Portage Creek

A black bear was fatally shot by federal officials after attempting to break into an occupied tent near Portage campgrounds in Alaska, following a recent similar incident that injured a woman.

In Dillingham, Alaska, 19 cases of avian flu have been identified in common murres, with the virus still present in wild birds and genetic testing being conducted to determine if it is a new strain or a strain circulating in North America.

A total of 94 brown bears, five black bears and five wolves were killed in the program that began May 10 and ended June 4, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said this week. That’s more than four times the number biologists predicted would be taken. State biologists also say disease and changing food supplies might be a bigger factor overall.

Federal officials denied an emergency request to close crucial habitat for Bristol Bay red king crab to all commercial fishing.

Bristol Bay will receive 13 million in Federal Funding to help with projects such as safe drinking water.

Southwest Alaska has had an unusual increase in lighting storms this month. That lightning has ignited at least half a dozen wildfires in the Bristol Bay area.

Only two passenger flights from Anchorage made it to Dillingham within the last week — one on Saturday and one on Monday. Another flight is expected Tuesday afternoon.

Areas across the region broke both daily and monthly records. For King Salmon, it's the coldest November on record. In Dillingham, wind chills dropped to negative 41 degrees. That's the lowest November wind chill in 50 years.

Tim Sands, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game area management biologist, said he is hopeful the strong run throughout Bristol Bay will continue next year.

Concerns around energy independence and high costs have led many places in rural Alaska to look for renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. The Department of Energy recently announced the awardees of a new program; the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project, or ETIPP, will help five Alaska towns explore projects from hybrid fishing vessels to reducing reliance on diesel.

The Bristol Bay Times - Serving Dillingham, Naknek, King Salmon and Southwest villages

Biologists believe the 18- to 20-foot whale may be sick or injured. It’s unclear if it will be able to swim out during high tide.

The Mulchatna herd was not at the peak numbers it once had decades ago. Over-hunting, migration changes and wolf predation could be leading causes of decline in herd.

As of July 21, fishermen in Bristol Bay’s five districts had harvested just more than 42 million salmon.

The Bristol Bay Times - Serving Dillingham, Naknek, King Salmon and Southwest villages

While calm winds and sunny skies over the past few weeks were excellent for many outdoor activities, they were not ideal for hunting. The fall moose hunt in game management units 17B and 17C ended Sept. 15. Harvest reports are still trickling in, and, so far, the numbers are low.

Dillingham farmer Mark Hermann said he's heard from gardeners around the state who are dealing with an influx of slugs. The slimy critters can add a lot of extra work to farming.

Dillingham gardeners say that an uptick in slimy pests in recent years is making growing greens more difficult.

Abundant slugs in Dillingham acting as a stressor to garden plants.

Resident Ravens Disappeared in Early April