Toxic Algal Blooms And Warming Waters: The Climate Connection – Earthfix

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Al Bergstein

“First U.S. Case of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning.” The event described in this article happened with shellfish collected in Sequim Bay. The Jamestown Tribe is highlighted in the story as having a biologist on staff to test for shellfish issues. They harvest lots of shellfish from the bay and surrounding areas, so they are very aware of the risks involved and what needs to be done to protect their customers. The article does not make any point of clarifying whether the Willifords harvested at a beach that was known to be closed to harvest.

The mussels the Willifords ate around the campfire that night were indeed poisoned. But it was a natural type of poison. The shellfish had sucked up a toxin produced by a certain type of algae called dinophysis.


http://earthfix.kcts9.org/water/article/toxic-algal-blooms-and-warming-waters-the-climate-/

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A special screening of Blackfish. A special screening of Blackfish – Rose Theater PT Saturday 28 September

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Join the crews from Puget Sound Express and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center at the Rose Theatre for a special screening of Blackfish.

Saturday, September 28th
1 p.m.
Rose Theatre,
Port Townsend

Ken Balcomb, who’s featured throughout the film and is the executive director of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, will do a Q&A following the screening. The event is co-sponsored by Puget Sound Express, the Rose Theatre and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTSMC). Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for children.

Blackfish is described as a mesmerizing psychological thriller with a killer whale (orca) at its center. The film features the story of Tilikum, who is an Icelandic transient. Unapologetically designed to both inform and affect, this delicately lacerating documentary uses the tragic tale of a single whale and his human victims as the backbone of a hypercritical investigation into the marine-park giant Sea World Entertainment.
“The documentary Blackfish helps us understand the social structure of whales and provides a glimmer into their complex society,” said Janine Boire, executive director for the PTMSC. “The movie challenges our view of humans and whales and how we interact together.”

Pete Hanke, owner of Puget Sound Express, agreed saying, “The events portrayed in the film that took place 40 years ago still affect the orca population in our area today. Blackfish certainly brings to our attention the impact of whale imprisonment for human amusement.”

Ken Balcomb is a pioneer in photo-identification of cetaceans and is the founder of Orca Survey (1976), a study of Pacific Northwest Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcas). Not only has he participated in humpback studies across both oceans but also rare beaked whale identification throughout the world. One of his main interests is the effect of sonar on cetaceans and how that causes mass stranding. He founded the non-profit Center for Whale Research in 1985 and is its executive director.

Puget Sound Express has been in operation as a charter boat company for 27 years, offering whale watching tours. It’s a family-run business, with three generations of knowledge and caring at the ready. For more information, go to http://www.pugetsoundexpress.com or call 360.385.5288.

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Saturday is National Public Lands and National Estuary Day

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Saturday is National Public Lands Day and National Estuaries Day! Just celebrate: The San Juan County Land Bank invites you to Watmough Bay on Lopez Island (https://www.facebook.com/events/1805312319607751/) and in Olympia join in on the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team’s annual picnic (https://www.facebook.com/events/214667052027419/). And don’t forget to tell the BLM what your dreams are for the San Juan Islands National Monument, Thursday on Orcas and Friday on San Juan and Lopez

(https://www.facebook.com/SanJuanIslandsNationalMonument).

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Mystery solved: Kelp off Elwha River mouth a rare spring variety found in late summer – Peninsula Daily News

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Al Bergstein

A mystery kelp found during a survey of Clallam County offshore sea life has been positively identified as a regionally native but rare growth known as Laminaria ephemera…. Read the rest of the story at the PDN link below.
Arwyn Rice reports.
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130923/news/309239979/mystery-solved-kelp-off-elwha-river-mouth-a-rare-spring-variety

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Will Hood Canal experience a fish kill this year? – Chris Dunagan

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Chris Dunagan blogs: Are we about to see one of the infamous fish kills that we have observed in Southern Hood Canal in past years? I am unable to sound any alarms at this time, but if you live in the Hoodsport-Potlatch area or are scuba diving nearby, you might want to watch for dead fish on the surface, rockfish or shrimp swimming in shallow water, or wolf eels and octopuses acting strangely.

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2013/09/22/will-hood-canal-experience-a-fish-kill-this-year/#axzz2fh3OuE5Z

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Mystery kelp found in Strait at Elwha River mouth – PDN

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Al Bergstein

An uncommon species of kelp was found last week off the Elwha River mouth — possibly a species that has not been seen there before. A team of scientists found the kelp, thought to be Laminaria ephemera or Laminaria yezoensis, during a survey of the Strait of Juan de Fuca near the Elwha River mouth and brought it to the Feiro Marine Life Center on City Pier for temporary safekeeping. “There is something strange going here, something different,” said Steve Rubin, a fishery biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. Arwyn Rice reports.

Read the whole story at:

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130919/news/309199984/mystery-kelp-found-in-strait-at-elwha-river-mouth

Support local journalism: subscribe to the Peninsula Daily News

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Cantwell Grills NOAA Nominee on Ocean Acidification Funding – KPLU

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Ocean health is at stake as Congress decides whether to confirm the next head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The nominee faced tough questions from Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, about funding for research of and adaptation to ocean acidification…. In the confirmation hearing, Senator Cantwell grilled the nominee, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, about proposed cuts to a monitoring program. Bellamy Pailthorp reports.

http://kplu.org/post/cantwell-grills-noaa-nominee-ocean-acidification-funding http://kplu.org/post/cantwell-grills-noaa-nominee-ocean-acidification-funding

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EVENT: Sept 21st in PA – Peabody Creek Restoration

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Al Bergstein

EVENT: Sept 21st in PA - Peabody Creek Restoration

Want a chance to get outside and do some good for your ‘hood? Here you go.

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Job Announcement – Jefferson County Conservation District

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Job Announcement

Manager/Technician
Jefferson Co. Conservation District

205 W. Patison St., Port Hadlock WA 98339

Phone 360-385-4105 email: info@jeffersoncd.org Website http://www.jeffersoncd.org

Salary: $21 – $23/Hour DOE Deadline: October 15, 2013, 4:00 pm

Permanent, ¾ to Full-time with benefits

Jefferson Co. Conservation District announces a position opening for District Manager/Technician in their Port Hadlock, Washington office. This is a 3/4 to full-time position with benefits. The Manager/Technician administers District operations and provides technical assistance to landowners, community groups and agencies for voluntary, incentive based options that support working landscapes while protecting and enhancing our natural resources. The programs are geared towards landowners who reside within the boundaries of the Jefferson Co. Conservation District. The District Manager/Technician is responsible for overall management of the Conservation District, supervision of district employees and providing technical assistance to district clients. The District Manager/Technician assists the Board of Supervisors with the coordination, management and administration of conservation programs throughout the Jefferson Co. Conservation District.

Qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree in natural resources, environmental planning/science, sustainable development, agriculture/forestry/agronomy, public administration/management/leadership, or any closely related field, and a minimum of three years of supervisory and program management experience is required. Additional qualifying experience may substitute year-for-year for the education requirement. The applicant must have a demonstrated ability to manage multiple, diverse issues and a proven commitment to land stewardship on private lands. Candidates with proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Access, Publisher, etc.) and GIS are encouraged to apply. Candidates with a natural resources and agriculture background strongly preferred.

Duties

§ Assist the Board of Supervisors with the coordination, management and administration of conservation programs throughout the Jefferson Co. Conservation District

§ Develop and maintain strong working relationships with landowners, other districts and local, state, tribal and federal agencies, and elected officials.

§ Coordinate and provide technical assistance to District clients.

§ Represent the Board, as directed, at local and regional meetings that may affect the Board and/or District programs.

§ Coordinate monthly Board meetings (including proper recording of official meeting minutes) and keep the Board informed of actions taken, trends in conservation and issues of interest to the Board.

§ Serve as liaison for the Board of Supervisors and coordinate closely with the Washington Association of Conservation Districts (WACD), the Washington State Conservation Commission (WSCC) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

§ Continue to develop and maintain the District’s Operational Policy & Procedures Manual with input from staff and approval by the Board.

The measure of success is the proactive delivery of services to private landowners and the general public in a professional, efficient and productive manner leading to the conservation of local natural resources consistent with the mission and goals of the District. The successful candidate must be able to work productively with a diverse community of landowners including farmers, forest landowners, community organizations, tribes, and government agencies. The position reports directly to the Board of Supervisors. A full job description is available from the District website http://www.jeffersoncd.org .

To apply for this position:

Applicants must provide a cover letter, completed application form (available from the conservation district office or website), a resume, and three professional references. Applications must be received at the Jefferson Co. Conservation District office on or before 4:00 pm, October 15, 2013, in hard copy and/or electronic format.

For more information contact the District office at 360-385-4105..

An application can be downloaded from the website http://www.jeffersoncd.org or picked up at the District office.

Please submit the packet to:

Jefferson Co. Conservation District

205 W. Patison St.

Port Hadlock WA 98339

Or via email to info@jeffersoncd.org

—

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Navy agrees to EIS on Growler jets – Skagit Valley News

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Al Bergstein

This is news for the Olympic Peninsula because we are affected by their training flights over us, which happen often at night as late as midnight. I would like to see Jefferson County and Port Townsend weigh in with their thoughts on the EIS.

The U.S. Navy says it will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement that looks at the potential impact of adding 13 “Growler” fighter aircraft to the Whidbey Island fleet. The Navy this week issued a notice of intent to prepare an EIS assessing current and future operations of the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, including operations at the Coupeville Outlying Field. An environmental group filed a lawsuit against the Navy in July seeking an EIS because of the potential impact on Ebey’s Landing, a National Historic Reserve managed by the National Park Service. Kimberly Cauvel reports.

http://www.goskagit.com/all_access/navy-agrees-to-eis-on-growler-jets/article_afcccbfd-271a-5ecd-9b55-24142109378e.html

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Salmon heading to spawn past Elwha Dam site – King 5 & PDN

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Al Bergstein

And more good news….

For the second year in a row, salmon are swimming in streams above the site of the former Elwha Dam. The Peninsula Daily News reports last summer’s return of salmon to the Elwha River above the former dam’s site were the first in 100 years. Olympic National Park spokeswoman Rainey McKenna says biologists have counted at least 500 adult chinook in the river, as well as a few pink salmon and coho.

http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Salmon-spawn-Elwha-Dam–222951691.html

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Dungeness River has biggest salmon run in a half-century – PDN

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Al Bergstein

So it would appear that at least some of the restoration work on the Dungeness is bearing fruit. One year doesn’t make a trend, but the trend has been going in the right direction for some time now. The Dungeness River Management Team celebrated their 25th year as a collaborative effort to help bring back the salmon. This is a great present to them.

The biggest run of pink salmon in the Dungeness River since 1963 is underway. The biannual summer run of pink salmon, also known as humpbacks or humpies, has filled the river with spawning fish so full that people easily can see the fish just about anywhere in the Dungeness River, said Scott Chitwood, natural resources director of the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe. Arwyn Rice reports.

http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130908/NEWS/309089987/dungeness-river-has-biggest-salmon-run-in-a-half-century

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ScienceDaily report on Fukushima plume.

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Al Bergstein

The real story, not the fake ones circulating with NOAA tsunamai maps mislabeled as this one.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130828092312.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+(ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News)

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Mega-Ships Big Opportunity For Northwest Ports – KUOW.org

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Al Bergstein

And the other questions not asked, is how much more fuel are these large ships carrying, and are they double hulled?

One of the world’s largest ships arrived at the Port of Tacoma Sunday morning. The Zim Djibouti slipped in at dawn, carrying loads of goods for big box stores. The vessel is 10,000 TEUs in size, meaning it holds 5,000 shipping containers. When the Zim Djibouti appeared on Sunday, fresh from a port in Vancouver, B.C., containers were 18 across on its upper deck. The ship is part of a new wave of cargo ships emerging from Asian shipyards. They’re super-sized to save fuel costs. Carolyn Adolph reports.
http://kuow.org/post/mega-ships-big-opportunity-northwest-ports

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Public comment period for wasterwater permit fee increase – Skagit County News

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Al Bergstein

The state Department of Ecology has proposed a fee increase for some types of wastewater discharge permits and is accepting public comment on the proposal through Oct. 1. Permits for dairies, concentrated animal feeding operations, aquatic pest control, boatyards, stormwater and large municipal wastewater treatment plants would see an increase of 4.55 percent in 2014 and 4.63 in 2015.

Kimberly Cauvel reports.
http://www.goskagit.com/news/local_news/public-comment-period-for-wasterwater-permit-fee-increase/article_60df6038-1c46-547a-acce-2ddad3eea5a9.html

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Jobs Jobs Jobs

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Heads up job seekers. Wildlife and the environment don’t eat money. That money goes to pay for the folks that protect it.

1. NatureBridge seeks Director of Outreach and Enrollment – Seattle Office/Olympic National Park Review of applications begins August 23rd Full details at: http://www.naturebridge.org/director-outreach-enrollment

2. Dept. of Ecology, Public Involvement Coordinator (Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 3) Closes August 26th

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/washington/default.cfm?action=viewJob&jobID=710715

3. Snohomish Conservation District , Outreach Assistant Closes August 28th http://snohomishcd.org/employment/Outreach%20Assistant%20Announcement_2013%20Final.pdf

4. Department of Ecology, Corrective Action Outreach Specialist (Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 4) Closing Date/Time: Fri. 08/30/13 11:59 PM Pacific Time

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/washington/default.cfm?action=viewJob&jobID=709018

5. Skagit Conservation Education Alliance, SCEA Office & Communications Manager Closes Sept. 4th Description Attached

6. Puget Sound Partnership, Ecosystem Recovery Coordinator (x2) Closes September13th http://tinyurl.com/mxkvnog

7. Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, Reserve Manager Closes September 30th

http://www.nps.gov/ebla/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageID=645586

8. Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Foundation, Nearshore Program Manager Closes September 13th http://www.nwstraits.org/uploads/pdf/Foundation/NWSF-Nearshore%20Program%20Manager.pdf

9. Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Foundation, Outreach and Development Manager Closes September 13th http://www.nwstraits.org/uploads/pdf/Foundation/NWSF-Outreach%20and%20Dev%20Manager.pdf

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Dan McConnell on Lou Whitaker

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Dan McConnell on the legacy of Lou Whitaker. As Dan says,”

“Lou is a remarkable man and his achievements are many.  I celebrate Lou’s career as a true mountain man.”

http://extremedanmc.blogspot.com/2013/08/credit-where-credit-is-due.html

Join us in Port Townsend on September 20th for a special event.

 

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New films highlight salmon recovery efforts across the State

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

From the State Department of Recreation and Conservation Office. Very well done videos by the good folks at North40 over in Wenatchee.

We at the Recreation and Conservation Office and the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office are proud of our work to finalize and distribute our new video and clips about salmon recovery in Washington State. Our wide distribution is in progress. Please help us spread the word about the salmon recovery story and our state’s great work to recover these iconic species.

The 10-minute video and 2-minute clips reveal why salmon are so important to Washington State. The videos present perspectives from tribes, agencies, scientists, public citizens and other salmon recovery partners working to bring salmon back from the brink of extinction. Visit our YouTube site and watch the videos.

We’ve had important successes in salmon recovery over the past several years. The videos emphasize some of the returns on our investments as well as the need for continued support. While we need to show the progress we are making, there is work ahead and some salmon populations are still in serious trouble. These issues are also detailed by the Treaty Indian Tribes in western Washington in their paper on tribal Treaty Rights at Risk and in the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission’s State of the Watersheds Report.

Please post the You Tube link to these videos on your website and Facebook page, as well as mention them in a tweet. It is our intent to share these videos broadly to shine light on the importance of salmon to our economy and our ecosystems.

Feel free to localize the message for your audiences. The short clips satisfy various interests by capturing perspectives from tribal and state co-managers to commercial fishers, landowners, scientists, and others. If you need information about how to embed the videos contact Jennifer.Johnson@gsro.wa.gov

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTGndUjkDko&feature=share&list=PLjYJiZuq3RP98CtprIwqXEAWSahCk_0T7

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Will term limits lead to MRC overhaul? – San Juan Journal

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Why is this story important to the Peninsula? Because as we in Jefferson County debate the possible conversion to a Charter County, the San Juans, which converted to a Charter County in the middle of the last decade, are now in the process of politicizing their advisory committees because the Tea Party activists that now control the county have chosen to do so. Folks, as we look at the choice of whether to turn Charter, the hard reality is that it is very likely to have severe unintended consequences. While the current process here seems to be pushed by liberals, the outcome is not guaranteed to be environmental leaning.

NOTE: There is an active comments section on this story. Feel free to read it and join in.

A newly established policy that ushered in term limits to San Juan County’s numerous advisory committees could lead to a major overhaul of the MRC. Eight positions on the Marine Resources Committee will be appointed by the County Council in the coming weeks and a new MRC coordinator will soon be announced.
On July 30, Philip Green, Robin Hirsch and Chuck Schietinger were appointed to MRC positions 2, 1 and 4, respectively.

The appointments were made without notice or prior naming of the candidates during the final agenda time, titled “County Manager and Clerk Updates.”

Steve Wehrly reports.
http://www.sanjuanjournal.com/news/220528501.html

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Can-Am Leaders Launch Salmon Recovery Effort – Earthfix

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

UPDATE SINCE FIRST PUBLISH: (I’ve substantially rewritten this after chatting with Jacques White)

I think that Ashley Ahearn for Earthfix may have not quite got right the gist of what this project is going to be all about. After reading this article, and posting my thoughts, I called and chatted with Jaques White of the “Long Live the Kings”, one of the core groups helping get this project done. Jacques told me that this is all about creating monitoring of nearshore habitat for primarily steelhead, as they are the most robust younger fish and can actually more easily be tracked. Jacques stated that there if very little knowledge about what these fish do after reaching the salt water, and if we can figure them out, perhaps we can bring science to bear on fixing the problem of their high mortality rates, which have gotten much worse since the 1980s, never recovering to previous numbers.

The money will be spent on hiring scientists to monitor these fish and their habitats, both from the NW Indian Fisheries and State Dept of Fish and Wildlife.  So all good work to get the money to research this problem more.

It’s a good thing to get the leaders from both countries together and try and come up with the latest in scientific data on why, despite all the best of work and intentions, our salmon are still going down over all. However, not all is dire. Runs are increasing on many rivers, due to an incredible amount of work by many thousands of people and agencies. Those watersheds are being repopulated with fish because people already know what’s wrong and are working to implement solutions. However, as mentioned in the story, “The marine survival for many stocks of chinook, coho and steelhead that migrate through the Salish Sea is now less than one-tenth of what it was 30 years ago.” At least the participants in this new entity are good choices, and include a wide range of active participants in current solutions.

A stumbling block on all this  is the ugly truth that the Canadian government is purposely blocking independent researchers like Alexandra Morton from finding out what is really going on with fish viruses, which she has shown to be present. Unless Canada is willing  to accept that they may have a massive problem on their hands that might go against their business interests, and stop protecting the foreign investments that seem to be buying Ottawa’s support, it’s likely this will not help much for increasing ocean stocks. The Canadian government is treating Morton like a pariah, their actions speak much louder than their words. They have actively been shutting down any and all government funded labs that choose to work with her in the last six months alone. This is really outrageous, and puts their efforts to help fix the problem as suspect. So with that background, here’s the article by Earthfix.

Leaders on salmon research and recovery from the U. S. and Canada came together in Seattle Wednesday to announce a new project. It’s called the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project and it’s meant to address a major question: Why aren’t salmon and steelhead in Washington and Canadian waters recovering, despite the millions of dollars that have been spent on research and habitat restoration? “We have a fairly clear idea of what salmon need and what they’re doing in the freshwater environment. We know considerably less about the marine systems,” said Jacques White, executive director of Long Live The Kings. The Seattle-based non-profit is coordinating the effort along with the Pacific Salmon Foundation in B.C. Ashley Ahearn reports.

http://earthfix.kcts9.org/flora-and-fauna/article/new-transboundary-salmon-recovery-effort-launched/

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