City headed wrong direction on bike route
BICYCLING -- City of Spokane, keeping bicyclist safe one poorly executed step at a time...
Outdoors blog archive for June 2011
MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2011
Salmon fishing excellent as ocean seasons open
SALMON FISHING -- Washington's coastal hatchery chinook salmon season kicked into high gear last week with good fishing reports coming in from Puget Sound to Ilwaco. Read on for the update by Mark Yuasa of the Seattle Times.
Local paddlers offer canoe-kayak clinics
PADDLING – The Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club is kicking off its annual series of paddling clinics, with something for every level of boater. Sea kayaking, July 13 evening indoor class followed by July 16-17 session at Medical Lake, for beginners as well as seasoned…
Trail building clinic offered by expert tonight on South Hill
SOUT HILL BLUFF TRAILS -- Hikers and bikers can learn the theory and application of effective trail building and trail maintenance in a free clinic TONIGHT on the South Hill. Mike Brixey, who's trained with the International Mountain Bike Association, will make the presentation starting…
Spring: the season to recall fawn-dly
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Peek-a-boo in the dew. Spring is full of discoveries for people who roam wide-eyed outdoors. Watch your step! And no, I didn't pick the youngster up even though its mother was nowhere in site. This is nature's way. For details, here' my…
A cold-Hearted greeting for hikers in the Bitterroots
HIKING -- The snow clogging the high country isn't stopping hikers wearing boots and gaiters from trekking into some "cool" places. Bob Clark of Missoula joined friends on Saturday for a hike into Heart Lake, a backcountry destination in the Great Burn area. The popular…
Gillnet alternatives tested on Columbia River salmon
FISHERIES -- Purse and beach seines are being deployed in the lower Columbia River in the first test of alternative commercial fishing gear on summer chinook salmon, the Columbia Basin Bulletin reports. Oregon and Washington fisheries researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of alternatives to the…
SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011
Grazing doesn't quickly improve wildlife forage, WSU researchers say 1
WILDLIFE RESEARCH -- Researchers say a cattle grazing project on the Asotin Wildlife Area has reduced overall forage without making significant immediate improvements in the nutritional value of the remainig forage for wildlife. The study results and information from ongoing research is set to be…
Washington hunting access focus of federal grant
HUNTING -- Washington has qualified for a $1.5 million federal grant designed to encourage more private landowners to open their lands to hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking public comments through July 21 on its decision to…
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2011
Washington opens halibut fishing one day, June 30
OCEAN FISHING -- Washington anglers will get another day of halibut fishing, as the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department has announced a June 30 fishery in marine areas 3 and 4 (La Push and Neah Bay).
Rafters enjoy spring whitewater in summer warmth on Lochsa
RIVER RUNNING -- Spring runoff on Idaho's Lochsa River attracts whitewater rafting enthusiasts from around the region regardless of the weather. But this year's big snowpack and late runoff has created a rare and wonderful condition: Exhilarating spring whitewater flows in summer weather conditions. No…
FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Boaters must stop at Washington's 'pop-up' invasive species check stations
BOATING -- Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) check stations will be set up this weekend in several locations in Eastern Washington, the state Fish and Wildlife Department announced this afternoon. These are mandatory stops for anyone on the road with watercraft of any kind. Officers will…
Boaters must stop at Idaho's summer-season invasive species check stations
BOATING -- North Idaho has five invasive species boat inspection sites open through Sept. 9 to check boats for zebra and Quagga mussels that could infest the state's waters. The state Agriculture Department's Invasive Species Program is operating the sites 7 a.m.-7 p.m. as follows:…
Oregon votes to pay proactive ranchers for wolf-related livestock losses
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Even though only about a dozen wolves roam in the state, the Oregon Senate gave unanimous approval today for a bill authorizing a comprehensive livestock compensation and wolf coexistence program. Gov. Kitzhaber is expected to sign the legislation, which passed the House…
Roosevelt levels rising; keep tents up from shore
COLUMBIA RIVER -- Miles of inviting sandy beaches are beckoning campers at Lake Roosevelt, but rapidly rising lake levels warrant caution when pitching tents. Lake Roosevelt's level is at elevation 1,268 feet today, and it's expected to be up to about 1,280 feet on July…
Steelhead run lagging up Columbia, Snake
STEELHEAD FISHING -- The steelhead are running, but very slowly compared with last year. Maybe the fish are waiting for this spring's enormous flows to subside a bit. Stay tuned.
Yakima River spring chinook fishing extended
SALMON FISHING -- Fish managers are extending the fishing season for hatchery spring chinook heading up the Yakima River, since high, turbid flows have been thwarting the regular season action. The season will extend through July. Read on for details from the Washington Fish and…
Sportsmen condemn Congress attempt to weaken Clean Water Act
ENVIRONMENT -- A coalition of sportmens groups this week strongly criticized the House Transportation Committee for passing legislation that would dramatically weaken the Clean Water Act and undercut four decades of progress in restoring the nation’s waters and wetlands and conserving valuable fish and wildlife…
GOP plan would open more public land to off-road vehicles
PUBLIC LANDS -- Congressman Doc Hastings, R-WA, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, is promoting a Republican plan that would remove restrictions on motorized access to 43 million acres of public land nationwide. A tip of the hat to the Backcountry Hunters and…
Colville to release national forest plan revision for comment
PUBLIC LANDS - The Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests will release proposals for revising their forest plans Thursday, triggering a 60-day public comment period. The joint project encompasses nearly 5 million acres in northcentral and northeast Washington. National forests update their land management plans every…
Volunteers giving TLC to popular trails
PUBLIC LANDS - More volunteers are needed for upcoming outings that combine learning traditional skills and the camaraderie of group camping with maintaining popular northeastern Washington trails. Three projects organized by the Washington Trails Association and Conservation Northwest include: Bead Lake Trail, June 25-27. Salmo-Priest…
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2011
Anglers find elbow room at Lake Roosevelt
COLUMBIA RIVER -- The level of Lake Roosevelt continues to rise significantly every day and a few anglers -- very few at this point -- are finding more boat launches open -- and the fishing isn't bad, either. The water temperature in the Spokane Arm…
Spokane whitewater park loses $500K state grant 1
PADDLING -- A state board in charge of money for recreational projects rejected a plea from supporters of a whitewater park in the Spokane River and refused to extend a $500,000 grant. The project will probably take longer than supporters say, and the city should…
Researchers mark 894 Canada geese, 30 from GU
WILDLIFE RESEARCH -- Volunteers helped Washington Fish and Wildlife Department researchers round up and band 894 Canada geese in Eastern Washington during the past two weeks. More than 80 of the geese were captured in the Spokane and Liberty Lake area, includind 30 at Gonzaga…
Would you dare prey on something with 'eyes' like this?
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Northeast Washington forest firefighter Jon Foster Fanning captured this wildlife moment this week: "A Polyphemus moth I discovered in the large pines along the Kettle River. This is a North American member of the giant silk moths. "The most notable feature of…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
Blog Archives
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