ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Montana officials wasted no time today praising the budget rider Congress approved to remove endangered species protections from gray wolves in the Northern Rockies. Wolves will still be protected in many ways, but limited hunting seasons once again can be set by…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- It's official. Gray wolves soon will be delisted as endangered species in the Northern Rockies, and states can begin wolf management programs. Montana wildlife officials are heaping praise on U.S. Sen. Jon Tester today as a Congressional measure he helped craft removed…
PARKS -- Canadians have been telling Parks Canada they don’t want new thrill-seeking activities or special events in Banff, the country’s flagship national park – but Ottawa chose to ignore them. The Rocky Mountain Outlook has the story on the disturbing inclination to turn a…
SKI BENEFIT -- Mother Nature was no match against the skill and determination of participants at the third-annual “24 Hours of Schweitzer” ski relay, which featured stellar performances, new records and even a marriage proposal. Details just released indicate 120 skiers and snowboarders raised $90,000…
NATIONAL FORESTS -- The Wenatchee River Ranger District will not open its Lake Wenatchee office to the public this year because of staffing and operational funding constraints, the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest announced this morning. “This was a very difficult decision,” said Acting District Ranger Maureen…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has a hunch that Congress is about to remove wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains from the Endangered Species list. So he's holding off on signing a state bill that would allow him to declare a wolf…
FISHING -- Larry Dahlberg, a fishing innovator who's come up with equipment used by millions of anglers, will be available for a question and answer period Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at Wholesale Sports in Spokane Valley. A Fishing Hall of Fame angler, Dahlberg is host…
HUNTING -- One could hear shots fired within minutes of after Washington's wild turkey hunting season opened this morning at 5:31 a.m. One down, one to go for spring gobbler hunting on the East Side of the state. It was beautiful out there.
NATURE – Back by popular demand, a 90-minute film, Vanishing of the Bees, will be shown again on Wednesday, 7 p.m., at the Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main. For a suggested donation of $5, visitors also will have pre-show access to booths featuring local…
OUTDOORS ON TV -- I won't waste many words telling you about a visual treat for your eyes. Check out the video above and carve out some TV time this weekend. Human Planet is the first BBC/Discovery Channel production to focus solely on human behavior…
FISHING -- Almost every lake in the region is flush with more water than some have seen in years. But it's a different story at Lake Roosevelt, where fishing traffic was thin today. The big drawdown at the reservoir behind Grand Coulee Dam — much…
HUNTING -- Here are a few hunting basics to ponder before the spring wild turkey gobbler season opens Friday in Idaho and Washington. The tips are from Mossy Oak pro staff member Mike Cockerham, who offers advice on scouting, advance work and the preparation it…
HUNTING -- A landowner just emailed me photos of three toms strutting Wednesday morning. The were about 10 feet where I plan to be sitting with my 12 gauge over my knees when Washington's wild turkey hunting season opens Friday at 5:31 a.m. And now…
WILDLIFE RESEARCH -- Reseachers may finally be on track of a tool to deal with the diseases wreaking havoc with bighorn sheep herds in the West. A Washington State University wildlife disease researcher has produced an experimental vaccine that appears to have protected four bighorn…
Webcam chat at Ustream WILDLIFE -- Less than two weeks old, three eaglets are starting to get big enough in their nest that the parents have a hard time settling down for a restful night. Stay tuned along with about 4 million viewers EACH DAY…
SALMON FISHING -- Three sections of the Snake River will open to fishing for spring chinook salmon starting April 20 with the stretch below Ice Harbor Dam, according to an announcement just released by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Idaho's spring chinook season…
SALTWATER FISHING -- Coastal salmon fishing season have just been negotiated and released by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and treaty Indian co-managers at the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s meeting in San Mateo, Calif. Read on for details of the fishing package, which…
TRAILS -- The commission that governs the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes -- which stretches 72 miles from Mullan to Plummer --is having a meeting Thursday, and the public is invited. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. at the Heyburn State Park Visitor Center…
WILDERNESS -- A fledgling plan to make millions of acres of undeveloped land in the West eligible for federal wilderness protection was one of the casualties of Friday's last-minute budget deal reached by Congressional leaders to keep the government afloat. Republican lawmakers had complained that…
RIVERS — River running outfitters training workers for the approaching season on the popular Salmon River in central Idaho have asked the state for permission to practice on other rivers due to a massive logjam, according to an Associated Press report this morning. Grant Simonds…
QUOTABLE: "We're not interested in grizzly bears occupying new habitat except in areas where they already are. Socially acceptable habitat would be areas where grizzlies already occupy. We're not interested in expansion. We're maxed out on grizzly bears already.”" Brian Nesvik of the Wyoming Game…
OLYMPIA -- Even these tough times, we should be able to get bipartisan support in Olympia for this well-thought out proposal.
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- A measure taking gray wolves off federal Endangered Species Act protection made it into the must-pass U.S. Senate budget bill, as explained in a Missoulian story. Montana Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus, both Democrats, placed a rider in the 2011 Appropriations…
CONSERVATION -- The U.S. Forest Service is working on a land exchange with Stimson Lumber Co. to protect wildlife habitat near Hope, Idaho. The deal is expected to close this summer. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests will trade 995 acres for 922 acres of Stimson…
MARINE MAMMALS -- In May, Department of Fish and Wildlife Officers will be back on the water enforcing the laws that protect Puget Sound Orcas. “There’s an incentive to get close to those whales and give your client that photo of a lifetime,” said the…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
