Although wolves have been removed from federal Endangered Species Act protection in the eastern third of Washington, they remain protected as a state endangered species throughout Washington.

That is the crux of a news release sent out this morning by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Under Congressional direction that prevents any judicial review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Thursday removed the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves from federal endangered status. The action affects wolves in Montana, Idaho, the eastern third of Oregon and Washington and a small area of north central Utah.

Idaho has …

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In today’s paper, I wrote a story about the new Discover Pass the state is creating. The pass – $10 per day or $30 a year – would provide the holder access to all the state parks, plus recreation lands and facilities managed by the state departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources.

Here is the link to the story.

There are some interesting comments at the end of the story, including one from a person who said they won’t be buying a pass.

Also this morning I got a call from a reader calling to confirm that …

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It looks like folks wanting to recreate on state lands will have to purchase a new Discover Pass. Legislation creating the pass, which will cost $10 a day or $30 for a year, is awaiting the signature of Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Is the law takes effect, the pass would be required for most people wanting to recreate on lands owned or managed by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Parks and Recreation and state Department of Natural Resources.

Of the first $71 million generated every two years, 84 percent ($59.64 million) would go to State Parks. Eight percent …

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region Fisheries Program has started an eight-week “Sammie the Salmon” social media campaign, following the progress of a spring chinook salmon released from Winthrop National Fish Hatchery.

The service will use Twitter and Facebook to post updates as Sammie travels 600 miles and passes nine dams on her two-month journey to the Pacific Ocean.

The posts will include images, video and updates on the dangers she faces (such as dams and predators), her observations of the ecosystem around her and the physical changes she experiences on her voyage from the Methow River to …

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The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is trying to make it easier to report poaching and other fish and wildlife violations.

The department has added a new text-messaging option for reporting violations. Tip411 allows users to send a text message to the department’s communications dispatch center.

“We have a limited number of fish and wildlife officers in the field, so the public plays a critical role in protecting our natural resources by reporting violations,” Bruce Bjork, chief of the department’s enforcement program, said in a news release. “Text messaging is a quick and easy way to report violations.”

The …

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June 15th is the annual Nature Photography Day, a day when the National Wildlife Federation and other groups encourage people to take a camera and snap some photos of nature at its best.

To help you get started, click here for a collection of tips from the editors at National Wildlife magazine. Suggestions include topics from how to photograph flowers or small animals to how to get a sharper image.

If you are feeling a little competitive, you can enter your nature photographs in National Wildlife Federation’s 40th annual photo contest. The contest offers cash prizes totaling more …

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TNT reader Patricia Lewis from the South Hill reported she has been seeing some evening grosbeaks at bird feeder in the evening. She said they have been feeding on sunflower seeds.

Helen Engle with the Tahoma Audubon Society said this is an “excellent sighting.”

“Every year when the bigleaf maple is in bloom the evening grosbeaks show up. They eat the flowers,” Engle told me.

She said the grosbeaks like to nest in big fir trees and described them as “beautiful and noisy and colorful.”

“Everybody should be watching for them now,” she said.