Category Archives: California

News, Wildfire

Rim Fire Impacts Deer Hunting in Stanislaus National Forest

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has posted a press release directed at  hunters:

With the historic Rim fire in Tuolumne and Mariposa counties still burning, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is reminding hunters about limited access and road closures in the Stanislaus National Forest.

The still burning wildfire is the third largest ever recorded in California. CDFW implores that all outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen to be good stewards of the state’s wildland resources and obey all laws and restrictions regarding uses of valuable public land forests and ranges.

Deer hunters deal with wildfires and their impacts on hunting access nearly every year. Fish and Game Commission (FGC) regulations prohibit CDFW from allowing a hunter to exchange a deer tag after the earliest season (archery or rifle) has opened or if the tag quota for the zone has filled; and prohibits CDFW from issuing a refund to hunters after a season has started.

Archery deer season was underway when the fire started and so exchanges or refunds cannot be issued. CDFW staff will be reviewing our regulations to assess whether in 2014 we can recommend an approach to the FGC that would not inadvertently penalize hunters when such events occur.

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National Forests, Wildfire

Help California National Forests Recover

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

What happens after a forest fire like the HUGE Rim Fire burning near Yosemite?

Vance Russell, the National Forest Foundation’s Director of Programs for California has sent out an email to everyone who, I guess, supports the National Forest Foundation, and I thought now might be a good time to share it with you:

As I write this morning there are 22 fires burning in California that have scorched nearly 343,000 acres of National Forest lands – a size that could encompass the city of Los Angeles. While I was in South Lake Tahoe last weekend, the visibility barely allowed views of the lake, let alone the famous mountains surrounding it. While I felt sorry for travelers who had come there with high hopes only to be disappointed, smoke-impeded views are among the least important concerns for those who treasure California’s public lands.

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News

Welcome to California Wine Month!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

September ushers in California Wine Month with special wine-focused events, tastings and festivals at vineyards and wineries across the Golden State.  Get out and celebrate one of California’s signature industries this month, and get to know our vintners and growers, and learn more about the wine culture and lifestyle.

Check out the Visit California website HERE to learn more.

Visit Discover California Wines HERE to find out more about California Wine Month

Here’s the Press Release:

CALIFORNIA WINE MONTH: 

A GREAT REASON TO VISIT WINE COUNTRY THIS SEPTEMBER

 

Wine Lovers are Popping Corks at Festivals, Special Tastings, Wine Immersion Experiences and Tours During Month-Long Celebration Across the State

National Forests, National Parks, News

Environmentalism, Budget Cuts to blame for Rim Fire

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

As the Rim fire continues to burn closer and into Yosemite, nobody seems to want to point out why this fire is burning so well, or so fast.

The answer is environmentalism, and budget cuts that have prohibited proper forest conservation.

Environmentalism is the idiotic belief that man knows what’s best for the forest, and can bend mother nature to his will.  In this particular arm-wrestling match, nature will always win.  It was here before man, it will be here after man.  The current wave of environmentalism culminated in huge budget cuts, which has allowed undergrowth to grow unchecked.   Controlled burns were cut out of budgets, as was undergrowth removal.

Supposedly, this stupidity was to allow the forest to ‘return to the wild.’  Yet, in the wild, fires started by nature – by lightning strikes, for instance – occur regularly.  Man, compounding the errors of environmentalism, promptly stopped any wildfires. Not a bad plan, but one that runs contrary to the whole ‘return to the wild’ idea.  Environmentalists seem to think that they can have it both ways; control mother nature, and let mother nature run wild.

It doesn’t work that way.

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National Forests, News

Rim Fire destroys Berkeley Tuolumne Family Camp

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

From Sierra News Online:

TUOLUMNE COUNTY – Families who have been camping at the Berkeley Tuolumne Family Camp for years gathered yesterday to mourn the loss of the camp, which was consumed by the Rim Fire on Sunday.

The fire has now grown to 179,481 acres with 20% containment, and U.S. Forest Service officials confirmed yesterday that most structures at the camp have been destroyed.

The Rim Fire has also forced the cancellation of the 2013 Film Fest Twain Harte and the Strawberry Music Festival, an annual bluegrass celebration at Camp Mather that attracts thousands of music lovers to the Sierra each Labor Day Weekend.

The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors voted last week to close down the event because of the fire.

You can read the entire article HERE.