Outdoor notes

WASATCH CLOSES TO SKIERS

Due to lack of snow and warm temperatures, cross-country ski trails at Wasatch Mountain State Park are closed for the season. Ski areas at Soldier Hollow and along Mirror Lake Highway remain open.

Because of the mild winter, park managers are hoping for an early spring opening at Wasatch Mountain and Soldier Hollow golf courses. Wasatch Mountain State Park hosts many events throughout the year, including naturalist programs and Junior Ranger activities. For more information call 435-654-1791.

ELK VIEWING CLOSED

The Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area hosted a near-record number of visitors in December.

Warm weather, however, has forced the ranch to close its winter elk-viewing season early.

Viewing opportunities closed on Monday, more than a month earlier than normal.

This is one of the earliest closings on record at Hardware Ranch, where the winter season usually runs until mid-March. During a typical three-month winter season, as many as 50,000 visitors come to the ranch to ride in horse-drawn sleighs among several hundred elk that are fed in a large meadow area.

For more information call 435-753-6206 or visit the ranch's Web site at www.hardwareranch.com.

EAGLE DECISION DELAYED

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the final decision on whether to postpone removing the bald eagle from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. The service has reached a court-approved agreement allowing the agency to make a final determination on the eagle's status no later than June 29.

The additional four months will give the USFWS time to complete additional analyses related to the final rule and put in place management guidelines and procedures that will make it easier for the public to understand ongoing Bald and Golden Eagle Act protections, ensuring that eagles continue to thrive once delisted.

The USFWS had been under a court-ordered deadline of Feb. 16. In January, the USFWS asked for an extension.

For more information visit the Web site at www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/baldeagle.html.

DEDICATED HUNTER DEADLINE

Applications for Utah's dedicated-hunter program are due no later than 5 p.m. on Friday.

To enroll in the three-year program, hunters must complete an online Wildlife Conservation course, submit their application and pay the program fee.