Adventure briefs for Jan. 17

Free entrance to state parks, federal lands

Admission to Washington State Parks will be free Sunday (Jan. 17) and Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

A Discover Pass will not be needed to visit any of the more than 100 state parks.

In addition, admission to national parks and U.S. Forest facilities will be free on Monday. That includes destinations such as Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks.

On national forests, the fee waiver includes many picnic areas, boat launches, trailheads and visitor centers. It does not apply to sno-parks on national forest land, because the sno-park permit systems in Washington and Oregon are operated by state agencies.

Climbing presentation part of open house

Carrie Kavanaugh will give a presentation on climbing Ama Dablam in Nepal during the Tacoma Mountaineers open house Thursday.

The 22,349-foot Ama Dablam first got the attention of Kavanaugh, a member of the Tacoma Mountaineers, on her first expedition to the Himalayas in 2009.

In her presentation, she will talk about life at base camp and high camps, gear choices, preparation, sherpa support and climbing the mountain.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for an opportunity to meet members and course leaders, and learn about activities the branch offers. That will be followed at 7 p.m. by a presentation on the Mountaineers and how to get involved. Kavanugh’s program will begin at 7:40 p.m.

The event will take place at the Tacoma Mountaineers Program Center, 2302 N. 30^th St., Tacoma. For more information, go to tacomamountaineers.org.

Mount Rainier extends comment period

The National Park Service has extended the public scoping period for the proposed Wilderness Stewardship Plan being developed by staff at Mount Rainier National Park.

The plan will help guide future efforts to preserve the park's wilderness area. There are five alternatives being considered as the plan is developed.

Public comment on the proposed plan can be submitted online at parkplanning.nps.gov/morawild. Comments can be mailed to Randy King, Superintendent Attn: Wilderness Stewardship Plan Mount, Rainier National Park 55210 238th Ave. E. Ashford, WA 98304-9751. All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted no later than Feb. 22.

Questions about the park’s planning process and the proposed plan should be referred to Karen Thompson, environmental coordinator, at 360-569-6507.

Survey gauges fishing enhancement effort

As an incentive for taking a short survey on a state program to enhance recreational fisheries in Puget Sound, one person will win a fishing rod, reel and net.

The survey will gauge public understanding of the Puget Sound Recreational Salmon and Marine Fish Enhancement Program. The survey is available through March 31 at wdfw.wa.gov/about/advisory/psrfef/survey.html.

The program, created by the Legislature in 1993, is meant to improve and promote recreational fishing in Puget Sound and support sustainable populations of salmon and marine bottomfish. The program is supported by revenue generated from the sales of certain fishing licenses.

Participants will be entered into a random drawing for the fishing gear, valued at $500. The winner will be selected in late April.

Information from the survey will help state fishery managers shape future fishing opportunities in Puget Sound, said Ryan Lothrop, Puget Sound recreational salmon manager.

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Adventure briefs for Jan. 17."