Conservation Program Gets Land

Almost 484,000 acres of Eastern Washington farmland were accepted into the federal Conservation Reserve Program, the Natural Resource Conservation Service said last week.

That’s good news for wildlife, according to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department, which aided farmers in meeting the criteria to qualify.

Land under the CRP is kept out of crop production through payments to farmers for conservation benefits, including prevention of soil erosion, improvement of water and air quality and providing wildlife habitat.

The federal agency accepted 82 percent of the acreage offered in 19 East Side counties. That’s a sharp contrast with last year’s 21 percent acceptance rate for Washington acreage, one of the lowest in the nation, said Madonna Luers, state Fish and Wildlife Department spokeswoman in Spokane.

The new farm bill encourages farmers to plant multiple native grasses, broad-leaved plants, legumes, shrubs, and trees, all of which have great values for wildlife, she said.

Top counties in the recent round of CRP enrollment were Walla Walla with 81,469 acres, Adams with 80,473 acres, Douglas 65,869, Franklin 55,568, Lincoln 45,933, Grant 28,955 and Benton 26,394. Whitman County enrolled 16,876 acres.

With earlier signups and ongoing contracts, Washington farmers have about 871,000 acres enrolled in CRP.

Safety classes scheduled

The annual comprehensive boat safety and seamanship classes sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary have been scheduled in the Inland Northwest. The 10-session courses are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. as follows:

Spokane, Feb. 10, Glover Middle School. Contact Bob, 468-0405.

Spokane Valley, Feb. 13, University High. Contact Karyl, 921-0449.

Coeur d’Alene, Feb. 16, Kootenai County Courthouse. Contact Tom, (208) 765-3584.

Honor system installed

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has decided to put deer and elk hunters on the honor system for reporting their results this fall.

The commission, in a telephone conference call Friday, decided to withdraw a bill asking legislators to create a $25 penalty for hunters who did not file their mandatory reports on time.

The commissioners debated whether the mandatory reporting system could work without teeth. A threat by legislators to quash any attempt to penalize hunters, however, led the panel to reconsider. The commission has asked lawmakers to approve an increase in hunting tag fees to provide $1.4 million for the department.

The commission created the harvest report system after some sportsmen’s groups argued it would provide better information. The agency’s current telephone survey relies on a random sample of hunters.

The mandatory system means hunters fill out a postcard detailing their results for the season. The program will cost the agency $400,000.

Plans call for hunters who have not filed their report to receive two letters reminding them of their duty.

Hunters who don’t file reports won’t be able to buy a 1999 hunting license until they do. The commission wanted the penalty clause to prod hunters into filing early so the information could be used to help set hunting seasons the next fall.

, DataTimes