The Buoy 10 chinook fishery will close tonight as scheduled, even though anglers have caught only about half as many fish as expected.

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon decided against extending the season because the portion of the catch from lower-river stocks has actually exceeded preseason estimates.

Both states had hoped to extend the chinook fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River through Labor Day, but doing so may have reduced the number of fish available for harvest farther upriver, Bill Tweit, Columbia River policy leader for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in a news …

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UPDATED AT 3:55 P.M.

All three people in the Idaho helicopter crash have died.

The dead Idaho Fish and Game employees have been identified as Larry Barrett, 47 of Lewiston, who worked for the agency since 1985, and Dani Schiff, 34 of Lewiston, who worked for Fish and Game since 1997.

The name of the pilot has not yet been released.

The crash occurred behind the U.S. Forest Service building in Kamiah. The biologists were counting salmon redds – spawning nests – on the nearby Selway River. Fish and Game biologists have counted redds annually since the 1950s …

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After a thorough assessment and taking down diseased trees, the Lake Wenatchee State Park day-use area reopened at noon today. Areas of the park reopened include the watercraft launch, swim beach, group picnic area, equestrian area and concessions, including the horse concession and the food and snack concession on the swim beach.

The park, located 18 miles northwest of Leavenworth, was closed last week due to forest health issues and safety concerns for visitors after two seemingly healthy trees fell over.

Park visitors are asked to stay out of all other areas of the park, as tree assessments and …

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I hiked Mount Adams’ south route last weekend with some buddies and found the route to be in outstanding shape. We did the hike in one day climbing 7,800 feet (yes, we took a wrong turn before sun up). Awesome weather. The only problem was the route was crowded. Apparently the fact that the route is in great shape isn’t exactly a secret. The rangers say late snow this season has left the route about month behind in schedule in terms of melting out. Still plenty of snow making for an easy hike to the summit. Crampons are optional, but …

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North Cascades National Park has reopened the entire Rainbow Lake Trail and the Rainbow Creek Trail from McAlester Pass to Bench Creek Camp. Bench Creek, Bowan and Rainbow Meadows Camps also have reopened.

These areas were not directly affected by the Rainbow Bridge Fire and the threat of fire impacting these trails has significantly decreased, said a park new release.

The Rainbow Loop Trail, Boulder Creek Trail and Rainbow Creek Trail from the junction with the Rainbow Loop Trail to Bench Creek Camp remain closed. These trails are closed due to trail impacts, hazardous trees or remaining potential for …

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Weekday visitors to Mount Rainier National Park might have to contend with traffic delays as the park does work to protect the Nisqually Road.

Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga said a contractor will install a log-crib flood protection structure and reconstruct the eroding roadway embankment six miles east of the park’s Nisqually entrance.

The work is to begin next week.

During a December 2009 flood, a 110-foot long by 30-foot high section of the river bank was undermined and slumped into the Nisqually River. The slide came within seven feet of the roadway edge at milepost 6.0, approximately ½ mile west …

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A Bozeman, Mont., company has been given the $26.9 million contract to remove the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on the Elwha River.

The National Park Service’s Denver Service Center just announced Barnard Construction Co. has been awarded the $26,939,800 contract.

Dam removal will begin approximately 13 months from now, in September 2011.

“This is a historic moment,” Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin said in a news release. “With award of this contact, we begin the countdown to the largest dam removal and one of the largest restoration projects in U.S. history.”

The contract includes removal of …

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The State Parks and Recreation Commission has closed Lake Wenatchee State Park, located 18 miles northwest of Leavenworth, because of forest health issues and safety concerns for park visitors.

Within a two-week span, two seemingly healthy trees fell in the south campground of the park. State Parks staff and a pathologist from the Department of Natural Resources did an emergency assessment of the trees and concluded the failure was due to root rot that was not evident from outward appearances, said a State Parks news release.

Staff also conducted assessments on trees in the north and south campgrounds and …

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