RIVERS -- The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing in Pasco toda on “save our dams” legislation introduced by Congressman Doc Hastings. The Tri-City Herald reports the legislation would prohibit federal money from being used to remove hydropower dams without specific authorization by Congress.…
COUNTY PARKS -- The long-awaited trailhead parking area on the south side of the Big Rock-Rocks of Sharon area in Spokane Valley will be open to public access Friday at 3 p.m., said Paul Knowles, Spokane County Parks planner. Heavy equipment is still working at…
HUNTING -- A TV documentary will air Thursday featuring two Montana hunters confronting the issues and the difficulty centered around hunting wolves. The two-episode program on the Sportsman Channel will be the first to follow a wolf hunt in the Lower 48 states. It's already…
BOATING -- Sportsman Park boat ramp at Hayden Lake has reopened for public use following a $250,000 renovation, Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials said today. Some touch-up work is still underway. Expanded facilities include more than 40 parking spaces and the access road…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- The federal government plans to announce an end to Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Wyoming later this month. Rather than ending years of wrangling between state and federal officials, however, the move promises to spark legal challenges from environmental groups…
BIRDWATCHING -- While the new commander at Fairchild Air Force Base is looking into options for bringing back the big Air Show, area birdwatchers are finding their own aerial displays of high-speed flying. You simply have to know where to look. Check out this Tuesday…
FISHING -- Fishing for steelhead plus the bonus of fishing for expanded daily limits of fall chinook salmon will open Sept. 1 on the Washington portion of the Snake River, officials announced today. Predicting a strong return of upriver bright chinook salmon, Washington Fish and…
CYCLING -- The Lilac City Twilight Criterium will debut on Sept. 8 to take over a few downtown streets with exciting tight-group racing -- and six tight corners -- from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. The event, which tests riders skills at high-speed cornering in…
PREDATORS -- More than 1,200 Montanans have indicated they want to participate in the state's first wolf trapping season, which will open later this year. The trapping season was approved just last month by the Fish, Wildlife and Parks commission. The prospective participants have signed…
NATURE -- Spokane author and naturalist Jack Nisbet will present a program, "David Douglas in the Shrub Steppe,” 7:30 p.m., Aug. 21 at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge headquarters south of Cheney. Seating is limited. Sign-up in advance with Louise Oleary of the Friends of Turnbull,…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.