2 B
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017
ODFW to host annual Free Fishing Weekend June 3 and 4
There will be a Free Fishing
Weekend throughout Oregon
on June 3 and 4, making it the
perfect weekend to take a
friend or family member out
fishing, crabbing or clamming.
During this weekend, no
fishing licenses or tags (includ-
ing a Combined Angling Tag
and a Columbia River Basin
Endorsement) are required to
fish, crab or clam anywhere in
Oregon.
“Free Fishing Weekend is a
great opportunity for friends
and families to get out and
enjoy a day or two of fishing,”
said Mike Gauvin, ODFW
recreational fisheries manager.
“Lakes and ponds are fully
stocked, rivers and streams are
open for trout, and don’t forget
about the coast for crabbing
and clamming.”
Although no licenses or tags
are required, all other regula-
tions apply including closures,
bag limits and size restrictions.
Free Fishing Weekend also
aligns with State Parks Day on
Saturday, June 3, so if you’re
going camping in an Oregon Fishing, crabbing and clamming will be free to the public
State Park that weekend, be
sure to pack your fishing, crab- State Parks is waiving park rivers, and hundreds of miles of
bing or clamming gear, Gauvin admission and camping fees in coastline to explore. ODFW’s
many parks on “State Parks extensive website offers infor-
said.
mation about how and where to
Several state parks will be Day” Saturday, June 3.
For the do-it-yourselfer there fish for trout, bass, steelhead
hosting ODFW Free Fishing
Weekend fishing events and are hundreds of lakes and and surfperch, to name a few.
NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
throughout Oregon this weekend.
Anglers will find:
• The Learn to Fish (www.
dfw.state.or.us/resources/fish
ing/learn_to_fish.asp)
page
describes what you’ll need,
how to do it and where to go.
• Weekly updates of current
fishing conditions in the
Weekly Recreation Report are
available at www.dfw.state.or.
us/RR/index.asp.
• Great spots to take the fam-
ily fishing in Easy Angling
Oregon can be found at www
.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fish-
ing/easy_angling.
• Trout stocking schedules
are available at www.dfw.state
.or.us/resources/fishing/trout_
stocking_schedules.
For the new angler, ODFW
and its partners will be sponsor-
ing Free Fishing Weekend
events throughout the state. At
most events there will be free
fishing equipment first-time
anglers can use.
Volunteers will be available
to help, from baiting the hook
to landing the catch. For a com-
plete list of events with times
and locations, go to the ODFW
website at www.dfw.state.or
.us/education/angling/free_fish
ing.asp.
“Even if you’ve never cast a
line or baited a hook, we can
show you how to fish,” Gauvin
said.
The following scheduled
Free Fishing Weekend events
will take place on Saturday,
June 3, unless otherwise noted.
Near Florence, Cleawox
Lake/Honeyman State Park,
will host its annual Free
Fishing Day on Saturday, June
3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contact Christine Clapp at
541-265-8306, ext. 253 for
more information.
Remember that springtime seal pups need space SWC announces dates for
It’s that time of year again,
when seal pups begin appear-
ing on beaches along the
Oregon coast and beachgoers
are asked to stifle their desire to
assist these animals in some
way, and instead give them
space.
For those familiar with the
cuteness of a newborn pup, the
advice can be hard to swallow.
But it’s for the best — for peo-
ple and wildlife alike.
Every spring, harbor seals
give birth to pups on secluded
beaches or reefs up and down
the Pacific coast. The pups are
born ready to swim but cannot
tread water for long; they need
ample time on shore to rest and
stay warm, and can remain
there for days while their moth-
ers forage at sea.
Concerned observers often
report “abandoned” seal pups
on the beach, not realizing that
the mother might be foraging
nearby, or swimming just off-
shore to maintain distance from
curious humans and their dogs.
“This is a perennial spring-
time issue for us all,” said Jim
Rice, Stranding Coordinator at
the Oregon Marine Mammal
Stranding Network. “It’s help-
ful to remind people that it’s
normal for pups to come ashore
to rest, that their mothers often
leave them unattended while
they forage for food, and that
interfering with this natural
process is not only illegal but
will likely be very detrimental
to the pup.”
In other words, humans
approaching or otherwise try-
ing to “help” these unattended
pups may inadvertently cause
them harm, as the presence of
people may deter mother seals
from coming ashore to nurse.
Seal pups are vulnerable and
they may yank at our heart-
strings, but we often jeopardize
matters further by intervening
in their affairs.
Rice also pointed out that,
being wild animals, harbor
seals face myriad challenges to
reaching maturity, and pup
mortality is a natural check on
robust seal populations in our
region. Studies estimate that as
much as 50 percent of harbor
seal pups born in a given year
do not reach their first birthday.
Another reason to give seals
a wide berth is the possible
threat of disease, said Laura
Todd, Field Supervisor for the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
office in Newport.
“Seals and sea lions can har-
bor the bacteria responsible for
leptospirosis, a disease that
affects humans and dogs and
causes damage to the liver, kid-
neys and other organs.”
The bacteria are present in
the infected animal’s fluids,
including urine, and can easily
pass into surrounding water or
wet sand.
In general, the Oregon Coast
Aquarium is committed to the
rescue and rehabilitation of
indigenous wildlife when they
are deemed injured by human
interference.
But in the case of harbor seal
pups, humans should not be
approaching these animals in
the first place, and the aquari-
um advises the public to obey
marine mammal protection
laws and let nature take its
course.
“Concerned observers itch-
ing to help can call the Oregon
Marine Mammal Stranding
Network Hotline at 541-270-
6830 if a pup is spotted,” said
Jim Burke, Director of Animal
Husbandry at the Oregon Coast
Aquarium. “Its staff can post
courtesy signs near the seal to
inform other beachgoers of the
situation.”
Stern warnings aside, find-
ing a harbor seal pup on the
beach can be an enchanting and
poignant experience. To keep
these creatures safe, watch with
binoculars or take pictures
from afar — let the seals take
care of themselves.
hands-on summer camp
The Siuslaw Watershed
Council is pleased to announce
summer camp dates for stu-
dents entering fourth grade
through high school.
This year SWC is offering
one camp for these age groups
on June 26 through 29.
Eligible
students
are
encouraged to be a part of
exploring the Siuslaw water-
shed’s many rivers, streams,
and lakes.
During the camp partici-
pants travel throughout the
Siuslaw Watershed learning
about plants, animals, water
and land.
Classes focus on the restora-
tion work that is being done to
keep the watershed healthy.
Campers will get a chance
to make a difference by doing
hands-on restoration work.
Also highlighted are some of
the unique recreation opportu-
nities in the watershed such as
stand-up
paddleboarding,
canoeing and sandboarding
The cost to attend the SWC
Camp is $75 from June 26
through 29 and scholarships
are available.
Registration packets are
available on our website at
siuslaw.org/camps.
Those
interested may also contact the
SWC office at 541-268-3044
to request a packet.
Siuslaw Watershed Camps
are made possible with fund-
ing from Siuslaw National
Forest Stewardship, Western
Lane Community Foundation,
in partnership with Siuslaw
School District, and through
private donations.
Snowy plover chicks on north coast beaches
After more than 50 years,
Oregon Parks and Recreation
Department (OPRD) wildlife
biologists have learned that at
least one western snowy plover
chick has hatched on a beach at
Nehalem Bay State Park.
This is the first verified
hatchling in the area since the
1960s, and follows three years
of increased sightings and
species activity, including nest-
ing attempts.
Western snowy plovers are a
threatened species under the
federal Endangered Species
Act, and are protected in all
west coast states. Collaborative
efforts like OPRD’s Habitat
Conservation Plan, developed
in coordination with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS), is showing results with
the expansion of snowy
plovers northward.
The population is growing
along parts of the southern
Oregon coast, where areas with
signs and nest designations are
part of everyday beachgoing in
the spring and summer.
Yet, species recovery is
Breaking news,
photo galleries
and MORE!
Visit the Siuslaw News
online at
WWW.THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM
much more likely to continue if
populations can establish
themselves along the entire
coast. OPRD asks that visitors
keep a cautious eye out.
Plovers nest in dry sand, in
tiny, shallow scrapes that are
almost invisible.
Not only are nests easy to
miss, or step on, but the bird
will abandon its eggs if repeat-
edly disturbed. Plover chicks
are mobile almost immediately
after hatching. They freeze in
place and hide in small depres-
sions — like footprints —
when they perceive danger.
The Nehalem nesting area,
like all nesting sites, is clearly
designated with signs, and they
remain off limits until the nest-
ing season ends.
Maps and more information
can be found at bit.ly/wsplover.
Brought to you by this newspaper in partnership with
PUBLIC NOTICES
Always in your newspaper:
Now in your inbox, too.
I f n o b o d y k n o w s w h a t ’ s g o i n g o n ,
n o b o d y c a n d o a n y t h i n g a b o u t i t .
That
Th
T
h at
at’s
’ s w hy
’s
y w e ke
e ep
e p sa
s ay
a y in
ing
g y ourr l loc
ocal
al and s ta
tate
te g ovv er
e nm
m en
n t shou
sh
h ou
o u l ld
d k eep
e e p
ee
p u bl
pu
b is
ishi
hing
ng
g t the
heir
ir p
pub
ub
b lil i c no
noti
ticess in
n t the
he n
newsp
spap
aper
er..
No
N
o w yo
you
o u ca
c an st t ay
a y inf
i nf
n for
o rm
or
me d AND
med
me
AN
N D kee
e p th
h o s e pu
pub
b l icc n ot
o t ic c es
e s in th
t h e
n e ws
ne
w pa
p a pe
p e r.
r
J Ju
u st t go to
o p u
ub
b li i cn
n ot
o tic
t i ceads
ds.com
ds
o /o
/or, sig
gn u
up
p f for
or t h
he
e f fr re
r e e Sm
m a
ar r t tS S e
ea
a rc
r c h se
e rvic
rvv ic c e,
e ,
an
nd ge
get
e t al
a l l o
of f t hi
hiss p
pa
a pe
e r r’ ’ s pu bl
b l lic
i c n
ic
not
ottic
i es s d
del
e iv
el
i er
ered
ed t o you
yo
o u vi
v i a em
m ai
ail.l
publicnoticeads.com/or
Tuesday 5/23
Keith Atherton
Chris May
North Bend
Florence
Florence Liquor Agency
Florence Liquor Agency
Wednesday 5/24 John O’Malley
Bonnie Byrd
Florence
Florence
Safeway/Florence
Cheveux Spa
Thursday 5/25
Craig Brandt
Roger Witherite
Florence
Florence
Safeway/Florence
Ichiban Restaurant
Friday 5/26
David Doubek
William Thibault
Florence
Florence
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Safeway/Florence
Saturday 5/27
Steven Pfeifer
Roger Rice
Florence
Florence
RiteAid /Florence
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Sunday 5/28
Donna Bratton
Mary Nason
Florence
Florence
Grocery Outlet/Florence
Chen’s Family Dish
Monday 5/29
Brenda McDaniel
Al Thenell
Westlake
Florence
Safeway/Florence
Three Rivers Casino Resort