From Stewards of the Seqouia

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Join us for the Fall Trail Appreciation Days

Come out and help keep your trails in good condition and prevent closures.

Check your calendar for the date that works for you and register to help. We will let you know where to meet.

The dates are 10/24/09, 11/7/09, 12/12/09 Locations to be determined based on weather & soil conditions

Trail Crew working in Piute burn area

It has been a long time in coming but the Sequoia Forest has a trail crew working in the Piutes to augment all our volunteer work. The money for this came from the Burn Area funds. The trail crew are working on the E trails that are in the fire area. They have completed 34E41, 34E44, 34E43,34E45,33E68 & are continuing to work on other trails in the area. Please be aware that the burn area is closed to motorized use until 5/2010. Penalties can be stiff. We continue to work with staff to ensure the trails will be opened next year.

Labor Day Weekend Wild West Show

Saturday & Sunday September 5 & 6: 11am &1pm each day

Silver City Ghost Town The EARP’S ARE COMING! Come see the TOMBSTONE LAW DAWGS perform their Gunfight at the O.K. Corral! Celebrate the un-official end of summer with one final BANG! General admission for the Labor Day Weekend Wild West Show & self-guided tour of Silver City is the same as it is on any other day…only $4.50 per adult, $3.50 per child (12 and under) and children 5 and under are FREE when accompanied by a paid adult admission. Silver City Ghost Town, 3829 Lake Isabella Blvd. (across from Manny’s Discount Grocery), Bodfish (760) 379-5146 ghosttown@verizon.net.

National Public Lands Day

Visit public lands near you on September 26, 2009 for the 16th annual National Public Lands Day. You can help improve public lands for recreation by working with other volunteers to assist land managers in hands-on work. As an added benefit, all day-use fees will be waived for the day. Last year, more than 120,000 volunteers worked in 1,800 locations in every state to be involved in a variety of activities such as trail construction, removing trash and planting trees.

Visit the National Public Lands Day site to learn more about National Public Lands Day and to check for events located at public lands near you.

Be Safe on Your National Forests: What to do if you Encounter a Marijuana Cultivation Site

PORTERVILLE, CA—Summer is slowly winding toward the last days of fun and festivities. Public and employee safety is a key part of the U.S. Forest Service Mission of “caring or the land and serving people.” Here on the Sequoia we want your visit to your national forest wildlands to be safe. The marijuana cultivation season is in full swing and it is especially important to be aware of your surroundings on national forests.

Operation SOS— Save Our Sierra—is a multi-agency effort to eradicate marijuana and has been very active this year on national forests in the Sierra Nevada. Please be observant when in the woods and follow your instincts. Here are some clues that you may have come across a cultivation site out in the forest:

Smell a skunk? The smell of marijuana, especially on hot days, is like a skunk.

See PVC (plastic) pipes? Hoses or drip lines will be located in unusual or unexpected places.

See unusual hiking trails? Is there a well used trail where there shouldn’t be one?

Hearing voices? Are there sounds coming from an unusual place in the forest?

Are people loitering? Did you see people standing along forest roads without vehicles present, or in areas where loitering appears unusual?

Visiting isolated areas? Typical marijuana plantations are found in isolated locations, in rough steep terrain (typically between 500 to 5500 elevation).

Did you spot an elaborate mountain camp containing cooking and sleeping areas with food?

Did you spot numerous small propane bottles? Growers avoid smoke from a wood fire.

Did you see hikers with VERY heavy packs? Did you see fertilizer, weapons, garbage, or dead animals in camp?

Is it hunting season? Did you run into individuals armed with rifles out of hunting season?

As soon as you become aware that you have entered a marijuana cultivation site, or have encountered any of the above listed situations, immediately reduce the threat by removing yourself from the area. Walk, crawl or run out the way you came in and make as little noise as possible. The growers may be present, and may or may not know that you have found their operation.

As soon as possible, contact your nearest Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer or ranger station and report as much detail about the incident as you can recall.

NOHVCC Public Land Advocacy Webinar

National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC), has announced the third webinar session of its Public Land Advocacy webinar series. Registration for the webinar is available by accessing one of the links on its website, www.nohvcc.org.

Module 3, Trail System Planning – Part 2, will be held on the dates and times below.

September 2nd at 10:00am Central

September 10th at 10:00am Central

September 22nd at 6:00pm Central

[dirt dame 561]

Smell a skunk? The smell of marijuana, especially on hot days, is like a skunk.

Hmmm, I just thought that there were a lot of skunks in the mountains.....