Columbia Plateau trail expands

A segment of the Columbia Plateau Trail — a 130-mile non-motorized rail-trail that runs from Fish Lake in Spokane County to Ice Harbor Dam near Pasco — will be dedicated in a ceremony Tuesday, 1 p.m., at Ice Harbor Dam.

The 10-feet-wide segment of packed crushed rock runs 15 miles along the Snake River from the dam to the Snake River Junction, said Mark Truitt, trail manager for Washington State Parks. Vault toilets have been installed at the trailheads, but no water is available. Cost for improving the segment is about $700,000, state officials said.With the new segment, 38 miles of the trail have been developed since the state acquired the abandoned railroad right-of-way in 1991.

The only paved section of the trail is the 3.5 miles from Fish Lake to Cheney. The 19-mile segment from Cheney to Martin Road near Downs Lake — including 4.75 miles through Turnbull Wildlife Refuge — is crushed rock suitable for horses and wide-tire bicycles.

Info: www.parks.wa.gov.

Rich Landers

CONSERVATION

Nature showcased on walking tours

The Inland Northwest Land Trust has organized several walking tours led by landowners from the Colbert area to Hangman Creek who have protected the natural qualities of their properties with conservation easements.

Group sizes are limited.

Info: Vicki Sola Egesdal, 462-1239.

Rich Landers

HUNTING

Sage grouse hunt could be shortened

Montana may reduce the length of the fall sage grouse hunting season over concerns that West Nile virus is killing the birds.

The commission is taking public comment and will decide July 17 on a proposal to shorten the season from 62 to 31 days, ending Nov. 1.

Surveys showed sage grouse numbers were down across the greater Billings area, including a 44 percent drop in Yellowstone County.

Biologists say the mosquito-borne West Nile virus could be partially responsible.

Billings Gazette

FISHERIES

Rockfish struggle in Puget Sound

Although environmental conditions have been taking their toll, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department agents have been ticketing poachers who are hammering Puget Sound fisheries, including rockfish under review for potential Endangered Species Act protection.

”(Poachers) easily took a quarter of the rockfish in that small area, and it could affect spawning since half of the rockfish were of spawning age,” said officer Erik Olson while remarking on one case.

Seattle Times

WILDLIFE

25 years for griz recovery

A regional committee working on behalf of grizzly bears is celebrating 25 years of bear recovery.

Representation on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, established in 1983, includes the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state wildlife departments in Montana, Idaho, Washington and Wyoming and the Canadian Wildlife Service.

When grizzlies received Endangered Species Act protection in 1975, the United States had as few as 600-800 outside of Alaska. Today the number may have doubled.

Endangered status for Yellowstone ecosystem grizzlies ended recently.

Associated Press