It’s never too early to have an opinion or contribute information about native wildlife populations in Washington state.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is reviewing nine species listed by the state as endangered, threatened or sensitive: sea otters, grizzly bears, ferruginous hawks, Northern leopard frogs, Larch Mountain salamanders, and four species of whale — North Pacific right, sei, blue and fin.
The review will determine whether the current listings should be maintained, reclassified or delisted. DFW is specifically looking for information on species demographics, habitat conditions, threats and trends, conservation measures that have benefited the species and new data collected since the last review.
New information from many sources is valuable. For example, the West Coast population of fisher will not be listed under the Endangered Species Act, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. FWS concluded that impacts from habitat loss and pesticide use were less significant than originally thought.
For information on each state species under consideration, go to wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/endangered/status_review.
No hurry. Public comments will be collected through Feb. 25, 2017.
Trail closed: Winter bridge damage has closed the Boulder Creek Trail at the Crystal Creek Bridge. No date has been set to start repairs. The trail is located in the Elwha Valley and is the primary access route to the Olympic Hot Springs and Boulder Creek Campground in Olympic National Park. The Crystal Creek Bridge is located approximately 2 miles from the Boulder Creek Trailhead.
Upscale: Lincoln Rock State Park (East Wenatchee) has eight new deluxe cabins. Each cabin is 16-by-25 feet with a bunk bed that sleeps three, a queen-sized futon, tables and chairs, kitchenette with microwave and sink, and a bathroom with shower (yes, the water is hot).
Each cabin offers direct access to a new interpretive trail with views of a fish hatchery and a riverfront shoreline interpretive overlook of Rocky Reach Dam. Reservations (888-226-7688) are for May 15-Sept. 30. Book now, because the cabins are going fast.
Closed: Public access remains closed to the Fir Island Farms Reserve where work is restoring 131 acres of tidal marsh in the Skagit River Delta. The popular birding area, purchased by the state Fish and Wildlife Department as a snow-goose reserve in 1996, will be closed through Oct. 15, in time for the return of the snow geese.
The project includes improvements to the viewing area for the thousands of birders who visit to watch snow geese, shorebirds and other waterfowl each year, including improved path surfaces for ADA access, benches and interpretive signing.
On her way: Island Girl, a satellite-tagged adult peregrine, is heading north for the eighth time from coastal Chile, possibly a world record for a tagged peregrine, according to Bud Anderson of the Falcon Research Group. She carries a solar-powered GPS transmitter that’s still working after all these years, Anderson said. You can follow her journey at www.frg.org.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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