Category Archives: California

Hiking - General, National Forests

Update on the fundraiser to save Sturtevant Camp

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Last weekend was a great fundraiser to help save the historic Sturtevant Camp.  KCET did a follow up, titled “Friends of the San Gabriels Mount Fundraising Efforts to Save Historic Sturtevant Camp”

From the article:

Sturtevant Camp — which contains the country’s oldest surviving USFS Ranger Station in its original location and a historic main lodge built as the open-air Swiss Dining Pavilion in 1897 with all original wood — is the last of five resorts that once flourished in Big Santa Anita Canyon but has since been lost to floods and fire (including Hoegee’s Camp, Robert’s Camp, and Fern Lodge). There was at one point over 200 cabins just like the ones at Sturtevant. But despite its historic significance, Sturtevant has never received landmark status. Although Angeles National Forest is protected from being developed, there’s nothing preventing Sturtevant’s structures from being demolished or languishing in disuse.

You can read the entire article HERE.

Day Hikes, National Forests

fundraiser at the historic Sturtevant Camp

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Friends of Echo Mountain have posted on Facebook about a fundraiser this Sunday, January 25.  From Facebook:

Busy Sunday? There will be a fundraiser at the historic Sturtevant Camp in the Santa Anita canyon area. The camp is located approximately 4 miles from the chantry flat station. It is a easy to moderate hike through some beautiful woods. Come see the last of the great hike-in resorts! They will be serving a light lunch. Your donations are also tax-deductable! The pack train will leave Chantry at 7:30.

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National Parks, Wildfire

The Rim Fire – a new video on YouTube

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A hat-tip to Bill Gabbert over at wildfirtoday.com who penned a post about a new video titled “the Rim Fire” that appears on YouTube today.  The video was posted by yosemitenationalpark, who put up the following description:

“The 2013 Rim Fire was the largest forest fire in California history, and the largest fire in Yosemite history. Burning 400 square miles, the speed and size of the fire was unprecedented. As these unnaturally large fires become more commonplace due to previous fire suppression and climate change, Yosemite National Park is seeing the benefits of carefully allowing smaller, controlled fires on the landscape.”

 

State Parks

California State Parks Foundation Statement Regarding Governor’s Proposed FY 2015-16 State Budget

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

On January 9, 2015 California Governor Jerry Brown released his Proposed Fiscal Year 2015-16 State Budget.  Elizabeth Goldstein, President of the California State Parks Foundation released a statement about how she believes the state parks did:

State parks fared well in this budget proposal and we are pleased to see the era of state park closures seems to be behind us. We read the overall tone of the budget for state parks as one that anticipates state government really focusing on building a better future for our state parks. And we couldn’t agree more that a focus on that future, of truly moving our parks forward, is the collective priority for all of us in the state parks movement. 

CSPF is especially pleased to see the commitment for $20 million in General Fund for deferred maintenance in state parks. While it remains a drop in the bucket toward a backlog estimated at more than $1.3 billion, like a parched California during a statewide drought, we eagerly welcome those essential drops in the bucket. Especially since last year’s proposal for $40 million for deferred maintenance needs was never enacted, this proposed $20 million is critical. 

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National Parks

Yosemite National Park Launches New Website to Commemorate 125th Anniversary

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

On October 1, 2015, Yosemite National Park will commemorate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of Yosemite National Park. On that date President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation which created the United States of America’s third National Park. With a stroke of a pen, over 1,500 square miles of pristine California land was preserved for future generations.

To celebrate this occasion, Yosemite National Park has launched a new website specifically geared to the 125th Anniversary.

From the National Park Service:

“The events in the gateway communities were a huge part of the success of the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Grant,” stated Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park Superintendent. “We are looking forward to working closely with our gateway communities again as we celebrate this significant historical milestone.”

The website offers a calendar of all anniversary events, projects, and commemorations that will take place throughout 2015. Additionally, visitors to the site will be provided opportunities to share their Yosemite stories;read a timeline of Yosemite’s rich history;learn how to host and/or organize an anniversary event or activity;and apply to use the anniversary logo on retail products.

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