Field Report: Catch limits lifted on six area lakes

FISHING – Licensed anglers can fish into October without daily catch or size limits for trout, bass, perch and other gamefish on six Eastern Washington lakes scheduled for treatment to remove nuisance fish.

Badger and Williams lakes in Spokane County are among the lakes targeted for restoration to trout management, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday.

Catch restrictions also have been suspended at Upper and Lower Green lakes and Rat Lake in Okanogan County and No Name Lake in Pend Oreille County.

The no-limits fishing opportunity will run through Oct. 18 on the three lakes in Okanogan County, and through Oct. 25 on the other three lakes.

Anglers will be prohibited from gathering fish from those waters during and after the treatments with rotenone, an organic substance that kills fish by affecting their respiration.

“There’s no reason why anglers can’t catch as many trout, perch and other gamefish as they can find before we treat the lakes,” said Bruce Bolding, a WDFW fish biologist. “There are still some nice fish in those waters, along with the panfish and bullheads.”

All six lakes will close to fishing before the treatments begin. Rotenone is approved for use as a fish pesticide by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Snowy plovers, owls status examined

CRITTERS – Washington wildlife managers are seeking public comment on whether to keep the snowy plover and northern spotted owls on the state endangered species list.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife periodically reviews the status of protected species in the state. The public can comment on a list of recommendations through Dec. 8.

Draft reviews of the snowy plover and northern spotted owl are available on the agency’s website.

The snowy plover is a small bird with gray wings and white breast. It lives mostly in coastal areas of Washington. Its population is growing on the West Coast, but remains small in Washington.

The northern spotted owl was listed as endangered in 1988 because of a loss of habitat from timber harvesting.

Panhandle collaborative meeting in Sandpoint

FORESTS – The Panhandle Forest Collaborative, which brings together a spectrum of public interest groups to discuss national forest planning, has set a meeting for Wednesday, 1 p.m. at the Bonner County Administration Building, 1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint.

Appalachian Trail speed hiker fined

HIKING – Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek paid a $500 fine in Portland, Maine, this week to settle citations over his celebration atop the state’s Mount Katahdin that struck a nerve with park officials worried about crowding and commercialization of the Appalachian Trail.

Jurek popped a bottle of champagne while surrounded by a group of supporters in July after completing the 2,189-mile trail from Georgia to Maine in 46 days, 8 hours. A ranger later cited him for public drinking, littering and hiking in an oversized group.