Today is a free day in our national parks as part of Great American Outdoors Day.

Civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John D. Lewis, known for his “good trouble” brand of social activism, sponsored the Great American Outdoors Act that led to the establishment of Aug. 4 as Great American Outdoors Day on Aug. 4, 2020. It was one of the final pieces of legislation Lewis sponsored before he died on July 17, 2020.

The act established the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund, which earmarked $1.3 billion “to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education and enjoyment for current and future visitors.”

It also guaranteed permanent funding for the existing Land and Water Conservation Fund — up to $900 million a year from offshore oil and natural gas royalties.

The act is part of a federal effort to address extensive maintenance and repair backlog in national parks — including Olympic National Park.

The Hurricane Ridge Lodge was beginning a $7,029,000 rehabilitation project funded by the act when it burned down May 7.

So it appears there’s a start on the funding needed to rebuild the Hurricane Ridge Lodge in a manner befitting such a treasured natural landmark.

And maybe there are some funds available for restoring some part of Olympic Hot Springs Road, a project that appears to be taking the first option — no action — after the Park’s 2019 Environmental Assessment of the road brought forth three potential paths. The other options being a regrade and bank work done for the original road or a re-route out of the Elwha River flood plain.

Chinook rates still high

Hatchery chinook catch rates remain excellent out of Port Angeles, according to creel data reported by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

A total of 56 kings were landed Wednesday in checks of 62 anglers fishing out of the Port Angeles West Ramp.

Another 64 anglers counted at the Freshwater Bay ramp reported catching 36 kings Wednesday.

Anglers are finding more pinks both out of Neah Bay and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca as the odd-year run begins in earnest.

A total of 152 were caught by anglers out of Neah Bay from July 24-30, a big bump from the previous week’s 23.

Nine pinks were landed in fish counts performed Wednesday at the Port Angeles West Ramp.

Brown pelican captured

On an early morning bird watching walk around Port Angeles Harbor, Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society member Dee Renee Ericks recently captured an encounter with a bird more likely found off Westport than Port Angeles — a brown pelican.

Ericks was treated to a real show by the pelican — a display of its stretchy skin called a gular pouch.

Even with the excitement, Ericks snapped off a number of great shots of what is a rare bird for this far east in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

They can be seen at https://tinyurl.com/PDN-OPASPelican.

Ericks was interested in figuring out exactly what the gular pouch entailed, so she asked other members and did some research.

She found Brown pelicans use this flap of skin to scoop up fish like a fishing net.

It can also serve to hold its catch for feeding its chicks, and it’s used to cool itself off by fluttering on hot days. The pelican’s pouch can hold almost three times more than his stomach, up to 3 gallons and weighs up to 24 pounds.

Dungeness Bay birding

Olympic Peninsula Audubon will host a birding tour of Dungeness Bay during a low-tide event Tuesday.

Participants will start at the Three Crabs state Department of Fish and Wildlife parking lot at the west end of Three Crabs Road at 7 a.m.

After a survey of birds in the Three Crabs area, birders will travel to Dungeness Landing County Park on Oysterhouse Road off of Marine Drive.

Kathy Barker McCoy will lead the tour.

The timing of the tour is considered part of the fall migration, so there may be some challenging birds for identification.

Low tide will provide shorebirds an expanse of feeding area, and ducks, geese, gulls and other birds are expected to be seen.

To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/PDN-DungenessBay.

________

Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.