The Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat remains something of an enigma By Lazo Gitchos Sunlight poured through the south windows on the first floor of Ed Tenant’s barn near Carlton. Kent Woodruff, a retired U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist, disappeared up a ladder and through a hole in the ceiling, careful to step only on the beams […]
NEWS
WDFW proposes ‘endangered’ status for western gray squirrel
Public invited to submit comments by Oct. 2 The western gray squirrel has seen its habitat in Washington disappear, leaving the species in danger of extinction. The North Cascades mountains near the Methow Valley are among only three areas in the state where the western gray squirrel can still be found, according to the Washington […]
Community briefs: Duck Days this weekend, Book sale Friday, Saturday
Duck Days this weekend Winthrop Kiwanis Duck Days, two days of family-friendly activities capped by the annual Labor Day Duck Race, are set for Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-4. Duck Days will again offer a variety of attractions in Mack Lloyd Park on Sunday, Sept. 3, from noon-4 p.m., including food, music, games, crafts, a […]
Twisp, WSDOT reach accord on Hwy 20 sidewalk project
The Town of Twisp has reached a supplemental funding agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to acquire right-of-way easements for a sidewalk/bike path project on Highway 20 between the Twisp River Bridge and Days Lane. The action came at last week’s council meeting. The project Highway 20 had been on hold because […]
Wildfires — and their smoke — surround the valley
Large Canadian fire encroaches into county from north Wildfires are now burning on all sides of the Methow Valley, with a fire burning near Blue Lake in the North Cascades, and a large fire that started in British Columbia pushing into Okanogan County over the weekend. The actively burning fires trapped the valley under a […]
A new model may enhance home ownership options
Methow Housing Trust explores permanent ‘housing easements’ Home ownership is out of reach for most of the Methow Valley’s working class — local residents whose jobs are located in the valley — and rental housing is scarce and expensive. The valley’s housing market is increasingly driven by a limited supply of homes and high demand […]
Lost, and found, in the wilderness
A hiker’s chance encounter rescued Hank the horse Hannah Fitchett’s experience with horses was limited to cleaning out stables — she’d never even ridden one — but she drew on her considerable resourcefulness and compassion and single-handedly rescued Hank, a buckskin quarter horse that had been missing in the Pasayten Wilderness for a week and […]
Envisioning a fire safe community
Forum stresses ‘defensible space’ around homes In an era of increasing impacts from climate change, logging and thinning projects cause ecological harm to forests and won’t protect communities from destructive wildfires. Instead, we should focus on areas where people live by clearing vegetation and hardening homes. Those were the central points at “Visions for a […]
Forest Service bans all fires in Okanogan-Wenatchee NF
The U.S. Forest Service has banned all campfires in the Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest — including in developed campgrounds and in the Pasayten Wilderness — because of continuing hot, dry weather and worsening fire-danger conditions. The ban went into effect on Friday (Aug. 18). People can still use pressurized liquid-fuel stoves and lanterns, as long as there’s […]
Methow Conservancy stays firmly on the ground
Sunny M property purchase signals expanded direction By Lazo Gitchos After more than a quarter-century of focusing on negotiating conservation easements, the Methow Conservancy is moving into the new realm of land ownership and stewardship. As part of that evolution, the Conservancy hopes to also have a role in facilitating affordable housing. With the recent […]
