Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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REARDAN – Some area residents are concerned about a perceived increase in wolf presence in Lincoln County. Three wolf sightings have been reported or discussed in the Lincoln County area recently. On Dec. 1, 2022, Brett and Angela Bishop saw a wolf 40 feet from their house several miles south of Edwall. The wolf sauntered by until the Bishops' Malamute/Great Pyrenees dog saw it and started barking. The wolf went after the dog. Brett Bishop intervened and chased the wolf with his car. "That is the first wolf I've ever s...
COULEE DAM--Effective 12:01 am Friday, Oct. 21, campfires were allowed in established fire rings in campgrounds and day-use areas and on lakeshores below the high-water mark throughout Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. Charcoal grills are also allowed at this time. Regulations require beach campfires to be less than three feet in diameter and must be at least ten feet from the nearest beach logs, structure or vegetation. In addition, one can’t use or create rock rings for beach fires or dig pits for fires. Fires m...
DAVENPORT—A flip of the calendar to September means that for most seasons, it’s time to hunt. Many big game, small game and bird hunts began Sept. 1, while others begin later in the month or into October. The hunting season looks more promising for deer opposed to last year, when the animal was ravaged by disease that particularly hit white-tail populations. “Last year really took a toll on white-tail especially, but we saw it in mule deer too,” Fish and Wildlife Officer JoLynn Beauchene said. “But I haven’t gotten any report...
DAVENPORT—Surging temperatures and dry conditions finally reflecting a true Eastern Washington summer have led local authorities to enact burn bans around the county. Open fires were banned in Fire District No. 5, which includes Davenport, Deer Meadows and the surrounding areas, and Fire District No. 4, which includes Reardan, Edwall, Long Lake and the surrounding areas, effective Monday, July 25. Fire District No. 6, which includes Harrington and the surrounding areas, has had a burn ban in place since July 13. Fires are a...
COULEE DAM—Workers at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area have been tasked with a smelly dilemma: what to do about the fish cleaning stations throughout the park? Various fish cleaning stations have been closed due to several issues at Lake Roosevelt. Fish cleaning stations are located at boat launches at Fort Spokane, Spring Canyon, Evans and Kettle Falls and day-use areas at Porcupine Bay and Hunters. “While evaluating and trying to repair the Fort Spokane fish cleaning station and associated septic system, it was dis...
DAVENPORT—A caller from Lincoln Hospital twice reported seeing a cougar behind the hospital Saturday, May 28, but authorities were unable to track down and vanquish the puma. According to police records, a hospital employee called the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to say another employee saw a cougar walking around while depositing trash into hospital dumpsters. Two deputies and one sergeant from LCSO and a trooper with National Parks Service responded to the initial call, which came at 9:52 p.m. Saturday. Officer Chr...
COULEE DAM — Due to extreme conditions, all fires at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area are prohibited effective 12:01 am, Friday, June 25, 2021 until further notice. No open flames are permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, all fires in NPS provided fire rings and boxes, shoreline fires, charcoal fires, tiki torches, incense burners, candles, and propane campfires. Self-contained propane or gas stoves and lanterns are still allowed during the full fire ban. For the most current information regarding the fire b...
OLYMPIA—Washington State Parks is prohibiting wood campfires and charcoal use in state parks east of the Cascades beginning today, June 25. A press release from the state said “With extreme hot and dry conditions affecting the entire state, the campfire ban is necessary to help prevent accidental wildfires.” Eastern Washington state parks are under a level 3 campfire ban or hire. A level 3 ban prohibits wood and charcoal fires but allows for gas and propane camp stoves and firepits. Total fire restrictions remain in place...
COULEE DAM – Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area may implement the following prescribed fires during the spring of 2021. Ferry County: • Whispering Pines, 54 acres north of the intersection of Northport Flat Creek Road and Highway 395. • Haag Cove, 21 acres adjacent to the Haag Cove Campground The goals of these prescribed burns include promoting forest health and decreasing forest fuel loads adjacent to campgrounds, residences and structures. Benefits will include: • Increased understory plant diversity and natural...
DAVENPORT – Two bald eagles were found dead by a citizen on Miles Road near Fort Spokane on March 3. The eagles' talons were still locked together when they were found. Fish and Wildlife officer Curt Wood said it's currently unknown whether the eagles were two males fighting in the air or a male and female performing breeding and courtship rituals. "Apparently these two eagles got either too close to the ground or some power lines, and crashed and burned (to quote an old '...
LAKE ROOSEVELT – Staff at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area are hoping and planning for more camping availability this summer, superintendent Dan Foster shared with Lincoln County commissioners at the commissioners’ March 1 meeting. “Hopefully we will be able to offer a lot more than we did last summer,” Foster said. “The big crunch was the requirements from the CDC and health service on cleaning. We’re hoping with strides made against the coronavirus and also additional knowledge about the potential for coronavirus...
RICHLAND – The Hanford Reach steelhead fishery will close Jan. 1. The closure is from the Interstate 182 bridge upstream to the old Hanford townsite powerline crossing over the Columbia River. It will remain in effect until April 15. State Department of Fish and Wildlife said the closure is being ordered due to predictions of a low Ringold Springs Hatchery return. The run is expected to be the lowest in more than 20 years, officials said, noting the hatchery needs broodstock to produce a goal of 180,000 juvenile steelhead t...
DAVENPORT – If one doesn't mind freezing their tails off, there are several enjoyable spots for winter hunting and fishing in Lincoln County, even as temperatures begin to plummet and some animals go into hibernation. "By far" the most popular seasonal outdoor activity is fishing at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Fish and Wildlife Officer Curt Wood said. He said the water bodies there don't typically freeze over, so ice fishing isn't always an option, but added that...
COULEE DAM – Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area may implement the following pile burns during the fall of 2020. Pile locations: • Martin Creek, 12 acres, about 3 miles south of Haag Cove, Ferry County • Hunters, 4 acres, near Hunters Campground, Stevens County • Rickey Point, 8 acres adjacent to Rickey Point Road, Stevens County • One large pile at each of the following locations: Stevens County -Evans, Kettle Falls, Gifford, Lincoln County -Fort Spokane, Keller Ferry, and Spring Canyon A goal of prescribed fire in P...
OLYMPIA – Hunters who report their 2020 black bear, deer, elk, or turkey hunting results by Sunday, Jan. 10, will have the opportunity to win one of nine deer and elk incentive permits for fall 2021, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials said today. WDFW Game Division manager Anis Aoude said the department is offering the special permits, which will be awarded through a drawing this spring, as an incentive to encourage hunters to report their results as soon as possible. “Special hunts include five dee...
COULEE DAM – Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area invites you to come and enjoy the great outdoors no matter the season. With reduced staffing and resources during the winter, facilities and services are limited. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, camping is only available in the Kettle Falls, Fort Spokane, and Spring Canyon campgrounds during the 2020-2021 winter season. Campsites are limited to: Kettle Falls: loop 1 Fort Spokane: loop 1 Spring Canyon: lower loop Reservations are still required but can be made in advance or f...
COLVILLE – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in late October that it would be removing endangered species protections for wolves in the lower 48 states, essentially turning management of the predator fully to the state. The federal agency had listed wolves as endangered in much of Western Washington until the Oct. 29 announcement. As the state Department of Fish and Wildlife assumes the totality of the responsibility for wolves, with many of its action items s...
OLYMPIA – As state leaders and legislators prepare to deal with a budget gap in 2021, members of Fish and Wildlife know cuts could be coming to their department, but exact cuts won’t be unknown until Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget is released. Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Staci Lehman and Officer Curt Wood, who monitors Lincoln County, both said budget cuts could be a reality due to lost revenue from shutdowns in spring 2020, but what those cuts would look like remains to be seen until the governor’s budget comes out and the sta...
ST. JOHN – Rock Lake Sporting Clays has canceled its fund-raising shoot for this Saturday, Nov. 21. Gary Newton, owner of the Rock Lake Sporting Clays on Stevens Road, confirmed the cancelation Monday. “Due to the governor’s order to shut down, we are canceling,” he said. “We were almost booked up.” Newton said the event will be rescheduled after the governor’s shutdown order is lifted. “Due to the governors shutdown, we’re only allowed to have five people at one time,” he said. “We had scheduled up to 50 people.” The event...
Wash., D.C. – The Trump Administration last week removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list. In Washington, this means the wolf will no longer be considered a federal endangered species in Western Washington, or east of Highway 97. Management of the wolf is now transferred fully to the state, which still lists the wolf as a state endangered species. State cattlemen’s groups applauded the federal decision. “We have tremendous confidence in the science that informed this important decision, and thank (Inte...
DAVENPORT - They may be on a bucking horse in Montana, or riding bulls in Colorado or parking their gear bag behind the chutes at practice pens near Reardan. They are often smaller than their fellow riders and can be spotted by their long hair and narrow shoulders. They are spunky, brave and stubborn. These are the women of roughstock. In rodeo roughstock - event that include buckin' horses and bulls - are considered men's events. But a new generation of cowgirls is showing th...
DAVENPORT – It appears that this year’s ammo shortfall didn’t encourage the deer population to reveal themselves to hunters, as early hunting season has netted the smallest harvest in some time. “It’s probably one of the slowest, non-eventful deer seasons I’ve ever worked,” Officer Curt Wood of the Department of Fish and Wildlife said. Wood has worked in Lincoln County in his position for 25 years. He said opening weekend for deer hunting season was “one of the slowest weekends” he’s had on the job. “I think deer population...
COLVILLE – A hunter in the Colville area was forced to shoot and kill a young male wolf earlier this month in order to escape a wolf pack that was encircling him. “The man called us as soon as he managed to get back to a place where he had cell service, and the incident was investigated by the county’s wildlife conflict specialist, Jeff Flood, and the state Department of Fish and Game,” said Stevens County Sheriff Brad Manke told the Statesman Examiner Newspaper. “Investigators went to the scene and found the dead wolf. From...
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) invites the public to submit written comment on a proposed spring black bear season rule change by Oct. 29. The proposed rule modifies season dates, permit numbers in some areas, and removes two private timberland properties from the North Skagit hunt. "We need your feedback on the proposed rule to better understand how the public feels about adjusting season dates and permit numbers in some areas," said Anis Aoude, WDFW game division manager. "We'll use this i...
OLYMPIA -- Washington State Parks announced its 2020-21 winter schedule Oct. 13, with more than 100 parks remaining open for camping or day-use activities. The winter schedule is available online. More than 100 parks will remain open during the winter, while about 22 parks are closed until dates in March, April or May. State parks offer ample opportunities for those who enjoy camping in the winter months. Campgrounds that remain open are less crowded, and more campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. In...
