Outdoor Digest.

Byline: The Register-Guard

PROGRESSIVE SKI DINNER OFFERED: Willamette Pass Ski Area will hold its fourth annual "Ski 'N Eat" event for Nordic skiers and snowshoers on Sunday. Participants in the progressive dinner-style event will work their way through a full meal while enjoying food at different tables strategically placed throughout the lower trail system on a route just long enough to work up a good appetite. Appetizer and salad tables precede the entree stop for cedar planked salmon and barbecued chicken, while the fourth stop is a dessert table. The event ends with a beverage at the lodge. The entry fee, which includes a daily trail pass, is $10 if paid in advance; $15 the day of the event. Registration deadline is at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, with meal service starting at noon. Rental skis or snowshoes are available for $8.

NEARBY NATURE OBSERVES ANNIVERSARY: Nearby Nature, a non-profit education group dedicated to fostering appreciation of nature, will hold its 10th anniversary celebration March 16 in Eugene. The event will include live music, a special "Kinder Critters" theater production, nature crafts for children and food. Some of the volunteers who have been involved in the group during its first 10 years will also be honored. The free event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at Eugene Water and Electric Board headquarters, 500 E. Fourth Ave. For a schedule of anniversary celebration activities or more information about the group and its program, see the Web site: www.nearbynature.org.

FRIENDS OF NRA PLAN FUND-RAISER: The Emerald Valley Friends of the National Rifle Association will hold their 10th annual banquet and fund-raiser March 16 at the Wheeler Pavilion on the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene. Doors open at 5 p.m. The event includes oral and silent auctions, raffles and door prizes. Money raised at the event is used to help youth firearms safety and education, hunter training and shooting range development programs throughout Oregon. Banquet tickets are $35 per person and sponsor packages are available. For tickets or additional details, contact Ron Worley (746-7035) or Rich DeHart (747-1850).

ELK FOUNDATION BANQUET SET: The Willamette Valley Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will hold its 17th annual Big Game Banquet and Auction on March 23 at the Eugene Hilton. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and a barbecue buffet dinner begins at 6:30. Oral and silent auctions, games and drawings will follow dinner. Tickets must be purchased in advance; details: 741-2211 or 687-9007.

ARMS COLLECTORS SHOW SLATED: The Willamette Valley Arms Collectors Association will hold its 71st Semi-Annual Arms Collectors Swap & Display Show March 16-17 in Eugene. Doors open at the Lane County Fairgrounds Performance Hall at 9 a.m. both days. Admission is $5, with children under 12 free if accompanied by an adult. For swap and display table information, call Pam Crudele, 747-5271.

CRATER LAKE CONCESSIONAIRE NAMED: The largest operator of park concessions in the country will take over Crater Lake National Park's historic lodge, boat tours and restaurants during the park's centennial year. Amfac Parks & Resorts of Denver beat out three other bidders to win the 15-year contract, according to the director of the National Park Service. Other parks where Amfac operates facilities include Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, the Everglades and Mount Rushmore. Crater Lake National Park has planned a variety of special events to mark this May's 100th anniversary of its creation. Crater Lake Lodge Inc. of Portland, which has run concessions at Oregon's only national park since 1988, did not submit a bid after its contract expired last year. The Portland company reported gross receipts of nearly $27 million in 2000. Amfac President Andrew Todd said his company agreed to pay a 3 percent royalty to the Park Service and to invest more than $1.5 million in new facilities.