Field Reports
CAMPING
Fire restrictions enacted
The first fire closure of the season was enacted Monday by the U.S. Bureau of Land management for all of its lands in Washington.
The closure prohibits use of campfires, stove fires or charcoal briquettes, except in campgrounds with steel fire rings. Smoking is prohibited outside of vehicles and vehicles must stay on roads or non-vegetated parking areas.
Rich Landers
FISHING
First season in 27 years
The first chinook salmon season since 1978 is under way in the Upper Salmon River of Idaho.
The season for hatchery chinook opened July 9 on a 17-mile stretch near the mouth of the Pahsimeroi River. The season will continue until a quota of 150 to 450 fish is reached. The limit is one a day.
Rich Landers
PADDLE TRIPS
Go with a group
The Spokane Parks and Recreation Department continues to organize a wide range of canoe, kayak and raft trips at budget prices throughout the region.
You can stay local with day trips such as canoe floats on the Little Spokane and moonlight kayak paddles on area lakes. Or you can go a bit more adventurous, with rafting trips on the Clark Fork, Salmon or Wenatchee rivers.
Although trips are scheduled all summer and fall, Monday is the deadline to sign up for a women-only Salmon trip and several others. Call 625-6200. Details are on the Web at http://www.spokaneparks.org/
Rich Landers
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Wildlife agency moving
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staffers on Monday will start moving into a new building at is 2315 N. Discovery Place at Mirabeau Point.
Walk-in access as well as telephone and e-mail communications will not be available until the following week.
Emergency calls or e-mail messages regarding fish and wildlife can be directed to the agency’s deputy director in Olympia, (360) 902-2650 or e-mail pecklwp@dfw.wa.gov.
John Andrews, the agency’s Spokane Region manager, said the department identified the need for new space for its eastern regional office more than a decade ago, noting that the current location at 8702 N. Division St. accommodates just 15 of nearly 40 local department employees.
Most staffers have been working out of leased space or home offices.
The new 14,600-square-foot office was built with a $3.9 million approved in 2003 by the Washington Legislature.
An open house is set for Aug. 5.
Staff reports
NATIONAL FORESTS
Colville has ORV map
After a year of public participation, the Colville National Forest has published a map highlighting 650 miles of routes for off-road vehicle users.
The routes were established by consensus of more than 300 people who participated in the Recreational Travel Working Group, forest officials said.
New national forest regulations will require off-road vehicles to stay on designated routes.
Next, the Colville will look at connecting some of these designated routes into a more comprehensive system, said Rick Brazell, forest supervisor.
The new map is available from forest offices or online at www.fs.fed.us/r6/colville/.
Rich Landers
NATIONAL FORESTS
Colville reducing staff
The Colville National Forest has announced more specifics in its plan to eliminate 34 positions in the next three years because of declining budgets and reorganization.
Rick Brazell, supervisor of the 1.1 million acre forest, said seven positions will be eliminated this year, 24 positions in 2006 and three positions in 2007, trimming the staff to a total of 139 employees.
Some reductions will be accomplished through retirements and not filling some vacant positions, he said.
Forest headquarters in Colville will lose 21 positions as well as four on the Three Rivers District, six in the Pend Oreille Valley, two on the Republic District and one at the Forest Service information office located at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management office in Spokane.
Rich Landers
OUTDOOR SPORTS
Make silver screen debut
There’s still time to make a video of your outdoor adventures and enter Mountain Gear’s “Best of the Homegrown Movies” competition.
The Spokane retailer is accepting locally produced videos filmed in the Inland Northwest. The best will be shown Sept. 23 at the conclusion of the store’s Outdoor Movie Series, which features a free flick each month, plus free popcorn and a nifty projection and sound system outside at 2002 N. Division.
Viewers brought their chairs and enjoyed a warm summer evening and a gripping climbing feature, “Touching the Void,” last month.
This month’s feature — Friday starting at 9:15 — is “Being Caribou,” a documentary about a Canadian couple’s adventurous trek into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to record the continent’s longest land-mammal migration.
Info: 325-9000.
Rich Landers