Don’t blink or you’ll miss the rapid-fire news

Hold on, outdoors fans, we’re going to cover more ground than a pronghorn on opening day.

Locally

CdA eagle count: The U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s weekly winter count of bald eagles visiting Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Wolf Lodge bay to feast on spawning kokanee was up to 92 birds on Wednesday. That’s the fourth-highest count since 1974.

Nordic skiing heaven: Area downhill ski slopes may be icy and in dire need of new snow, but for more than two weeks the cross country ski trails at Mount Spokane have been serving up one of the longest runs of glistening and consistent blue-wax conditions in memory. Barring a snowcat breakdown, the 25-kilometers of trails should be touched up and immaculate – again – this morning.

Catching Roosevelt rainbows: Fishing guide Lenny Mayo will give a free seminar on winter fishing for Lake Roosevelt rainbow trout – from shore as well as from boat – tonight at 6 at White’s Outdoor, 4002 E. Ferry Ave.

Lake lowered: The water level of the reservoir behind Long Lake Dam is being lowered to its normal winter level earlier than normal, Avista Utilities announced Wednesday. The lake level will likely drop up to a foot a week until the first of the year when the pace will be accelerated to 3-4 feet a week. Lake Spokane is expected to reach its normal winter level of 14 feet less than summer elevation by late January. Info: Avista’s recorded Lake Information Line, 495-8043.

Easy retrieve: If you were a retriever looking for an easy life, you’d want to go hunting with Walt Balek of Spokane. On Tuesday, Balek was walking along Whitman County cover that erupted with pheasants. He swung his 12-gauge on one rooster crossing fast at 40 yards and dropped it stone dead in the air. Instantly, another cock followed at similar rocket speed and Balek made the double. When he approached the birds in a stubble field, they had fallen stacked one on top of the other.

Heads up: The retriever sitting obediently in Byron Johnson’s waterfowl blind recently wasn’t so lucky. A good shot on a high-flying flock folded a honker that came straight down like a 20-pound down-coated cannon ball. “I moved out of the way, but it landed right on the dog,” the Spokane hunter said. “He really squealed. I felt bad.”

But the dog fared a lot better than the goose.

Nationally

The most encouraging recent news to come out of Washington, D.C. this week is that conservationists can make a difference when they unite and let their voices be heard.

Following are a few of examples:

Not on our public lands: A petition signed by six Western governors and a letter singed by 750 sportsmen’s groups from across the country helped persuade Congressional leaders on Tuesday to drop a provision in the federal budget bill that would have allowed the sale of millions of acres of public lands in order to help balance a federal budget mired in red ink.

In his inimitable way, the fox guarding the chicken coop – Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), House Resources Committee chairman – took the antiquated and Mining Law of 1872 and tried to make it worse by exposing public lands at cut-rate prices not just to mining, but also to real estate sales and other development that could be considered atrocities to wildlife habitat and recreation lands.

The entire Montana Congressional delegation opposed the measure, which would have put 5,012 acres of Bureau of Land Management land and 10,047 acres of Forest Service land eligible for sale within Montana alone.

Pombo’s rampage continues, however, as he steadily works to gut the environmental protections in current laws such as the Endangered Species Act. Don’t turn your back on the fox.

Hope for ANWR: A change in political climate has enabled moderate Republicans to stray from the majority party line, think for themselves and vote for the conservation sentiments of their constituents. At least for now, provisions to threaten the fragile existence of arctic wildlife by drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have been stripped from a House budget bill after 25 Republicans signed a letter opposing the measure in reaction to a barrage of ANWR support.

Spokane Arm giveaway: The legislation sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris to give the Spokane Tribe jurisdiction over the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt sailed to passage in the House before the deal was made public to most constituents who own land along the lake as well as those who fish, camp and enjoy boating there.

McMorris got an earful from constituents.

“After the concerns were brought to our attention, some language was added to the Senate Bill that would give the county commissioners a seat at the table (for writing the memorandum of understanding) so at least their voice will be heard,” said Connie Partoyna, McMorris’s chief of staff.

From the perspective of many constituents, that’s too little too late. The county commissioners should have had their voices heard BEFORE the legislation went into the hopper, not after the legislation passes and the tribal council becomes empowered to govern how boating, fishing and other activities are governed on the Spokane Arm.

“Right now, my understanding is that it’s unclear what will happen in the Senate,” Partoyna said, referring to Sen. Maria Cantwell’s identical version of the bill. “If it does pass and become law – there are still a few hurdles to get over – there’s an opportunity to do some technical corrections and clarifications when the bill is completed.”

My bet is that McMorris is hoping and maybe even praying that the Senate doesn’t act on the bill so she can put a happy face on her naivety next time around and write legislation with a sensitivity for the public’s interest and the recreational importance of Lake Roosevelt.