Nez Perce Tribe subcommittee sets meetings on Columbia fishing
The Nez Perce Tribe Natural Resource Subcommittee is holding meetings Dec. 28-29 to get feedback from tribal members who fish in Zone Six on the Columbia River.
The meetings will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 28 and from 8 a.m. to noon Dec. 29 at the Clearwater River Casino's Mixo'oyat Room. Light meals will be served at both meetings. Committee members want to hear the opinions of tribal fishermen and will be available to answer questions.
Registration is required by Dec. 22, and can be done by calling (208) 843-2253 or by email at NPTEC@nezperce.org
Officials remind snowmobilers to register machines properly
Idaho snowmobilers who ride in the Blue Mountains need to register their sleds in Washington, according to local law enforcement officials.
Matt Sabo, an officer from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said Idaho and Washington don't share a reciprocal registration agreement. That means when snowmobilers in one state want to ride in the other, they need to obtain the proper paperwork. Sabo said Idaho riders can purchase a temporary 60-day registration that allows them to snowmobile in the Evergreen State for $12.75 at the Asotin County Auditor's Office or from Licensing Etc. in Clarkston.
Sabo said he and an officer with the Umatilla National Forest have written several warnings in the past few years and plan to begin issuing more citations this winter for improperly registered snowmobiles. People also need Sno-Park permits to use snow parks at Cloverland and Rose Springs in the Blue Mountains. Those permits are available from the Washington Department of Parks and Recreation.
Entomology professor to discuss mayflies at flyfishing club's meeting
MOSCOW - Dean Michael Parrella, a professor of entomology at the University of Idaho, will present "Mayflies: Trout's Magic Meal," at a Clearwater Fly Casters meeting Wednesday at the Best Western Plus University Inn here.
The meeting starts with a 5:30 p.m. no-host social hour and a $16 dinner buffet at 6:30. The talk begins at 7:30.
Forest Service road near Helmer will be closed for logging activities
HELMER - A remote section of the Park Road near here will be closed because of an active logging operation, according to a Potlatch Corp. news release.
The Park Road, also known as Forest Service Road 1963, will be closed to all traffic, including snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, between Tamarack Road at marker 25 and Long Meadows at marker 12, starting Dec. 17 and lasting until Feb. 23. The road will be open on weekends.
IDFG seeks comments on proposed changes to some seasons
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the 2018 and 2019 upland game, turkey and furbearer seasons.
The agency is proposing to increase the daily bag limit for turkeys from one to two. It also is proposing to lengthen the fall season by moving opening day from Sept. 15 to Sept. 1 in several units, including 10, 12, 16A, 17, 19 and 20 in the Clearwater Region, and eliminating a season split that has a closure between Oct. 10 and Nov. 20 in units 8, 8A, 10A, 11, 11A, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18. The requirement to hunt fall turkeys on private land only in those units would be removed.
The proposals are available for review and comment on the Fish and Game website at http://idfg.idaho.gov/comment.
The deadline for submitting comments is Wednesday.
Columbia River tribal fishing panel wants information on lampreys
PORTLAND - The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission is seeking historical photographs, written accounts, newspaper articles and other documents that show or reference Pacific lamprey in Washington, Oregon, Idaho or British Columbia.
The commission, of which the Nez Perce Tribe is a member, hopes the information will help scientists reconstruct the range and abundance of the lamprey in the basin. People who might have photos or other documents are asked to submit electronic copies. They can be uploaded at http://bit.ly/lamprey-photos, emailed to lamprey@critfc.org or mailed to CRITFC, 700 N.E. Multnomah St., Suite 1200, Portland, OR 97232.
Pacific lamprey are one of the oldest creatures in the Columbia Basin. Like salmon, they are anadromous, spending time in the ocean and returning to spawn in freshwater tributaries. Pacific lamprey numbers have seen a severe decline throughout the Columbia River Basin in conjunction with land development and dams.
Forest Service boosts map costs starting on Jan. 1
KAMIAH - The U.S. Forest Service will increase the costs of its forest maps for the first time in nearly a decade.
The paper and plastic maps will cost $14 starting Jan. 1.
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests offices sell maps for the Clearwater National Forest and Nez Perce National Forest, as well as for specific wilderness and recreation areas. Some offices also sell maps for adjacent national forests. The maps currently cost $10.
