WSU researcher working to preserve the Christmas tree industry in NW

A Washington State University scientist is doing research to preserve the Pacific Northwest’s Christmas tree industry, which could be hampered by climate change.

Gary Chastagner traveled to Turkey in 2020 with colleagues to find mother trees of Turkish and Trojan firs, which are adaptable to the Pacific Northwest’s climate and resistant to disease, according to a news release from WSU.

He is selecting the best performers for hardiness, disease resistance, needle retention, structure and other factors in a research trial at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center and a large planting site in the Nisqually Valley.

Over the next two years, Chastagner will help establish orchards to produce seeds from the best mother trees to be planted as future Christmas trees, according to the news release.

About 40% of the nation’s Christmas trees are grown in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon is No. 1 in production, and Washington state is in the top five.

The region’s rainfall, mild climate, good soils and longer growing season allow producers to raise trees in a shorter rotation, which mitigates the costs of shipping them beyond the Western U.S., Chastagner said in the news release.

Those conditions are changing with heat domes, dry summers and warm falls that lack the cold temperatures needed for trees to retain their needles before harvest, he said.

“Christmas trees aren’t irrigated,” Chastagner said. “Growers are losing young seedlings in the summer because of these hotter, drier conditions.”

Chastagner’s work is part of a 12-year partnership through the Collaborative Fir Germplasm Evaluation Project with scientists in Connecticut, Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan.

Cutting spending is goal of ‘Broke January’ program

A certified money coach is coordinating a New Year’s challenge for consumers.

One called “Broke January” involves spending money only on necessities, such as housing, utilities, transportation, food, insurance and child care, according to a news release from Karen Richel, at the University of Idaho Extension in Latah County.

“What we don’t do is add any more debt or unnecessary expenses to our budget. … no eating out, no shopping, no coffee… no movies, no entertainment (unless it’s free), no new debt, no manicures, no lottery tickets, no using your credit cards, at all,” according to the news release.

Meetings will be held every Friday in January for those who accept the challenge to give each other advice. Those who attend all four sessions will be eligible for a drawing for an Amazon gift card.

Sign up is available at tinyurl.com/brokejanuary.

Rivaura winery opening tasting room in Coeur d’Alene

COEUR D’ALENE — Rivaura Estate Vineyards and Winery has opened a tasting room in a prime spot in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

The winery, which is based in Arrow Junction near Juliaetta, offers tastings, glasses and bottle sales of all its estate-grown wines at 505 E. Sherman Ave.

The hours of the Coeur d’Alene tasting room are 2-7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The main tasting room at Arrow Junction is open noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Rivaura was established in 2015 by Ron Hewett Sr. and his sons, Ron Hewett Jr. and Reece Hewett, as well as Vince Hewett and Lane Hewett, who are the winemakers. Vince Hewett is the son of Ron Hewett Jr., and Lane Hewett is the son of Reece Hewett.

All of the grapes for Rivaura’s wines are raised at its vineyard at Arrow Junction on 30 acres 12 miles east of Lewiston in the Lewis Clark American Viticultural Area.

The first grapes were harvested in fall of 2018, and the Arrow Junction tasting room debuted in June 2020.

Hells Canyon Fitness announces plans to close next month

A gym in Clarkston that offers group fitness classes is closing in early January.

The last day of Hells Canyon Fitness at 1445 Fifth St. in Clarkston is Jan. 6, according to a post on its Facebook page.

The business was challenged by COVID-19 shutdowns, a lack of a consistent membership base and staffing issues, according to the post.

“We opened in 2019 with the hope of bringing high quality training in a world class facility to the valley,” according to the post, which thanks its members, who won’t be charged for December or January.

The building is for sale.

Cruise line pledges money to pay for Lewiston dock

LEWISTON — American Cruise Lines is working with the Port of Lewiston to construct a new dock on the Clearwater River.

The company has promised it would pay for the dock, which would accommodate one cruise boat, as part of a plan that involves the port covering the cost of related infrastructure, such as roads, utilities and a parking lot, said Port of Lewiston General Manager Scott Corbitt.

The proposed dock would be just downstream from the railroad bridge in Lewiston in Nez Perce County on the north side of the river, immediately east of the Washington state border.

The port is applying for a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to cover half of its contribution, which is anticipated to be almost $5 million.

Overnight passenger cruise boats that travel from the Portland, Ore., area to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley on the Columbia and Snake rivers are becoming an increasingly important source of tourism for the region.

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2019, 19,000 tourists visited the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley on the vessels, generating $4 million in revenue for the area.

This year, the boats brought about 16,000 passengers to the area, up from 12,000 passengers in 2021, according to an email from Chris Rasmussen, executive director of the Port of Clarkston.

That number is expected to rise to 24,000 passengers in 2023, he said.

American Cruise Lines is one of the biggest companies in this market. Four of its vessels were on the route this year, in the season that starts in late February and runs through November. They were American Harmony, American West, American Pride and American Song.

Two other companies, American Queen Voyages and Lindblad Expeditions, also have vessels that call on the valley.

The boats typically use berths at the Port of Clarkston, but previously officials have said the Port of Clarkston won’t have enough room to accommodate all of the boats with the industry’s forecasted growth.

Monthly resume workshop planned at Asotin County Library

CLARKSTON — A free resume workshop is held on the second Wednesday of each month at the Asotin County Library at 417 Sycamore St. in Clarkston.

The two-hour event starts at 3 p.m. each session, and the next one is scheduled for Jan. 11. The December workshop that had been planned for this past week was canceled.

Recommendations about how participants can improve their resumes, apply for federal jobs and translate military skills into qualifications for civilian jobs are part of the sessions.

Additional information and registration is available by calling (509) 527-1806.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.