Field Reports: New ranger at Bonners Ferry

Linda McFaddan has been selected as the new District Ranger of the Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

The Coeur d’Alene River District deputy district ranger since 2002, McFaddan has been with the Forest Service since 1988. Previously, she was Hells Canyon National Recreation Area river manager.

From 1995 to 1997, on the Lolo National Forest in Montana.

McFaddan holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Geology from the University of Idaho. Her hobbies include fly fishing and gardening. Linda has two grown daughters, and is married to Dr. Mark McFaddan, a professor of geology at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene.

Rich Landers

BIRDWATCHING

Cranes make date

The signature species for the annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival came through as usual for the events held last weekend.

Mike Denny of the Inland Northwest Birders e-mail group said he spotted more than 3,800 cranes during his festival visit.

That number was overshadowed only by the 15,000 Canada geese in the area around the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge.

The number of people signed up for the festival – more than 1,000 – was just barely outnumbered by the 1,100 northern pintails Denny counted on his field trips.

Rich Landers

CAMPING

DNR needs hosts

Volunteer campground hosts are being sought this season to assist visitors and maintain campgrounds managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

The campgrounds range from Eastern Washington to the Olympic Peninsula.

Northeast Washington campgrounds needing hosts include sites at Dragoon Creek, Lake Spokane (Long Lake) and Skookum Creek. Contact: Brett Walker, (509) 684-7474, e-mail brett.walker@dnr.wa.gov.

Statewide contact: Sarah Thirtyacre, DNR volunteer coordinator, (360) 902-1678 or go online, www.dnr.wa.gov.

Rich Landers