Field reports: Washington proposes fishing rule changes
FISHING – Sportfishing rule changes proposed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will be explained in a public meeting starting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3 at the agency’s regional office, 2315 N. Discovery Place in Spokane Valley.
Public comments will be accepted through Oct. 31.
One proposal calls for liberalizing the daily limit for walleye to 16 fish on the waters of the Sanpoil River inundated by Lake Roosevelt (the Sanpoil Arm) to decrease the overabundant walleye population and to align regulations with those for Lake Roosevelt.
The proposals are posted on the agency’s website at wdfw. wa.gov/fishing/regulations
The proposals will be made to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission during its November meeting in Olympia.
Expansion underway at Red Mountain
SKIING – Red Mountain Resort at Rossland, British Columbia, is undergoing a huge expansion that will add nearly 1,000 new skiable acres on a new peak – Grey Mountain – over the next two seasons. A new quad chair will open 22 new slopes around the peak.
The resort already had 1,685 acres of terrain, and the expansion alone is the size of Washington’s Mount Baker Ski Area.
While skiers must wait for the snow, mountain bikers stream into Red Mountain bike trails, especially its flagship Seven Summits trail, a tough 22-mile strip of single-track afforded the elite Epic Ride status by the International Mountain Biking Association.
Wildfires affecting recreation access
PUBLIC LANDS – Wildfires scattered throughout the Northwest are affecting access to niches of national forests and other lands the public normally has access to for hunting, fishing, camping, berry-picking and other late-summer pursuits.
Glacier and Yellowstone Parks have had to close sections of road briefly because of fires.
Near Priest Lake, the road to Lookout Mountain was closed for a couple of days recently and reopened as State Lands crews fought a small fire.
Huge areas of central and southern Idaho are closed by major forest fires as sportsmen plan their early-season hunts.
Most fires and restrictions can be tracked online at www.InciWeb.com.
Campfires are restricted in most areas of the region including Potlatch timberlands in North Idaho, the company announced Thursday.
Idaho elk plan out for comment
HUNTING – A proposed 10-year elk management plan was released this week for public comment by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.
The plan is posted on the Fish and Game Department’s elk-planning webpage, http://fishandgame.idaho.gov
Public comments are due by Sept. 22.
Agency officials will hold a live online chat from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday to answer questions about the plan.
• Washington is planning to release a long-term elk management plan for public review in November or December, Fish and Wildlife Department officials said.