The next razor-clam dig will start Friday at Twin Harbors. That beach will be open through Sunday. Long Beach will open Saturday and Sunday.

With low tides in the morning, digging must be completed by noon, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The low tide times are: Friday, 7:45 a.m., -0.7 feet; Saturday, 8:25 a.m., -0.7 feet; and Sunday, 9:05 a.m., -0.5 feet.

"We want to make sure there are enough clams for an opener tentatively scheduled at all four beaches later this month, when there will be even better tides," Ayres said in a prepared statement.

Diggers must have a new 2009-10 fishing license, since April 1 marked the beginning of a new license year, Ayres said. A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Anglers can buy a combination license or an annual shellfish/seaweed license. Also available are razor-clam only licenses in annual or three-day only versions.

Harvesters can keep no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container.

Kalaloch Beach in Olympic National Park will remain closed because the clams there have not grown to harvestable size.

Digging will not be allowed at Mocrocks or Copalis because the state is trying to stay under its quota, Ayres said.

Ayres said more digs will likely be announced following the opener tentatively scheduled for late April. All four becahes are scheduled to be open April 25-27.

"There’s a good chance we’ll have enough clams to offer additional digging opportunities on some beaches in May," he said.

In its largest acquisition to date, the Nisqually Land Trust earlier today announced it has acquired 720 acres of Pierce County land from the Hancock Timber Resource Group.

The land is located in the Kapowsin Forest, near the main entrance to Mount Rainier National Park and directly north of Ashford. Land Trust officials consider this a critical addition to a proposed wildlife corridor between the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Elbe Hills State Forest.

The state Department of Natural Resources will hold a conservation easement on the property in perpetuity, ensuring its use as wildlife habitat and preventing future development.

Here is the rest of the press release:

“We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of this parcel, our largest acquisition ever. This land is known to be frequented by spotted owls, marbled murrelets, bald eagles, elk, cougar, and many other species,” said Joe Kane, Executive Director of the Nisqually Land Trust.

“We greatly respect the work of the Nisqually Land Trust and share their commitment to protecting environmentally sensitive land,” said Derek Solmie, Pacific Northwest Project Manager, Hancock Timber Resource Group. “We take great satisfaction in being able to complete this important transaction with the Trust through our Sensitive Lands Program.”

The bulk of the purchase funds for the $2.56 million acquisition came from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant secured through DNR. In addition, the partnership securing the grant under the USFWS Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund included the Trust, the Nisqually Tribe, the Nisqually River Council, and the Nisqually Headwaters Coalition, an Ashford-based citizens group.

“This purchase shows the power of cooperation between public, private and non-profit partners to conserve our state’s most precious lands,” said State Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark.

The Nisqually Tribe provided additional funding for the purchase and will assist the Land Trust in managing the site’s natural resources.

“We are proud to be able to help acquire and preserve this vital environmental resource,” said Cynthia Iyall, chairman of the Nisqually Indian Tribe. “This partnership further illustrates the Nisqually’s strong commitment to protecting and enhancing environmentally sensitive lands and habitats. Our tribe is honored to be part of this effort.”

“Given its location between the State and National Forests, we believe there is strong potential to create a wildlife corridor between these two forests,” Kane said. “The property also has tremendous natural beauty, with rock bluffs and steep ravines. We are grateful to Hancock Timber for working so diligently with us to make the transaction a reality.”

The Land Trust’s purchase was part of Phase Two of its Mount Rainier Gateway Initiative, which calls for permanently protecting some 4,500 acres of timberlands near Mount Rainier National Park. One of the benefits of protecting wildlife habitat near Mount Rainier is that it conserves scenic vistas that are critical to the local tourism industry.

“To protect habitat in perpetuity, you have to make it part of a sustainable system,” Kane said. “In the Ashford area, that system includes a commitment to the long-term economic health of the community.”

Through its Sensitive Lands Program, the Hancock Timber Resource Group has helped preserve and protect nearly than 400,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands across the United States. Its largest single sensitive lands transaction was the protection of approximately 90,000 acres of timberland in King County, Washington, in 2004. Under this agreement with King County, Hancock Timber sold the development rights on the vast majority of the Snoqualmie Forest, just east of Seattle, ensuring that the land will remain a working forest in perpetuity.