CHIMNEY ROCK CHRONICLES December 2011 Volume 6, Issue 4
EDITOR’S NOTE This is the latest issue of Chimney Rock Chronicles, brought to you by The Newport and Gem State Miner Newspapers. Anyone with comments, suggestions or submissions is encouraged to contact our offices at 509-4472433, e-mail theminer@povn.com or mail to P.O. Box 349 Newport, WA 99156. The Miner staff enjoys producing this quarterly newsletter, as it gives us a chance to focus on what is happening around Priest Lake. We maintain our unbiased point of view and want to focus on news stories and events that affect the community of Priest Lake. If you would like to receive a subscription to this newsletter, contact us by the above information. -Michelle Nedved, Editor
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COURTESY PHOTO|WWW.PRIESTLAKER.COM
Cold weather sets in
Steam rises from the water of Priest Lake as temperatures dropped and fall set in.
Critical habitat proposed for Selkirk caribou BOISE – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Nov. 29 a proposal to designate critical habitat for endangered woodland caribou in the southern Selkirk Mountains. About 375,562 acres are being proposed for designation as critical habitat in Bonner and Boundary counties in Idaho and Pend Oreille County, Wash. Snowmobiling restrictions in high elevation areas north of Priest Lake remain in effect while the U.S. Forest Service devises a new winter travel plan. Caribou prefer elevations above 4,000 feet and steep
terrain with old-growth forests. When winter snow deepens, mountain caribou feed almost exclusively on arboreal lichens that occur on trees that are typically 125 years or older. The loss of old growth forest to timber harvest and wildfire is the primary threat to the species’ survival. Human activities such as road-building and recreational trails can also fragment caribou habitat and facilitate the movement of predators into the caribou’s range. The southern Selkirk Mountains caribou was listed as an endangered species in 1984,
and the herd now totals about 46 animals. The listing didn’t come with land designated for caribou recovery. A 2002 lawsuit brought by environmental groups Defenders of Wildlife, The Lands Council, Selkirk Conservation Alliance, and Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the USFWS to designate habitat. A 2009 settlement agreement gave the service until Nov. 20 to submit a final rule. Under the Endangered Species Act, critical habitat identifies SEE CARIBOU, 4