STATE PARKS -- Volunteers are being sought to joine the advisory board for that supports Riverside State Park, a standout feature that flows through the city of Spokane. Currently there's a vacancy for a water sports representative. "The State Park system depends heavily on volunteers…
CYCLING -- The mantra of less government control in Idaho apparently doesn't apply to bicyclists. An Idaho representative wants to forbid bicyclists from riding two abreast as part of a bike-safety measure that would also require drivers to maintain a three-foot distance from cyclists when…
PUBLIC LANDS -- Friends of the South Hill Bluff will hold a meeting tonight (March 14), 6:30 p.m. at St. Stephens Church, 57th & Hatch Road to discuss requirements for getting DNR costshare funding for Firewise Community projects. Angel Spell, City of Spokane Director of…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- A snowshoe hare is caught in action by a trail cam set high in the Cabinet Mountains for a wolverine research project funded by the Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. See martens, bobcats, volunteer helpers -- and even a wolverine --…
HUNTING -- The Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show doesn't open until Thursday at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, but “Trophy Territory” big-game mounts already are being scored and judged and eventually will be awarded ribbons in numerous categories. Several species and racks, in…
HUNTING -- A federal appeals court today rejected a lawsuit from conservation groups that want to block wolf hunts that have killed more than 500 of the predators across the Northern Rockies in recent months, according to a just-filed Associated Press report The ruling from…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Spokane butterfly expert John Baumann will present a free program about butterflies of the Inland Northwest on Wednesday sponsored by the Spokane Audubon Society. The rogram is set for 7 p.m. at Riverview Community Building, 2117 E. North Crescent Ave., off Upriver…
THE LAND: As Will Rodgers put it, "They ain't making it no more." In his PBS documentary, National Parks: America's Best Idea, filmmaker Ken Burns vividly pointed out how a certain number of high-level naysayers have condemned the concept of preserving virtually every spread of…
HIKING -- The ticks are out in the scablands around the region, and they're thirsty. Spokane hiker, writer and photographer Aaron Theisen offers this observation from his vast experience: "Never go to a dinner party directly from an early-spring hike, unless you want to entertain…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Can you ID the critter, above, in this close encounter last week with one of the wolverine research project trail cams in the Cabinet Mountains? The camera is one of about 40 installed by the Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Answer…
SNOWMOBILING -- As fate would have it, the real adventure began 70 miles from any assistance behind the racers in the Iditarod sled dog race. As the temperature plunged to minus 32 degrees -- nearly 60 degrees colder than the day they started out following…
PREDATORS -- Idaho has posted its 2011 annual summary of wolf monitoring. Although much of this was reported last week, here are some compilations and updates: Idaho wolf numbers are down for the second consecutive year. At the end of 2011, 746 wolves were documented…
FISHING -- Michael Cordon and Benita Galland of Adventure Guide Service will present a free seminar on fishing for Columbia River salmon Thursday, 6:30 p.m., as the 2012 Spring Fishing Seminar Series continues at Mark's Marine in Hayden. Last week in the series, Jeff Smith…
PREDATORS -- Wildlife Services agents dispatched a 175-pound mountain lion near Helena, Mont., recently after the cat killed at least six llamas and left them uneaten. Sport-killing behavior is rare for cougars, and officials don't have an easy answer. Read the Helena Independent Record report.
HUNTING -- More than three-dozen people testified, mostly on new hunting rules proposed for the 2012-14 seasons, during the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting last Friday and Saturday in Moses Lake. Hunters have passionate feelings on both sides of many of the proposals. Audio…
HUNTING -- Idaho sportsmen's opposition may have swayed the close vote to stop a bill to give landowners big-game tags they could sell. But another vote on a similar bill is brewing. Senate Bill 1282, sponsored by Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson, would allow private landowners…
WILDLIFE -- Yellowstone National Park officials say the park’s wolf population has stabilized at about 100 wolves over the last two years. The Billings Gazette reports that represents about a 60 percent reduction from 2007 wolf numbers as elk populations have also declined. In December,…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Area birdwatcher Ron Dexter, who lives in the Mount Spokane foothills, has the welcome mat out for colorful migrants that return each year for his hospitality. Ron posted this delightful update this morning: Each spring, we look forward to the arrival of…
WINTER SPORTS -- Signs have been poking up on Mount Spokane warning snowshoers they're no longer going to be tolerated hiking popular routes up to the mountain summit. Indeed, the signs let snowshoers, hikers, backcountry skiers and others who want to access the summit of…
FISHING -- Fly fisher Dustin Bise shares these few seconds of action to show anglers what they're missing if they haven't been out to sample the early season at Amber Lake near Cheney.
PUBLIC LANDS -- This weekend will be a freebie at Washington state parks, which will be offering free admission four times this year. The first set of free days will be March 18-19 in honor of the park system’s 99th birthday on March 19. Other…
HIKING -- What a difference a couple of warm days can make. Neither my dog nor I picked up ticks in Wednesday's cold temperatures while hikng BLM's Lakeview Ranch near Odessa. On Friday, after a couple warmer nights and days, a friend harvested a bumper…
SNOWMOBILING -- Snowmobiler Bob Jones, 72, of Kettle Falls was in Alaska this winter, once again following the annual Iditarod sled dog race with his son-in-law, Josh Rindal, who works at Fairchild Air Force Base. We followed Jones's diary of ups and downs from the…
WINTER SPORTS -- Despite the recent sunshine, good powder snow is lingering on north aspects in the region's mountains. Skiers, boarders and snowmobilers heading out to enjoy the late winter snow must be wary of several factors, says Kevin Davis, Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center director.…
CONSERVATION -- Behind the words on the sign is a tradition of hunters and anglers paying billions of dollars in license fees, federal duck stamp fees and excise taxes on their hunting and fishing equipment to fund wildlife conservation efforts. Most other recreation groups contribute…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.