Visitors heading to City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park will need to add trash bags to their camping kits. The last trash cans in the parks have been removed from the Bath Rock area last month.

Due to stagnant budgets, a National Park Service Green Parks Plan and increasing fees to use the Almo roll-off station, the reserve and state park have gone to a pack-it-in, pack-it-out policy. For the time being, visitors can pick up trash bags from the visitor center in Almo and bring the bags back after their visit if they can’t take their trash home.

Park Superintendent Wallace Keck is asking visitors to plan ahead and suggests getting rid of as much packaging that you can before coming to the park. The parks had a record number of 240,000 visitors last year so a little extra trash adds up fast.

“We know we can’t change the culture, but we can start to be part of the push for the pack-it-in and pack-it-out initiative,” Keck said. “Many national parks that have gone this direction.”

The park began removing trash cans in April, but several areas such as the Twin Sisters and Circle Creek Overlook have been trash-can-free for the last four to five years.

“We’re not concerned about tent campers at the City leaving trash because they seem to be more eco-conscious,” said Tara Cannon, assistant park manager.

Without the receptacles, Cannon says, the staff hasn’t seen an uptick in trash being left behind.

The park is beginning a Leave No Trace program led by Jen McCabe, a ranger at the park. Staff is also going to begin adding signage to let visitors know about the policy change.

Staff members spent fall, winter and part of spring studying the issue. With the increased fees to use the Almo roll-off station — the park has to pay a commercial rate — they decided it wasn’t feasible to pay to use that location or drive their dump truck the roughly 100 miles round trip to Milner to dump the trash. Paying a private contractor may be too expensive also, though they will use one for a smaller amount of waste and see how much that will cost.

They decided the best solution was to reduce the amount of waste as possible.

“We’re going to figure this out and not leave visitors hanging with dirty diapers,” said Keck.

BOISE — The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will not recognize as a state record a bighorn sheep that was killed nearly three years ago by a Nez Perce Tribe member because the agency said the ram was shot in violation of state hunting regulations, even though those regulations do not apply to tribe members hunting on ancestral lands.

But the Boone and Crockett Club hunting group has recognized the kill by hunter Gary Sublett in September 2016 as being within his tribe’s 1855 rights and has invited him to its Big Game Awards banquet in early August in Springfield, Missouri, where the bighorn’s head will go on display.

The animal’s massive horns rank No. 1 for Idaho and No. 26 for the U.S. and Canada on Boone and Crockett’s list of largest Rocky Mountain bighorns.

“It is the largest that we have recorded from Idaho,” said Justin Spring, director of Boone and Crockett Club’s Big Game Records. “From what we’ve seen, there were no reasons why we wouldn’t accept that entry.”

Idaho Fish and Game had closed the area to bighorn sheep hunting and Sublett said he was heavily criticized after he killed the bighorn at the end of a three-day hunt in an area called Hells Canyon. The canyon forms part of the Idaho-Oregon border and Sublett was on the Idaho side of the canyon about 40 miles west of the Nez Perce Tribe’s reservation in northern Idaho but within the tribe’s ancestral lands.

“There were people calling me everything but a human being,” said Sublett. “In this canyon, there are petroglyphs and arrowheads. My tribe has lived in that canyon for over 10,000 years.”

Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips said state officials recognize the treaty but won’t recognize the bighorn as being the biggest killed in Idaho.

“We’re not going to call it an illegal kill,” said Idaho Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips. “But for our state records, they have to be in accordance with our fish and game laws.”

The 1855 treaty gives Nez Perce Tribe members access to federal public land on about 26,500 square miles of the tribe’s ancestral areas that are now part of Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana. About 3,500 tribal members can use those rights retained when the tribe ceded the land to the U.S. government.

The Boone and Crockett Club said it recognizes Sublett’s ram because of the treaty and because the tribe has a management plan for sustainable hunting of bighorns.

The tribe was notable for helping Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery as it traversed through the region in the early 1800s. The tribe is also known for its unsuccessful flight from the U.S. military to Canada in 1877. Sublett said he’s a direct descendant of Nez Perce leader Looking Glass, killed in the Bear Paw Mountains in a battle during that attempted flight.

Sublett said he has used the treaty rights to hunt bighorns in Hells Canyon and some neighboring areas since the mid-1970s. He said he has killed 10 bighorns and that nine of them rank as trophies by scoring more than 180 points in Boone and Crockett scoring.

Non-tribal hunters in Idaho face long odds of winning a tag to hunt Rocky Mountain bighorns or California bighorns, the other species in the state. Non-tribal hunters can kill one of each in their lifetimes.

Bighorn poachers in Idaho face stiff penalties. In 2016, Paul Cortez of Nampa received a fine of $10,000, 30 days in jail and a lifetime hunting ban for killing a trophy bighorn sheep along the Salmon River in Idaho.

Sublett said there was a lot of publicity about his bighorn ram before he killed it, including speculation it might be a potential trophy for Idaho’s annual bighorn ram auction tag that could sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But that ended after Sublett, 62, killed the ram.

“They acted like I basically robbed the bank and got away with it,” he said.

The Nez Perce Tribe declined to comment about the bighorn.

The tribe has played a leading role in Idaho in attempting to preserve bighorn sheep habitat. Among those efforts, the tribe was part of a federal lawsuit that concluded in 2010 and forced the removal of domestic sheep from parts of the Payette National Forest, including portions of Hells Canyon. Domestic sheep carry diseases that can wipe out bighorn herds.

Meanwhile, Idaho lawmakers in 2009 passed legislation favoring domestic sheep producers and limiting Idaho Fish and Game’s ability to transplant bighorns to expand bighorn populations to suitable bighorn habitat in the state.

Fueled by a wet May, this year’s wildflower bloom may be one for the record books. Look for the annual eruption of wildflowers to begin in early June leading to peak bloom in the middle of the month. Come out to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve near Arco and see the flowers and learn to take better pictures by joining us for the following events in June.

Saturday, Wildflower Walk from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Join former Park Ranger Doug Owen on a guided 2-mile walk that will cover a variety of habitats and introduce participants to a number of plant species. Donations will be accepted by the Natural History Association to support transportation assistance for local schools. Pack a lunch, bring water and wear sturdy shoes. Reservations are required and walks will be limited to 25 people. Contact the park at 208-527-1335 or crmo_information@nps.gov to make a reservation.

June 14-15, Nature Photography Seminar: The seminar from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday will focus on tips, techniques, and practices to improve your nature photography. Field session is all day Saturday, which is Nature Photography Day. Instructors will be Doug Owen and Jerry Dodds, both professional photographers. Participants will be taken to many different venues in the park to take pictures including several rarely seen by visitors. Keeping it simple and fun will be emphasized. Participants will also be learning naturalist skills, ethics and field craft that will improve your success rate in nature photography while protecting the environment. Donations will be accepted by the Natural History Association to support transportation assistance for local schools. Reservations are required and the class is limited to 25 people. Contact the park at 208-527-1335 or crmo_information@nps.gov to make a reservation.

June 15, “Capturing Intimate Landscapes with your Cell Phone” presentation from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m.: Join our 2019 artist-in-residence, David Hunter, for a special public presentation. He will provide tips on using your cellphone camera and share stories about his photographic adventures in the national parks. The presentation will take place in the Lava Flow Campground amphitheater.

In Paris, the Louvre Museum closed for a day recently because workers said the crowds were too big to handle. In the Himalayas, climbers at Mount Everest are concerned that the peak has gotten too crowded, contributing to the highest death toll in years.

In cities and destinations around the world, from Barcelona to Bali, “overtourism” has become a year-round problem.

When fields of wildflowers in Lake Elsinore, California, were overrun this spring by tourists seeking the perfect photo, the city tweeted bluntly about the impact of traffic jams and trampled hillsides: “We know it has been miserable and has caused unnecessary hardships for our entire community.” Last summer, it was a sunflower field outside of Toronto that got trampled after becoming Instagram-famous.

A mashup of discount airlines, inexpensive Airbnb rooms and social media shares have brought the blessing of tourist dollars and the growing curse of noisy crowds and even dangerous conditions to places once known for off-the-beaten-path charm or idyllic silence.

“Tourists are trampling the very attraction they’ve come to witness,” says Joel Deichmann, a global studies professor at Bentley University in Massachusetts.

Some communities have begun pushing back with regulations and public service announcements telling tourists to behave.

How do you visit these places without doing harm? Four tips from experts:

1. REMEMBER, IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU.

Venturing far from home and experiencing an unfamiliar culture can be transformative, bringing a sense of freedom and even hedonism. But don’t forget: This is already someone’s culture, someone’s home.

So beyond simply choosing a hotel, really research the place you want to visit. What kind of behavior is appropriate there? What are the environmental policies? If you’re booking through a travel service, ask them for guidance.

“This isn’t Disney,” says Rachel Dodds, founder of the consulting firm Sustaining Tourism.

Pavia Rosati, founder of the travel service Fathom and co-author of the book “Travel Anywhere” (Hardie Grant, 2019) reminds travelers going to exotic destinations: “You are not here to just add something foreign to your collection.”

It might seem logical to put on a tank top and shorts in Thailand’s 100-degree heat. But if you’re going to visit Buddhist temples, it’s considered disrespectful.

“Err on the side of conservative dressing,” Rosati says.

Deichmann, who frequently travels abroad with his students, advises them to be sensitive and take cues from local residents. For example, he says, on a subway or bus in European cities, locals are usually reading or sitting quietly. Follow their lead: Avoid loud conversations or getting up to snap photos.

The same goes for late-night partying: If you’re at an all-inclusive resort on a few hundred acres of gated lands, party as you wish. But if you’re staying in an Airbnb apartment, realize that the person on the other side of the wall might need to put their baby to sleep or get up for work early.

2. PUT PICTURE-TAKING IN PERSPECTIVE

With phone cameras, we’ve become accustomed to taking pictures constantly. But taking photos of people, their children and their homes can be invasive.

Also, respect the physical environment. It may seem obvious, but don’t walk on the wildflowers to get the best photo.

And consider the risks: At Kaaterskill Falls in New York’s Catskill Mountains, four tourist deaths in recent years have been attributed to attempts to take dramatic selfies.

You’ll probably enjoy your experiences more fully if you spend less time snapping photos, says University of Denver assistant professor Gia Nardini, co-author of a study on the subject.

And showing restraint can help protect the place you’re enjoying from overtourism.

“If you take that picture,” Dodds asks, “will 1,000 people arrive the next day to take that same picture?”

3. GIVE BACK

When Rosati was planning a cruise along the Amazon River, she knew she’d be stopping in villages where children needed basics like pencils, crayons and paper. So “one-third of my suitcase was school supplies,” she says. Once there, she gave them away and filled the space in her suitcase with local crafts.

Consider spending money in the local economy rather than at international hotel chains, and seek out locally owned restaurants and bars.

To help the environment, use public transportation as much as possible.

“You’re going to have a better experience” too, says Dodds.

Finally, take your packaging with you when you leave a place. And never buy gifts made from endangered animals or other illegal materials.

4. SAY HELLO

“My dad used to say you need to learn to say, ‘How can I get a cup of coffee’ in the local language,” says Dodds, author of a new book, “Overtourism: Issues, Realities and Solutions” (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2019).

Even in places where many locals speak English, learning a few words in their language — please, thank you, yes, no — will earn you good will and a more authentic experience.

Also, be patient and respectful of those trying to manage the crowds. At the Louvre, union representatives had complained that renovation work around the Mona Lisa led to organizational problems, long lines and harassment of staff by tourists. They said staff numbers have diminished over the past decade even as the number of visitors rose 20 percent.

Amid the excitement of even bucket list-level travel, Deichmann says, keep in mind: “What if this were your village?”

The numbers are in, and Idaho Department of Fish and Game zapped nearly 6,000 rainbow trout in the South Fork and dumped them into three area ponds as part of a study to suppress the species.

A total of 5,857 rainbows were removed from the South Fork from three areas known to have high concentrations of rainbows. Becker Pond in Idaho Falls received 1,480 fish, Jim Moore Pond in Roberts got 1,160 fish and Trail Creek Pond near Victor got 2,064 fish — 200 fish died in transport.

The problem Fish and Game faces is trying to manage the river to preserve the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout population, but non-native rainbows are threatening to overwhelm cutthroats and hybridize with natives.

“I think the rainbow trout abundance has doubled since 2002,” said fisheries biologist Pat Kennedy. “I think they’re nearly twice as high as cutthroat abundances right now. That becomes a threat during spawning season when there are more rainbow trout to hybridize with cutthroat trout.”

Fish and Game continues to use its harvest incentive program urging anglers to keep all rainbows and placing bounty tags in the snout of many fish worth as much as $1,000. But anglers often don’t cooperate.

“By and large the angling public doesn’t like to harvest fish,” said James Brower, Fish and Game regional communications manager. “They would have to be harvesting for that to be effective. So that’s why we began this secondary study of our own mechanical suppression as an addition to that. We do wish anglers would be a little more prone to harvest and help that way. It’s crucial to the health of the river. But if people don’t want to do that it’s their choice.”

Kennedy said the electrofishing efforts this spring was to see if it would be a viable option to suppress fish.

“The effort that we provided this year probably wasn’t enough of a suppression effort to benefit the entire Yellowstone cutthroat population in the Snake River South Fork,” Kennedy said. “There may have been local small scale benefits. I think we learned that we can remove enough and over subsequent years if we choose to continue this. I think that we could have a result in enough of a decline in rainbows to benefit the cutthroats.”

Kennedy said removing 5,857 rainbow from the South Fork didn’t make much of a dent in the overall problem.

“Our estimates of rainbow trout is that there are about 90,000 rainbow trout in the South Fork from the (Palisades) dam down to about Byington boat ramp,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do to remove enough rainbow to benefit cutthroat.”

Kennedy admitted that removing rainbows is not always a popular idea with some anglers. Many prize catching the feisty rainbows over more docile cutthroats.

“We certainly are concerned about anglers’ interests and their opinions,” he said. “I think we hear support, we also hear some concern from anglers, some pushback. My opinion is that those are both kind of the polar opposites and the vocal minority on both sides, both for and against what we’re doing.”

Kennedy says he expects Fish and Game to ramp up electrofishing in the coming years to check rainbow numbers and give cutthroat a better chance. Estimates put rainbows at close to twice the number of cutthroats in the South Fork, especially in the Swan Valley area.

He reported that another rainbow suppression program of using weirs on four tributary creeks — Burns Creek, Pine Creek, Rainy Creek and Palisades Creek — of the South Fork has worked well. The weirs capture spawning trout during the spring and rainbows are removed. Cutthroats are tagged and tracked with in-stream monitoring devices and allowed to continue on their way.

“I think we have eliminated that life history that went from the mainstem up into the tributaries to hybridize,” Kennedy said. “We’ve used genetics to monitor the genetic integrity of the Yellowstone cutthroat upstream of those weirs. We have less than 1 percent hybridization with rainbow trout in those populations.”

Another approach Fish and Game hoped to try was called a “spring freshet.” Essentially releasing a blast of water from Palisade Reservoir about the time rainbow trout would spawn and flush their redds (nests) down the river.

“Modeling suggested that we needed 25,000 cubic feet per second out of the dam to achieve that effect,” Kennedy said. “Flood stage is at 22,000 so the reality is that was never going to be a very good tool.”

So it’s likely that come next spring, some area ponds will once again be flooded with hundreds of rainbows taken from the South Fork.

“I think it’s going to be a good thing,” Brower said. “It seems to be a pretty effective way to manage those rainbows on the South Fork.”

BOISE — Boise police Wednesday morning worked with Idaho Fish and Game officials to encourage a bear to leave a residential area in southeast Boise near Highway 21, but authorities believe it has returned.

Officers initially responded about 8 a.m. to the Surprise Valley area on reports of a bear sighting, according to a tweet from the Boise Police Department. Not long after, Ada County dispatchers confirmed it was safe for residents to leave their homes.

Not long before 10:30 a.m., however, the Boise Police Department tweeted the bear had returned to the area.

The bear appeared to be a 2-year-old black bear, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. It was last reported around noon Wednesdy, wandering through a natural riparian area near New York Canal, north of Surprise Way.

“Officers are working to keep the area safe and support Fish and Game,” the Boise Police Department’s tweet reads. “We ask you to please avoid the area of Surprise Way and (South Schooner Avenue).”

If the bear remains near homes in the area, officials will tranquilize it and move it, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. If, however, it moves back toward the foothills or other unpopulated areas, officials will allow it to continue to do so.

While black bears are commonly found in the Boise Foothills, they are more likely spotted in the area of the city during the fall. Usually, there is enough forage available to feed a hungry black bear awaking from hibernation the spring, and thus they are less likely to venture into the city during that time of year, according to the release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.