Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2015)
8A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015 Ilwaco port watches for furry invaders Will driving sea lions from Astoria send them to Ilwaco? By KATIE WILSON EO Media Group ILWACO, Wash. — Boat owners and marina staff at the Port of Ilwaco have invasion on their minds. What will happen, they wonder, if the sea lions tak- ing over docks and piling up under piers in Astoria begin to feel crowded? Will they come to Ilwaco? “At this point, we’re mon- itoring any activity,” said Guy Glenn Jr., manager for the Port of Ilwaco. “Our primary concern is trying to keep any ¿VKZDVWHRXWRIWKHZDWHUWKDW would potentially attract them to the port.” “We’re a pretty active port here,” he added. “From my understanding, they don’t like a lot of activity. Hopefully, it doesn’t become a problem.” Daily counts of sea lions at the Port of Astoria’s East Mooring Basin have record- ed well over 2,000 animals on certain days — a mix of California sea lions and stel- lar sea lions. The noise they make is deafening. Until this year, average counts had been closer to 100 to 300 animals. /DVW \HDU ZDV WKH ¿UVW KLQW that something was about to change when a count record- ed more than 1,000 sea lions at the mooring basin. Massive runs of smelt in the past two months have also attracted large numbers of harbor seals as well as more VHDOLRQVVWDWH¿VKDQGZLOG- life biologists said. Elsewhere on the West Coast, warm- er waters in California and crashing sardine populations have made the Lower Colum- bia River region even more attractive to sea lions. The Port of Astoria has JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Sea lions and seals rest on the docks of the East Mooring Basin. ‘At this point, we’re monitoring any activity. Our primary concern is trying to keep any fish waste out of the water that would potentially attract them to the port.’ — Guy Glenn Jr. manager for the Port of Ilwaco tested various ways of hazing the animals off the docks, but with little success. The huge sea lions — male Califor- nia sea lions can weigh over 1,000 pounds, male stellar sea lions over 2,000 pounds — are protected: California sea lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and stellar sea lions under the fed- eral Endangered Species Act. This limits what ports can do to keep them at bay. Also, said Jim Knight, ex- ecutive director for the Port of Astoria, there is a real con- cern about where the sea lions would go if they were suc- cessfully hazed out of the East Mooring Basin. Sea lions do occasionally explore the marina at the Port of Ilwaco. One adventurous animal was actually photo- graphed contentedly scooting down a city street near the port one day. One could be heard barking last Saturday morning somewhere near the mooring basin. At the Cape Disappointment Coast Guard station, Coast Guardsmen on duty see sea lions every now and then near their dock. But, in all these cases, the sea lions don’t stick around for long. The port has been careful to emphasize rules that forbid ¿VKHUPHQ IURP WRVVLQJ ¿VK remains into the marina; all things that foul up the marina and could attract hungry sea lions, Glenn said. A recent bill co-sponsored by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beut- ler, R-Wash., the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Preda- tion Prevention Act, would change the Marine Mammal Protection Act and allow trib- al members to kill sea lions and harbor seals. Currently, VWDWHRI¿FLDOVDUHSHUPLWWHGWR identify and kill trouble sea li- ons at Bonneville Dam. Fish and wildlife managers are waiting to see how many animals stick around for the return run of spring salmon. For online updates: www.dailyastorian.com AP Photo/The Oregonian, Stephanie Yao Long Rob Saxton, then the Tigard-Tualatin School District su- perintendent, visited a school on his way into work in Tigard in 2006. Saxton, who was chosen by former Gov. John Kitzhaber to head Oregon’s public school system, announced his resignation Wednesday. State education head resigns to go to district job fessional development, ad- ministration and other areas. Sager, for instance, stood in Rob Saxton, the sec- as an interim superintendent ond-highest ranking educa- in Jewell in 2013. WLRQ RI¿FLDO LQ 2UHJRQ ZLOO The NWRESD board in leave the Oregon Department February decided to suspend of Education to replace James its superintendent search and Sager as superintendent of the instead select an interim to Northwest Regional Educa- start July 1. Saxton will work tion Service District. with the board, staff and dis- Saxton, the deputy superin- trict superintendents to assess tendent of public instruction, the ESD’s strengths, chal- announced the job change in lenges and to make recom- an email Wednesday morning, mendations that will inform stating that his last day with the search for a permanent ODE would be June 30. replacement. “Last night, the board of the Sager, who’s led the Northwest Regional Education NWRESD since 2011, an- Service District approved a nounced his retirement late two-year contract hiring me last year. He’s been in educa- as superintendent there, and tion for more than 30 years. I have accepted their offer,” Saxton was appointed Saxton wrote today. “I look Deputy Superintendent of forward to continuing to sup- Public Instruction by then- port our students and schools Gov. John Kitzhaber in July in this new role, as I have for RI +H ZDV FRQ¿UPHG the past 33 years.” by the Oregon Senate on Sept. The NWRESD covers 20 6D[WRQZDV2UHJRQ¶V¿UVW school districts in Clatsop, appointed head of ODE, fol- Columbia, Tillamook and lowing 2011 legislation that Washington counties, includ- made the governor the super- ing Astoria, Warrenton-Ham- intendent of schools, with the mond, Seaside, Knappa and authority to appoint a deputy Jewell school districts. It to run the department. provides various supports for Gov. Kate Brown, Saxton special education, instruction, said, will soon start the pro- information technology, pro- cess of replacing Saxton. By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO HOMES? HINT: IT HAS TO DO WITH SAVING ENERGY AND MONEY. /CJPBC ORJ CJH@N H<T GJJF <GDF@ @I@MBT @A>D@I>T PKBM<?@N ><I H<F@ < =DB ?DAA@M@I>@ DI O@MHN JA H<SDHDUDIB >JHAJMO RCDG@ M@?P>DIB @I@MBT PN@ <I? >JNO I@MBT /MPNO JA *M@BJI ><I C@GK TJP I? < OM<?@ <GGT >JIOM<>OJM <I? KMJQD?@ ><NC DI>@IODQ@N OC<O C@GK JAAN@O OC@ >JNO JA LP<GDATDIB @I@MBT DHKMJQ@H@ION 2DOC PKBM<?@N OJ TJPM DINPG<ODJI R<O@M C@<O@M <KKGD<I>@N <I? GDBCODIB TJP >JPG? N<Q@ PK OJ K@M>@IO JI TJPM CJH@ @I@MBT >JNON RCDG@ IJO C<QDIB OJ N><G@ =<>F JI >JHAJMO I? < CJPN@ OC<O >JNON G@NN OJ JK@M<O@ DN RJMOC HJM@ + .O<MO N<QDIB JI @I@MBT >JNON OJ?<T <GG PN <O 1.866.368.7878 JM QDNDO www.energytrust.org/residential .@MQDIB >PNOJH@MN JA +JMOG<I? "@I@M<G G@>OMD> +<>D> +JR@M )2 )<OPM<G <I? <N><?@ )<OPM<G "<N