President’s budget makes Doppler Radar a priority

President Obama’s budget includes $7 million for a Doppler weather radar system for Washington’s coast. “Despite having the worst non-tropical storms in the nation, Washington State has the worst weather radar coverage of any U.S. coastline,” said Senator Maria Cantwell who has championed this issue. Cantwell will be working hard in DC to ensure that the funds for the Doppler are appropriated.

A new Doppler system will expand coverage to be able to detect storms 165 kilometers off the coast. This service will be vital for marine recreational users and many of our northwest marine industries, including shipping and fishing. In addition, Doppler will help to prevent oil spills caused by weather related accidents.

The Salish Sea

Today’s Crossuct http://crosscut.com/2009/03/27/mossback/18927/ is worth reading. Knute Berger writes an interesting article about naming the northwest waters that connect Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia the “Salish Sea”. At issue in the article is the concern that a new name might undermine work to educate Washingtonians about the urgent need to protect and restore Puget Sound. It is unfortunate that an effort to mark the greater ecosystem and to link us to our northern neighbors and our rich cultural history with the traditional name is being clouded by the plight of Puget Sound. However, the real sad story is that despite all the resources, especially knowledge, at our disposal in this region, Puget Sound is still so polluted that our resident killer whales are among the most toxic in the world. Research tells us that about 52 million pounds of untreated toxic chemicals including oil and petroleum products, PCBs and phthalates flow into up Puget Sound every year. That’s over 140 thousand pounds per day. Let's work to tackle this daunting number. Come to the next chapter meeting, answer our next action alert, make changes at home, and engage your friends and neighbors.

Success on the Neah Bay Tug

In Washington, it is hard to imagine a better way to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill than by winning the long fought campaign for a year-round rescue tug at Neah Bay. Huge thanks to Surfrider Foundation's own, Kevin Ranker, now a freshman senator in the Washington State Legislature, for adopting this initiative and making it happen. He worked with a great team including People for Puget Sound, the Makah Tribe, Fred Felleman, Surfrider Foundation and others.

Check out the story in today's Seattle PI

Neah Bay Tug

Washington residents and ocean lovers -- your beaches, sound, and ocean needs you on Wednesday February 11th at 3:30PM.

This session a new proposal is on the table for funding the Neah Bay rescue tug – SB 5344 sponsored by Surfrider Foundation’s ocean champion, Kevin Ranker. The Neah Bay tug is our best defense against small to catastrophic oil spills in the Strait and on the outer coast. This bill places financial responsibility for funding the tug on shipping and tanker vessels traveling through the Straits – the very ships that present the risk of a spill. Thanks to our efforts over the past few years, we do not need to convince the legislature that the tug is a priority; we just need to help them understand that this proposed funding mechanism is both smart and fair.

Wednesday, February 11th this bill will go before the Senate Environment, Water, and Energy Committee. We need to fill the hearing room with supporters to demonstrate that the legislature must pass this bill.

PLEASE COME SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.

WHAT: Senate Environment, Water, and Energy Committee hearing on the Rescue Tug (SB 5344) sponsored by Surfrider Foundation ocean champion, Senator Kevin Ranker

WHERE: J.A. Cherberg Bldg. on Olympia’s capitol campus, Hearing Room 4

WHEN: Wednesday, February 11 at 3:30PM.

Questions, contact Shannon Serrano 253-905-3478, sserrano(at)surfrider.org or Jody Kennedy 206-940-6509, jkennedy(at)surfrider.org.

Photo: Kathy Greer, a tanker passes by the popular beaches at Westport.

Puget Sound has a new plan for restoring it to health

On December 1st the Leadership Council of the Puget Sound Partnership formally adopted the Action Plan to clean up the Sound by the year 2020. Surfrider Foundation activists and staff have been following the development of the Agenda and offering input along the way. South Sound Chapter Chair, Mike Webb, testified twice before the Leadership Council. In addition, countless members and activists submitted comments. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. They had an impact.

Our message has been that this new initiative to save Puget Sound needs to be much bolder than those in the past. In particular, we emphasized that the Puget Sound Partnership must prioritize opportunities for residents and visitors to connect with the waters of Puget Sound. Whether people experience the Sound from the marine waters, the shoreline, or up in the watershed, exploring and learning about the rich ecosystem that spans from the crest of the Cascades to the Straits of Juan de Fuca is one of the best strategies for conservation. Our connection to Puget Sound is what drives us to understand and care about this resource. Our connection is what inspires us to steward this resource for our neighbors and our grandchildren.

The Puget Sound Action Agenda is a bold new plan to save the Sound. It is also ambitious. And if it is going to be successful, it is going to take the actions of all us who live and recreate here. I encourage you to visit the Partnership’s website and watch the Action Agenda video: http://www.psp.wa.gov/aa_action_agenda.php .

Jody

Act NOW on behalf of Puget Sound

Washington's action agenda for restoring Puget Sound to health by 2020 is out. Public comments, YOUR COMMENTS, are needed to make sure the agenda will accomplish its goal. To send comments fast from Surfrider Foundation’s website: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/pugetsound.

While Puget Sound may look beautiful and vibrant on the surface, the quality of the water, the condition of the shorelines, and the health of marine species are in serious peril. Just this month, researchers confirmed that seven orcas, 10% of the Puget Sound population, are missing and believed to be dead. Toxins in the food web and diminished salmon populations are largely to blame. Another underlying cause is us. Our actions, our inactions, our lack of awareness, our failure to hold governments and industry accountable -- we play a large role. This is our Puget Sound, it is our backyard and if we care about its future, we need to step up and help. There are so many easy things that we can do to make a difference, starting with sending comments on the Puget Sound Action Agenda.

Send comments to the Puget Sound Partnership right now by going to Surfrider Foundation's action alert http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/pugetsound or by going to the Puget Sound Partnership’s website: http://www.psp.wa.gov/. The comment period ends Thursday, November 20th.

Election 2008

VOTE!

Whether voting by absentee or at the ballot box, do not miss this enormous opportunity to support our oceans, waves and beaches among numerous other critical issues at stake in this election. Surfrider Foundation does not endorse candidates, but we do strongly encourage you to vote.

Also, I am happy to share my thoughts on a couple of Washington’s ballot initiatives. This year, there are two initiatives addressing transportation choices. First I-985, this initiative deceptively appears to reduce traffic, but in fact would do the opposite. As The Seattle Times writes, “The result [of I-985] will be more cars on the roads and more congestion by mid-December. Happy Holidays to you.” The second is Prop 1. This proposition offers more transit solutions, including express buses and light rail. The cost of this measure will be about $69 per person per year, which is just a little more than one tank of gas. As The Tacoma News Tribune wrote, “We think that’s a reasonable price for fast and reliable mass transit.” Transportation is an issue for our ocean and coasts. Increasing traffic and road construction leads to more air pollution and more stormwater runoff, which means decreasing water quality.

Very importantly, please make sure to vote in every race on the ballot. Your state and local elected officials will have an impact on the future health of Washington’s ocean and coasts.

Jody