Washington still investigating wolf killings in Stevens County
From staff reports
The case of the poisoned wolves in Stevens County remains unsolved.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a news release Monday that it’s still investigating the deaths of six wolves from the Wedge pack territory in Stevens County.
WDFW officers began the investigation in February 2022 after four wolves were found dead. Two more were later found, and a toxicology test found all six had ingested poison.
Staci Lehman, a WDFW spokesperson, said no new information had been found in the case, and that the agency issued the news release to bring it back to the public’s attention.
WDFW said the investigation is still active, and the agency is encouraging people who might have information related to the killings to report it confidentially to the agency’s poaching hotline at 877-933-9847. People can also text tips to 847411.
A handful of groups is offering a reward of $52,400 for information that leads to a conviction in the case.
Lake Roosevelt annual boat launch permits will no longer be sold online
Federal officials announced this week that annual boat launch permits for Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area will no longer be sold online.
The National Park Service said in a news release that the permits, which cost $45, will only be available in person at several vendors in towns around the lake.
The release did not explain why online sales would be discontinued.
Weekly boat launch permits, however, will still be available online at pay.gov. Those permits cost $8, and are good for seven consecutive days.
Annual permits are valid through Dec. 31 on the date printed on the permit. Permits for 2024 are available now.
Vendors for the permits include:
• Coulee Hardware in Grand Coulee
• Coulee Playland in Electric City
• Country Lane Campground and RV Park in Wilbur
• Fort Spokane Store and Restaurant in Davenport
• Fruitland Service LLC in Fruitland
• Harvest Foods in Kettle Falls
Spokane Audubon hosting kestrel nest box talk
The Spokane Audubon Society will meet Wednesday to hear about an American kestrel next box monitoring program in north-central Washington.
The local Audubon chapter said in a news release that members of the North Central Washington Audubon chapter would give a presentation about the nest boxes its members have built and set out around their area, and about the monitoring effort that followed.
Boxes have primarily been set up in the Wateville Plateau area of Douglas County.
The group’s members will talk about the program’s history and goals, such as gathering and sharing useful data on the population of the birds.