Outdoors Day set for Saturday at FVNS
Youth fishing opportunity, a climbing wall, archery targets and camp cooking will be among the activities offered at the fourth annual Get Outdoors Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Vancouver.
The event will be at Fort Vancouver National Site, a change in venue from the Water Resources Education Center.
Drawings for prizes will occur during the day, The grand prize, donated by REI, is worth $500.
More than 2,000 people participated in the Get Outdoors Day a year ago.
Recreation fees waived on Saturday
Fees at day-use recreation sites managed by the Forest Service will be waived on Saturday as part of National Get Outdoors Day.
The sites normally require a $5 fee per vehicle or a recreation pass such as the Northwest Forest Pass.
Other upcoming free days are National Public Lands Day on Sept. 29 and Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11.
No fishing licenses needed this weekend
The annual Free Fishing Weekend in Washington and Oregon is Saturday and Sunday
In Washington, no license will be required to fish in any open water. Neither a vehicle-use permit nor a Discover Pass will be required to park at any of the 600 sites maintained by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Other rules such as season closures, size limits and bag limits apply.
The Mount St. Helens Ranger District will offer a free youth fishing derby from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Merwin Park on Merwin Reservoir east of Woodland.
Fifteen hundred rainbow trout will be stocked in a netted section of the reservoir. Fishing rods will be available to borrow, worms for bait will be provided and volunteers will be available to help young anglers.
No registration is required
Other activities will include a parade, storytelling, face painting and fish printing on T-shirts.
Deschutes River closed for spring chinook
THE DALLES — Spring chinook salmon fishing in the Deschutes River is closed beginning today.
Rod French, an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, said returns are running far short of the predicted 1,859 wild and 14,400 hatchery spring chinook.
Through May, he estimated about 500 hatchery chinook and 150 wild fish had returned.
“This run may just be extremely late, but typically 65 percent has returned by this date,” French said.
Sandy River Delta closed next week
TROUTDALE — The Sandy River Delta Recreation Area will be closed to the public Monday through Friday during construction.
The parking lot is being paved along with several other projects to improve safety.
