Officials at Gifford Pinchot National Forest have created a non-motorized zone along the popular Monitor Ridge and Worm Flows climbing routes on the south flank of Mount St. Helens. The route is being closed to snowmobile use to improve safety for winter climbers, skiers and snowshoers.

Officials also announced that climbing permits are required for all winter recreationists that travel above 4,800 feet on the volcano. This is a change from previous policy that exempted snowmobiles from the climbing permit requirement.

Click here for detailed information about the Mount St. Helens climbing permit system and the non-motorized climbing corridor.

Click here for a map of the non-motorized zone.

Here is the rest of the news release:

“Designating a non-motorized corridor and implementing a permit system that applies to all winter recreationists above 4,800 feet regardless of mode-of-travel makes sense,” said Tom Mulder, Monument Manager. “By closing the climbing route to snowmobiles we can increase safety and enhance the experience of climbers and skiers while still accommodating snowmobile use on the south side of the mountain. The permit requirement helps us track use, and when assistance is needed, the Climber’s Register helps emergency responders identify who is on the mountain,” Mulder added.

Between November 1st and March 31st permits are required for all travel above 4,800 feet on Mount St. Helens and are free and available by self-registration at Marble Mountain Sno-Park and at the Climber’s Register at the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar. During the spring climbing season, April 1st to May 14th, the permits cost $22 and are available for advance purchase online. Permits for the May 15th to October 31st summer climbing season are limited to 100-climbers-per-day and will be sold on-line on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 9 a.m. PST on February 1st.

All areas of Puget Sound will close to recreational crab fishing at sunset Friday. After that all sport crabbers licensed to fish for crab in Puget Sound will have 13 days to report their winter catch.

State fishing rules require that all sport crabbers submit catch reports for the winter season to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife by Jan. 15, even if they did not catch any crab.

Catch reports are an important tool in managing the Puget Sound crab fishery, said Rich Childers, shellfish policy lead, in a news release. The agency needs to hear from everyone, including those who didn't catch any crab, because more information provides greater accuracy in estimating the catch and developing future fishing seasons, he said.

To submit s catch report, crabbers may either send their catch record card to WDFW by mail, or file their report online. Catch record cards may be mailed to WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.

The online reporting system will be available Friday through Jan. 15 via this link.

Sport crabbers who file their catch reports by the Jan. 15 deadline will be entered in a drawing for one of 10 free combination fishing licenses, which allow the holder to fish for a variety of freshwater and saltwater species during the 2009-10 season, the release said.

Childers also reminded Puget Sound crabbers of two important changes that will occur starting with the next crab season. First, crabbers who fail to report their 2009 summer or winter catch will be required to pay $10 before a license vendor will issue a new catch record card for the 2010 Puget Sound crab season. Second, crabbers will have the option to decline receiving a winter catch card when purchasing their 2009 fishing license. This will help them avoid a fine for not reporting a winter catch, Childers said.