The CWC strongly opposes the proposed drilling because it will damage the wild character of the Malpais Mesa Proposed Wilderness Additions. CWC staff and volunteers who have visited the region consider the Malpais Mesa Proposed Wilderness Additions to be both an ecological and scenic jewel. The central feature of the proposed additions is Conglomerate Mesa, a 7,700-foot structure topped with spectacular, jagged conglomerate rock. The topography gradually drops to 3,800 feet west of the mesa. The western slope includes rolling, laminated badlands. East of the mesa, the elevation drop is precipitous, ending in flat lands at approximately 5,700 feet. From…
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What is a weed? That’s the question I asked my group of high school students as we started a five day service learning program out at Eureka Dunes. Our work that week ranged from restoring illegal roads, helping to tune a barbed wire fence, campsite maintenance, and, yes, pulling weeds. I often wonder what the kids are expecting when they come on these trips. I the case of these kids, had they signed up only to fulfill a school requirement? Do the work, gimme my hours, thank you very much? The work done is what I think of as the…
For the second year in a row we worked for most of a week in Saline Valley with a group from Washington State University, out of Pullman, Washington. After an impressive two day “commute” from Washington to Bishop eight WSU-ers and three FOIers drove in the south way since the north entrance is closed by snow. FOI has now helped support four trips to Saline so we know that any trip to the valley is a fairly big undertaking. It’s remote, the roads are rough and it has a distinctly backcountry feel. It’s not quite as big a deal when…
This past weekend Friends of the Inyo was blessed to be the recipient of the first ever Andrea Mead Lawrence Award for Passionate Engagement in Community and the Land. As many of you undoubtedly know, Andrea is the matriarch of Eastern Sierra conservation – a long-time Mono County Supervisor, gold medal winning Olympic skier and constant local voice for preserving what makes the Eastern Sierra wild and free. This award recognizes the powerful work we have done together to reconnect people and the land through the Eastern Sierra Stewardship Corps – work that is made possible by you – our…
For the past few years, Furnace Creek, a unique perennial stream on the backside of the White Mountains near Dyer has garnered a lot of attention. Prior to 2004, a little-used off-road vehicle route caused disproportionate damage as it cut through a lush riparian desert stream, and, at higher elevations, facilitated proliferation deep into the White Mountains. Friends of the Inyo has been involved in preserving the Furnace Creek habitat and, most recently, worked with many partners to generate a formal protest to the Bureau of Land Management’s Environmental Assessment, which proposed rebuilding the washed-out road. The public comment period…
After a powerful and much needed winter storm things are finally starting to dry out and it has been pleasant enough these past few days to go out and walk around. One of my favorite hikes is out on the Tablelands, where the attractions include lots of open space, interesting and colorful rock formations and, after a big storm, plenty of water. In such an arid land desert streams provide such a strange and wonderful sound, temporary and oddly out of place. I often wander out to the Tablelands and a few favorit haunts out there right at the height of…
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The first Annual Friends of the Inyo Environmental Film Festival….blah blah blaaaa
Founded in 1986, Friends of the Inyo is a Bishop, CA-based non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the exploration, preservation, and stewardship of the public lands of the Eastern Sierra. The Eastside’s scenic beauty, wild rivers, varied flora and fauna, and abundant opportunities for sustainable recreation are our business–and yours. Through a combination of outreach,education, and advocacy, together we can ensure that this remarkable place is preserved for future generations of people, plants, and animals. The Eastern Sierra The diverse wildlands of the Eastern Sierra are a national treasure, known and loved by many as a vast, undeveloped paradise of grand…