2/20 BC CG, no coal exports, Nisqually boardwalk, oil and gas drill tax

Ms. Merganser (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Last week a female Hooded merganser dropped by spend some time in our garden pond. She and her mate usually come by once a year, around this time, but they’ve never stayed more than a few hours. This time Ms. Merganser came alone, and to our delight, stayed for two full days and two nights...." A Visit from Ms. Merganser  

The federal government has officially closed a Vancouver coast guard base that's considered to be the busiest in Canada. Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Tuesday in a notice to mariners that the Kitsilano Canadian Coast Guard Station will no longer offer search-and-rescue services. The closure was announced last spring as part of budget cuts and drew widespread criticism, but local labour leaders were still caught off guard by the notice. Vancouver coast guard station officially closes

Two  Northwest political leaders,  speaking 180 miles apart, sharply criticized both the local impacts and global implications of the proposed creation of export terminals in Washington and Oregon that would move huge quantities of coal to China. Joel Connelly reports. Gov. Kitzhaber, Mayor McGinn: No to coal exports  

The $2.8 million boardwalk is waiting to lead you to the edge of Puget Sound at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. The boardwalk opened in 2011 as mitigation for loss of recreation opportunities when a restoration project removed dikes to allow saltwater to re-establish a marsh at the wildlife refuge. Terry Richards reports. Nisqually boardwalk puts walkers atop Puget Sound mudflats with dry boots  

Should Washington tax the oil and natural gas coming out of its ground? The Washington state House Finance Committee held a public hearing on that concept Tuesday, specifically on a bill that would charge a 12 percent tax on the oil and gas pumped out of the Evergreen State's soil. So far, the state has produced little oil and natural gas, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Mount Vernon, said some exploratory drilling was conducted years ago in Eastern Washington, and exploratory drilling is underway for coal bed methane in Southwestern Washington. John Stang reports. Oil and gas: Tax now, drill later

Now, your tug weather--

WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED FEB 20 2013
TODAY
S WIND TO 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING LATE. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN
 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/19 Crow funeral, whale talk, tidal power, Esquimalt dock, cows & clams

Crow funeral (Tony Angell)

If you like to listen: Tony Angell, along with Professor John Marzluff of the University of Washington, wrote the book, Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans. Tony says, "A crow 'funeral' is where the deceased bird is surrounded by members of the same species, in significant numbers." Crow Funeral - with Tony Angell

Whale hugging; The Whale Trail’s “Orca Talk” series at C&P Coffee, 5621 California Ave SW in West Seattle, features on February 21 Lynne Barre of NOAA Fisheries speaking on how our Southern resident killer whales are doing seven years after they were listed as endangered. Also giving updates are Robin Lindsay (Seal Sitters.org) and Laura James (tox-ick.org). Suggested donation: $5. Advanced tickets at Brown Paper Tickets. Info at The Whale Trail.

While a federal study recently gave an environmental OK to the Snohomish County Public Utility District's plan to try out two tidal power turbines, some don't agree with the conclusion. Three Indian tribes, a cable company and a cable trade group all sent letters last week to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opposing the Admiralty Inlet project as it's proposed. The tribes, including the Tulalips, say the turbines could interfere with fishing. The cable interests believe the project could damage trans-Pacific cables that run through the inlet. Bill Sheets reports. Tribes, cable groups protest plan for tidal-power project

The federal government has announced a $500-million project to replace two aging docks at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Monday the existing wooden jetties will be replaced with steel docks that can accommodate four frigates, two patrol ships, one supply ship and two submarines. The minister said the contract should sustain up to 1,400 jobs over the life of the project. $500M docks to be built in Esquimalt

A new pilot program with a catchy title, “Where Cows Meet Clams” is taking off with funding from the EPA’s National Estuary Program. The idea is to link big picture concepts – the health of Puget Sound water, soil and habitat - with the health of working farms and forests in river basins. Oxbow Farm in the fertile Snoqualmie Valley is giving the program a jump start. Martha Baskin reports. “Where Cows Meet Clams”: A Farm and Forest Sustainability Program Gets a Test Run at Oxbow Farm in the Snoqualmie Valley

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE FEB 19 2013
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NE. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 8 SECONDS...BECOMING NW AT 7 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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2/18 Octopus, coal march, B'ham cleanup, DFO censor, no net pen, pesticide survey, fish on drugs, Elwha suit, derelict ships, ferry list, shark fin soup, Kulshan Creek Kids

Shilshole Bay rally (Joshua Trujillo, SeattlePI)

If you like to watch: Photographer Alan Berner documents the action at Octopus Week.  Octopus Season of Love 


A big march at Shilshole Bay by Seattle-area greens, and a much bigger environmental protest in Washington, D.C., delivered a message to President Obama as he played a Sunday round of golf with Tiger Woods in Palm City, Florida:    Walk your talk on climate change. The D.C. protest was keyed to the Keystone Pipeline, which would transport oil from Alberta’s huge, dirty oil sands project to Gulf Coast and Texas refineries in the United States.  The marchers on a raw Seattle winter day, a cold mist falling in 40-degree weather,  had a more immediate target, the proposed Gateway Pacific coal port, at Cherry Point, north of Bellingham. Joel Connelly reports. Big no-coal-train protest on cold day  But: What More Coal Trains Mean To A Railway Engineer  

Whatcom County's two state senators are political opposites in some ways but are working together to pass two toxic-cleanup bills that could benefit Bellingham's waterfront. A bill introduced by Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, would speed up permitting for toxic cleanups funded through the Model Toxics Control Act. The other bill's main sponsor is Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, who wants to ensure that money set aside under the act doesn't get diverted from cleanup projects. Both bills passed out of the Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Ericksen chairs the committee, and Ranker is the ranking minority member. Ralph Schwartz reports. Whatcom senators strange bedfellows on Bellingham waterfront cleanup

Angry scientists and academics are accusing the Stephen Harper government of muzzling and censoring its scientists to the point that research cannot be published, even when there is collaboration with international researchers, unless it matches government policy. Under revised Fisheries and Oceans Canada rules, scientists working in its central and Arctic region cannot be involved in publishing research until a DFO division administrator has reviewed it “for any concerns/impacts to DFO policy.”  Judith Lavoie reports. DFO censoring federal scientists with research rules, critics say

A bill that would allow coastal counties to ban marine aquaculture net pen facilities has an “uphill battle” ahead of it after a hearing in a state House of Representative committee in Olympia last week, said the North Olympic Legislator who is sponsoring it. State Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, is sponsoring HB 1599, which would allow county governments to include outright bans of net pen fish-farming facilities proposed for shoreline areas in their state-required shoreline management plan updates. Jeremy Schwartz reports. Van De Wege's net pen bill gets hearing

More than 15,000 people who live in the Puget Sound region will be getting mailed surveys about how much they use pesticides on a day-to-day basis. The Washington State Department of Agriculture and the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service are trying to gather data to learn how people in urban areas use pesticides. The three-page survey will be mailed within a week to people living in the 12 counties making up the Puget Sound region.  Survey to gauge pesticide use around Puget Sound

What happens to a fish on drugs? If it’s a wild European perch exposed to a popular anxiety medication, chances are it’s anti-social, wanders away from the safety of its group and devours food more quickly than its peers, all behaviors that could have profound ecological consequences, according to a forthcoming report in the journal Science. In a study aimed at understanding the environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals that often wind up in the world’s waterways through wastewater, researchers from Umeå University in Sweden examined how perch behaved when exposed to oxazepam, a drug commonly used to treat anxiety disorders in humans. Brady Dennis reports. What happens when fish get high on discarded drugs?  

A federal judge has thrown out a suit against the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s hatchery plan, and the tribe has backed away from stocking the Elwha River with nonnative steelhead. Lynda Mapes reports. Federal court dismisses suit against Elwha hatchery; tribe drops nonnative steelhead stocking plan  

State officials would be encouraged to deal with derelict boats sooner — preferably before they sink — under a proposed law moving through the Legislature. Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, (is) the prime sponsor of House Bill 1245, would become the first major revision to the state’s Derelict Vessel Act since the law was adopted in 2002. The legislation was approved unanimously last week by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and now moves to a vote by the full House. Chris Dunagan reports. Bill in Legislature seeks early action for derelict vessels  

Washington State Ferries will soon take the lean out of its three newest ferries.  Adjustments will be made so the Chetzemoka, Salish and Kennewick will no longer list when the boats are empty. The work involves adding tons of ballast on each vessel. The boats are designed to lean when there are no vehicles because not all the weight is evenly distributed. The state plans to pour steel shot – a granular material used for sandblasting – into existing metal box-like containers on top of each boat's two fuel tanks. It's going to take about 180,000 pounds of steel shot for the vessels. Jerry Cornfield reports. State aims to stop ferries from leaning when empty  But see: Is new ferry a pricey sea-going lemon? And why?

It is, perhaps, the most contentious dish on the planet. It has divided communities, enraged activists, prompted allegations of racism and stirred politicians to action. The distinctive flavour comes from pork bones and chicken, but its infamy comes from the flavourless strands of cartilage floating at the top of each bowl. How do you solve a problem like shark fin soup? Some believe the answer might be found in the Pacific waters of British Columbia. But, much to the chagrin of a fledgling local fishery – a sustainable alternative to shark fins – no one seems willing to invest the dollars needed to find out. Andy Hoffman and Daniel Bitonti report. B.C. fishery’s answer to shark fin soup dilemma appears to be floundering  

On a drizzly midwinter afternoon, children with the Kulshan Creek Kids program found signs of spring during their nature walk on the Kulshan Creek Trail: the harmony of a warbler’s song, light green leaf buds sprouting from trees. Saturday’s excursion through the neighborhood wetland area near Bakerview Park was one of the Kulshan Creek Kids program’s monthly events. Together with the North Cascades Institute, National Forest Service, Mount Vernon Police Department, Skagit Youth and Family Services and the National Park Service, each month’s activity aims to teach low-income kids about their local environment and engage in Skagit’s natural settings. Lynsi Burton reports. Program seeks to teach children about environment  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON FEB 18 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 17 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...
 THEN RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 18 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN 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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2/15 Coal export, gravel mining, piers and docks, salp, GMO foods,tsunami designed buildings

Salp, Thalia rhomboides

Last day to pre-register for the 2013 Environmental Lobby Day in Olympia February 19.  Pre-register today: Environmental Priorities Coalition

A Wyoming mining company has signed an option agreement allowing it to ship up to 16 million tons of coal a year through Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point — if that project can get the regulatory approvals it needs. Cloud Peak Energy said Wednesday's deal involving Gateway Pacific Terminal, proposed by SSA Marine of Seattle, will allow it to expand overseas sales amid weak domestic demand. The company has mines in Wyoming and Montana. It shipped 4.4 million tons of coal to Asian customers in 2012. In 2011, coal industry giant Peabody Energy made a similar deal with SSA, declaring an intent to export as much as 24 million tons of coal per year via the Cherry Point facility. Wyoming coal company strikes export deal to use Cherry Point terminal

A new Sightline report paints Ambre Energy, a large owner in the proposed coal port at Longview, in a less-than-flattering financial light. Floyd McKay explains. Ambre Energy: The big bad coal wolf?  Read the report, Ambre Energy: Caveat Investor

In a Feb. 13 print edition article by Allison Arthur of the Port Townsend Leader, John Fabian of the Hood Canal Coalition describes several new permits submitted to Jefferson County by proponents of a project to barge gravel from Shine through the Hood Canal Bridge. In December proponents submitted a new noise study and a new traffic impact analysis. The project was originally proposed by Fred Hill Materials in 2002 and is now called T-ROC, an acronym for Thorndyke Resources Operation Complex, an offspring of Fred Hill Materials which is going through Chapter 7 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Within a week, there’ll be no trace of the dock that attracted Mosquito Fleet steamers, car ferries and fishermen for more than a century. Workers from Seattle’s Pacific Pile & Marine last week sawed Harper Pier’s deck and railing into large pieces, chained them to a crane and hoisted them onto a barge. On Thursday, they logged the old wooden pilings. Two men in an aluminum boat set chokers, and the supports were plucked one, two or three at a time from Puget Sound. Ed Friedrich reports. Splash down: Harper Pier disappearing quickly  But: Key Peninsula dock with ties to Mosquito Fleet gets a facelift

Meanwhile: A new dock approved by the Kitsap County hearing examiner could become the first overwater structure along an undeveloped stretch of Hood Canal shoreline near Stavis Bay. The dock, proposed by Tim and Brenda Berg, would be built at 18174 Stavis Bay Road. The 480-square-foot structure would include a grated deck to allow light to penetrate, and it would be built on eight centerline pilings to reduce the impacts. Chris Dunagan reports. First dock near Stavis Bay approved

It started with a few sightings here and there. Now a strange sea creature, a salp, is showing up on beaches and in crab pots up and down the Washington Coast, raising curiosity and concerns.  Marine expert Alan Rammer said he's received several calls from people asking what they are. He told us they are members of the tunicate family called 'salps' and are a harmless visitor from the South. Gary Chittim reports. Odd creature showing up on Washington's coast

Anyone wanting to get to the bottom of the debate about genetically modified foods will have a long wait. One side says there is no meaningful evidence that GMOs are harmful, and that forcing food companies to label them would be expensive and cumbersome, especially on a state-by-state basis. They say the debate should be at the national level. The other side says consumers have a right to know whether foods contain GMOs, particularly because the Food and Drug Administration allows companies to mostly self-regulate their safety. Melissa Allison reports. Initiative to require labels on GMO foods debated

Building codes cover fire prevention, energy efficiency, and seismic safety among other things. Now a group of civil engineers from around the West is developing additions to the code to cover the threat of a tsunami. Kent Yu of Degenkolb Engineers in Portland is one of the members of an American Society of Civil Engineers subcommittee drafting standards for "tsunami loads and effects." Tom Banse reports. Structural Engineers Developing Tsunami Design Code For Coastal Buildings

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 251 AM PST FRI FEB 15 2013
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. PATCHY MORNING FOG.
TONIGHT
E WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 15 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
SAT
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 17 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 9 FT AT 16
 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SCATTERED SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT IN THE MORNING...THEN LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 9 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
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2/14 Lummi quarry, Manchester shore, coal ships, octopus, BC LNG, goose poop, TDCPP ban, Vic sewage

Octopus love (Alan Berner, Seattle Times)

2013 Environmental Lobby Day is coming up February 19 at United Churches of Olympia. Pre-registration closes Friday, February 15 at 8pm-- which means that after Friday, you are still welcome to attend but registration will be $20 instead of $15 for adults, $10 for students. There's a lunch option for $12 and bus transportation along the I-5 corridor from Bellingham south for $25. Register today: Environmental Priorities Coalition.

For now, a Lummi Island quarry will continue to operate under certain restrictions, but the Whatcom County hearing examiner on Wednesday, Feb. 13, came close to shutting down the operation. He also made sure during Wednesday's hearing that officials from Lummi Rock, LLC, knew he disapproved of their lack of adherence to the rules. The county issued three stop-work orders in 2012 requiring Lummi Rock to cease unpermitted activities. "This is an organization that's totally out of control," Hearing Examiner Michael Bobbink said. "They do whatever they want whenever they want ... all without permits." Ralph Schwartz reports. Whatcom hearing examiner blasts 'out of control' Lummi Island quarry

A commissioner for the Port of Manchester has been charged with a misdemeanor criminal offense for taking part in shoreline construction without a required state permit. According to an investigative report, Commissioner Jim Strode, 62, admitted that he was present when port workers, using heavy equipment, removed a log from the water near the port’s dock and placed it on the beach at Pomeroy Park. The incident occurred Dec. 4. It was the same type of violation that led to a warning letter issued to the Port of Manchester in February 2012, according to Jason Czebotar an enforcement officer with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. In that letter, all three port commissioners were advised that shoreline work requires a Hydraulics Permit Approval, or HPA. Chris Dunagan reports. Manchester port commissioner faces charges for shoreline work

Eric de Place of Sightline writes: "It was dark but it wasn’t stormy when the Salish Sea saw its first recorded sinking of a coal vessel. At 6:45 a.m. on November 21, 1886 the Barnard Castle, a freighter laden with 2,300 tons of Vancouver Island coal bound for San Francisco, struck the Race Rocks about 10 miles southwest of Victoria. The captain managed to beach the foundering ship in a shallow bay at nearby Bentinck Island. Workers were later able to remove much of the coal before abandoning the ship where it remained lodged in the mud until it was eventually destroyed by storms...." Shipwrecks, Coal, and the Salish Sea    And: Diverse Voices Heard At EarthFix Seattle Coal Export Panel

Puget Sound’s giant Pacific octopus, the largest octopus species in the world, takes centerstage at Seattle Aquarium Octopus Week events through Feb. 24. Along with keeper talks and feedings in the Life of Drifter octopus exhibit, an octopus will be featured in the Window on Washington Waters exhibit diver shows noon Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Feb. 23-24. Madeline McKenzie reports. Octopus couple on display

The energy sector is lashing out at a British Columbia proposal to impose a major new tax on the impending export of natural gas, saying the province risks serious damage to a fledgling industry before it has a chance to take wing. Some 10 proposals are now being considered for the shipment of liquefied natural gas from B.C., a province that has eagerly promoted the vast new revenues the coming development stands to produce. The province has said it now believes five export terminals could be built in coming years; the first could be complete by 2015.  Natural gas firms fume as B.C. proposes LNG tax

A swim area at Deception Pass State Park has so much goose feces that it fails to meet public health standards. Washington State Parks has started work on a plan to clean it up. Goose-control measures are planned for Cranberry Lake, the area currently not passing muster with health officials, as well as at the Cornet Bay Retreat Center. At both places, people have what State Parks calls “high potential” to come in contact with goose feces. In the water and on the beach, people can be exposed to disease-causing organisms in goose feces, including salmonella, giardia and cryptosporidium. Canada Geese also host the parasite that causes “swimmer’s itch.” Gina Cole reports. Goose-control plan under way at Deception Pass

They didn't need any extra incentive, but after a toxics group tested the couches in their offices, two Washington State legislators were more determined than ever to push for a ban of certain fire retardants. State Senator Sharon Nelson, (D) Maury Island and State Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, (D) Sequim are backing legislation that would ban the use of Chlorinated Tris, or TDCPP, a flame retardant used widely in furniture. A sample from the foam cushions in Nelson's office tested positive for a pound of the retardant, which some studies link to cancer and other health issues. Gary Chittim reports. Lawmakers want to ban specific flame retardants

Not wanting a first impression to be a lasting one, Capital Regional District directors have postponed a public information session on its new sewage treatment plant until they have a better idea of what it might look like. Since it will be located on the waterfront at McLoughlin Point, at the gateway to the Inner Harbour, the design of the plant needs to involve more than its function, directors said. Many members of the CRD’s sewage committee said they were caught off guard this week when an artist’s rendering of a proposed sewage treatment plant was published on the front page of the Times Colonist. Bill Cleverley reports. Regional directors hold off on public meeting until better drawings of sewage plant

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 247 AM PST THU FEB 14 2013
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING E 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 16 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN A
 CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 15 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.

--
"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

2/13 Port Gamble cleanup, Inslee on climate, Victoria sewage, 'Namgis fish farm, Cedar Grove, BC pipeline, WA parks, Richmond farm

Port Gamble Bay (Kitsap Sun)

New blog: “Amy and I stopping for a drink at the Fog City Diner on San Francisco’s Embarcadero last weekend about half way on a trek from downtown to Fisherman’s Wharf via Chinatown and back to downtown. What a fine oasis on the shady side of the Embarcadero on a sunny day at 2 in the afternoon....” Farewell, Fog City Diner. I Hardly Knew You.

Negotiations over the cleanup of Port Gamble Bay have broken down, endangering a $9 million appropriation from the Legislature for the purchase of property around the waterway, officials say. Washington Department of Ecology had worked out extensive plans with Pope Resources to clean up polluted sediments in the bay and to purchase and restore habitat along the shore, according to Tim Nord of the agency. But Ecology could not accommodate the company’s insistence that two large docks over the cleanup area be left in place. Chris Dunagan reports. Ecology-Port Gamble deal appears to be in trouble  

Gov. Jay Inslee sounded the alarm on climate change Tuesday morning at a Capitol Land Trust fundraising breakfast that drew some 500 people to the Marcus Pavilion on the St. Martin's University campus in Lacey. The Democratic governor sang the praises of the land trust's efforts to preserve and protect thousands of acres of critical fish and wildlife habitat and working forests and farms in South Sound, but said the work could be for naught if global warming continues at the current pace. John Dodge reports. Gov. Inslee cautions Land Trust about global warming at fundraiser  See also: Wash. Gov. Inslee Sets Sights On ‘Defeating’ Climate Change  

Greater Victoria taxpayers may soon be getting their first bill for sewage treatment, even though shovels have yet to hit the ground on the megaproject. Local homeowners will face tax hikes of between $39 and $65 this year for sewage, if local politicians approve a new multi-year cost formula at a Wednesday sewage committee meeting. Rob Shaw reports. To pay for sewage plant, tax hikes could begin this year  See also: Politicians call proposed sewage plant an eyesore

The People of the Salmon are preparing to show there is a different way to farm fish — and that it can make money without hurting the environment. ‘Namgis First Nation, whose 4,000-year-old traditions are tied to the Pacific salmon of the Nimpkish River, is about to open the first phase of a unique $8.5-million closed-containment Atlantic salmon farm on reserve land south of Port McNeill. The aim is to prove it is economically viable to raise Atlantic salmon on a commercial scale in tanks on land, rather than in open net pens in the ocean. The project is being watched intently by the salmon-farming industry and conservation groups. The facility will be the first commercial-scale, land-based Atlantic salmon farm in Canada, although there is a small pilot project in West Virginia.  Judith Lavoie reports. Namgis First Nation to open land-based fish farm

Cedar Grove composting, which recycles Seattle’s food and yard waste into compost, is facing two new class-action lawsuits on behalf of people who live near its Everett and Maple Valley plants. Cedar Grove’s neighbors in Maple Valley and in Marysville, just across the city line from its Everett plant, have long complained about a sweet, pungent smell that fills the air seasonally. They blame the compost plant. The class-action suits follow two other suits filed against Cedar Grove about a month ago on behalf of about 280 people in the Maple Valley area and 80 near Everett. Emily Heffter reports. Cedar Grove composting faces two new suits over ‘sickening odor’

A fundamental misunderstanding is developing between British Columbia and the rest of Canada over the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline proposal, a senior B.C. business leader said Tuesday. Jock Finlayson, chief policy officer at the Business Council of B.C., said although there is a strong national interest in developing pipelines through this province to connect the country’s energy resources with Asian markets, it is unrealistic for the rest of Canada to assume B.C. is as absorbed with the oil issue as are national business and government leaders, and should simply step aside. Gordon Hamilton reports. Growing disconnect between gas-focused B.C., rest of Canada on pipeline, business leader says

Officials at Washington State Parks are observing the system's 100th birthday this year, but some have warned that, after over a decade of budget cuts, the state's 138 parks are in danger of serious operations reductions if the system's funding problems aren't solved. According to parks officials, the costs of a large budget shortfall could include staff layoffs, visitor services cuts, less reliable law enforcement and maintenance delays. The first in a series of bills by Sen. Kirk Pearson (R-39th District, Monroe) intended to address the enormous shortfall in parks funding, SB 5575 would use money raised by an existing litter tax to fund parks maintenance, and redirect some grant money used for acquiring and developing new land to instead be used for renovating current parks. Zoey Palmer reports. State parks' funding salvation may be hidden under litter tax  

The owners of a historic Richmond farm have listed the property for sale at $55 million — twice its agricultural value — after failing in the past to remove it from the Agriculture Land Reserve and either subdivide the land or turn it into a golf course. Colliers Canada, which is marketing the 324.5-acre property dubbed Gilmore Estates, suggested the deal is a “rare opportunity to acquire a unique site within the urban core with the potential for the development of numerous estate lots.”  Waterfront Richmond property’s future as urban farmland in doubt

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 251 AM PST WED FEB 13 2013
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 KT...BECOMING SE. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 7 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/12 Wild Olympics, BC fisheries, Shell drills, Black oil, Fraser gravel, GBBC, storks

Today's Birdnote: Storks Bring Babies

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray plans to reintroduce “Wild Olympics” legislation that would expand wilderness in Olympic National Forest by more than 126,000 acres and which would create a protective buffer around Olympic National Park. New 6th Congressional District Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, continues to hold off on taking a stand on the Wild Olympics proposal, which would ban logging in the protected areas. Such legislation was introduced in the last session of Congress by Murray and Kilmer's predecessor, Norm Dicks, but the bill died as the 2012 Congress adjourned. Paul Gottlieb reports. Sen. Murray to resurrect Wild Olympics bill  

British Columbia’s recreational fishery is worth as much to the provincial economy as commercial fishing, aquaculture and fish processing combined, according to a new report from BC Stats. The report, the first major economic review of the sector since 2007, estimates overall B.C. fisheries and aquaculture sector revenue at $2.2 billion for 2011 including $936 million contribution from recreational angling. That boils down to a $325 million contribution to gross domestic product from the recreational sub-sector — not including spending on angling gear, boats and other vehicles — compared to $340 million in combined GDP from the commercial, aquaculture and fish processing sub-sectors including commercial boats and gear. Scott Simpson reports. Sport angling a runaway leader in B.C.’s fishing and aquaculture sector

Shell Oil will send two Arctic drilling rigs to Asia — rather than Seattle — for major repairs that could put at risk plans to resume a search for oil next summer off Alaska’s North Slope. One of the rigs, the Kulluk, which has no propulsion system, was being towed to Seattle on Dec. 31 when it broke free amid fierce storms and went aground off Alaska’s Kodiak Island. It was later refloated. A second drilling ship, one that moves under its own power, the Noble Discoverer, has problems with its propulsion system and could require an engine replacement, according to Curtis Smith, Shell’s spokesman in Alaska. Damaged Shell drilling rigs to be shipped to Asia — not Seattle — for repairs  

British Columbia newspaper magnate David Black says he’ll know in about 60 days whether his controversial idea for a new refinery on the West Coast will move forward or die a quiet death. In a recent interview, Black said he has signed memorandums of agreement with parties interested in the idea of a $15-billion refinery at Kitimat, done some preliminary design work and talked to financial backers — though any deal has a long way to go. Fate of David Black's proposed refinery to be determined within 60 days, newspaper tycoon says

First Nation concerns could derail controversial provincial plans this winter to extract gravel from the lower Fraser River. Contractors for Emergency Management B.C. were poised to begin extracting 230,000 cubic metres of gravel at Gill and Hamilton bars downstream of Agassiz to reduce flood risks. But gravel extraction “has been halted due to concerns by the Cheam Indian Band” in Rosedale and may have to be postponed for another year, said Tim Preece, flood-protection program manager with EMBC. Larry Pynn reports. Gravel extraction from lower Fraser River put on hold  

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of winter bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers, to experts, and you can now participate from anywhere in the world!  The 16th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 15, through Monday, February 18, 2013. Please visit the official website for more information and be sure to check out the latest educational and promotional resources.  Great Backyard Bird Count  

And if you wondered: Storks and babies have been linked together for centuries. But how did that old legend get started? Researchers suggest that the legend goes back to pagan times, when civilizations were keen to have high birthrates. The myth of storks and babies was forged by the birds' return in spring, when many babies were born. Many people in Europe still associate White Storks with good luck and look forward to the birds' return. Storks Bring Babies http://birdnote.org/show/storks-bring-babies

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PST TUE FEB 12 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
SW WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 15 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.
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