02/14/12 Outdoors What’s Happening

Off-roaders take suit to Wash. Supreme Court

YAKIMA, Wa. — The Washington Off Highway Vehicle Alliance (WOHVA) and Northwest Motorcycle Association hope for a precedent-setting victory to prevent state legislators from ever again sweeping offroad vehicle funds into the state budget when they take their case to the Washington State Supreme Court.

WOHVA sued the state in 2009 after the Washington Legislature passed House Bill 1244, allowing legislators to sweep money from the Nonhighway and Offroad Vehicle Activities (NOVA) account into the general fund to bail Washington State Parks from a budget shortfall.

The NOVA account is funded entirely by offroad vehicle license tab fees and off-roaders’ gas taxes and, per the state Constitution, can be used only for roads.

Tod Petersen, WOHVA’s political action committee chairman, said the case would go to the State Supreme Court even if legislators opt not to sweep the funds again this spring, as many recreation groups expect them to do. But, Petersen adds, a repeat funds sweep by the state “would make (the case) easy.”

Conservancy meeting includes photo event

Members of the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy will review the organization’s accomplishments of the last year and elect new board members Wednesday in the Conservancy’s annual membership meeting.

The 7 p.m. meeting at Allied Arts’ Peggy Lewis Gallery (5000 W. Lincoln Ave., Yakima) will be followed by “Canyon and Ranch 2011,” a special photographic presentation by board member and local photographer David Hagen.

Hagen’s presentation, which is open to the public and will immediately follow the business meeting, will include his best photos of Cowiche Canyon or Snow Mountain Ranch taken in the last year. Hagen’s slide show will also include some comparative photos before, immediately after and a year after the July 2010 Cowiche Mill Road fire that burned much of Snow Mountain Ranch.

Rangers leading guided cross-country ski trips

Forest Service winter rangers will lead interpretive cross-country ski treks out of Snoqualmie Summit for each of the next two Sundays.

The series actually began this past Sunday, with interpretive rangers discussing various aspects of winter ecology and also winter tracking, so participants can learn how to search for sign of snowshoe hare, pine marten, bobcat and other forest dwellers.

The trip follows the groomed upper ski trail system at the Summit at Snoqualmie Nordic ski area, will last approximately 11?2 hours and is best suited for those with intermediate ski skills or above. Those wishing to participate should meet at “Grand Junction” on the Summit at Snoqualmie Nordic trail system at 10:30 A.M. this Sunday or Feb. 26.

Cost for the trip is free, but participants will need to purchase a Ski Area Trail Pass from the Summit at Snoqualmie.

BIRD ALERT

Randall Park is a good park for birding, as several local birders found out this week when they tallied 20-plus species including a red-breasted sapsucker, and an American kestrel that was seen flying with a dark-eyed junco in its talons. Other birds of note included bald eagle, Eurasian collared-dove, black-capped chickadee and ruby-crowned kinglet.

A resident at the east end of Mieras Road flushed nine gray partridge from his wheat field this week. The gray partridge, also known as the Hungarian partridge, can be fairly hard to find; in Yakima County, it lives in open areas, farmland, grasslands and brush.

A bald eagle has appeared on a very regular basis around sunset (and a couple of times early in the morning) in a huge elm on Fisher Golf Course along 38th Avenue.

Great-horned owls were noted calling at Fort Simcoe from the area behind the barracks on the south side of the parade ground. Birders scanning the trees where the call came from were surprised to see the owl fly out and perch in an oak near the officers’ housing. Soon after that they heard a responding call from the direction of the graves in the lower park area.

An American kestrel has taken up residence in a local barn each evening for the past few weeks; he squeezes himself into one of the nests made by last summer’s much smaller swallows. 

Please call bird sightings in to the Yakima Valley Audubon phone line at 509-248-1963.

— Kerry Turley

AROUND AND ABOUT

W.K. BUTTON SHOOT: Darrell Robertson shot the day’s lone 25×25 round to take home the senior division button in Sunday’s week seven. Norm Baird topped the super seniors with a 24, Renee Blankenship captured the women’s division, Paul Klingele’s 23 topped the men and Shannon Boyle won the juniors division with a 21.

ENVIRONMENTAL SHORT FILMS: Two inspiring short films — ”Return of the Wapato,” by local filmmaker Emily Washines, and Anne Makepeace’s “We Still Live Here” — will be presented next Tuesday (Feb. 21) at Yakima Valley Community College. The event, sponsored by a partnership between the Yakima Environmental Learning Foundation and YVCC’s Diversity series, begins at 7 p.m. at the Parker Room in the Deccio Building.

RAINIER ROAD DRILLING: Asphalt core drilling began Monday and will run through the end of February on the Nisqually Road from the park’s southwest entrance to Longmire. The process is part of preparing for the rehabilitation of the 17.6-mile Nisqually Road to Paradise, which will begin in spring 2013 and be completed by fall 2016. The asphalt core drilling will run Monday through Friday, so expect short delays as traffic control personnel direct vehicles around the work.

EQUINE CLASS: A class in “equine management and psychology” will begin Feb. 27 at Yakima Valley Community College, running evenings Feb. 27 and 29 and March 5 and 7. For more info, call instructor Don Witke at 509-697-6378.

FISHERIES PREVIEW: Anyone interested in the state’s salmon fisheries can get a preview of this year’s salmon returns and potential fishing seasons during a public meeting Feb. 28 at Olympia’s Natural Resources Building, where WDFW staffers will present initial forecasts.

McNARY BIRD-WATCHING … : The McNary National Wildlife Refuge (311 Lake Road in Burbank) will hold a “Winter Birds” event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Live birds — including the golden eagle — will be presented by the WSU Raptor Club, as well as wildlife films and commentary by videographer Gaylord Mink. Participants can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count through guided bird walks, and binoculars, spotting scopes and bird guides will be available. After the event, Friends of the Mid-Columbia River Wildlife Refuges will hold its annual meeting at 1 p.m.

… AND BIRD-SHOOTING: Hunters interested in the McNary NWR’s waterfowl hunting program are invited to come and give their feedback at 6 p.m. next Tuesday (Feb. 21) in a postseason hunt meeting at the Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex HQ, 64 Maple St., Burbank.

RAZOR CLAM DIG: The season’s final evening razor clam dig will be held on evening tides at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks beaches this Saturday and Sunday. After that, clam diggers can look forward to a series of digs on morning tides.

ON THE CALENDAR

TODAY: The Cascadians will lead a cross-country ski/snowshoe trek on Fife’s Ridge. The group meets at 8 a.m. at the 40th Avenue Bi-Mart parking lot and carpools from there. Bring lunch.

THURSDAY: The Cascadians’ Pokies group will be doing a “mysterious canal” hike. For meeting time and place, call Clar Pratt at 509-453-8228.

SATURDAY: The Cascadians will do a cross-country ski/snowshoe outing at Pleasant Valley. For meeting time and place, call Sharon at 509-697-6896.

MAY 6: Planning ahead? On this date, the Yakima Environmental Learning Foundation will hold its annual meeting at Snow Mountain Ranch. After a shooting meeting and a picnic potluck lunch, the group will host guided hikes on the property. Prospective new members are invited.