PUBLIC LANDS -- A 15-year-old rule that prevents road-building into otherwise unprotected inventoried roadless areas of national forests has essentially been upheld by the nation's high court. The lack of a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court means Alaska must follow the U.S. Forest Service…
WILDLIFE – White-nose syndrome has been confirmed in a little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) found near North Bend. It's the first recorded occurrence of this devastating bat disease in western North America. Following are details from a media release by the agencies involved -- the…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Idaho’s Nez Perce Tribe as been awarded a $200,000 federal grant to pursue reintroducing the California condor in Hells Canyon. Based on California's example, the use of lead ammunition for hunting is a potential issue in a swath of Idaho, Oregon and...
FISHING -- The Washington fishing license anglers have had in their wallets the past year will expire after today. Starting Friday, April 1, people must have their 2016-2017 license with them while fishing. In Idaho, the new licenses were required starting Jan. 1. Also expiring…
WATERSPORTS -- Northwest paddlers could benefit from a new law that requires the Washington Department of Transportation to consider access to the water when building or refurbishing bridges. Senate Bill 6363, which was signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday, seeks to improve public access...
TRAILS -- Advocates of the trails and habitat along the South Hill Bluff invite the public to hear updates TONIGHT on projects along with an historical perspective of slope above Hangman Creek by Spokane naturalist and author Jack Nisbet. The free annual meeting event starts...
HUNT-FISH – The Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are convening at the Holiday Inn in downtown Missoula Friday through Sunday, April 1-3, for the group’s 5th annual Rendezvous focused on sporting skill and conservation. The held the event in Spokane last year to forge its mission...
FISHING -- Local anglers are bringing an acclaimed collection of fly fishing films to Spokane as a benefit for river access and research projects to boost native redband trout. The third annual Spokane River Benefit and International Fly Fishing Film Festival is set for 7…
WINTERSPORTS -- When I woke and saw the fresh snow in town I knew I had only a few hours before receiving an email with photos of the epic skiing conditions somewhere in the mountains. Galen Chamberlain came through, not only with photos of the...
PARKS — Crews are working to rescue two climbers and a snowshoer off Mount Rainier after they were caught in a weekend storm, the Associated Press reports. Park spokeswoman Patti Wold says a Chinook helicopter crew will try again Monday to reach them after extreme...
NATIONAL PARKS – A catastrophic computer system crash at Mount Rainier National Park has put procrastinators on equal footing with backpackers who applied early to get backcountry permits for the Wonderland Trail and other sites. Hikers who want to camp in the wilderness at Mount…
FISHING -- Things are looking up for fly fishers -- be cause the fish are. Here's a report from Sean Visintainer of Silver Bow Fly Shop on emerging dry fly action that picked up in the past week. End of March usually means a big…
FISHING -- Toby Wyatt of Reel Time Fishing based in Clarkston has been back in the lower Columbia River intercepting the first wave of spring chinook salmon. But he also has guides working salmon hundreds of miles upstream at Dworshak Reservoir where kokanee are smacking…
FISHING -- Legislation has been approved that will help fund efforts to conserve wild steelhead populations in Washington through the sale of license plates featuring an image of the state’s iconic fish in the background. Senate Bill 6200, requested by the Washington Department of Fish…
PUBLIC LANDS -- I was exploring old, new and developing trails on the BLM's Fishtrap area on Saturday. The scablands are very wet and waterfowl are in every puddle. I came over one basalt outcropping and found a garden of buttercups. Seemed as though the…
BICYCLING -- During my annual week-long effort to compile the 2016 Northwest Bicycling Events Calendar (just posted at spokesman.com/outdoors), I've noticed several opportunities in the list that cyclists may want to jump on immediately because of deadlines or rider quotas. In many cases, you can...
WATERSPORTS -- For much of the year, the Yaak River in Western Montana is a smallish, trouty tributary of the Kootenai River. But as Spokane kayaker Brian Jamieson points out in this video, it's a true spring whitewater challenge at 4.9 feet. Heading there? You...
PUBLIC LANDS -- As reported earlier this month, people traveling into national forests should be prepared for the possibility of road blockages and washouts, especially in areas affected by 2015 wildfires. Idaho Panhandle National Forest officials in the Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint districts multiple roads...
CONSERVATION -- The years-long controversy over a mega resort planned for a pristine area in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia has been crystallized in an advocacy documentary, Jumbo Wild. The film produced by Patagonia will be screened at 7 p.m. on April 5 at…
FISHING – Washington anglers have become so efficient at hooking halibut, state fish managers say they'll keep the same catch quota but add more restrictions this year to maintain a season and prevent overharvesting the prized fishery. This year’s quota for recreational halibut fisheries in…
CONSERVATION -- Hat's off to proponents of current North Idaho land and water conservation efforts that are trying to get traction. Check out these recent stories: Stimson Lumber seeks support for N. Idaho conservation plan The dispute over the Clagstone Meadows conservation easement Chesrown’s former...
PUBLIC LANDS – Nominations for citizen committees that advise the Bureau of Land Management on public land issues are being accepted by the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane districts through May 2. Five positions will be vacated this fall on the 15-member Resource Advisory Council...
PUBLIC LANDS -- Mountain biking groups lobbying Congress to amend the Wilderness Act and allow bikes into designated wilderness areas have triggered a reaction from wilderness advocates. This week, 116 conservation organizations, including The Lands Council in Spokane, asked Congress to oppose attempts to weaken...
WINTERSPORTS -- Spring has arrived, and so has the fresh layers of snow skiers and riders expect in the mountains during March. Check out your favorite ski area; you may be pleasantly surprised. S-R staffer Alison Boggs "called in well" today so she could ride...
For the 16th time, Bob Jones, 76, of Kettle Falls has snowmobiled the Iditarod Trail during the famous 1,400-mile Alaska sled dog race. The going has ranged from grueling to a breeze, whiteout to sunshine, bitter-cold to balmy and bottomless snow to no snow on the trail.
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
| March 2016 | ||||
| 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
| 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 |
| 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
| 10 | 09 | 08 | 07 | 06 |
| 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 |
