Fall and winter Dungeness crab fishery will open this Saturday The Seattle Times
31 in most of Puget Sound and Hood Canal except closed in central Puget Sound (Marine Catch Area 10) and south central Puget Sound (11).
<http://seattletimes.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2019376631_fall_and_winter_dungeness_crab.html
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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.
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Island+drought+imperils+salmon+spawning+grounds/7354934/story.html
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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.
http://earthfix.kcts9.org/communities/article/washington-gubernatorial-candidates-on-the-environ/
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NY Times article today about the research being done at Tatoosh on the affects of ocean acidification and global warming on our sea life. Not good news here folks.
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I believe that this was driven by an international agreement that limits ‘marinas’ too close to commercial shellfish beds. Without it, we may have compromised our ability to sell our shellfish on the commercial markets.
The Jefferson County commissioners have approved management plans to decrease traffic and accommodate shellfish harvesting in Mystery Bay and South Port Townsend Bay. The two plans, both approved Monday, control boat moorings and accommodate people harvesting shellfish for both commercial and personal ventures. Charlie Bermant reports.
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As we assumed, there is nothing we can do to stop this continued expansion of military presence in the Canal. Not even their own internal review staff can stop it. So they shop around until they find a supportive board. This should be investigated by Norm Dicks, or our Senators, but it’s likely to just be swept under the rug.
While the Navy was assuring people that a second explosives handling wharf at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor wouldn’t create new safety concerns, the military’s explosives safety board was refusing to grant a permit for it. The Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board approved the location and separation distances for three EHWs in Bangor’s 1975 master plan, but wouldn’t endorse the decision now that the Navy wants to build a second wharf 37 years later. The scenario had changed, it said in papers responding to a lawsuit filed in federal court by the group Ground Zero for Nonviolent Action. The safety board’s rejection hasn’t stalled the $715 million project. Construction began last week. The Navy apparently chose another avenue — the Secretary of the Navy Explosives Safety Certification — that allows it to deviate from DOD standards if it assumes all risks for exposed sites and potential explosion sites that don’t meet DOD safety criteria.
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/oct/01/safety-board-rejected-new-explosive-wharf-at/
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While many of you know that I try and focus on the Olympic Peninsula, occasionally something from elsewhere really catches my eye. In my interviews for Voices of the Strait, I was told of super pod sitings off our coast of Orcas. I’ve sailed quite a bit on Puget Sound, not a lot outside the Straits. I like many of you, have had dolphins chase my bow.
Seattle video professional Chase Jarvis was onboard the sailboat of the adventurer Mike Horn off the coast of South Africa about two months ago. Equipped with some great professional gear and a lot of help, they ended up accidentally sailing into a dolphin super pod. As Mike says, “After sailing tens of thousands of nautical miles, over a lifetime, I’ve never seen anything like this.” It is an amazing window into a little seen part of life in the oceans.
Enjoy. With your efforts, perhaps we will see a return of a super pod here in the Salish Sea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwBP4_hdMqY&feature=player_embedded
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The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary has gained a new primary member and a new alternate member to serve on its advisory council. The sanctuary, based in Port Angeles, is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Christopher Clark will serve as the primary member, and Alan Rammer has been named as the alternate and will fill a new Marine Resource Committee seat.
http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120928/news/309289982/marine-sanctuary-gains-two-new-members
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Congratulations to Taylor Shellfish.
Taylor Shellfish has raised the bar on the oyster experience with an award-winning variety that’s not-so-local. In a blind tasting four years ago, sponsored by the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, those "west coast" Virginicas were judged number one. "Stunning," said Rowan Jacobsen, author of The Geography of Oysters. Ronald Holden writes.
http://crosscut.com/2012/09/28/food/110723/taylor-shellfish-oysters-virginica-melrose/
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Democrats, supporters and otherwise curious, came out last night at the Upstage in Port Townsend to hear from Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark . Commissioner Goldmark, up for re-election, in what appears to not be a tight race at this point, discussed his role for the crowd. He outlined that the Commissioner position handles a huge range of issues, from managing the state forest lands that are used to help fund the public schools (“about 40% of the money comes from us” he said), to fighting forest fires in eastern Washington. He is also in charge of the bottom lands of the Sound, Strait and out to 3 miles offshore on the Pacific Coast. He also manages the rivers of the state.
Closer to home, his agency is in charge of state tidelands, and as such, was responsible for helping put in place the aquatic reserves, that now protect almost 64k acres of sea bottom off Protection Island and Minor and Smith Islands. This act, which was proposed by People For Puget Sound, was championed by DNR. The purpose of this was to protect those areas from commercial exploitation, such as tidal turbines, and pipelines. They help to produce the fisheries that many of the pelagic birds of Protection Island feed on. The act has not affected fishing off these locations.
Commissioner Goldmark has done, to this reporter anyway,a great job of running an efficient agency, selling off numerous non-needed assets such as airplanes (the job entails traveling all over the state frequently, and in the past, most Commissioners flew in small planes for efficiency), and laying off staff where needed to help balance the budget, which unfortunately was left in disarray by his predecessor. He supported and got put in place the Aquatic Reserves proposals. He supported and forced the ending of the Maury Island quarry project, which was not wanted by the people of Vashon and King County, and could have had negative impacts on key salmon rearing habitat. He reversed the disastrous approval of the Pit To Pier, that was put in place in the lame duck days of his predecessor, over the objections of Jefferson county politicians. He lobbied the Governor to get money to cash strapped timber counties, including the Olympic Peninsula. This money was put back into local economies. He spearheaded the Puget Sound Corps, which has provided jobs to returning veterans and young people at time when jobs are very scarce.
The difficulty of his position is that, by it’s very nature, it is a position that forces the decision of industry over ecology. His stand on biomass is one area that needs greater clarification, and perhaps another look by him based on locale. Coming as he does from Eastern Washington, with the incredible destruction done by invasive pine beetles, it is natural that he look at biomass as a way to clear the forests so they don’t burn. We support the notion of experimenting with biomass to clear highly flammable underbrush and downed trees in Eastern Washington. However, he seems ignorant of issues faced here, as his own study from WSU, done for the Legislature in 2006, showed that there was not enough biomass to fuel the two proposed plants here on the Peninsula. Whether we are subjected to worsened air pollution by these plants, and whatever fuel they eventually burn, is something that he seemed to not be fully understanding.
But the evening belonged to him, (and his campaign manager wife, Wendy) as the Democrats presented him with a sizable check, and the questions were polite and comments were supportive.
Today, there are too few politicians that actually get positive things done for our environment. While we may not agree with all Commissioner Goldmark’s stands, we have found him to be a most effective Commissioner and highly support his candidacy for re-election.
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Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound | Comments Off on Upcoming Lecture–Elwha Nearshore Restoration–27 September
Dr. Ian Miller will present Coastal Response to Dam Removals on the Elwha River: Present and Past on Friday, September 28 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Landing Mall Conference Room at our regular lecture series.
Two dams on the Elwha River disrupted the flow of sediment to the Strait of Juan de Fuca for nearly 100 years, contributing to erosion of the Elwha River delta, and altering coastal habitat. Researchers are tracking how the ecosystem responds to the restoration of this sediment as dam removal progresses. This talk will provide a "status report" on how the coastal zone is responding to the dam removal.
Please call Feiro at 360-417-6254 if you have any questions.
Deborah Moriarty
Feiro Marine Life Center
360-417-6254
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The Wild Olympics bill remains stalled in Congress, and with lawmakers out through the election, some opponents are celebrating. But, KBKW reports, Sen. Patty Murray’s office says the bill has not been killed and is still under consideration. If the campaign continues next year it will be without the sponsor of the House bill, Rep. Norm Dicks who is retiring.
http://kplu.org/post/wild-olympics-bill-stalls-congress
And, according to Bill Ruckelshaus and Martha Kongsgaard,
Preserving wilderness areas vital to maintaining the health of Puget Sound http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/09/26/2310755/preserving-wilderness-areas-vital.html
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New blog: Many readers received Washington Environmental Council executive director Joan Crooks’ gracious message yesterday announcing the transition of People For Puget Sound’s policy, advocacy and grass roots work to WEC upon the shut down of the once-preeminent Puget Sound conservation organization…
WEC: “Holding Ourselves and Public Officials Accountable for Carrying Out Commitments and Enforcing Laws and Regulations”
http://salishseacommunications.blogspot.com/2012/09/wec-holding-ourselves-and-public.html
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Be sure to check with the State Shellfish hotline before digging shellfish.
Before harvesting shellfish, check the state Department of Health website at http://tinyurl.com/7u33gob or phone the state biotoxin hotline at 800-562-5632.
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Over the last six years, dozens of individuals have worked on updating the Shoreline Master Program, as required by the State Department of Ecology. I was a member of the group of citizens who volunteered hundreds of hours of my time to help craft it.
The document was approved by the County Planners and also approved by the Planning Committee and the unanimous approval of the County Commissioners.
There was one issue that was a sticking point, in that the County chose to ban Net Pen Aquaculture in county waters. To be clear, there are no net pens currently in Jefferson County, and the last ones were removed decades ago, because they were failures.
The Department of Ecology allowed the banning of net pens in Whatcom County’s SMP.
Now, the DOE is saying that we cannot ban net pens in Jefferson County.
There is good scientific evidence that net pens negatively impact native salmon, by becoming a ‘vector’ for infections and infestations of parasites, such as sea lice. If you want to know more, simply listen to this audio podcast I recorded last month when Dr. Lawrence Dill came to Port Angeles. http://soundcloud.com/mountainstone/dr-lawrence-dill-netpens. The link to his slides and video of him presenting is listed to the left of this column.
Our banning of net pens can be looked on as temporary, as future updates to the SMP, can reverse this if science is shown to be able to properly manage the threat. Also, there is new technology that could see net pens put near the shore, or “upland” and not be directly in the water. We all look forward to that technology being proven workable.
The State of Washington, and our Federal Government, is spending hundreds of millions of dollars over decades to protect and restore the native salmon to our waters. It seems totally out of step that the Department of Ecology, that is chartered with defending our environment, should essentially tell our local officials, after all this work, that if we do not approve the SMP with net pens allowed, that they will withdraw our work and rewrite the SMP themselves as they see fit.
This seems to be the kind of behavior we would expect if officials had some kind of stake in the outcome. It is not indicative of the organization or the man who is chartered with protecting our environment. I am sure that’s not the case, but this is an election year. And appearances are everything.
That said, I am calling for the removal by the Governor of Mr.Ted Sturdevant, the Ecology Director. His actions have gone against the years of work of informed citizen volunteers, against the work done by elected county officials of Jefferson County and against the ecology of the Sound that he is chartered with protecting.
I hope you join me and phone or email your support of this letter to the Governor’s office, and our elected officials, Representative Van De Wege, Representative Tharinger and Senator Hargrove. Their contacts are found to the left side of this page, under Governmental Sites, near the bottom of the list. Linda Barnfather is currently handling both Tharinger and Van De Wege administrative assistant duties, so one email or call to her will handle both of them
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: department of ecology, Jefferson County, Puget Sound, SMP | 2 Comments »
Our elected officials are being told to approve it ‘or else’. The outright threat of throwing out the hard work of this county over 6 years by the Department of Ecology is just outrageous. If you want to do something about it, make a call to the governors’ office for the replacement of Mr. Sturdevant at the State Department of Ecology.
Jefferson County commissioners will consider approval today of a letter to the state Department of Ecology that reluctantly agrees to permitting net pen aquaculture under conditional use permits. The three commissioners will discuss, and possibly approve, the letter proposed by county staff during today’s 1:30 p.m. county manager briefing session in commissioners’ chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Fish farming is the last sticking point in state approval of the county’s update of its shoreline master program.
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120924/news/309249995/0/SEARCH
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If you are into protecting the environment, here’s a good read. In some ways, a good compliment to the Puget Sound Partnership’s “State of the Sound” report
Ongoing damage and destruction of salmon habitat is resulting in the steady decline of salmon populations across western Washington, leading to the failure of salmon recovery and threatening tribal treaty rights, according to a report released today by the treaty Indian tribes.
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The difference between this piece and Chris Dunagan’s piece yesterday, is that this points out more issues about the septic issues. As someone who lobbied in Olympia to put the monitoring and upgrading of septic systems in place to protect against the fish kills, the *lack of definitive science studies on this issue* was the reason we were pushing to get something done immediately by making sure the septic systems weren’t root cause. As mentioned in the article below, the fish kills of the last decade were unprecedented, regardless if the Oxygen levels have been shown to be bad in the past. Now that we have the data, we can tune the regulations to match the science. It proves, once again, that while science is expensive, making assumptions based on best guesses is also expensive, and ultimately angers the voting public. There are not a lot of extensive long term studies on the Sound. The Puget Sound Partnership needs to get even more studies underway, to make sure that policy decisions are based on accurate underlying data, and not best guesses. We saw a similar situation happen because of a lack of studies of the beaches under geoduck farms. Environmental groups called for a go slow policy on geoduck farm licensing, because the data was lacking. Now that the data is in, it shows that the long term effects are not as serious as many believed. Whether the size of farms running over decades and thousands of acres can be destructive to an ecosystem is certainly a valid question, but the Sea Doc study seemed to show that concern for the beaches in smaller farms is not the issue that it once was. Or did I misread that study?
In case you missed Christopher Dunagan’s account yesterday of the Hood Canal study, here’s Craig Welch’s report: The most comprehensive review ever of existing research on Hood Canal has concluded that septic systems aren’t a leading cause of the massive fish kills that have hit the hooked fjord over the years.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019193768_hoodcanal19m.html
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Come out to meet Tom Bjorgen, Judicial Candidate for Court of Appeals, District 2. (much of the Olympic Peninsula).
Tom Bjorgen believes, "All deserve justice, no matter who they are, whom they know, or how much money they have. Judges must decide based on the law, not politics or special interests."
Tom will be available to meet and answer questions on the following dates:
Sequim on Thursday, October 4 from 5:30 – 7:30 PM in the Sequim Library meeting room
Port Angeles - Friday, October 5 from 4 PM – 6 PM in the Port Angeles Library’s Carver Meeting Room.
This will be the public’s chance to learn more about this candidate and about the role the Court of Appeals has applying law. This court rules on appeal cases from Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason and Thurston Counties.
Bjorgen has been awarded several of the highest attorney ratings by legal organizations. Martindale Hubbell, the leading national attorney rating service, awarded him its highest rating, AV Preeminent. The Washington Women Lawyers rated him as Exceptionally Well Qualified for this position, its top rating. He also won the preference poll of the Kitsap Bar Association for this race.
He has also been endorsed by many judges and by public officials from both political parties. Among his many judicial endorsements are three former Chief Justices of the state Supreme Court, Gerry Alexander, Phil Talmadge and Robert Utter. David Armstrong, the judge who is retiring from the Appeals Court position Bjorgen seeks, endorsed Bjorgen as the most qualified candidate for the position.
Ralph Munro, former Washington Secretary of State has also endorsed him.
Tom Bjorgen has been practicing law for over 30 years in WA State.
His first legal work was as an Assistant Attorney General for Washington State. In this position he wrote briefs for the State in three cases that went to the U.S. Supreme Court, and argued cases in the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, federal district court and the state Supreme Court. He also advised and represented numerous state agencies while an Assistant Attorney General.
He next served as a Thurston County Senior Deputy Prosecutor, representing that County in land use law and other fields. In this position Bjorgen received the President’s Award of Merit from the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
Since 1999, Bjorgen has been a partner in the Olympia law firm Bjorgen Bauer Pitman Bauer, where he has argued cases in the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Superior Court, and administrative agencies. The clients he represented have been individuals, nonprofits, businesses and municipalities. He has also served as Hearing Examiner for Olympia, DuPont and Thurston County, as well as General Counsel for Intercity Transit and as a mediator, helping people resolve disputes without going to court. In addition, he has served on the land use section of the Washington State Bar Association and helped establish the Volunteer Legal Clinic in Olympia.
Bjorgen’s community service includes being a member of the board of directors on a number of nonprofits and volunteering with numerous charitable activities including food banks. He has also donated many hours of pro bono legal services for nonprofits and individuals.
For more background on this candidate, visit his web site:
http://www.BjorgenforJudge.com
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