rails t Issue - Sierra Club · This is why I – and, I hope, you – belong to the sierra Club....

Fall & WinterEVENTSIssue

Where we are now. In early July, the Martin Fire north of Winnemucca became the largest wildfire ever in Nevada, burning 435,569 acres before it was contained. The fire burned parts of Paradise Valley’s historic 96 Ranch, as well as extensively damaging eco-systems. Donald Rothberg wrote in the Nevada Independent, “Federal land managers and rangeland ecolo-gists expect there to be lasting impacts on grazing, wildlife and sagebrush habitat in the burned areas, with a full recovery taking up to a decade.” And then there were the California fires later in July and August, blanket-ing our region in thick smoke. To mid-August 2018, wildfires had burned over 1,201,680 acres of California. That’s about as big as the ENTIRE state of Delaware. In August alone, 1,650,950 acres burned in British Columbia. Fires continue. It seems there is no “fire season” in the West any more, as big fires burn throughout the year. Climate disruption & wildfires. You might be discussing all these wildfires with friends who still deny the real-ity and the effects of climate change. While some other factors contribute to the increased severity of wildfires and the longer wildfire seasons, the connection between climate change and fires is clear. The higher spring and summer temperatures and earlier spring snowmelt that we now see are causing soils and vegetation to be drier

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environmental news of nevada and the eastern sierra from the toiyabe chapter of the sierra club

Summer OUTINGS Issue

GB Group News, Meetings, & Outings . . 2Exploring Three 2PK Peaks . . . . . . . 2Hike Winnemucca Ranch Rd . . . 3Gourmet Picnic in Galena Creek Park . . 3Marge Sill Scholarship . . . . . . . . 4LADWP Water Grab . . . . . . . . . . 4SNWA Water Applications Denied . . 4What Do You Know About Plastic? . . 4A Pioneer Solar Pavilion in Lee Vining . . 5SN Group News & Meetings . . . . . . 6SN Group Outings Calendar . . . . 6Winter and STILL Camping . . . . . . . 6ICO: Getting City Kids into Nature . . . 7ROL Group News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8ROL Volunteer Opportunities . . . 8Summer Photo Gallery . . . . . . . . 8Ready for 100: Mammoth! . . . . . 8ROL Outings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

in this issue

Please see FROM THE CHAIR, page 2..

From the Chair

Please see DEMOCRACY, page 5.

Bequests are a way to support Toiyabe Chapter’s mission

by david vonseggernINTEREsTED IN FuRThERINg ThE goAls of the Toiyabe Chapter after you are no longer walking those trails? Toiyabe Chapter members can arrange a bequest to the Chapter rather than to the national organization. By doing this, you will be assured that your gift stays in the Chapter to continue supporting the protections you want for Nevada or eastern California. Because the language must be stated exactly to avoid misinterpretation, please contact the Chapter Director, Brian Bef-fort ([email protected]), or the Fundraising Committee Chair, Janet Carter ([email protected]), to make sure the language is correct.

by anne macquarie

What can we learn froma hot & smoky summer?

Toiyabe ChapterExCom Meeting

saturday, 9 amseptember 15, 2018

reno, nvFor details,

contact the Chair,ANNE MACqUArIE

[email protected] members may attend ExCom meetings, in person, for las Vegas, Reno, Tahoe or Mam-moth lakes meetings or via Zoom meeting for other meetings. Please arrange participa-tion with the Chapter Chair, Anne Macquarie (775-303-2562) or email ([email protected]). Members are also encouraged to contact the Chair or any ExCom members with requests to bring certain matters before the ExCom.

Use your power:Vote the environment!

by anne macquairie

Recognizing the importance to the environment of these crucial 2018 midterm elections, the Chapter has endorsed more candi-

dates then ever before. We Americans were once international leaders in protecting our environment through strong environmental laws and policies. sadly, that’s no longer true: the environmental protections we have worked for for generations are under deliberate attack. We urge you to vote, to vote for environmentally responsible candi-dates, and to do what you can to help set our nation back on a track of protecting a livable planet for all of us. here is a link to a list of our endorsed candidates in Nevada and eastern California. https://www.sierraclub.org/toiyabe/toiyabe-chapter-political-committee. Please vote!

Candidates needed for Toiyabe Chapter Executive Committee

by cathy schmidt

ouR ChAPTER hAs ABouT 6500 mem-bers in Nevada and eastern California. We take our responsibility to these members seriously and support their interests in renewable energy, protection of public lands, water and habitat issues, getting people outdoors, and much more. We need new ExCom members with a commitment to the sierra Club mis-sion, with solid interpersonal skills, and with the enthusiasm to lead our group forward. No sierra Club leadership experience? There are people here to support you if you have a willingness to learn. There are several seats up for election this year, and we’d love to add your name to the slate of candidates. To learn more today, contact any member of the Nominations Committee: Cathy schmidt, [email protected]; laura Richards, [email protected]; or Vinnie spotleson, [email protected] !

Let’s make Democracy fun

by brian beffort, toiyabe chapter director

“I DoN’T lIkE PolITICs. I DoN’T ThINk we should get involved.” It wasn’t the first time I had heard this from a fellow American, but it was surprising to hear from a sierra Club leader. sometimes I hear about two types of sierra Club members: those who join because they want to change the world, and those who just want to hike and — for at least a few hours — forget the anxiety and problems of the world. I get it. I need that time, too. We all need to unplug, de-stress and connect with the heal-ing beauty of nature. (I write this refreshed after a bike ride in the hills this morning.) But given the number and intensity of challenges we’re facing around the world, we no longer have the luxury of ignoring

Deadline!december 1

for jan - feb - mar issue

Some lucky Range of Light Group members hiked to Skelton Lake from Coldwater Campground in early June. The view was enhanced by snow lingering on the distant shore and rock faces. See more of the Summer Photo Gallery on page 8. Photo: Joanne Hihn.

OCTObER - NOvEmbER - dECEmbER 2018 toiyabe trails

for longer, increasing the likelihood of drought, lengthening the fire season, and contributing to larger, hotter fires. This is the effect of climate change in the West – happening right now. Meanwhile… The Trump admin-istration unveiled its power plan - a plan relaxing pollution restrictions on coal-burning power plants. A plan that will, according to the Washington Post, “release at least 12 times the amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere compared with the obama rule over the next decade.” And Ryan Zinke’s Department of the Interior is auctioning off oil and gas leas-es on hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in Nevada. According to the Center for Biological Diversity’s Patrick Donnelly, the potential leases include “parcels in Railroad Valley/Duckwater area; right up to the edge of Ruby lakes National Wildlife Refuge and the south-ern Ruby Mountains, and high quality sage grouse habitat in steptoe and North spring Valleys.” Fossil fuels triumphant? In my view we are witnessing the endgame of the fossil fuel industry. Make no mistake, this industry, possibly the richest and most powerful in history, is doing ev-erything it can to delay the transition to a sustainable fossil-fuel-free future. They might succeed. But solar power is cheaper than ever

before, and the price of solar is still dropping. Eventually, no matter how long coal plants are propped up, they will close because they no longer make economic sense. Moreover, in the u.s., 69% of adults support strict limits on Co2 emissions from coal-fired power plants. In the lack of leadership from Washington, cities and states have stepped forward to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. Just last week California legislators passed a bill requiring 100% of the state’s energy to come from car-bon-free sources by 2045. How we make a difference -- right now. last week I was having trouble getting Evan gillespie, Western Deputy Director of the sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, to return a phone call. he finally called me back and apolo-gized: he had been sitting in a legislative hearing room in sacramento – counting votes for the clean energy bill. he said they were a few votes short, but assured me they would get them. And they did. This is why I – and, I hope, you – belong to the sierra Club. Because we – through our volunteer efforts, through our donations that support staff like Evan, through our persistent discussions with our climate-change-denying friends – are on the front lines of making sure we preserve a healthy and livable planet for all. And what better work is there? Thanks for all you do!

gKo picnic bee-yond

expectations!by sue Jacox, [email protected]

BluE skY, BIg CRoWD, BEsT band, barbecue, and business donations for our raffle made our gBg annual picnic at galena Creek in August one for the record books. And if that sounds like a lot of Bs, we had those too, or actually yellow jackets, but they buzzed in late and missed all but the very end of our party. once again the little City string Band shared their talent and tunes, making a perfect afternoon in the forest even more pleasant. over 70 members and friends joined us and contributed nearly $500 to our get kids outdoor fund with many happy raffle winners going home with gift cards, bicycle, sleeping bag, green cleaning products, wine, plants, and many other prizes donated by mem-bers and local businesses.

The school year has barely begun, but applications have already been arriving from teachers eager to share the outdoors with their students with help from our get kids outdoors fund. Teachers who receive the support for their schools are most appreciative, and thank you notes from children show how much the outings mean to them. hiking in the forest or snowshoeing are firsts for most of the children and open their eyes to the wonders of nature! A big thank you to all the generous members who contribute. Save the date! Don’t miss our next big get kids outdoors campaign on Saturday, December 1, when we’ll have the giving Tree at our holiday party.

Serving nevada

& California’S e. Sierra Toiyabe Trails is published four times each year by the Toiyabe Chapter of the sierra Club, P.o. Box 8096, Reno, NV 89507, to help keep our members well-informed and better able to protect the environment—for our families, for our future.

Editor – lynne Foster (805-239-3829); [email protected].)

Deadlines – Contributions are due by the 1st of the month for publication in the following month’s issue: December 1 for January-Febru-ary-March; March 1 for April-May-June; June 1 for July-August-september; september 1 for october-November-December. Submissions – Call or e-mail editor before deadline for late submissions. submit news, story ideas, photos, and letters-to-the-editor to the editor (contact info above). Please include your name, phone, e-mail address, and group with all contributions. Please send your contributions by e-mail. If you don’t have a computer, please ask a friend to help you. For photo return, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The Toiyabe Trails reserves the right to edit all contributions for reasons of space, clarity, slander, or libel. Subscriptions – Toiyabe Trails is free to all Toiyabe Chapter members. subscription cost for non-members is $12 per year. To subscribe, send check for $12, payable to “Toiyabe Chap-ter,” to Toiyabe Trails subscriptions, sierra Club, Toiyabe Chapter, c/o Treasurer. (see Chapter address in first paragraph, above.) Change of address – Postmaster & Members, please send address changes to sierra Club, Change of Address, P. o. Box 52968, Boulder, Co 80322-2968 or <[email protected]>.

Membership information – There is a mem-bership coupon in each issue of Toiyabe Trails. You can also call a group Membership Chair (see directories on pages 4, 8, and 10) or the sierra Club office in san Francisco (415-977-5663).

Other Sierra Club information. Call the Toi-yabe Chapter Chair or Conservation Chair (see Chapter Directory online at http://toiyabe.sierra-club.org) or the sierra Club Information Center in san Francisco (415-977-5653). Also, see group pages for website addresses of groups.

2

Toiyabe Trails

Great Basin Group

by Katy christenson, great basin group chair

Group News

from The Chair . . .continued from page 1

Great Basin Group

Chair katy Christensen* [email protected]

Vice-Chair David von seggern* [email protected]

secretary sue Jacox* suejacox@nvbellnet

Treasurer Roleigh Martin* [email protected]

officers

Monthly Programs. The great Basin group monthly programs take place on the second Thursday of each month at the Bartley Ranch Western heritage Center in Reno. social hour begins at 6:15p and the program begins at 7p. The great Basin group kicks off its fall lineup of monthly programs on Thursday, september 13, 2018, with a special Intro & Inquiry with sierra Club Endorsed Candidates session and a lively discussion of energy issues impacting the great Basin. Ample time for Q&A will be available. Annual Members Picnic a great suc-cess! The annual gBg members annual picnic was a huge success on August 27! over 70 members attended, and over $460 was raised for the gBg’s get kids outdoors grant programs. It was held at the spacious galena Creek Park Bearmat group picnic site. A beautiful afternoon was enjoyed by all, accented by the delightful music provided by the little City string Band. A special

ThANk You to Marie Norell and sue Jacox for all their planning efforts. Great Basin Group Outings. The gBg outings program continues to roll along as one of the group’s best ways to reach the greater community of North-ern Nevada. The group’s 30+ outings leaders posted and led 99 outings from June through August 2018, getting close to 1000 members of the community outdoors. see full report from outings leader Dan Ellsworth in this issue. Get Kids Outdoors! The great Basin group continues to provide support, through gko grants, to primarily low-income schools for science-based field trips that enable students to experience the great outdoors in a variety of settings. Two groups of 4th grade students will participate in a nature exploration field trip through the Tahoe Institute of Natural sciences in october 2018. Monies raised through gBg fundraisers, such as the An-nual members picnic, help with the trans-portation expenses of these field trips.

december 1

Deadline!

forjan-feb-mar issue

TRAILS

OCTObER - NOvEmbER - dECEmbER 2018toiyabe trails 3

great basin group outings newsby daniel ellsWorth, gb outings chair

This summer, the great Basin group outings program partnered with Truckee Meadows Community College to connect students with the

natural world and the sierra Club. outings leaders lurana Cancilla, lori Bellis, and scott Berry led a small class from Carson Pass to Winnemucca lake -- an easy 5-mile hike with beautiful views and an abundance of flowers -- on July 7, 2018. (see photo just below.)The great Basin group is hoping that this will lead to many positive future partnerships with TMCC.

IN JuNE, scott Berry and sharon Marie Wilcox took a group of hungry hikers on a short stroll in galena Creek Park to the Bearmat Picnic area for a gourmet dinner picnic. Participants brought yummy food and beverages to share. The gold star went to John Ide for

ThE goAl oF ThIs sIERRA CluB TRIP included three Nevada peaks on the Ne-vada P2k list: Mount Callaghan, Roberts Creek Mountain, and Pilot Peak. our trip left Reno early with plans to hike Mount Callaghan (10,187 ft) that afternoon. In Austin we topped off gas and then drove north on hway 305 to silver Creek Road. We parked a couple of miles shy of the summit for a short hike after the long drive. With plans to camp near our next peak, we didn’t linger on Callaghan’s summit. The second peak we wanted to hike, Roberts Creek Mountain (10,134 ft), sits in the Roberts Mountain Wilder-ness study Area in central Nevada. This peak, in ad-dition to its P2k listing, is also on the great Basin Peaks list. our hike began at the wilderness b o u n d a r y and followed a steep road through an abundance of wildflowers. A pond provided a swimming stop for my pup. I kept a close watch, noting the shoreline display of fresh deer and mountain lion tracks. I didn’t want the lion to catch a chocolate lab dinner. At the summit, an amaz-

Join Snowlands Network for the Backcountry Film FestivalThursday • November 29, 2018 • Patagonia outlet • reno

Immerse yourself in a night of films that capture the spirit of winter. Adventure, environment and climate, youth outdoors, ski culture

-- you’ll find it all in this award-winning lineup.location: Patagonia Outlet, 130 S. Center Street, Reno, NV 89501

tickets: On sale at REI Reno and online at www.snowlands.org beginning October 15, 2018

Doors open: 7 pmSnacks and beer provided to get you through the evening!

Meet & Greet, Raffle and Silent Auction items open: 7 pm - 7:45 pmFilm Start: 7:45 - 8:30 pm

Intermission: raffle and silent auction items awarded: 8:30 - 9:00 pmFilms start again: 9 - 9:45 pm

End 10 pmCheck it out at https://winterwildlands.org/backcountry-film-festival/

long proposed as a development area, Winnemucca Ranch, at 25 miles north of Reno, represents the extreme of urban sprawl.

Along with it, the Marshall Ranch, somewhat closer to Reno on Winnemucca Ranch Road, is also proposed for development.

Great Basin Peak Section Newsexploring three 2PK peaks

by sharon marie Wilcox

ing variety of butterfly species circled around during our leisurely break. In search of a camping spot before attempting Pilot Peak, we drove down NV state Route 882 (old Belmont Road) through Monitor Valley. At the intersection with Wallace Canyon we paused to sign the geographic Center of Nevada register. looks like the location sign was stolen again! A green box at the intersection contains the register. We briefly stopped in Belmont to visit friends and then continued to Tonopah for gas. The day ended at a quiet camp spot near Candelaria with a colorful sunset. In the morning we headed up Tele-phone Canyon to Pilot Peak (9182 ft),

the highest peak in the Pilot Range. The springs in the lower canyon pro-vide a home to the numer-ous chukar that scurried ac ross the road ahead of us.

skirting around the radio facility we enjoyed another 360-degree view. un-fortunately, on all three summits this trip our views were obscured by distant brown haze from various wildfires. Another great trip exploring great Basin peaks!

Come & hike off Winnemucca ranch rd — for fun & to help stop development

by eriK holland ([email protected]) & david von seggern ([email protected])

Summit of Roberts Creek Mountain: Ruby, Bob Ralston, Sharon Marie Wilcox, and Larry Dwyer.

This summer (and most summers) we experienced some bad air quality from the wildfires. If you are unsure of the safe-ty of the air, you can check www.airnow.gov to get an idea of how unhealthy the air is. During the sum-mer, your only es-cape may be to stay indoors, or leave the area (to go hiking or camping, perhaps?). During the winter months, urban areas in valleys (such as Reno), can be affected by temperature inversions that can lock air pollutants low in the valley. one trick that I’ve used for years to escape inversion trapped air pollutants is to go up into the mountains surrounding the valley where the air is cleaner and go skiing or snowshoeing. It works. True story. Check out our outings! The great Basin group publishes all of its out-ings online. The majority of outings are posted on our Meetup site: https://www.meetup.com/sierra-Club-hik-ing-Reno/

some additional outings are posted exclusively on the great Basin group website calendar here: http://www.sierraclub.org/toiyabe/great-basin/out-ings-and-events Outings leaders wanted. Are you an experienced hiker, trail runner, kayaker, bicyclist, rock climber, skier? Do you believe in the sierra Club mission? Do you want to share your experience with others? If so, consider becoming an out-ings leader for the great Basin group of the sierra Club. Contact outings Chair Daniel Ellsworth for more details: [email protected]

Gourmet picnic a delicious successby sharon marie Wilcox

his delicious gourmet dessert of “posset”, a custardy specialty originally from at least as early as the 1600s. Everyone enjoyed a relaxing evening of shared dinner and conversation in the forest. looking forward to our next one!

The road was part of the long ride that brought early settlers from the Virginia Range area to Reno. The route was featured in the autobiog-raphy of sarah olds’ “Twenty Miles from a Match”. A small vacant build-ing served as a way station along the aRoaduous route from her homestead place under Tule Peak to the town of Reno. on one trip sarah olds relates that she found herself without a match to light the stove in oRoader to have a hot meal. There is a sign that states “Pave-ment Ends” at the end of the current developed area of ranchettes along Winnemucca Ranch Road, which goes on beneath the Virginia Moun-tains that overlook lake Pyramid. let’s keep it ending that way. We note that the Marshall Ranch is assessed at about $45,000. Would it be possible to raise funds to buy the ranch to preserve its open space? That is one feasible goal. We are cer-tain that Washoe County taxpayers wouldn’t be excited to be subsidizing

the paving of Winnemucca Ranch Road so that new exurbia home own-ers can drive back and forth without giving their cars a dust bath. Hike on September 30 to help stop development! The problem remains that the Winnemucca Ranch is within Reno’s part of the TMsA (Truckee Meadows service Area) and is already up-zoned for thousands of homes. We would like to get this, along with the Marshall Ranch, off the table for development. We have already had “paint-ins” at the two sites to show the beauty of these areas, and our next small step in the effort will be a sierra Club hike on september 30. We may see antelope, wild horses, and more. What you can do. Come out and see this area and decide for yourself whether it’s worth saving for wildlife and open space. Check the great Ba-sin group Meetup site (https://www.meetup.com/Sierra-Club-Hiking-Reno/events/calendar/) for details.


As the charitable giving season approaches, please consider the Marge sill scholarship fund at uNR, set up after her

death in october 2016. This scholarship supports students with environmental majors and is wonderful way to carry on the legacy of Marge sill.

In 1974 on my family’s newly acquired property, my father laid a large board against a young Jeffrey pine tree to shield it from our vehicles.

That tree is now 30 ft. high; I wish we had run it over. We own 60 acres in the sierra. located on the little Walker River in Mono County, the property is part forest and part brush; it’s surrounded on three sides by the u.s. Forest service.

IN AN 111-PAgE RulINg in Au-gust, 2018, state Engineer Jason king denied all of the water appli-cations in four basins. The basins are part of the proposed transfers by the southern Nevada Water Authority (sNWA) of rural ground-water pumped in E. Nevada and piped over 300 miles for growth and development in s. Nevada. The ruling was in response to a 2013 remand order by state District Court Judge Estes requiring the state Engi-neer to re-evaluate the availability of groundwater which could be pumped without conflicting with existing water rights and without causing long-term over appropriations in the four basins and down-flow basins dependent on carbonate aquifer flows. The state En-gineer denied the applications because sNWA did not provide any evidence to respond to the remand order on water availability. Is this a death-knell for sNWA’s proposal? Ratepayers in s. Nevada may be great-ly relieved that they will not have to pay the construction costs -- estimated at $15.7 billion for the pipeline project. how much has pursuing this proposal cost ratepayers in s. Nevada so far? While there has been no public ac-counting of the total amount that sNWA has spent on its pipeline project, it is known that sNWA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on attorneys, ex-pert witnesses, and fees for at least four water protest hearings on applications in the four E. Nevada basins: spring, Cave, Dry lake, and Delamar Valleys --

in addition to subsequent legal appeals. sNWA also financed an over 2000-page Environmental Impact statement by the Bureau of land Management as well as purchasing a score of ranches in spring Valley and some annual operational subsidies. There have also not been any estimates of the costs of required future mitigation for environmental damages to water-dependent resources and to owners of water rights which are reduced or eliminated by sNWA pumps. Annual mitigation costs may also have been in the millions of dollars. “With the denial of these applications by the state Engineer, this ill-conceived multibillion dollar boondoggle is now dead in the water,” said Abigail John-son of the great Basin Water Network (which includes the sierra Club and other conservation groups, White Pine County, Nevada and utah tribes, hunt-ers and anglers, small business own-ers, and the Mormon Church). “After a string of court victories, we have a decision showing that the water is not available for this project without hurt-ing the area’s existing water rights and environment.” While there are sure to be appeals of the remand ruling, one thing remains certain: after nearly three decades, there is no pipeline and the water authority has never broken ground on its contro-versial proposal. What you can do. For more informa-tion on this important ruling and the ongoing fight to stop the water grab, use this link to the gBWN website: http://greatbasinwaternetwork.org.

How to contribute. For folks who are immediately interested in contributing, gifts may be made to the uNR Foundation by simply calling the Foundation office (775-784-1587) and stating you wish to make a gift to a particular scholar-ship fund. When making a gift by credit card, please note that a processing fee and a transaction fee equal to the amount charged by the credit card processor will be deducted from your donation. This does not affect the tax deduct-ibility of your total gift, but it does

reduce the total funds available in the fund you are supporting. No fees apply when your donation is made by check. Make checks payable to “uNR Foundation” and send to:

uNR Foundationu. Nevada, Ms 0162

Reno, NV 89557 Please include “Marge l. sill scholarship” on the memo line of the check. Donations to the scholar-ship are tax deductible, and donors will receive a letter for IRs tax purposes.

We have recently placed a conserva-tion easement on the property to limit future development when we no longer own it. The easement prioritizes protec-tion of a 1000-year-old western juniper grove, as well as mule deer habitat of bitterbrush, service berry, and sage brush. Mule deer habitat is also supports insects, rodents, birds, and bears. Why would I, a longtime sierra Club member, look askance at this healthy Jef-frey? With thousands of trees destroyed by fire this year, perhaps never to return in my lifetime, a living tree is precious. Yet here I am eyeing what I now know is an invasion of pines and western juniper into a shrub ecosystem. should I let nature take its course or preserve the easement priorities through culling young trees? how much of “nature” is now or should be human influenced? Trees can be invaders, chang-ing sagebrush habitat into forests and increasing the fire hazard for the western juniper grove. As we know, from studies on the sage grouse, invading pinyon pines and junipers are reducing sage grouse habitat by killing sage-brush and providing perches for predators. In mid-August the Eastern sierra land Trust and BlM hosted a two-day war on invad-ing pinyon pine near Bridge-port on what looked like miles

of sagebrush and rabbit brush country which is important sage grouse habitat. over the two days, 40 volunteers cut 1000 pinyon pines. Nestled within bit-terbrush and sagebrush, the young trees were protected and unseen. With saw and loppers in hand I am now cutting young pine and western juniper trees on my property, but leav-ing the whitebark pine. The whitebark is a critical food source for Clark’s nut-cracker and subject to devastating white pine blister rust and pine beetles . A few years from now, will this action be considered wrong or right? Time and new research may recommend another action. In meantime I am grateful that fire has not torched this forest and both plants and wildlife thrive.

Removing an invading Western juniper. Photo: Tina Nappe.

4

conservation roundupNevada State engineer denies

SNWa water applicationsby rose stricKland

marge l. sill scholarshipat university of nevada, reno

by david von seggern ([email protected])

a tree confusionby tina nappe

ThIs Is ABouT WATER. In March of this year, the los Angeles Department of Water & Power (lADWP) told ranch-ers who graze cattle on lADWP land that they could no longer irrigate their allotments in long Valley and in little Round Valley in Mono County. They have backed off this complete cutoff stance for the time being. Instead, they have reduced this year’s water allotment to 0.71 acre-feet (af) per acre (4544 af total) down from 5 af per acre from last year and all years prior to 2015. letter sent to lA Mayor garcetti. The sierra Club Range of light group sent a letter to Mayor garcetti expressing its concern for the environment regarding this issue. The proposed de-watering could impact the survival rate of bi-state sage grouse chicks, eliminate precious wetlands, reduce biodiversity, and dramatically degrade the land to one covered with non-native plants. There is also an aesthetic appeal to the wetlands,

Another LADWP water grabby lynn boulton, chair, range of light group

that attracts visitors not only from the los Angeles area, but from around the world. The little Round Valley meadow is especially beautiful. Why irrigation reduction would cause serious damage. Cutting off irrigation isn’t going to take us back to the pre-irrigation landscape of 150 years ago, because . . .

• seed sources of native species that were dominant before irrigation have been flooded all that time or washed away. • soils have changed. • Climate has changed, producing less snow and more rain, resulting in meltwater on the East side being not only reduced, but more erratic.• Crowley lake, created by long Valley dam (built in 1941), has com-pletely changed the landscape, which was once a large wetland area. keep-

Please see WATER GRAB, page 5.


LeT’S maKe DemoCraCy fuN . . .continued from page 1

politics. Every challenge we face in the Toiyabe Chapter —

• proposed expansion of military opera-tions into the Desert National Wildlife Refuge and Churchill County wildlands• oil & gas exploration in the Ruby Moun-tains and elsewhere• county commission proposals to sprawl Washoe and Clark counties• water shortages throughout the region• a smooth transition to a prosperous and just economy based on renewable energy• access to our favorite protected places where we can explore and enjoy

— all come down to politics. The people elected to office at all levels create the laws and policies that support a living Earth or endanger it. The people they appoint to agencies and commissions imple-ment and enforce those laws and policies at every level. Democracy is not a spectator sport. It belongs to those who show up: the squeaky wheels. We all know that corporations and other economic interests are already in the White house, halls of Congress, state leg-islatures and local planning commissions, lobbying against policies that would protect the environment or diminish their profits. The undue influence of polluters and profi-teers will stop only when more people vote to elect environmental champions. luckily, most of you do. In the 2016 general election, 95% of sierra Club mem-bers voted, compared with only 61.4% of all Americans. Thank you for being envi-ronmental voters. Improving our environ-mental outcomes depends on getting more Americans to vote, and for the environment when they do. And that might be easier than we think. In a recent nationwide poll, 54% of latinos indicated global warming is very important to them personally, compared with only 37% of whites. Also, 71% of Asian Ameri-cans self-identified as environmentalists, exceeding the national average by 30 points. And 90% of people surveyed in Nevada — regardless of party line — agreed na-tional monuments are important places to

be conserved for future generations. This means we have common ground. Most people — regardless of party or background — want clean air and water, food that won’t give us cancer, and beauti-ful places where we can hike and teach our kids or grandkids to fish. We may not be able to outspend the corporate dark-money pouring into the elections and elected-leaders’ pockets, but those environmental voting statistics above tell us people who favor environmental protections outnumber those who don’t. The more you and I inspire others to vote and speak in favor of these protections, the more we’ll find solutions to the challenges we face. With just a few weeks until Election Day, we have tremendous opportunities to influ-ence outcomes at every level. studies show the most effective way to influence voters is person-to-person. how do we do that? Read Anne Macqua-rie’s story on page 1, which has links to our endorsements in Nevada and eastern California. share them with everyone you know. Talk to people in line at the store about the issues and candidates you care about. gather friends and neighbors for a potluck or picnic (who doesn’t love food?) to discuss the issues that matter in your area and share sierra Club’s endorsements. Join a neighborhood canvass in support your environmental champions. Call fellow voters and tell them about our endorsed candidates. When in doubt, include snacks, music and socializing. What you can do. Across the Toiyabe Chapter, sierra Clubbers are doing all the above. You can help with these efforts from wherever you are. send me an email at [email protected] or call me direct at 775-848-7783 to learn more. We can make the environment relevant at every level of politics. And it doesn’t have to be painful. We might even be able to have some fun while we’re at it. I plan to go to bed on Election Night saying, “holy cow! We did it!” instead of wishing I had done more. Join me in making this happen. And when we’re done, let’s go

FoR ExAMPlE, DID You kNoW . . . • 50% of plastic is only used once and then is thrown away• plastic bags and films can only be recycled in certain plants -- they are not eligible for las Vegas’ curbside pickup program• 92% of Americans over the age of 6 test positive for BPA – that is, bisphenol A, an industrial chemical used in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins in food and beverage storage containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles• Ireland imposed a fee on plastic bags in 2002, which decreased usage by 90%• plastic can take up to 20 lifetimes to biodegrade in a landfill• every piece of plastic ever made still exists!

What’s being done Thankfully, some prominent re-tailers are taking action. starbucks recently announced a ban on straws by 2020, and McDonalds in the uk have already replaced plastic straws with paper ones. In 2015 the uk implemented a fee on plastic bags, and as a result, the number of plastic bags on the seabed plummeted. The Prime Minister, Theresa May, however, is not content with the progress. she is now propos-

PLASTIC: Did You Know?by heather haney-King & the sn group recycling committee

ing to double the fee on plastic bags (from 5p to 10p – about 7 cents in u.s. dollars) to further discourage usage. here in the u.s., the largest grocer, kroger, just announced that they will be eliminating all plastic bags by 2025. This is obviously good news, but it’s not enough.What you can do

• suppor t p las t i c bag bans , polystyrene foam bans, and recycling bills• bring your own mug to your local

coffee shop• bring reusable food containers for leftovers when you eat out• take your reusable shopping bags into the store with you• replace throw-away produce bags

with reusable alternatives and avoid buying plastic wrapped produce• say no to straws!• encourage your employer to buy and use recycling bins• volunteer at local clean-ups or simply take a bag with you and pick up trash whenever you are outside

last but not least, spread the word; talk to your family and friends. Post articles like this on social media. Call your Congressional representatives and tell them how important this topic is to you, your children, and your community. suggest they join you at a local clean-up.

once upon a time, in a little mountain town on the edge of a big blue lake, a small group of people wanted to do something. They noticed

that winter snows were less deep, and summer days were drier and hotter with forest fire smoke in the air. The group wanted to protect their beautiful lake, which depended on the snow to stay healthy. so the group went to their local council and said, “we want to become friendly to the climate and set an example for all the visitors that come to see our lake, what should we do?”

ing more water in the streams isn’t going to undo that.

Also, suddenly going from wetland to dry land is likely to make things worse. The the long Valley and little Round Valley area turned brown by July this year and weeds moved in. Extensive study is needed to understand the im-pacts that irrigation has on these lands and on the plants and animals that de-pend on them — especially the impact to the declining bi-state sage grouse population in long Valley. Continuing

LaDWP WaTer GraB . . .continued from page 4

irrigation is the safest path until envi-ronmental impacts are determined and a restoration plan is developed. our area cannot support lA’s water needs. The other part of this discussion is that the Eastern sierra can no longer help meet the water needs of los An-geles as it did up to 1989. With climate change, less snow, and more rain, water on the East side will be more erratic. Taking water from the Eastern sierra has always had a big impact on the envi-ronment when compared, for example, to taking water from the shasta/oroville headwaters, which is better able to meet the needs of a growing lA.

© Er

ik Ho

lland

the year of saying yes: the 2018 story of a pioneer solar pavilion in lee vining

by Janet carle

The council said, “Do something real, that people can see and touch, that is useful and beautiful and we will sup-port you”. None of this touchy feely abstract stuff. so the group decided to build a beauti-ful pavilion with a roof of solar panels, based on an idea from a town across the sea, to showcase how it is possible to have clean energy. It would be in the park in the middle of the town, near where the children play. It would be a shady spot to sit and the solar panels would provide energy for the travelers to use. It was a wonderful plan, but there was no money or knowledge to build something so grand. This is the beginning of the story of the Pioneer solar Pavilion that was

dedicated on saturday Aug. 25 at hess Park in lee Vining. The rest of the story is this: a com-munity worked together and helped each other to create something useful,

Please see PIONEER SOLAR PAVILION, page 7.

Building the Solar Pavilion -- half a solar roof.

OCTObER - NOvEmbER - dECEmbER 2018 toiyabe trails6

Group News

southern nevada group

Southern Nevada GroupCalendar

ALL evenTS inCLude ConSeRvATion eduCATion ACTiviTieS

All phone numbers are 702 unless otherwise noted.All hikes and service projects are led by certified outings leaders.

(Please use email when leaders state that they prefer email,especially if you have a long distance telephone number.)

Nevada Tour Operator – Registration Information, Nevada Tour Operator Ref. No. 2008-0041.

a full calendar of our outdoor activities can be found online at www.sierra-club.org/toiyabe/southern-nevada. you can also visit us on facebook at

www.facebook.com/sierraclub.sng, and please “like” our page.

come to the clubhouseoctober 3 • November 7 • January 2 • dark in December

southern nevada Group

Chair Taj Ainlay* 702-576-6815 [email protected] Vinny spotleson [email protected] Jane Feldman* [email protected] Bobby Mahendra [email protected] large Verna Mandez [email protected] large Bobby Mahendra bobby [email protected] large Vinny spotleson [email protected] large Naomi lewis [email protected] Power Plants Jane Feldman* [email protected] Jane Feldman* [email protected] species Jane Feldman* [email protected] & WildlifeEnergy Jane Feldman* [email protected] Warming Eric Young [email protected] Vegas ICo Betty gallifent [email protected] Taj Ainlay* 702-576-6815 [email protected] opengreen Burials Dennis Raatz [email protected] openPrograms Taj Ainlay* 702-576-6815 [email protected] heather haney-king [email protected] Jane Feldman* [email protected]

Webmaster Taj Ainlay* 702-576-6815 [email protected] * ExCom member

officers

Please see SN CALENDAR, page 7.

Please see WINTER CAMPING, page 7.

new lending library at the clubhouseTo establish a small lending library at the sierra Club office, outings leader Nick saines and former Programs Chair gary Beckett recently collected dozens of books, the majority of which were generously donated by kC Dendooven and Jomar Alwes. Most of the titles relate to hiking and outdoor destinations, such as “hiking las Vegas,” “The hiker’s guide to Nevada” and Winnett’s “guide to the John Miur Trail.” Many of the additions/editions are from kC Publications’ “The story Behind the scenery” series, from “Red Rock Canyon” and “lake Mead & hoover Dam” to “Petrified Forest” and even “hawaii Volcanoes.” Please take a look at what’s on offer the next time you stop by the sierra Club office. clubhouse location We are near springs Preserve and Meadows Mall, with plenty of free parking. The office is also easily ac-cessed via RTC’s 104 and 207 bus routes. The address is 3828 Meadows lane, las Vegas, NV 89107.upcoming meetings ExCom. open to all members, the monthly meetings of our Executive Committee (ExCom) are typically held on the first Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted. We meet 5:30-8p at the sierra Club office, as noted above. Please join us on october 3, November 7, or January 2; dark in December.

october 11 (thursday)Mountain Springs Trailhead, Spring Mtns NRA. About 4.5 mi, 1000 ft gain. level moderate. An out-and-back hike, steadily uphill. View las Vegas from 4400 ft above strip. short meditation on top of mountain. level 3. leader: Vern Quever ([email protected], 715-587-4341).

october 13 (saturday)Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Day trip and a few short hikes at this sanctuary for migrant birds, registered on Ramsar Wetlands of Inter-national Importance. Famous resident of springs here is Devils hole pupfish. Meet up early at sW of town to carpool. level 2. leader: sasson Jahan ([email protected], 702-499-9218).

october 23 (tuesday)Arnight Trail to Pine Creek, Red Rock Canyon NCA. A great desert hike from trailhead at oak Creek Can-yon along escarpment N to Pine Creek, passing Juniper Canyon and descending into Pine Creek along beautiful section of trail, picking up our cars at Pine Creek trailhead. Why is Juniper Can-yon different than oak Creek and Pine Creek Canyons? gain/loss less than 200 ft; 2.5 mi total. leader: geologist Nick saines (702-896-4049, [email protected]).

october 27 (saturday)Pinnacles at Valley of Fire SP. Mostly flat hike with RT distance of about 6+ mi. Rock formations in this valley are amazing due to wind erosion. Carpool from sE of town and drive up through lake Mead National Park. stop on way at Roger’s spring. What kind of amoeba lives in this hot spring? level 3. leader: sasson Jahan ([email protected], 702-499-9218).

november 3 (saturday)Traversing Black Mountain Peak. hike about 7+ mi, 2000 ft gain; 360 view of las Vegas and Eldorado Val-ley. What variety of wildlife does this mountain range support? level 5. leader: sasson Jahan ([email protected], 702-499-9218).

november 6 (tuesday)Election Day. The polls are open from 7a to 7p across Nevada. Be sure to vote for environmental champions. And if you are not sure who they are, just click on the 2018 Elections tab of the Toiyabe Chapter website, and follow the link to “Nevada Endorsements.” let’s Make America green Again!

november 8 (thursday)Three Canyons in Red Rock NCA. hike from sandstone Quarry to Ash

“Winter & STILL camping”by eric blumensaadt

YEP, winter, no bugs, and very few people. glorious time of the year to camp. For those of you who have never done any backcountry winter camping or even those who have, back in the mists of your mis-spent youth, I’d like to recommend a book that is the best one I’ve found on the subject: Allen & Mike’s Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book, a thin paperback chock full of information. The illustrations have as much info as the text. ok, so you don’t ski, you snowshoe or posthole. Don’t worry, this book is about 65% on camping, gear, techniques and shelters. If you absorb this book’s wisdom it will be a very big help to enjoying winter camping -- and avoid-ing problems. For Club members living in the northern one-third of Nevada and in California’s sierra, you likely already have the cloth-ing you need since most of you hike, xC ski, or snowshoe in winter. so here are my recommendations for

Among other events scheduled at the new office:

• a New Members orientation on Monday, November 12 from 6p• annual holiday Potluck Mixer on Wednesday, December 5 from 6p (don’t miss out!)

look for announcements of additional activities via email, on the Chapter web-site and on our Facebook Page (sierra Club - southern Nevada group).

Canyon to Rattle snake Canyon to gateway Canyon, finishing in Calico Basin. About 4.5 mi, 500 ft gain. level moderate. some simple scrambling. one-way hike, with carpool back to trailhead. Enjoy more secluded hike than usual in Red Rock Canyon, with short meditation. level 3. leader: Vern Quever ([email protected], 715-587-4341).

november 12 (monday)New Member Orientation. our second orientation of the year is open not only to new and prospective members but also to current members with an interest in learning more about the sierra Club, the Toiyabe Chapter, and the southern Nevada group. We’ll meet from 6p for about 90 minutes at the sierra Club office on Meadows lane. light refresh-ments will be served. Info: [email protected].

november 17 (saturday)Day Trip/Hike to China Ranch. hike by Amargosa River, which eventually empties in Badwater Basin in Death Valley NP. At end of hike, stop at date farm for date shakes. About 6 mi RT on mostly flat ground. Meeting place at sW end of town for carpool. Where does Amargosa River start and where do waters come from? level 3. leader: sasson Jahan ([email protected], 702-499-9218).

november 20 (tuesday)The Muffins, Red Rock Canyon NCA. Composed of Triassic conglom-erate, Muffins are found on north end of Blue Diamond Ridge; they are channels cut into exposed sea bed 250 million years ago. hike to Muffins on gentle switchback trail. From Muffins go E to fabulous overlook of las Vegas, then back down skull Canyon Trail. About 1000 ft gain, 4 mi. leader: geologist Nick saines (702-896-4049, [email protected]).

november 26 (monday)5 Slots Loop, Valley of Fire. Rated Easy based on distance of 4 mi and a little less than 500 ft gain. some scram-bling off trail. Visit several slots near Fire Wave and spend a little time at Wave. Area has exceptionally colorful striated rocks. state park entrance fee: $8 for locals. leader: David Morrow (702-703-9486, [email protected]).

december 1 (saturday)Top of World Arch, Valley of Fire. Rated Easy based on distance of 4 mi, 700 ft gain. some scrambling off trail on steep rock slope. Views at arch are unsurpassed in Valley of Fire. leader:


S. Nevada GroupCALENDAr

continued from page 6 Crossing streams by hopping boulder to boulder, scrambling up sandstone ledges, completing long walks . . . young people on las

Vegas ICo outings accomplish things they never thought they could. Their senses recalibrate in the wilderness. They smell and hear things they didn’t before. Their fresh perspectives are inspiring.

David Morrow (702-703-9486, [email protected]).

december 3 (monday)Yellow Spire Short Loop, Valley of Fire. Rated Easy based on distance of 3-4 mi, less than 700 ft gain. some scrambling off trail. This is a rarely visited portion of Valley of Fire with a different type of colorful rocks. leader: David Morrow (702-703-9486, [email protected]).

december 5 (Wednesday)Holiday Potluck Mixer. It’s time for our annual holiday celebration! Come enjoy great food and fellowship at the sierra Club office on Meadows lane. There’s plenty of parking in front for immediate access. Potluck items are welcome and appreciated. Bring along your favorite dishes and drinks to share. Family and friends welcome! Time: 6-9p. Info: [email protected].

december 6 (thursday)Kraft Mountain / Gateway Canyon Loop Hike in Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon NCA. About 3.4 mi, 500 ft gain. level moderate. Colorful rocks, scenic views, and boxed-in canyon. We’ll have short meditation period with lunch in canyon. level 3. leader: Vern Quever ([email protected], 715-587-4341).

december 8 (saturday) Top of La Madre Ridge, Red Rock Canyon NCA. hike from Willow spring at back of Red Rock Canyon to la Madre spring, then continue along riparian stream up-canyon to Miners Cabin and mine. From there trail gets steep and will end at rock wall. Climb up this wall and continue cross-country up a rather steep face to reach top of ridge. once on top, there is a beautiful view of griffith. About 7+ mi,1500 ft gain. What is Riparian Zone? What plant habitat and community will you observe on these margins? What insects and birds does this ecosystem support? level 5. leader: sasson Jahan ([email protected], 702-499-9218).

december 10 (monday)Valley of Fire Exploratory Hike. Explore back section of Yellow spire. Distance and elevation unknown but should be less than 7 mi and 1000 ft gain. Amount of scrambling and dif-ficulty level is unknown because of exploratory nature, but “Moderate” will probably cover it. leader: David Morrow (702-703-9486, [email protected]).

december 15 (saturday)Traverse of McCullough Range in Henderson. Nice hike across breadth of McCullough Range will take us to an overlook onto Eldorado Valley. Part trail and part cross-country, about 9 mi RT, several hundred ft gradual gain. level 4. leader: sasson Jahan ([email protected], 702-499-9218).

december 17 (monday)North Bowl of Fire Grand Traverse. Mod. strenuous based on level of scrambling; about 7.5 mi, 1000 ft gain. Visit Ravens’ Balcony, traverse most of

high escarpment to “Cartoon Elephant Arch,” then back to cars. high clearance vehicles required. Ex: subaru or better. leader: David Morrow (702-703-9486, [email protected]).

december 18 (tuesday)Prospect Trail, Valley of Fire State Park. Valley of Fire is nature’s gift to hikers of las Vegas. hike along fault, through strange and colorful landforms. keep your eyes open for tracks and petroglyphs in Jurassic rocks. What kind of tracks might we find? Expect 400 ft gain, 5 mi total. leader: geologist Nick saines (702-896-4049, [email protected]).

January 1, 2019 (tuesday)Hangover Hike, Valley of Pillars in Rainbow Gardens. start New Year right by joining fellow hikers on sce-nic hike in Rainbow gardens (E side of town). This uncrowded trail has spectacular desert scenery with rugged sandstone buttes and volcanic moun-tains. how do you recognize volcanic rock? less than 200 ft gain, about 4 mi total. Two steep hills. leader: geologist Nick saines (702-896-4049, [email protected]).

the “BIg ThREE” of winter camping: 1. TENT. You may already have a double wall tent. They are good for winter camp-ing if they have a vented ripstop inner tent. If not, then rent one from REI. 2. PACk. here you need a decently large backpack, say at least 65 liters in size, to accommodate bigger sleeping bags, extra clothing, and a thicker sleep-ing pad/mattress (or both, depending on the weather you expect). 3. slEEP sYsTEM. This means sleeping bag, mattress, and sleep clothing such as sleep socks, long johns, and balaclava (trust me, a light fleece balaclava is some-thing you will want for not only sleeping but in very windy/snowy conditions). sToVEs. This is a topic you will have to decide upon for yourself, but I recom-mend NoT using butane stoves in cold weather, even inverted remote canister types. They often will not maintain pres-sure in temps below 20 F. use liquid fuel, either white gas or kerosene. or use a good gassifier woodburning stove like a Trail Designs idewinder, the Tri Ti cone stoves, or the Canadian Brush-Buddy. I like my sidewinder.great for melting snow, especially since I don’t have to carry the fuel, onlyVaseline soaked cotton balls for tinder. on the subject of footwear I recom-mend for All boots wearing thin poly liner socks under 3mm neoprene div-ers socks. The neoprene divers socks are warmer than wool socks and, more importantly, act as a Vapor Barrier liner (VBl) to keep perspiration out of your boot’s insulation. Carry one pair of spare poly liners for each day and at the end of each day put sweaty liners in a Ziplock freezer bag. (Don’t ask!) go to the Backpacking light website and peruse the “Winter hiking and Camp-ing “ forum for lots of tips on this topic. have fun -- and if you have more questions than can be answered by the book or the website, contact me at <[email protected]>.

WiNTer CamPiNG . . .continued from page 6

Las Vegas ICO : Inspiring Connections Outdoors

getting city kids into natureby betty gallifent ([email protected])

“looking at the deer when she made eye contact with me; she was talking to me,” said heather, age 10.“Today I learned to visit Mother Na-ture without leaving a trace, such as keep up with your own trash and to leave the plants and rocks at peace,” Victoria, age 19, said. las Vegas ICo invites all sierra Club members and their friends to help us continue our work of getting urban youth into the outdoors by at-tending our . . .

annual fundraisersaturday, october 13, 2018

4:30 – 6:30 pmsierra club office,

3828 meadows lane, las vegas, nv

this festive event features a live auction, live music, Wine,

and complimentary light barbeque. Please come by to mingle and hear inspirational stories from our outings. And then think about how you would like to support this worthy cause. Your $100 contribution will fund trans-portation and food for a day’s outing for 5 youth; $250 will cover the costs for a group of 12. We depend on you to pro-vide 80% of our operating budget. What is the urgent need to get our

youth outdoors? studies show that today’s young people spend 50 hours per week on social media and only one hour in unstructured play time. las Vegas ICo can help to change that. Not only does time outdoors improve their physical health, but they also learn about desert habitats, climate zones in the mountains, and water conservation practices at lake Mead. How to support us. our all-vol-unteer staff has already conducted 25 outings this year, thanks in great part to sierra Club members like you who have supported our efforts these past seven years. You can ensure that we continue our work through 2019. here’s how: Write a check payable to the sierra Club Foundation with “las Vegas ICo” written in the memo line. send to las Vegas ICo, sierra Club office, 3828 Meadows lane, las Vegas, NV 89107. Donate online:

• https://www.mightycause.com/story/Lasvegasico• https://facebook.com/Lasvegas/iCo/• https://www.sierraclub.org/toi-yabe/las-vegas-ico

Quiet Storm youth scramble at Red Rock Canyon.

Las Vegas Urban League youngsters at Lost Creek.

beautiful and inspirational. lee Vin-ing, located at the gateway to Yosemite and the heart of the Eastern sierra is celebrating its pioneer heritage and making a statement about clean energy. hopefully, our international visitors from around the world will be inspired by what our small town did with co-operation, volunteerism, hundreds of small donations, and leadership from 350 MoNo Climate Action, the Mono Basin historical society, the lee Vin-ing Chamber of Commerce and Mono County. The Pavilion has a stunning roof made of solar panels, designed pro bono by Nathan Taylor of high sierra Architecture and installed as a dona-

tion by TJ Chase and Jim harper of sierra solar, the oldest solar company on the Eastside, founded in 1990. The solar roof provides shade and generates clean energy , powering electric outlets for phone charging at the Pavilion, and the needs of the schoolhouse Museum and the adjoining public restroom. The Pavilion has WiFi and has been wired for a future electric car charger at the curb. The walls of the Pavilion are a work of art made of colorful tiles painted by the children and artists of the Mono Basin and June lake, honoring all the donors that financed the construction.

PioNeer SoLar PaviLioN . . .continued from page 5

The story of the Pioneer Solar Pavilion will be continued in the next issue!


Range of Light Group

8

range of Light Outings

by Joanne & dicK hihn, rolg outings co-chairs

Group Newsby lynn boulton, range of light group chair

volunteers needed!

THuRSDAY OuTiNGS. Rolg eve-ning outings for the 2018 season will resume in May, 2018 when weather allows and days are longer. SATuRDAY & SuNDAY OuTiNGS. These day trips also end as of october 1. They will resume in January, 2018 with x-C ski and snowshoe trips. Watch for information on our website, Rolg Facebook Page, and Rolg

Dear Members of the Rolg, We have several volunteer opportuni-ties and need need some people to step forward! ExCOM MEMBER. We need one more member to join us on the Range of light Executive Committee (aka “ExCom”) starting this January, in order to continue as a group. It is a two-year commitment. The ExCom meets every other month for 2-2.5 hours to attend to internal busi-ness and to make decisions about taking a stance on issues that come up. There will be emails on issues and draft letters to review in between meet-ings. The only requirements are to be a current sierra Club member and to have a good heart for the environment. GREAT PROjECTS. If any of these interest you, please let us know.

• Tangle Free Waters to clean up fish-ing line• Ready for 100% Renewable Energy to fight climate change• Blue Diamonds to revive historic, ungroomed, cross-country ski routes • Bohler Canyon Recovery to docu-ment the post-fire renewal• highway Cleanup to keep a section of highway 395 clean

We also respond to environmental threats, lead hikes, and organize speak-ers to broaden our understanding of the environment. OuTiNGS CHAiR. We also need an out-ings Chair by January, 2019. The outings Chair coordinates hikes, hike leaders, and hike-leader meetings as needed. he/she also ensures each hike leader has taken the sierra Club online train-ing course and a CPR course within the last 2 years. If we don’t have an outings Chair to coordinate the hikes, there will be no Rol hikes next year. PROGRAM CHAiR. This volunteer arranges member meetings. Member meetings can take the form of a speaker or slideshow, a picnic or a potluck, a discussion among members regarding issues or on how the Rolg works or could be improved. If we don’t have a Program Chair, there will only be four member meetings next year. Please consider joining the ExCom or becoming more active in our projects. Many hands make lighter work! If you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, please contact lynn at [email protected] by No-vember 1 or sooner. Thank you!

ready for 100:mammoth!

We presented the Mammoth lakes Town Council with a list of about eight items that the town of Mam-moth lakes can do to reduce the town and the community’s carbon footprint. We are starting work on that list, which includes incentives for energy efficiency upgrades for businesses and homeowners, planning electric vehicle charging stations (non-Tesla), and a 2MW solar array. For more information, go to the Range of light group’s website and click on the RF100 tab: https://www.sierraclub.org/toiyabe/range-light/ready-for-100. Please join us. This is a chance to do something to fight climate change. The Ready for 100-Mammoth team meets the first Tuesday of every month at 10:30am at the Mammoth library. We invite your input and we have a list of tasks to choose from. We also have a petition asking the Town Council to commit to 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% clean energy by 2050. We could have over 400 signa-tures if every Rolg member signs it: https://www.addup.org/campaigns/mammoth-is-ready-for-renewable-energy conglomerate mesa update silver standard withdrew their request for a permit to do exploratory drilling. We’d like to think it was because we pushed back. Now we need to protect this wonderful place!

outings Meetup pages. uNSCHEDuLED HiKiNG TRiPS. These are NoT sponsored by the si-erra Club Range of light group, but may be possible as weather allows from october through December, 2018. If interested, contact Joanne and Dick hihn for details (760-709-5050, [email protected]).

With your help we canfight global warming

Keep our planet safe. Join Sierra Club.

1401

range of LightSUMMEr PHOTO GALLErY

all photos by Joanne hihn

Botanist Ann Howald of the Native Plant Society joined ROLG on a June walk in Bodie Hills. We found this field of paintbrush in glorious full bloom.Mt. Watkins Hike:” An enthusiastic group of hikers were treated to a hike of Mt. Watkins in Yosemite National Park. Flowers and views of Half Dome kept us all enthralled for hours. (below)

This year’s hike into the Snow Ponds area near June Lake was unique because there was WATER in the ponds! After the hike, leader Jean Dillingham treated us to a yummy tostada dinner.

“Mary in the Aspen” Bohler Canyon continues to recover from the 2015 Walker Fire. We returned this year

to find thickets of tall aspen trees which obscured blackened, downed tree trunks and scorched earth.

rails t Issue - Sierra Club · This is why I – and, I hope, you – belong to the sierra Club....

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Transcript of rails t Issue - Sierra Club · This is why I – and, I hope, you – belong to the sierra Club....