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FALL CHINOOK
Federal officials eye improving fall chinook runs
(Information in the following story is from: Lewiston Tribune, http://www.lmtribune.com)
LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — Officials at the fisheries division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are working on a long-range plan that could lead to delisting fall chinook in the Snake River.
The Lewiston Tribune reports that officials for the first time are setting down precise standards that must be met for the fish to be taken off the endangered species list.
But officials say it's a long process with many hurdles.
The decision will take into account wild fish abundance as well as their distribution, genetic diversity and distribution.
Officials are predicting more than 47,000 fall chinook could return past Lower Granite Dam this year, and that more than 34,000 of those could be wild fish.
AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION
Sun Valley region airport gets $18M grant
(Information in the following story is from: Idaho Mountain Express, http://www.mtexpress.com)
HAILEY, Idaho (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is awarding a small central Idaho airport that serves the resort area of Ketchum and Sun Valley an $18 million grant for construction work on safety improvements.
The Idaho Mountain Express reports the Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey was awarded the money this week as part of a series of federal grants expected to cover most of the cost of a $34 million construction project.
The work, intended to bring the airport near Sun Valley up to federal safety standards, includes moving one taxiway farther from the runway and expanding and relocating a terminal. The project is expected to be complete by July 2015.
IDAHO POACHERS
Idaho poachers taking heavy toll on game
(Information in the following story is from: Lewiston Tribune, http://www.lmtribune.com)
LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — State wildlife officials in northern Idaho say poachers are likely killing far more game animals than wolves are.
Officials tell the Lewiston Tribune that last year in northern Idaho they confirmed poaching of 30 elk, four moose, 13 mule deer and 57 whitetail deer.
Officials say a realistic detection rate is 5 percent, meaning poachers are likely killing about 600 elk, 80 moose, 260 mule deer and 1,000 whitetail annually.
Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer Barry Cummings says many people don't report wildlife crimes because they don't consider it a crime against them. The fine in Idaho for illegally killing an elk is $750, while the fine for illegally killing a moose is $10,000.
But he says if predators were killing as many game animals as poachers, people would take action.
IDAHO UNEMPLOYMENT
Idaho unemployment rate drops in March
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho's unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a percentage point in March to 5.2 percent, the lowest rate in 5 1/2 years.
The Idaho Department of Labor in a news statement on Friday says it's the eighth straight monthly decline.
The agency says unemployment has fallen one and a third percentage points in a year, and that more than 11,000 people had jobs in March compared with March 2013.
Construction led the way with the strongest job growth between February and March as the state continues recovering from the bursting of the housing bubble.
The national unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in March, unchanged from February.
The state agency says Idaho's unemployment rate has been below the national rate for more than 12 years.
MARINE-EVEREST
Boise veteran not caught in Everest avalanche
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A Boise resident climbing Mount Everest did not get caught in an avalanche Friday that killed at least 12 Napalese guides.
Heroes Project spokesman Zach Rosenfield says 28-year-old Staff Sgt. Charlie Linville remains at basecamp at 17,598 feet where he arrived on Wednesday.
Linville lost his right foot, several fingers and suffered an injured back while diffusing a bomb in Afghanistan in 2011.
The Heroes Project is making a documentary about injured veterans climbing the tallest peaks on seven continents. Rosenfield says Mount Everest is the project's last peak.
Rosenfield says none of the six members of the team was caught in the avalanche.
He says the team is assessing the situation before deciding its next move.
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