Rain and cooler temperatures have lowered the fire danger on the Kenai Peninsula, the Kenai and Kodiak office of Alaska State Forestry announced Wednesday. State Forestry is now allowing large and small burn piles. Large burn piles must be inspected by forestry workers and permitted on a case-by-case basis. Other restrictions also apply. State Forestry emphasized the importance of having a good soil firebreak around the pile the single greatest factor in the escape of fires. Fires should be built on dirt, sand or gravel, and away from peat or duff that can burn deep into the ground. Burning will be evaluated daily by State Forestry. People wanting to burn piles should check with local fire departments before burning. For more information, call State Forestry at 235-7734.

Japanese crew to film derby

Reporters from the Japanese Public Broadcasting Company visit Homer this week starting Sunday. The crew is doing a story on the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby, as part of a documentary on fishing derbies around the world. They will be interviewing charter boat captains, crews and fishermen, and filming halibut fishing and other activities, the Homer Chamber of Commerce said this week.

Water conservation requested

Residents of Homer are being asked to minimize lawn and garden watering (water only in the evening or early morning), limit car washing, and any other water uses that are not necessary. Water usage has been higher than normal, precipitation has been lower than normal and Bridge Creek Water Reservoir, Homer's only water source, is no longer spilling over the dam. Reservoir levels are beginning to fall. The city has not yet issued any mandatory restrictions.

Fish and Game extends fisheries

On July 19 at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's request, the Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted emergency regulations to allow greater flexibility in managing the commercial fisheries to harvest the large sockeye salmon returns to the Kasilof and Kenai rivers. Based on the number of fish entering the rivers, Fish and Game managers may reduce the mandatory closure to 12 hours per week for both setnets and driftnets in the Kasilof, Kenai and East Forelands sections, as well as allow up to 12 additional hours of fishing per week for driftnets in portions of the Central District. The limitations on sport and personal-use fisheries have been relaxed as well. Kasilof River sockeye salmon sport-fish bag and possession limits have been increased, and the personal-use fishery area and periods also have been extended.

Driving program changes made

At a bill signing ceremony July 26, Gov. Frank Murkowski signed House Bill 213, creating a program under which young drivers can receive provisional drivers licenses. The provisional licenses allow first-time drivers to build driving experience under low-risk conditions before progressing to full driving privileges. Other states have adopted similar bills, and statistics demonstrate that states with provisional license programs have significantly reduced accidents involving teenage drivers.

Water lab opens

The Cook Inlet Community-based Water Quality Laboratory celebrated its grand opening July 22. The first and only of its kind in Alaska, the laboratory was built with funding from the state in order to equip a community lab to improve the capacity of citizens and agencies monitoring water resources in Cook Inlet. The laboratory will allow the Cook Inlet Keeper to perform more sophisticated monitoring in-house, which allows a more flexible schedule to monitor and analyze water bodies during heavy rain events, spring break-up, and when there are incidents of pollution.

Alaska challenges Louisiana

Gov. Frank Murkowski announced that Alaska will accept a challenge from the Governor of Louisiana to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook Off. Fifteen coastal states will showcase seafood specialties prepared by executive chefs at a competition July 31 in New Orleans. Wild Alaska Salmon will be prepared for the competition by Chef Stefani Marnon, chef at the Governor's executive residence. Her recipe for Pan seared Wild Alaska Salmon with a Fennel, Onion, and White Bean Salad and an Orange-Tomato sauce can be found at the competition website, www.greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com