FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Outdoor Recreation
Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog
Race—a 200-mile adventure
to first place,
30% to
second, and
20% to third,
this year.
While the
race doesn’t
actually
begin until
noon on
Thursday
at the Fergi
Ski Area,
Wednesday
does kick
THE OUTDOOR COLUMN
off the event
with free “Vet
By Todd Arriola
Checks,”
As I traveled on a high-
held on Main
way outside of Baker (yes,
Street in Joseph at 9 a.m.,
I call it that) the other day,
followed by 1 p.m. checks
I felt thankful, courtesy of
in Enterprise. The Vet
the nonstop sideways force Checks are described as
of the wind and snow, for
“…a fun way to meet the
the false protection I felt,
mushers and interact with
in my warm cocoon of
the dogs!” according to
rubber, plastic and steel.
ECE.
I noticed many of our
At 6 p.m. Wednesday,
K-9 friends, bearing this
the Musher Potluck will be
“extreme” weather, which
held at the Joseph Commu-
led to my thoughts regard-
nity Center.
ing the topic for this week:
Speaking of mushers, the
the Eagle Cap Extreme
following are included as
Sled Dog Race, slated to
competitors in the race:
take place next Wednesday
Aaron Peck, 36, a
through Saturday.
rancher from County
The race, in its 12th year, Grande Prairie, Alberta
is the West’s only Iditarod
Canada, who will be run-
and Yukon Quest qualifier,
ning Alaskan Huskies in
according to host Eagle
the 200-mile category;
Cap Extreme (ECE), and
Alea Robinson, 20, a col-
it includes in its 200-mile
lege student from Eagle
course the Wallowa Moun- River, Alaska, who will be
tains, running from the
running Alaskan Huskies
starting point at the Fergi
in the 200-mile category;
Ski Area, about nine miles
Jessie Royer, 39, a rancher
southeast of Joseph.
from Darby, Montana, who
In addition to the 200-
will be running Alaskan
mile course, which is a
Huskies in the 200-mile
12 Dog Race and Iditarod
category;
and Yukon Quest Quali-
Bryce Mumford, 35, a
fier, there’s a 100-mile,
United States Postal Ser-
8 Dog Race, a 62-mile,
vice (USPS) Mail Carrier
6 Dog Mid-Distance Pot
from Preston, Idaho, who
Race, and a 20-mile Junior will be running Alaskan
Race, for 14 to 17 year-
Huskies in the 200-mile
old mushers, using 4 to 6
category;
dogs. Sorry, Measure 91
Scott White, a custom
fans, but the Pot Race is
home builder from Wood-
defined as a race that pays
inville, Washington, who
out winnings which consist will be running Alaskan
exclusively of the race’s
Huskies in the 200-mile
entry fees, with 50% going category;
Mark Stamm, a boat re-
pairman/builder from Riv-
erside, Washington, who
will be running Alaskan
Huskies in the 200-mile
category;
Jennifer Campeau, 42,
a technical recruiter from
Rocky Mountain House,
Alberta, Canada, who will
be running Alaskan, Sep-
pala, and Siberian Huskies
in the 200-mile category;
Josi Thyr, 22, an insur-
ance agent from Cataldo,
Idaho, who will be running
Alaskan Huskies in the
200-mile category;
Jason Campeau, 41, a
Chief Operating Officer
(COO) from Okotoks, Al-
berta, Canada, who will be
running Alaskan Huskies
in the 200-mile category;
Brett Bruggerman, a
dentist from Great Falls,
Montana, and winner
of last year’s 200-mile
race, who will be running
Alaskan Huskies in the
200-mile category;
Laurie Warren, 52, a
mule trainer from Council,
Idaho, who will be running
Alaskan Huskies in the
100-mile category;
Hugo Antonucci, a retiree
from Adin, California, who
will be running Alaskan
and Siberian Huskies in the
100-mile category;
April Cox, 45, a clerk,
musher and breeder from
Adin, California, who
will be running Siberian
Huskies in the 100-mile
category;
Connie Star, 60, a mental
health counselor from Cle
Elum, Washington, who
will be running Siberian
and Alaskan Huskies, and
a “Malberian,” in the 62-
mile category;
Carlleen Brehmer, 20,
a college student from
Meridian, Idaho, who will
be running Siberian and
Seppala Huskies in the 62-
mile category;
Laura Crocker, 77, a
retiree from Trail, Oregon,
who will be running Sibe-
rian Huskies in the 62-mile
category;
Jane Devlin, 52, a pro-
fessional dog trainer from
Bend, Oregon, who will be
running Siberian Huskies
in the 62-mile category,
and;
Alyssa Martin, 26, a
hair stylist from Truckee,
California, who will be
running Siberian Huskies,
a German Shepherd, a
Karelian Bear Dog mix,
and a Malamute mix in the
62-mile category.
At the conclusion of the
race, an Awards Banquet
is scheduled for Saturday,
January 23, at 5:30 p.m.,
at the Joseph Community
Center. The winner of this
year’s 200-mile race will
receive $1,700, while $925
goes to 2nd place, $575 to
3rd, $300 to 4th, $200 to
5th, $150 to 6th, and $75
to each placing 7th through
10th.
The winner of the
100-mile race will receive
$850, while $500 goes to
2nd place, $300 to 3rd,
$175 to 4th, $125 to 5th,
$75 to both 6th and 7th,
and $50 to each placing
8th through 10th. In both
the 62-mile and 22-mile
category, 1st place receives
50% of the pot, 2nd place
receives 30%, and 3rd
place receives 20%. For
the Best Cared for Team
for both the 200-mile and
100-mile races, there is an
award of $250. Check out
eaglecapextreme.com for
banquet tickets, and other
information.
“The all-volunteer race
receives high marks for
professionalism and for
being very well-run. We
focus on making the
mushers’ experience as
safe, comfortable and fun
as possible. The mushers
and their dogs really love
their fans, especially all
the school kids that make a
special field trip to see the
event,” according to ECE.
Day-use free during MLK Day
Portland, Ore. - The
U.S. Forest Service will
waive fees at day-use
recreation sites in Oregon
and Washington on Janu-
ary 18th in honor of Martin
Luther King Day.
"Our fee-free days touch
on every season and serve
as an enticement to new
and repeat visitors to come
out and enjoy their national
forests and grasslands,"
said U.S. Forest Service
Chief Tom Tidwell. "These
public lands offer rich
experiences for everyone,
from the avid sportsman to
the casual hiker or nature
observer."
This fee waiver includes
many picnic areas, boat
launches, trailheads and
visitor centers. Concession
operations will continue
to charge fees unless the
permit holder wishes to
participate. Fees for camp-
ing, cabin rentals, heri-
tage expeditions, or other
permits still apply. The
fee waiver does not apply
to SnoParks although
they might be located on
national public lands. The
SnoPark permit program is
sponsored by the States of
Oregon and Washington.
No fees are charged at
any time on 98 percent of
national forests and grass-
lands, and approximately
two-thirds of developed
recreation sites in national
forests and grasslands can
be used for free. Check
with your local forest or
grassland or on Recreation.
gov to see if your desti-
nation charges a fee. Go
online to find a national
forest or grassland near
you.
Mark your calendars for
the following Forest Ser-
vice fee-free days in 2016:
• Martin Luther King
Day, January 18, 2016
• President's Day, Feb-
ruary 15, 2016
• National Get Outdoors
Day, June 11, 2016
• National Public Lands
Day, September 24, 2016
• Veterans Day, Novem-
ber 11, 2016
The Pacific Northwest
Region consists of 16 Na-
tional Forests, 59 District
Offices, a National Scenic
Area, and a National
Grassland comprising 24.7
million acres in Oregon
and Washington and em-
ploying approximately
3,550 people. To learn
more about the U.S. For-
est Service in the Pacific
Northwest, please visit
www.fs.usda.gov/r6
ODFW releases new fishing regs
Anglers this year may
have noticed that Oregon’s
fishing regulations for
2016 are in a new maga-
zine format publication.
Over the past year
ODFW worked on stream-
lining and simplifying
the angling regulations.
ODFW has also expanded
opportunities for trout and
warmwater fishing and
provided more consistent
seasons and bag limits.
Anglers should notice
plainer language and
clearer descriptions of
regulations. Content was
also rearranged so that li-
cense information and fish
ID photos are in the back
of the regulations. Updated
full-color zone maps can
be found at the end of each
section.
Here are a few changes
that anglers will see in the
2016 fishing regulations:
Expanded year round op-
portunities across the state
for trout. In most areas
where there were April
openers, these rivers were
expanded to be open year
round.
Reduction in the number
of special regulations or
exceptions. One thing to
be aware of is that some
of the waters that you fish
may no longer be listed
under the exceptions. This
means that they are now
covered under the zone
regulations.
Changes in fees. In 2016
there are fee increases on
many angling licenses.
This is the first time the
fees have increased in
six years. A new youth
license was created. For
$10 dollars youths ages
12-17 will get a hunting,
fishing, shellfish license,
and Columbia River Basin
endorsement.
ODFW contracted with
J.F. Griffin Media to pub-
lish this year’s regulations.
They also provide an
online version of the
regulations that can be
accessed from mobile de-
vices, tablets and desktop
computers.
This version includes
the latest corrections and
clarification to a few regu-
lations that were causing
confusion.
Lawsuit filed
against wolf
delisting
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“During the push to delist wolves, ODFW ignored a
legal requirement to review its now outdated wolf plan.
Ambiguity that led to wolf killing and conflict has re-
turned and replaced requirements for transparency and ac-
countability that provided certainty for all stakeholders…
the state had a legal mandate to consider the best avail-
able science when reviewing the status of the wolves.
ODFW put forward a formal recommendation to delist
wolves before the public deadline they set for scientists
and others to provide input…” according to Oregon Wild.
Michelle Dennehy, ODFW Wildlife Communications
Coordinator, said, “ODFW is confident the department
followed statutory and legal requirements in its process,
and that the Commission acted legally when it delisted
wolves from the state ESA.
“Our scientific analysis was based on documented and
verifiable information, and used a peer reviewed popula-
tion viability model (this included review from the scien-
tist who developed the model, along with other prominent
wolf experts…)
“The Commission’s decision to delist was based on the
five factors under the ESA law: wolves’ rapidly expand-
ing range in Oregon; the species’ growing population;
the stability of the habitat; that over-use of wolves is not
likely to occur, and; the protections (Wolf Management
Plan) in place, regardless of any ESA listing.”
The packet presented at the Commission meeting on
November 9th included a scientific review of ODFW’s
40-page “Assessment of Population Viability of Wolves
in Oregon,” a technical report of an updated individual-
based population model which uses wolf data collected in
Oregon through July 2015, according to ODFW.
ODFW sent the assessment for review to eight scien-
tists, and received four responses, from: Dr. Joe Bull,
University of Copenhagen, who is the co-author of the
published model modified by ODFW to conduct popula-
tion viability analysis (PVA) of wolves in Oregon; Dr.
Jon Horne, Research Biologist for the Idaho Department
of Fish and Game; Dr. Katie Dugger, Assistant Leader,
U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Cooperative Wildlife
Research Unit; and, Dr. Ryan Long, Assistant Professor,
University of Idaho.
“Dr. Bull’s review of our model was positive and
did not identify any major issues with our approach or
conclusions,” according to ODFW. Bull said, “Overall
I think the application of the model makes sense, as do
the conclusions drawn, although I had some questions
which I think need addressing. Also, I think the language
around the way the results are presented needs modifying
in some cases to reflect the degree to which conclusions
can be drawn from a modeling exercise like this.”
Horne said, “All in all a very well-done and thorough
analysis. But there were a couple of very big issues. I
didn’t take much time to say all the good stuff I was
thinking or really read the Discussion (a segment of the
document) so in the interest of time, here you go.”
According to ODFW, “While his (Horne’s) review had
the most suggestions regarding our modeling approach,
he never indicated our model was fundamentally flawed,
nor were our conclusions inappropriate.”
“Dr. Dugger had an overall favorable impression of our
analysis,” according to ODFW. She said, “This was a
substantial effort to predict wolf population growth in Or-
egon relative to conservation and management objectives.
You used a rigorous modeling approach and what appears
to be the best data available. Most of my attached com-
ments suggest that you increase transparency of the mod-
eling process by including more information regarding 1)
the source(s) of the data you used in your model (i.e., full
citations should be provided somewhere for vital rates
in Table 1), and 2) when data was not available, how/
why you decided to use the specific vital rates or values
you chose (i.e., based on info for another species, “expert
opinion,” or just a “best guess?”). In some cases, a better
explanation of assumptions (and why you made them)
would be helpful, too.”
“Dr. Long provided the most positive review of our
PVA,” according to ODFW. He said, “This was abso-
lutely a hell of a modeling effort, and I enjoyed reading it,
so, thanks for the opportunity. I have a handful of com-
ments and/or questions scattered throughout, but certainly
nothing major. As with any model like this, it would be
easy to spend a bunch of time trying to pick apart your
choices for parameterizing various components of the
model, and ask a bunch of detailed questions about why
you did one thing or another. There really doesn’t seem
to be much point in that here, though. This is a rigorous,
well thought-out modeling effort that appears to take full
advantage of every bit of relevant data you could get your
hands on. As you explain multiple times in the report,
your results are likely conservative, and frankly, I find
them very convincing.”
Spring break ski camp
at Anthony Lakes
Back again for 2016 is the annual Anthony Lakes
Spring Break Camp for Kids. This five-day, all inclusive
camp is open to the first 100 skiers/riders ages 7-18.
Each child will receive for five consecutive days a lift
tickets, rentals and lessons for just $80.
To register or for more information on times and dates,
please email chelsea@anthonylakes.com or mail to An-
thony Lakes Mountain Resort.