At the annual Reforest Spokane Day event on Saturday, October 23, Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, The Lands Council, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Avista Utilities hosted hundreds of volunteers at Rimrock to Riverside, a connecting corridor between Riverside State Park and Palisades City Park, to plant 2,000 native trees and shrubs.

The area, home to moose, bobcats, coyotes, and smaller mammals, is being restored to a seasonal wetland. The plants will help shade the overhauled ponds, helping to retain standing water well into the summer months for passing wildlife, insects, and frogs that call the area home.

Reforest Spokane, an annual event for the Lands Council, brings the community together every year to learn about local ecosystems and work to make them stronger. Find out more at LandsCouncil.org.

Volunteers planted 2000 trees and shrubs for Reforest Spokane. // Photos courtesy of The Lands Council

View more photos from the Reforest Spokane event at landscouncil.org/reforest-spokane-day.

Find more stories about wildlife and conservation visit the OTO archives.

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Saturday, April 10th, 2010
The Lincoln Center
1316 N. Lincoln St., Downtown Spokane

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for silent auction and socializing Dinner at 7:00 p.m. Live auction at 7:45 p.m. Checkout opens at 9:00 p.m.

Reservation information and pricing: (Advanced purchase required)

$1000 Environmentalist Business Sponsor Table.

*Includes priority table placement, a full-page ad in the auction booklet,  Environmentalist level recognition in the booklet, on-stage and in our newsletter, e-newsletter and website.

$600 Naturalist Business Sponsor Table.

*Includes space for a half-page ad in the auction booklet, Naturalist level recognition in the booklet, on-stage and in our newsletter, e-newsletter and website.

$400 General Table (with single payment).

$60 per individual guest.

(All tables seat 8 guests)

For more information, check out our website at http://landscouncil.org/events/auction.asp or contact Kristi at 509.209.2851 or kfountain@landscouncil.org

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They will discuss the controversy that’s recently arisen as Idaho and Montana began to sell permits for hunting gray wolves, which were recently removed from the endangered species list. Read more in the Spokesman-Review story.

The post Much Ado About Wolves appeared first on Out There Venture.

Behold, the Lands Council’s new proposition for storing Spring runoff water. The concept for this viral video came from OTM‘s Jon Snyder and the video was created by Klundt Hosmer and Hamilton Studios. The Lands Council has done an amazing job of communicating this creative environmental solution. Way to go!

The post The Beaver Solution appeared first on Out There Venture.

The Lands Council sent this new release to us today:

Help Protect The Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf!

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced its 2nd attempt at delisting the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains.

The first attempt was quickly reversed in July by a federal judge, but not before state management programs led to the killing of over 100 wolves.

The geographical area at issue with this proposal includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and parts of Washington, Oregon, and Utah .

A wolf pack (2 adults and 6 pups) was discovered near Twisp, Washington in July 2008. Although their territory is outside the area now proposed for delisting, the delisting could potentially isolate them from all protected populations in the U.S.

Please join The Lands Council in commenting against this second attempt at delisting the gray wolf, and in favor of the continued protection of the northern Rocky Mountain population of grey wolves by maintaining their federal listing until they truly are recovered!

You have until November 28, 2008 to submit comments regarding the USFWS proposal.

Comments can be submitted online here.

Always remember that personalizing your message will make it more effective, please include:
Where you live
Why you care about the wolves
Any personal, educational, or professional experience that informs your opinion

Points to make in your comments:

Rather than repackaging a severely flawed plan that has already been rejected by a federal judge, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must take a fresh look at the management of wolves in this region.
The proposal allows as many as 1,000 wolves to be killed as soon as they lose the protections of the Endangered Species Act — slashing the population by as much as two thirds. Such drastic reductions in wolf numbers would be a serious obstacle preventing wolves from establishing a sustainable and connected wolf population in the region, and would not maintain wolves above minimum levels necessary to ensure their survival.
The region’s population of 1,500 wolves still falls short of the numbers that independent scientists have determined to be necessary to secure the health of the species in the Northern Rockies. Maintaining wolves at such low levels endangers their long-term genetic variability and therefore the likelihood of the population surviving.
The current proposal is the product of a flawed process and will likely result in the same types of policy conflicts and legal battles that have plagued wolf management in the past.
The USFWS should work with wildlife biologists to revise the plan and collaborate with wildlife conservationists, ranchers, tourism officials, hunters and other interested individuals to develop new science-based state wolf management plans that are more informed, inclusive and balanced.
Thank you!!!

To support The Lands Council’s work to preserve and revitalize our Inland Northwest forests, water, and wildlife, please click here.

Visit our website for more information on protecting the Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf.

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It’s been a long time since there’s been a weekend with so many outdoor activities. For your consideration:

Tonight:
Lands Council Auction

Saturday:
Spokane River Kickoff
Earth Day Spokane

Sunday:
Spokane River Run
Komen Eastern Washington Race for the Cure
Paris Rubaix Race Party
3pm Elk in Brownes Edition Vintage Cruiser Ride (see Lemon Peeler pic above)

No mere mortal could do them all, but don’t you owe it to yourself to do at least one?

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