Portland, OR - As the region looks for more effective ways to integrate wind and other renewable energy sources, the Bonneville Power Administration and its customers have agreed to settle the portion of BPA’s rate case that defines charges for balancing services, or generation inputs, that maintain a constant balance of the energy produced and energy consumed. 

Montesano, WA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will close Lake Sylvia to fishing by the public for 12 hours prior to the local fishing event. Lake Sylvia will reopen at 6:00 a.m. on June 8.

The closure is effective for all game fish from 6 p.m. June 7 through 6 a.m. June 8, 2013. Fish for the event will be planted the evening prior to the event to better acclimate them to the lake. Organizers of this event donate time, effort, and money to raise and stock trout into Lake Sylvia. The organizers also help with other fishing events in local lakes. The expected participation for this year’s event is about 350 kids. Lake Sylvia is open year-round with the exception of this closure.

Olympia, WA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to close the recreational halibut fishery in Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores), on May 20th. 
The department said recreational halibut fishing remains open in other coastal and Puget Sound areas, but that the Marine Area 2 recreational halibut fishery is projected to have taken the Pacific halibut quota for the primary season and the northern nearshore area by the end of the day May 19, 2013.
Effective May 20, 2013, the department will close the recreational halibut fishery in Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores), including the northern nearshore area from the Queets River (47º31.70'N. latitude) south to Point Chehalis (46º58.00'N. latitude) and east of a line approximating the 30 fathom depth contour as defined by the following coordinates until further notice.
47 º 31.70 N. lat, 124 º 37.03 W. long
47 º 25.67 N. lat, 124 º 34.79 W. long
47 º 12.82 N. lat, 124 º 29.12 W. long
46 º 58.00 N. lat, 124 º 24.24 W. long
This rule conforms to federal action taken by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).

Aberdeen, WA - The Aberdeen Police Department is currently investigating the disappearance of Ener Perez-Gonzalez, a 43-year old Hispanic man, who Police Captain John Green tells us has been missing since February 21.

Gonzalez is 5'06", weighing 160 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes, and was last observed on the Wishkah Road in the area of mile post 10 on February 21st, 2013. Green said Perez-Gonzalez has family members in the Aberdeen area who have had no contact with him since then.

Anybody who may have knowledge of his whereabouts or have seen him since he was reported missing is asked to call the Aberdeen Police Department at (360) 533-3180. A message may also be left on the Tip Line at (360) 538-4450.

OLYMPIA - Clam diggers will get one more chance to dig razor clams this season during a three-day opening at Twin Harbors, running Friday through Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

The morning dig scheduled May 24-26 got the green light from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) after marine toxin tests showed the clams at Twin Harbors are safe to eat.

All other ocean beaches will remain closed to clam digging, and digging at Twin Harbors must end each day at noon.

"This last dig caps off a great season," said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. "Since last October, diggers have harvested more than five million razor clams, making this season the most productive in over 20 years."

Ayres said annual harvest quotas have been met at all razor-clam beaches except Twin Harbors, which started the season with an exceptionally large population of razor clams. WDFW also adopted a new method to set catch levels at Twin Harbors and Long Beach, which also boosted the allowable harvest at both beaches this season, he said.

Harvest limits aside, Ayres said WDFW routinely closes the razor clam fishery by the end of May to give the clams a chance to spawn. The next season will begin in fall, when the older clams have recovered from spawning and a new generation begins to grow beneath the sand.