OHVs may get more access

The Stevens County Commission will hear public comments this week on a proposal to open more county roads to off-highway vehicles.

The meeting is set for Thursday, 6:30 p.m., at Loon Lake School, 4001 Maple.

Proposals call for allowing OHVs on:

•Larsen Beach Road from 395 to Shoreacres,

•Lyon Moss Road from Colville to end,

•McVay Road from 292 to Shoreacres Drive,

•Morgan Road from Northshore to 292,

•Northshore from 292 to Gwenellen,

•Shoreacres Road from McVay Road to South Loon Lake Road,

•Shoreacres Road from 292 to Larsen Beach Road,

•Sunset Bay Road from 395 to 395,

•Sunset Drive from Sunset Bay Road to end,

•Colville Road from Hwy 292 to Hwy 292,

•Maple Street from Hwy 395 to Colville Road,

Cedar Street from 292 to Colville Road,

•Whittier Road from Garden Spot Road to Clayton,

•United Copper Road,

•Starvation Lake Road to DNR campground.

Rich Landers

STATE PARKS

Camp scammers milk system

Oregon parks officials say some campers are playing the reservation system to get good campsites at busy times, taking advantage of state rules that allow them to book 14 days of camping time nine months in advance.

The ploy: Figure nine months back from a popular camping time, say Memorial Day weekend. Then figure 14 more days back and, on that day, book the two weeks leading up to Memorial Day. Later, cancel most of the 14 days and go camping just for the holiday weekend.

Officials say the canceled campsites can go unused.

The proposed solution: Require campers to pay for all the booking and rental fees in advance for all the days they reserve. The rules now require a $6 booking fee and the first night’s fee as a deposit.

Department officials say other states have had a similar problem and used a similar solution to good effect.

Associated Press

FISHERIES

Non-native trout affect high lakes

The impact fish stocking has on aquatic insects in mountain lakes can be rapidly reversed by removing non-native trout, according to a study completed by scientists with the U.S. Forest Service and University of California, Davis.

Their findings appear in a current on-line issue of the journal Freshwater Biology.

Since 2000, the California Department of Fish and Game has reduced the number of wilderness lakes it stocks by about half because non-native fish feed on declining species like the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog.

Studies showed that aquatic insect populations quickly increased when trout were removed from lakes.

Rich Landers

FISHING

Top catfish caught

Jessey Perry, 12, of Lewistown, Mont., recently caught the pending state-record catfish, 30.12 pounds, near Fort Peck Reservoir.

Associated Press