Field reports: Wild Olympics legislation

PARKS – Grays Harbor County commissioners have sent a letter to Sen. Patty Murray and Congressman Norm Dicks asking them to drop any Wild Olympics legislation that would restrict logging and recreation on the Olympic Peninsula.

The commissioners oppose restrictions that would result in more job losses.

Wild Olympics is a Quilcene-based group pushing to have 209 square miles added to the Olympic National Forest as wilderness and to add 58 square miles of state and private timber land to the Olympic National Park as wilderness, if the owners agree to sell.

Murray and Dicks announced a draft proposal that would meet some of those goals through Wild and Scenic River and National Preserves legislation.

Associated Press

Montana, Idaho wolf toll updated

WILDLIFE – Here are the latest numbers from the two Western states where wolf management is allowed.

In Idaho:

• The first wolf trapping season has harvested 60 wolves statewide since the trapping season opened Nov. 15.

• Hunters have reported shooting 204 wolves in the hunting season that opened Aug. 30.

• Total wolf kill by sportsmen to date: 269.

• The hunting and trapping seasons will continue to March 31 or until management unit quotas are reached. Idaho has no statewide quota.

In Montana:

• Hunters have reported shooting 145 wolves since the season opened in early September.

• The state has set a statewide quota of 220 wolves for the season that’s been extended to Feb. 15.

• Trapping for wolves is not allowed in Montana.

Outdoor programs to note this week

Fly fishing – “Match the Hatch Simplified,” free program by Oregon fly-fishing author Dave Hughes, 7 p.m., Wednesday at St. Francis School, 1104 W. Heroy, hosted by the Spokane Fly Fishers.

Map and compass – Free seminar on basics of reading a map and applying a compass for navigation, 7 p.m., Thursday, at REI. Preregister at www.rei.com/spokane.

Wetlands – The Pullman chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold its annual fund-raising banquet for wetlands conservation on Feb. 12 at the Paradise Creek Brewery in Pullman. Tickets: Joe Ford (509) 872-3030.

Alaska halibut quotas decreased

FISHING – Parts of Alaska will see substantial cuts in the allowable halibut catch.

In quotas set Friday, the International Pacific Halibut Commission reduced the potential catch by 18 percent from last year.

The catch reductions range form 17 percent in the Gulf of Alaska to about 32 percent for the Alaska Peninsula southwest of Kodiak Island.

The eastern Aleutian Islands’ limit has been reduced 35 percent.

Two areas got increases from the commission. Southeast Alaska had its catch limit increased 13 percent.

Areas off the Washington coast will get a 9 percent increase.

Associated Press