2/6 Sally Jewell, spot prawns, Enbridge pipe, Kitsap stormwater, BP profits

Sally Jewell, CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc., will be nominated by President Barack Obama to become the country's next interior secretary. The Washington Post reports "Jewell, who will have to be confirmed by the Senate, has earned national recognition for her management skills and support for outdoor recreation and habitat conservation." REI's Sally Jewell to become U.S. interior secretary

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission decided in December to ban commercial shrimpers in the inland marine waters south from Deception Pass and Port Townsend, including all of Puget Sound. The idea is aimed to boost sport fishing in more urban areas of the state. Spot shrimp is a prawnlike shellfish found from California to Alaska. Gail Fiege reports. Ban on shrimp fishing enacted for inland waters

When 16-year-old environmental activist Sam Harrison made a presentation last week at the Vancouver hearings into the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, he had one goal in mind: to make the case that this pipeline represents a fundamental betrayal to his generation. “The Arctic will melt; the world will experience the next mass extinction,” he said during the review panel. “My generation will have to deal with the consequences. Surely, your generation owes it to us to not make it worse.” Teen activist strikes nerve with statement to pipeline hearing  

B.C. government lawyers grilled representatives of Enbridge on the company's emergency response plan at hearings Tuesday in Prince Rupert on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.. At issue were definitions of what constitutes world-class safety standards. The provincial government has said that it requires such standards for heavy oil transport, both on land and water. B.C. has asked for assurance that Canada's standards match or exceed what's in place in other jurisdictions, such as Alaska and the state of Washington. Enbridge grilled on pipeline safety  

Residents of Suquamish, Indianola and Keyport will learn about locations being considered for “green” stormwater projects in their communities during a series of meetings. The projects are proposed to reduce pollution going into local waterways. Experts with Kitsap County’s Surface and Stormwater Management Program have identified 76 possible sites for projects, such as roadside rain gardens and permeable pavement. Meetings to discuss the projects will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Suquamish Elementary School, 18950 Park Ave. NE; 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Indianola Clubhouse, 19876 Indianola Road NE; and 7 p.m. Monday at Keyport Fire Station, 1863 NE Pacific Ave. Chris Dunagan reports. Stormwater meetings planned in North Kitsap  

Oil and gas giant BP's profit fell nearly 80 percent in the fourth quarter in results released Tuesday, dragged down by payouts related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP said that net profit fell to $1.62 billion in the three months ending Dec. 31, down from $7.69 billion in the same period the year before. BP took a loss of $3.85 billion for its settlement of all federal criminal charges with the U.S. government. Underlying replacement cost profit for the period, which strips out the changes in the value of inventories, was down 20 percent on the same period last year at $3.98 billion. Danica Kirka reports. BP profit drops 79 percent in Q4 due to settlement

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST WED FEB 6 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 13 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE
 MORNING...THEN RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 30 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 20 TO 30 KT. COMBINED SEAS 13 TO 14 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 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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2/5 First Nations & Enbridge, Seattle traffic, Snohomish park, Shell LNG, eagle deaths, Reel Time

Urban mobility

Coastal First Nations has pulled out of a critical Northern Gateway hearing on Enbridge’s marine oil spill response plans, saying the hearings have drained the organization’s financial resources and are providing few answers. “We might as well keep our powder dry and save it for court,” CFN executive director Art Sterritt said Monday, expressing dissatisfaction over the cost of attending the hearings and over what he called “a difficult time” getting answers from Northern Gateway applicant Enbridge. Further, he said, the hearing process has been stripped of its legitimacy by the federal government’s omnibus budget bill. Gordon Hamilton reports.  First Nations group quits Enbridge hearings, citing lack of cash

Seattle drivers lost an average 48 hours to congestion during 2011, tied with Philadelphia for ninth place among the 15 largest metro areas in the annual Urban Mobility Report by the Texas Transportation Institute, which uses 2011 data from INRIX. That’s up only one spot from 2010, in a report released Monday night. But if your personal experience seems a lot crazier, you may be right. Traffic here is highly volatile — sixth-worst among the big metros, if you ask the question, “How much time do I need to allow to get to or from work 19 days out of 20 on time?”   Seattle’s “Freeway Planning Time Index” is 3.99, meaning that if the commute takes 20 minutes in light traffic, you should allow 80 minutes.  Washington, D.C. fared the worst, at 5.72, in a new analysis that TTI rolled out for this year’s report. Portland isn’t in the largest 15 metros, but did worse than Seattle, at a 4.26 ratio. Mike Lindblom blogs. Time’s a-wastin’: Seattle drivers lose 2 days a year to traffic

A park controversy in the town of Snohomish has pitted bird lovers against dog owners. A plan to set aside land for a wildlife refuge is ruffling some feathers. The dispute is over whether dogs and birds can coexist on the public land without ruining the outdoor experience for some people. Pet owner P.J. Parsons thinks she should be able to walk her border collie at any public park in the city. Her view puts her at odds with bird lovers, who believe the city should prohibit canines in the refuge. Mark Miller reports. Bird lovers, dog owners at odds over wildlife refuge plans

The National Energy Board has granted Royal Dutch Shell PLC and a group of foreign partners authority to export natural gas from the coast of British Columbia. Shell has been granted a licence to export up to 24-million tonnes of natural gas a day for 25 years. That’s the equivalent of 3.23-billion cubic feet per day, a little less than the roughly four-billion cubic feet per day currently produced in British Columbia. Shell gets go-ahead to export natural gas from B.C. coast

Authorities still are asking for help finding the person responsible for the deaths of four bald eagles last month near Granite Falls. A recent donation brought the reward money for information leading to an arrest and conviction up to $20,250, wildlife officials said Monday. Rikki King reports. Reward at $20,500 for information in eagle deaths  

Mark Yuasa asks: This southern Puget Sound creek is home to a very popular fall chum fishery, and when the fish are in the banks lined with hundreds of anglers. Fish watchers also can get a close up view of the chum migrating upstream of this creek west of Olympia and just off Highway 101. After folks are done either fishing or just soaking up the views they can warm up with a nice plate of BBQ at the popular and award-winning restaurant near its banks. Where am I fishing?  It's Reel Time trivia so put on your fishing thinking cap  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE FEB 5 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS BUILDING TO 11 FT AT 12 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

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2/4 Anacortes growth, coal lawyers, Chico Creek park, Adventuress, ocean acid, net pen ban, Lummi land trust, Kokish River

Snohomish Slew (Geena Martin, The Herald)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON FEB 4 2013
TODAY
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE
 EVENING...THEN RAIN.
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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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2/1 TCEP & TDCCP, pipelines, oil trains, Seattle waterfront, bag ban, ocean acid, fisheries, bird & fossils

New blog: “Since the ground thawed from the last hard freeze, Mr. Mole has been busy along the edge of the cement walkway building his mountains of soil. The only time I’ve seen a mole was an unpleasant encounter when I trapped one a long time ago in a garden in Oregon. This one in our yard I’ve never seen but the dog sure smells him....”  Waiting For Mr. Mole  

This news and weather service is happy to serve over 200 weekday subscribers and to have entertained 3,257 web visits last month, for a total of 31,424 visits since the service began 17 months ago. The Salish Sea Communications occasional blog received 3,630 web visits last month and 24,318 visits since launch 16 months ago. Thanks for your continuing support.

Some state lawmakers are pushing to ban potentially cancer-causing chemicals from children's products and sofas. Bills in the House and Senate would prohibit the use of two flame retardant chemicals, known as TCEP and TDCCP, in strollers, car seats, changing pads and other children's products, as well as home furniture. The bills also prohibit manufacturers from using chemicals on the state's list of chemicals of concern as replacements. Phuong Le reports. Bills would ban chemicals in baby products, sofas

From Chris Dunagan's blog: Federal grants make statement about Puget Sound

The oilsands industry is going to be demanding more pipelines across Western Canada in the next decade, even if three proposed projects get built, the head of Kinder Morgan Canada predicts. Kinder Morgan president Ian Anderson told the Vancouver Board of Trade on Thursday that the North American market for Canadian oilsands crude is drying up as U.S. production rises, and producers in Alberta will soon be looking to move their product across B.C. and out of ports on the West Coast. Pipeline demands to increase in coming decade

Opponents of the Northern Gateway pipeline are threatening to turn their sights on CN Rail, as at least one Alberta oil company explores the possibility of transporting oil sands crude to the B.C. coast by rail car. Sixteen environmental groups signed a letter sent to Canadian National CEO Claude Mongeau this week to express opposition to any plans to ship product from the Alberta oil sands west by rail. Dene Moore reports. Oil pipeline opponents may target rail shipments next

The Northwest is on the verge of becoming a gateway for crude oil. Three different developers have plans to use docks on Grays Harbor, Washington to transfer crude oil from trains to ships. Other projects are getting off the ground in Tacoma, Vancouver, B.C. and on the lower Columbia River. There was a huge turnout Wednesday night at an introductory public workshop in Aberdeen, Washington. The response indicates crude-by-rail may be the region’s next big environmental controversy.  Tom Banse reports. Northwest On Verge Of Becoming Pacific Crude Oil Gateway

Planners are hammering out the details of a handful of ambitious projects that will drastically alter downtown Seattle’s waterfront. While the physical work on the high-profile projects won’t begin for some time, key decisions regarding the $1 billion plan are being made now. Among them: how to expand Pike Place Market and the Seattle Aquarium, whether to resurrect the waterfront streetcar, and how to pay for it all. Marc Stiles reports. Major Seattle waterfront projects see flurry of activity

The citywide ban on most retail plastic bags starts March 1, and Issaquah leaders reminded residents to prepare in the 30 days before the legislation goes into effect. The measure also sets a 5-cent fee for most paper carryout bags. Under the ordinance, retailers keep the fee to offset the cost to phase out plastic bags and shoppers can see the expense itemized on receipts. Though the ordinance requires most plastic bags to disappear from retailers in March, consumers should not expect to see the bags vanish altogether. Issaquah starts 30-day countdown to plastic bag ban

Between 2005 and 2009, billions of oyster larvae began dying at hatcheries around the state before anyone knew what was going on or could do anything about it. The state's $270 million shellfish industry, which employs about 3,200 people, is in danger. One oyster farm, Goose Point Oysters in Willapa Bay, has begun raising oyster larvae in Hawaii because it can no longer grow them here. The reason, scientists say, is ocean acidification. Bill Sheets reports. State's $270 million fisheries business threatened by ocean acidification

Pete Knutson opines: "Despite the 1995 and 1999 voter rejection of initiatives favoring sport fishing, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission moves steadily to restrict and eliminate commercial fisheries in Washington state. Under a veneer of conservation rhetoric, the commission has reallocated salmon, crab, prawns and now Columbia River Chinook from food fish harvesters to the politically powerful sport industry. On Jan. 12, they voted to eliminate the 150-year-old Columbia River non-tribal commercial salmon fishery, which has been a significant source of livelihood for the economically depressed southwest Washington region...."  Political games are devastating sustainable commercial fishing  

Size limits have been a part of fisheries management for decades, but some fear that they are doing more harm than good. Brendan Borrell writes. Ocean conservation: A big fight over little fish  

A new photographic exhibit exploring the intertwined lives of owls and woodpeckers is scheduled to open this weekend at Edmonds Historical Museum. The exhibit called "The Owl & the Woodpecker in Washington" by photographer Paul Bannick is part of a traveling show created by the Burke Museum in Seattle. The exhibit is scheduled to be shown in Edmonds through April 14.  Photos of woodpeckers, owls exhibited at Edmonds museum    And: Fossils are all around Washington. That’s the message paleontologist Kirk Johnson and artist Ray Troll share in the traveling exhibit Cruisin’ the Washington Fossil Freeway, opening at the Harbor History Museum on Saturday, Feb. 2. Traveling fossil exhibit from Seattle’s at Harbor History Museum

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI FEB 1 2013
TODAY
NW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS
 OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 16 SECONDS.
SAT
SE WIND 15 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 20 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 9 FT.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 17 SECONDS.
SUN
S WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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1/31 Oil trains, BC coal, coal poll, Kitsap shore plan, Port Orchard shore

"Squirrely" (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Over the past year the landscape around our lower pond has been changing, thanks to Squirrelly, our resident Red squirrel. This species (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) doesn’t hibernate so needs to eat year-round. In the wild, a Red squirrel requires about 2 hectares of territory – making our property just about the right size for one squirrel with a healthy appetite....." Landscaping by Squirrelly  

An oil boom in the Midwest is laying the tracks for a major transportation hub in Washington. Crude is coming here by rail, pipeline and barge, and state agencies have a hard time keeping up with the pace. Activists have been worried about what proposed coal terminals would do to rail traffic in Washington state, but little attention has been paid to plans to transport. Washington State Ecology officials have been planning to publish a map showing increasing oil maps across the state. The problem is the new proposals are popping up so quickly they have to keep updating it. Crude oil is already rolling down rail lines through Tacoma and Seattle and more is on the way. Gary Chittim reports.  Oil boom bringing trainloads of crude oil through Washington   See also: Crude By Rail Public Meeting Sees Standing Room Only Crowd in Aberdeen  

Health leaders will continue to press Port Metro to conduct wider health-impact assessments of diesel exhaust and coal dust in the Lower Mainland after the go-ahead was given to an expanded coal terminal in North Vancouver. Port Metro says its review of Neptune’s $200-million expansion included health and environmental issues, but their jurisdiction does not extend beyond port boundaries. Critics say the wider implications of transporting coal through the Lower Mainland on open train cars have not been properly considered. Gordon Hoekstra reports. Health advocates continue fight for more study of expanded coal port

Coal-export terminals at Bellingham and Longview are supported by half of Washingtonians. At least according to the first comprehensive poll of public support for the controversial ports, released Wednesday. More than 400 households were polled for the survey, with a significant number of those polled still looking for more details on the plans. The Elway Poll announced similar though slightly less supportive results than polling in recent months by terminal supporters: Overall, 50 percent supported the export terminals, 32 percent were opposed and 19 percent undecided. Only 60 percent of responders knew about the proposals, and half of them knew no details. The most surprising result of the Elway Poll was respondents' support for a regional — rather than just localized — review of coal ports' impacts. Forty-eight percent were in favor, with 43 percent against. That's up sharply from a January poll for the pro-terminals group Alliance for Northwest Jobs & Exports, which found that 77 percent of Washingtonians opposed a regional review. Floyd McKay reports. Despite eco-gains, Washington's pulling for coal

After three years of planning and debate, the Kitsap County commissioners Wednesday put the finishing touches on a plan to govern shoreline development for years to come. If approved by the Washington Department of Ecology, the plan will impose a variety of regulations and mitigation measures to ensure that future development does not cause a net loss of ecological functions. The new Kitsap County Shoreline Master Program represents the first major overhaul of the county’s shoreline regulations in more than 30 years, according to shorelines planner David Greetham. The plan covers marine waters and shorelines up to 200 feet from the high-water mark, along lakes and major streams. Chris Dunagan reports.  Kitsap County commissioners adopt shorelines plan  

A flurry of construction activity on the waterfront heralds progress on long-planned recreational enhancements. Port Orchard and the Port of Bremerton are coordinating on much of the work. Chris Henry reports. Recent activity signals progress on Port Orchard waterfront projects

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU JAN 31 2013
TODAY
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS
 IN THE EVENING.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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1/30 San Juan monument, coal export, Port Gamble Bay, Grays Harbor oil

New blog: "Some found amusing the proposal by State Representative Jan Angel (R-Port Orchard) to let state and local agencies raise revenue by charging for the right to rename public buildings and infrastructure. She said the idea came to her while brainstorming how to curb tolls on the Tacoma Narrows bridge...." Naming Rights: Chuck E. Cheese’s Bridge, Tokitae, and Joe Spike Dog

President Obama should act now, using his presidential powers, to designate a national monument to protect “cherished lands” owned by the federal government in the San Juan Islands, Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and two House colleagues urged Obama in a letter sent Monday. The lawmakers noted wide local support, and visits by outgoing U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar dating back to April 2011.  “Before Secretary Salazar leaves office, we urge you to consider designating a National Monument in the San Juan Islands, bring his and our efforts to fruition,” they wrote. The letter’s urgency underscores a frustration, locally and nationally,  at the Obama administration’s glacial pace at protecting public lands, even in places like the San Juans where local government leaders and businesses are on board. Joel Connelly reports. Murray, Cantwell tell Obama: We want San Juans monument NOW  

Mark Lowry has driven a bus for almost 20 years in Bellingham, Wash. He takes pride in his job. He also worries blue-collar jobs like his are getting harder to come by. Lowry is the Northwest Washington Central Labor Council president. It represents 19,000 union-member households in Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan counties. The council supports construction of the Gateway Pacific Terminal near Bellingham. Katie Campbell and Ashley Ahearn report.  Washington Labor Leader Counts Jobs As Coal’s Big Benefit  And, Daniel Person writes: "To truly grasp the local environmental brouhaha of the moment, one must start in Wyoming." Seattle's Coal Training  

The Kitsap Forest & Bay Project has been awarded $1 million from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, for acquisition of the Port Gamble Bay shoreline. The grant came from the National Coastal Wetland Conservation program, which recently awarded a total of $20 million in funding to 24 critical coastal wetland projects in 13 states and territories, to conserve and restore coastal wetlands and their fish and wildlife habitat. That brings the fundraising total to approximately $12 million to purchase nearly 7,000 acres of forest land outside of Port Gamble, owned by Pope Resources. Pope agreed in fall 2011 to keep the land off the market while the Kitsap Forest & Bay Coalition raises money to purchase the land for conservation, public open space, trails and non-motorized access to the water. Kitsap Forest & Bay Project awarded $1 million  

The Port of Grays Harbor is holding a public workshop Wednesday in Aberdeen on proposals for trains to deliver crude oil to an export terminal.  Three companies have proposed "crude by rail" projects: Imperium Terminal Services, LLC, Westway Terminal Company, and U.S. Development Group, LLC. The crude oil would likely come from shale formations in North Dakota, Montana and Alberta, Canada. Oil would be loaded on tankers or barges for West Coast refineries. Hearing on Grays Harbor oil export terminal

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 852 AM PST WED JAN 30 2013
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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1/29 Tsunami debris, Idle No More, oil & spills, coal & warming, vanishing blogs

B.C. Tsunami Debris (Living Oceans Society)

Debris from the tsunami that struck Japan two years ago is building up on West Coast beaches, with everything from soccer balls to floating docks drifting ashore from Alaska to California. Peter Barratt, operations manager for West Coast Helicopters, has been looking down on British Columbia’s rugged Pacific coastline for much of the past 30 years – and he has never seen as much garbage as he did on a recent reconnaissance flight along northwest Vancouver Island with Will Soltau, of the Living Oceans Society. Tsunami debris litters B.C. beaches

Idle No More protesters turned up outside the Aboriginal Affairs office in Vancouver Monday, with many in the crowd focusing on pollution from Canada’s oil and gas industry. Photos: Idle No More rally in downtown Vancouver  And: First Nation leaders in central B.C. are raising red flags over plans for natural gas pipelines across their territories, warning the projects won't go ahead unless they are consulted and approve. At least four pipelines are being proposed to move natural gas from northeast B.C. to ports on the coast when the product would be turned into liquefied natural gas for export overseas. B.C. First Nations send warnings over gas pipelines  

To follow up on Lynda Mapes' oil spill risk story: Eric Scigliano in Crosscut writes, Northwest energy whack-a-mole: Another pipeline rears its head  Learn even more from a posting by UW grad students: What Are the Increased Risks From Transporting Tar Sands Oil?

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is one of four recipients of $200,000 in state funding for programs designed to recruit volunteers to prepare for and clean up oil spills. The Swinomish are receiving $35,003 to establish standard operating procedures for responding to an oil spill within or adjacent to the Swinomish Reservation. The grant also will support identification of priority habitat, propose updates to regional response plans and help train train employees and volunteers who respond to oil spills. Other recipients of the grant money include: Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team ($52,660), Seattle Audubon Society ($48,479), and Northwest Straits Foundation ($60,000).  Grant awarded to Swins for oil spill response

Tracy Warner opines: If you look at one study, the easy assumptions that exporting coal will harm the climate could prove backward. Two Stanford researchers raise a point worth looking at. Coal exports: There could be a twist on the global warming argument

Just a few years ago, it seemed like new neighborhood blogs were popping up every day. Now, not only are there fewer blogs, but the ones that survive seem to have less content. What happened? Anna Minard reports.  What Happened to the Neighborhood Blogs?

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PST TUE JAN 29 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT DURING THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 11
 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN.

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