Falls Creek trailhead consolidation proposed
TROUT LAKE — Comments will be accepted until Oct. 8 on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s proposal to consolidate the Falls Creek and Falls Creek Falls trailheads in the Wind River area.
The Forest Service wants to close the Falls Creek trailhead and decomission road No. 3062, but expand Falls Creek Falls trailhead on road No. 3062-057 to allow more parking.
Falls Creek Falls trail No. 152 would be extended to tie in to the consolidated trailhead. An informal existing connecting trail would be re-routed.
Comments are to be submitted to Erin Black, environmental coordinator, Mount Adams Ranger District, 2455 Highway 141, Trout Lake, Wash., 98650, or by e-mail to ekblack@fs.fed.us.
Black can be reached by telephone at 509-395-3411.
Volunteers to fix June Lake trail
COUGAR — Volunteers will begin work at 8:30 a.m. Saturday restoring June Lake trail No. 216B in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument as part of National Public Lands Day.
A round-trip hike of about three miles is required. No trail work experience is necessary. Work will end no later than 3:30 p.m. and a barbecue is planned in conjunction with the Mount St. Helens Institute at Marble Mountain Sno-Park.
Registration is required. Call Ryan Ojerio of the Washington Trails Association at 360-722-2657 or e-mail him at ryan@wta.org.
Volunteers for the institute will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Marble Mountain Sno-Park to complete sign restoration, cut firewood and clear brush.
At the north end of the forest, volunteers will restore a section of Lake Christine trail in Glacier View Wilderness.
Day-use fees will be waived on Saturday at most Forest Service recreation sites to celebrate National Public Lands Day.
Concessionaires operating day-use facilities have the option of waiving fees. Fees are not waived at campgrounds or for recreation rentals.
Comments sought on fishing rules
OLYMPIA — Comments will be accepted through Oct. 2 on Washington’s proposed sport-fishing rules for 2011-12.
The 17 proposals are available on the Department of Fish and Wildlife web site at at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/rule_proposals. Printed copies are available by calling the agency’s fish program at 360-902-2700.
The state has changed the process for considering regulation proposals to a two-year cycle, rather than a yearly basis. The next chance to propose major rule changes will be next year for the 2012-14 periods, said Craig Burley, fish division manager.
Among the 17 proposals are a statewide dipping closure for Columbia River smelt, which are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. Dipping already is closed on the Columbia River and tributaries, but some Columbia River smelt stray into other watersheds.
Also proposed is removing Riffe Lake, a reservoir on the Cowlitz River, from the list of waters where a Columbia River salmon and steelhead endorsement is required.
Comments can be sent to Lori Preuss, rules coordinator, at lori.preuss@dfw.wa.gov or to 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 98501.
The state Fish and Wildlife Commission will listen to comments at its Oct. 1-2 meeting in Olympia. Adoption of the 2011-12 rules will occur at the commission’s Dec. 2-4 meeting, also in Olympia.
