Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Bimonthly!Publication!of!the!Kern-Kaweah!Chapter!of!the!Sierra!Club!—!May/June!2003!
lowland riparian forest. It was one of the first ten Honorees included Richard and Beverly Garcia of
sites in the U.S. to receive Globally Important Bird the Mineral King Group, who received the Cup
Area recognition, 332 bird species have been Award, Les Reid of the Condor Group, who received
recorded here. Bob Barnes will be our guide to the the Long Trail Award, Dennis Burge of the Owens
various special places of this area and share the Peak Group, who received the Susan Miller/Ruth
vision for the future being created by and for the Allen Award, and Mitch Bolt of the Buena Vista
valley inhabitants. Trip size limited, regular cars OK. group, who received the Chairman’s Award.
No pets. For more information and reservations, The Garcias spearheaded a drive to keep an
send large SASE to Ldrs: Cal and Letty French, irrigation canal from being lined with concrete,
14140 Chimney Rock Road, Paso Robles. CA 93446 which if allowed would have removed 100 century-
or e-mail ccfrench@tcsn.net. old oaks and cut off the water supply to farmers on
June 28 (sat) 8 AM Cherry Creek to Salt Creek either side of the canal. Les Reid, a former member
(round trip) San Emigdio Mountains. Compare of the National Board of the Sierra Club, was the
north slopes to south slopes, see proposed wilderness leading force in convincing the Sierra Club to deal
area. Moderate. Elevation range: 1500 ft. High with worker health, particularly in regard to toxics in
clearance vehicles needed. Bring usuals. Meet at the workplace and in the fields. Dennis Burge was
tennis courts, PMC. Call Dale, 661.242.1076 or honored for his 12 years of leadership of the Owens
Ches, 242.0423. (Condor Group). Peak Group. Mitch Bolt was recognized for
Aug.4 - Aug. 10, (mon-sun), Sixty Lakes Basin “walking the talk” by developing educational pro-
Backpack Backpack over Kearsarge Pass and Glen grams about sea turtles and installing solar on his
Pass to get to this beautiful lake basin. Trip size home.
limited. Not for beginners. Contact leaders Gordon The presentation of Frank Helling representing
and Eva Nipp for information and reservations. John Muir was extremely well done and inspiring to
661.872.2432. gnipp@att.net. all, another highlight of the evening.
Many thanks go to the following local businesses for
What are HUNDRED PEAKS HIKES? their generous contributions to the traditional raffle.
Included in the listing above are hikes sponsored It was the most profitable ever, bringing in nearly
by the Hundred Peaks section of the Angeles Chap- $500. Here are the donors and prizes they gave.
ter of the Sierra Club. The purposes of the Section Please don’t forget them when you are out
are to encourage its members to explore and enjoy shopping.
the mountain ranges of Southern California and to
become familiar with their scenic resources, and also Bentz Ski Chalet - $230 Down Sleeping Bag
to stimulate interest in climbing these ranges; to Richard and Beverly Garcia (Garcia Machine) - $75
preserve their forests, waters, wildlife, and wilder- Backpacker's Cache
nesses; to enlist public interest and cooperation in Trader Joe’s - $50 Gift Bag
protecting them; and to foster among its members Olcott’s - $50 Gift Certificate
the purposes of the Club as stated in the Club Garden District Flowers - $25 Gift Certificate for
Bylaws: “To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild Plant
places of the earth; to practice and promote the Great Castle Restaurant - $25 Gift Certificate
responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and Garden Spot Restaurant - $25 Gift Certificate
resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect See’s Candies - $25 value Gift Certificate for 2-lb.
and restore the quality of the natural and human Box
environment; and to use all lawful means to carry Outback Restaurant - $20 Gift Certificate
out these objectives.” World Records - $20 Gift Certificate
White Forest Nursery - California Native Plant
ANNUAL BANQUET OF It was a special moment for many when Larry
KERN KAWEAH CHAPTER Wailes and his ten-year-old son, William, holding up
their ticket, the first to be drawn, approached the
FINE OCCASION raffle table and with hardly any hesitation chose the
As always, the wonderful rituals of greeting old Down Sleeping Bag.
friends, many of whom have not seen each other Larry is the treasurer for the Kern Kaweah
since last year, and making new friends were the first Chapter, a job full of responsibility and requiring
major highlights of the evening. much hard work. While he attends the Chapter Ex-
After a delicious dinner, Paul Gipe, Chair of the com, son William deports himself manfully with
Kern Kaweah Chapter, as the master of ceremonies great courtesy, sometimes enjoying cookies, though
led us into the formal program which included one suspects he really would rather be somewhere
recognizing special efforts of Sierra Club members. else. Happy camping to you both!
4 THE ROADRUNNER
May 3, (sat) 9AM 2003 Windmill-Wildflower landscape linkage between the Transverse Ranges,
Hike. Hear about wind energy while viewing 5,000 Peninsular Ranges, and the Sierra Nevadas. This
wind turbines in the Tehachapi Pass. An easy six- linkage is essential to maintaining a functional
mile walk starting from Cameron and Tehachapi- wildlands network, and is key to any regional
Willow Springs Road. Starts promptly at 9:00 AM. conservation strategy. "
Spring weather at 5,000 ft. Be dressed prepared for What is the threat? Housing development pro-
wind and sun, bring at least one quart of water per posals in the mountain area for two areas exceeding
person, pack a lunch. More info? Call Paul, 661. 30,000 homes and industrial development in the
325.9590 grasslands areas on the southern edge of the San
May 17. (sat) all day. Lilac Festival. Pine Joaquin Valley.
Mountain Club. Parade, Sky Divers, Booths. Good Why Los Padres National Forest (LPNF)?
time to walk in the woods, enjoy the local ambience. Quoting: “The southern district of the Los Padres
June 7 (sat) National Trails Day. Non-competitive National Forest marks a transition zone between
bike ride, walk, jog, dog-walk or in-line skating central and southern coastal California, where warm,
along the trails downtown.! Visalia event will begin dry climates to the south meet cool, wet climates
at Carl’s Jr. on Ben Maddox and go to McDonald’s from the north. Adding to the effect, the (Trans-
at Demaree. More info? call Rich Garcia. 559.592. verse) mountain range is a rare phenomenon due to
9865 its east-west axis. Transition zones of this type create
a higher density of biodiversity—this region is home
TEJON RANCH, LOS PADRES to more than 1,500 native plant and animal species."
NATIONAL FOREST ARE TWO OF What is the threat? Targeting of an estimated
TEN AREAS LISTED AS MOST 140,000 acres for permitting oil and gas drilling.
THREATENED IN CALIFORNIA. This acreage includes several proposed wilderness
areas, archaeological and cultural sites, well known
By whom and why? The California Wilderness
trails and Areas of High Ecological Significance, a
Coalition, made up of 200-plus groups concerned
Forest Service designation indicating special qual-
with the protection of natural lands, issues a list of
ities and including habitat for endangered species.
most threatened California areas every year in order
If you would like to have more information on Cali-
to draw the attention of California citizens to threats fornia’s 10 most threatened areas, contact the California
to their natural heritage. Wilderness Coalition for this publication. Address: 2655
What is considered in the choice of this desig- Portage Bay East, suite 5, Davis, CA 95616, 530.738.0380
nation “most threatened?” “Severity of the prob- or www. calwild.org.
lem” . . . “the permanence of the damage” . . . SEQUOIA MONUMENT DEIS
“the urgency of the threat . . .” among other IGNORES NON-LOGGING ALTERNATIVES.
things. STILL TIME TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINIONS
Why Tejon? Here is the largest contiguous land-
holding in the state of California, heretofore being The Draft Environmental Impact Statement
used primarily for cattle grazing and agriculture. (DEIS) developed by the Forest Service and pub-
Now it is being transformed by real estate ventures. lished on 18 December 2002 is vague, unclear, and
Quoting from the report: “There is compelling specifies logging in name of fuels reduction,
scientific evidence that Tejon Ranch plays a crucial restoration, maintenance, and public safety.
role for the conservation of biodiversity on regional, The DEIS process must be restarted and must
state, and national levels. This region has been produce alternatives in compliance with the Procla-
identified by conservation biologists as an irre- mation mandate to protect the objects and not
placeable core habitat area for numerous endan- produce a product.
gered species including San Joaquin kit fox, In addition, the DEIS justifies alternatives because
Bakersfield cactus and more. It contains designated they maintain jobs. But the Proclamation does not
critical habitat for the endangered California Condor direct the Forest Service to manage the Monument
and supports healthy populations of other raptors as to maintain jobs in the timber industry.
well as American badger, mountain lion, tule elk and False claims
mule deer, which require large and intact wildlands The Forest Service tries to justify logging in the
to survive.” Monument with the false claim that logging prevents
“Spanning the headwaters of 14 creeks and an catastrophic wildfires.
elevation range of more than 8,000 feet, the Tejon But logging and thinning remove the least
Ranch includes 27 different vegetation communities flammable of the forest materials, the tree trunks.
ranging from coastal type riparian range to montane Logging and thinning remove the forest canopy,
forests, oak savannas and desert scrub. It is a critical which is what keeps the forest moist and cool
The brush fields that would replace these logged
THE ROADRUNNER 7
trees are more flammable than the trees they replace. Only their situations were different.
Objects listed for protection ignored: Most figures in the canyon are dramatic en-
The DEIS does not even mention a number of actments of hunting. Bighorn sheep were abundant
the objects discussed in the Proclamation as needing in a world far different from the present desert. No
protection. doubt the canyon was once a rushing river or stream,
The DEIS fails to analyze the negative impacts to since its floor consists entirely of sand and polished
the most charismatic or well known of the objects rock, and high watermarks along the rock walls are
including The Giant Sequoia ecosystem, the Pacific still in evidence. The evolution of hunting tech-
Fisher & the California Spotted Owl. niques is clear, from spears, and inventions to
Even though the official comment period has facilitate stronger and more accurate throwing, to the
ended, if you have not already commented on the bow and arrow. Other rock pictures seemed to have
inadequacy of the draft management plan for the as their theme the fertility both of animals and of
Monument, please send a comment letter expressing man. Many images defy interpretation except as
your opinion about: they evoke a sense of some connection with the
(1) The inadequate DEIS, (2)the need to restart supernatural or divine. Perhaps in a world so rich
the development process based on the Proclamation, with the fundamental necessities of life, some idea
(3) the need to call for the Scientific Advisory Board evolved of human dependence upon the good will
to reconvene to give the Forest Service guidance of a provident being.
from the beginning of the process. Especially compelling to me was the discovery on
You can address all comments to: my own of a long line of human figures walking
Giant Sequoia National Monument Planning Team very close to each other, starting near the top of the
Sequoia National Forest Headquarters canyon and descending to the extent of the long
900 West Grand Avenue, Porterville, CA 93257 rock upon which they were carved. I felt sure that
those people were in migration, and for reasons that
MIDGEBUZZINGS were not benign.
“Let the storms blow through the streets of cities; the And while I stood beneath that depiction of
root is safe. When the last seared hand has flung the human flight, I thought of other desert people now
last grenade, an older version of that hand will be in terror and running, driven not by the vicissitudes
stroking a clinging youngster hidden in its fur, high of nature, but by the horrors of an ambitious war. If
up under some autumn moon." Loren Eiseley: "The I had not fully shared their emotion before that
Firmament of Time" moment, I could not escape it now, made immediate
to me by the skill and empathy of an artist who
When I first read this passage some thirty years worked thousands of years ago to tell a story that
ago, I wept. Since then I have frequently repeated never ends.
the phrase “the root is safe.” I suppose that is the Did he believe the root is safe? Do they? And will
fundamental precept of religion, and perhaps the we believe it, when the long aftermath of this war
only valid one. acquaints us intimately with terror born of seething
The passage came into my mind just four days hatred and puts us, also, to flight? I cannot say.
ago in Petroglyph Canyon, a dramatic cleft in the By Ann Williams
California desert, the walls of which are etched with
scenes from the lives of people who lived thousands
of years ago. So sacred was this place that some of
Want to receive personalized information
the most ancient figures have been carved over, and
re: Kern Kaweah Chapter concerns?
differently, by more recent people, say one or two
Send email request to alunger@juno.com
thousand years later.
Our docents were not scientists, so their answers
to our questions were probably no more accurate
than our own. We wondered, for example, why one
rock had been carved by many artists for centuries,
while others of the same composition were
untouched. No one really knew beyond some
educated guessing, and even experts, apparently, can
only speculate. The visitor is left with at least two
profound impressions: mystery, and a strong sense
of kinship with the artists. In the end, one’s own life
experiences are the best bases for interpretation.
These people were made of the same stuff as we are.
8 THE ROADRUNNER
Leaders, Kern-Kaweah
Chapter/Groups Please mail your filled-in form to Roadrunner, PO
GG, Frazier Park, CA 93222.
Excom, Kern Kaweah Chapter 661.324.1923
You do not have to sign your name unless you wish a
Chair, Paul Gipe; Vice Chair, Harry Love; Sec- response or care to do so. Thank you.
retary/Conservation, Ara Marderosian; Treasurer, Name___________________________________________
Larry Wailes; Membership, Lorraine Unger; Address:
Roadrunner, Mary Ann Lockhart; Richard Garcia;
Gordon Nipp; Glenn Shellcross; Art Unger.
Buena Vista Group (Bksf) 661.832.3382
Chair, Glenn Shellcross; Secretary, Elaine White;
Treasurer, Keith Dilday; Conservation, Mitch
Bolt; Community Issues, Art Unger; Membership/
Delg.Excom, Georgette Theotig.
Condor Group (Pine Mtn Club, Frazier Park
area) 661.242.0423
Chair, Ches Arthur; Vice-Chair, Dale Chitwood;
Secretary/Membership, Fay Benbrook; Treasurer,
Marta Bigler; Conservation, Mary Ann Lockhart.
Kaweah Group (Porterville) 559.781.0594
Chair, Pam Clark; Vice-Chair, Lori Kessler; Secre-
tary, Diane Jetter; Membership, Sara Lee Gershon;
Conservation, Carla Cloer; Outings, Theresa
Stump.
Mineral King (Visalia) 559.739.8527
Chair, Harold Wood; Vice-Chair/Publicity, Cynthia
Koval; Secretary, Betty Berk; Asst. Secretary,
Joanne Dudley; Treasurer/Environmental Educ.,
Janet Wood;
Owens Peak Group (Ridgecrest) 760. 375.7967
Chair, Dennis Burge; Vice-Chair, Steve Smith;
Secretary, Jean Bennett; Treasurer, Dolph Amster.