Dac Collins

When not at my desk writing, I can usually be found on a river somewhere impersonating a fisherman.
Columbia Insight •

Morrison Park: Where habitat and housing collide

The City of Hood River aims to rezone Morrison Park in order to develop affordable housing on the property. Elected officials in favor of the development are calling it a compatible compromise between those in need of affordable housing and those in favor of preserving open space. Residents of Hood River who oppose the rezone are calling it a short-sighted land grab that could set a dangerous precedent for how parks are managed by the city...
Columbia Insight •

The H.W. Hill Renewable Gas Project: Using the mountains of things we throw away

As a species, we create an exorbitant amount of garbage. To call our love of packaging “excessive” would be understating the problem. Obsessive might be a better word for it, since nearly everything we consume is either boxed, bottled or wrapped in plastic. The figures are staggering, really. Consider that every American generates, on average, 4.4 pounds of trash daily. This means that your typical American male throws away his weight in garbage every 45 days or
EnviroGorge •

Kingsley Reservoir to expand as mountain snowpack shrinks

Snow. It is nature’s most elegant way of storing water. By accumulating at higher elevations during the cold winter months and then flowing down streams as meltwater during the warmer, sunnier months, mountain snowpack slakes the thirst of parched valleys throughout the Pacific Northwest. And in the time since European immigrants settled these valleys in the mid-19th century, we have grown accustomed to — even dependent on — this natural cycle of accumulation and
EnviroGorge •

Underwood Uncovered: White Salmon River restoration project underway

The White Salmon River is choking, its mouth clogged with sand. But a restoration project currently underway at the Underwood In-Lieu Site aims to remove some of that blockage. Spearheaded by the Yakama Nation Fisheries Program, the project will focus on improving fish habitat and re-establishing fishing access at the silt-laden river mouth. “We have sort of a unique opportunity here on this bar,” says Bill Sharp, project manager and fisheries research scientist f
EnviroGorge •

Platt River Journal

From where the trail dead-ends, the Platt is hidden from view. There are just too many plants conspiring to keep it that way. Bearded old-growth firs, who prefer to keep their distance from the busyness of the river, collaborate with the alders and ferns nearer the waterline to weave a dense, green veil. Heavy with ripe fruit this time of year, the salmonberry vines are in cahoots with the trees. Together they form a seemingly impenetrable thicket, a barrier of briars and
Bonners Ferry Herald •

Scott reinstated to House committees

BOISE — Rep. Heather Scott was reinstated to her seats on the Commerce, Environment and State Affairs committees on Wednesday, Feb. 1 after apologizing for the comment she made back in December regarding her fellow female legislators. Speaker of the House Scott Bedke’s decision on Jan. 12 to strip Scott of her committee seats made for a divisive opening week of the 2017 legislative session, during which the sophomore legislator railed against Bedke and the Republican establishment for unfairly
Bonners Ferry Herald •

Dr. King honored at the Pearl

On Saturday, Jan. 14, community members gathered at the Pearl Theater to commemorate the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The free event, which was sponsored by the Boundary County Human Rights Task Force, featured art, music, film and presentations by guest speakers. The first thing atendees noticed when walking through the doors of the theater on Saturday night were tables filled with art projects by Boundary County Middle School students: each one featuring a historical or con
Bonners Ferry Herald •

Scott stripped of committee assignments

State Representative Heather Scott (R-Blanchard) was stripped of all of her committee assignments during a legislative session in Boise on Jan. 12 after making a comment to a fellow lawmaker during the Legislature’s organizational session back in December — a comment that she re-stated in a radio interview on Jan. 13: “Legislators shouldn’t have to sleep around or spread their legs to advance.” House Speaker Scott Bedke (R-Oakley), who enforced this punitive measure as a rebuke to Scott’s state
Bonners Ferry Herald •

KVRI backs Boulder Creek Restoration Project

Board members of the Kootenai Valley River Initiative (KVRI) met on Tuesday, Jan. 10 to discuss any concerns regarding the proposal of the Boulder Creek Restoration Project, as well as to examine other land management projects that are being proposed in the Kootenai Valley over the next five to 10 years. The KVRI has worked hand-in-hand with Idaho Panhandle National Forests (IPNF) in order to formulate the proposal for the Boulder Creek Restoration Project (BCRP), which was shared with members
Bonners Ferry Herald •

UI Ext. Office to start local seed library

The Boundary County UI Extension Office is currently in the process of setting up a local seed library. The first of its kind in the county, the library will feature organized stocks of quality, open-pollinated seeds that local gardeners can take home free of charge and plant in their own gardens. A seed library helps foster an interconnected, self-sufficient community of gardeners that never has to purchase seeds. Instead, gardeners refrain from harvesting some of their plants, which allows t
Bonners Ferry Herald •

Bonners Ferry rallies to upset Sandpoint

On Friday night, Dec. 16, the Badgers put an end to a losing streak spanning at least eight years when they came from behind to beat Sandpoint at home 66-57. It was a glorious upset, especially for Badger fans in the stands who have shown up to support the team during the annual Moose Madness rivalry game year after year, only to watch the Bulldogs win eight in a row. This year, due to an agreement reached by both schools, there were no moose antlers on the line — just a whole lot of school pri
Bonners Ferry Herald •

A group of Bonner County residents oppose timber sale proposed by IDFG

A group of Bonner county residents who do not want to see a stand of healthy, mature Western Red Cedars logged have organized in an attempt to stop the timber sale. The group, which calls itself “Friends of the Sunnyside Cedars”, is currently requesting that the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, who owns the 52-acre parcel, reconsider its plans to log the tract in early 2017. The parcel under scrutiny is located east of Sandpoint on the Sunnyside Peninsula, which juts out from the northern sho
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