Field Reports: Kokanee salmon illegally dumped in North Idaho
A pile of kokanee salmon were illegally dumped in North Idaho earlier this month, and now game wardens are looking for answers.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced this week that it was looking for information related to the dumping of 31 kokanee found near the intersection of Warrant Street and North Reed Road in Hayden on Sept. 15.
A Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office deputy found the fish and reported them to Idaho Fish and Game.
Body markings indicate the fish were caught in gillnets, according to Fish and Game. The edible parts of the fish were left intact, which means the fish were wasted.
Wasting game or fish meat is illegal. Fish and Game officials added in their press release that kokanee are a popular sportfish in North Idaho and that illegally killing them undermines fisheries management.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Idaho Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999. Tips can also be reported online at https://citizensagainstpoaching.org/.
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meets this week
A land transaction in Pend Oreille County is on the agenda for the state’s top wildlife panel on Saturday.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meets in Wenatchee this week for a two-day retreat and a Saturday business meeting, which is when they’ll vote on land deals in Pend Oreille and Okanogan counties.
The Pend Oreille County deal concerns an inholding on the Rustler’s Gulch unit of the Sherman Creek Wildlife Area. The 40-acre inholding is owned by the Department of Natural Resources but is surrounded completely by land owned by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Officials say moving the property to WDFW ownership will simplify management in the area, which is just northeast of Deer Park.
Commissioners will also consider three other transactions – two in Okanogan County and one in Douglas County – and policies on native trout harvest and coastal steelhead rules.
The commission retreat will take place Thursday and Friday. It is open to the public but will not be livestreamed. Saturday’s meeting will be livestreamed.
Discover Pass prices increase Oct. 1
Washingtonians are about to pay more for access to their state parks and other state-owned public lands.
The price of a Discover Pass will increase from $30 to $45 on Oct. 1.
The fee hike is the result of legislation passed in the spring. It’s the first price increase since 2011, according to a Washington State Parks news release.
Discover Passes give people admission to all state lands managed by state parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlfie and the Washington Department of Natural Resources. They are valid for one year.
The three agencies split proceeds from the passes. State parks gets the largest share.