Presentation by Charles Moore: "Saving our Oceans From Plastic"

Charles Moore to present at The Landing Mall on Thursday January 26th at 6:30pm

Like a synthetic siren, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch drew Charles Moore to science; now his research raises deep questions about plastic. Moore first encountered the 2-million-square-mile floating landfill by chance in 1997, as skipper of a catamaran. His discovery turned him into a scientist/activist, and prompted a global reassessment of plastic's invasiveness. Moore chronicles his investigations of our ocean's plastic load in his newly-published book, Plastic Ocean.

Moore will be speaking in Port. Angeles at The Landing Mall, Upstairs Conference Room, 115 E. Railroad Ave. Port Angeles, WA 9363

For details, please contact Anne Shaffer, anne.shaffer@coastalwatershedinstitute.org. A 5$ donation is requested.

NOAA Tsunami Debris Presentation

WHEN: January 23rd, 5:30-7:30 pm
WHERE: Commissioners Meeting Room, Clallam County Courthouse

Nir Barnea, West Coast Regional Director for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program will be speaking at the regular monthly meeting of the Clallam County Marine Resource Committee.  His talk will focus on the marine debris associated with the March 2011 tsunami in Japan, focusing on early post-tsunami observations, NOAA’s debris modeling efforts and more recent observations of debris made in the northeast Pacific Ocean.  There will be an opportunity for questions.

All chapter members interested in the imminent arrival of debris from the Japanese Tsunami should plan on attending.
Sincerely,
Eric Waterkotte
Olympic Peninsula Chapter, Surfrider Foundation

Net Pens Information

At our November meeting Dave Parks shared information about a proposed commercial aquaculture, fish farming, project on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  In order to share information about the proposed project and net pens in general, we have created a Net Pens Information Page.  As we continue to find information and more becomes available, we will share via the page.  Currently, you can read through the project proposal, aquaculture standards and best practices and come up to speed on raising commercial seafood, specifically salmon, in net pens.

Thanks and stay tuned for more,
OPC

CSO action you can take tomorrow night!

CITY ENGINEER TO CONDUCT CITY’S CSO SOLUTION PRESENTATION

City of Port Angeles City Engineer Mike Puntenney will be conducting a presentation on the City’s solution for the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, at 6:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, 321 E. 5th Street.

The focus of Puntenney’s presentation will be wastewater and stormwater in the Port Angeles community, highlighting historically how we evolved into the CSO problem we have today and the City’s solution, as required by the Washington State Department of Ecology. CSOs are discharges of untreated combined wastewater and stormwater released into creeks, streams and the harbor, typically occurring during periods of heavy rainfall.

Representatives from the consultant firm Brown and Caldwell, and the Washington State Department of Ecology will also be in attendance. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Mike Puntenney is a Professional Industrial Engineer and has been with the City of Port Angeles for 7 years. He was appointed City Engineer in October of 2010.

Puget Sound Shoreline Armoring Conference Proceedings

Below is a link to a recent conference (May 2009) on the effects of shoreline armoring in Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca.

http://wa.water.usgs.gov/SAW/abstracts.html

Check it out.

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
The Surfrider Foundation

Thanks Volunteers! 2009 Coastal Cleanup

The Olympic Peninsula Chapter wants to thank all the hundreds of volunteers who spent time this weekend to contribute to a healthier Washington by removing trash from coastal beaches.

Our Chapter was located at Hobuck Beach at Neah Bay and provided lunch for the hardworking volunteers.

Special Thanks to Mike Wheeler and Darryl Wood for organizing the logistics and doing the cooking. Great Job guys!

Additional thanks to Chapter members Arnold and Debbie Schouten, Lindsay Wheeler, Eric and Sarah Waterkotte, Kendra Parks, Charlie Parks, Nick and Sally Parry, and Jody Kennedy and family, for participating in the cleanup.

Finally, thanks to the Makah Nation (especially Officer Butterworth) for sharing their resources and welcoming us to their wonderful home.

Great Job Everyone.

Westport Jetty Renewal Project

The Army Corps of Engineers has published a report on the basics of the Westport Jetty Project. Click here to see the Army Corps' presentation on the Westport Jetty Project.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is updating their management plan!

Since its designation in 1994, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary has combined innovative ocean research, progressive management and policy, and inspiring education programs to protect one of America's most significant ocean treasures. This fall, the sanctuary is beginning a thorough re-examination of their management priorities. This is a pubic process and will be greatly enhanced by the input of people who use and care about Washington’s outer coast.

Please attend an upcoming public meeting:

• Port Angeles: 9/29/08, 6-9pm, Peninsula College Longhouse South Campus
• Neah Bay: 9/30/08, 6-9pm, Makah Marina Conference Center, Makah Reservation, Bayview Ave
• La Push: 10/1/08, 6-9pm, A-Ka-Lat Center, Quileute Reservation on La Push Road

For more information, visit: http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/welcome.html

Puget Sound Partnership

The Puget Sound Partnership is developing an Action Agenda that will guide state, federal, and local efforts to save the Sound by 2020. Development of this Agenda presents an enormous opportunity to effect change on behalf of the water quality and the overall health of Puget Sound.

You can help ensure that the Chapter’s priorities, including PUBLIC ACCESS, are captured in the Partnership’s final Action Agenda by contacting the Partnership NOW. The Partnership is expected to release a draft Agenda this October.

Shoreline access
Public access to Puget Sound shorelines is limited. Let the Partnership know that you would like to see more money available for acquiring shoreline property and opening it up to the public. Enhancing recreational opportunities along the Sound will connect people to the very resource we need to protect. Public shoreline parks offer education and restoration opportunities that can help get people engaged and committed to doing what’s necessary to save Puget Sound.

Other priority actions to consider including in your comments:

• Restore to health 500 miles of shoreline by 2020.
• Create more shoreline public parks.
• Require and increase incentives for low-impact development to help control stormwater.
• Upgrade sewage treatment plants and infrastructure.
• Station a permanent year round rescue tug at Neah Bay to help prevent oil spills.
• Establish a regional water quality monitoring system that captures environmental impacts as well as program effectiveness.
• Help Elwha Dam Removal and restoration of the nearshore by confirming a realistic timeline for removal and implementing accountability measures that hold partners to this timeline.
  

TO SEND COMMENTS, you can...

Email to actionagenda@psp.wa.gov

Mail them to:
Puget Sound Partnership
P.O. Box 40900
Olympia, WA 98504-0900
800.54.SOUND or 360.725.5444

Or submit via this weblink: http://www.psp.wa.gov/aa_contact.php

To learn more about the Puget Sound Partnership, please visit:
http://www.psp.wa.gov