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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Forest Service budget could get the ax

The Spokesman-Review

A Bush administration spending plan would cut the Forest Service budget by 8 percent next year, a budget that could mean the loss of more than 2,700 jobs – nearly 10 percent of the agency’s work force.

The proposal follows recent cutbacks that left many national forests, including the Colville, running at bare minimum levels for maintaining roads, trails and campgrounds last season.

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., chairman of the House Appropriations Interior subcommittee, called the budget plan “an unmitigated disaster” that “would cause real harm to our 193-million acre national forest system.”

The only bright spot in the budget was a request to increase spending to fight wildfires by about $148 million to just under $1 billion, Dicks said.

Staff and wire reports

FISHING

Chinook runs strong

One of the longest sport seasons in years for spring chinook salmon was approved last week for the Columbia River.

The seasons are based on 269,300 spring chinook expected to return to the Columbia River, the third-largest return since 1977. However, the forecast of 34,000 fish heading to the Willamette River is the the lowest since 1997.

Because of the weak Willamette forecast, Oregon and Washington agreed to direct most of the fishery above the confluence of the two rivers near Portland.

“That is a change from past years, when the spring chinook fishery in the Lower Columbia River was focused downriver from the I-5 Bridge,” said Cindy LeFleur, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department Columbia River policy coordinator.

Both the sport and commercial fisheries may kill no more than 2 percent of the wild chinook’s total return. Within that 2 percent, this agreement gives 61 percent of the incidental mortality rate to the sport and 39 percent to the commercial fishery.

Mark Yuasa, Seattle Times

BICYCLING

Cycle Oregon enrolls

The 2,000 slots for the 21st Cycle Oregon bicycle tour are likely to be filled by the end of the month, organizers say.

The route changes each year for the week-long catered ride. This year, cyclists will start Sept. 6. for a 456-mile tour around the fringe of the Wallowa Mountains.

The tour begins and ends in Elgin.

For $825, riders can enjoy gourmet food, hot showers, live entertainment, massages, Oregon microbrews and Oregon wines that come with a campsite.

Ken Chichester of Salem, a staff member who helped select this year’s route, says the Wallowas and the Oregon Coast are the most popular with riders.

Staff and wire reports

CONSERVATION

Easements secured

Eleven new conservation easements were arranged in this region, a one-year record for the Inland Northwest Land Trust.

The local non-profit group works with willing landowners to secure tax incentives in exchange for easements that help restrict development on land with high environmental values.

Last year’s efforts helped protect 1,500 feet of shoreline just downstream from the confluence of Hangman Creek and Rock Creek, 600 acres of forest and more than a half mile of the Little Spokane River near its headwaters in the Scotia Valley, 50 acres on Lake Cocolalla, 80 acres near Cougar Bay and more, said Vicki Sola Egesdal, INLT spokeswoman.

Info: www.inlandnwlandtrust.org.

Rich Landers