the dual approach by speaking during the County Council "Citizen Access Time" at 10 AM in person in Friday Harbor or via teleconference at the Lopez or Orcas Island Library. Each person has up to 3 minutes to give their view. The discussion by the council on whether to support a presidential proclamation of a National Monument will be at 11:15 AM.

Show Up: The city of Everett is planning an open house from 4 to 6:30 p.m. today for what it is calling "the Central Waterfront Planning area," which includes the soon-to-be vacant Kimberly-Clark mill and some surrounding properties.  The meeting is at the Weyerhaeuser Room at the Everett Station, 3201 Smith St. Open house for Everett’s waterfront plans  

Sign Up: Dr. Tom Mumford and Dr. Bob Waaland lead an intensive workshop on kelp April 8-15 at the UW Friday Harbor Labs. Professionals: $800, plus all meals and lodging; students: $550, plus all meals and lodging. Contact Tom Mumford, 360.789.9584.

After nearly 18 months as the Port of Bellingham's executive director, Charlie Sheldon's tenure is coming to an end. Sheldon is expected to submit a letter of resignation at today’s Port Commissioners' meeting. Sheldon to resign from top Port of Bellingham post  

The federal review of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline is set to resume Tuesday after the hearings were abruptly cancelled on the heels of a protest organized by the community school. Panel members arrived in the remote coastal community on Sunday to find the main street lined with protesters. That evening, officials sent notice to community leaders that the hearings, which were set to run for four days in Bella Bella, would not take place.  Pipeline review set to resume in Bella Bella after first nations protest  

The Issaquah city council voted to put on hold any decision to outlaw plastic bags Monday after a contentious discussion and appeals from environmentalists concerned about Puget Sound pollution and plastics manufacturers anxious about lost livelihoods.  The council opted in a 6-1 decision to postpone further discussions on the plastic bag ban to a still-unscheduled meeting. City Council delays decision on Issaquah plastic bag ban

Whatcom County planners say SSA Marine has now filed a complete application for its proposal to build a terminal at Cherry Point to export coal and other bulk cargos. Coal-Free Bellingham is gathering signatures with the hope of placing an anti-coal-train initiative on the Bellingham ballot this fall. Protect Whatcom last Friday sent a letter to county officials urging them to require an economic impact assessment as part of the environmental review for the project. County officials have yet to decide what will be studied through the environmental impact statement process, which also will be reviewed by state and federal agencies and by Indian tribes. Application for Gateway Pacific cargo terminal now complete

On Saturday ocean currents moved a Japanese squid fishing boat into American waters, after it was floating aimlessly off British Columbia’s coast for the past two weeks. The ship, adrift for a year after last year’s brutal tsunami, is now about 130 nautical miles (241 km) west of the very southern tip of Alaska’s coast, according to a tracking device dropped by a U.S. Coast Guard plane on Saturday. Japanese tsunami ghost ship now in Alaskan waters  

An international research panel recommends cutting in half the global harvest of small, schooling fish like sardines, anchovy and herring. The group included researchers from the Northwest. The panel estimates little fish are roughly twice as valuable in the sea as in the net because so many larger sea creatures prey on them.  Panel recommends harvest cutbacks on small schooling fish

A hearings examiner Monday denied an appeal by Gig Harbor and Milton, clearing the way for the Pierce County Council to vote today to create a countywide taxing district to pay for flood control. The two cities filed an appeal in November challenging a step that Pierce County took toward forming a flood-control zone district. A senior county planner had determined creating a countywide flood district would have no significant environmental impacts. Cities denied appeal for countywide flood district tax

Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters reports that West Seattle’s rehabbed seal pup “Satellite” Sandy was found dead on Sunday, entangled in fishing line near the Edmonds fishing pier. Satellite-tracked seal pup Sandy found dead, tangled in line

In a case of invader versus invader, a European insect spreading south in Oregon has given botanists and others hope of turning the tide against Scotch broom, a European shrub that turned into one of the most aggravating weeds in Oregon. Two clusters of gall mites, native to Western Europe, have been found near Eagle Point and in Ashland's Siskiyou Mountain Park. The microscopic bugs attack Scotch broom buds, reducing their ability to reproduce and even killing large swaths of the bushy plants during especially large infestations. Mite might give Oregon hope against Scotch broom

The Bainbridge Island Planning Commission will hold a special meeting on April 12 to consider public comments and amendments to the Shoreline Master Program. Planning commissioners are also expected to consider the recommendation they will make to the city council on the update to the Shoreline Master Program. Bainbridge Island Planning Commission plans to make recommendation on shoreline program update

Proposed coal traffic increases could mean 100 million more tons of coal traveling through the area. Cassandra Profita at EarthFix EarthFix talks with Darren Epps, editor of Platts’ market analysis newsletter on U.S. Coal. The Economic Pull of Coal Exports in the Northwest   

Nearly 140 years after Canadian-born scientist John Murray began gathering the first comprehensive data on sea water temperatures around the world, a team of U.S. and British researchers has revisited the pioneering discoveries from the famous 1872-76 voyage of the HMS Challenger to create the clearest picture yet of the steady warming trend now threatening the planet's marine environment. Canadian scientist's 140-year-old data sheds light on global warming

An international research team is reporting the results of a research cruise they organized to study the amount, spread, and impacts of radiation released into the ocean from the tsunami-crippled reactors in Fukushima, Japan. The group of 17 researchers and technicians from eight institutions spent 15 days at sea in June 2011 studying ocean currents, and sampling water and marine organisms up to the edge of the exclusion zone around the reactors. Sampling the Pacific for Signs of Fukushima  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 745 AM PDT TUE APR 3 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 17 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W SWELL 13 FT AT 12 SECONDS. S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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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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4/2 Springtime, pipeline hearings, toxins, creosote, trawling, toxic soup, BC forests, Tom Reese, Vancouver air, sea turbines, robots, Hoquiam coal, Puyallup chinook, ocean harm, Rio conference

Awaiting the Picnic (Laurie MacBride)

In March, we reach 160 daily email subscribers to this news clipping service and a record 1,554 ‘hits’ on the Salish Sea News and Weather web site. I do this as a public service and my daily reward is having folks read this blog and commenting and sharing their thoughts. If you find this service worthwhile, please share with your friends, family and colleagues and ask them to subscribe. Thanks! Mike Sato.

If you like to watch (and missed this yesterday) Seattle Superstorm

Laurie MacBride in Eye on the Environment shares her late-winter joy when her little forest starts to come alive as the earliest-flowering deciduous species begin its annual show. Impressions of an Overlooked Beauty

"Is spring really here now?" Find out by reading Dave Green's blog Spring Renewal

New blog: March came in like a wild boar and went out like a damp puppy. We had rain Saturday night, snow on Sunday morning, then sunshine later in the day. Watching the grass grow

Must read: Geologist Dana Hunter on the joys of reading rocks.  Words With Rocks

Public hearings for Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline have been cancelled this morning in the coastal community of Bella Bella. The post on the Joint Review Panel's website does not give a reason why the panel pulled out of today's hearing, or whether the three other days of public consultation that were planned for this week have also been cancelled.  Northern Gateway pipeline hearing this morning cancelled in Bella Bella  Earlier:  First nations school protests Northern Gateway pipeline  

Canada’s federal government said Friday it will press companies to remove voluntarily a bacteria killer from some personal-care products after identifying triclosan as toxic to the environment.  And pending the results of "voluntary action," to include looking for a substitute ingredient, the government's newly published draft risk assessment says "risk management measures" may be proposed. Feds seek voluntary removal of toxin from personal-care products

The Washington Department of Natural Resources and its partners will begin today removing an estimated 20 tons of creosote-treated wood debris at Indian Island County Park in eastern Jefferson County.  Toxic creosote debris work removal will close Puget Sound beach and lagoon  

B.C. environmentalists and the groundfish bottom trawl industry on Wednesday announced a landmark agreement on ways to limit the impact of trawl nets on sensitive corals, sponges, and deepsea habitats on the B.C. coast. The agreement sets out total annual bycatch objectives for the entire fleet at 562 kilograms for corals and 322 kilograms for sponges, the lowest levels reported in the past 15 years. Environmentalists, trawl industry agree on conservation measures for B.C. corals and sponges  

Bill Frank, Jr. at Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission says what's killing our fish is a poison soup of brake pad dust, oil, gasoline and other pollutants that are washed by rain or melting snow from yards, sidewalks, parking lots and roads, right into our streams and Puget Sound. Stop the slow down to save Puget Sound  

The fire that destroyed the lumber mill in Burns Lake this winter destroyed 250 jobs.  Imagine a blow that severe landing on central and northern British Columbia communities in three or four years when the harvestable forest resource is exhausted.  Politicians are now talking about keeping mills running by raiding forested areas like scenic corridors, set aside for tourism value; wildlife range that provides winter habitat and migration routes, and rare groves of old growth. Politics trumps reason as B.C. eyes bid to raid protected forests  

Former Seattle Times photographer Tom Reese photos of Seattle’s Duwamish River is on display at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.  Do check them out. Choose Hope: a new photo exhibit on the Duwamish at the Burke  

The Metro Vancouver’s Caring for the Air 2012 report says that improvements over the past decade have helped to reduce most air contaminants across the Lower Fraser Valley — defined as stretching from West Vancouver to Hope — despite significant population growth but urban sprawl and population growth will undo those air quality gains by 2025. Air quality measures in B.C.’s Lower Mainland can’t keep up with urban sprawl

Snohomish Public Utility District is exploring whether undersea turbines near Fort Casey could someday generate electricity for Puget Sound homes and businesses by placing two test units in Admiralty Inlet within several years.   Turbines explored for Admiralty Inlet placement  

Fifth and 6th graders at Silver Ridge in Central Kitsap School District are the first of elementary students to participate in a robotics program as an extension to the regular science curriculum. The program is in partnership with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Last Thursday, students tested their ROVs in the school district pool as a culmination of the project. Creating the engineers of tomorrow — Underwater robotics introduced to Central Kitsap elementary students   

Ashley Ahearn of EarthFix makes a first stop on her coal-train travels to Hoquiam, WA, one of the proposed sites for an export terminal along Washington’s coast. On The Ground In Grays Harbor: What’s The Word On That New Export Terminal?  

Developers will get more time to bring their projects to construction under a bill sponsored by Rep. Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard, and signed into law Thursday by Gov. Chris Gregoire. Under the new law, developers will have seven years to complete any plat approved before Dec. 31, 2014. For plats approved after that, the developer will have five years. Developers given more time for plats  

For more than 18 years the Puyallup Tribe of Indians has been working with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to release juvenile spring chinook produced at the Minter Creek hatchery in the White River.  But because of budget cuts, the state couldn’t afford a special fin-clipping process for the young salmon, so that tribe is pitching in. Puyallup Tribe funds help chinook program continue  

Whatcom County will buy properties in flood-prone Marietta and will conduct a study to find the best ways to minimize flood damage in the lowest two miles of the Nooksack River. The two-year, $535,000 project is also intended to improve salmon habitat downstream of Ferndale.  Marietta project combines salmon, flood protection  

A Canadian researcher is at the centre of a provocative new international study that puts an eye-popping price tag on the damage being done to the world's oceans and fisheries - a cost that could reach $2 trillion a year by 2100 - from carbon emissions, over-fertilization, over-fishing and other human impacts. University of British Columbia fisheries economist Rashid Sumaila, a leading critic of international fishing policies, is co-editor of the 300-page Valuing The Ocean report released last week at the high-profile Planet Under Pressure environmental conference in Britain.  Human harm to oceans comes with staggering price tag

Leading scientists in London on Thursday called on the upcoming Rio Summit to grapple with environmental ills that they said pointed to "a humanitarian emergency on a global scale." In a "State of the Planet" declaration issued after a four-day conference, the scientists said Earth was now facing unprecedented challenges, from water stress, pollution and species loss to spiraling demands for food. Rio Summit: Scientists warn of 'emergency on global scale'

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON APR 2 2012
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT...RISING TO 30 TO 40 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN...MAINLY IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 13 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 10 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 14 TO 16 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/30 Ocean acid, Happy Pasture, BC reviews, reg reform, Fort Worden, Padden News, Vashon NYT, java blend, Lummi barges, ribbon seal, PT biomass, maritime heritage, Sound Publishing

Happy Pasture Photo Winner (Wayne Chaudiere)

A state panel of 25 scientists, shellfish growers and political leaders will hold its first meeting in Seattle today to address the problem of ocean acidification. The panel -- headed by Bill Ruckelshaus and Jay Manning-- will examine the latest studies and make recommendations to the governor by Oct. 1.  Expert panel to address ocean acidification  

North Sound Baykeeper announces the winner of the Happy Pasture Photo Contest: Photo Contest Winners – Stan and Betty Honrud and Whatcom Conservation District

The B.C. government won a long-standing fight with Ottawa over environmental reviews in the federal budget tabled Thursday, paving the way for faster decisions on major projects including the controversial Enbridge Gateway pipeline proposal. Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced a “one-project, one-review” approach that will limit the decision-making process on major economic projects to 24 months. B.C. Liberals hail budget’s streamlined environmental review process  

Washington industries located along the Puget Sound and other important waters dodged an expensive regulatory bullet on Thursday when Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law a new approach to protecting sensitive waters against bacteria in industrial storm-water runoff. The law, sponsored by state Rep. Larry Springer (D-Kirkland), replaces unworkable numeric limits on bacteria levels in industrial storm-water runoff with a new narrative standard that focuses on ensuring best management practices to protect sensitive waters.  Rep. Springer’s regulatory reform signed into law to protect Washington industries  

The State Parks and Recreation Commission on Thursday said that Fort Worden will remain a state park, and that it supports the idea of a public development authority managing a lifelong learning center there. A resolution approved unanimously by the seven-member commission also said that, before the commission takes final action on the governance of the learning center, there will be “ample opportunity for the public, stakeholders and the Legislature to learn about and express their views to the commission.” Fort Worden to remain a state park

Our Man on the Peninsula has some harsh realities to share regarding the process of establishing a private/public partnership at Fort Worden Park: The Environment and Fort Worden…inaction reigns in election years

More to share: Dave Green's latest Lake Padden News blog: Housing Market at Lake Padden

Unbeknownst to the rest of us, the Washington State Department of Transportation has invented a time machine. Sure, it looks like a ferry, running the route between Seattle and Vashon Island dozens of times a day. But how else to explain what you find when you arrive on Vashon? A Trip Across Water, and Time, From Seattle

Listen up: If a new blend of coffee takes off, local java lovers will be able to play a key role in protecting Puget Sound from its biggest environmental threat. Martha Baskin reports. New Hot Java Blend, “12,000 Rain Gardens” Hopes to Protect Puget Sound

The bulk of two sunken barges was removed by divers and construction workers this week off the shore of Lummi Island, but the removal work has caused small, periodic oil spills and occasionally left a fresh sheen on the water's surface. About three-quarters of the smaller, 120-foot barge remains submerged in two pieces. They will remain there at least until June 15 because of a scheduled fish closure to protect migrating juvenile salmon. Sunken barges being removed from off Lummi Island

An Arctic ribbon seal that was spotted Thursday in Aberdeen is apparently the same one seen early this year in Seattle and Everett. Arctic ribbon seal visits Aberdeen  

A Thurston County Superior Court judge has upheld a permit for the Port Townsend Paper Corp.’s $55 million biomass energy project. Five environmental organizations — Port Townsend AirWatchers, No Biomass Burn, the Olympic Environmental Council, the Western Temperate Rainforest Network and the Olympic Forest Coalition — appealed the permit to the court after losing an appeal to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board last May. Judge upholds Port Townsend biomass permit  

The Northwest is rich with maritime heritage sites, but trying to find information about them in one place can be a challenge. The Northwest Maritime Heritage site serves as a maritime history web search tool that allows users to find out where historic vessels are homeported, where the region’s maritime museums are and where its lighthouses are located. Three Sheets launches new maritime heritage site

Gloria Fletcher has been named president of Sound Publishing, according to Black Press of Victoria, B.C., Sound Publishing’s parent company, and company owner David Black. Based in Poulsbo and Bellevue, Sound Publishing, Inc., owns and operates 38 community newspapers and 14 Little Nickel publications in the greater Puget Sound area. In fall of 2011, Sound Publishing added the Peninsula Daily News (Port Angeles), Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum to their community newspaper holdings. Collectively, Sound Publishing has circulation of 773,126. Fletcher takes on role of Sound Publishing president  

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PDT FRI MAR 30 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
W SWELL 12 FT 14 SECONDS. SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT
W SWELL 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS. W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
W SWELL 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS. E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT
NW WIND 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT.
SUN
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING S 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 8 FT.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/29 State budget, BC Chinook, BLM, pipe poll, coal, shellfish poison, Swinomish habitat, decaying pigs

Minnie's Beach, Patos Island (Linda Hudson)

If you like to watch: Sh*t Bureaucrats Say

For weeks, the main sticking points to a state budget solution have been a Democratic plan to delay a payment to schools by a day, and a Republican plan to skip a pension payment. Gov. Chris Gregoire recently said those issues are off the negotiating table, but there’s still no sign that lawmakers will reach an agreement before the 30-day special session ends April 10. Another special session?

First Nations from Vancouver Island and around the Fraser River want to meet with sports fishers to decide how best to protect the diminishing stocks of Fraser River-bound chinook salmon. First Nations don't want a chinook fight

“They’re loved by the people. They’re loved by the tourists that come and what we’re asking is that these lands remain natural and accessible and the local community should have a leading role in managing these lands,” said Asha Lela, chair of the Committee of Islanders for the San Juan National Conservation Area. Local groups and state representatives are pushing to put 1,000 acres of federal Bureau of Land Management property in the San Juan Islands into conservation—as either a National Conservation Area or a National Monument.  Ashley Ahearn at EarthFix reports. 1,000 Acres Up For Conservation In The San Juan Islands

A slim majority of British Columbians support a proposed $5.5-billion oilsands pipeline from Alberta to the B.C. coast, but opposition to the megaproject is growing, according to a new poll. The telephone poll of 518 British Columbians, done March 5 to 19 by Mustel Group, found 50.1 per cent were in favour and 41.7 per cent opposed. The margin of error for a poll of that size is 4.4 percentage points.  Half of B.C. residents back proposed pipeline, but opposition growing

China is expected to shape the Pacific Northwest coal export market for years to come. While a few factors could dent its demand for U.S. coal, the reality is clear: China — and other Asian nations — will be hungry for coal and could easily consume the coal shipped through the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminals export dock in Longview and two proposed terminals at Port Westward near Clatskanie. Erik Olsen in the Longview Daily News reports. Rising Chinese demand could mean coal export boom for West Coast  

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists are working to prevent outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning by tracking when and where red tides of toxic will happen next. The toxic algae sleep nestled in the muck at the bottom of Puget Sound so the scientists target areas where blooms have occurred in the past. Ashley Ahearn on NPR’s food blog reports. Battling 'Red Tide,' Scientists Map Toxic Algae To Prevent Shellfish Poisoning  

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has received a federal conservation grant it plans to use for habitat research on the “relatively untouched” Kukutali Preserve on the west side of the reservation. The tribe netted about $200,000 of the $4.2 million distributed across the U.S. The habitat research will help determine future public access to the 118 acres of tidelands, uplands and old growth forests, which includes Kiket Island and surrounding areas, and inform restoration projects to come.  Tribe receives grant for habitat research on preserve  

Pig carcasses were lowered into 300 metres of water in the Strait of Georgia as part of an experiment, using cameras in an underwater observatory, looking at the speed at which ocean animals reduce the bodies to picked-clean bones. Verena Tunnicliffe, Canada research chairwoman in deep-ocean research at the University of Victoria, is looking at differences between pig carcasses dropped in Saanich Inlet's low oxygen water and the higher oxygen water of the Strait of Georgia - vital research at a time when ocean oxygen levels are dropping. Dead pigs in a sea of science

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAR 29 2012
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING
TODAY
SW WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING S 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 14 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W SWELL 12 FT AT 11 SECONDS. S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/28 Skagit buffers, BLM lands, Enbridge protest, Invader, bog preserve, Rayonier cleanup, bag ban, Shilshole fees, coral herpes

Skunk Cabbage (K.Kennell)

A state board says that Skagit County is now in compliance with a 22-year-old state land use law aimed at providing buffers between farmland and streams. In January, Skagit County enrolled in the state’s Voluntary Stewardship Program, which will provide incentives for landowners to protect streams. Growth Management Hearings Board ruled Monday that the county now complies with the 1990 Growth Management Act because of participation in the program, created by the state Legislature last year. Skagit County in compliance with state law, board says

San Juan Country citizens Asha Lela, Tom Reeve and Jamie Stephens visited with Washington Congressional delegation offices and Bureau of Land Management officials in Washington D.C. earlier this month to discuss local efforts to permanently protect BLM lands in the islands.  Conservationists calls on council to back protection for BLM lands  See also: The 1,000 acres in the San Juan Islands that the Bureau of Land Management oversees deserve additional protections so that members of the public, including military veterans and their families, can enjoy them for generations to come. Guest columnist and Navy veteran Rick Hegdahl opines. Protect Public lands in the San Juans (and elsewhere) for future generations

Students from the University of B.C. and local high schools plan to go door to door in B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s Vancouver-Point Grey riding Saturday in an attempt to convince the premier to oppose Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. Teams of students, aged 16 to 21, will try to visit every home in the riding between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. asking residents to sign a petition demanding that Clark oppose the pipeline. UBC students to battle B.C. premier Christy Clark on Enbridge pipeline; Pipeline petitioners hope to give Clark a crude awakening

The tugboat Invader, which had been partly submerged in Port Gardner in Everett since March 18, was refloated on Monday. The boat contains an estimated 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel.  The fuel is scheduled to be removed from the boat this week. A sunken drydock believed to have caused the boat to capsize remains underwater.   Partly submerged tug refloated; minor spills cleaned up  

After nearly three years of effort, a nature preserve protecting a rare and potentially imperiled sphagnum bog on the north end of the Island has doubled in size. The Vashon Land Trust closed on a transaction last week that added 10 acres to the Whispering Firs Bog Preserve, bringing the protected area to 19 acres. The deal came to fruition after the land trust secured $306,000 from the Washington Wildlife and Restoration Program and raised another $81,000 from members and supporters.  After a long effort, rare bog gets added protection  

Gov. Chris Gregoire has notified city officials that the city can take part in a habitat-restoration plan for the Rayonier pulp mill site — but only in a consulting capacity. A city representative won't sit on the multi-agency panel that is putting the plan together, a higher level of participation that was vigorously sought by city and business leaders.  Gov. Gregoire gives Port Angeles in Rayonier cleanup effort

Issaquah citizens can learn more about a proposed plastic bag ban at a forum Thursday featuring Councilman Mark Mullet and Robb Krehbiel, a program associate from the nonprofit organization Environment Washington. The forum is meant to educate participants about the impact of discarded plastic bags on Puget Sound wildlife. The forum runs from 5-6 p.m. at Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop, 1011 N.E. High St., No. 103. Issaquah forum to focus on proposed plastic bag ban

Fees are going to rise for the largest liveaboard community on the West Coast, but Port of Seattle officials say they want to work with boaters at Shilshole Bay Marina to help cushion the change. Port vows to work with Shilshole liveaboards around fee increase

As corals continue to decline in abundance around the world, researchers are turning their attention to a possible cause that's almost totally unexplored -- viral disease. It appears the corals that form such important parts of marine ecosystems harbor many different viruses -- particularly herpes. And although they don't get runny noses or stomach upset, corals also are home to the adenoviruses and other viral families that can cause human colds and gastrointestinal disease.  Viral Disease -- Particularly from Herpes -- Gaining Interest as Possible Cause of Coral Decline 

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 418 AM PDT WED MAR 28 2012
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
TODAY
SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 11 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 11 SECONDS. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN NUMEROUS SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A
 DOMINANT PERIOD OF 9 SECONDS. RAIN.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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3/27 Pier-ing, Kitsap buffers, Lk Whatcom, Barton CSO, Ebey Estuary, diesel health, Elwha Love, Kinder Morgan, ammo wharf, local media

Pier into the Night (Photo: Ric Hallock)

New blog: I’ve been enjoying this month two fine accounts of voyages of discovery along the Baja Mexico coasts. Baja Travels With Carl Safina and John Steinbeck

Although the water in Gig Harbor may be a bit murky, Harbor WildWatch provides residents an opportunity to see what lurks beneath the water’s surface during its regular Pier Into the Night program hosted at Jerisich Dock. The latest Pier Into the Night took place Saturday, March 24. Jerisich crawling (and swimming) with lifeforms in Gig Harbor

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from the Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners, which claimed that Kitsap County's shoreline buffers were unconstitutional. The ruling upholds the Kitsap County Critical Areas Ordinance as rewritten in 2007, including 100-foot buffers for rural shorelines and 50-foot buffers for urban shorelines. U.S. Supreme Court rejects KAPO appeal

Preventive measures are the most cost-effective means of curbing phosphorus pollution in Lake Whatcom, according to a study conducted for the city of Bellingham by the CH2M Hill engineering firm, and the findings seem to support existing city policies aimed at eliminating future pollution with land use controls and purchase of land in the lake watershed that might otherwise become sites for new homes.  Preventing Lake Whatcom pollution cheaper than fixing it, report says

King County will be hosting two community meetings for Westwood Village Sunrise Heights neighbors to discuss the Barton Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project. This project is designed to control CSOs at the Barton Pump Station near the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock. The first on Wednesday, March 28 and the second on Saturday, March 31 Two meetings upcoming on Barton CSO rain garden project

The Washington State Commission on Geographic Names is considering a big change to a long 8-mile waterway where the Snohomish River delta meets Puget Sound. Ebey Slough, a short distance east of the river, would appear on maps as "Ebey Estuary" under this proposal that goes to a public hearing May 18. Ebey Slough, Soap Lake may be renamed by state

Diesel particulate matter can have many adverse health effects, especially for those living near rail yards. Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency’s Lisa Woodard says diesel particulate matter is made up of gasses and soot. Studies show diesel particulate matter exposure can lead to lung and heart diseases, as well as cancer. Courtney Flatt at EarthFix reports. Diesel Emissions and Cancer Rates

Native plants recently planted in the shifting sands, tight silts and mixed jumble of sediments are among the first colonists of some 800 acres gradually emerging from the reservoirs backed up by the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams. Man giving nature a helping hand in laying a new Elwha carpet

As Saturday March 24th marked the 23rd anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the question arises whether the Canadian government has learned any lessons from the 1989 disaster that occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska. According to Chris Genovali of Raincoast Conservation, the answer appears to be a resounding "no," given the support to expand Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline and the dramatic escalation in oil tanker traffic that will accompany it. Oops I Spilled it Again: Why Exxon History is Repeating  

The Navy is close to getting the go-ahead to build a second explosives handling wharf for Naval Base Kitsap submarines. The final environmental-impact statement, or FEIS, is complete and will appear Friday in the Federal Register. After a 30-day waiting period, the Navy will announce it'll go with a combined-trestle design that casts less shade on environmentally sensitive shallow water. Provided permits aren't delayed, construction will begin in July and continue 42 to 48 months.  Final environmental-impact statement issued for explosives wharf at Bangor  

Karilyn Bales, the wife of accused war criminal Robert Bales, and Elizabeth Griffin-Hall, the social worker who dropped off Charlie and Braden Powell at their father’s house, asked local media to leave them alone-- then went on national television. News Tribune columnist Peter Callaghan asks: Why talk to local media when national TV calls?  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 27 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS LATE IN THE MORNING. RAIN AT TIMES.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 3 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. 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

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told