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