Closed the shop early last Thursday to drive back up to Ridgecrest for the meeting. Met with FOJ head Ed Waldheim for dinner before the meeting and have him a design for a new billboard at Jawbone Canyon. He seemed pleased with it. Just have to see how funding goes.
The meeting was very long, very well attended, and covered a LOT of issues.
1. Ron Schiller, from the Hi Desert Multiple Use Coalition brought to the BLM's attention that a new fence installed near the Golden Valley Wilderness was nowhere near true to the actual wilderness area, but interestingly enough encompassed a larger swath of land that followed the outline on Senator Feinstein's PROPOSED wilderness bill that HASN'T EVEN BEEN INTRODUCED YET!
The BLM agreed to take a tour with Mr. Schiller and a GPS to investigate.
2. There was a lengthy presentation from a geothermal concern trying to get approval for a power project in the Coso Range. There was a lengthy discussion on potential disturbances to the local water tables, and the company's efforts to deal with that issue. They reported that the local planning commission has NOT approved their project.
3. Craig Beck from the BLM Ridgecrest office gave a long and very informative talk on the OHV Grant application process and handed out paper copies of the 6 Grants the BLM has applied for. As I mentioned before, I find it humorous that the Federal government is applying for STATE grant money. The grant application does not look to be too intimidating, and if it looks like we will have a grant fund next year to request from, I will consider trying to write a grant myself. Possibly for preservation work in the El Paso Mountains.
4. Craig Beck also announced that the BLM will have funding in the latter half of this year to start doing a COMPLETE route inventory of the El Paso Mountains. At this initial stage of the process, they are interested in gathering info on EVERY track in the range, whether it is an approved route or not. This may provide some unique opportunities for those volunteers who have invested some time in the area.
5. Hector Villalobos Director for the Ridgecrest BLM office, reported on the visit from the 'higher-ups' that came from back East a few weeks back to visit the cabins. A. Apparantly this is something they do every few years. B. It probably looks like they're not doing their job if they don't find something to complain about. C. The complaints they had about the cabins were 'interesting' to say the least. I will provide more details at the club meeting.
6. I had the opportunity to meet Steve Smith, the retired BLM ranger that spearheaded the adopt-a-cabin program. Steve is part of a program that has recieved the 'green light' from the BLM to organize a 'volunteer' program for those interested in helping out with the cabins THAT WILL BE RECOGNIZED BY THE BLM. I submitted my information to Steve, along with a proposal for a new notice to be posted inside the cabins.
7. The organization that Steve is affiliated with, the Friends of Public Lands Cabins, is going to be hosting an event at the end of the month that involves some really cool old mines and cabins. I am thinking of organizing a club run to coincide with this event, even though it is only a few days after I return from my marathon drive to the Lone Star Roundup in TX.
8. As reported in the land use section: I was handed a flyer at the BLM Ridgecrest Steering Committee meeting last night that looked like a press release. It says that the BLM is going to conduct a field tour of JV on March 20th and have a public hearing on the area the following day in Barstow.
Here is the link:
https://www.blm.gov/ca/forms/calenda...ate=1237528800
The meeting was very long, very well attended, and covered a LOT of issues.
1. Ron Schiller, from the Hi Desert Multiple Use Coalition brought to the BLM's attention that a new fence installed near the Golden Valley Wilderness was nowhere near true to the actual wilderness area, but interestingly enough encompassed a larger swath of land that followed the outline on Senator Feinstein's PROPOSED wilderness bill that HASN'T EVEN BEEN INTRODUCED YET!
The BLM agreed to take a tour with Mr. Schiller and a GPS to investigate.2. There was a lengthy presentation from a geothermal concern trying to get approval for a power project in the Coso Range. There was a lengthy discussion on potential disturbances to the local water tables, and the company's efforts to deal with that issue. They reported that the local planning commission has NOT approved their project.
3. Craig Beck from the BLM Ridgecrest office gave a long and very informative talk on the OHV Grant application process and handed out paper copies of the 6 Grants the BLM has applied for. As I mentioned before, I find it humorous that the Federal government is applying for STATE grant money. The grant application does not look to be too intimidating, and if it looks like we will have a grant fund next year to request from, I will consider trying to write a grant myself. Possibly for preservation work in the El Paso Mountains.
4. Craig Beck also announced that the BLM will have funding in the latter half of this year to start doing a COMPLETE route inventory of the El Paso Mountains. At this initial stage of the process, they are interested in gathering info on EVERY track in the range, whether it is an approved route or not. This may provide some unique opportunities for those volunteers who have invested some time in the area.
5. Hector Villalobos Director for the Ridgecrest BLM office, reported on the visit from the 'higher-ups' that came from back East a few weeks back to visit the cabins. A. Apparantly this is something they do every few years. B. It probably looks like they're not doing their job if they don't find something to complain about. C. The complaints they had about the cabins were 'interesting' to say the least. I will provide more details at the club meeting.
6. I had the opportunity to meet Steve Smith, the retired BLM ranger that spearheaded the adopt-a-cabin program. Steve is part of a program that has recieved the 'green light' from the BLM to organize a 'volunteer' program for those interested in helping out with the cabins THAT WILL BE RECOGNIZED BY THE BLM. I submitted my information to Steve, along with a proposal for a new notice to be posted inside the cabins.
7. The organization that Steve is affiliated with, the Friends of Public Lands Cabins, is going to be hosting an event at the end of the month that involves some really cool old mines and cabins. I am thinking of organizing a club run to coincide with this event, even though it is only a few days after I return from my marathon drive to the Lone Star Roundup in TX.
8. As reported in the land use section: I was handed a flyer at the BLM Ridgecrest Steering Committee meeting last night that looked like a press release. It says that the BLM is going to conduct a field tour of JV on March 20th and have a public hearing on the area the following day in Barstow.
Here is the link:
https://www.blm.gov/ca/forms/calenda...ate=1237528800
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