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

Robin (Paul Bannick/BirdNote)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 10 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF MORNING FOG.
TONIGHT AND WED
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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

Pig show off (Lauren Frohne/Seattle Times)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
900 PM PDT SUN MAR 8 2015
MON
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
MON NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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3/6 Octopus escape, oil train spill, GSA 25th, orca tracking, Fair Trade fish, Lummi @CP, Bentinick Is, old poison

“Ink” the octopus (Seattle Aquarium)

If you like to watch: The Real Story Behind the ‘Octopus Escape’ Viral Video
Was it a daring escape attempt thwarted at the last minute? Or was it an intelligent and agile creature new to its environment exploring its boundaries? Video posted online earlier this week shows the octopus seemingly attempting to topple over the lip of its enclosure at the Seattle Aquarium.  At the last minute, an aquarium staffer can be seen helping the animal stay in its tank. The video quickly went viral with websites posting and reposting the video with breathless headlines about a daring escape. However, the Seattle Aquarium’s Tim Kuniholm tells Q13 FOX News “video has been blown out of proportion.” (KCPQ)

Illinois oil train derailment involved safer tank cars
The BNSF Railway train derailed Thursday afternoon in a rural area where the Galena River meets the Mississippi. The train had 103 cars loaded with crude oil. (Associated Press) And see: Hoquiam mayor wants moratorium on new crude oil facilities  (Associated Press)

Wash. House passes bill to improve safety of oil transport
The Washington state House passed a bill Thursday night to strengthen safety regulations as increasing numbers of oil trains move through the state. The measure, which drew bipartisan support in a 60-38 vote, requires advance notice of oil transfers, allows for the possibility of tug escorts for oil barges and requires railroads and others to show they can pay for oil spill cleanup. It would increase a barrel tax collected on oil that comes to the state by train from 4 cents to 8 cents per 42 gallons, with the proceeds going to an oil-spill response fund, and extend the tax to pipelines. Derrick Nunnally reports. (Associated Press)

Georgia Strait Alliance: 25 Years of Protecting Georgia Strait
Georgia Strait Alliance is turning 25 years old in 2015, and we are celebrating by acknowledging the many reasons we work to protect the Strait. In 1990, a group of caring citizens came together because they felt the Strait was under threat and no one was speaking for the communities along its shores. Thanks to the support of people like you, we've had 25 years of success in protecting the Strait and helping to raise awareness of how important this body of water is to our way of life.

Baby orca, other discoveries made by tracking team
A new baby orca wasn’t the only interesting discovery researchers made while tracking endangered killer whales. Researchers aboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vessel returned to Oregon earlier this week with a wealth of new data about the whales and their ocean environment. The information was gained after NOAA Fisheries researchers followed the giant marine mammals for 21 days to find out where they go during the winter, what they eat and what risks they encounter. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press) See also: Menopausal killer whales are family leaders  Nicholas Weiler reports. (Science Magazine)

Fair Trade seafood to be sold at Seattle-area Safeways
A Fair Trade seafood label is to be launched next month at Safeway stores in Seattle, Portland and Northern California. Sarah Stuteville reports. (Seattle Times)

Lummis submit more information to try to block Cherry Point coal port
Lummi Nation is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to act quickly to halt a proposed coal terminal on historic tribal land at Cherry Point. The Lummis sent a letter to the Corps on Thursday, March 5, providing details about how Gateway Pacific Terminal would disrupt the tribe’s fishing practices. The tribe won a court decision in the 1990s after challenging a salmon farm that sought Corps permits on Lummi fishing grounds. The March 5 letter was in response to a letter dated Feb. 3 from the Corps, which asked the Lummis for more information before the federal agency could decide whether to block the coal terminal. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Bentinck Island demolition range to be in use
The military’s demolition range on Bentinck Island, located near Race Rocks, will be in use March 11-13. Operations will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The public likely won’t notice the range being used except on days where such factors as wind direction and humidity affect how far sound travels, CFB Esquimalt said in a statement. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Tonnes of old pesticides burned as part of disposal program  B.C. farmers unloaded nearly 20,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides and 156 kilograms of livestock medications last year. The unwanted products — some of which had been stored for decades — were collected at five locations in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island in October and then burned at a high-temperature incinerator in Alberta under a pesticide-industry collection campaign. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI MAR 6 2015
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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3/5 Sea Monsters, waterfront fire, fuel trains, Cherry Point, Esquimalt Lagoon, electric ferry

Vancouver Aquarium’s thresher shark (Glen Kugelstadt/CBC)

If you like to watch: Vancouver Aquarium dissects 'Sea Monsters' in new display
There will be no splashing or feeding at the Vancouver Aquarium's latest show. The giant sea creatures on display are dead, dissected, and preserved in plastic, so visitors can see inside their bodies. The Sea Monsters Revealed exhibit, shown for the first time in Canada, includes a sunfish, moray eel, Humboldt squid, and thresher shark — dissected to show its last meal of fish and squid in its stomach. (CBC)

Waterfront fire contained, but health effects yet to be seen: officials
Symptoms of exposure to the chemical-laden smoke that blanketed portions of east Vancouver and carried into Burnaby could be delayed by as much as 24 hours, health officials warned after a massive container fire at the port Wednesday afternoon. Vancouver police officers in full-face gas masks helped evacuate workers and residents from the Downtown Eastside after the streets darkened with smoke fuelled by trichloroisocyanuric acid, a chemical commonly used to chlorinate pools. Brian Morton and Matthew Robinson report. (Vancouver Sun)

Northwest Officials Unite Against Coal And Oil Trains
More than 150 elected officials from across the Northwest have teamed up to speak out against coal and oil trains. Their new group, the Safe Energy Leadership Alliance, held its third meeting in Portland Tuesday. Washington's King County Executive Dow Constantine has stepped up to chair the group. It includes officials from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. The leaders have major concerns about the safety and environmental risks of coal and oil trains. But none of them alone has much power to stop them. Cassandra Profita reports. (KUOW)

Windy Cherry Point: A Terrible Place to Build a Coal Terminal
From a meteorologist’s perspective, Cherry Point is a terrible site for a coal terminal, for it endures some of the fiercest winds in Washington state. These wintry gales out of the northeast have been obvious to my wife and me ever since we purchased our house on Orcas Island’s north side, facing across Georgia Strait to this cobble-strewn promontory. From our deck we can look out over wind-whipped waters and watch the pallid plumes that normally waft above the BP Refinery north of the point stream our way instead. Michael Riordan writes. (Whatcom Watch)

Developer seeks to expand Esquimalt Lagoon project
The developer behind the $400-million Ocean Grove project bordering Esquimalt Lagoon in Colwood hopes to add more units and different kinds of homes, as well as commercial space. Vancouver-based Seacliff Properties has amended its application to the municipality, adding townhouses, duplexes and single-family dwellings to existing and planned condominiums. About 200 additional units are also proposed, bringing the total count to 870 units across the site east of Heatherbell Road, between Seafield Road and Lagoon Road. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

Electric ferry jolts discussion over powering ships in B.C.
BC Ferries aims to be on the leading edge of environmentally friendly ship propulsion by adopting liquefied natural gas to power new vessels, but some conservationists are leaning on it to push out to the “bleeding edge” with all-electric power. Adopting a more conservative approach, BC Ferries estimates that its plan to replace three intermediate-class ferries with dual natural gas/diesel-fuelled vessels alone will cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by 9,000 tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking 1,900 cars off the road. However, it could hit zero emissions on shorter routes, according to the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association, if it followed Norway’s lead. For one short crossing the Norwegian government has commissioned a battery-powered ferry, the Norled MF Ampere, using batteries manufactured in Richmond, B.C. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU MAR 5 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING N TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/4/ Black birding, WA oil, Shell appeal, Van Is coal, snowpack, Growlers, murrelets, orcas, Yakima spill, cit sci, Adele Ferguson, shipyard merger

If you like to watch: Rules for the Black Birdwatcher, with J. Drew Lanham  (BirdNote)

Leaking cars, vapor pressure, vessel traffic among concerns in Ecology’s final oil transportation study
The state Department of Ecology has turned in its final oil transportation study to the Legislature with updated recommendations and some new information. Really quickly, the final report has a few new sections that weren’t included in the draft version published in December 2014. Among other things, those include information about investigations of leaking rail cars that traveled through the state, changes in North Dakota intended to make Bakken safer to move, and the potential impacts of increased vessel traffic discussed at a Salish Sea Workshop held in Whatcom County in January. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Shell to appeal mandate for full study of rail project  
The Shell Puget Sound Refinery plans to challenge a hearing examiner’s decision to require a full environmental impact statement for the refinery’s proposed rail offloading facility and is seeking the Skagit County commissioners’ guidance on just how that should happen. A notice of appeal filed with county commissioners seeks clarification of where Shell should go next — back to the county or to some other venue. Shannen Kuest reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Coal company withdraws proposal for contentious mine on Vancouver Island
A controversial proposal to mine more than 16 million tons of coal in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island has been withdrawn in the face of growing criticism about the negative impacts it could have on rich shellfish and salmon grounds. Stephen Ellis, president of Compliance Coal Corporation, said his company has backed out of the B.C. environmental assessment process for the proposed Raven coal mine not because it’s environmentally risky, but because there is so much public misunderstanding about the project. And he made clear the company hasn’t given up on the proposal yet. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Snowpack in state and North Cascades well below normal
Washington state’s snowpack is 29 percent of normal, further deepening concerns of drought this summer. Measurements compiled for the first part of March also showed that the snowpack for the North Cascades region is about 40 percent of normal as a mild, warm winter continued its hold. Very little snow fell in February and what did fall was on mountain peaks, according to Scott Pattee, water supply specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Mount Vernon. Kie Relyea reports. (Belingham Herald)

Whidbey anti-jet group appeals to Navy brass
A Central Whidbey citizen group is amping up the scope of its fight against the Navy’s increasing presence in Puget Sound. Representatives of Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve, or COER, say they mailed a letter in February to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus addressing what they describe as the dangers of the Navy’s new EA-18G Growler. The group also threatens additional action, if necessary. Janis Reid reports. (Whidbey News-Times)

Federal court upholds protection for threatened marbled murrelets by rejecting timber industry lawsuit
A federal appeals court has rejected a lawsuit by the timber industry seeking to strip Endangered Species Act protection from a threatened seabird that nests in old-growth forests. Environmentalists said the ruling Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., should mark the end of a 15-year legal battle over logging trees used by marbled murrelets along the coasts of Oregon, Washington and northern California. Jeff Barnard reports. (Associated Press)

Data deficiency? Buying time?
The critical habitat afforded to the endangered Southern Resident killer whales could expand to include 700 miles of coastline, but it won’t happen anytime soon. National Marine Fisheries Service, the agency that will oversee the decision, says it will need until 2017 to gather scientific evidence and make an informed ruling. Local orca advocates say the expansion is long overdue and the delay effectively allows military to obtain permits for continued testing and training off the Washington coast. Emily Greenberg reports. (San Juan Journal)

Washington state spill covers 50 birds in used motor oil
Environmental officials say spilled oil has covered 50 birds after as much as 1,500 gallons of used motor oil leaked into irrigation canals and a river in an agricultural area of south-central Washington. Ecology Department spokeswoman Joye Redfield-Wilder says a subcontractor was hired Tuesday to try to save the birds. (Associated Press)

Citizen science proves a draw for new program manager at Port Townsend Marine Science Center
Programs in which volunteers participate in science research attracted the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s new program manager to the nonprofit organization. “One of the things that drew me to the marine science center is its reputation for citizen science, and I think that’s been kept secret,” said Susan Bullerdick, who started her new position last Sunday…. Bullerdick, 52, commutes from Whidbey Island. She plans to relocate to Port Townsend.  She worked for the Seattle Aquarium for 10 years. For seven of those years, she served as the operations manager for Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE), a collaboration among the Seattle Aquarium, the Ocean Inquiry Project and the University of Washington Oceanography department and College of Education. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Longtime Sun reporter, pioneer of journalism Adele Ferguson dies
Adele Ferguson answered the phone so gruffly and loud that a young state Senate staff member hung up in fear. That staffer was in powerful company, because legislators had the same fear and respect for Ferguson throughout her career. Ferguson, a pioneer in Olympia political journalism history, died Monday at Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton after a short illness. She was 90, something a newspaper could never get away with revealing if she were still here. Steve Gardner reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Seattle and Portland shipyards merge to create $650 million whale
Two of the Northwest's largest shipyards are merging, creating a combined entity that will generate $650 million in revenue this year. Portland-based Vigor Industrial LLC is acquiring Seattle-based Kvichak Marine Industries, in an exchange of stock and cash. Vigor CEO Frank Foti declined to disclose the particulars of the transaction between the two privately held companies. Steve Wilhelm reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PST WED MAR 4 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/3 Tulips, port sued, WA transport, salmon forecast, hunting hawk, BC protected areas, Yakima spill

Early Skagit tulip (KOMO)

Warm winter bringing out the tulips early at Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Walk around the Puget Sound area and you'll notice trees starting to bloom and perhaps the whirr of a lawn mower or two, even though winter still had a solid 3-4 weeks left in its reign.  Seattle finished up February as the warmest on record, on the heels of a very warm January (and record-warm December) as well, and the early spring-time weather has in tandem brought out the first signs of spring. That applies to the tulips and flowers that normally bloom in April for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. With the warm winter this year, they too are getting a bit of a head start.  Scott Sistek reports. (KOMO)

Environmental groups sue port to block Shell Oil project at Terminal 5
Five environmental groups filed suit against the Port of Seattle Monday, in an attempt to block the lease of West Seattle's Terminal 5 for oil-drilling vessels operated by Shell Oil. The lawsuit seeks to force cancellation of the contract between the port and Seattle-based Foss Maritime, which would operate the site as a base for Shell vessels exploring for oil off Alaska's North Slope…. The suit was filed in King County Superior Court by Earthjustice, the Sierra Club, Seattle Audubon Society, Puget SoundKeeper Alliance and the Washington Environmental Council. Steve Wilhelm reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Senate OKs transportation package, boost in gas tax
Over the objections of most of the chamber’s Democrats, the state Senate on Monday passed a $15 billion transportation packageincluding an 11.7-cent gas tax increase…. The gas-tax bill passed 27 to 22. Lawmakers also passed a spending bill that allocates the money to specific projects…. Many Democrats opposed to the proposal cited environmental concerns, including a provision intended to keep Gov. Jay Inslee from enacting low-carbon fuel standards as a way to cut greenhouse gases. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Washington Lt. Governor Tosses Two-Thirds Rule For 'New' Taxes  Austin Jenkins reports. (KUOW)

Strong pink salmon run expected in 2015, as well as chinook in the ocean and Columbia River
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife Monday in Olympia released the forecasts for salmon runs in Puget Sound, Pacific Ocean and Columbia River.… Slightly more than 900,000 fall chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River this year. That would be the third largest run on record since 1938, said Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator. The ocean abundance of Columbia River coho this year is expected to be nearly 777,000 fish, down from 964,000 last year. Jeffrey P. Mayor reports. (Olympian)

If you like to watch: Hawk Cam Captures the Hunt
Thanks to a helmet camera, researchers discovered that a goshawk mixes its methods of chasing its prey. Poh Si Teng and James Gorman report. (NY Times)

New bill adds to B.C. parks, protected areas
A new bill introduced Monday would add more than 1,500 hectares to B.C.’s protected areas and parks, according to the B.C. environment ministry. Bill 8 — the Protected Areas of B.C. Amendment Act, 2015 — would add land to six parks, increase public safety along Highway 3 (the Crowsnest Highway) and make administrative changes to clarify legal descriptions. Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Crews Work To Clean Up Yakima River Oil Spill
Emergency crews are responding to a 1,500-gallon oil spill in Central Washington’s Yakima River.  The used motor oil has threatened wildlife since it escaped Sunday from an above-ground storage tank at the site of a former feedlot. The heavy oil flowed across a paved area and into an irrigation ditch, known as Sulphur Creek, which drains into the Yakima River. An oil sheen flowed as south as Prosser, about 25 miles away. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW Public Radio)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 241 AM PST TUE MAR 3 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL
 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
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3/2 Gulls, March weather, BC CG, Raven song, BC pipe Qs, tribes & fish, more salmon, WA pols, Navy range, mining rules

Gloucous-winged gull (Louise Blight/phys.org)

Salish Sea seagull populations halved since 1980s
The number of seagulls in the Strait of Georgia is down by 50 per cent from the 1980s and University of British Columbia researchers say the decline reflects changes in the availability of food. Researchers collected 100 years of data on population numbers of Glaucous-winged Gulls, the most common seagull species found in the Lower Mainland, Victoria, Nanaimo and elsewhere in the region. They found that the population increased rapidly beginning in the early 1900s, but started to drop after the mid-1980s, with their work pointing to diet as one factor in the decline of the bird's health. (Phys.Org) Then see: Barn owls surge with early spring  (CBC)

Lions, Lambs and March Weather
There is the old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out as a lamb. In other words, March starts out cold and stormy, but by the end of the month the weather has warmed and moderated considerably. But is that true here in the Northwest?   Is it true anywhere in the U.S.? Cliff Mass answers the questions.

Coast guard closures to go ahead, raising fears for safety
The Canadian Coast Guard is pressing ahead with plans to close three of five marine communications centres in B.C. and run everything out of Victoria and Prince Rupert. Despite union warnings that the moves will undermine safety, the federal agency intends to shut the Ucluelet and the Vancouver centres by the end of April and close a third station at Comox later this year or early in 2016. The centres broadcast weather and navigational warnings, regulate marine traffic and monitor distress and safety calls. Lindsay Kines reports. (Times Colonist)

If you like to listen: Raven's Love Song
Ravens are seen as tricksters in many traditions. But Common Ravens have a softer side. During courtship, a pair will often sit side by side, sometimes preening each other's feathers. And during that ritual, one or both may make soft warbling sounds. Raven nestlings sometimes make this same sound after they've been fed. Compared to the usual raucous raven calls, this one is soothing. It's called a comfort sound. You can hear more raven songs at macaulaylibrary.org. (BirdNote) Also: If you liked the story Friday about how crows give gifts (The girl who gets gifts from birds) check out Gifts of the Crow by John Marzluff and Tony Angell for more stories.

Without diversity, do enviros risk becoming marginalized?
The environmental movement has been described as one of the most segregated sectors of American society.... Despite years of talk, mainstream environmental groups still have not achieved much diversity in their ranks. And head out into nature, and the picture is still overwhelmingly white. Alison Hawkes reports. (Bay Nature)

Kinder Morgan leaves half of Vancouver, Burnaby's pipeline questions unanswered
Kinder Morgan has failed to answer almost half of the questions posed by the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby on the company's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion into B.C. In a statement issued Friday, the City of Vancouver states that Kinder Morgan has failed to answer 291 of nearly 600 questions submitted by them through the National Energy Board (NEB), and 315 of the 688 questions submitted by Burnaby. The more than 1200 questions submitted by the two municipalities covered a broad range of issues connected to Kinder Morgan's 15,000-page proposal, including those covering job creation levels, climate change and emergency response plans. (CBC)

Fishing Rights Between Olympic Peninsula Tribes At Stake in U.S Court
A federal court will hear oral arguments Monday in Seattle, in a case that pits the United States against the State of Washington. It has to do with who gets to take how much fish. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez has set aside 3 weeks in his calendar to hear issues involved. Three tribes are mentioned in the current litigation: the Makah, the Quileute and the Quinault Indian Nations. They’re fighting with each other. The dispute is about their treaty rights with the state of Washington and how much fish they get to take from the waters off the west coast. Bellamy Pailthorp report. (KPLU)

Good news: more salmon, and even more wanted
From deep in my college memories, I recall one definition of politics as “the exercise of power, influence and authority.” In the Northwest, salmon are politicians. They are power for the metaphorical machine that drives decisions on billions of dollars of public spending. They influence our outlook, our actions and plans for the future. They supply political leverage and motivation for countless government actions, programs and appropriations. All salmon politics are based on scarcity. There are not enough salmon, and we all work for their future abundance. We may see change when the great day comes. Tracy Warner writes. (Wenatchee World)

Video: Orca Advocates Want Snake River Dams Breached
A call to action from a group of killer-whale advocates is dramatic: breach the four Lower Snake River Dams. The dams provide electricity to the Pacific Northwest, but members of the Southern Resident Killer Whale Chinook Salmon Initiative insist that whales in the Puget Sound are dying as a result of dwindling numbers of salmon making their way from the Lower Snake River to the ocean. The SRKWCSI is petitioning to have the dams removed. George Prentice reports. (Boise Weekly)

State Senate doing its oily best to ignore us on transportation
The state Senate is doing its best to ignore a plan that would tax big polluters to pay for transportation. But it’s catching on with a group that used to matter in democracy: the people. Danny Westneat reports. (Seattle Times) See Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Public Opinion Survey February 26, 2015.

Questions raised about Sequim City Council at closed-door Navy-Jamestown S'Klallam meeting
The Sequim City Council apparently sailed into a gray area when a quorum of the council attended the Navy's Feb. 20 briefing to the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe. If council members simply sat and did nothing, they probably complied with state law that requires them to meet and act in public, according to Nancy Krier, assistant state attorney general for open government. However, if they took “testimony” — depending on how the term is defined — or acted — which could be construed to include forming opinions — they may have tripped over Washington's Open Public Meetings Act, according to Krier. Ron Richards, a former Clallam County commissioner and a critic of the Navy's Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range proposal, said the meeting was illegal. Sequim's city attorney said it was legal. And Krier said she's uncertain which man is right. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Department of Natural Resources says 'not interested' in participating with Navy  Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

New Whatcom rules would consider environmental impacts of mining sooner
In a move favored by environmentalists and the neighbors of Whatcom County mines, the County Council is finalizing rules that would require an earlier review of the impacts of mining on the site itself and the surrounding area. The rules come to a public hearing before the council at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, at the county courthouse, 311 Grand Ave, Bellingham. Getting approval to mine in the county is a two-step process. The review of environmental impacts, which includes possible groundwater contamination, noise and added truck traffic, would move from the second to the first step under a proposal put forward in 2014 by council members Barbara Brenner and Carl Weimer. Instead of waiting until a mineral company applies to mine the land, the environmental review would come when the company takes the preliminary step of applying to designate the site for mining — what’s called a mineral resource land designation. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald) See also: Concrete Nor’West loses appeal on Acme mine  The County Council’s decision to block Concrete Nor’West from expanding its Acme mine survived in Appeals Court. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 240 AM PST MON MAR 2 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told