WATERSPORTS -- Whitewater enthusiasts are expecting a warm welcome from Washington's Tieton River along US 12 west of Yakima this weekend. A large gathering of rafters and kayakers -- private and commercial -- is gearing up from across the region to take advantage of the…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Bald eagles and loons will take a big hit while blue jays are among the species that could prosper as the earth's climate heats up. But overall, the outlook is grim. Half of all bird species in North America — including the…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Once on the brink of extinction and still too close for comfort, Snake River sockeye surpassed an important milestone this week. Through Friday, 1,348 sockeye have been trapped in the Sawtooth Basin, the most since the run was placed on regulatory life…
THREATENED SPECIES -- Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has ordered restrictions on future oil drilling and other activities blamed for driving down sage grouse populations. With today’s executive order, Montana joins other Western states rushing to head off federal intervention with the birds, according to a…
CLIMBING -- A 28-year-old Everett man was killed Saturday after falling while rappelling off Liberty Bell Mountain west of Mazama. Eric P. Anderson was climbing with his wife when one of his ropes came free and he fell between 50 and 60 feet, said Okanogan…
FISHING -- Here they come! The record run of fall chinook salmon headed for the Columbia River has arrived -- in record fashion. Over the weekend, about 107,000 fish climbed the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam to head toward the Hanford Reach of the Columbia…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.