We had a great day for BLM National Public Lands Day on Saturday, October 1. Friends of the Inyo really enjoyed working with the Bishop BLM, the Inyo National Forest and Eastern Sierra Land Trust. It was amazing to see the nearly 30 volunteers plant 500 bitterbrush seedlings to help rejuvanate an area impacted by the 2015 Round Fire and critical to deer winter habitat. Volunteers also worked on the Lower Rock Creek Trail. Thank you to all of the event sponsors including Paradise Fire Station, Sierra Eastern Mountain Bike Assocation, Patagonia, Michell Mather Massage, the California Deer Association and…
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Thank you to the 7 volunteers that helped out on the Humphreys Basin Volunteer Project. This was a partnership between Friends of the Inyo and the Sierra National Forest to conduct restoration at Lower Golden Trout Lake in the John Muir Wilderness from August 23-27. In all, the group restored nearly 40 illegal campsites, 40 illegal firerings and removed over 40 lbs. of trash. Check out some pictures below: Photo by Ben Wickham Arianne “scrubbing” a boulder scarred by fire, which can remain on rock for decades. Photo by Ben Wickham Not a bad view for a work site….
Friends of the Inyo advocates for balanced winter recreation for all in the Eastern Sierra. We view winter recreation as a primary driver of our local economy and a major draw for residents and visitors to the area. Many of our 700 plus members use the Inyo National Forest backcountry in winter months for non-motorized recreation and value the diverse recreational opportunities the Forest provides. Friends of the Inyo is known for its collaborative work with motorized recreational users on the Forest and we look forward to working with the INF and multiple winter recreation user groups throughout this process….
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_large”,”fid”:”959″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”270″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”480″}}]] On January 18th, Friends of the Inyo, in cooperation with the Inyo National Forest, celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a volunteer cleanup at the Buttermilk Boulders in Bishop, CA. Despite a snowy, overcast start to the day, 17 hardy volunteers picked up trash and delineated parking areas contributing more than 51 hours of service valued at $1,150 to the popular climbing area. Between November and March the Buttermilk sees peak usage by rock climbers from all over the world, and this high use is especially hard on the vegetation in the Buttermilk, which is fragile and can…
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_large”,”fid”:”857″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”240″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”480″}}]] 15 years ago this past weekend, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) designated California’s King Range near Eureka as the very first National Conservation Land unit. The National Conservation Lands are America’s newest collection of protected public lands and waterways. Today National Conservation Lands protect 30 million acres of America’s most treasured places – places rich in ecological, cultural, and recreational values. The beauty of conservation lands is their ability to provide access and opportunity for all, whether its hiking in a remote Wilderness Study Area or four wheeling to your favorite hunting spot with vistas stretching before…
As Friends of the Inyo takes a brief hiatus from its summer stewardship and trails programs, it remains committed to its mission of preservation, exploration, and stewardship in the Eastern Sierra and is hosting a number of programs, planning, and wintertime activities. In the first two weeks of December, Friends of the Inyo hosted the Wild and Scenic Film Festival in three locations—Mammoth Lakes, Bishop, and Lone Pine CA –to rave reviews and encouraging new-member turnout. Showcasing environmental and adventure films by inspired filmmakers from all over the world—the wild and scenic film festival’s parent group SYRCL (Southern Yuba River…
The Eastern Sierra. Death Valley. The Mojave desert and peaks. Wild, undeveloped and iconic. Inyo County wants to put industrial-scale solar there. These regions house the highest, lowest, hottest, and darkest places in the lower 48 states, as well as numerous unique and endemic species of plants and animals. Riparian zones in the Owens and Amargosa Valleys are the rare blend of water and desert, creating habitat found nowhere else on the planet. The Amargosa Conservancy teamed up with the Owens Valley Committee and California Native Plant Society Bristlecone Chapter, to petition Inyo County to drop these areas from consideration…
The 1st Annual Owens Lake Bird Festival will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2015. There will be a Welcome Reception at the Lone Pine Film History Museum the night before on Friday, April 24, 2015. A variety of field trips will be offered. There will also be a Closing reception at the Interagency Visitor Center. More information and details available here: https://friendsoftheinyo.org/foiD7/node/1398
We are pleased to announce the winners of our Desired Conditions photo contest! Wilderness: Somer Seitz, Upper Onion Valley Ecosystems: Somer Seitz, Lower Onion Valley Mountains: Dianne Erskine-Hellriger, Lake Sabrina Sustainable Economic Opportunities: Gail Klett, Pack train over Piute Pass Recreation: Joe Blommer, Paddling Board Gull Lake Water:Joe Blommer, Owens River Headwaters Wildlife and Plants: Gail Klett, Wild Horses, River Springs These photos were posted at the Inyo National Forest Planning workshop on Thursday, June 19th. The workshop was well attended with over 80 people and photos and comments were well received by Forest Service staff from the local…
Fish Slough Volunteer Patrol Friends of the Inyo, along with the Bureau of Land Management, helped organized the Fish Slough Volunteer Patrol. This was a group of volunteers who perform weekly monitoring in the Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Monitoring tasks included checking for OHV use off existing roads, clearing the fish gate to protect the habitat of the endangered Owens pupfish from non-native bass, and reporting vandalism at Native American petroglyph sites. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer steward of this unique and fragile oasis, please email stewardship@friendsoftheinyo.org. The patrol is currently on hold, but…