Latest Snub Nothing New For Biologists

State biologists labored in college and cut their teeth in the field learning the needs and habits of fish, birds and mammals.

They are the professionals we pay to manage wildlife.

Yet the Washington legislature has made a routine of ignoring what biologists say.

The examples are countless, but one currently rings out like a poacher’s shot in the dark.

A measure in state capital budget proposals would force the Fish and Wildlife Department to sell 1,120 acres of state land to Mission Ridge Ski Area.

The Wenatchee-area resort wants to expand from a winter-only operation to a year-round attraction with a spiffy mountain-top restaurant and a recreation wonderland.

The Fish and Wildlife Department manages four sections of land in that area.

The deal sounds good at first. In exchange for the land, the cash-strapped department would get $1.2 million to buy land somewhere else.

Our own Jim West, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, apparently listened to the sales talk without listening to biologists.

This is an important calving area and migratory corridor for the Colockum elk herd, perhaps the most viable herd left in Washington.

“We’ve done a lot of radio collaring up there,” said Dean Lydig, Fish and Wildlife commissioner from Spokane. “We know where the elk area is and where they go.”

For several years, the department has been negotiating with the resort, as well as with Boise-Cascade Timber Company, which owns important elk habitat in the area.

“We’ve been trying to work out a trade with Boise-Cascade to secure land that’s even more critical to elk,” Lydig said.

“These negotiations take time. But the legislature is interrupting these talks.”

Active timber companies aren’t as interested in cash as they are in good timber land. Without the land to trade, the department has no chips to play.

“We’re very concerned about year-round activity in this area or anything that could disrupt the elk calving,” Lydig said. “If we don’t own any land up there, nobody’s going to listen to us when we try to protect those elk.”

So what’s new.

Philing the need: Leave it to County Commissioner Phil Harris to straighten us out on the nature of rivers.

In the debate over possible restrictions for jet watercraft on the Spokane River, Harris said, ” Nature put the river there - I didn’t - and nature didn’t restrict people from using it, and I won’t either.”

Two questions:

Did nature bless the river with Jet Skis that can run upstream through narrow rapids at 30 mph and make a jackhammer seem soothing to the ears?

Is Harris trying to sound like a stooge, or does it simply come naturally?

Deer friends: While animal rights groups are dreaming up their next hoax on the public to curb hunting, the Priest Lake Sportsmen’s Association has rolled up its sleeves to save deer from one of the worst winters in memory.

Last week, the association unloaded another 20 tons of pellets for distribution to several feeding sites.

Winter isn’t over at Priest Lake. While deer are beginning to spread out on the east slopes of the lake, the snow still has deer bogged down on the west side.

More than 60 tons of pellets were fed to roughly 1,500 deer this year.

Thanks to sportsmen, visitors to Priest Lake this summer will see a few hundred more live deer - and fewer skeletons.

Other friends: Savvy sportsmen who know that habitat is the key to future wildlife populations are busy this month.

Pheasants Forever, a fledgling chapter that has enterprising ideas for reviving pheasant numbers in this region, has a fund-raising banquet set for Saturday, 5 p.m. at the Red Lion on Sullivan Road. Info: 326-2262 or (208) 687-2270.

The local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is having its banquet April 12 at the Spokane Community College Lair. Info: 467-5444.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s local group is having its 10th anniversary banquet April 26 at the Ridpath. Info: 226-0388.

All of these groups are worthy of support for their proven record of tireless effort to enhance land for the benefit of wildlife.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review