September 2023 Events at Fort Flagler

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Al Bergstein

Friends of Fort Flagler

Wednesday, Sept. 6th @ 9:00am 10:30am

Program: River Otter Beach Walk/Talk

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/616275967007Location: East Beach past Wansboro BatteryJoin us to learn about these cute and curious creatures that live throughout the Puget Sound.  We’ll be taking a beach walk on East Beach past the Wansboro Battery and discussing the river otter’s life cycle, behavior and where you might find them.  If we’re lucky, we may even see one!  Bring comfortable shoes, warm clothes and a rain jacket. Presenter: Jennifer Riker has a deep passion and love for the Pacific NW and all the beauty and wildlife that can be found here. She is a social worker that has also volunteered as a mountain steward with the Mt Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest and volunteered at the zoo in Seattle Jennifer loves learning everything she can about her beautiful home and all the wildlife that she is fortunate to co-exist with and continues her education taking many classes at North Cascade Institute on plants, birds, dragonflies and is a naturalist for the Mountaineers.  

Saturday, Sept. 16th @ 9:00am – 1:00pm

Program: International Beach Clean Up – Beach Grass Removal

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/691931254007Location: Lower Campground, upper part of spit next to playground.Join us to help restore our beach to a natural state.  Protecting our beaches includes removing invasive species that are choking out our natural grasses.  Friends of Fort Flagler is organizing an invasive beach grass removal on September 16th from 9am and 1pm. The Park will be giving free day passes to any volunteer who does not have state park passes. Please bring garden or work gloves and come ready to pull grass.  If you have garden hand forks and shovel, please bring as well.Naturalist Lead: Lynn Schwarz For more information about future events, volunteering, members or donations visit: //friendsoffortflagler.org/

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Rat Island experiencing an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Al Bergstein

Bad news for the Caspian Terns on Rat Island

Friends of Fort Flagler has been sponsoring trained docents to help protect the Caspian Tern population that is currently nesting on Rat Island. Recently a number of dead birds have been sighted and test results provided to Fish and Wildlife have confirmed that the birds are carrying Avian flu.

Here is the press release from Friends of Fort Flagler

Avian Flu in Jefferson County

Keep your dogs on leash and away from the shoreline! We are experiencing an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is closing public access to Rat Island near Fort Flagler State Park. Dozens of Caspian terns have died in the area and there are more that appear sick. Samples from bird carcasses were collected and have tested positive.

The HPAI virus occurs naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect poultry and other bird and animal species. The virus is contagious among birds through saliva, nasal secretions, feces, and contaminated surfaces.

WDFW is asking the public to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and/or seals as a preventative measure. Also do not attempt to transport them to a veterinarian or a private property for treatment. Moving sick animals can spread the virus to areas where it did not exist before. Please keep pets away from bird carcasses or sick birds to avoid exposure to HPAI.

Public access to Rat Island had recently been discouraged to reduce disturbance to the tern colony and harbor seal pups present there, and shellfish harvest is closed around the island, but extreme low tides have led to more foot traffic to the island from Fort Flagler State Park. Staff are posting “closed” signs and information on HPAI around the island, the campground, and the boat launch. Keeping humans out of the area is a preventative measure and helps prevent the spread of the virus.

Please help spread the word about this closure and not touching sick or dead wildlife.

Friends of Fort Flagler

Filed under: Admiralty Inlet, Environmental Protection, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Over-the-counter pesticides found in islands’ forage fish-San Juan Journal

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Al Bergstein

Very troubling findings in a recent research on pesticides found in Sand Lance which are fish eaten by many higher level predators. Please do not use pesticide sprays like this for carpenter ants and other insects. You likely are poisoning yourself and the environment.

An intriguing sidelight of the Kwiaht study is a finding that sand lances collected closest to Admiralty Inlet, the entrance to Puget Sound, were on average twice as contaminated with pyrethroid pesticides as sand lances collected on the north side of San Juan County closest to the Fraser River plume.

https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/news/over-the-counter-pesticides-found-in-islands-forage-fish/

Filed under: Admiralty Inlet, Environmental Science | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Local group opposes military use of state parks

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Al Bergstein

The group “No Park Warfare” has organized to oppose the state allowing the Navy to use state parks as military training sites. Count me in as this is another expansion of the never ending reach of the military here in our area. Have we ever been asked to vote on this? Nope. All done through a board of non-elected officials who apparently ignored thousands of emails in coming to their decision. 

 

“S.O.S. WA STATE PARKS ALERT!
Fellow Park Lovers,
We are challenging the
recent State Parks Commission decision to allow Navy SEAL covert
training in our coastal Washington State Parks.
We are a group of everyday citizens who believe we can stop this horrible plan if we all pull together right now. 
Read & Sign our Citizens’ Complaint Letter Here.
Please sign before March 31 when we will submit this letter.

The letter can be found at:

https://noparkwarfare.wordpress.com/

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NAS Whidbey resumes practices; Fidalgo noise may increase – Skagit Valley News

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Al Bergstein

It’s not just Fidalgo Island, as these jets can be heard in Port Townsend, especially when the air is calm. The region of Admiralty Inlet has been designated, without virtually any debate, a major training area for the Navy. Our politicians failed us on this one, as we are going to see an increasing amount of jet and helicopter traffic.

Fidalgo Island residents might hear some extra noise in the next few weeks as Naval Air Station Whidbey Island ramps up practices for their Electronic Attack Wing at Ault Field. The Field Carrier Landing Practices will begin on Nov. 4in Oak Harbor and last for approximately three weeks, said a release from the base. These practices are crucial for pilots training to qualify for aircraft carrier operations. For the trainings, the base will use either runways 7/25 or 14/32, depending on conditions. This will be the first time runway 14/32 has been used for FCLPs since July. Kera Wanielista reports.

http://www.goskagit.com/news/local_news/nas-whidbey-resumes-practices-fidalgo-noise-may-increase/article_0c572e00-7d00-5ee7-8d34-0c79c005ba46.html

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Come out to Shellfest today (8/17) on Marrowstone Island

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Looking for outdoor activities today? You can drive, bike, swim, sail, or paddle your way across to Fort Flagler to have fun at Shellfest 2013. The Jefferson County Marine Resource Committee will be one of many exhibitors at the at Fort Flager on Marrowstone Island today. Here’s a bit of the schedule.  Come out for some great shellfish if for no other reason! It’s very shellfish of you, I know, but hey, just remember to “keep clam.”

Shellfest-2013-Fort-Flagler-Poster-final-LR

 

 

Shellfest 2013 Program

 

 

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Porpoise deaths off Whidbey raise alarms about health of Puget Sound

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Al Bergstein

Three dead porpoises have washed ashore on Whidbey Island in a matter of days, and now some experts are wondering if the animals were ill – or the cause of their deaths is something worse. One of the porpoises was found a few yards away from the iconic Admiralty Lighthouse on Whidbey Island, and Susan Berta is hoping to find answers that will shed light on the mystery.

The dead harbor porpoise found near the lighthouse is the third one she has investigated this week. Just as concerning is what happened north of here, along the San Juan Islands. In early May, over a seven-day stretch, eight porpoises were found dead along the shoreline.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Porpoise-deaths-raise-alarms-about-health-of-Puget-Sound-151268325.html

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Harnessing Tides in the Northwest–KCTS

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Al Bergstein

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. — The sun is setting as the Jack Robertson, a 65-foot research vessel, leaves the harbor. Two spidery-looking orange pieces of machinery, each one weighing about 1,000 pounds, crouch on the back deck. These sea spiders, as they’re called, are for measuring tidal currents and more.

They’re part of an extensive research project, lead by researchers at the University of Washington, to try to better understand the environmental impacts of putting turbines on the sea floor.

Read the whole story and see the video at:

http://earthfix.kcts9.org/energy/article/harnessing-tides-in-the-northwest/

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Coast Guard Bill – Huge win for protection of the Strait!

Posted on October 10, 2010 by Al Bergstein

-Update – Chris Dunagan goes into detail on this bill. This is really significant and is one of the most important pieces of legislation to help us protect our coasts since the Magnuson Act. Read the overview at

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2010/10/10/coast-guard-bill-covers-safety-and-budget-issues/

President Obama is expected to sign a sweeping authorization bill that reorganizes U.S Coast Guard operations, increases maritime safety rules and calls for improved oil-spill prevention and response in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

This bill has been blocked for over a year, so this is great news. It is a great win for everyone who fishes, or makes a living off people enjoying the Straits. Thanks are in order to Senator Cantwell and Senator Murray, as well as all the other people behind the scenes who pushed this, like Fred Felleman,  People For Puget Sound, The Makah Nation, and many others. This has been a major effort for over 10 years. It is sad that it took losing the Gulf to get this over the hump, but we are there. Now to the House for a final vote. This also will help better protect fishermen who have the most dangerous job in America.

9/30 Seattle Times
Bill OK’d that overhauls fishing-industry safety, protects Sound
Seattle Times staff
The U.S. Senate late Wednesday night unanimously approved a Coast Guard authorization bill that includes a major overhaul of federal fishing-industry safety laws, and measures to strengthen efforts to prevent Puget Sound oil spills.
The bill was expected to soon be approved by the House of Representatives and sent to the President Obama for signing.
“It has been nearly four years in the making to get this important legislation through Congress,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wa., who chaired a Senate subcommittee with jurisdiction over the legislation. “This bill establishes new safety laws on oil-spill prevention and fishing vessel safety so that we can continue to operate in these pristine waters in a safe and effective manner.
…. The oil-spill provisions will include measures to expand oil-spill response capabilities around the entrance of Strait of Juan de Fuca and increase the role of Indian tribes in the response effort. The legislation will result in oil-spill response equipment, including booms and barriers, positioned along the strait.
Approximately 600 oil tankers and 3,000 oil barges travel each year through Puget Sound and carry about 15 billion gallons of oil to Washington refineries, according to Cantwell.
More at
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013032351_webcoastguardbill.html

Filed under: Admiralty Inlet, Government, Olympic Peninsula, Straits of Juan de Fuca | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Navy NW Training Range EIS now out – Comments welcome

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Al Bergstein

In case you missed it, (which wouldn’t be hard to do), the Navy have finally released the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed NW Training range. This range, which would include helicopter training over the triangle that makes up Admiralty Inlet and a bit beyond, would greatly increase noise levels at any and all hours of day or night that the Navy sees fit. Add to that the heightened security for all us boaters to deal with, the meshing of Navy traffic with freighter traffic, threats to sea life, and general raising of security seems to make this an unwanted project for our area.  This blog certainly appreciates  our military, and it’s job protecting our country from threats. But training sailors and soldiers in the midst of a population center like Port Townsend, given that we have seen (and heard) Navy training jets from Whidbey Naval Station flying at all hours of day and night, along with the likelyhood of increased accidents and sealife threats (noise etc.) just seems like a recipe for problems.  It would be great to see this training idea moved further west, perhaps off Neah Bay area, where they already train.

Comments are due by OCTOBER 12th.  Please visit the Navy web site, http://www.NWTRangeComplexEIS.com to download, read and comment on this proposal.

Filed under: Admiralty Inlet, Jefferson County, Port Townsend | Tagged: | Comments Off on Navy NW Training Range EIS now out – Comments welcome

Snohomish PUD tidal project gets $10 million federal grant

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Al Bergstein

While I have some reservations from an environmental point of view, I am happy that the PUD is going to be able to do more experimentation on this. If we are ever going to get off coal and oil, we have to do some new generation on something and tidal does seem to hold some promise. Solar in the NW and wind are not going to get us there.

—————————————————————————————-
The Everett Herald
Tidal power here is suddenly riding a wave of cash. The Snohomish County Public Utility District was told Thursday it’s receiving $10 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for its pilot tidal energy project in Admiralty Inlet. The PUD will match the grant with $10.1 million of its own. Only a handful of tidal power projects are operating worldwide, PUD officials said. "We’re excited to be leading the way in the research of this innovative energy source — another tool to help us and the nation combat climate change and attain energy independence," PUD general manager Steven Klein said in a press release.
To continue reading >> <http://psp.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1e527a1c4505cbd9d6662d091&id=822cda4018&e=7fe7e0e103>

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