Box 3357, Bakersfield, CA 93385-3357
(805) 323-5569
E-mail: kern-kaweah.chapter@sierraclub.org
Cover Photo by Ann Williams: Greenhorn Summit
Every Thursday Evening Conditioning Hike. 4-5 miles in northeast Bakersfield area. Meet at 7 pm at the Casa Ramos (formerly Cadillac Ranch) parking lot just east of Mesa Marin on Hwy 178. Call Leaders Eva & Gordon Nipp (661) 872-2432 or Larry Wailes, (661) 873-8060 for details.
Nov. 5 (Fri) Chapter Dinner Social -Chateau Basque Restaurant, 101 S. Union Ave. (Bakersfield); honoring both new and 25-year members; 6pm - Social Hour, 7pm - Dinner, 8 pm - Program: "Turkey Vulture Migration" (see article, p. 7); call Georgette Theotig for details, 661-822-4371.
Nov 9 (Tue evening)- Keep this date open for a meeting of Mineral King and Kaweah Group. Time and place to be announced in Nov Roadrunner.
Nov 11-14 (Thurs-Sun ) West Mojave Exploration Car Camp. CNRCC Desert, S. Nevada Group. Explore Red Rock SP & vicinity with spectacular rock formations & colorful eroded cyn walls. Walk & drive thru one of the finest Joshua Tree forests. Explore nearby foothills & valleys west of Red Rock where desert merges into pine forest. Camp fire & camaraderie. High-clearance vehicles needed. Send $20 (Sierra Club) refundable reserv deposit, h&w phones, rideshare info to ldr: David Hardy, Box 99, Blue Diamond, NV 89009, 702-875-4549.
Nov 12-14 (Fri-Sun) Death Valley Family Car Camp. Little Hikers, Angeles Ch, CNRCC Desert. Set up camp at Stovepipe Wells and explore Death Valley's sand dunes, Golden Cyn, Furnace Creek area, Scotty's Castle, Ubehebe Crater & more if time permits. Sat eve potluck w/campfires Fri & Sat nights. Estimated campground fees $10 per nite. 2WD OK. Send 2-lg SASE, h&w phones, # of family members on trip to Co-ldr: Rich Abele, 8442 Naylor Av, LA, CA 90045, (310) 649-5403/h, 562-982-2869. Asst: Veronica Gray, 310-829-1361/h, 213-637-7252/w.
Nov 13 (Sat) Climb Lamont Peak. A moderate 4.5 mile round trip with 2,000 ft elevation gain to the 7429 ft summit, located off Chimney Creek Rd. Ridge- crest hikers meet at Ridgecrest Cinemas at 7:30 am. Others call Don, 760-375-8599 or Dennis, 760-375-7967 for info.
Nov. 15 (Mon). Owens Peak Group Monthly Meeting, Tom Tanner, Supervising Ranger from Mojave Sector State Parks, will discuss issues related to Red Rock Canyon and other Mojave Sector parks. Meet at Maturango Museum, 100 E. Las Flores. Ridgecrest, 7:30 PM Call Dennis at 760-375-7967 or Jeanie at 760-375-8973 for details.
Nov. 27 (Sat) Thanksgiving hike up El Liebre Mt. on the Pacific Crest Trail. We'll be starting at 3000 ft. Meet Pine Mountain Club clubhouse 8 a.m. Those coming from either direction on I-5 can make arrangements to meet the group at the Flying J truckstop at Frazier Park off-ramp. Bring lunch, dress in layers (winds can blow in this area!) and the usual comfy shoes, hat, sun-glasses, etc. For more info and to let us know you are coming, please call Ches, 661-242-0423 or Mary Ann 661-242-0432. Condor Group.
Dec 4-5 (Sat-Sun) Carrizo Plain Study Trip & Car Camp. CNRCC Desert, Kern-Kaweah & Santa Lucia Chapters, SE San Luis Obispo County. Join us & a naturalist to explore, photograph & map proposed Caliente Mtn Wilderness area. Explore Soda Dry Lake (good birding, Sandhill Cranes) & San Andreas Fault zone. Trip will include: visitor center, Painted Rock (pictographs) & if conditions allow an easy hike to Caliente Mtn (5,106 ft). Early sunset will facilitate star gazing w/small telescopes, weather permitting. Dry car camp w/shared hor d'oeuvres, campfire, sing-a-long. Trip extended to Monday, if enough interest. Send lg SASE, h&w phones, rideshare info to Ldr: Joe Fontaine, Box 307, Tehachapi, CA 93581, Asst: Cal French, (805) 239-7338, ccfrench@tcsn.net.
Jan 28-30 (Fri - Sun) X-C Ski Tour in Sequoia Natl Forest. Intermediate or better X-C skiers come join us for a weekend of day skiing on meadows, mountains, and roads at "The Ponderosa" in Sequoia National Forest above Porterville. 6-8 mi RT, 800 - 1000 ft. gain. Fri night (optional) and Sat night sleeping accommodations will be at the leader's cabin at Camp Nelson. Includes 2 breakfasts and 1 dinner. Group size limited. Send 2 large (4 x 9) SASE, resume of recent skiing experience, H & W phones, rideshare data, and 2 checks (payable OCSS) for $20 (refundable at trailhead) and $35 (non-refundable to RESERV/ASST: Paulette Landers, 2740 Pine Creek Circle; Fullerton, CA 92835. E-Mail: cavebear2@aol.com
The election for 5 positions on the Kern-Kaweah Chapter Executive Committee will take place in December. If you are interested in running, contact Georgette Theotig by November 10 at 661-822-4371. Be prepared to have a candidate statement for inclusion in the Roadrunner of no more than 75 words.
Protect California's last wild places from off-road vehicles.
Your letter could help protect millions of acres of wild lands!
Each year, the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California Department of Parks and Recreation grants millions of dollars to federal agencies to support off-road vehicle recreation on California's public lands.
Much of this money is used to support environmentally damaging activities, such as the construction of vehicle routes into unprotected wilderness. Despite clear mandates to comply with state environmental regulations, the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) program has never fulfilled its own legal requirements. As a result, hundreds of thousands of acres of public land have been scarred by off-road vehicle routes and cross-country riding. The Off-Highway Vehicle Division is currently drafting regulations that will govern the entire grants program. The initial draft of these regulations is seriously flawed. For example, the draft regulations do not require compliance with all state environmental laws and would make it difficult to spend grant money to close environmentally damaging off-road vehicle routes. Off-road vehicles are one of the primary threats to California's unprotected wildlands. If carried out, these regulations will assure that off-road vehicle damage will continue unchecked.
Your letter will help ensure that state money is not used to subsidize the destruction of our state's last wild places.
Please write today!
Send a letter to the address below, urging the Off-Highway Vehicle Division to fully comply with the environmental laws that protect California's natural environment. Your letter may have more impact if you refer to the specific sections outlined below. Here are some specific points to make in your letter:
1. The regulations should clearly define "off-highway" as the operation of motorized vehicles off paved or smoothly graded streets, roads or highways on routes and areas that are not maintained for travel by conventional two-wheel drive vehicles. (Section 4970)
2. All grants to federal agencies must comply with the soil, habitat, and wildlife protection and monitoring standards outlined in the state Off-Highway Vehicle Act. Federal agencies should not be able to substitute "equivalent standards" since no such standards exist. Also, grantees must comply with all state and federal environmental laws. (Section 4970.13)
3. For areas where environmental damage is occurring and cannot be controlled, funding should be made available for permanent route closure and rehabilitation. (Section 4970.6)
Send your comments to:
Clark Woy
Department of Parks and Recreation
OHMVR Division
PO Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
email to: cwoy@calohv.com.
Letters are due by Friday, November 5.
- Paul Spitler, Executive Director
California Wilderness Coalition
2655 Portage Bay East, Suite 5
Davis, CA 95616
530-758-0382
paul@calwild.org
President Clinton has acted to halt logging on roadless federal lands. I haven't seen the fine print, but this is a policy long overdue toward the protection and preservation of our national forests. Governor Davis has signed a number of environmentally friendly bills. The Kern County Board of Supervisors has put the brakes on potentially hazardous sludge being spread on our farmlands. Assemblyman Dean Florez has focused on the preservation of lives in his "Fix Hwy 46" campaign. State Senator Jim Costa has been at the forefront in crafting legislation to help resolve the complex problem of water distribution in our county as well as the State. It is refreshing to see these signs showing our leaders are focusing on preservation, conservation and quality of life issues.
Earth Day is coming, April 22, 2000 and the focus will be on "Clean Energy Now." (http://www.earthday.net) An all-out effort to will be made to promote clean energy and to reverse global warming. Call (661) 832-3382 to get involved.
The California Wilderness Conference at Cal-State University in Sacramento will be held on May 5, 2000. If you want a better understanding of wilderness issues as well as getting a perspective on the our future, you will want to attend. Call Vicky Hoover (415) 977-5527) to get on mailing list.
One issue overshadows all others in defining what the people of California, if not what the entire world, will confront in the next 50 years, and that is population. California will likely double in population and the world numbers may be up to 10 billion or more. How we will find the resources to meet the needs of this ever growing population remains to be seen. Clean air, clean water, untainted food, clean oceans, clean streams and rivers, healthy forests, wildlife, fish, preservation of farmland, and all other natural resources; all of these must have priorities. Could it be that we might consider population stabilization or population reduction through education and incentives? ...........You figure!
You've heard of a baker's dozen....13. Well, when Gordon Nipp, our inveterate hike-leader, was worrying about whether or not all his hikers were with him, I suggested he use the standard of a hike-leaders dozen.....11. Gordon prefers 85%, give or take. What are you going to do?
- Glenn Shellcross
Here is a little description of the Club's administrative set-up. The Club's decisions-makers are a 15 member Board of Directors directly, elected by all Sierra Club members, and several Governance Committees, appointed by the Board of Directors.
The Sierra Club Board of Directors meets six times a year. A Council of Club Leaders advises the Club's decision-makers; the advice primarily concerns Club administration, and occasionally concerns conservation. Each of the 65 chapters of the Sierra Club selects a member to represent them on the Council; I represent Kern-Kaweah. The Council exchanges e-mail all year long and meets face to face at the Board's September meeting. We are doing well financially, although it is difficult to save the world within budgetary constraints. All of each member's dues are sent to Club headquarters and a portion is returned to each chapter, based on membership. Last year it was decided that even the smallest chaptershould get $10,000 a year; we used to get $7,000; now we get $10,000. Someday we will get some money from the $3+million Katsie Mason bequest.
Matching funds for litigation by chapters is available. Competitive funds for training chapter members in fund raising are awarded annually. Logging, grazing and concentrated animal feeding operations were discussed. This was before hurricanes in North Carolina washed hog manure lagoons over the land and created a dead zone in the ocean. Kern County is adding thousands of dairy cattle every month. Who wants to work on that issue? There is a growth boundary initiative in Tennessee. There may be a similar initiative in Kern County and there is a point system in Tulare County. Contact Lorraine Unger (Kern) or Neil Fernbaugh (Tulare).
I enjoyed representing you on the Council of Club Leaders for the past six years. I will not run for re-election; this will give me more time for chapter activities.
Please contact Arthur Unger (661 323 5569 alunger@juno.com) for further information, discussion or questions.
- Arthur Unger
The Highlight of the October 2 NATURE FEST was the personal appearance of Les Reid, of Condors in the Bedroom fame. Mr Reid, a former director of the National Sierra Club, told children and parents about his encounter with the birds as well as signing bookmarks featuring a picture of the condors. The bookmarks were fashioned by Sue Smashey.
Visitors were also able to view the latest in condor videos. The video was shot and edited by Scott Rosen. Spiders and more spiders drew the cautious attention of young and old. Randi Sue Elliot presented a fantastic display of various species, including a rose haired tarantula.
All eyes turned when Penny Maines entered the hall with her llama. Children were able to pet the beautiful animal as the two circled the room.
Children pretending to use garbage bags to keep themselves warm and children wearing bike safety gear were also attention getters. Mr. Don Billesbach presented the Hug a Tree program, tips for children who might get lost in the woods and Kathy Saunders, from Hungry Valley State Park showed children what to wear for protection when bike riding.
Many people tested their knowledge about Wilderness in a sixteen item quiz and took the indoor nature walk where they had a chance to identify and learn about some of the familar plants, animals and other objects found in the out of doors.
The Kern County Water Agency display included a map showing the watershed area of Frazier Park and a three-dimensional visual showing various aspects of water activity under the ground.
Another very popular attraction was the Water Wheel, part of the Vista Del Lago display. Spin the wheel, answer the question, and a prize was your reward for participating.
Other displays and activities included US Fish and Game, Chumash culture presented by John McEllin and craft and hands-on activities guided by the Girl Scouts, under the guidance of Ms. Mary Kaye Stolting, and local Sierra Club members.
This afternoon of fun, doing and learning more about the outdoor world was the result of the cooperation of many groups, agencies and people working together to bring a program of value to our local community.
Just across the southern border of Sequoia National Park, in the watershed of the Tule River lies the largest privately owned stand of Giant Sequoias, the 1500 acre Dillonwood Grove. Forming part of one of the five largest groves of Giant Sequoias in existence, Dillonwood now presents conservationists with a great opportunity and a terrible threat. Dillonwood is for sale. The family that has owned and managed this forest property for forty years has determined that they must sell. True to their good stewardship of the grove so far, they would prefer that the land become public property. But if that doesn't succeed, they will have to put the land on the open market, where a local timber company has already expressed a strong interest in buying it.
In addition to 159 monarch trees (the truly ancient ones), Dillonwood contains a healthy multi-age second growth Giant Sequoia forest that is unusually diverse. The property is also rich in wildlife and contains an 1800 year old archeological site and a 19th century sawmill. The Save-the Redwoods League (http://www.savetheredwoods.org) has obtained a two year option on the property in the hopes that it can be added to Sequoia National Park, reuniting the ecological unit of the Dillonwood-Garfield Grove. The first urgent need is for Congress to expand the boundary of Sequoia National Park to include Dillonwood's 1500 acres. The next step is for California's leaders in Congress to build support for funding the acquisition of the land with money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
TAKE ACTION: Write Senator Dianne Feinstein U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510 or e-mail senator@feinstein.senate.gov. Ask her to take the lead on the needs cited above.
- from "National Parks and Conservation Asssociation News and Issues" in Parks of the Pacific Region Volume 1, Number 31, 1999.
(Contributed by Harold Wood)
Over the years the Sierra Club and The Sierra Club Foundation have received bequests from a diverse group of individuals, and among them were the authors Rachel Carson, and more recently, Margret Rey. With the publication of Silent Spring, Rachel Carson made a lasting contribution to the environmental movement, and when Carson died in 1964, she left a substantial bequest to the Sierra Club. Royalties from Carson's literary estate continue to support Club programs to this day. Margret Rey and her husband, H.A., shared a passion for the animal kingdom and collaborated to create the children's adventure series known for its vivacious monkey, Curious George.
With the success of the Curious George series, Rey established The Curious George Foundation, which furnished financial support to a number of organizations.
In her estate plans, Margret Rey left a significant bequest to The Sierra Club Foundation. Her thoughtful initiative will support our efforts to protect wildlife and the natural world in years to come. Hurray for Curious George!
Please contact us if you would like more information or confidential assistance. We can even help you direct a gift to your local Chapter. If you have already provided for the Club or Foundation in your estate plans, please let us know so that we may recognize you, along with the other planned giving donors of the Rachel Carson Society.
The Planned Giving Program
85 Second Street, Second Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105.
E-mail: planned.giving@sierraclub.org
One morning last week I was awakened before sunrise by an unpleasant odor coming in through my open window. The smell, acrid and unmistakable, was of exhaust which I believe is emitted from a nearby refinery. I have long had the impression, since it always occurs when most people are still asleep, that the timing of this emission is deliberate, to keep at a minimum concerns about the detrimental effects of breathing in this area. I was resentful, as I always am when this foulness hangs over my neighborhood, and anxious to escape.
When I want to breathe sweet air, I usually head out for one or the other of my favorite places: Greenhorn Mountain or the mid-California coast. The coast, however, is two and a half hours away, too far for a comfortable day trip. But the campground at Greenhorn Summit can be reached, driving conservatively, in only an hour and a quarter, and highway l78 through the Kern River Canyon is wonderful all the way. Blessed with a free day ahead of me on the morning in question, I packed a lunch and a thermos of coffee, whistled for the dog, and headed for the mountain.
Even though the canyon road must be driven cautiously, its beauty is enjoyable in every season. In spring the mountainsides are rich with floral displays; in winter, when you've driven out of the fog, the leafless sycamores are gorgeous not only in the variety of their forms but also for the light and shadow in the random patterns of their bark. And always there is the river, dramatic in its fall over huge boulders even when it is low, as it sometimes is, especially in autumn. At Wofford Heights above Lake Isabella I turned left and began the eight mile climb to the Summit, passing through digger pine country, dry and brown most of the year and yet attractive in a way that is uniquely Californian. From this point the road is steep and requires shifting into low gear. Before long, the forest was all around me, and down went my window for deep breaths of the sweet and scented air. At the Summit, I parked in the quiet campground, and started off for an hour or so of hiking and photographing. Returning for lunch, I perched on a boulder, listening to stellar jays and watching squirrels, and enjoyed a sandwich and coffee made many times more delicious by those surroundings.
It does concern me that there has been an acceleration of building in Alta Sierra, both of summer cabins and of year-round houses. As more people pack into the San Joaquin Valley, bringing with them all the problems of over-population, there is a danger that Greenhorn may become a bedroom community for commuters, resulting in the loss of what is now a precious retreat from those problems. Those of us who want to see the integrity of the area maintained should be thinking about its preservation for generations to come.
In the meantime, if you haven't been to Greenhorn Mountain, I recommend it to you, as a treat for your lungs and your soul.
© Ann Williams, 1999
Officers and Committee Chairpeople
Executive Committee (All but noted codes are 661)
Chair: Glenn Shellcross, 832-3382; VC: Neil Fernbaugh, 559-798-0343; Sec: Bonnie East, 832-9775; Treas: Mel Rubin 831-3333; At Large: Arthur Unger, Ara Maderosian, Mary Ann Lockhart; Richard Garcia, Gordon Nipp.
RCC Delegates: Bonnie East, Glenn Shellcross;
Alternates: Neil Fernbaugh, Lorraine Unger
Committee Chairpeople: Membership: Lorraine Unger, 323-5569; Political Committee Ch: Harry Love; S.C.Cncl Rep: Arthur Unger; Outings: Theresa Stump, 559-781-0594.
Kaweah Group (Porterville, area code 559)
Chair: Theresa Stump, 781-0594; VC: Diane Jetter; Conservation: Carla Cloer; Outings: Jim Clark
Mineral King Group: (Visalia & Hanford, 559)
Chair: Neil Fernbaugh, 798-0343; V.C. & Outings: Brian Newton,627-3571; Secretary: Nina Stone, Conservation: Mary Moy; Treasurer: Janet Wood, Membership: Patty Booth; Environmental Ed & Webmaster; Harold Wood; Fundraising: Richard Garcia; Social: Bev Garcia
Owens Peak Group (Desert Area Code 760)
Chair: Dennis Burge, 375-7967; V.C.: Steve Smith; Conservation: Jeanie Haye; Treasurer: Dolph Amster; At Large: Dororthy Vokolek; Outings: Don Peterson, 375-8599
Condor Group (Frazier Park & Pine Mountain, 805)
Chair: Chester Arthur; Mbrship: Barbara Matthews; Outings: Ray Albridge & Harry Nelson; Conservation: Kevin Royle; Hospitality: Elsbeth Feldman; Publicity; Karen Cotter: Treas: Jean & Ed Rustvold; Ast Treas: M Albridge; Newsletter: Mary Ann Lockhart; At Large: Marta Bigler
Editor: Andy Honig (661) 325-0026. Contributions of news, articles, press releases, opinion, art and photographs (black & white), letters to the editor, should be sent to: andym@lightspeed.net.
Want to submit an article for the Road Runner or express opinions?
Suggested length: 650 words or less. Thats
about a column or 2 12 pages double spaced.)
Deadline: 15th
of the month BEFORE desired month of publication-mail
Copyrighted articles, graphics and photos can only be reprinted with the owners permission.
Published 12 times per year by the Kern-Kaweah Chapter of the Sierra Club, Bakersfield, CA. All non-copyrighted material printed in the Roadrunner may be reprinted in any Sierra Club publications with acknowledgement.
The Kern-Kaweah Chapter newsletter is available at the Sierra Club website. You can save the Chapter mailing costs and save a tree by notifying us if you want your paper copy discontinued. Please e-mail Lorraine Unger at alunger@juno.com with your name and your membership number (found on the label). Any one who wants an extra hard copy anytime call (661) 323-5569.
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