Box 3357, Bakersfield, CA 93385-3357
(805) 323-5569
E-mail: kern-kaweah.chapter@sierraclub.org
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.
Oct 9 (Sat) Marble Falls Dayhike - Easy-Mod. In lower Sequoia National Park we will follow the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River to view the spectacular Marble Falls. Goodies in Three Rivers afterward. Don Redmond, 559-268-1537.
Oct 9 (Sat) San Emigdio Canyon. We'll go down canyon connecting Pine Mountain Club with the Windwolves Preserve. (We won't go all the way to the bottom!) Meet at Pine Mountain Club tennis courts. 8 a.m. Condor Group.
Oct. 12 (Tue) Join a combination group of Mineral King & Kaweah Group members for dinner at Keothip Restaurant Thai cuisine, 619 W Murray Ave., Visalia. 6 p.m. Open to all members who would like to meet for dinner, socializing and discussion of environmental issues. Phone Beverly 559 592-9865 or Theresa 559 781-0594 for more information.
Oct 16-17 (Sat-Sun) CNRCC Desert, San Gorgonio & Angeles Chs Ft. Irwin's Proposed Expansion/Tour of Affected Lands. Car camp & study trip to areas south & west of Ft Irwin. Visit Navy's Mojave Range B. Tour some of best tortoise lands in Calif Desert. Easy hikes in Rainbow Basin Natl Natural Landmark. Paleontologist/geologist will guide us. Camp in established but dry cmpgrd w/campfire & potluck. Access requires reservation w/names, addresses, Social Security #s, car license plate #. Send req info, lg SASE, h&w phones, rideshare info to Reserv/Co-ldr: Carol Wiley, 15457 Eto Camino Rd, Victorville, CA 92394, (760) 245-8734, cwiley@victor.cc.ca.us. Co-ldrs: Jon Miller & Elden Hughes.
Oct 23 (Sat) Good Neighbor Festival. Assist in covering the Sierra Club booth from 10-3; call coordinator Lorraine at 323-5569.
Oct 23-24 (Sat-Sun) Little Petroglyph Cyn & Briggs Mine Tour. Sat, we will explore restricted Little Petroglyph Cyn. on Naval Weapons Center with guides from the Maturango Museum to view unique petroglyphs. Sat. night dry camp by Trona Pinnacles. Sun, we'll tour Briggs heap leach gold mine in Panamint Valley & other local desert attractions. 2WD vehicles, high clearance pref. Navy requires social security #, name, address & vehicle license #. Send required info, $10 (to Maturango Museum), lg SASE, h&w phones, rideshare info to Reserv/Ldr: Dennis Burge, 624 Randall, Ridgecrest, CA 93555, (760) 375-7967. Asst: Don Peterson, (760) 375-8599, donpete@ridgecrest.ca.us.
Oct 23-24 (Sat-Sun) California Native Plant Sale at CALM in Bakersfield. Sat 10-4 and Sun 9-12. Entrance to CALM off Alfred Harrell Hwy. Call Lorraine at 323-5569 for additional information.
Oct 30-Nov 1 (Sat-Mon ) Marble Cyn Backpack, Death Valley NP. Marble Cyn Backpack, Death Valley NP.CNRCC Desert, S. Nevada Group. Friday morning we'll drive 13 bumpy mi NW of Stovepipe Wells to our trailhead, then pack in 2 mi with water to our dry basecamp. Day hikes will feature peaks, colorful polished sheer walled cyns, petroglyphs, and range from easy to strenuous. 4x4 HCV needed. Send $20 (Sierra Club) refundable reserv deposit, lg SASE, h&w phones, rideshare info to Ldr: David Hardy, Box 99, Blue Diamond, NV 89009, (702) 875-4549.
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, 8pm 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-clear 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. Setup camp at Stovepipe Wells and explore DV'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. Est 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 14-21 (Sun-Sun) Fundraiser Cruise to Mexican Riviera. Carnival Cruises is offering this cruises from San Pedro to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas at 50% off brochure prices to Sierra Club members with a 5% rebate to the Chapter. Prices start at $689. There is a limited number of discounted cabins. Call Gordon or Eva Nipp at 661-872-2432 for more information or call Montrose Travel at 800-301-9673.
Nov. 27 (Sat) Pacific Crest Trail Hike. Meet at 8 a.m., tennis courts by Pine Mountain Club clubhouse, 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.
Owens Peak Group: Meeting Cancellation. There will be no regular October monthly meeting for Owens Peak Group. The Maturango Museum, our usual meeting place, will be having new carpet installed on Oct. 18, our usual meeting day, and will not be available.
Our copy of the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision and Summary dated August 1999, has been donated to the California State University, Bakersfield, Library.
On September 14, members Neil Fernbaugh, Mary Griffin, Lorraine and Art Unger, Mary Ann Lockhart, Marisa Albridge, Candice Possun, Theresa Stump, Richard and Beverly Garcia, Brian Newton and I attended Cal-Fed Bay-Delta Program public hearing in Visalia. Neil, Art and Mary Ann testified that
1) Environmental and agricultural interests should look for solutions to water supply problems in a spirit of cooperation;
2) Current technology should be used to a greater extent in the conservation and recycling of water both by the public and agricultural users;
3) More research is needed to find locations for underground water storage before resorting to the building of more dams;
4) Government can play a role in establishing incentives for water conservation.
Around October 12, 1999, it is projected there will be 6 billion people on the planet. The population has tripled this century. It took only 12 years to add the 6th billion. The 7th billion may be added even more quickly.
California had 1.5 million people in 1900. Today the number is 34 million. 12 years from now, Californian's population is projected to be over 40 million. If you are concerned and would like to get involved in the SierraClub's Population Stabilization Program contact Jennifer Kurz at 202.547.1141 or jennifer.kurz@sierraclub.org.
The Department of the Interior ruled on August 25, 1999 to remove the American Peregrine Falcon from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife. During the 60's and 70's, the use of DDT and other pesticides had brought the Falcon to the brink of extinction. It is to the credit of environmentalists and our elected officials that we have been able to achieve this delisting. Vigilance and diligence does pay off.
The Kern Environmental Education Program (K.E.E.P.), a program administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, is hereby congratulated for achieving program certification by the California Outdoor School Administrators (COSA). Under the Directorship of Rick Hewett, K.E.E.P. introduces children to hiking, astronomy, animals, and a respect and appreciation for nature and wild places. Kudos to Rick and the many staff who carry out the program.
The Sequoia Natural History Association is a non-profit organization that has given over $1.5 million in aid to the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The field seminars presented by the SNHA offer outdoor learning experiences that many of you may enjoy. Contact by mail at HCR 89-Box 10, Three Rivers, CA 93271. Tel. 559.565.3759. FAX: 559.565-3728. E-mail: a-seqnha@inreach.com. Web Site: http://home.inreach.com/a-seqnha
Save the date: May 5th-7th, 2000 for the California Wilderness Conference at the California State University in Sacramento, CA. Purpose: Build support and implementation strategies for the California Wildlands blueprint.
Co-sponsors: Sierra Club, California Wilderness Coalition, The Wilderness Society and Friends of the River.
Call Vicky Hoover 415.977.5527 to get on mailing list.
- Glenn Shellcross
Go to www.sierraclub.org and find out more about Sierra Club issues and activities.
To get more information on the Kern-Kaweah Chapter and to read back issues of the Roadrunner go to http://kernkaweah.sierraclub.org/.
Gordon Nipp has served as Chapter outings chair for many years and has recently resigned from that position. Gordon will continue to serve our Chapter on the Executive Committee. We owe Gordon a debt of gratitude for his many years of organizing and leading outings.
Theresa Stump will step in as Outings Chair. The Chapter needs volunteers to lead outings. If you have a suggestion for an outing or are able to lead an outing, call Theresa at 559.781.0594 (sorry - no Email.)
- Theresa Stump
All of us, when we get caught up in the heat of battle raging around a current issue, sometimes get tired and discouraged. Yet if we step back and look at our history and view things in perspective we can take heart that our efforts do pay off. This is a short list of the more significant victories we have achieved in the Kern/Kaweah Chapter.
We really have come a long way since the chapter was founded in the 1950s. Many of those responsible for these achievments are gone. Others are still in there pitching. Those who are just getting involved still have plenty to do.
Our first Wilderness, the 65,000 acre original Domelands Wilderness, was created with the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964.
Unquestionably 1978 was the biggest year ever for the Chapter. After a thirteen year campaign Mineral King was added to Sequoia National Park, blocking a huge destination resort and ski area proposed by the Forest Service. In the same year the more than 300,000 acre Golden Trout Wilderness was added to the Wilderness System, capping an effort of more than fifteen years.
In the same year, persuaded by the Chapter and a coalition of farmers, the citizens of Kern County decided in a referendum that they did not want the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to build a huge nuclear power plant in Kern County.
Our next campaign was to convince Congress to add to the officially designated Wilderness in Sequoia National Forest. In 1983, as part of a statewide wilderness bill, the Jennie Lakes and South Sierra Wilderness areas and additions to the Domelands Wilderness were protected by federal legislation. Most of the back country of Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park was also added to the Wilderness System in the legislation.
More recently in 1994 the California Desert Protection Act set aside even more of our public lands in the Kern/Kaweah area as designated Wilderness. Included were the Kiavah, Owens Peak, Sacatar Trail, Chimney Peak, Bright Star, and El Paso Mountains Wilderness Areas and still more additions to the Domelands Wilderness. These areas, in eastern Kern and Tulare Counties, are located on National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands.
In 1987 nearly all of the north and south forks of the Kern River were added to the Wild and Scenic River System. Today river sports on the federally protected river are a mainstay for the economy of the Kern River Valley. No more dams or alterations of the River will be allowed above Lake Isabella.
In the 1960s Red Rock Canyon was the location of indiscriminate Off Road Vehicle use and target shooting, a dangerous and destructive combination.
Today Red Rock Canyon is a State Park managed to protect its natural and scenic resources. In 1994 the size of the Park was more than doubled by Federal legislation that turned over Bureau of Land Management land to the State for park purposes.
In the meantime we have been working with public land managers to improve protection of natural resources. For example in the 1980s Sequoia National Forest was logging more than 100 million boardfeet of timber per year. Today that number is down to less than 20 million boardfeet. In the 1980s we successfully sued the Forest Service to get it to stop logging in Giant Sequoia Groves. Today the groves have been accurately mapped and although logging is occurring nearby, they are not logging in the groves.
After many years of working with Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park the buildings and other inappropriate facilities are being moved out of Giant Forest. This spring a new visitor facility was dedicated near Lodgepole Campground that will meet the needs of Park visitors and still enable them to enjoy the grandeur of Giant Forest. That project will be finished by 2001. Be sure to visit the restored areas of the Park and enjoy them the way they were before we began to love them to death.
That is not too shabby a record nor is it insignificant!
In spite of all this there is still much to do. Congressman George Brown introduced HR 2077 which would set aside a Giant Sequoia Preserve and add about 170,000 more acres to the Wilderness System in Sequoia National Forest.
Due to the recent tragic death of George Brown we are in the of process finding new sponsors for the legislation and working to get it introduced in the US Senate. HR 2077 would stop logging in most of Sequoia National Forest and prevent more road building. Our goal is to have zero commercial logging in the Forest.
We are participating in the Wildlands 2000 Campaign. When completed, it will protect the remaining wild areas of our public lands in California.
Management of Wilderness areas, protection of wildlife, grazing, offroad vehicle problems, urban sprawl, and air quality are just a few of the other issues we are working on. So don't read this article and think the work is all done. Celebrate what we have already accomplished and help us move on to bigger and better things.
Finally don't forget we did not accomplish all of these things in a vacuum. We got them done as a part of the Sierra Club. Club volunteers and staff from all over the nation supported and worked with us, just as we support them. In 1999 the Sierra Club added our Sequoia campaign to the list of issues that will receive help at the national level.
In the 1960s the Club had less than 20,000 members nationally. Today that number is approaching 600,000. When you stop to think about the fact that nearly every Chapter in the Club can point to just as distinguished a record as ours, it makes you aware of the enormous impact the Sierra Club has had in protecting our nation's environment. So be proud of the fact that you are a Sierra Club member and belong to a "Can Do" organization.
- Joe Fontaine
You've seen them soaring lazily overhead on large groups, especially in the fall. No, not condors, but turkey vultures riding the thermals over the eastern Kern County landscape. Join other Chapter members on Friday evening, November 5, to learn more about turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) from our local birdman himself, Bob Barnes. Anyone who has heard Bob speak, knows what a dynamic, well-informed presenter he is. His slide show, "Phenomenon of the Fall Turkey Vulture Migration on the Western Slope of the Cascade and Sierran Ranges," promises to be very entertaining and enlightening, even for you seasoned birders out there!
We will be dining at Chateau Basque Restaurant, 101 S. Union Avenue, in Bakersfield. Social Hour is from 6 - 7pm, during which time we will make announcements, and honor our new and 25-year members. Dinner is at 7pm, and the program begins at approximately 8pm. $16.50 includes garlic chicken and braised beef entrees, traditional Basque courses, dessert, a beverage, tax, and tip.
Reservations are a must, to be received in the mail no later than Monday, November 1. Call Georgette Theotig (661-822-4371) for details. Send a check ($16.50 per person) written out to "Sierra Club, Kern-Kaweah Chapter," and mail it to Georgette Theotig, P.O. Box 38, Tehachapi, CA, 93581. We always enjoy great comraderie during this fall dinner...don't miss this evening of good visiting, delicious food, and a great program. What more could you ask? Get that check in the mail TODAY. See you on Fri., Nov. 5!
I have been thinking about the purpose of this column and its value, if any, as a voice in the ongoing dialogue which seeks to limit environmental degradation and the erosion of wild spaces. Reading old pieces saved over the years I found that my topics have varied widely. There are recountings of backpacking adventures; comments upon social phenomena, serious and silly; expressions of grief over losses of wilderness and wildlife; and civic concerns about things as disparate as audience behavior and various youthful fads. As I read, I wondered if I had wandered too far afield. At times it seemed that I had.
Then I happened upon upon another treasured essay, far better than anything I have written. It was a printing, from l952, of a commencement address to my freshman class at Pomona College by a great teacher, Frederick Mulhauser. In it I found this phrase: "Every nuance of our common life has had some memorable statement when a mind has touched it to splendor". Following closely upon that thought are two lines from a poem by Wordsworth:
The swan on still St. Marys lake
Floats double, swan and shadow.
The swan, its shadow and the lake are all nuances of our common life; but the lines of poetry "touch them to splendor"
Alas that Wordsworth and Mulhauser are not here to write for The Roadrunner, but we must do our best. Some of us write very specifically about immediate issues, and some of us approach them metaphorically, but all of us have one thing in mind: the environment, and our hope of heightening our readers concern and appreciation for it.
It was with that in mind a couple of weeks ago that I spent a Saturday of the kind that Midgebuzzings are made of. On an early walk in Hart Park I saw a family carrying picnic baskets and swimming gear to the river. I approached them, brushing up hastily on some Spanish phrases in order to warn them about the infamous Kern. But the Spanish was unnecessary. I met a lovely young man named Isaac who thanked me for my concerns and promised to pass them on. Then he and I discussed the merits of education for a young immigrant who wants to get ahead in the United States. When we parted he gave me a blessing, and I thought to myself that in the moments we shared I had seen the future, and that I liked it very much.
That afternoon I drove up to Bear Mountain for a barbecue with Sierra Club friends at the home of Joe and Bugs Fontaine. Later we saw the best slides from various European trips taken this summer. I left on the courteous arm of Paul Gipe who walked me down the dark driveway to my car. We looked up to see a sky "touched to splendor" by a brilliance of stars. Down the road a few yards a great night owl rose on graceful, silent wings and flew ahead before settling on a post to watch me go by. At Tehachapi, in a wonderful mood, I tuned in to Buck Owens, live from the Crystal Palace. "I'm a genuine article California Okie," he sang, "born in Wasco and raised in Bakersfield"! I joined him in the second chorus.
A vibrant young immigrant; the warmth of friends; Vienna, Florence and the Oracle at Delphi; the stars and an owl, and Buck! Now thats what I call an environment...and you couldn't pry me away from it with a steel wedge.
Copyright © 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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