Field reports: First spring chinook make appearance

FISHING – The first spring chinook of 2016 have been caught in the lower Columbia River, but everyone from the river mouth to Idaho waters is still waiting for a good handle on how big the run will be.

Idaho Fish and Game has scheduled meetings this month to discuss early forecasts and potentially shorter seasons.

A Lewiston meeting for anglers has been set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the department’s regional office, 3316 16th St.

Preliminary forecasts call for 59,000 Snake River chinook bound for Idaho hatcheries to cross Lower Granite Dam, which is in Washington about 25 miles downstream from Lewiston. Last year, 81,700 hatchery fish returned to Idaho, the second largest since the dam went online in 1975.

Fish managers readily admit that early forecasting is no better than an educated guess.

In the last five years, forecasters underestimated the Lower Granite total run of hatchery and wild fish four times and overestimated it once:

2011 – Forecast, 57,600; actual 90,800.

2012 – Forecast, 123,900; actual 79,500.

2013 – Forecast, 36,600; actual 42,800.

2014 – Forecast, 80,400; actual 90,200.

2015 – Forecast, 89,400; actual 116,900.

Washington and Oregon already have adopted a March 1-April 9 spring chinook season for the lower Columbia River. A March 16-May 6 season is set from Bonneville Dam to the Washington-Oregon state line.

Group raises funds

for afflicted youth

HUNT-FISH – A fundraising banquet is set for March 5 in Moses Lake to raise funds for a statewide nonprofit group that sets up hunting and fishing trips for youths diagnosed with life-threatening illness or physical disability.

The sixth annual Youth Outdoors Unlimited fundraiser will be held at the Best Western Lake Front Inn in Moses Lake, but contributions can be made online, said organizer Cindy Carpenter.

Several Spokane-area youths have benefited from the program, including Jace Malek, a cancer-stricken 18-year-old who bagged his first moose in a hunt supported by his family, local sportsmen and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Info: youthoutdoorsu.org.

St. Joe cabin lottery begins

NATIONAL FORESTS – The St. Joe Ranger District is accepting applications for the lottery to select reservation rental dates for the popular Red Ives Cabin.

Red Ives is among the small percentage of national forest rentals NOT on the national online reservation system.

• Lottery applications can be obtained from the Idaho Panhandle National Forests website, fs.usda.gov/ipnf. Or pick up a form at the Forest Service Offices in St. Maries and Avery.

Applications must be received or postmarked by Feb. 29. Mail to: St. Joe Ranger District, ATTN: Red Ives Cabin Rental, 222 S. 7th Street Suite 1, St. Maries, Idaho.

Red Ives Cabin will open for the 2015 season on May 27 – weather permitting – through Sept. 30. The fee is $60 a night with a maximum stay of three nights. The capacity is eight people. It is located 86 miles southeast of St. Maries on Forest Road 218.

No pets are allowed.

The cabin features two bedrooms, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and covered front porch; propane stove/oven and refrigerator; hot water, flush toilet, and shower/tub. Propane and battery lanterns are provided with a gas log fireplace for heat.

Info: St. Joe Ranger District office in St. Maries, (208) 245-2531.

Prof talks whitewater safety

RIVERS – Paul Green, outdoor recreation professor at Eastern Washington University, will present a free whitewater safety program Monday, 7 p.m., at Mountain Gear Corporate Office, 6021 E. Mansfield in Spokane Valley.

The program, sponsored by the Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club, will cover moving water hazards and how to minimize risks while paddling during cold, high-flow, springtime run-off conditions.

Wild Wilderness films in Sandpoint

OUTFLICKS – “Wild for Wilderness – An Evening of Untamed Films” will feature award-winning documentaries and captivating footage of wildlife at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Eagles Lodge, 209 Sherman Ave. in Coeur d’Alene.

Featured films cover topics such as:

The Chuitna River, a wilderness salmon stronghold is threatened by a proposed massive coal strip mine.

Wolves and their impact on entire ecosystems as demonstrated by the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park.

Sage-grouse and the struggles to manage these unique native birds as the decline in the American West.

The Eastern Hellbender – an ancient creature known as America’s Last Dragon is also America’s largest salamander.

The second half of the show features Patagonia’s newest film, “Jumbo Wild,” which looks into the 24-year-old controversy over a proposed four-season large-scale ski resort in the heart of the Purcell mountains of British Columbia, Canada.

The films offer an opportunity to reflect upon the interrelationship between people and wildlife, as we work out ways to share our planet’s landscapes.

The films are sponsored by the Idaho Conservation League and the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Beer, wine, cocktails and raffle prizes are planned. Proceeds will benefit the groups’ effort to conserve public lands.

Tickets are $7. Info: (208) 265-9565.