The state Fish and Wildlife Commission plans to select a new director for the Department of Fish and Wildlife when it meets Sept. 11-12 in Olympia.

The commission, after interviewing six candidates Wednesday and Thursday, after narrowed the field to two finalists, a commission news release said.

The finalists' references and backgrounds will be checked over the next couple of weeks, according to commission chairwoman Miranda Wecker.

Former director Jeff Koenings resigned last December after serving for a decade. Since then, Phil Anderson has served as interim director.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to hold public meetings next week to discuss green-dot road management on several central Washington wildlife areas. Since the meetings will take place before the next Adventure section prints, I posted the info here:

Green-dot road systems are those where only roads marked by circular green reflectors are open to motor vehicles.

Department wildlife area managers Condi Confer, Shana Winegeart and Pete Lopushinksy are seeking input on proposals to change the number of green-dot roads on the Wenas and Colockum wildlife areas, and on acreage in the Skookumchuck and Parke Creek areas of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area.

Wildlife area citizen advisory groups and several sportsmen's organizations have been reviewing the proposals that will be discussed in the public meetings.

The meetings, which all begin at 6 p.m., will take place:

Tuesday: In Ellensburg, at the Hal Holmes Center, 209 N. Ruby Street
Wednesday: In Selah, at the Selah Civic Center, 216 S. First St.
Thursday: In Wenatchee, at the Campus Theater in Wells Hall on the Wenatchee Valley College Campus, 1300 Fifth St.

Final green-dot road plans and maps will be completed in time for roads to be posted for the beginning of hunting seasons.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission is schedule to interview Wednesday and Thursday candidates for the department director position.

There are six candidates being interviewed. The candidate names and personal information are confidential, according to a commission spokeswoman.

The six were recommended by the state Department of Personnel as the top qualifiers based on the job recruitment announcement and job description approved by the commission a few months ago.

According to the notice from the commission’s office, the public is not permitted to attend the interviews, which will be conducted during executive session.

The public portions of this meeting will be recorded and the audio will be posted on the Internet by the day after adjournment. To listen to the audio afterwards, visit www.wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html.

The commission began its search for a new director earlier this summer, after the Legislature met and finalized budgets. Phil Anderson has been serving as the interim director since Jeff Koenings stepped down last December.

The staff at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge continue to offer free interpretive programs on Saturdays and Sundays.

The programs include discussions of the plants and birds at the refuge, talks about the history of the area, nature and wildlife photography clinics and a slideshow on the national wildlife refuge system.

The guided walks depart from the visitor center flag pole, and talks are held in the visitor center auditorium. Walking trails are smooth and level. There is no charge for programs, but the $3 per family refuge entrance fee still applies. The programs last one to two hours.

The refuge is located off Interstate 5 at Exit 114. The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset. For more information, contact Jackie LaRue at (360) 753-9467 or jackie_larue@fws.gov.

Program Details

Quiet Beauty: the Plants of Nisqually NWR is an easy hike exploring the plants of the Refuge.

Take Flight: the Birds of Nisqually NWR is an easy hike focusing on the sights and sounds of the birds on the Refuge (beginner/intermediate level birding walk).

The Wonder of Nisqually is an easy hike exploring both flora and fauna around the Refuge.

Historic Nisqually walks are about the influential human history that occurred within the Refuge boundary: the controversial Medicine Creek Treaty and/or the long-standing, landscape altering farm history that started with the Brown Farm days. Program may be an easy walk or a slide show, dependant on the presenter.

Introduction to Nature and Wildlife Photography is an easy hike that will explore the Refuge through the lens of your camera. An amateur nature/wildlife photographer and Refuge volunteer will lead this general introduction photography walk.

America’s National Wildlife Refuge System is a slideshow presentation.

Here are the remaining programs:

AUGUST

Saturday, August 8, 8:00 am Take Flight
Sunday, August 9, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, August 15, 8:30 am Take Flight
Sunday, August 16, 1:00 pm Historic Nisqually: Medicine Creek Treaty (outdoor walk)

Saturday, August 22, 11:00 am Historic Nisqually: Medicine Creek Treaty (outdoor walk)
Sunday, August 23, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, August 29, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually
Sunday, August 30, 1:00 pm America’s National Wildlife Refuge System

SEPTEMBER
Saturday, September 5, 8:30 am Take Flight
Sunday, September 6, 1:00 pm America’s National Wildlife Refuge System

Saturday, September 12, 1:00 pm Historic Nisqually: The Farming Days (indoor
presentation)
Sunday, September 13, 8:00 am Introduction to Nature and Wildlife Photography

Saturday September 19, 11:00 am Historic Nisqually: Medicine Creek Treaty (outdoor walk)
Sunday, September 20, 1:00 pm Quiet Beauty

Saturday, September 26, 10:00 am-4:00 pm Nisqually Watershed Festival
Sunday, September 27, 1:00 pm Wonder of Nisqually

Jeff and I teamed up to write a story about our favorite food stops after a day in the outdoors.

No fine dining here. Just fine burgers, fries, shakes and cherry pie a la mode (Twede's famous pie pictured to the right).

Check it out and see if your favorite was included. If not let us know about your favorite. We'd love to check it out.

(Picture by Drew Perine)

Unusually dry conditions have increased fire danger on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, according to a release just sent out.

The risk is much higher now than is typical for this time of the year, and with the July 4th weekend approaching, forest officials are asking people to be careful with fire on the forest.

They also are reminding visitors that fireworks are prohibited on national forest lands.

The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest just announced it is closing several roads in the Interstate 90 corridor to target shooters starting this weekend.

Here is the release:

The closure area encompasses the valley bottom that follows the I-90 freeway corridor from Exit 38 to the top of Snoqualmie Pass. The Tinkham and Denny Creek roads are included.

“We have a serious public safety concern,” said Snoqualmie District Ranger Jim Franzel. “If we don’t do something immediately, someone will get hurt. We are closing the smallest land area possible to prevent an injury and provide for public safety.”

The target shooting closure area encompasses concentrated recreation uses with multiple roads, campgrounds, trailheads and picnic areas.

Franzel said the local geography doesn’t provide for natural target shooting backstops, so target shooters often use trees and vegetation as backstops, not realizing there may be a trailhead or people recreating within range.

Although unsafe target shooting has been a growing problem on national forest lands adjacent to I-90, recent near-misses of road repair workers and shooting across roads has elevated the concern. “Peak visitor use is during the summer and additional road repair and trail reconstruction is scheduled,” Franzel said.

The closure involves a small part of the 332,000-acre Snoqualmie Ranger District.

Target shooting regulations remain unchanged everywhere else on the district. The Code of Federal Regulations prohibits discharging firearms within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area. Violators can be fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned up to six months in jail. Signs are posted marking closed areas. Visitors can get a map at Snoqualmie Ranger District Office in North Bend and online here that show where target shooting is prohibited.

This is a temporary emergency closure. The forest will consider the need for a permanent closure in one year. Franzel said that target shooting in high-use recreation areas has increased over the years, along with associated environmental damage and dumped trash. For information regarding the closure, please call 425-888-1421 x230 or click here.

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is holding free interpretive programs on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of September.

The programs include presentations on the plants and birds that inhabit the refuge, as well as other that ook at the refuge’s human history. There also will beprograms on nature and wildlife photography.

The guided walks depart from the visitor center flag pole, and talks will be held in the center’s auditorium. There is no charge for programs, but $3 per family refuge entrance fee still applies. The programs usually last one to two hours. There will be no program on July 4, a Saturday this year.

The refuge is located off Interstate 5 at Exit 114 betweem Tacoma and Olympia. Follow the signs to the Refuge entrance adjacent to the freeway. Pets are not allowed in the Refuge. The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset. For information, contact Jackie LaRue at (360) 753-9467 or jackie_larue@fws.gov.

Here are the program descriptions and the full schedule:

Quiet Beauty: the Plants of Nisqually NWR: An easy hike exploring the plants of the Refuge.

Take Flight: the Birds of Nisqually NWR: An easy hike focusing on the sights and sounds of the birds on the Refuge (beginner/intermediate level birding walk).

The Wonder of Nisqually: An easy hike exploring both flora and fauna around the Refuge.

Historic Nisqually: These walks are about the influential human history that occurred within the refuge boundary – the controversial Medicine Creek Treaty and/or the long-standing, landscape altering farm history that started with the Brown Farm days. Program may be an easy walk or a slide show, dependant on the presenter.

Introduction to Nature and Wildlife Photography: This is an easy hike that will explore the Refuge through the lens of your camera. An amateur nature/wildlife photographer and refuge volunteer will lead this general introduction photography walk.

America's National Wildlife Refuge System: This is a slideshow presentation in the auditorium.

Saturday, June 27, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually
Sunday June 28, 1:00 pm Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, July 4, No Program
Sunday, July 5, 1:00 pm Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, July 11, 9:00 am Take Flight
Sunday, July 12, 1:00 pm Quiet Beauty

Saturday, July 18, 8:00 am Take Flight
Sunday, July 19, 1:00 pm Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, July 25, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually
Sunday, July 26, 1:00 pm Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, August 1, 1:00 pm Historic Nisqually: Medicine Creek Treaty and the Farming Days
Sunday, August 2, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, August 8, 8:00 am Take Flight
Sunday, August 9, 1:00 pm Historic Nisqually: Medicine Creek Treaty

Saturday, August 15, 9:00 am Take Flight
Sunday, August 16, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, August 22, 11:00 am Historic Nisqually: Medicine Creek Treaty
Sunday, August 23, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually

Saturday, August 29, 10:00 am Wonder of Nisqually
Sunday, August 30, 1:00 pm America's National Wildlife Refuge System

Saturday, September 5, 9:00 am Take Flight
Sunday, September 6, 1:00 pm America's National Wildlife Refuge System

Saturday, September 12, 1:00 pm Historic Nisqually: The Farming Days
Sunday, September 13, 8:00 am Introduction to Nature and Wildlife Photography

Saturday September 19, 11:00 am Historic Nisqually: Medicine Creek Treaty
Sunday, September 20, 1:00 pm Quiet Beauty

Saturday, September 26, 10:00 am-4:00 pm Nisqually Watershed Festival
Sunday, September 27, 1:00 pm Wonder of Nisqually

I was out of the office when the announcement was made Friday. Gov. Chris Gregoire has named David Jennings, Rollie Schmitten and Dr. Brad Smith to the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Here is the news release:

“I am pleased to welcome these exceptional members to the Fish and Wildlife Commission,” Gregoire said. “I know each brings the specialized knowledge necessary to best protect our natural habitat and wildlife. I am also confident that these commissioners will work diligently to select the most qualified person to lead the department.”

Jennings lives in Olympia and has been active in fish and wildlife management issues for almost 20 years. He attended the University of Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in forest resources. He also earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Oklahoma. Jennings works at the Washington State Department of Health in the division of environmental health. He was also the water protection program manager at DOH. Jennings is the past president of the Gifford Pinchot Task Force and the Black Hills Audubon Society. In 2006, the Black Hills Audubon Society named him conservationist of the year.

Schmitten, of Lake Chelan, attended Washington State University, where he earned a degree in forest management with an emphasis on fish and wildlife. Schmitten is a former Cashmere City councilman, Chelan County Port commissioner and state representative. He was appointed the director of the Washington State Department of Fisheries. He also served as the director of the Northwest Region for National Marine Fisheries Service, a department of the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, before being named national director of NMFS. In 1999, Schmitten was promoted to NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, working directly under the U.S. Department of Commerce. In that role, Schmitten participated in negotiations of international agreements on several environmental issues.

Smith, a resident of Bellingham, is dean of the Huxley College of Environmental Studies at Western Washington University. Prior to that appointment, Smith served as the first director of the Office of Environmental Education for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Smith, who has extensive international experience on environmental issues, serves on the International Scholars Program for the U.S. Information Agency. He was a Fulbright Scholar to Great Britain and worked as a research fellow for Environment Canada and the Canadian Fish and Wildlife Service.

All three were appointed to a term ending Dec. 31, 2014.

The Fish and Wildlife Commission’s primary role is to establish policies and regulations designed to preserve and protect our state’s fish and wildlife, as well as our natural habitat. The commission is also charged with monitoring the Department of Fish and Wildlife as it implements the goals, policies and objectives established by the commission. The commission also classifies wildlife and establishes the basic rules governing the time, place and method used to harvest fish and wildlife.

The search has begun to find a new director for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Officials said they expect the new director to begin work in October.

The state Department of Personnel, which is managing the recruitment process, has posted the job announcement and application directions on its Web site. Click here to go to the site.

The job announcement also is posted on the department’s Web site.

The new director will be chosen by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The search to replace Jeff Koenings, who resigned on Dec. 11, was delayed until after the Legislature adjourned. Koenings stepped down after 10 years with the department under pressure from the commission. Phil Anderson, the department’s deputy director for resource policy, has been serving as the interim director.

No closing date has been set for the recruitment period, although an initial review of applications is scheduled to begin June 24, according to a department news release.

The director search process and job description were developed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission during public discussions in May and at the commission’s June 5-6 meeting.

The director oversees a 1,500-person staff and a biennial department budget of more than $350 million. The position pays up to $151,705 annually, the release said.

The Obama Administraiton is beginning to fill some of the director positions for the various Department of Interior agencies. President Obama has announced he intends to nominate Sam D. Hamilton to be the next director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

There has been no announcement on a person to lead the National Park Service. Jon Jarvis, the agency's western regional director and former Mount Rainier National Park superintendent, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the NPS post.

Here is the rest of the Hamilton news release:

Hamilton, a career senior biologist and manager with the Service, currently is director of the agency’s Southeast Region, The nomination requires Senate confirmation.

“Sam has vast experience with every aspect of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s mission, making him an ideal nominee to direct the agency,” Salazar said. “Throughout his career, he has been an innovative leader in developing new conservation initiatives and resolving complex and controversial environmental issues. He will be a strong advocate for sound science and effective management of our nation’s fish and wildlife.”

Hamilton, who has been with the Service for 30 years, was appointed Southeast Regional Director in Atlanta, Georgia in 1997, serving as senior operating executive with full strategic planning and management responsibility for a $484 million budget and a 1,500-person work-force that operates in 10 states and the Caribbean.

As regional director, Hamilton has been responsible for the oversight and management of more than 350 federally listed threatened and endangered species and 128 national wildlife refuges. He has provided leadership and oversight to the department’s restoration work in the Everglades, the largest ecosystem restoration project in the country, and oversaw recovery and restoration work following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which devastated coastal wetlands, wildlife refuges, and other wildlife habitat along the Gulf of Mexico.

Hamilton’s leadership fostered creative solutions and innovation that led to the establishment of a carbon sequestration program that has helped biologists in the Southeast restore roughly 80,000 acres of wildlife habitat. His emphasis on partnership bolstered the Service’s fisheries program and helped establish the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership to restore vital aquatic habitats across the region. This partnership is a key piece of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

Prior to becoming regional director, Hamilton served as assistant regional director of the ecological services in Atlanta and the Service’s Texas state administrator in Austin.

Hamilton graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1977.

Visitors to any of the national forests around the South Sound will be able to visit day-use fee sites for free on Saturday.

Saturday is National Trails Day, and the U.S. Forest Service is waiving fees at such sites across its Pacific Northwest region.

The sites normally require a $5 fee per vehicle or a recreation pass, such as the Northwest Forest Pass, Interagency Annual Pass, Interagency Senior Pass, Interagency Access Pass, Golden Age or Golden Access Passport.

Fees to enter Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument will NOT be waived on Saturday.

Saturday is the 17th annual celebration of National Trails Day. South Sound residents can join the celebration by taking a hike or by participating in a planned volunteer event.

For more information and to find an event near you.