3/15 Garlic, navy scoping, healthy pastures, PA Harbor, creosote, northern BC, Seabeck marina, food poisoning, USS Ford, sea level rise, Muppet letter

PHOTO: Laurie MacBride

Laurie MacBride writes: “To me, garlic is both a kitchen essential and a thing of beauty.”  Lowly Bulb, Simple Beauty

Christopher Dunagan blogs: “A dozen environmental groups say they will boycott the nine “scoping meetings” the Navy is holding to kick off a new round of studies regarding testing and training activities in the Northwest." Environmental groups will boycott Navy meetings

The North Sound Baykeeper Team announces: “We’re having a photo contest! We’re looking for photos of healthy local pastures with good mud and manure management practices and buffers. As your Baykeeper Team, we work to protect marine and nearshore habitats of Whatcom and Skagit Counties.” Details at The Happy Pasture Photo Contest

There are two distinct areas of relatively high concentrations of pollution in the sediments of Port Angeles Harbor, and it may come from a variety of sources, Department of Ecology officials said. Ecology sampled 800 locations to determine sediment movement in the bay and samples taken from shallow scoops and deep cores in 140 locations throughout the harbor. Ecology scientists recently completed a $1.5 million study of the harbor’s sediments and presented a series of maps detailing how sediments move within the harbor — and what contaminants are in the soil and debris — at a public open house Tuesday.  Ecology: Various sources of pollution in Port Angeles Harbor

Creosote, a toxic substance extensively used as a wood preservative for marine pilings, attracts spawning herring, but groups working on the fish's recovery believe that creosote-covered pilings kill the eggs. Inspired by herring recovery programs in which creosote-covered pilings have been wrapped in landscaping fabric, the Salish Sea Herring Enhancement Society has placed similar curtains in test areas near Greater Victoria pilings and docks. Fishers float herring solution

Looking for a future? Or at least a decent job? Buy a parka and a thick pair of mittens and head north. That’s the word from Central 1 Credit Union, which said Wednesday that northern B.C. will enjoy the province’s strongest economic growth both this year and next. Northern B.C. to lead province in economic growth: Central 1 report

Three hundred Seabeck residents overran the Seabeck Conference Center on Tuesday night in their search for information about the marina that's under construction just a few hundred yards away. But no one could hear above the din of the town meeting called by the Seabeck Community Club, Central Kitsap Community Council and the Port of Bremerton. Finally, organizers split up the tide of humanity, sending some people up the hill to another hall. Seabeck turns out to ask about marina

Disease outbreaks with imported foods are on the rise, and fish and spices are the foods most likely to cause problems. It's not that imported foods are any nastier than home-grown, according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's that we're eating a lot more of them. Fish and spices top list of imported foods that make us sick

The Everett-based Navy guided-missile frigate USS Ford successfully sailed from the ship's homeport to San Diego on March 2, using 25,000 gallons of a 50-50 algae-derived, hydro-processed algal oil and petroleum blend in the ship's gas turbines. USS Ford successfully sails on biofuel blend

Nearly 4 million people across the United States, from Los Angeles to much of the East Coast, live in homes more prone to flooding from rising seas fueled by global warming, according to a new method of looking at flood risk published in two scientific papers. All told, 3.7 million people live in homes within three feet of high tide— the projected sea level rise by the year 2100 made by many scientists and computer models. More than 500 US cities have at least 10 percent of the population at increased risk, the studies said. New figures: More of US at risk to sea level rise  

Colm O'Regan in BBC News writes: Many of us have imagined writing a letter of resignation that shakes our bosses to the core, but few have actually done it, and rarely even then has the letter been read by millions. Greg Smith, who quit Goldman Sachs this week, has realised our fantasy. Goldman Sachs resignation: Muppet letter is everyone's fantasy   If you haven't already, read the letter.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PDT THU MAR 15 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SW WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 10 FT AT 9 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 12 FT AT 9 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.  SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W SWELL 14 FT AT 11 SECONDS. S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. 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.

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3/14 Fish protection, L112, Navy training, Gateway pipe, Harper dock, Vashon septics, Bainbridge sewage, wasted biomass, Skagit study, Mill Cr boardwalk

Dr. Joe Gaydos and L112 (Photo: Scott Rasmussen)

New blog:  “I read in the LA Times that last weekend’s poll of Republican voters in Alabama and Mississippi found about half still believe President Obama is a Muslim and about 1 in 4 believes his parents’ interracial marriage should have been illegal.“ Ignorant and Stupid People Vote, Too  

The Harper government is planning to gut the powers in federal legislation intended to protect fish habitat, making it easier for projects such as Calgary-based Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway pipeline to B.C. to clear federal hurdles, according to retired fisheries biologist Otto Langer.  Canada poised to 'gut' fish protection laws, biologist claims

Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research says that the young female killer whale, known as L112 and Sooke, which died recently didn't die of disease or starvation. "Clearly the animal was blown up.” Balcomb says the signs of trauma on the body and on the head and, more importantly, among the tissues in the rear of the killer whale’s jaw are strikingly similar to the injuries that he witnessed in a group of stranded beaked whales several years ago in the Bahamas. He said those whales stranded themselves on a beach shortly after a military ship traveling in the same vicinity passed by with its sonar engaged. Scott Rasmussen at the Journal of the San Juans reports: Death at sea: speculation swirls over sonar

Meanwhile, the Navy will host an open-house information session in Quilcene today on a proposal to expand training activities, including use of sonar.  The meeting will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Quilcene School District multipurpose room at 294715 U.S. Highway 101. Navy hosting public meeting in Quilcene today

Chief Jackie Thomas of the Saik'uz First Nation and leader of the Yinka Dene Alliance said her group will pursue a legal challenge if Ottawa approves the Northern Gateway pipeline over their objections. Decrying federal ‘bully tactics,’ B.C. natives vow to block pipeline

What to do about the Harper fishing pier? The dock was built in the late 1800s to serve the small steamboats of the Mosquito Fleet. And though the deck has been rebuilt, much of the original underpinning remains. Wooden piles are rotting. Metal cross beams hug deteriorating wooden predecessors. The dock has been duct-taped together to keep it open to its many visitors, but ultimately it'll have to be fixed. Ed Friedrich at the Kitsap Sun reports: Harper dock has long history, uncertain future

A few Vashon Islanders are pushing King County to find funds to help cover the costs of repairing failing septic systems along Vashon’s six Marine Recovery Areas. The call for financial aid comes after notices went out to more than 100 waterfront homeowners stating they’re in violation of county code and could face civil penalties. Islanders push county to find funds for septic repairs

The rusty sewer pipe running under an Eagle Harbor beach was overdue for replacement when it erupted in 2009, spewing up to 490,000 gallons of raw sewage into the harbor. By next year — four years after the a pipe failed — the city may finally have the money to replace it-- if a $4.16 million state Public Works Trust Fund loan remains in both the House and Senate's capital improvement lists of projects. State loan could help Bainbridge avoid another sewer leak in Eagle Harbor  

Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark has released a study on forest biomass that shows the industry is currently using only about a third of the woody biomass that could be sustainably harvested and then converted into liquid fuel or heat for electricity generation. Currently, the biomass is mostly burned in the slash piles that are a bi-product of logging. An under-used resource in Washington: forest biomass

Three years after the devastating 1990 floods tore through levees on Fir Island, Skagit County Commissioners authorized a study of the Skagit River in hopes of preventing future widespread flooding. To date, nearly $12 million in local and federal money has been spent to advance the Skagit River General Investigation Study over the past 20 years. The study is one of the longest-running in the country. Skagit River flood study hits milestone

The North Creek boardwalk stretches about three-quarters of a mile through a wetland just west of the Bothell-Everett Highway, south of Mill Creek. It gives bird-watchers a great perch. At the same time, the wetland plays an important role controlling floodwaters. The boardwalk decking and plastic foam floats are being upgraded. Mill Creek wetland boardwalk won’t soak feet after work is done

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAR 14 2012
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY
TODAY
SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT LATE IN THE MORNING. COMBINED SEAS 8 TO 11 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 10 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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3/13 Samish Bay, dirty gas, tricky ad, Puget prairie, sonar testing, tsunami debris

Tuesday, 8:35 AM, @680'

Our Lady of the Slough asks: “Do any of you still play Clue?” Mrs. Peacock in the Library with the Candlestick

Again: The state Health Department closed Samish Bay Monday to commercial shellfish harvesting due to high levels of fecal bacteria. State and local officials say failing septic tanks and farm animals are among the sources of the bacteria. Samish Bay closed to shellfish harvesting

Dirty gas: California is suing BP for delivering to the state tens of millions of gallons of gasoline that did not meet California's clean fuel specifications. BP had submitted documents saying that gasoline which was refined in Washington and shipped to Contra Costa County contained permissible levels of toxic and cancer-causing compounds, including benzene, when, in fact, the fuel failed to meet state standards. Oil giant BP sued over dirty gas sales shipped to Martinez

Tricky ad: ARCO, a BP subsidiary, last December saturated the Puget Sound market with commercials lauding the end of the 45-cent fee for using debit cards at area Arco stations. Those same ads also told customers the company had ended its policy of refusing credit cards for payment of gasoline purchases. The asterisk, however, on the bold-face message bidding “Goodbye to the 45-cent fee” led to a fine-print footnote: “At participating Arco stations, only.” Which stations? ARCO can’t say.  Ads about Arco ending 45-cent fee might be misleading

Only about 3 percent of South Puget Sound’s native prairies – about 150,000 acres overall – remains, according to county data. Last weekend, Thurston County commissioners and residents got together at a public hearing earlier delayed by weather to discuss renewal of an interim ordinance to help protect prairie and Oregon white oak habitats. Prairie ordinance debated

Whale watchers and tour-boat operators are concerned about the effect the latest round of sonar testing at Naval Station Everett could have on marine mammals. The testing was first heard Feb. 29 and has been heard several times since. It originated on the USS Shoup. The Shoup was at the center of a sonar controversy in 2003. The ship was testing its mid-range sonar in Haro Strait between Vancouver Island and San Juan Island. At least 11 porpoises stranded themselves and died on a nearby beach at the time. Sonar testing raises whale worries

Remnants from shattered lives are likely to wash up on the west coast of Vancouver Island over the next year, and one problem will be determining which bits of Japanese tsunami debris are meaningful and which are garbage. If something can be identified as belonging to a particular person, the consul general will contact Tokyo. If it is wanted, it will be sent back to Japan. Island towns work out what to do with meaningful tsunami debris  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 13 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. SW SWELL 9 TO 12 FT AT 10 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
 SHOWERS 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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3/12 Storm, special session, Padden Trails, goeducks, tsunami, quake, Mitch Friedman, pipeline, Elwha, plane fuel, Rayonier cleanup, coal petition, beavers, Spinnaker, bald eagles, cutthroats

The Big Wind (George McIntyre)

Cliff Mass writes: "It's showtime.  The coastal storm is now rapidly intensifying offshore and winds are increasingly over the coast and over NW Washington... a serious storm, but a significant notch lower in intensity." Storm Update

Oh, the Washington State legislature returns in special session today to pass a balanced state budget... Special session begins in Olympia, but with limited agenda

A request to rezone 113 acres west of Lake Padden to allow more housing and include apartments and condominiums will go before the Bellingham City Council today. If approved, the change would more than double the number of allowed homes to 492 - 200 of them multi-family and 292 houses or duplexes. The request from landowner Padden Trails LLC is opposed by six area neighborhood associations, including the one for Samish neighborhood, where the land is located.  Bellingham to consider request to allow more homes west of Lake Padden

Commercial geoduck farms in Puget Sound are not dramatically altering intertidal habitat for other species, particularly after protective plastic pipes and nets are removed, said Sean McDonald, a University of Washington researcher, during a geoduck research symposium last week. Christopher Dunagan in the Kitsap Sun reports: Studies of geoduck farms show limited effects on habitat  

Scientists and planners are reconsidering the region's tsunami risk in light of the massive walls of water that swept nearly 20,000 people to their deaths on the day the Japanese simply call 3-11. The tsunami reached 130 feet high in some places, taking everyone by surprise. Levels that extreme are unlikely in the Pacific Northwest, but experts say it's possible some parts of our coast could be hit by waves of up to 100 feet the next time the offshore fault called the Cascadia subduction zone snaps. Sandi Doughton in the Seattle Times reports:  On NW coast, potential for tsunami waves up to 100 feet now seems possible

And: A monster earthquake rivaling the one that devastated Japan last March is all but a certainly on North America's Pacific coast. No one can say when it will occur, but when it does a huge and powerful wall of water could hit the outer coast areas within 30 to 45 minutes. Monster earthquake threat looms over B.C. coastal communities

The former radical environmentalist's recent run of wildlife-habitat successes were mostly created by some degree of quiet collaboration with traditional environmental foes such as federal land managers, ranchers, loggers and hound hunters. Ron Judd in the Seattle Times swoons: A once radical Mitch Friedman now collaborates for a wilder Northwest

The proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline threatens critical habitat of humpback whales off the coast of British Columbia, says newly released internal federal documents from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The warning was included in a summary of a draft recovery strategy for the species that was to be introduced in 2010. DFO says Enbridge pipeline a risk to whales  And: Courts could overturn pipeline because of "unreasonable" consultation with natives, feds cautioned  And: B.C. oilsands pipeline opponents to bring message to Ottawa panel discussion

Three excavators working in tandem are nearly done removing the last remnants of the Elwha Dam in the river's original channel and the hundreds of tons of dirt, logs and concrete dumped into the narrow V-shaped canyon in 1912 to plug a blowout that occurred during construction. Tom Callis and Arwyn Rice in the Peninsula Daily News update Reclaiming the Elwha: Salmon to swim past former dam site this week for first time in century

Small airplanes are the leading source of lead pollution in the nation's air. The group Friends of the Earth petitioned the EPA six years ago to regulate leaded aviation fuel. Now they're suing. John Ryan at KUOW reports: EPA Sued To Get Lead Out Of Aviation Fuel

The time line for the Rayonier cleanup has been pushed back by another year because of the long-delayed release of Ecology’s Port Angeles Harbor pollution study and a two-month extension of its public comment period The state Department of Ecology is now requiring Rayonier Inc. to have a cleanup plan for its former mill site finished in December 2014 rather than the end of 2013.  Rayonier mill site cleanup pushed back another year

Opponents of a proposed coal shipping terminal at Cherry Point kicked off an initiative campaign Saturday morning as part of an effort to derail SSA Marine's plans to increase coal train traffic through Bellingham.  Supporters of the Coal-Free Bellingham campaign will be knocking on doors and staking out public sidewalks as they try to get 5,000 signatures by June 29, so the initiative can be on the November ballot.  Activists start gathering signatures in hopes of banning coal trains in Bellingham

Beaver ponds are probably not the first image you have of the Northgate Mall. But come to the Beaver Pond Natural Area just south of it and see what you’re missing – habitat restoration in the big city, with all the community and pitfalls that go with the territory. Martha Baskin at Green Acre Radio reports on Urban Beavers at the Mall Face an Uphill Battle

The death of Spinnaker the Pacific white-sided dolphin at the Vancouver Aquarium yesterday remains a mystery, says staff veterinarian Dr. Martin Haulena. Stomach inflammation, pancreatic cancer and bone marrow problems may be  potential causes. Death of dolphin Spinnaker remains a mystery  

Oregon's bald eagle population has grown nine-fold over the last 30 years and the state's Fish and Wildlife Commission has voted to remove the iconic bird from the state list of endangered species. Oregon Removes Bald Eagles From Threatened List

“Searun cutts are close to my heart, and they’re a truly mysterious, unique trout,” writes Chester Allen, former Olympian outdoor writer and author of Fly Fishing for Sea-Run Cutthroat. “The Northwest, British Columbia and Alaska are the only places to find these beautiful, wild trout that love to live in saltwater. Puget Sound is probably the best place on the planet to find and catch these trout – even though a couple million people live within a short drive.” Former reporter pens fishing book  

Now, your thank-goodness-for-tug-weather:
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON MAR 12 2012
STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
S WIND 35 TO 50 KT. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 15 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 12 FT AT 11 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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3/8 Northern lights, state budget, geoducks, sea wall, Port Angeles harbor

Hood Canal starfish (K. Kennell)

Tomorrow, March 9, I’ll be taking a day off and there will be no Salish Sea News and Weather. Be back with you on Monday, March 12. Mike Sato

With a little luck, residents of Western Washington could get a good view of the aurora borealis Thursday night. A big solar flare, combined with a chance for clear skies over Western Washington on Thursday night, could offer up a rare chance to see the northern lights. Northern lights may be visible Thursday in Western Washington   If you like to watch: Solar Flare Heads Toward Earth

Will they? Democratic plan may pass budget, avoid special session  Or won’t they? Partisan budget snaggle leads to special session; date unknown

Close to 20,000 acres of Washington tidelands are used to farm various types of oysters and clams. But one species of clam has stood out in recent years because of concerns over the environmental impacts of farming them. The science is starting to come in, but the jury’s still out on the long-term ecological impacts of increased geoduck farming. Ashley Ahearn at EarthFix reports on Farming Geoducks: A Mixed Bag For Tidal Critters

The deteriorating sea wall along Alaskan Way is at risk of crumbling in an earthquake or severe storm. Voters could be asked to support a $270 million bond sale to pay for most of a $330 million project. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn announced his transportation agenda on Wednesday saying he will focus on winning approval for a property-tax measure to build a new sea wall.  Mayor's 'action agenda' includes sea-wall vote, delays roads levy

The Washington Department of Ecology extended the public comment period on two draft reports detailing the results of a large-scale sediment sampling effort in Port Angeles Harbor. The comment period, which began Feb. 23, was extended to a 90-day comment period and will now end on May 22.   Ecology Extends Comment Period for Port Angeles Harbor Study

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 247 AM PST THU MAR 8 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF 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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3/7 Tree power, wildlife watching, coal jobs, oil tankers, Sequim Bay, plant award, Oak Bay chickens

Photo: Laurie MacBride

Laurie MacBride shares “an abstract impression of one of my favorite spots on our property, a small stand of Douglas firs that we call “the hammock grove”.  I wanted to convey the dream-like feeling I get amid these tall trunks, so I deliberately used camera motion and a slow shutter speed.” When Negative is Positive: The Power of Trees

If you like to watch: Bring wild inside! View nature as it happens. WDFW offers a selection of wildlife viewing through live cameras and recorded video. WildWatchcams

A new economic analysis of Gateway Pacific Terminal indicates that the proposed coal export pier could mean a net loss of jobs for Whatcom County, if it harms tourism, waterfront redevelopment and the county's overall image. But David Eichenthal, one of the study's authors, stressed that he has no crystal ball: "Unfortunately, when it comes to economic development projects like this, there usually isn't very much certainty." Proposed Cherry Point coal terminal could mean fewer jobs, not more   And Floyd McKay in Crosscut writes: Study questions coal's value to Bellingham  

Dan Chasan in Crosscut writes: "A few years from now, when our best-known marine life — endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, threatened Puget Sound chinook salmon, or the Fraser River sockeye that have always made up the bulk of the Puget Sound commercial harvest — swim north to the Queen Charlotte Islands and beyond, they may encounter some new swimming companions: 1000-foot-long tankers known as Very Large Crude Carriers.  Each ship would be carrying up to 2 million barrels of dilute bitumen from the Alberta tar sands to foreign refineries, probably in China." Why a new invasion of tankers threatens Northwest waters  

A $1.86 million government grant-funded project to replace a berm with a bridge will restore fish passage into the northern 37 acres of Washington Harbor estuary marsh and tide flats on West Sequim Bay. The project is planned to begin in June and be completed in October. Bridge on Sequim Bay planned this year

Sound Native Plants of Olympia has won an environmental excellence award from the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association. The award goes to those who “significantly improved, protected or repaired the environment through the use of plants and proper horticultural practices.”  Group wins award for environmental impact

If Oak Bay follows Saanich, raising chickens will be allowed on lots of all sizes. Councillors have instructed staff to redraft bylaws that will eliminate the minimum lot size needed for people to keep hens. Councillors also agreed that the bylaw specify people be allowed to purchase pullets - hens about four to six months in age - in the hope of reducing the problem of people buying young chicks only to later discover they are roosters. Behind the tweed curtain, a coup for chickens  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED MAR 7 2012
TODAY
W WIND 10 KT EARLY...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 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

3/6 Sushi, sonar tests, toxic kids, BP safety, Gulf drilling, Outer Banks

The Story of Sushi

Cliff Mass exclaims: Double Convergence Zone and Snow Hits the Area!

If you like to watch: The Story of Sushi

Tour boat captains Carl Williams and Michael Colahan were preparing for the arrival of California Gray Whales last week when they heard a very loud and persistent noise. "Definitely the first round was just a full on ping," said Williams, who said it went on for hours and then began again a few days later.  They weren't the only ones hearing it. Washington State Ferry officials confirm workers on a Clinton to Mukilteo run also heard it and complained. The Navy has confirmed it was conducting pier side sonar testing at the Everett Naval Station. People report hearing Navy sonar tests near Everett

A bill to ban a pair of potentially carcinogenic flame-retardant chemicals from children's products has died in the Washington state House amid budget intrigue in the Senate. Supporters of the bill in both chambers expressed optimism Saturday that it would be revived in the likely event that the governor calls a special session to resolve the budget debate. Bill to ban 2 potential carcinogens from kids' products dies in House

Activist Fred Felleman writes: “Ever since BP’s massive Earth Day oil spill almost two years ago, I have been encouraging reporters to turn their attention to the operations of their Cherry Point refinery near Bellingham without success. Even after the refinery fire in the middle of February, which fortunately had little human or ecological toll, the biggest question was the impact on gas prices (as a Seattle Times report highlighted), not the bigger matter: What is it about this company that makes it so accident prone?” BP's Cherry Point operations: More than a fire investigation is needed

Meanwhile, nearly two years after an explosion on an oil platform killed 11 workers and sent millions of gallons of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, deepwater drilling has regained momentum in the gulf and is spreading around the world. Deepwater Oil Drilling Picks Up Again as BP Disaster Fades

After weathering the storm of the recession for five years, the Skagit County yachting industry is finally seeing signs of calmer economic waters. New construction has recently picked up among yacht manufacturers in the county and marinas are starting to see the payoffs of offering improved services and incentives. Used boat brokers have seen sales increase in the last few months, as well. Riding the winds of change

When Nature speaks: By some estimates, at least 70 percent of the ocean coastline of the lower 48 states is threatened by erosion. In 2009, a federal report on erosion in the Middle Atlantic states predicted that if the sea level rises two feet this century — an estimate that many experts call optimistic — “it is likely that some barrier islands in this region will cross a threshold” and begin to break up.  A North Carolina Lifeline Built on Shifting Sands

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE MAR 6 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY
NW WIND 20 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 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