Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 386
OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has launched a streamlined application system for state hydraulic approval permits, which have played a key role in protecting fish populations for the past 70 years. Program managers say the new online system makes it easier to apply for - and monitor - Hydraulic Project Approvals (HPA), a state permit required for construction projects and certain other activities in or near state waters. For a start, the new Aquatic Protection...
OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will host meetings in June to discuss plans to survey public and private beaches around south Puget Sound for forage fish habitat. The surveys are designed to determine where and when forage fish, such as surf smelt and Pacific sand lance, spawn in southern Puget Sound, said Phillip Dionne, WDFW research scientist. "Forage fish play a critical role in the food web, providing nutrients for marine mammals, seabirds, salmon and even...
OLYMPIA - One volunteer helped capture more than a hundred ground squirrels for translocation, while another played a key role in monitoring the health of bighorn sheep during a pneumonia epidemic last year. A third secured a barge to ensure that a wintering area for waterfowl would remain productive. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recognized the contributions of these and other top volunteers during its 2014 citizen awards ceremony May 20 in Olympia. Ground squirrels are...
Action: Closes Heart Lake to fishing by the public. Effective dates: 12:01 a.m. June 4 through 11:59 p.m. June 7, 2014. The lake is open for anglers participating in the Kids Fishing event June 7 from 6 a.m. through 12 p.m. Species affected: All game fish. Location: Heart Lake, located within the city limits of Anacortes in Skagit Co. Reasons for action: This rule change is necessary to assure a successful Kids Fishing event. The fish will be planted in the lake two days prior to the event to be...
OLYMPIA – Clam diggers will have one last chance to dig razor clams this season during a final opening set to begin May 27. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the digs after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat. No digging will be allowed at any beach after noon. “These last digs will wrap up an excellent razor clam season during which diggers have been getting their limits with lots of big clams,” said Dan Ayres, WDFW shellfish manager. “These dates w...
Actions: Open salmon fishing on the Icicle River (Chelan Co.). Daily limit: Daily limit two adipose fin clipped spring chinook (adult or jack), minimum size 12 inches. Species affected: Hatchery adipose fin clipped spring chinook salmon. Location: Icicle River, from the closure signs located 800 feet upstream of the mouth to 500 feet downstream of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam. Effective dates: May 23, 2014 through July 31, 2014. Reason for action: In-season run analysis...
OLYMPIA – Spring chinook salmon fisheries on two sections of the Snake River will close for the season after four more days of fishing in each area. Fishing for spring chinook in the Clarkston area continues today (May 22) and will close an hour past sunset on Sunday (May 25). Below Lower Granite Dam, fishing for spring chinook will be open from Saturday (May 24) until an hour past sunset on Tuesday (May 27). By then, the catch of spring chinook salmon is expected to reach the harvest a...
OLYMPIA - From now through July 20, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is offering current freshwater or saltwater fishing license holders the opportunity to upgrade to a combination license for under $27. The upgrade will give those anglers all the fishing privileges of a combination license at the cost they would have paid if they had purchased one in the first place, said Bill Joplin, WDFW licensing manager. Freshwater fishing license holders can purchase an upgrade to a...
OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced summer crab-fishing seasons for Puget Sound, starting June 1 with an early opening in Marine Area 13 south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Most other areas of the Sound will open for recreational crab fishing July 1, although two areas around the San Juan Islands open later in summer to protect molting crab. Seasons for the upcoming fishery are posted on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/ . Ri...
VANCOUVER – Children with disabilities will have a chance to reel in some big trout during a special fishing event July 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Merwin Fish Hatchery, east of Woodland. More than 100 young people and their families are expected to turn out for the 16th annual Merwin Special Kids Day, sponsored by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Pacific Power, GoPAW and PacifiCorp Energy. Sponsors ask that participants be pre-registered by June 30, by calling 1... Full story
OLYMPIA - Each year, thousands of Washingtonians go fishing - legally - without a license. How? By taking advantage of 'Free Fishing Weekend,' scheduled for June 7-8. During those two days, no license will be required to fish or gather shellfish in any waters open to fishing in Washington state. Also, no vehicle access pass or Discover Pass will be required during Free Fishing Weekend to park at any of the nearly 700 water-access sites maintained by the Washington Department of Fish and...
OLYMPIA - Starting Saturday, May 31, anglers will get two more weeks to catch hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon and steelhead in waters of the Columbia River stretching more than 160 miles upriver from Bonneville Dam. Recreational fishing closed in that area May 9, but fishery managers from Washington and Oregon approved an extension through June 15 after transferring a portion of the upriver spring chinook allocation from the ongoing fishery below Bonneville Dam. That reallocation of 750...
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lake Havasu Field Office is seeking public input on a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for a recreation commercial lease request for a Recreational Vehicle (RV) resort located on the Parker Strip, California. The proposed RV resort includes the construction of 124 RV sites located at BLM’s Empire Landing Campground. The draft EA is available for a 30-day public review and comment period ending on April 21, 2014. The draft EA may b...
7‐15 New to Hunting Listing Annual Hunt Regulations Doug Burt via HAHWG solicitation 2014 (new) June – July: Outdoor Skills Summer Adventure Camps Info: Multiple 5‐day, day and overnight camps for 4‐6th graders, and 6‐8th graders: activities include kayaking, archery, air guns; travel camps includes camping, hiking, fishing, wildlife observation, survival skills, slingshots, swimming, team competitions and more. Fee required. Dates: June 9‐13, 16‐20, and 23‐27; July 7‐11 and 14‐18 Location: P... Full story
The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to announce the latest step to manage the impacts of bison on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). After meeting with cooperators Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM ) over the last several months, the NPS will initiate public scoping later this week for a bison-management plan and environmental-impact statement (EIS) to be prepared pursuant to the National...
OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission took action to expand the number of big-game hunting permits available this year and reduce the cost of several types of permits during a public meeting April 11-12 in Olympia. The commission, a citizen panel that sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), approved those and other changes while adopting new hunting rules for the upcoming season. The continued growth of many state deer and elk populations will... Full story
Some streamside landowners find themselves battling backyard beavers that gnaw down trees and flood yards with their dams. But even after removing dams or even the beavers themselves, most streamside landowners find themselves losing the war. That's because the old adage "busy as a beaver" is true, and because streams will always attract beavers. Understanding more about this species and how they can benefit other wildlife, along with the steps required by law to address beaver problems, may hel...
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – On March 16th, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Nevada Department of Wildlife, BIO-WEST, Inc., and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, National Park Service (NPS) biologists successfully released nine adult endangered razorback suckers (Xyrauchen texanus) in the Colorado River downstream of Lava Falls (River Mile 180). A native fish found only in the Colorado River basin, the razorback sucker was previously believed to have been extirpated from Grand Can... Full story
NEWPORT, R.I. (April 14, 2014) – While lathes are turning in Washington State, dozens of riggers have begun working on the standing rigging that will faithfully support the three masts of SSV Oliver Hazard Perry. The 200-foot square-rigged Tall Ship is Rhode Island’s official Sailing Education Vessel, the largest of its kind to have been built in this country in the last 100 years. The ship’s hull is at Senesco Marine in Quonset, Rhode Island; its wooden spars are being turned and shaped at Th...
EPHRATA - As construction workers race against the clock to make fish ladders at Wanapum Dam operational, state fishery managers are standing ready with an alternate plan to move spring chinook salmon up the Columbia River. Shortly after discovering a 65-foot-long fracture in a spillway pier Feb. 27, dam operators lowered the water level behind the 185-foot structure by a record 26 feet, leaving the fish ladders high and dry. Sometime this week, the first of an estimated 20,000 spring chinook... Full story
The National Rifle Association (NRA) Women's Wilderness Escape provides women 18 and older with an eight-day getaway opportunity to experience the softer side of firearm education with exposure to a wide variety of shooting sports activities and an array of enticing hunting and outdoor related activities. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned outdoor enthusiast, it's an experience that will prepare you for your next adventure. No experience is necessary, and all firearms and ammunition are... Full story
The General Services Administration has just put out for comment a proposed rule change with a deadline of June 16th, 2014. The proposed rule change will widen the use of GSA Schedules for Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Relief to additional State and Local agencies as well as Not-for-Profit groups like the American National Red Cross and similar organizations as in more recent disasters these groups have begun to play a key role in recovery. This is highly likely to benefit small businesses... Full story
OLYMPIA - Hunters have through May 22 to apply for special hunting permits for fall deer, elk, mountain goat, moose, bighorn sheep, and turkey seasons in Washington state. Permit winners will be selected through a random drawing conducted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in late June. The special permits qualify hunters to hunt at times and places beyond those authorized by a general hunting license. To apply for a special hunt permit, hunters must purchase an... Full story
Grand Canyon, AZ – The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to announce the latest step to manage the impacts of bison on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). After meeting with cooperators Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)--over the last several months, the NPS will initiate public scoping later this week for a bison management plan and environmental impact statement (EIS) to be prepared pursuant to t...
Grand Canyon, Ariz. At approximately 1:10 p.m. the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a call reporting an individual that had fallen off the rim at Mather Point located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon. National Park Service Helitak crew located the body, approximately 400 feet below the rim. National Park Service Search and Rescue crews are working to recover the body. Mather Point is currently closed to the public and will remain closed until further notice. No further... Full story
