Great Outdoors

Local News, Great Outdoors

Digital Payments Now Accepted at National Forests in Washington State

July 8, 2026

Staff Reports

The U.S. Forest Service announced on June 30 that Washington’s national forests are expanding digital payment options at recreation sites, including the Colville National Forest.

Great Outdoors

Perennial Wisdom

July 1, 2026

WSU Stevens County Master Gardener Kathy Hansen

The WSU Extension Master Gardener Program trains volunteers to be effective community educators in gardening and environmental stewardship.
Master Gardeners provide information generated from research at WSU
and other university systems.
Master Gardener Kathy Hansen is a writer and educator living in Kettle Falls.
Visit us and bring your questions to the Chewelah Farmers Market, every
other Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (next one is July 3), and the Colville Farmers Market, every other Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (next one is July 1). Both
run May-Oct.

Local News, Great Outdoors

Celebrating THE LONGEST DAY

June 24, 2026

Meredith Carroll

The longest day of the year landed on Sunday, June 21.

Local News, Great Outdoors

Lake Roosevelt Forum Bus Tour Highlights Progress, Challenges, and Collaboration

June 24, 2026

Isidora Patrick

Community members, tribal leaders, scientists, state and federal agency representatives, environmental advocates, and others climbed aboard a bus at the Kettle Falls Visitor Center for the annual Lake Roosevelt Forum Bus Tour on June 10.

Great Outdoors, Local News

Worse Fire Conditions Predicted Despite Recent Rains

June 17, 2026

Brandon Hansen

Fire officials warn that eastern Washington could be heading into a longer and more active wildfire season, with dry conditions, low snowpack, early vegetation growth, and an already-enacted burn ban raising concerns across the region.

Farm & Ranch, Great Outdoors

Perennial Wisdom - Getting Started With Worm Composting

June 17, 2026

Linda Cox, WSU Stevens County Master Gardener Volunteer

Imagine transforming your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost without the smell – boosting plant and soil health while reducing landfill waste. This process is made possible by the worm.

Great Outdoors

DNR Issues Partial Burn Ban

June 3, 2026

Brandon Hansen

The Washington Department of Natural Resources has enacted a partial burn ban beginning Friday, May 29

Great Outdoors

Firefighters Respond to Several Wind-driven Fires Across Region

May 27, 2026

Brandon Hansen

Firefighters responded to multiple fires across the region over the holiday weekend as warm temperatures, dry fuels, and breezy conditions created elevated fire concerns in northeast Washington.

Great Outdoors

Free Fishing Weekend Offers Area Anglers License-Free Opportunities

May 27, 2026

Staff reports

Local anglers can participate in the state’s annual Free Fishing Weekend, June 6-7, allowing residents to fish many area waters without needing to purchase a license.

Great Outdoors

Living History Encampment and Historical Center Open This Weekend

May 13, 2026

Shannon Chapman

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, in partnership with the Northwest Fur Trade Historians, is planning to host a free living history encampment on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Great Outdoors

Colville Youth Boasts Top Scores at Local Forestry Contest

April 22, 2026

Staff Report

The local Forestry Competition, hosted by Stevens County Conservation District (SCCD) with the help of many local industry, agency, and individual volunteers, was held on April 2 at Douglas Falls Grange Park outside of Colville.

Great Outdoors

Fishing Opens Across Stevens and Ferry Counties

April 21, 2026

Cami Krema

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced that recreational fishing is scheduled to open at local lakes on April 25.

Great Outdoors

State Agency Faces Cuts, Could Close Some Local Campgrounds and Trails

March 4, 2026

Brandon Hansen

In a funding one-pager released by the agency, DNR officials said recreation maintenance and operations funding was reduced by more than $7 million during the 2025 legislative session, a cut of more than 20%.

Great Outdoors

Black Bear Relocated Out of Town

February 18, 2026

Meredith Carroll

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) safely relocated a 7-8-year-old male black bear on Jan. 9; the bear had made a den beneath an abandoned structure in Hunters. A Hunter’s resident noticed the bear in the neighborhood on Dec. 21, 2025. The large bear was caught on video and was not reacting to human movement or noise.

Great Outdoors

Statewide Fishing Opportunities Offered on Black Friday

November 19, 2025

Staff Report

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials announced they plan to stock nearly 65,000 jumbo rainbow trout in 25 lakes statewide, including two in Stevens County, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, offering anglers a chance to get outside for Washington’s annual Black Friday fishing.

Great Outdoors

2025 Local Wildfire Data Indicates Record Ignitions and Lingering Smoke

November 12, 2025

Emma Lee Conyer

As the 2025 fire season comes to an end in the area, a synthesis of the statewide statistics has been compiled by a number of organizations to reveal upward trends of ignitions and late-season smoke.

Great Outdoors

Court Denies Request to Prevent Sherman Pack Wolf Removal

November 5, 2025

Staff Report

A King County Superior Court judge denied the request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) from lethally removing one wolf from the Sherman pack in Ferry County on Oct. 31. This comes after WDFW staff investigated an injured calf in the Sherman wolf pack territory in Ferry County on Oct. 23.

Great Outdoors

WDFW Deputy Director Approved Lethal Removal of Sherman Pack Wolf

October 15, 2025

Staff Report

According to WDFW, Windrope’s decision is consistent with the guidance of the state's Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and the lethal removal provisions of the department's 2020 Wolf-Livestock Interaction Protocol. WDFW officials stated that the rationale for authorizing lethal removal of one Sherman pack wolf is as follows...