Volume 15 Number 8 August 2011 NEEDLES FIRE LOOKOUT TOWER BURNS SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST The Needles Fire Lookout Tower, located on the Western Divide Ranger District within the Giant Sequoia National Monument on the Sequoia National Forest was destroyed in a structure fire today. This is a tragic loss to the District, stated District Ranger Priscilla Summers. I m relieved the person staffing the lookout tower was able to safely evacuate the tower before it burned. The cause of the fire is under investigation, however it was determined to be a structure fire and not in any way related to the Lion Wildland Fire currently burning in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Firefighters are ensuring the safety of visitors by closing Forest Road 21S05 and trail 32E22 that lead to Needles Lookout, and closure of the area surrounding the rock formation where the lookout was perched. The closure area includes the formation popular for rock climbers known as The Magician and will remain closed until the wildland fire resulting from the burning debris has been contained and the area safe for visitors. The lookout tower was constructed in 1937-38 by the Civilian Conservation Corps atop the rock formation at 8,245 feet. A Forest Service employee, stationed in the tower, was responsible for detecting fires and relaying radio messages to a dispatcher, who in turn sent firefighters and support equipment to extinguish the reported fire. The tower was utilized as this employee s office as well as their home for the summer months while the lookout was on duty. Needles overlooked the Kern River Drainage, Mt. Whitney, Olancha Peak, Farewell Gap, and Dome Rock. The tower was the primary communication line for persons in the backcountry where cell phones do not work. The Needles Lookout Tower was one of the most popular places to visit on the Western Divide Ranger District. The loss of this historic landmark is significant. stated Summers. My immediate concern is for the safety of firefighters who are working to contain the Lion Wildland Fire in the Golden Trout Wilderness who have now lost one of their main lines of communication. More information will be sent out as soon as it s available regarding the cause of the fire, availability of the rock formation for visitors, and future plans.
Inside This Issue: Needles Lookout Burns 1 BCH Contact Information 2 Mule Train Supplies Lion 3 Firefighters July Minutes 4 Classifieds 5 ACTHA Ride 6 Refreshment List Remaining Ace Trip Dates Trail Clearing Project 7 Fire along Trail of 100 Giants Letter to President Obama 8 Sequoia & Kings Canyon News Release 9 Trail Closures for Lion Fire 12 July 16-18 ACE Trip 13 Thank You Cards July 16-18 ACE Trip Photos 14 Membership Application 15 Upcoming Events 16 WILDERNESS RIDERS SEQUOIA UNIT Bonnie Searcy Emily Miles Ruthie Heuer Bradley miles Paul Frisby Bob Hodgkins BACKCOUNTRY HORSEMAN OF CALIFORNIA SEQUOIA UNIT President - Jamie Wilson 559-784-7836 drjamie91@earthlink.com State Director - Tom Cole 559-784-1636 Vice President - Jan Walker 559-310-5794 qhbrat@hotmail.com Secretary - Libby Beatty 559-788-0610 cop2@ocsnet.net Treasurer - Renee Zachary 909-215-8770 redwingscorgis@aol.com Newsletter - Gail Inman 559-539-2260 gail.inman@gmail.com Education - Sandy Oates 559-784-4912 sandyoates@yahoo.com Membership - Gail Januska 559-781-8505 gailjrider@gmail.com Service - Peg Wilson 559-310-3176 Public Lands - Steve Ladrigan 559-535-0529 Web Master - Jorene Downs 559-592-6450 webmaster@bchc-sequoia.org Web Master Coordinator - Phil Lomonaco 559-539-3776 phils@springvillewireless.com Rodeo Board Rep - Steve Ladrigan 559-535-0529 Rodeo Board Rep - Tom Cole 559-784-1636 STATE BOARD OFFICERS President - Dennis Serpa dmserpa@cwnet.com 1st Vice President- Sam Burrows sburrows@frontier.com 2nd Vice President - Carrie Johnen cjubilee@comcast.net Secretary - Kaye Bruns kowgrl@juno.com Treasurer - Lynn Joiner lynnjoiner@sbcglobal.net VP of Public Lands - Bruce DeMott Demott9@aol.com VPCO-VP of Public Lands - Bruce DeMott Demott9@aol.com Ruth Gerson ruthgerson@aol.com VPCO-VP of Education - Dan Horn Bearstrap@msn.com Lisa Deas muledaze@yahoo.com BCHA Nat l Director - Michael Murphy m_murphy@sonic.net Ann Lange kvvet@onemain.com BCHA Nat l Alternate Director. - Michael Murphy North Bay BCHA Alt Nat l Board Rep - Dan Clifford bigeasycowboy@mac.com The Sequoia News is the official publication of the Sequoia Unit of the Backcountry Horsemen of California and is published monthly. The Sequoia news is committed to print articles to inform readers of issues concernaing the Sequoia Unit and BCHC/BCHA, humorous stories, ads, cartoons, events and the minutes of the Sequoia Unit meetings. All items for the newsletter must be received by the editor no later than the 15th of each month. Your views, comments or suggestions are solicited. The Sequoia News looks forward to providing members a newsletter that will keep you informed, make you laugh and have a little history of the BACKCOUNTRY. Change of Address Please inform us of any address or phone changes. Contact: Gail Januska 559-781-8508 (Membership) Disclaimer The views or opinions expressed and articles appearing in the Sequoia News are those of the persons that submitted items for Sequoia News and may not necessarily be those of the officers or members of Sequoia Unit, BCHC or BCHA. Page 2
Mule Train Supplies Lion Firefighters SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST A pack train of 30 horses and mules is helping to supply firefighters who are working to contain the three- week old Lion Fire in the Golden Trout Wilderness. The animals are hauling food and supplies into the Lion Meadow area where 55 firefighters are based. Animals from seven national forests in California are part of the packing effort, which is being coordinated by the US Forest Service s regional pack stock program. Pack animals have been used in remote parts of the Sierra Nevada for generations, said Michael Morse, wilderness and pack stock program manager for the Inyo National Forest. By supplying the firefighters with horses and mules, we are able to both minimize the use of motorized equipment in the wilderness and pass on packing skills to the next generation of wilderness managers. Hauling approximately 1,200 pounds per trip, the pack train can supply a crew of 20 people for three days. The trip takes approximately nine hours round-trip, making for a long day in the saddle. This is not easy work, said Pat Baily, wilderness manager for Los Padres National Forest. You have to have a passion for it. The horses are based at the Lewis Camp trailhead, a popular destination for Back Country Horsemen, which is set up with corrals and hitching posts. Keeping the pack animals supplied with food and water isn t difficult, said Paul Gibbs, Lion Fire Incident Commander. Additionally, it s good to have horsemen on the ground, updating wilderness visitors on the status of the fire. The pack train is also able to make deliveries when it is too smoky for helicopters to supply crews. The southern and eastern portion of the Golden Trout Wilderness is open for use, but does receive smoke daily. An area closure is in effect for all backcountry trails northeast of Shake Camp Trailhead to trail 32E06 north of Round Meadow. A detailed map of trail closures in the Golden Trout Wilderness can be found on Inciweb: http://inciweb.org/incident/2400/. Fire information lines are established at Kernville #760-379- 5646 ext. 515, or Springville #559-539-2607 ext. 214. Page 3
July 20, 2011 BCH Sequoia Unit General Meeting Minutes Pres. Jamie called the board meeting to order at 6:51 pm. As members continued to come into the meeting, we spoke with Becca, a presidential fellow for the summer, who was dressed in her USFS uniform as a staff officer. She gave us an account of the Lion Fire which had jumped the Little Kern River and was moving west. Grey Meadows was very smoky, but not closed. Jamie called the general meeting to order at 7:02 pm and led us in the flag salute. 21 members were present for this meeting. There were no changes to last months minutes, Crystal motioned to accept them, Jan 2nd, minutes accepted. Renee reports a balance of $4578.30 and a bill to come of propane at the Rodeo grounds, approx. $500. We will not run a food booth for Jr. Rodeo, 4H can take it over this year. We are still short memberships, below 150. Signs and posts are to be replaced, Becca is to send her file to Steve and he ll get them done! The newsletter needs YOUR pictures, please send them! Our club ride to Trout was fabulous, for those lucky enough to ride in. The nights were crisp, the food, especially the nectarine dutch oven treat from Jamie, was the best! We still have 2 easy ACE trips to do. Even though we committed for 3 years this may be our last year. We want all of you to consider being an officer next year! Several of our officer s terms will expire. The Camp Nelson ride on Aug. 6th is in limbo, the water crossing is high, and the Mountain Festival is the same weekend. Check with Peg or Jamie. The Wilderness Riders course is set for Sept. in Sierra Natl. Forest. And Frank Daybell will be installing a new hitch rail at the Summit Trailhead for his Eagle Scout. Steve motioned for us to adjourn 8:47. The next meeting is Aug. 17th at Oates place, 6 pm board, 7 pm general meeting. See you then if not before on the trails, Libby Page 4
CLASSIFIED ADS Classified and Newsletter Display Ad Rates Ads to be prepaid. Please send business card or display with check for the duration of the ad. Classified ad rate for business card is $5.00 per month, quarter page, $10.00 per month, half page, $20.00 and whole page is $40.00 per month. One month free with a prepaid 1 year ad subscription. Editor reserves the right to refuse inappropriate ads. Page 5
2011 BCH Sequoia Unit Refreshments Club meeting Date: Refreshment Host: 2011 Tentative Ace Trip Dates PACKERS NEEDED! Aug. 17 Sept. 21 Oct. 19 Nov. 16 Dec. 10 Crystal Champion Kerry Ladrigan Peg Wilson Gail Inman CHRISTMAS PARTY July 30-31 August 13-14 August 27-28 September 10-11 If you cah help, Contact Peg Wilson - 559-310-3176 Page 6
Trail Cleaning Project The third annual Trout Meadow Cow Camp trail crew completed a week long trail clearing project in the Golden Trout Wilderness which is in the Sequoia National Forest of the High Sierra. This year three trails were adopted by them which includes the historic Lewis Camp Trail as well as the Jerky and Kern Flat trails. Nineteen miles of trail were brushed as needed and 57 trees were cleared from the trails. A tremendous team effort where crews were divided into two and three man teams. Sometimes they cleared trail by working toward each other. This year two students were camp helpers with cooking. Each day teams returned to Cow Camp, which is owned by Emily and Bradley Miles, to good food and hot showers. Fire Being Extinguished near Trail of 100 Giants July 21, 2011 SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST Yesterday morning a fire was discovered burning near Trail of 100 Giants on the Western Divide Ranger District, Giant Sequoia National Monument. By evening the Giant Fire had reached approximately 4 acres and burned within 250 feet of the Trail. The cause of this fire is under investigation. Unlike the 5,200 acre Lion Fire currently accomplishing ecological restoration objectives in the Golden Trout Wilderness, fire officials plan to extinguish the Giant Fire. No Giant Sequoia trees were damaged in this fire; it burned material lying on the ground and scorched some of the non-sequoia trees in the fire area. The public was allowed to access the trail throughout the day and fire officials anticipate this will continue to be the case. There may be some shortage for parking while fire suppression equipment and personnel are putting out the fire; however they expect the trail to remain open. Pictured in the photo from left to right top row are: Wesley Miles, Rob Miles, Jose Loyola, Paul Miles, Jorge Cruz, Andres Serrano, Paul Frisby (packer), Owen Hansen and Bradley Miles. Front row: Brenda Carranza, Sonia Santos, John Avila (FFA teacher), Emily Miles, plus camp dogs "Jack" and "Pistol". If you have questions about the Giant Fire please contact District Public Affairs Officer Denise Alonzo at the Western Divide Ranger District #559-539-2607 ext. 212 or by email to dalonzo@fs.fed.us Page 7
Nunes, McCarthy, and Denham letter to President Obama on GSNM July XX, 2011 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Obama, We take this opportunity to express our opposition to the transfer of jurisdiction of the Giant Sequoia National Monument from the U.S. Forest Service to the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. We fully appreciate the natural beauty and uniqueness of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. It is home to the world s largest trees with life-spans exceeding 3,200 years and contains many archeological, biological, paleontological and historical resources that are cherished by scientists and visitors alike. For over 100 years, the U.S. Forest Service has managed the land within the Monument using the most current scientific data and management practices available. In 2000, President Bill Clinton issued a Proclamation to establish the Giant Sequoia National Monument for the purpose of protecting the giant sequoia groves and diverse plant and animal life. In this Proclamation, President Clinton chose to entrust the protection of the Monument to the U.S. Forest Service. The transfer of forest management jurisdiction to the National Park Service would violate President Clinton s Proclamation and undo 10 years of work to develop the Forest Management Plan created with extensive citizen collaboration. In short, such a transfer would constitute a tremendous waste of previously spent tax dollars. In addition, the Monument has attracted thousands of visitors each year who come to enjoy the many public recreational uses of the forest including dispersed camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling, 4-wheel driving, hunting, and recreation residences - all of which would be prohibited or severely curtailed under the National Park Service. The preclusion of these uses would exacerbate the economic challenges facing the Central Valley and would result in the additional loss of jobs. There have been seriously misguided allegations that the Forest Service has illegally continued logging in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. Not only is it inaccurate, it is irresponsible and unacceptable. Specifically, there were claims that in 2004 the Forest Service closed public access to the Trail of 100 Giants in order to conduct logging operations to remove hundreds of giant trees under projects that were falsely labeled as hazard tree projects. In fact, this trail was closed for public safety reasons when funding was not available to remove dead and dying trees along the trail. Removing unhealthy trees is an important tool to reduce hazardous fuels and improve ecological restoration, ensure public safety and protect the giant sequoia groves from potential catastrophic wildfires. Moreover, the failure to reduce hazardous fuels in the Monument as a result of endless litigation and bureaucratic delays has created conditions that pose a significant threat to human, plant, and animal life. These accusations of the U.S. Forest Service are unfounded and only go to show how far removed the accusers are from the forest and understanding of proper forest management. Considering the current limited resources of the National Park Service and the fiscal condition of our nation, expanding responsibilities and adding nearly 330,000 acres of land under their jurisdiction is illogical and unnecessary. Furthermore, the proponents of this proposal failed to consult with the Giant Sequoia National Monument Association, the largest on the ground volunteer organization in the Sequoia National Forest. We respectfully request that you note our opposition to the proposed transfer of forest management jurisdiction, and urge you to listen to the local citizens and community organizations who are actively engaged with the Giant Sequoia National Monument not activists who do not live and work around the monument. Please know that we will vigorously oppose any effort to accomplish a transfer in management. Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and we look forward to your response. Sincerely, Members of Congress Page 8
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National Monument Designation Transparency and Accountability Act (Continued from page 10) Page 11
Trail Closure Due to Lion Fire Area Closure Description With the Lion Fire spreading towards Sequoia National Park, and to provide for public and firefighter safety, the park is implementing an area closure southeast of Windy Ridge near Farewell Gap. The fire perimeter will likely extend into the park below Windy Ridge. This area provides a safer and easier holding line for firefighters than the winding boundary between the park and the forest. Wildfire functions outside of the man-made boundaries we have in place, said Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Park Superintendent. We need to work with our neighbors to help them provide a safe response to the Lion Fire. While the closure within the park is limited, it does restrict some very popular loop hikes that extend into the forest lands. An area closure is already in place in a segment of the Golden Trout Wilderness on Sequoia National Forest. Visitors will find a more specific map of trail closures in the park and in the Golden Trout Wilderness of the forest on Inciweb: http://inciweb.org/incident/2400/. Anyone planning to travel into the Forest s Wilderness is asked to contact the Western Divide Ranger District at 559-539-2607 to obtain your permit for overnight stay in areas outside the closure area. Those planning wilderness travel in the southern area of Sequoia National Park should call the 559-565-3766. Page 12
July 16-18 ACE Trip Thank You s Help Still Needed. Contact Peg Wilson at 559-310-3176 if you can help. Page 13
July 16-18 ACE Trip Pictures Sunrise at Trout Ranger Station. Sunrise through the Lion Fire smoke. Mark leading Bob, Steve, Ruthie and Gail with the ACE supplies to Trout Meadow. Bob and Steve on the trail along the Kern River. Bob and Steve checking packs before assending Devils Flight. Pack Saddle taking a break. Mark and Steve play cards at Trout Ranger Station. Mark and Gail playing Pine Ball at Trout Cabin. The Moon looking down at Trout Ranger Station. Page 14 A Deer peeking through the brush.
NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION RENEWAL APPLICATION CHANGE - ( ) PARENT UNIT ( ) ADDRESS/PHONE/EMAIL ( ) MEMBERSHIP TYPE DCTR (YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER) **NEW MEMBERS WILL BE ASSIGNED NUMBER BY MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR PARENT Unit Affiliation): (Select and CIRCLE ONE Unit as your Primary Unit Affiliation) Antelope Valley Eastern Sierra High Country High Sierra Kern River Valley Kern Sierra Lake-Mendo Los Padres Mid Valley Mother Lode North Bay Ohlone Riders Redshank Riders Redwood San Diego San Gorgonio San Joaquin Sierra Santa Ana River Sequoia 559.781.8505 Shasta Trinity Sierra Freepackers Sutter Buttes Top of the State MAIL TO: BACKCOUNTRY HORSEMEN OF CALIFORNIA Donate to BCHC Education Fund? Tax Deductible Packer $10.00 Mule Skinner $25.00 You re the Greatest $50.00 MEMBER S NAME No Business Names; Please Print Clearly SPOUSE/MEMBER S NAME MUST SHARE SAME ADDRESS ADDRESS ( ) CITY STATE ZIP PHONE EMAIL ADDRESS TOTAL ENCLOSED: $ CHECK # DATE SUBMITTED: BUSINESS NAME DONATIONS ONLY: PARENT UNIT MEMBERSHIP TYPES: (CIRCLE ONE) Individual $40.00* Family $50.00* Benefactor $100.00 Patron $250.00 Mt Whitney $500.00 *=BCHC shares portion of dues with Back ountry Horsemen of America ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPS: AN ADDITIONAL $15.00 PER UNIT IS ADDED TO YOUR PARENT UNIT DUES. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP UNIT AFFILIATIONS MAY NOT BE FOR THE SAME UNIT AS YOUR PARENT UNIT. Associate Membership for: $15.00/unit (Unit Name (from above list) Associate Membership for: $15.00/unit (Unit Name (from above list) Please write additional choices on back Please clip form along dashed line KEEP BELOW INFORMATION FOR YOUR RECORDS PARENT BCHC MEMBERSHIP TYPES Individual, Family (Shared*), Benefactor, Patron, and Mt Whitney. A Parent Membership is affiliated with a single Local Unit. BCHC members may NOT hold more than one active Parent Membership. *A SHARED Membership is for two adults with differing last names, each sharing a common address. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPS These special Memberships are only available to persons already holding Parent BCHC Membership. No one may sign up for an Associate Membership without 1) having registered one of the Parent Membership types, and 2) having selected Parent Unit affiliation. You may sign-up for as many Associate Memberships as you like. Associate Memberships may also be initiated at any time during the term of your Parent Membership. Associate Memberships must expire concurrently with the Parent Membership, and are renewable only at the time of renewal of the Parent Membership. Complete information regarding BCHC Membership is available on the MEMBERSHIP page at: http://www.bchcalifornia.org KEEP FOR YOUR RECORDS I SUBMITTED AN Application Form for: Individual Membership $ 40.00 Family (Shared) Membership $ 50.00 Benefactor Membership $100.00 Patron Membership $250.00 Mt Whitney Membership $500.00 Donation Packer $10.00 Mule Skinner $25.00 You re the Greatest! $50.00 Associate Membership Total Remittance Check Number Date Mailed $ $ Questions: Contact membership@bchcalifornia.org Page 15
Sequoia Unit P.O. Box 456 Springville, CA 93265 UPCOMING EVENTS August 13-14 2011 Tentative Ace Trip TBA August 17 2011 General Meeting - Bob and Sandy Oat s 7:00 PM August 27-28 2011 Tentative Ace Trip TBA September 10 2011 Tentative Ride - Lake Kaweah TBA September 21 2011 General Meeting - Springville School 7:00 PM October 19 2011 General Meeting - Springville School 7:00 PM November 16 2011 General Meeting - Springville School 7:00 PM December 10 2011 Christmas Party - Springville Memorial Building TBA Page 16