Field reports: Help needed for Gibraltar trail work

TRAILS – Mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians are gathering in November for a blitz to build an 18-mile trail east of Republic, Wash.

“The Gibraltar Trail, the product of a five-year effort between recreation groups, conservationists and the Colville National Forest, will provide new recreation opportunities close to the town of Republic,” Derrick Knowles of Conservation Northwest said.

The last two work parties of the season will be held Saturday and next Sunday, and Nov. 19-20.

E-mail derrick@conservationnw.org 

to sign up or call (509) 435-1270 for details.

Rich Landers

Wolf plan meeting Thursday in Spokane

WILDLIFE – Washington’s proposed Wolf Conservation and Management Plan will be presented and discussed during the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting Thursday, starting at 9 a.m. at the Ramada Spokane Airport, 8909 W. Airport Dr.

Public comment will be taken in the afternoon.

Rich Landers

Ducks flourishing from wet spring

HUNTING – Duck factories of North America produced a record waterfowl crop this summer, giving Montana and Idaho hunters something to look forward to this fall.

This year, 10 primary duck species on the traditional spring survey areas totaled about 45.6 million – a record high for the survey that dates back to 1955, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

That’s an 11 percent increase over 2010 and 35 percent above the 50-year long-term average.

“This year all parts of the ‘duck factory’ kicked in,” said Jim Hansen, the Central Flyway coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. “Just about all of the north-central U.S. and Prairie Canada have been wet, but certainly it came with flooding that has been terrible.”

Mallards were up 9 percent from last year at 9.2 million, 22 percent above the long-term average.

Pintails, which have been in decline, showed a 26 percent increase and were 10 percent above the long-term average.

Redheads reached a record high, 106 percent above the long-term average.

Updated waterfowl estimates are available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, flyways.us.

Staff and wire reports

Mining company land provides hay for elk

WILDLIFE – Northwest Alloys land near Addy, Wash., has a hand in feeding elk wintering at the Oak Creek Wildlife Area near Yakima.

For the fourth year, the Alcoa subsidiary allowed local farmers to harvest alfalfa from fields adjacent to its curtailed magnesium and silicon plant near Addy and donate the hay to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department.

The agreement nets the state about 750 tons of hay a year to feed the elk forced onto the Oak Creek winter range to keep them from damaging private-land crops.

Rich Landers