Category Archives: Conservation

Conservation, State Parks

Really Short Notice: Volunteers Needed for Bighorn Sheep Survey March 9 and 10

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Well, I won’t be counting Bald Eagles today, but it looks like there’s still something to go out and count: sheep!

According to the website HERE, sign-ups are now closed for this year’s count, but there are a few spaces that ‘might be’ available if you contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  From the CDFW press release:

“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Society for Conservation of Bighorn Sheep (SCBS) are seeking volunteers to assist biologists on March 9 and 10 (Saturday evening and all day Sunday).

No survey experience is necessary to participate but volunteers must attend an orientation on Saturday, March 9, at 6:00 p.m. at the Angeles National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Arcadia. Continue reading →

Conservation, National Forests, National Parks

Think Outside – Planning Your National Parks Visits

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

It’s never too late to start planning on turning off the television, shutting down the computer, and getting your butt outside.

The United States National Park Service is the federal agency that manages all of our national parks. The agency was created in August, 1916, through a campaign by Stephen Mather, J. Horace McFarland and journalist Robert Sterling Yard as part of the United States Department of the Interior. It was created through an act of Congress, signed by President Woodrow Wilson, known as the National Park Service Organic Act which mandated that an agency be created “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

The National Park System has grown from one million acres of wilderness known as Yellowstone National Park back in 1872, to include over 18 million acres in almost 400 national parks today. To quote the National Park Service, we are truly owners of the world’s greatest collection of nature, history and culture through our National Parks System. Continue reading →

Conservation, National Forests, State Parks

Mountain Section of Bald Eagle Count for TODAY – CANCELLED!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Just got up this morning, and saw that the mountain areas portion Bald Eagle Count scheduled for today has been cancelled due to snow and road conditions.

The affected areas are:

  • Big Bear Lake
  • Lake Hemet
  • Lake Gregory
  • Lake Arrowhead

The Bald Eagle Count will still take place at Lake Silverwood and Lake Perris.

While I’m somewhat disappointed, I realize that not everyone has a nice, comfy Hemi-powered 4×4 with heated seats, cup warmers and slush mats.  I pity them … even though I only get a whopping 9 MPG in my Man Car.

You can read my original post about the Bald Eagle Count HERE.

You can read the cancellation notice (that only went out yesterday – even though we knew there was a heck of a storm coming in all week) from the Forest Service HERE.

Conservation, National Forests, Off Roading, State Parks

Comments Period Open For Land Management Plans For So. Cal. National Forests

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Forest Service has opened the public comments period for the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed Amendment to the Land Management Plans which will affect all four of the Southern California National Forests; Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino.

From the press release:

“The environmental impact statement analyzes the proposal to modify the existing land use zones allocations in selected inventoried roadless areas to include more back country non-motorized and recommended wilderness areas. It also analyzes the proposal to modify the land management plan monitoring framework. The statement evaluates alternatives for both topics, including an alternative that would recommend most of the study area as wilderness.”

The Amendment is part of a Settlement Agreement approved back in January 2011 in the cases: California Resources Agency, et al vs. United States Department of Agriculture; and Center for Biological Diversity, et al vs. United States Department of Agriculture. Continue reading →

Conservation, Off Roading, State Parks

Johnson Valley – Marines Continue to Pursue Costly Land Grab

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

You’d think that with the sequestration cuts taking effect – which are, according to the Obama White House (the same guy whose idea sequestration was in the first place) going to destroy western civilization as we know it now and for all time (and is all the Republicans fault; I’ll never get tired of the liberal “I was for it until I was against it and it’s all someone else’s fault!” line) – the Hammers would have caught a break.

But nooOOOooo. According to the California Motorized Recreational Council (CMRC) and Save the Hammers.org the Secretary of the Navy is now seeking Congressional approval to move forward with the base expansion at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. Continue reading →