2/14 Puffins, tribes pipe, Hastings, Navy spill, bag ban, Jill Hein, bird count, infected belugas

Tufted puffins (US Fish&Wildlife Service)

Group Seeks Endangered Species Act Protection For Puffins
The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the tufted puffin population in Oregon, Washington and California listed under the Endangered Species Act. The NRDC filed a petition Wednesday, Feb. 12, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to seek protection for the small, penguin-like seabird, known for its distinctive facial coloring and plumage during the breeding season. The NRDC estimates the West Coast population of tufted puffins has declined from more than 30,000 30 years ago to no more than 4,000 today.

Northwest tribes challenge Canadian oil pipeline
Tribes on both sides of the border are teaming up to oppose a major expansion of a Canadian oil pipeline. Kinder-Morgan, a Texas company, operates a current pipeline that transports 300,000 barrels of Alberta crude oil per day to Burnaby B.C. near Vancouver. The company has submitted plans to double that capacity to serve tankers ships that will ship the crude to markets in California and Asia. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Tulalip Tribes, Lummi Nation, and Suquamish Tribe in Washington state, and the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations in British Columbia formally announced Thursday they will oppose that expansion on the grounds that it threatens their way of life. Gary Chittim reports. See also: First Nations sign up for Kinder Morgan pipeline hearing

Doc Hastings to step down after 20 years in Congress
U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings will not run for re-election in November, concluding a 20-year career in Congress marked by zeal for conservative causes ranging from support for more energy development on federal lands to opposition to the Affordable Care Act. The Pasco Republican announced his retirement Thursday, saying it was time for a “new person with new energy” to represent Central Washington’s 4th District. Kyung M. Song reports.

Beaches appear clean after Bangor naval base spill of oil, water mixture; shellfish harvest still suspended
Officials with the Navy, the state Department of Ecology, the Coast Guard and Jefferson County Public Health continued Thursday to monitor the possible effects on wildlife of a 2,000-gallon spill earlier this week of an oil and water mixture at Bangor naval base.  “We haven’t yet seen any oil attached to birds or beaches,” said Lisa Copeland, Ecology spills manager. “But we are watching the situation very carefully and are most concerned with the spill’s effect on wildlife and the environment.” After the spill, the state Department of Health issued a shellfish advisory for Hood Canal from Brown Point on the Toandos Peninsula to the Hood Canal Bridge. Charlie Bermant reports.

Lacey City Council votes to ban plastic bags
The city of Lacey finally adopted its plastic bag ban ordinance Thursday night, the last major jurisdiction in the county to move forward with an ordinance that bans single-use, lightweight plastic bags typically found at grocery stores. The council voted 4-3 to pass the ordinance; the ordinance is set to take effect July 1. Rolf Boone reports.

Whidbey resident wins Coastal Volunteer of the Year award
Jill Hein is the newest recipient of the Jan Holmes Island County Coastal Volunteer of the Year award for 2014. The award honors the work of volunteers who protect and restore marine waters and coastal resources of Island County. She was presented the award Saturday, Feb. 1 at Oak Harbor High School. The namesake of the award, Jan Holmes, was an Island County resident and Washington State University Island County Beach Watcher known for her work as a marine scientist, educator and steward of the marine environment. The award is co-sponsored by the Island County Marine Recourses Committee and WSU Island County Extension. This is the fourth year the award has been given.

Global bird count event this weekend
Whether you are an experienced birder, or someone who prefers to watch through the window of your living room, all can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count. The 17th annual citizen science event runs Friday through Monday. Organizers expect people in more than 100 countries to take part in the count, gathering information that will help track the health of bird populations at a scale possible only with volunteer assistance. Also, participants can view real-time maps and charts on a website that shows what others are reporting during and after the count. Jeffrey P. Mayor reports.

UBC researchers blame infectious parasite found in Arctic belugas on melting ice
Researchers at the University of British Columbia warned scientists Thursday they had found evidence that an infectious form of a cat parasite had spread through Arctic waters and has begun to appear in Beluga whales.Michael Grigg and Stephen Raverty attribute the spread of the parasite to melting ice in the Arctic, according to a UBC news release.

Now, your Valentine weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI FEB 14 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT
TODAY
SW WIND 25 TO 35 KT EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 7 TO 9 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS.
 SHOWERS AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 10 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT
SW WIND 30 TO 40 KT. COMBINED SEAS 6 TO 9 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS BUILDING TO 11 TO 13 FT WITH A
 DOMINANT PERIOD OF 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT BECOMING S 35 TO 45 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 13 TO 16 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS.
SUN NIGHT
SW WIND 20 TO 30 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 15 TO 17 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12
 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.

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2/13 Pt Gamble shore, oil spill, sewage, coal port study, Skagit flood, B'ham waterfront, Costco stormwater

Winter Wren (Paul Bannick/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: The Savvy Wren  
Because many birds are largely silent in winter, it may seem that they have left us. But many remain, and even the shy and secretive sometimes reveal themselves. A Winter Wren may dart from hiding to grab a meal. The Winter Wren of the East and the Pacific Wren of the West are tiny woodland birds. Their songs are as elaborate as their plumage is drab. This wren is one of the few birds to be heard singing in winter.

Purchase completed: Kitsap County acquires 535 acres of forestland, 1.5 miles from shoreline from Pope Resources
Kitsap County residents are now the owners of 535 acres of forestland and 1.5 miles of shoreline on Port Gamble Bay. Pope Resources President David Nunes and Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder signed the ownership transfer documents Feb. 12, finalizing the first acquisition of Pope’s North Kitsap acreage by the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project. The purchase price was $4.6 million and was funded by several sources: the National Coastal Wetlands Program, the state Department of Ecology, the state Wildlife and Recreation Program, the state Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and private donors — and even an 11th-hour crowdsource appeal.

‘Drift card’ project shows potential impact of oil spill
A small piece of plywood that washed up in Haida Gwaii shows the potentially massive reach of an oil spill in the Salish Sea, say environmental groups studying the risks associated with Kinder Morgan’s proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline. In October, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the Georgia Strait Alliance dropped more than 1,000 “drift cards” – four-by-six-inch pieces of bright, yellow plywood, each with a unique serial number – along the oil tanker route that runs from Burrard Inlet, through the Gulf and San Juan islands, and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Andrea Woo reports.

State clears way for Longview coal port study
Ambre Energy ran into no red lights on its two Columbia River coal-export projects Wednesday, but the Australia-based company remains far from receiving the green light it hopes to achieve from regulators in Washington and Oregon. The company’s coal-transfer project at Boardman on the Columbia, upriver from Portland, received three permits by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality but the same agency told Ambre it must also apply for a different certification of water quality. Opponents of the project said that requirement could kill the project. On the Washington side of the river at Longview, a joint statement by Cowlitz County and the state Department of Ecology announced plans to begin drafting an environmental impact statement, but warned that it would be broad in its scope and could take into consideration train and vessel traffic from other proposed projects. Ambre is partnered with Arch Coal to develop Millennium Bulk Terminals at Longview. Floyd McKay reports.

Colwood wants out of capital region’s sewage plan
Colwood has officially served notice it wants to go it alone on sewage treatment. Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton told the CRD sewage committee Wednesday her municipality wants the Capital Regional District to amend its core area liquid waste management plan to permit Colwood to build its own small-scale tertiary treatment plant by 2016. The request will be debated by CRD directors next month. Only about 25 per cent of Colwood residents are on the sewage system, with the rest on septic, so they don’t benefit from the current sewage treatment plan but are being forced to pay for it. Bill Cleverley reports.

Olympia beach closed following nearby wastewater overflow
Thurston County officials say the beach at West Bay Park in Olympia has been temporarily closed a precaution due to a possible wastewater contamination. It is expected to reopen by midday Friday. According to a news release: Officials estimate that 22,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed from a manhole at 2100 West Bay Dr. NW after heavy rain showers on Tuesday. Lisa Pemberton reports.

Navy Says Failed Pump Led To Oily Wastewater Spill In Puget Sound
The Navy is blaming a failed pump for its spill of nearly 2,000 gallons of oily wastewater into Puget Sound. Tom Danaher, spokesman for Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, said the Navy was using a pumping system on one of its piers to remove oily bilge water from a ship late Monday. An electrical ground prevented the pump from automatically shutting off when a 4,000 holding tank was filled –- and because the operation was not attended, it took about 20-30 minutes before naval staff realized that oil-contaminated waste-water was pouring into the sound, Danaher said in an interview Wednesday....Mark Toy, a spokesman for the Washington Department of Health, said his agency is continuing to advise against shellfish harvesting in the area affected by the spill... “While at this time there’s not any evidence that shellfish have been affected, we’ve taken the precaution of advising against harvesting from the area,” he said. Ashley Ahearn reports.

Skagit flood groups prepare next move
The long-running Skagit River General Investigation Study’s team could choose next month one of the flood control projects it has been studying to receive expanded analysis. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will meet Feb. 24 to select a “tentatively selected plan” to bring to 35 percent design. The study has been considering four alternatives. The meeting to choose an alternative was scheduled to take place in December, but was pushed back almost three months. The GI study, which has cost more than $11 million, has been ongoing for more than 16 years. It aims to give communities study results that can be used to get federal funding for flood-control projects. Rachel Lerman reports.

Port of Bellingham selects waterfront developer for possible deal
The Port of Bellingham soon may begin negotiations on a waterfront redevelopment contract with Harcourt Developments Limited, a Dublin-based firm best known for a huge Belfast project that includes a Titanic museum on the site of a shipyard where the ill-fated ocean liner was built. The matter will be on port commissioners' agenda for their next meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at port headquarters, 1801 Roeder Ave. If port commissioners approve, Port Executive Director Rob Fix and his staff will have 120 days to work out a complex development contract with Harcourt that also would be subject to port commissioners' approval when it is completed.... Fix said Harcourt was the consensus choice of an evaluation committee that considered the qualifications of Harcourt and two other groups that expressed interest: Portland, Ore.-based Williams/Dame & Associates and Uniting Creatives/Four Pillars, a team of local activists and visionaries joining forces with The Perfume Foundation. The other contenders need not be shut out of the project, Fix said. All three organizations had good ideas, and Harcourt is being encouraged to work with them to incorporate their best ideas and perhaps get them involved in the project.  John Stark reports.

Whatcom council agrees to $2.5M in Costco stormwater funding
A stormwater control system for 80 acres in northwest Bellingham, including for a 160,000-square-foot Costco proposed for West Bakerview Road, will get $2.5 million from the Whatcom County government after all. The loan-grant combination was initially approved by the county council in October 2013 but was cast in doubt after council members expressed reservations about the award. Council was able to reconsider its offer because it had to vote a second time, to authorize the county executive to sign over the funds from the county Economic Development Incentive program.... About two thirds of the funding, $1.675 million, comes as a loan that would be paid back in part through the fee Costco would pay to use the stormwater system. Ralph Schwartz reports.

Written in saltwater: It's time to stand up for Washington's maritime history
....Professional and amateur historians, historical societies and small museums have spent decades telling the stories of the ships, lighthouses, waterfronts and shorelines of Washington and now they want to take another step toward educating local communities, the state's 6.9 million residents, and tens of thousands of visitors about Washington's maritime past. They have asked the Legislature to enact a law designating the state's saltwater shoreline a “Washington State Maritime Heritage Area.” Without adding any new regulations affecting property owners, a Washington State Maritime Heritage Area enables non-profit organizations such as the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle, and the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority in Aberdeen to improve coordination and marketing of the state's maritime heritage resources to neighboring states, the country as a whole, and nearby Canadian provinces. Two bills, HB 2386 and its companion SB 6246, would create the heritage area. The bills are now under consideration at the state capitol. Neither proposal affects the state budget. Joe Follansbee advocates.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU FEB 13 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING
TODAY
W WIND 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING SW 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11
 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 11 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS. RAIN.

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

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2/12 Oil transport, spill, forage fish, BC blasts, Boldt40, stormwater, coal contracts, smarter fish?

If you care to watch: Voices Against Oil Trains  
Columbia Riverkeeper shows why you should care.

Have your say: Public comment deadline on the proposed Shell/Equilon Oil Train Terminal on March Point, Anacortes, is Monday, February 17, 4:30 pm. Go here to comment online.

Upcoming: “Community Engagement in Oil Spill Preparedness and Response” is a free public workshop sponsored by the Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee, Saturday February 22, from 9:00am-3:00pm at the Squalicum Boathouse in Bellingham. Contact: Michelle Lim; 360-733-1725.

Up To 2,000 Gallons Of Oil Spilled In Hood Canal
Officials are responding to an oil spill in Washington’s Puget Sound. The spill occurred at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor and has spread 10 miles north to Hood Canal. State agencies estimate that up to 2,000 gallons of oil was spilled Monday when a ship was pumping out oily discharge at the naval facility. The pier-side transfer system failed and overflowed. Initially the Navy estimated that 150 gallons spilled, but by Tuesday other agencies were disputing that amount. Ashley Ahearn reports.

Taking Sound!Action
Sound Action in its February alert asks that, "Before February 17, we need you to contact the members of the Senate Rules Committee...and ask them to send SSB 6072 for a vote on the Senate floor.  SSB 6072 makes it possible to know how healthy the forage fish population is in Puget Sound. Forage fish (surf smelt, sand lance and herring) are not glamorous, but they are THE essential link in the food web in Puget Sound. Forage fish are eaten by marine birds and by salmon which are eaten by orca whales. More science about the health of forage fish is key to saving the Sound!"

CFB Esquimalt says booming sounds no reason for alarm
Officials at CFB Esquimalt say that perpetual booming sound you may be hearing today is nothing to be alarmed about. One resident of Victoria's James Bay neighbourhood says she's been hearing the sound all day. "I heard booming sounds. It sounded like it was coming from under the water. It was quite loud, and it's been frequent. It's been happening... oh, easily every five to ten minutes today." CFB Esquimalt says the sounds are likely due to firing exercises being held at the Whirl Bay Underwater Demolition Range, on the south shore of Rocky Point. The exercises will continue every day -- from 8am to 5pm -- through February 27. Kyle Reynolds reports.

Landmark salmon decision left a legacy of science
Before the landmark Boldt decision in 1974, tribal anglers had fished alongside non-Indian fishermen for years. Tulalip tribal leader Stan Jones said he counted many of those fishermen among his friends. “Once we started lobbying for the tribal fishing rights, they turned against us,” Jones wrote in his 2010 book, “Our Way: Hoy yud dud.” Bill Sheets reports.

What Ever Happened to the Stormwater Rules?
Remember the Puget Sound stormwater permits? Washington state was ready at last to get serious about cleaning up polluted runoff through the use of rain gardens, permeable pavement, and other green strategies. The new rules went into effect in August, but were socked with a downpour of legal challenges. So while cities and counties are working to meet the new regulations, a mist of uncertainty hangs over the process. But that could be cleared up soon. The Pollution Control Hearings Board, the legal entity weighing the challenges, announced it will rule on the case before the end of February. Lisa Stiffler reports.

Whatcom council shies away from coal terminal contract
The Whatcom County Council appears unwilling to take over the review of a contract with a consultant writing the environmental impact statement for a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point. Several council members said at a committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 11, that they feared this would put them on shaky legal ground. Dan Gibson, a deputy prosecuting attorney advising the council at the committee meeting, didn't say anything to dispute that. An ordinance written by council member Carl Weimer would require contracts that involve "pass through" money, not the county government's own money, to be approved by the council. Currently, the executive can approve such "pass through" contract amendments without consulting the council. The council only approves contracts in which the county's money would be spent. Ralph Schwartz reports.

If you like to watch: Group genius: Why fish are smarter in swarms
You really think so?

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED FEB 12 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 OR 2 FT. SW SWELL 9 FT AT 10
 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING SW 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 8 FT AT 11
 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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2/11 Bog fight, BC pipe, BC coal, train safety, climate, shellfish health risk, steelhead, Glines Canyon Dam

Randy Whalen in Hooven Bog (Mark Harrison/Seattle Times)

Bog a battlefield for developer, neighbor in Snohomish County
To Randy Whalen and environmental consultants who’ve seen the property, Hooven Bog and wetlands are a rare wonderland of unique plants and lofty trees and likely the last remaining sphagnum-moss bog of its kind in the Everett-to-Olympia corridor. To Rod Loveless and Robert Dillon, who own 90 percent of the 30-acre site, the property is an investment that could bring $1.4 million if they put five homes on it and logged the wetlands. Hooven Bog and wetlands, just north of Woodinville in Snohomish County, will be before the state Court of Appeals on Friday when that court will decide whether or not to take the case of Loveless & Dillon v. Snohomish County — which ultimately pits property-owner rights against environmental preservation. What it comes down to is this: Can Loveless & Dillon legally build a road through the wetlands so they can develop or log their property — and in the process irreparably damage the headwaters to Bear Creek, which meanders through King County. Nancy Bartley reports.

Vancouver seeks intervener status in Trans Mountain Pipeline
The City of Vancouver is the latest local government body to file for intervener status at the National Energy Board hearings into the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Several other municipalities including, Surrey, White Rock, Langley and the District of North Vancouver have already applied. Last week the provincial government also applied for intervener status at the upcoming hearings. Wednesday is the final day to register. Kinder Morgan has applied to triple the capacity of the existing 60-year-old pipeline, which runs from near Edmonton, Alberta to Vancouver Harbour in Burnaby. To register citizen comment, go to: The clock is ticking- apply to take part in the Kinder Morgan hearings today

B.C. coal export plan faces resistance
As Canada’s efforts to send oil abroad encounter thorny opposition, critics are increasingly targeting another resource export: Coal. Plans to export thermal coal from the West Coast to Asia are being put under the microscope as North American miners jockey to ship abundant domestic supplies overseas. Demand for thermal coal, a commodity used by power plants to generate electricity, has weakened in recent years in North America due to the boom in U.S. shale gas production. With many U.S. power plants switching to natural gas, a coal glut has forced miners to look to Asia for new markets. Fraser Surrey Docks LP, a marine terminal located on the Fraser River in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, wants to serve as a new staging ground for exports of thermal coal originating from Wyoming’s Powder River basin. Fraser Surrey Docks is owned by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, an investment fund managed by Australia’s Macquarie Group. Brent Jang reports.

Freezing out the bigger picture: Arctic blasts tied to climate change
....If the world is really warming up, how come it is so darned cold? The question might say more about how humans perceive the world than it does about the climate. After all, in principle, we are all supposed to know that climate and weather are not the same thing. But we have a strange tendency to think that whatever is happening to us right now must be happening everywhere. Scientists refer to global warming because it is about, well, the globe. It is also about the long run. It is really not about what happened yesterday in New York. Justin Gillis reports.

Competing bills to address safety of oil transport
Washington lawmakers on Monday considered competing measures that try to address potential risks as more crude oil is shipped by rail into the state. The Senate Ways and Means Committee heard testimony on a mostly Republican-backed bill that would study the safety of transporting oil and hazardous materials by train, including reviewing gaps in local, state and federal oil-spill response. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee took testimony on a competing Democratic-sponsored bill that is favored by environmental groups who say it provides more transparency and calls for more immediate action. Phuong Le reports.

Health risks estimated for Port Gamble Bay shellfish  (subscription)
People who consume significant quantities of contaminated shellfish from Port Gamble Bay face a higher risk of getting cancer than people who eat foods without cancer-causing chemicals, according to a new health assessment. Out of every 1,000 people who eat 1.1 pounds of clams, oysters and crabs every day over a lifetime, two people could be expected to get cancer because of those shellfish, according to the analysis, which focuses on shellfish taken from the upper portion of Port Gamble Bay.... According to a study of shellfish consumption by the Suquamish Tribe, an average tribal member eats about a half-pound of shellfish a day. If those shellfish were taken from Port Gamble Bay, the increased risk of cancer over a lifetime would be three additional cases of cancer in 10,000 people. The 1.1 pounds is consumed by about 5 percent of tribal members. As a comparison, recreational shellfish harvesters consume about 0.13 pounds of shellfish a day, according to King County statistics. If taken from Port Gamble Bay, the health risk for recreational harvesters would not be significant, according to the report. Chris Dunagan reports.

Stalking Puget Sound Steelhead With Science
You might call Barry Berejikian a steelhead stalker. The government scientist’s pursuit of these anodramous trout has brought him to the deck of the Chasina, a research vessel that’s motoring through choppy gray waters of southern Puget Sound near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. He’s here to lay the groundwork for an experiment that could explain why so few steelhead are completing their journey through Puget Sound and on to the Pacific Ocean. Ashley Ahearn reports.

May 1 finish sought for Glines Canyon Dam removal project as work continues
Workers were on schedule to blast away at the last upright section of Glines Canyon Dam early Monday evening, and hopes are to finish the removal project by May 1, according to Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes. Officials from contractor Barnard Construction Inc. of Bozeman, Mont., hope to have the edifice completely demolished by May 1, she said. The contract with Bozeman calls for completion by Sept. 30. Paul Gottlieb reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE FEB 11 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
TODAY
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 10
 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT. COMBINED SEAS 7 TO 10 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/10 Glines Canyon, Boldt40, BC fake reef, Lyme tick, coal port, derelict boats, geoducks, Tarboo Cr., porpoise

Glines Canyon Dam, 2/8/14 (National Park Service photo)

'We're getting close to the bottom': Blast at Glines Canyon Dam expected today
Another chunk of Glines Canyon Dam will be blown away sometime today as work on Elwha River dam removals nears an end. Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes said Saturday that crews had drilled 35-foot-deep holes in the concrete over the past week that have been stuffed with explosives to blow out one of the few remaining sections of the once-210-foot-tall dam. Joe Smillie reports.

Boldt40: John Dodge reports: Fish Wars victory still a success for South Sound tribes 40 years later  Rob Carson reports: Boldt decision has rippling effects 40 years later  Ron Judd reports: 40 years after Boldt, the fight goes on over fewer and fewer fish

Sunken Canadian warship could grow artificial reef in B.C.
The rich plant life that once sat at the bottom of Halkett Bay, north of Vancouver at the mouth of Howe Sound, became suffocated when a booming logging industry moved into the area, littering the sea floor. Once the plants were gone, so was the marine life, explains Howard Robins, the president of a group with an ambitious plan to sink a 111-metre decommissioned Canadian warship as an artificial reef. It's hoped once the ship reaches the bottom of the cove, it will become home to plant life and eventually aquatic animals such as cod and anemones.

Island hawk is first to be found with ticks carrying Lyme bug  
A Vancouver Island hawk is the first raptor to join the list of species believed to spread Lyme disease. Research scientist John Scott said the Cooper’s hawk was found with 22 ticks on it, four of which were infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. It’s the first raptor, or bird of prey, known to host the bacteria. Amy Smart reports.

Whatcom council member seeks more oversight of coal terminal
A Whatcom County Council member wants the council to have authority to approve changes to the environmental review of a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point. Chairman Carl Weimer has introduced an ordinance for the council to consider Tuesday, Feb. 11, that takes the authority to approve contract amendments from the county executive and gives it to the council. An attorney representing the terminal's proponent wrote a letter to the council on Friday, Feb. 7, saying this change would be illegal. Ralph Schwartz reports.

State stuck with bill when people ditch boats
State law requires owners of abandoned or derelict vessels to pay the full costs of removing or disposing of the problem boats, but owners rarely do. Since the Department of Natural Resources began a program to rid state waters of potentially dangerous vessels in 2003, vessel owners have only repaid about $28,000 — or less than 1 percent — of the total $8.3 million owed in the past decade, according to agency records. Phuong Le reports.

Geoduck market expands to Chinese neighbors
The market for geoducks harvested in Washington state has shifted from China to other Asian countries, primarily Hong Kong and Vietnam, according to certificates issued by the Washington State Department of Health. Chris Dunagan reports.

Volunteers, new and old, plant 3,000 trees at Tarboo Creek
Volunteers from five schools jumped out of bed and into their mud boots last weekend to plant 3,000 native trees and shrubs along Tarboo Creek during the ninth annual Plant-A-Thon.  The 150 children, parents, grandparents and teachers planted the trees during a daylong work party Feb. 1, said Jude Rubin, director of stewardship at the Port Townsend-based Northwest Watershed Institute, which coordinates the annual event. More than 133,000 trees have been planted in the Tarboo Valley since 2004 to improve conditions for salmon and wildlife.

Harbor porpoise population research expands
The Port Townsend Marine Science Center has joined the Pacific Biodiversity Institute’s Harbor Porpoise Monitoring Network, expanding the reach of harbor porpoise population research in the Salish Sea. The Network recently deployed an underwater acoustic monitoring device, called a C-POD, to record the presence of harbor porpoises in the waters near the Port Townsend science center. The bulk of the network’s research is currently based in Burrows Pass along Washington Park near Anacortes, where underwater monitoring and on-land observation have been used to collect data since 2011, harbor porpoise project director Aileen Jeffries said. Kimberly Cauvel reports. See also: Strange marine mammals of ancient North Pacific revealed

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 315 AM PST MON FEB 10 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS. RAIN.
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2/7 Oil tax break, Tesoro, tanker safety, estuary restoration, salmon magnets, swan fungus, Lolita

Anna's Hummingbird (PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Humming through the Winter
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Meet “Hummy”, one of the “charm” of Anna’s Hummingbirds that is lighting up our winter days. Charm is the recognized collective noun for hummingbirds, but the Cornell Lab of Ornithology suggests a few other terms: a bouquet, a glittering, a shimmer or a hover of hummers. All seem appropriate, as does the Lab’s description of  Anna’s Hummingbirds as “flying jewelry”....

Washington looks at ending oil refinery tax break
Washington lawmakers considered a plan Thursday that would eliminate a decades-old tax break now used by oil refineries to save millions of dollars each year. A state House committee heard testimony on a bill that would narrow a tax exemption for extracted fuels and direct the new revenues to the state education system. The state projects the change would raise an extra $30 million a year for the state and another $10 million a year for local governments... Lawmakers did not take a vote on the measure Thursday. Mike Baker reports.

Tesoro victims’ families settle suit
The families of seven workers who died as a result of an explosion and fire at the Tesoro refinery April 2, 2010, have settled a wrongful-death lawsuit with Tesoro and former refinery owner Shell Oil Company for roughly $39 million. Joan Pringle reports.

Tesoro bringing oil by rail, promises safer tanker cars
The Tesoro Corp. said Thursday it will move to use newer, safer rail cars as it imports increasing amounts of light Bakken crude oil from North Dakota to its Anacortes refinery on northern Puget Sound....Tesoro has pledged, by mid-2014, to entirely replace its rail car fleet with newer rail cars equipped with re-enforced shields and relief devices. Joel Connelly reports.

‘People don’t want to hear the facts’ on tanker safety, says Seaspan CEO
Long dismissed as a sunset industry, Canadian shipbuilding is once again alive and well on the West Coast.... Seaspan expects its North Vancouver workforce to climb from 2,300 to 3,500, and in total — including additional jobs for its suppliers and its suppliers’ suppliers — expects to see 5,000 new jobs in the next 10 years.... The federal government has already awarded Seaspan the contracts to build 17 ships, with the promise of more to come, so newcomers wanting to learn a trade should be assured of 30 years of work on the West Coast — unheard-of stability for an industry that has suffered countless booms and busts as piecemeal contracts for single ships came and went. Ian Austin reports.

Coastal Blue Carbon Opportunity Assessment for Snohomish Estuary: The Climate Benefits of Estuary Restoration
Restore America's Estuaries' study confirms the climate mitigation benefits of restoring tidal wetland habitat in the Snohomish Estuary. The study, the first of its kind, finds finds that currently planned and in-construction restoration projects in the Snohomish estuary will result in at least 2.55 million tons of CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere over the next 100-years.  This is equivalent to the 1-year emissions for 500,000 average passenger cars. If plans expanded to fully restore the Snohomish estuary, the sequestration potential jumps to 8.9 million tons of CO2, or, in other terms, equal to the 1-year emissions of about 1.7 million passenger cars.

Young salmon navigate with built-in magnetic compass
Every year, millions of chinook salmon clog the rivers and creeks of British Columbia in an epic migration that has puzzled scientists for generations. The fish travel hundreds of thousands of kilometres through the ocean and then fight the current swimming upstream to spawn — and die — in the same fresh water where they hatched. The juvenile salmon then make the same journey in reverse to find the ocean foraging grounds of their forebears. "Given that the animals have never been there before, how do they find their way?" asks Nathan Putman, a biologist at the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University and lead author of a new study that may have the answer.

Fungal disease is killing swans at Wiser Lake
A fungal disease is being blamed for the deaths of trumpeter swans spending the winter on Whatcom County's Wiser Lake. Martha Jordan, wildlife biologist and chairwoman of Washington Swan Stewards, said the big white birds have been congregating on the lake by the thousands this winter. The birds prefer to spend the night afloat in the lake closest to their food supply, and this year, that appears to mean Wiser Lake. John Stark reports.

Murky legal waters for captive orca
A proposal to list a captive killer whale as protected under the Endangered Species Act is entering an uncertain legal environment. The orca, known as Lolita, was captured from Penn Cove off Whidbey Island in 1970 and since has been performing for audiences at privately owned Miami Seaquarium wildlife park. Putting Lolita on the endangered list would have ramifications much wider than just where a single animal will be allowed to live. The status of other endangered animals in captivity across the country could be called into question. Chris Winters reports.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PST FRI FEB 7 2014
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
NE WIND RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 2 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
E WIND 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. SW SWELL 2 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
E WIND 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 2 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

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

2/6 Boldt40, wildlife viewing, LNG tax, marbled murrelet, BC ferries, warming world

PHOTO: Pacific Brant Festival

The Boldt Decision turns 40
The decision that ended one major dispute and started another turned 40 Wednesday. The landmark Boldt decision restored some of the fishing rights of Northwest Tribes. Federal Judge George Boldt issued his decision on February 12, 1974 that allocated half of the harvestable salmon in the Northwest to the tribes. The Boldt decision also led to a persistent, uneasy relationship between the tribes and non-tribal sport and commercial fishermen. Every salmon season is marked by squabbles between how each side goes about catching prized Northwest salmon. The ruling ended tense confrontations between police and tribal fishermen who refused to leave the river and went to jail, only to return and start fishing again. Gary Chittim reports.

5 great places to see NW winter wildlife
If you enjoy seeing wildlife in the wild, midwinter offers some special treats around the state of Washington. Here are five of my favorite wildlife viewing spots for the colder months, most within a day’s drive of Seattle. And with migratory bird-hunting season just concluded, February is a good time to take your binoculars and camera and go:
SEE TRUMPETER SWANS at Johnson-DeBay Swan Reserve,  near Mount Vernon.
SEE MIGRATORY WATERFOWL at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, near Olympia.
SEE BLACK BRANTS AND GREAT BLUE HERONS at Padilla Bay Reserve, near Anacortes.
SEE ELK at Oak Creek Wildlife Area, in Yakima County.
ANALYZE ANIMAL TRACKS AND LEARN ABOUT WINTER ECOLOGY on a snowshoe outing in the Methow Valley. Brian Cantwell reports.

B.C. postpones introduction of new LNG tax regime
The introduction of a new tax for B.C.’s nascent liquefied natural gas industry that is meant to help fuel a $100-billion prosperity fund has been pushed back until the fall sitting of the legislature. The provincial government was scheduled to release details of the tax last fall, but had put off introducing the new tax system until the coming legislative session, which starts Feb. 11. On Wednesday morning, B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong said “it is far more likely that legislation would be tabled in the fall.” The Liberal government did not hold a fall sitting last year. Gordon Hoekstra and Rob Shaw report.

Conservation Groups Win Suit To Protect Marbled Murrelet
Three conservation organizations — the Audubon Society of Portland, Cascadia Wildlands and the Center for Biological Diversity — reached a settlement agreement with the state on Wednesday, canceling 28 timber sales on the marbled murrelet’s habitat, more than 2,700 acres in Elliott, Clatsop and Tillamook state forests. The agreement also ensures the seabird, protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, is unharmed in future management practices.

BC Ferries cuts $19M in services
BC Ferries is going ahead with nearly $19 million in service reductions despite widespread opposition, Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced Wednesday. The province confirmed it will be cutting minor and northern ferry routes, and implementing changes to major routes, beginning in late April.

Your Warming World
From NewScientist: "The heat is on for the planet as a whole, but what has been happening where you live?" Go to the online map and find out.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU FEB 6 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY
E WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 4 TO 6 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 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