A $1.86 million government grant-funded project to replace a berm with a bridge will restore fish passage into the northern 37 acres of Washington Harbor estuary marsh and tide flats on West Sequim Bay. The project is planned to begin in June and be completed in October. http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120307/news/303079988/bridge-on-sequim-bay-planned-this-year
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Article by Earth Fix discussing the newly released, and long awaited study by the UW’s Washington Sea Grant on Geoduck farming affects on the beaches. Interestingly enough, the answer is a mixed bag, and you can read that as good and bad news. The good news is that the sediment layer creatures, (known as the benthic layer to scientists) is not much affected and recovers quickly, but that the fish living in the mud are more so. This should at least lead to better legislation about where and how many of these farms we want.
The state Legislature responded in 2007. It authorized research through Washington Sea Grant to look at the ecological impacts of geoduck aquaculture.
Five years later, the results are starting to come in. The verdict so far: Geoduck tubes and nets change the species makeup, but there’s no immediate cause for concern.
“What we can say is there are a lot of species that settle on the tubes and the netting that we would not otherwise see generally in that type of habitat,” says the University of Washington’s Glenn VanBlaricom. He’s one of the research effort’s leaders.
http://earthfix.opb.org/water/article/geoduck-farming-heddy/
And read the full report at:
http://wsg.washington.edu/research/pdfs/reports/GeoduckReport2011.pdf
I’ ve placed a permanent link to it on the left side of this blog, in the “Educational” section.
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A photo says it all. Thanks to John Gussman, who has been documenting the project.
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A Washington State University researcher Michael Skinner has demonstrated that a variety of environmental toxicants– including jet fuel, dioxin, plastics and the pesticides DEET and permethrin — can have negative effects on not just an exposed animal but the next three generations of its offspring. The animal’s DNA sequence remains unchanged, but the compounds change the way genes turn on and off.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120302101821.htm
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Environmentalists in Washington state are fighting last-minute legislative proposals they say will weaken rules aimed at keeping toxic pollution out of state waters. One House measure would make it voluntary for dozens of cities and counties in Western Washington to adopt greener strategies to control stormwater runoff, considered the biggest threat to Puget Sound and other state waters. Another idea being floated would delay those rules by three years.
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Fight-in-Olympia-over-solutions-for-toxic-runoff-3380777.php
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The first gray whale in the annual spring migration up the coast was spotted last week off Tofino, marking the largest and most timeless sign that spring is on the way.
Whale sighting marks start of migration
http://www.timescolonist.com/travel/Whale+sighting+marks+start+migration/6244835/story.html
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Always insightful, Fred Felleman does a great job of bringing it all back home, from BP’s recent settlement, the explosion and aftermath at Cherry Point and pointing out some of the history of protection from Magnuson’s Amendment to the loss of Norm Dicks and all he did during his term.
We certainly have a long way to go to get protection for the Sound properly put in place.
While I usually don’t cover Cherry Point, as it is not on the Olympic Peninsula, this great article demands your attention. A short but good read.
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We work to save fish for many reasons, one is to catch and eat them! This is timely, as our legislators are attempting to cut the budgets for the fisheries that support this species.
Expectations high for another summer salmon fishery
The Seattle Times
… opening northern Puget Sound’s hatchery chinook fishery on July 1 instead of July 16; and implementing new hatchery-marked selective fisheries in eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, south-central and southern Puget Sound and Hood Canal.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2017651614_outn04.html
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Well, I don’t need to repost any of the hundreds of articles here, but I feel that Rep. Dicks has a long history of environmental support. His ability to channel many millions over the decades to the projects to help protect Puget Sound has been his largest achievement.
It is worth noting the downsides, since so much positive has been printed, (justly so).
It is impossible not to notice that the Puget Sound region has become increasingly militarized. This wasn’t just Norm’s doing, of course, but his unfailing pro-military stance rarely ever seemed to slow the incessant demands of the military to use Puget Sound as a staging ground for all sorts of ‘top secret’ training.
We as bystanders can only watch and catch the Navy, for example, when their ships wash ashore thousands of shellfish in Hood Canal. Or sonar seems to be doing harm to sealife. It’s just frustrating to be spending huge money and effort to protect sea life, including the ridiculous ruling last year to keep whale watch boats hundreds of yards farther away from Orcas, without any scientific basis for the ruling, when we silently allow the Navy to do whatever they want in our waters. Now the new sub base expansion in Bangor will bring even more destruction and stress on this area. We recognize that a strong military needs bases and training, but there has never been a debate about whether it should be here or elsewhere on the coast.
We thank Norm for what he has done, though, and note that he will be big shoes for anyone, from any party to fill. We hope that it’s someone with as much love for protecting our fabulous resource of the Salish Sea, as Norm has done over an amazing 18 terms.
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Preliminary Draft Shoreline Master Program(SMP) update document and 14 draft Shoreline Environmental Designation (SED)Maps on-line from the County’s SMP Update Web Pages at:
DirectLink to Web Page Containing Preliminary Draft SMP Document and SED maps: http://www.clallam.net/RealEstate/html/shoreline_management.htm
You have the option to download the entire document or individual chapters separately. The 14 SED maps must be downloaded individually. Opening the individual chapters and maps separately is recommended for those with a slower Internet connection.
About the Preliminary Draft SMP. I emphasize that the Preliminary Draft SMP is a WORKINGDRAFT. The format and organization of this draft differ from the existing SMP, but the content is similar overall. This version incorporates information from the existing SMP and proposes new policies and regulations intended to achieve the goals of the Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58) and the community’s vision for shoreline management. Please refer to the Vision Report, the Final Consistency Review, Draft Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report, and other information on the County’s SMP web pages for a more complete understanding of the rationale behind the proposed SMP update. This is still a work in progress and there will likely be several revisions to this document before a new updated SMP is adopted. This document has not yet had a formal review by a technical editor, so there will likely be inconsistencies interminology, formatting and/or grammar/syntax that need to be corrected.Additional work will be needed to fully address the western part of the county,which drains to the Pacific Ocean (WRIA 20). Eventually, the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners will review the proposed SMP revisions and hold formal hearings to solicit public comment. Once the new SMP i s adopted, it must be approved by the State Department of Ecology before it can take effect. Your review will help improve and enhance the final version.
Written comments on the Preliminary Draft SMP document can be submitted in a variety of ways:
Mail: Clallam County Department of Community Development,
223 E. 4th Street, Suite 5, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
Email: SMP@co.clallam.wa.us
Internet: Enter comments inpublic comment box found on County SMP Internet Page at: http://www.clallam.net/RealEstate/html/shoreline_management.htm
Fax: 360– 417 – 2443
SteveGray, Deputy Director/Planning Manager
Clallam County Dept. of Community Development
223 East Fourth Street, Suite 5
Port Angeles, WA 98362-3015
Phone: (360)417-2520; Fax: (360)417-2443
sgray@co.clallam.wa.us
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A study commissioned by the Wild Olympics Campaign says a congressional plan to set aside 132,000 acres in Olympic National Forest as wilderness, which would take the acreage out of forestry production, would have little impact on the timber industry because the timber industry already is restricted from harvesting most of the proposed area. Wild Olympics study says proposed congressional wilderness plan would have little effect on timber industry
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On March 1, 2012, Snohomish County PUD No. 1 (the PUD) filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a 10-year pilot license that will allow the PUD to construct and operate the Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Project (FERC No. 12690). The Final License Application (FLA) was developed after several years of studies and consultation with federal and state agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, and members of the public, all of whom devoted significant resources and expertise to this project. The FLA includes a description of Project facilities and operations, as well as proposed measures to monitor and safeguard public and environmental resources. A copy of the license application is available for review on the PUD’s website at: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/tidal.ashx. Questions regarding the FLA can be directed to Craig Collar at (425) 783-1825.
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At the Undertown in Port Townsend from 6-10 pm Saturday.
This party is the beginning of our fundraising efforts for the film. We will be having similar parties in PA and Seattle in the next month..Kickstarter is "a new way to fund and follow" creative projects online, open to artists and entrepreneurs alike. All projects have a fixed timeline, in our case a month, to meet a funding goal. No money changes hands unless the goal is met, and pledges are not charged until the end of the campaign. Kickstarter donations are not tax-deductible; donors choose among rewards related to the project. So check it out and PLEASE feel free to pass on the link below..Also, we applied and were accepted by the NW film forum, who are non-profit. if someone donates thru them, they take a 5% cut and pass the money on to us…
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1371070207/return-of-the-river
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Knowing that Local Recovery Capacity is one of the Strategic Priorities of the Strait ERN I thought I’d pass this information on to you. See the emails below and the attachments.
Here’s a little background on NOSC. NOSC is an active member organization of the Strait ERN, one whose representatives have volunteered to participate on a number of Strait ERN Task Force groups. They are also a long-time implementer of many on-the-ground restoration projects within the Strait Action Area, as a partner in both of the lead entities working to recover salmon along the Strait, including the North Olympic Peninsula Lead Entity for Salmon and the Hood Canal Coordinating Council. Please note that Salmon Recovery is one of the top six "Packaged" Local Near Term Actions for the Strait ERN within the Action Agenda.
FROM Rebecca Benjamin: The North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC)
Partners, Friends, Supporters & Colleagues,
The State Senate recently moved to eliminate from SENATE BUDGET money from the RFEG account and re-directs it toward hatcheries.
The Senate budget plans to take $1.5 million dollars from 14 Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEG)
Please call your state representatives and members of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees listed in the document.
Representatives for NOSC region:
Senator James Hargrove: 360-786-7646
Rep. Kevin Van De Wege: 360-786-7916
Rep. Steve Tharinger: 360-786-7904
The simplest message is:
I strongly oppose the Senate’s use of RFEG funds to fund state hatcheries. Eliminating funding to RFEG’s will result in substantial reduction in the statewide capacity to implement salmon and habitat restoration work and in the loss of millions of leveraged state and federal dollars and related jobs.
See attached for more context and more detailed messages.
The time to act is NOW, we only have until March 5th to get this budget item OUT of the Senate Budget!
Many thanks for your support of our work and for your help!
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Please let Representative Kevin Van de Wege , Rep Tharinger and Senator Hargrove hear from you on two critical environmental issues which, if lost, will set this State back some years in its environmental protections. Please contact Kevin today (Friday) morning, either by email kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov or by phone 360-786-7916
We are at the home stretch in the state legislature and we need your help on the following two bad environmental rollback bills: SSB6406 and HB 2801. Please take a moment to call Rep. Kevin Van deWege, and Rep Steve Tharinger, along with Senator Hargrove immediately and leave a voice message and urge him to oppose SSB 6406 and Section 104 of HB 2801?
HB 2801: House Bill 2801 is a bill that would weaken rules to protect Washington waters. Section 104 would allow more pollution to seep into Puget Sound and our waterways by gutting Department of Ecology’s new stormwater permit language to address polluted runoff, even before the permit has been adopted, by making aspects (low impact development standards) of the permit"voluntary." This approach is inconsistent with the federal Clean Water Act and a major step backwards on clean water safeguards. Status: House Ways and Means Committee
SSB 6406: Substitute Senate Bill 6406 is made up of several bad proposals rolled into one very large threat to the environment. It would rollback portions of the Growth Management Act (the law that protects our state from sprawl), and make several major policy changes to the State Environmental Policy Act. This bill is also another attack on clean water, potentially delaying implementation of stormwater permits that would prevent polluted runoff from entering Puget Sound and waterways across the state.
Status: Passed through Senator Ways and Means Committee andis on the Senate floor for imminent vote.
Rep. Van de Wege: 360-786-7916 or kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov
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Forecasts for Puget Sound salmon runs call for lower returns this year compared to last year, but officials with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are emphasizing “promising” chinook fishing off Washington’s coast and Columbia River. Christopher Dunagan at the Kitsap Sun goes deep in his ‘Watching Our Water Ways’ blog to explain what the forecasts mean. http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2012/02/29/salmon-managers-will-try-to-eke-out-fishing-options/
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If you eat shellfish, you might not be aware that there is a debate going on between some commercial growers and some folks who are trying to stop the widespread spraying of the herbicide Imazamox to Japanese eelgrass in Willapa Bay and Puget Sound.
Comments are being taken until March 6 by Kathy.Hamel@ecy.wa.gov at the Department of Ecology. Until January of last year Japanese eelgrass was considered to be a Priority Habitat Species by WDFW who – among many others – oppose this proposal for its use in Puget Sound and opposed its classification as a noxious weed last year.
The most ironic part of this is the problem the shellfish industry is having in Willapa Bay can, in large part, be traced directly to their use of Carbaryl spraying to eliminate Ghost Shrimp whose churning of the sediments kept Japanese eelgrass out of the commercial farms. This function being lost has now created a habitat in these commercial farms which has resulted in their press to allow for Imazamox.
If you are interested in asking DOE to find alternative ways of stopping Japanese Eelgrass and not spraying these chemicals on our food supply, read on. I am republishing this on behalf of the Anderson Island Tidelands Group so you can make an informed decision.
___________________________________________________________
Dear All–
Our Department of Ecology (DOE) has a permit application pending that would allow spraying of the chemical imazamox to be used to kill Japanese eelgrass (zostera japonica) on commercial shellfish beds in Washington State marine waters.
This link http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pesticides/eelgrass.html takes you to the DOE page.
This email requests that you make a comment to Kathy Hamel (at link above) stating your opposition to this spray program. The herbicide, imazamox, will kill any zostera japonica that is in the area but will also destroy or maim our native eelgrass zostera marina. Your comments can be as simple as "Don’t spray imazamox" or "Don’t approve this permit application."
You can read about zostera japonica here http://www.wsg.washington.edu/mas/pdfs/Machetal2010ZJWkshopRep.pdf Pages 3 and 4 list some of the laws and regulations already existing that protect japonica. Japonica provides sediment stabilization, nursery and spawning habitat, biodiversity, and is a carbon sink (takes in CO2 and gives off oxygen).
It is also a valuable food source here
http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/103/m103p119.pdf
It provides millions of use days for our migratory birds. Page 125 is notable.
It notes that the invertebrate production provides important foods for fish and waterbirds. Also, on page 125 it states that japonica may be an unusual example of an introduced species that is generally beneficial to major components of an ecosystem.
The shellfish industry is pushing for this spraying–please comment now and say "no spray." Kindly ask your colleagues and contacts to do the same. Contact me with suggestions/comments/questions if you desire.
Thanks!
Regards
Jerry Johannes
Chairman: Anderson Island Tidelands Group
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Who’s next? While I understand the sentiment, I can’t believe that this is legal, even if the legislators pass it. Expect a challenge in court, as any project will be able to avoid environmental regs. This is shameful legislation from the body that passed the original Shoreline Management Act back in the 70s to protect our shores.
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The state House passed HB 2814 to prevent a possible work stoppage on the 520 floating bridge project over environmental concerns. The measure would exempt the project from the state’s Shoreline Management Act, which requires a work stoppage until any lawsuit appealing the granting of an environmental permit is resolved. The bill goes to the state Senate.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/01/2047537/bill-would-prevent-520-work-stoppage.html
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Puget Sound geoducks can live to be 150 years old. A pound of geoduck now sells for around $150 for export to China. Organized crime, poaching and illegal exporting of geoducks have increased. Ashley Ahearn and Katie Campbell report in EarthFix:
The Case Of The Stolen Geoducks
http://earthfix.kcts9.org/water/article/the-case-of-the-stolen-geoduck-millions-of-dollars/
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