10/16 Lolita, geoengineering, ocean acid, derelict vessels, Lummi Rock, Mainstream Canada, big eyeball

The federal government has agreed to reconsider a petition aimed at freeing the killer whale Lolita from captivity at Miami Seaquarium. The Animal Legal Defense Fund and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plan to file a new petition asking the National Marine Fisheries Service to include the captive orca Lolita within its endangered species listing for Puget Sound orcas. Lolita has been performing at Seaquarium since she was captured from Northwest waters in 1970. Under a settlement agreement filed Friday with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal government must decide by specific time periods whether protection for the captive killer whale is warranted. In return, the groups agreed to dismiss its appeal.  U.S. to reconsider petition that would free the orca Lolita

In our backyard: A controversial American businessman dumped around 100 tonnes of iron sulphate into the Pacific Ocean as part of a geoengineering scheme off the west coast of Canada in July, a Guardian investigation can reveal. Lawyers, environmentalists and civil society groups are calling it a "blatant violation" of two international moratoria and the news is likely to spark outrage at a United Nations environmental summit taking place in India this week. Satellite images appear to confirm the claim by Californian Russ George that the iron has spawned an artificial plankton bloom as large as 10,000 square kilometres. The intention is for the plankton to absorb carbon dioxide and then sink to the ocean bed – a geoengineering technique known as ocean fertilisation that he hopes will net lucrative carbon credits. World's biggest geoengineering experiment 'violates' UN rules  

Lawmakers will introduce a new bill to tackle Washington's ocean acidification troubles prior to the upcoming state legislative session in January, according to state Sen. Kevin Ranker (D-Orcas Island). Ranker told Crosscut that the potential bill has both Democrat and Republican support, just after he left a Friday meeting of Gov. Chris Gregoire's panel to combat ocean acidification. Gubernatorial candidates Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna, he said, have also been kept in the loop on the findings of the panel. The 28-member panel — to which Ranker belongs and which is made up of legislators, state agency officials, environmentalists, scientists and business representatives — met Friday to discuss a 43-item list of ocean acidification projects that it believes the state should tackle. So far the list includes roughly 20 top priority measures. A bi-partisan move to save Washington shellfish  

Pressure is mounting on government agencies to do something about derelict watercraft off Vancouver Island, after the third of five abandoned barges sank this week in the Chemainus harbour. One barge has been towed to Ladysmith, while another remains afloat in Chemainus. The sunken barges are a travesty, said Peter Luck-ham, a scuba divemaster and charter operator on Thetis Island. The various government agencies have allowed the barges to sink to the bottom of Chemainus harbour, he said. Crackdown urged after barge sinks  

A Lummi Island quarry is appealing orders from Whatcom County's planning department to cease work along the shore near ecologically important eelgrass beds. County Planning and Development Services issued two stop-work orders to Lummi Rock, which mines gravel and rock at Smuggler's Cove. The department claims Lummi Rock is mooring barges and running barge-loading equipment without shoreline management permits and near eelgrass, which provides a beneficial environment to salmon, herring and shellfish.  Lummi Island quarry challenges alleged environmental violations  

A British Columbia salmon farming company is appealing a judge's decision to dismiss a defamation case against an industry critic. Mainstream Canada took British-born activist Don Staniford to court earlier this year over a 2011 campaign that included images of cigarette-like packages and statements such as "Salmon Farming Kills Like Smoking.'' Justice Elaine Adair dismissed the case in September, saying while Staniford's statements were defamatory and he was motivated by malice, the activist honestly believed in what he was saying and animosity wasn't his dominant purpose. Fish farming firm appeals ruling in defamation case

Thank goodness: Mystery solved: 'softball-sized eyeball' likely belongs to a swordfish  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT MON OCT 15 2012
TUE
W WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TUE NIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 20 KT EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT
 12 SECONDS. 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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10/15 Sea wall, Salish Sea Institute, Cowichan salmon, Gulf Is Park, Japanese Gulch, Fort Worden plan, jellyfish, Edward Curtis

PHOTO: Laurie MacBride

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: “If I hadn’t seen it at close hand, I’d find it hard to believe that a huge and powerful animal like this mother grizzly bear could live on…wait for it…grass! For three consecutive days this summer we watched, from the safety of our kayaks, as she ripped through the thick shoreline grass, at times pulling whole clumps to her mouth with her long and deadly front claws....”  Hangin’ Out with Momma Griz  

Seattle voters will be asked in the Nov. 6 general election to approve a $290 million bond measure to replace the waterfront seawall, built between 1915 and 1936 and badly eroded over the years by marine borers and tides. The 30-year bond measure would cost $59 per year for the owner of a median-valued, $360,000 home. The measure requires 60 percent approval to pass. Lynn Thompson reports. Seattle voters face hefty bill for crumbling seawall  

Angus Matthews, executive director of the Sidney aquarium, is embarking on an ambitious project that would see a new, not-for-profit society establish three field stations in the Gulf Islands to provide outdoor education. The Salish Sea Institute would work with First Nations, businesses and Parks Canada to improve knowledge of the unique ecosystem in the area that stretches from the Mount Baker watershed through the Strait of Georgia, Haro Strait, Saanich Inlet, Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound, Matthews said.  Judith Lavoie reports. Salish Sea of riches inspires 'bridge' of knowledge  And with a slightly different angle by Lavoie: Changes wash over the Salish sea  

Salmon are slowly making their way up the Cowichan River to spawning grounds after a pulse of water was released from the upstream weir by Catalyst Paper last week. But frustration with lack of provincial government action is growing among Cowichan Tribes, local politicians, Cowichan Watershed Board members and conservation groups.  A river nearly ran dry: Anger grows over lack of action on B.C. water levels

The Arctic Challenger oil well blowout response vessel has passed its final inspections and is expected to be ready for duty in 2013 in the oil field that Shell Oil Co. is developing in the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Straits. Superior Energy Services of Houston built the Arctic Challenger during the spring, summer and fall at the Port of Bellingham's shipping terminal on Cornwall Avenue, a project that involved mounting a complex oil well containment system on a barge. Shell had hoped the Arctic Challenger would be ready for service during the 2012 drilling season, but delays in construction and clearance by the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping forced a delay. John Stark reports. Bellingham-built Arctic Challenger cleared for duty in northern seas

A picturesque pebble and sand beach, flanked by arbutus trees and evergreens, with remnants of an old fish-oil plant, is one of four new parcels of land added to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve on Friday. The additions — Roesland Extension and Shingle Bay on North Pender Island, Maple Bay on Prevost Island and the Saturna Island Extension — expanded the fragmented park by more than 100 hectares, costing Parks Canada $6.3 million. Judith Lavoie reports.  Four parcels added to Gulf Islands park reserve

Mukilteo voters will decide on the Nov. 6 ballot whether to pay 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed value -- $60 per year for the owner of a $300,000 home -- for five years. The money would go toward buying 98 acres on the west side of Japanese Gulch currently owned by Metropolitan Creditors Trust, a bankrupt Spokane mortgage company. The city currently owns 25 acres, but Boeing and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad own most of the large ravine, which straddles the border between Everett and the north end of Mukilteo near the Boeing plant. The gulch takes its name from Japanese immigrants who lived there in the early 20th century. Bill Sheets reports. Tax levy would help Mukilteo buy Japanese Gulch  

A draft of the Fort Worden Lifelong Learning Center Public Development Authority’s business plan has been submitted to Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office for final vetting. The referral of the plan Friday is in preparation for the submission of the final draft to the state Parks and Recreation Commission on Oct. 25 in time for the commission’s Dec. 6 meeting, when it could be approved. Charlie Bermant reports. Fort Worden public development plan draft sent to Gov. Gregoire

Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference between what is real and what is only a myth. In the Northwest, we have some incredible natural wonders that sound almost too bizarre to be real. Aequorea victoria, a common jellyfish in the Puget Sound waters, can really make a statement when agitated. This amazing jellyfish combines two different proteins within its body to create bioluminescence and glow in the dark. Scientists have been able to extract one of these proteins and apply it to modern medicine to help researchers track proteins in living cells.  Nature filled with unique animals

Some of the North American Indian photos in Timothy Egan's epic biography of pioneering photographer Edward Curtis you'll recognize immediately, their haunting poignancy and stark authenticity unforgettable. You'll know the one of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe, maybe Curtis' most famous. You've undoubtedly seen the proud profile of the aged Geronimo, whose deep-lined face speaks volumes. And while the title, The Piegan Dandy, 1900, might not be familiar, the picture of the coiffed young warrior is. But chances are you never knew the name or the remarkable story of the charismatic visionary behind the camera. Curtis, you see, was to North American Indians what Matthew Brady was to the Civil War —though, unlike Brady, he's been largely forgotten. Don Oldenburg reviews Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher 'Shadow Catcher' illuminates man behind Native American portraits  

Now, your thank-goodness-for-tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT SUN OCT 14 2012
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT
MON
S WIND 15 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 10 TO 13 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 14 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
MON NIGHT
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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10/12 Orcas, Lummi coal, Victoria sewage, Bainbridge stormwater

Snow geese arrive (Frank Vargas, Skagit Valley Herald)

If you like to watch: Now in their usual fall pattern, the Southern Resident orcas are happily searching for salmon down near Seattle where they entertain us as they forage and frolic (check Orca Network for the whales’ current locations) – reminding us once again how it is more relevant to observe whales in the wild than in the unnatural conditions of captivity. This new video, filmed last summer around San Juan Island by the Humane Society, captures the essence of why the orcas belong in the wild, and how very easy it is to enjoy them there. Candace Calloway Whiting blogs. The Real SeaWorld – Understanding the Captivity Controversy

“I used to travel into Bellingham and buy my sack of coal,” [Mary Helen Cagey, 94, an elder of the Lummi Indian tribe] said, standing in sensible shoes on a pebbled beach at a recent tribal news conference, talking about her girlhood of rural subsistence and occasional trips to the nearby market town. The idea that coal producers would make a comeback bid, with a huge export shipping terminal proposed at a site where she once fished, called Cherry Point, is simply wrong, she said. “It’s something that should not come about,” Ms. Cagey said. Kirk Johnson reports. Tribes Add Potent Voice Against Plan for Northwest Coal Terminals

Greater Victoria politicians are picking a fight with the provincial government over control of the sewage treatment megaproject. Mayors and councillors on the Capital Regional District's sewage committee voted Wednesday to demand additional oversight powers from the provincial government, before they pass day-to-day control of the project over to a commission of unelected experts. The cost of building the system has been estimated at $783 million. The B.C. and federal governments have promised to fund two-thirds of the cost, but only if municipal politicians move out of the way and let a seven-person panel of experts in sewage treatment, construction and financing hammer out the details. Region takes on province over controversial sewage plan  

A utility ratepayer group's fight to force the city to charge itself higher stormwater fees for its roads system has resulted in the city charging itself no stormwater fees for its roads. The City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday exempting city streets and private roads from stormwater fees. The code change was driven by a February court order, following a lawsuit by the Bainbridge Ratepayers Alliance. Tad Sooter reports. Bainbridge opts not to charge itself stormwater fees for roads

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT THU OCT 11 2012
FRI
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE
 MORNING. RAIN.
FRI NIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
SAT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.
SUN
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 20 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.

--
"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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10/11 Maury healing, pipeline leaks, Johns Cr salmon, polluter pays, sewage costs, butterfly and bird ESA, Stanley Park birds, Wyman's Marina habitat, crab season

October 12 marks the 50th anniversary of the most powerful and destructive storm to strike the Northwest in recorded history. Climate scientist Cliff Mass relives the day. The Columbus Day Storm 50th Anniversary   See also: Columbus Day Storm remains a fearsome memory

Sand and gravel mining started on Maury Island in the 1890s and ended in 2009 when a judge threw out permits obtained by a company preparing to expand it.  Now a 7,000-acre waterfront slope belongs to the public and work has begun to restore it.  Using $2.2 million dollars from a state jobs fund, dozens of workers are cutting and pulling invasive plants from the hillside and removing creosote soaked logs and other threats from the site's full mile of Puget Sound beach.  Gary Chittim reports. Agencies begin healing Maury Island's mining scar

The ability to detect leaks along the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline won't be known until the pipeline is built and pumping oil through the remote wilderness of northern B.C., a lawyer for the province noted at a hearing deciding the pipeline's fate.  Chris Jones grilled a panel of company experts on the design of the 1,100-kilometre pipeline that would deliver oil from the Alberta oilsands to a tanker port on the B.C. coast.  B.C. pipeline proponents grilled on leak detection

A fire that burned roughly 250 acres last week in Western Washington has been extinguished. Now biologists are concerned about the potential impacts on local salmon runs. Johns Creek flows into Puget Sound near Shelton, Wash. It’s about 9 miles long and is home to one of the strongest runs of chum salmon in the southern part of the Sound. And right now, it’s full of fish and surrounded by hills of ash from the recent fire. Ashley Ahearn reports. Fire In Western WA Raises Fears For Spawning Salmon

Bryan Stowe was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to six months in prison and a $300,000 fine. Seattle U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan says it’s one of the first criminal prosecutions under the Clean Water Act in U.S. history. Stowe admitted that he and his Sumner construction company deliberately ignored the conditions of their stormwater discharge permit when they cleared 50 acres – more that twice what their permit allowed – for warehouses next to the West Valley Highway in Sumner. He repeatedly pumped sediment from the site into the nearby White River, despite warnings from environmental officials, and caused two major landslides that closed the highway in 2010 and 2011.  Developer will do time for polluting  

Oak Bay homeowners could be hit hardest when the bill for Greater Victoria's sewage treatment system comes due, according to the latest cost breakdown. The average Oak Bay household could pay about $391 a year, the highest in the region, for the new sewage treatment system, which has an estimated cost of $783 million.  An average Saanich household could pay the least, at $232 a year. Sewage treatment plan has Oak Bay facing biggest cost in region

Species of butterflies and birds that call Thurston County prairie lands home are in the process of getting protection under the Endangered Species Act. Evidence suggests the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly is in danger of becoming extinct and that the streaked horned lark might become threatened with extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday. Both species are found in South Sound prairie lands, which make up 10 percent of the original prairie land. Less than 3 percent of what remains is considered high-quality habitat.  Chelsea Krotzer reports. Butterfles, birds found in South Sound may get endangered tag

Birds in Stanley Park got the first of five quiet places on the water in Lost Lagoon Wednesday as part of an initiative to help protect the wildlife in the park. The Stanley Park Ecology Society is making the resting spots out of logs salvaged from local beaches. Anchored at both ends, the logs are meant to create more habitat for birds on the water away from people and other disturbances on the shore, said Robyn Worcester, conservation program manager for the society.  Birds get a break on anchored logs in Lost Lagoon

The storm-battered property east of Randy’s Pier 61 restaurant known as Wyman’s Marina with its dilapidated building and decrepit docks and pier will be a piece of Anacortes’ waterfront history come fall 2013. The Port of Anacortes, which owns the property, will transform it into an aquatic habitat mitigation site in exchange for redevelopment at Pier 1 for Dakota Creek Industries. Because waters of the state were taken away as part of that project, the Army Corps of Engineers is requiring the port to create new waters. Joan Pringle reports. Port will remove structures at Wyman’s, add aquatic habitat

Late-season crab fishing will re-open in most Puget Sound marine areas on Oct. 13. Waters reopening to sport crabbing Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. include marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 12 (Hood Canal), and 13 (South Puget Sound). In each area, crabbing will be permitted seven days a week through Dec. 31. Trevor Pyle reports. High amounts of crab means fishing season re-opened  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT WED OCT 10 2012
THU
NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
THU NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING N 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 RAIN.
--
"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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10/10 Lake Whatcom, Skagit coho, Ktisap shores, Oly shores

Chris Teren, Oct. 8 (Journal of the San Juans)

If you like to watch: Chris Teren captured the northern lights on Oct. 8 from Reuben Tarte Memorial Park on San Juan Island. Spectacle in the sky; Northern Lights over Waldron

Longview on the Columbia: Ecology, Cowlitz County, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agree on joint environmental review of Millennium coal export proposal  

Do harbor seals chow down on rockfish? Check out the answer and other interesting research at SeaDoc Society's October Update.

A vote on the transfer of 8,844 acres of land around Lake Whatcom for use as a county park could come in February, although the County Council left open the possibility of holding the proposal in committee indefinitely. The council decided on Tuesday, Oct. 9, to hold at least three committee meetings, each addressing one of county Executive Jack Louws' requests for more information, before the final vote is taken on the land transfer, or reconveyance.. Ralph Schwartz reports.  Vote on Lake Whatcom land transfer could come in February  

Starting Oct. 10, people are allowed to catch three coho salmon per day from the Skagit River, according to a rule change by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The increased limit is in effect through Dec. 31. It applies only to coho salmon in the Skagit River between the mouth and Cascade River Road. Gina Cole reports. Coho salmon fishing limits increased  

Shoreline experts will discuss the importance of healthy nearshore areas, with a special focus on Kitsap County, during a forum Saturday. The free forum is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Klahowya Secondary School, 7607 NW Newberry Hill Road. Speakers include Curtis Tanner, a biologist with the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project; Jeanette Dorner, director of Salmon and Ecosystem Recovery for the Puget Sound Partnership; Dennis Lewarch, historic preservation officer for the Suquamish Tribe; and Jeffrey Eustis, an environmental lawyer familiar with the history and application of the state's Shoreline Management Act. Chris Dunagan reports. Shoreline forum in Kitsap set for Saturday  

Olympia City Council members peppered city staffers with questions Tuesday night about aspects of the city’s draft Shoreline Master Program, which would tighten restrictions on development along the many of the city’s bodies of water, particularly Budd Inlet. The meeting came after the city met with business, environmental and other government interests, including the Port of Olympia, which objected to the plan last week. The state Department of Ecology is requiring the plan update and has final say once the council submits its recommendation, which appears likely to shift into next year.  Matt Batcheldor reports. Olympia council gets clarity on shoreline plan  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
900 PM PDT TUE OCT 9 2012
WED
NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 17 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
WED NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 15 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

10/9 Orcas, fishermen's coal, ocean acid, Enbridge pipe, watersheds, Port Angeles waterfront, Adventuress wheel

(Photo: Seattle Aquarium)

For those who like to watch: Puget Sound's killer whales have begun venturing south into Central Puget Sound as they do each fall during their annual hunt for chum salmon. J Pod and possibly members of K and L pods were spotted Monday morning off Point No Point in North Kitsap and later in the day off Bainbridge Island, according to Susan Berta of Orca Network. Chris Dunagan reports. Orcas moving south into Puget Sound  When you see them: How to report whale sightings   And watch: Orcas swimming off Point No Point  And: West Seattle Whale Watch: Orca photos, round 1

Tribal and non-tribal fishermen on Monday lined up their boats on their unified opposition to plans for a coal export facility at Cherry Point. A plan to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to the site near Ferndale for export overseas is currently being studied. Both groups are concerned the plan would increase train traffic that would disrupt the daily lives of citizens. They also worry the increased shipping traffic on the water could increase chances of a major accident and spill in the productive crab and fishing area.  Gary Chittim reports. Lummi Tribe takes on coal plan 

One way to measure the urgency of the scientific response to ocean acidification is by its carbon footprint. In 2004, 125 marine scientists gathered in a single room in Paris to ponder the effects that surging loads of human-generated carbon dioxide into the atmosphere might have on the sea below. They heard 24 research presentations, nearly the sum total of papers published on the subject worldwide that year. Four years later, 227 researchers gathered in Monaco for the second installment, with 44 presentations. Two weeks ago, 542 racked up the air miles to get to Monterey, California for the Third International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World. Eric Scigliano reports.  Science faces the fate of the sea    At home: Ocean use planning, acidification subjects of Oct. 10 public meeting

Organizations founded by an American oil baron and a Silicon Valley philanthropist are among the foreign charities being targeted by Enbridge in its battle against critics of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. Tens of millions of dollars have been donated to conservation groups and initiatives in B.C., for everything from Earth Day celebrations to aboriginal salmon recovery programs. It’s a point of contention for the pipeline proponent, which has asked the environmental review panel examining the Northern Gateway project to compel funding information from its critics. The panel returns to B.C. this week for final hearings on the controversial project. Northern Gateway pipeline critics questioned on Rockefeller foundation, Seattle philanthropist    And: Energy advocate doubts Enbridge’s ability to get Northern Gateway pipeline built  

Hey, this is cool. Finally got a chance to look over what Tony Meyer of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission sent me and I think you'll find it interesting, too: State of our Watersheds Report

The first phase of the $3.9 million waterfront esplanade began Monday, as crews closed off the western half of Railroad Avenue. Traffic is now blocked on Railroad Avenue between Laurel Street — at the MV Coho ferry terminal — and Oak Street to the west for the start of the $17 million Downtown Waterfront Development Project. Arywn Rice reports. Work begins on Port Angeles waterfront face-lift

Ah, this is sick and sickening: In case someone steals the wooden wheel aboard your 99-year-old schooner, it's good to know there's a spare nearby. The ship's wheel on the Port Townsend-based schooner Adventuress was stolen in Olympia on Saturday night. A loaner wheel was secured in time and installed by Sunday night for a previously scheduled educational program that is the specialty of Sound Experience, the nonprofit that sails the Adventuress. Charlie Bermant reports. Schooner Adventuress wants its wheel back — but using loaner in meantime

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT MON OCT 8 2012
TUE
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 20 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
TUE NIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 18 SECONDS. PATCHY
 FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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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

10/8 Vic sewage, BC drought, WA green govs, Ferndale stormwater, BC ferries, Tatoosh Is, Western Flyer, UP trees, Sound flyway, CSI BC, Shelly Solomon

Cliff Mass writes: “Our supernaturally dry, warm period is going to end on Friday.  We are close enough now and the agreement of the models are sufficient to suggest substantial confidence in this forecast (yes, there is a small probability it could be wrong)....”  Summer is Over on Friday

Flushed with no pride: Before a by election date has even been set, the sewage has hit the fan in the federal riding of Victoria as the Liberal and Green candidates have come out against a proposed secondary sewage treatment plant estimated to cost $782.7 million. Both Green party candidate Donald Galloway and Liberal Paul Summerville, who is to be acclaimed as the party's candidate on Oct. 13, are against the project.  Greens, liberals share view on sewage  

Rivers and streams throughout Vancouver Island are drying to trickles after a two-month drought and fears are growing that salmon will not be able to reach spawning grounds. Andrew Thomson, federal Fisheries and Oceans south coast area director, said his department, helped by volunteers, salmon enhancement societies and First Nations, are searching for ways to help the fish if rain doesn't fall.  Island drought imperils salmon-spawning grounds

Meanwhile, Catalyst Paper is trying to find a balance between aiding a salmon run and having to shut down its operations. Continuing dry conditions have created the possibility that the company will run out of water about Oct. 31, curtailing or halting operations, said Brian Houle, environmental manager at Crofton mill. Catalyst holds the water licence for a weir managed by the Forests Ministry.  Catalyst ponders shutdown for fish  

The Washington gubernatorial nominees are in the final weeks of campaigning. Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Jay Inslee are touring the state for photo opps and debates. There’s usually a question thrown in about environmental issues, but overall, the environment hasn’t been a major focus in this election. One expert in Washington politics says that’s because the economy is dominating the list of priorities for Washington voters. Ashley Ahearn reports. Washington Gubernatorial Candidates On The Environment


The city of Ferndale will join a dozen western Washington cities and one county to appeal a new, stricter state stormwater permit. The appeal claims that new requirements to reduce pollution in storm runoff will take up too much staff time, restrict development and create financial hardships for municipalities. The Ferndale City Council voted 5 to 2 on Monday, Oct. 1, to pay $15,000 to add the city's name to the appeal. It targets stronger requirements for controlling runoff from construction sites, and for inspecting and cleaning stormwater intakes, pipes, catch basins and ditches. Ralph Schwartz reports. Ferndale joins appeal of stricter stormwater rules

BC Ferries is navigating a critical point in its history. When it was established as a Crown corporation in 1960, it had a mandate to nurture coastal communities – and, by extension, the province’s economy. Towns like Sandspit were built around this promise and remain utterly dependent upon it. Today BC Ferries is one of the largest ferry fleets in the world, a lifeline for coastal residents and businesses, and a key service for the tourism industry.  But the fleet – with an average age of 30 years – needs renewal. Ridership is down – on many sailings, the crew outnumbers the passengers. Justine Hunter reports. For a ferry system gone adrift, problems of the future must be faced now    But, this weekend: Passenger parking lots were full at several B.C. Ferries terminals  

TATOOSH ISLAND, Wash. —From a stretch of rocky shoreline on this tiny island, one can, on any given morning, watch otters floating on their backs, elephant seals hauling out of the water and a bald eagle flying past murres huddled along a cliff face. The startled birds perform a synchronized dive into the sea, their ovoid black-and-white bodies resembling miniature penguins.... for over four decades, with the blessing of Makah leaders, Tatoosh has been the object of intense biological scrutiny, and scientists say they are seeing disturbing declines across species — changes that could prove a bellwether for oceanic change globally. Stacey Solie reports. Scientists Adopt Tiny Island as a Warming Bellwether   Sea also: Life on Tatoosh Island topic of Wednesday talk  

Crews worked Friday to salvage a boat that sank two weeks ago in the Swinomish Channel near the Twin Bridges area east of Anacortes. But this was no ordinary vessel. It was the Western Flyer, the 76-foot purse seiner featured in renowned author John Steinbeck’s books “The Sea of Cortez: A Journal of Travel and Research” and “The Log from the Sea of Cortez.” Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts chartered the Western Flyer in 1940 to cruise from Monterey, Calif., to the body of water now known as the Gulf of California, or the Sea of Cortez. Gina Cole reports. Exhumed from the deep  

Cut ‘em, Dano: The Tacoma Narrows stretches out in blue splendor as Steve Fabre looks out the large front window of his University Place home on a clear afternoon. But the scenery is spoiled for him when he looks at the three large cherry trees across the street that block what he said was once a panoramic view of the waterway. “It just drives me nuts,” Fabre said. The concerns raised by him and by residents on other UP streets have prompted University Place leaders to launch a community discussion about how best to protect views obstructed by maturing trees and other vegetation. University Place might bolster protection for Puget Sound views  

Birds' flyways unite today's Audubon Society, its leader told about 90 of Washington's top bird enthusiasts Saturday at Poulsbo City Hall. When David Yarnold took over two years ago as president and CEO, the 50 states shared no conservation vision. "We didn't have any glue," said Yarnold, who spoke at Washington Audubon's annual meeting and helped dedicate the Puget Sound Loop of the Great Washington Birding Trail. He hit on the idea of skyways — "four superhighways in the sky with rest stops and homes beneath them" — as a means to not only help birds and habitat but bridge state and local boundaries. Ed Friedrich reports. Kitsap is link in birds' 'skyways,' says Audubon president

The two small platforms used to contain the complete carcasses of two 20-kilogram pigs diverted from the slaughterhouse. Hoisted up from the ocean floor six months later, however, they contain bones and silt and a mystery, the unraveling of which could assist in investigations into human bodies found in the ocean. Science, engineering help unravel mysteries in Strait of Georgia  http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Science+engineering+help+unravel+mysteries+Strait+Georgia/7351967/story.html

If you like to watch: Shelly Solomon, biologist-turned-filmmaker, brings two of her acclaimed films to the Admiral Theatre in downtown Bremerton on Friday. "River as Spirit: Rebirth of the Elwha" features stunning aerial photography of the Elwha River before removal of two dams started last year. Voices of Native Americans from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe tell of the spiritual significance of the river and the hope for a renewed watershed. The aerial scenes were filmed with a $600,000 Cineflex camera, which features unique gyro-stabilization, which allows for smooth shots even when the wind buffets the helicopter. That same Cineflex system was used to photograph the forests of Illahee for the second film to be shown at the Admiral, "Illahee: Saving Puget Sound One Watershed at a Time." Chris Dunagan reports. Elwha, Illahee featured in two upcoming films at Admiral Theatre

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT SUN OCT 7 2012
MON
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
MON NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
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