Last Saturday I went over 520 to Seattle at around 9:30AM & returned going Eastbound around noon. The eagle pair were there at both times hunting- one was perching on the north metal sculpture, the other, on the lamppost nearest the sculpture.

Why, I wonder, does environmental law only protect where an endangered species nests, and not where the species hunts? Doesn’t the availability of their food source impact  a species as much as where to nest?

All this is because I’m wondering how WSDOT & SDOT & Sound Transit & the cities of Seattle & Bellevue will mitigate impacts to the wildlife living in the Arboretum when redevelopment of the 520 bridge happens….thoughts?

Update: I’ve seen other info re: the eagle pair hunting from the 520 bridge:

1. “Eagle Eyes on the 520 Bridge”- http://blogs.king5.com/archives/2009/03/eagleeyes-on-th.html

2. WSDOT SR 520 DEIS- http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/5969A3E2-01E1-4000-8F80-F18D006CEE7/0/SR520DEIS_AppendixWPart2.pdf

3. Northwest Cable News by Deborah Feldman- http://www.nwcn.com/archive/61211932.html

A state panel has finally selected a preferred option on replacing the floating 520 bridge. The panel voted 10 to 2 in favor of replacing the existing bridge from Interstate 5 to Medina with a new six-lane bridge, which would include one HOV lane in each direction. It would feature a new Montlake interchange, similar to the current interchange, with a new bascule bridge across the cut. It also would add some improvement to transit connections, as well as a reversible HOV lane connecting to Interstate 5. The cost will be about $4.6 billion but it will not increase ...

Washington is going where no highway tolls have gone before, a transportation consultant told state legislators Tuesday.

In today's SeattlePI.com, Aubrey Cohen asks, Will more Washington roads take their toll on drivers? The story focused on widespread tolling and its impact on consumers: Individual drivers would shrug off tolls "as the cost of living in modern society, similar to an increase in gas prices," but businesses would pass the cost on to customers, Ennis wrote. "The overall effect of extensive tolling will be to depress total economic growth - it would be like handing everyone in the economy a ten-pound weight to carry around; it is not enough to stop anyone in their tracks, ...

41st District is realigning Seattle Times, United States - 4 hours ago "By Sound Transit's own analysis, it won't relieve traffic congestion," he said. As far as his district in concerned, he said it's "not so much that it's ...

That's what John Niles, a transportation consultant, tells me in the e-mail below. Niles declares that he is a volunteer advisor to the campaign that is opposing Proposition 1, the $17.9 billion ballot measure for Sound Transit. I offer up Niles' observations and a couple of attachments for your perusal because I don't have time to go investigate how much Portland, Denver and all those other cities spend on their light rail vs. buses. Here are a couple pdf's that Niles sent. One is a spreadsheet, the other is the Washington Policy Center's take ...