RIVERS -- Floaters and anglers have until Feb. 15 to apply for the coveted permits to float Montana's Smith River. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Department holds a lottery to issue permits required to float the 59-mile section of river south of Great Falls between…
WINTER SPORTS -- The Spokane Parks and Recreation department offers a full slate of reasonably priced winter nordic skiing and snowshoeing clinics plus outings. A Feb. 12 guided snowshoe hike at Liberty Lake catches my eye, but there's much more. Check them out at the…
LAKES -- Anglers and campers will see new ground at Banks Lake this summer. Starting Aug. 1, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will lower Banks Lake by 30 feet to complete about $2 million worth of work at Dry Falls Dam and North Dam, according…
CONSERVATION – Developing a parking area for the south-side access to the Big Rock conservation area near Tower Mountain is a top 2011 priority for The Dishman Hills Natural Area Association, which recently filled all 14 slots on its board. After three years of negotiations,…
FLY-FISHING -- The Spokane Fly Fishers area offering to sponsor a youth, 12-16 years old, at the 2011 Northwest Y outh Conservation & Fly Fishing Academy, set th is year for June 19-25 at Hicks Lake near Lacey, Wash. The $275 sponsorship covers the academy,…
WINTER SPORTS -- Among the many activities ranging from snowshoeing to a Doggy Dash ski-joring race, two “Try Biathlon” events are scheduled near Winthrop, Wash., during the Methow Valley Winter Festival. The valley’s biathlon team coaches will put on the events Feb. 23 and Feb.…
WINTER SPORTS -- Snowshoeing past and present will be the topic of the free program Tuesday at the Panhandle Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Club meeting. It starts at 7 p.m. at the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District office, 2500 E. Sherman in Fernan Village. Park…
WINTER SPORTS -- Working on an upcoming story on snowshoeing, I've compiled these tips to help you get started if you're thinking about heading up to Mount Spokane this weekend for the Women's Souper Bowl activities -- or maybe you're just heading out on your…
BIRDWATCHING -- The ever-vigilant eyes of area birdwatchers are finding more to see every day. Here's this week's report from Charles Swift in Moscow: I had a smallish mixed flock of Bohemian and cedar waxwings on campus this morning. There might be more Bohemians around…
FISHING- Even without the boat displays, anglers can justify going to the Spokane National Boat Show just to sit in on the varied list of fishing seminars. The show is on today and running through Feb. 5 at the Spokane Fair and Expo Center. Bass,…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- If you have a love for birds, make time in your Valentines Day for the Coeur d'Alene Audubon Society's Midwinter Banquet, Feb. 14, at the Greenbriar Inn, 315 Wallace Ave., in Coeur d’Alene. Cost: $35. Reservations due by Feb. 7 to Coeur…
RIVER RUNNING -- Applications to get coveted permits for floating the Selway, Snake, Middle Fork of the Salmon, or wild main Salmon rivers for this coming season must be submitted online by Monday. The shift by the Forest Service to online applications includes a few…
OLYMPIA -- With the governor's sobering budget proposal offering no state funding for Washington's state parks, adminstrators are looking under every rock for money -- and they're also looking at every car. A Seattle Times story, "Could Vehicle Fees Keep State Parks Open," examines the…
HUNTING -- Washington hunters must file their season's hunting activity report by Monday for each black bear, deer, elk, or turkey tag they purchased in 2010. Whether successful or not, hunters are are required to file the reports by phone or online or face a…
FLY FISHING -- Silver Bow Fly Shop is offering the last chance before spring to take a beginner fly-tying class. Learn to tie 6 reliable fly patterns with techniques that can be applied to many more. When: Feb. 7-8 Where: Silver Bow Fly Shop Instructor:…
FISHING – It’s a harbinger of spring, or perhaps a harbinger of spring chinook salmon fishing. An 18-pound lower river stock spring chinook was picked up in the lower Columbia commercial sturgeon fishery on Wednesday. The fish, checked by Oregon fisheries officials, is the first…
IDAHO RIVERS -- Applications to get coveted permits for floating the Selway, Snake, Middle Fork of the Salmon, or wild main Salmon rivers for this coming season must be submitted online by Jan. 31. The new shift by the Forest Service to online applications includes…
NATIONAL FORESTS -- Susan Shaw, a Forest Service manager of planning, lands and minerals in Tennessee, has been named the new district ranger for the Clearwater National Forest's Palouse Ranger District headquartered in Potlatch, Idaho. Shaw has worked for the agency in several locations as…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- A herd of more than 60 elk, mostly mature bulls, was photographed recently in Utah by a Uinta County Sheriff as he waited for the herd to cross the road ahead of him about 12 miles out of Evanston. Hunting season is…
NATIONAL PARKS -- Winter at Olyimpic National Park conjures up images of pounding surf on wilderness beaches. But many people don't realize the Western Washington park also offers stunning winter alpine beauty served by the plowed road to Hurricane Ridge. Bring your skis or snowshoes…
RIVERS -- Whether you're a paddler or a steelhead angler, you've probably heard of British Columbia's Skeena River. It's an iconic natural resource that's threatened, according to a documentary that will be playing in Spokane on Friday. "Awakening at the Skeena," a film by Andrew…
RIVERS – At a meeting today, officials from the City of Spokane Valley pledged to improve the boater access to the Spokane River at the site of the new Barker Road bridge. “The work will begin in March,” said Terry Miller of the Spokane Canoe…
PRO FISHING -- A Rathdrum man is the only angler from the West to qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic – the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing – Feb. 18-20 at Bayou Segnette State Park in Louisiana. Brandon Palaniuk, 23, a member of the…
HUNTING SAFETY -- A 35-year-old eastern Idaho man who lost his right lung and most of the use of his right arm after being mistakenly shot during hunting season last fall is in the news for stating publically that he’s frustrated the shooter is facing…
OLYMPIA -- If the threat of getting snuffed out doesn't detract you from going for off-limits pow, maybe a stiff fine will do the trick. Skiers who venture into dangerous areas that are closed to the public could be fined up to $1,000 under a…
