Field Reports

MOUNT SPOKANE

Langlauf fills parking

Next Sunday is the busiest day of the year at the Mount Spokane nordic skiing area.

The annual Langlauf 10-kilometer cross country ski race, which attracts more than 300 participants, is set to start at 11 a.m. Expect the Sno-Park area at Selkirk Lodge to be jammed full from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Info: Fitness Fanatics, 922-6080.

WILDLIFE

Time to contribute

Idaho makes it easy for state residents to contribute to non-game wildlife management programs. By checking the box on state income tax forms, residents can designate a portion of their refunds to support critters such as songbirds, birds of prey, amphibians and reptiles.

“The Non-game Wildlife Program also supports appreciative uses like viewing, interpretive education and photography of all wildlife, including species that are game animals,” said Joel Sauder, state wildlife biologist in Lewiston.

While most department funds come in the form of license and tag fees from hunters and anglers, or from federal excise taxes on sporting equipment, most non-game funding comes from the voluntary tax form checkoff, wildlife license plate purchases and direct donations.

However, tax checkoff funds for wildlife have fallen off. When the program started in the early 1980s, it raised about $90,000 annually. Contributions have stabilized around $40,000 in the last eight years.

ALPINE SKIING

Signs of the ‘EX’ times

Some of Colorado’s toughest ski runs now bear a new warning sign, twin black diamonds with an “E” and an “X” inside them to designate extreme terrain.

The signs denote a run with slopes of at least 50 degrees and cliffs at least 20 feet high. They were mandated by the Legislature when it revised the Colorado Skier Safety Act.