Campfires banned on state wildlife agency areas
OLYMPIA — Campfires are prohibited on all lands managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife until the threat of wild fires lessens.
Personal camp stoves or lanterns fueled by liquid petroleum, liquid petroleum gas or propane are allowed. Smoking is prohibited unless in a closed vehicle and target shooting is banned except at ranges developed by the agency.
Bruce Bjork, chief of enforcement, said firefighting crews in Washington are stretched thin due to several fires on the east side of the state.
Sportsmen exceed Columbia sturgeon retention guideline
Sturgeon anglers in the lower Columbia River exceeded the bistate catch guideline by 7 percent in 2013.
Data from the Washington and Oregon departments of Fish and Wildlife show anglers in the Columbia River estuary downstream of the Wauna power lines near Cathlamet made 16,813 trips and kept 4,559 sturgeon, 112.8 percent of the guideline of 4,042.
Anglers between Wauna power lines and Bonneville Dam made 15,330 trips and kept 1,942 sturgeon, which was 96.1 percent of the 2,021 guideline.
Catch guidelines also have been filled in the Bonneville and John Day pool, leaving The Dalles pool of the mid-Columbia River as the only spot where sturgeon retention remains open.
Oregon Bass and Panfish Club to meet Aug. 22 in Portland
PORTLAND — The Oregon Bass and Panfish Club will meet at 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at the East Portland Community Center, 740 S.E. 106th Ave.
Rhine Messmer, a retired recreational fisheries program manager, will discuss his experiences working for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The public is welcome.
Tribal commercial fishing starts Sunday in Columbia River Gorge
Commercial fishing by the Columbia River treaty tribes in the Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day pools will begin on Monday.
The Columbia River Compact has approved tribal netting from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Wednesday, 6 a.m. Aug. 26 to 6 p.m. Aug. 30 and 6 a.m. Sept. 3 through 6 p.m. Sept. 7 with 8-inch-minimum mesh nets.
Tribal fishermen are projected to catch 56,720 chinook and 7,600 steelhead in the three periods. Additional netting periods in September are anticipated.
