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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Area wildlife refuges recruiting volunteers

From staff reports

From staff reports

Federal wildlife refuges in the region are looking for volunteers to help with maintenance and visitor services.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in a news release this week that it is looking for resident volunteers at the Turnbull, Kootenai and Little Pend Oreille national wildlife refuges.

Volunteers are expected to work 20 to 24 hours a week in exchange for an RV pad and utilities over three month spans beginning in May. Work includes talking with visitors, trail work, maintenance and custodial duties.

The refuges also want volunteer photographers to help produce content for improvements to signs and refuge literature.

Information on how to apply can be found at volunteer.gov.

Fees waived at state, national parks on Monday

Visitors heading to state or national parks in Washington won’t have to pay entrance fees on Monday.

The holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is one of several fee free days at public land destinations throughout the state.

Washington State Parks won’t be requiring Discover Passes on Monday, one of a dozen fee-free days planned for 2024. Sno-Park permits will still be required for people visiting the state’s designated Sno-Parks.

The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees at all of its sites nationwide, including Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park.

Entrance fees will also be waived at sites managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service that normally require them.

Applications for Idaho spring black bear controlled hunts open next week

Hunters hoping tot take part in Idaho’s controlled hunts for black bears this spring can begin applying next week.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced that it will accept applications for the controlled hunt from Monday to Feb. 15.

Idaho’s controlled hunts have a limited number of tags, which are doled out through a random drawing.

The state holds controlled hunts for black bears in three units. Two of the units are capped at 75 tags; one is unlimited. The season runs from April 1 to May 22.

Hunters can apply at gooutdoorsidaho.com or on the department’s mobile app. They can also apply at any regional office or license vendor, or over the phone by calling 1-800-554-8685.

Idaho Fish and Game plans ‘Talk Shop’ events

The first of four “Talk Shop with Idaho Fish and Game” gatherings is set for next week, giving the public a chance to meet and mingle with department officials in Coeur d’Alene.

The agency will host the event at the Lake City Center at 1916 N. Lakewood Drive in Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.

The gatherings are meant to be casual, giving the public a chance to talk with officials and for the officials to get to know the outdoor enthusiasts in the area. They are not part of any formal planning process for the agency.

Idaho Fish and Game has three similar events planned for later in the year throughout North Idaho:

•Priest River, Feb. 15

•St. Maries, March 21

•Kellogg, April 25