Field reports: Alpine Lakes bill back in Congress

WILDERNESS – The Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act has been reintroduced in Congress by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) , Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Rep. Suzan Del Bene (D-WA).

The legislation, identical to the Senate bill that passed the Energy and Natural Resources Committee last session, would protect an additional 22,000 acres of wilderness adjoining the existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, and would add 10 miles of the Pratt River and nearly 30 miles of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River to the National Wild and Scenic River System.

Group actions affect wolverine, caribou

SPECIES – Rare Northwest wildlife prompted two actions involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week:

• Wolverines were proposed for threatened status under the Endangered Species act after 12 years of petitions and legal actions by environmental groups.

• Woodland caribou habitat protections, drastically downsized by the agency recently, will be challenged by legal action, environmental groups announced.

Idaho might offer three-year licenses

HUNTING – Committed outdoorsmen would have the option of purchasing a three-year hunting or fishing license under a proposal that passed the Idaho Senate Resources and Environment Committee Wednesday.

The cost of the license would be three times the cost of an annual pass, so there’s no savings there. However, people would only pay one vendor service fee, which would save them $3.50.

New superintendent for North Cascades

PARKS – Karen Taylor- Goodrich, a 30-year employee of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex in Washington starting in March.

She has been the superintendent at Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks in California for the last three years.

Missoula’s Wave needs quick fix

PADDLING – The artificial wave that has become a fixture in Missoula and attracted kayakers from across the nation needs emergency repairs.

Brennan’s Wave was completed in 2006 and has served as a site for the U.S. Kayak Team’s Olympic Trial and the Montana Whitewater Championships.

Trent Baker, the spokesman for the nonprofit organization that funded the wave’s construction and oversees an endowment for its maintenance, says the wave has a giant crack in its middle chute.

The Missoulian reports runoff flows in the Clark Fork River likely caused the erosion.

Baker’s nonprofit has $20,000 to put toward fixing the crack but the repairs are expected to cost $50,000. The group is seeking donations.

Events this week

• Fly Fishing Film Tour, Tuesday, 7 p.m., Bing Crosby Theater.

• Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission hears fishing-rule proposals, Friday, in Olympia.

• Spokane Langlauf, 35th annual 10K cross-country ski race, next Sunday, 11 a.m., at Mount Spokane.