Inside outdoors briefs

Headgate Park deal up for public comment

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is taking comments on a proposal to acquire the former Headgate Park in Asotin County and another for a small land swap on the 4-O Ranch.

Asotin County sold the park at auction last year. The department was interested in the property then but didn’t have time to go through the land purchasing process required by law. The 28-acre park was purchased by James Sweaney for $365,100. Sweaney has since signaled his willingness to sell it to the department that wants to restore it as a dispersed camping and recreation area. The park is near the agency’s Asotin Wildlife Area.

The three members of Asotin County Commission have voiced support for the purchase.

The department wants to trade a 10-acre parcel surrounded by private property for a nearby 13-acre parcel of private land that is adjacent to the 4-O Wildlife Area along Cougar Creek Road. The state-owned land has a spring that is used by the owner of the private property to water livestock.

According to a news release from the agency, the department is still in the process of reviewing the two proposals. Gathering public input is part of the process. More information about both proposed transactions and the state’s land acquisition process is available at wdfw.wa.gov/about/wdfw-lands/land-acquisitions. Comments can be sent to lands@dfw.wa.gov. The deadline is Nov. 27.

Road restrictions for South Grangemont trust land to take effect Friday

OROFINO — Roads accessing the South Grangemont block of Idaho state endowment trust land will close to vehicle traffic starting Friday, but will remain open to motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles with a width less than 50 inches.

According to a news release from the Idaho Department of Lands, the annual change in access applies to state land south of the Grangemont Road between Rudo Road and Cow Creek Road and will remain in effect until May 23, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

The travel restrictions, made in partnership with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, are designed to reduce erosion, minimize road maintenance expenses and minimize wildlife disturbance.

Ski swap is Thursday in Moscow

MOSCOW — The University of Idaho Outdoor Program and UI Vandal Ski Team will hold the 43rd annual Outdoor Equipment Sale and Ski Swap from 6-8 p.m. Thursday in the Student Recreation Center’s MAC Court on the UI campus.

Admission is $5 per person from 6-6:30 p.m., $1 per person from 6:30-7 p.m., and free from 7-8 p.m. Admission is cash only. University of Idaho students and children younger than 12 can enter for free throughout the entire event.

Anyone is welcome to sell their equipment for $20 and should arrive between 5-6 p.m. to set up their table. Revenue goes to the UI Vandal Ski Team. All sales will be the responsibility of the individuals involved. More information is available by calling the Outdoor Program Office at (208) 885-6810 or hzander@uidaho.edu.

Hunter education class offered this week at Lewiston

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will teach a hunter education class from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the agency’s Clearwater Office on 3316 16th St. in Lewiston.

This week’s class is the last available in 2024.

Those interested can register online at register-ed.com/events/view/219849 or in person at any Fish and Game office.

Students are asked to read the “Today’s Hunter” manual and answer the questions in the back of the book prior to the first class period. The manual can be picked up at any Fish and Game office or registrants can call the office at (208) 799-5010 and request that one be mailed to them.

Topic is falconry at Clearwater Fly Casters meeting

MOSCOW — A guest speaker at a Clearwater Fly Casters meeting Nov. 13 will talk about falconry.

Kenny Wallen, an associate professor at the University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources, studies raptor conservation and will give a presentation on falconry with his Harris’s hawk, Chestnut.

The meeting at the Best Western Plus University Inn starts with a 5:30 p.m. social hour, followed by a $24 buffet meal at 6:30 and Wallen’s presentation at 7:30.

Washington officials asking for public input on Columbian sharp-tailed grouse

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking public input on a draft periodic status review for Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, which includes a recommendation to keep the species on the state endangered list.

The public comment period is open until Jan. 28.

“Since their listing and even before, multiple partners and organizations have made great efforts toward Columbian sharp-tailed grouse recovery, including but not limited to translocations to augment populations and habitat restoration work,” said Michael Atamian, the department’s sharp-tailed grouse species lead. “However, after multiple impactful wildfires between 2018 and 2021, the estimated population of this once-abundant species has dropped to its lowest point ever. Because of the state of the species, we recommend keeping the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse on the Washington endangered species list.”

The draft periodic status review for Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is available at wdfw.wa.gov/publications/02541.