Burning planned near Roosevelt
Controlled burns are planned in the next few weeks at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, including 20 acres near North Lake Roosevelt Resort, 50 acres near North Gorge and 60 acres near Rickey Point.
Public land managers in parks, refuges and forests around the region are trying to use the short window of spring burning opportunity to reduce small fuels that pose fire summer fire danger while simulating natural fires to stimulate plant diversity and wildlife habitat.
Rich Landers
WILDLIFE
Dworshak opening for spring visitors
Early spring camping opened this week at Dworshak Reservoir primitive sites and the popular Dent Acres Campground is set to open on Thursday.
Regular season camping starts May 22 at full-hookup sites. Reservations can be made at (877) 444-6777 or at www.recreation.gov.
Current campground information is available from the Dworshak Visitor Center, (208) 476-1261.
Nesting bald eagles have prompted temporary access closures to several areas of Dworshak Dam and Reservoir, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced. The Merry’s Bay trail, the trail west of cold Springs Camp and minicap 26 near Magnus Bay are closed until further notice. For info on the closures or to report violations, call (208) 476-1203.
For Dworshak water level and boat ramp information, call (800) 321-3198.
Rich Landers
PUBLIC LANDS
Closure protects still-wintering elk
The winter motor vehicle closure on 44,000 acres of eastern Washington state wildlife land northwest of Vantage remains in effect through April to protect wintering elk from disturbance.
The closure includes about one-third of state winter range on the Whiskey Dick, Quilomene and Colockum wildlife areas.
“As early spring public recreational use of the area has increased over the past decade, elk have been abandoning their winter range on these wildlife areas as early as mid-February,” said Ted Clausing, Fish and Wildlife’s regional wildlife program manager in Yakima.
“Elk need to stay on winter range well into April to stay nourished and maintain overall herd health,” he said, noting that the public wildlife area helps keep the animals off private land.
The closure joins existing winter-range closures on the Oak Creek, Wenas and L.T. Murray wildlife areas.
Rich Landers
BOATING
Idaho course OK in Washington
Idaho’s state-certified boating safety course satisfies Washington’s new mandatory boat safety rules that take effect this year for youths under 21.
This wasn’t clear in last week’s story on safety courses.
While area boating groups are offering qualified boating safety courses for a fee—and most participants indicate they learn more from personalized instruction — free BoatUSA and PWC online boating courses are offered on the Washington State Parks Web site.
Boaters wtih certificates indicating they’ve passed a boating safety courses in years past qualify for the Washington boater card.
Details are online at www.parks.way/gov.
Rich Landers