Field reports: Colville National Forest names new forest supervisor

Aug. 4—The Colville National Forest has named its next supervisor.

Josh White will become the forest's permanent supervisor starting Aug. 13, the Forest Service announced in a news release.

White was the deputy forest supervisor for the past year, and became the acting supervisor after the retirement of longtime forest head Rodney Smoldon.

"My family and I have made a home in this beautiful area, and I have a passion for the Colville National Forest and those that call this area home," White said in the release.

"I am humbled by the opportunity to continue serving the people and leading this great organization as we look to manage the forest for the good of present and future generations."

White started with the Forest Service in 2009 as an invasive species coordinator. He later worked as a rangeland management specialist and a supervisory natural resource management specialist on the Wallowa Whitman National Forest.

He moved to the Colville National Forest in 2016 as the district ranger for the Three Rivers Ranger District, based in Kettle Falls.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1994 to 2002, and holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Boise State University. He and his wife live in Colville and have one adult son.

The Colville National Forest is headquartered in Colville and encompasses 1.5 million acres in northeast Washington.

Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to meet this week

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Thursday through Saturday .

The nine-member panel will hold committee meetings on Thursday, including discussions of its conservation policy, game management plan and co-manager hatchery policy.

On Friday and Saturday, the commission will hold its regular meeting.

On Friday, the group will consider the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's legislation requests for the 2024 Washington Legislature. The agency wants to see bills on increasing funding for crop damage, expanding its land management authority, tweaking some permit applications and protecting the confidentiality of other states' fisheries information.

There will also be a presentation on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

Saturday's agenda lists a few fisheries management items.

The public can watch the meeting virtually. Options for viewing are available with the full agenda on the WDFW website.

Glacier National Park opens applications for artist-in-residence program

Glacier National Park has begun accepting applications for its 2024 and 2025 artist-in-residence program.

Two artists will be selected for each of the programs, which last four weeks during June and July of 2024 and 2025, according to a park news release.

The program offers artists a furnished home on the shores of the park's Lake McDonald, not far from the West Glacier entrance. It also provides them with "uninterrupted time to pursue their artistic discipline," according to the release.

The artists chosen are required to give public presentations related to their experience during their residency.

This iteration of the program will include an invite from Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park to spend a day to connect the two parks. The trip will include a tour of Waterton and giving a workshop similar to the ones done in Glacier.

The deadline for applications is Sept. 4. Applicants will pay a $20 fee. Park staff will review the applications and will notify those selected by Nov. 17.