Field reports: Colville Forest names Tinelle Bustam new Republic ranger
FORESTS – Tinelle Bustam, Public Services Staff Officer on the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, is heading to Washington to become the Republic District ranger on the Colville National Forest starting Thursday.
Bustam, has been with the Forest Service for four years. She has worked in recreation and social services in various capacities both within and outside the Forest Service, forest officials say.
She has a B.S. degree in wildlife biology from the University of Montana, an M.S. in environmental and outdoor education from the State University of New York at Cortland, and a PhD in natural resource recreation management from the University of Florida.
Bustam succeeds Robert Sanchez, Republic District Ranger from 2011 to 2014.
Bustam will be joined in Republic by her husband, Sean Whitman. Bustam enjoys traveling, whitewater paddling and the outdoors in general. Bustam has lived and worked in Puerto Rico and Kenya, as well as having recently visited Aruba, Belize and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Weed control closes Newman Lake access
BOATING – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife public-access site at Newman Lake will be closed June 3-5 to allow treatment of the lake with herbicide to control Eurasian milfoil and other aquatic invasive weeds.
The Newman Lake Flood Control Zone District, under permit from the Washington Department of Ecology, has hired Aqua Technex to treat milfoil infestations on about 80 acres throughout the 1,200-acre lake with 2-4-D.
A swimming restriction will be in force during treatment and for 24 hours after treatment. Boating and swimming will be discouraged the day of treatment and for two days after. Signs with that information will be posted. The boating restriction is needed because wave action reduces the herbicide’s effectiveness.
Newman Lake is about 20 miles northeast of Spokane and is open year-round for fishing.
Long-distance shooters heading to new range
SHOOTING – Long-range shooting enthusiasts are pushing away from the reloading table and testing their skills in a four-event series that started Saturday at the new Rock Lake Rifle Range, 2356 Glorfield Road, St. John, Washington.
A Fun Shoot to introduce others to the range will be held today, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The Northwest Precision Steel Series Challenge has divisions for tactical and hunting class shooters, says organizer Doug Glorfield.
Tactical competitors engage targets at distances of 175-1,250 yards in seven stations. Hunting and youth shooters do five stations at 150-600 yards.
Shooters in the series compete for cash prizes. The other series shoots are set for June 28, July 26 and Aug. 30.
“My dad and I built the range last year, Rock Lake Rifle Range LLC,” Glorfield said, noting that the site is west of the south end of Rock Lake. “We built it to host long-range rifle shoots to bang away at steel.”
Info: (509) 939-7855.