Transitions and happenings in the outdoor world in 2016

A list of outdoors transitions and happenings that occurred in 2016.

Deceased: Peg Stark, 99, co-founder of Scottish Lakes High Camp near Leavenworth, Washington. With husband, Bill, named many features of Enchantment Lakes area.

Deceased: Al Biesen, 98, custom gun maker in Spokane, earned world notoriety by building a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester rifle that became favorite of Outdoor Life hunting writer Jack O’Connor.

Deceased: David Johnson, 93, Minnesota outdoorsman who built first snowmobile in 1956 and founded Polaris snowmobiles.

Deceased: Jack Ward Thomas, 81, rose from the Pacific Northwest Research Station at La Grande, Oregon, to co-found the Starkey elk research project and become first wildlife biologist to head U.S. Forest Service.

Hired: Jeff Thompson, Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center executive director.

Retired: Chris Servheen, 65, of Montana, served 35 years as nation’s first and only grizzly bear recovery coordinator. Grizzlies likely to be delisted from Endangered Species protections in 2017.

Renamed: Olympic Wilderness becomes Daniel J. Evans Wilderness, honoring former Washington governor, senator.

Reintroduced: Fishers to Mount Rainier National Park.

Downlisted: Columbian white-tailed deer, to threatened, after being federally classified as endangered for nearly 40 years.

Delisted: Gray wolf officially removed from Oregon’s endangered species list.

Sold: Cabela’s to Bass Pro Shops for $5.5 billion.

Closed: Spout Springs ski area in Oregon.

Closed: Folbot folding kayak factory in North Charleston, South Carolina, after 63 years. The 83-year-old specialty watercraft manufacturer started in London.

Defunct: Boardman Tree Farm, 25,000-acres of poplars that graced eyes of travelers on Interstate 84 in Oregon.