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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 2020)
Cottage Grove Sentinel Recreation & Outdoors SOUTH LANE COUNTY SPORTS AND RECREATION Calendar All sporting activities at Cottage Grove, Drain, Yoncalla and Elkton schools have been canceled through April 28 • THURSDAY | APRIL 9, 2020 • B1 CONTACT SPORTS REPORTER NICK SNYDER AT 942-3325 OR NSNYDER@CGSENTINEL.COM Continued fishing and hunting depends on social distancing Most fishing and hunting seasons remain open in Ore- gon, but participants should continue to comply with social distancing and other guidelines set forth in the Governor’s “Stay Home, Save Lives” order. While ODFW does not en- force regulations such as the Governor’s Order, a significant number of ODFW staff who work in the field are also moni- toring recreational use at many fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing locations in the course of their regular duties. US Coast Guard, Oregon Parks and Rec- reation Department, Oregon State Police, Oregon State Sher- riffs’ Association and other entities are also observing the actions by Oregonians and po- tentially visitors to Oregon. Ad- herence to the order while rec- reating can help prevent more closures. With good weather and low tides coming up later in spring/ summer, ODFW is also step- ping up monitoring of clam- ming on the coast. Staff will be out this weekend to monitor recreational and commercial harvest of razor clams along beaches in Clatsop County to determine the level of harvest and behavior of clammers (e.g. social distancing). Information gathered from this weekend’s surveys will help inform deci- sions about future actions re- garding harvest seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ll continue to monitor fisheries and do everything in our power to be sure it isn’t contributing to the transmis- sion of the virus,” said Direc- tor Curt Melcher. “If we do see anglers, clammers or others are not following the guidelines and endangering themselves and others, then we may need to modify fishing seasons.” ODFW has been working with the Governor’s office and other state agencies to address crowding and health concerns related to COVID-19, and en- couraging adherence to the Stay Home, Save Lives order. The order does allow for outdoor recreation as long as the guide- lines for social distancing are followed. Just as hiking and biking are See ODFW 2B Spring sports remain on hold ODFW R EGIONAL F ISHING R EPORT www.dfw.state.or.us/RR ODFW COVID-19 UPDATES Find the latest information at https://myodfw.com/COVID-19. Find all ODFW closures and cancellations, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about fishing, hunting and recreating outdoors. SPRING BEAR OPENS APRIL 1, 2020 Hunters have until May 1 to buy a tag. The deadline to purchase tags has been extended to give hunters more time to decide to hunt or choose other options. Get ready for your hunt by checking out the 2020 Spring bear hunting forecast at https://myodfw.com/articles. BEST BETS FOR WEEKEND FISHING Find a place close to home to limit travel. Even with boat ramp and access closures, there are still plenty of opportunities to fish this weekend while observing social distancing guidelines. • Steelhead fishing has picked up on the Alsea thanks to much needed rain. • Anglers have started catch- ing spring Chinook on the lower Rogue. The higher water levels are ideal for plunking – a good way to get out fishing while maintaining social distancing. • Largemouth bass have been moving into the shallows of Ten- mile Lakes on warm, sunny days. • Fishing for steelhead on the South Umpqua has been great for those fishing from the bank. • Bank anglers will find trout fishing has been picking up on the lower Deschutes from Beavertail to the reservation boundary. • Big Rock Reservoir is the perfect place right now to take the kids and catch a bunch of trout. • Anglers have been catching some nice plump rainbow trout in the 14- to 16-inch range at Priday Reservoir. • Tatone and McNary ponds have been stocked with trout recently. • Marr Pond has been stocked with surplus steelhead. This is a good opportunity for small chil- dren to catch big fish. FISHING, HUNTING AND WILDLIFE VIEWING REMAIN OPEN Fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing in Oregon remain open. However, Oregon State Parks as well as several cities and counties have closed parks, boat ramps and other facilities that could hinder access to your favorite spots. This list of closures changes quickly, so it’s a good idea to call the land manager and confirm access be- fore you go. PHOTOS BY ZACH SILVA (Clockwise from left) Elkton junior Sadie Olson, winner of the 2019 state discus title, winds up for the shot put; Sophomore Matty Ladd, now a junior, gets an early clearance in the high jump competition at the 2019 state track and field meet; North Douglas pitcher Colter Anderson helped the Warriors make it to the 2019 state semifinals. The OSAA Executive Board held an on- line meeting last Wednesday, April 1 to discuss the latest developments regarding the COVID-19 situation. In its meeting, the board decided to continue its current sus- pension of spring activities but chose not to cancel any other remaining state champi- onships at this time. “Up to this point, the board has aligned its decisions regarding OSAA’s educa- tion-based activities with the Governor’s school closure orders and plans to continue on that path,” said OSAA Executive Direc- tor Peter Weber. “Board member discussion centered around the latest information sent out from the Oregon Department of Edu- cation (ODE) last week stating that there is a very real potential that students may not return to school this academic year.” Weber added that if the Governor orders ends in-person student learning for the re- mainder of the school year, the OSAA will continue to align with the school closures and also cancel its spring activities and state championships. In the meantime, the OSAA says its staff has been in communication with all spring state championship venues and shared po- tential challenges they are running into. In particular, Western Oregon University has shut down all of its athletic facilities through June 30. That means the facility will not be available to host the 3A, 2A, 1A Track and Field State Championships in May. For now, OSAA is looking into other potential track venues to determine option- al availability. Board members also discussed the po- tential of shifting spring activities and state championships into the summer, “but the board wasn’t supportive of that concept at this time,” Weber said. “Concerns include increased staffing and personnel costs for school districts already facing uncertain financial impacts, as well as scheduling is- sues regarding facility availability, student/ family commitments for jobs, travel, etc.” Regarding safety issues associated with COVID-19, Weber said OSAA staff has been working with its Chief Medical Advi- sor and Sports Medicine Advisory chair Dr. Mick Koester to develop acclimatization guidelines, which the board approved to emphasize student safety if schools are able to reconvene this spring. Among the guidelines the board adopted to included: • An initial 7-day period with practices only, no contests • Limiting practices to once per day and no more than three hours in length See SPRING 2B Boaters required to stop for invasive species inspection While the state of Oregon is currently not recommending out-of-state residents visit the state for recreation due to the Governor’s “Stay Home, Save Lives” order, all watercraft en- tering Oregon are still required to be inspected at an aquatic in- vasive species station when the stations are open. This includes commercial watercraft, which, will account for most of the inspections while the stay-at- home order remains in effect. Located throughout Oregon, stations are open if large, orange “Boat Inspection Ahead” signs are posted on highways fol- lowed by “Inspection Required for All Watercraft.” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife inspection sta- tions in Ashland and Ontario are open year-round. Seasonal stations open May 12 in Brook- ings, Klamath Falls, Lakeview and Umatilla. Inspections for aquatic inva- sive species typically take five to 10 minutes. ODFW staff working at the stations are tak- ing necessary precautions to protect themselves and others against the spread of COVID-19 by wearing proper protective equipment and maintaining physical distance from others. We would ask that drivers please turn off their vehicles when they pull into the inspec- tion station. This will make it easier for the inspector and driver to hear each other and maintain physical distance. Drivers are not required to get out of their vehicle at the inspection station and ODFW encourages all people riding in the vehicle to stay within the vehicle and to communicate through their window if they have questions about the in- spection. Watercraft found with aquat- ic invasive species attached are decontaminated on the spot. Both boat inspections and de- contaminations, if needed, are free. Inspecting boats coming into the state is the first line of defense in keeping aquat- ic invasive species such as ze- bra or quagga mussels, snails and aquatic plants out of Or- egon. These invaders can cost millions in damage to water delivery systems and serious environmental damage to our rivers, lakes and native aquatic species. “It’s important for boaters to stop at these stations, get a free boat inspection, and help keep aquatic invaders out of Oregon and Pacific Northwest waters,” said Rick Boatner, ODFW Inva- sive Species Supervisor. “People who stop at these sta- tions are directly contributing to our success in keeping aquat- ic invasive zebra and quagga mussels, snails and aquatic plants out of Oregon,” added Boatner. All vehicles towing or carry- See BOATING 2B
