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MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE CONSERVANCY NEWSLETTER Fall 2012
Our Mission is preserve, protect, and promote the
unique natural beauty, ecological integrity, and rich
cultural history of Mojave National Preserve, and to
build a community dedicated to the enduring
stewardship of the Preserve.
The President's Corner by David Lamfrom
The board of the MNPC thanks you for your continued
support and membership. In our third year as an
organization we remain a small, board-driven
conservancy committed to heightening awareness of the
incomparable Mojave National Preserve, and
connecting people to this place to build their capacity to
enjoy and protect it. Despite the immensity of Mojave
National Preserve, being the third largest unit of the
National Park Service in the lower 48 states, its remote
location has made it relatively obscure in relation to
other iconic western national parks. This is both a
blessing and a curse. An intrepid explorer can enjoy
this majestic landscape in solitude. That person is
afforded the privilege of experiencing natural
soundscape, uninterrupted viewscape, and pristine night
sky. They may encounter a bobcat, kit fox, sight a
golden eagle, or perhaps experience the vibrancy of a
valley carpeted with wildflowers. This is undoubtedly
still a place with room to roam. But these values present
here, lost in so many places, require our care and
protection. We need to connect new generations with
the Preserve, we need to communicate and share these
values with others, and we have to express our support
publicly to ensure that this National Park unit is
properly funded and cared for.
This is what the Conservancy does, and what your
membership and support does. We hold bi-annual
celebrations of the Preserve’s night skies, we engage
members and volunteers to perform restoration, and we
fund youth to have their first experiences in
National Parks. We continue to build our board, and
welcome Las Vegas journalist and outdoor enthusiast
Ben Spillman to our ranks. His writing will no doubt be
much better than mine, and he brings great skills, tools,
talents, and enthusiasm to our board.
I am excited to announce that we are working to restore
access to the Mitchell Caverns in the Providence
Mountains State Recreation Area. This nationally
important cave and surrounding desert mountain habitat
is a state park property within the preserve’s boundaries
that has been closed down due to budget and
maintenance issues. Famous for its cave tours, Mitchell
Caverns provided many students their first experience in
the Mojave desert. The property contains a remarkable
high-elevation desert garden habitat, rich with wildlife
and diverse cacti species. It was also a popular sight for
hiking, camping, and stargazing. The Conservancy has
initiated conversations with the National Park Service
and the California State Parks to determine what actions
can be taken to restore access to this important resource.
Stay tuned for updates on this important issue. We
can’t accomplish important gains for the Mojave
National Preserve without your support. We encourage
you to consider the Conservancy in your end of the year
giving to allow us to escalate our actions to protect this
special place. Importantly, we encourage you to join us
on a hike this Spring, on a restoration project, or at one
of our incredible night sky events. We are on facebook,
or visit our website to learn more.
www.mojavepreserve.org
Special Events and Activities Highlights Checkout this newsletter for details
See NPS ranger programs and activities starting on page 4.
2
Photo by Michael Gordon
Cleaning up the East Mojave by Annie Kearns and Linda Slater
The Homestead Act provided opportunities for many
citizens to become landowners in the East Mojave
during the early to mid 1900s. Above-average
precipitation rates in some years provided enough
moisture for successful crops for the homesteaders, but
farming in the desert environment was generally
difficult. Nearly all the homesteaders eventually gave
up their efforts, but not before about 120,000 acres in
what is now Mojave National Preserve was converted to
private property. In addition, about 1000 acres with
mineral deposits transitioned to private ownership as
mining claims were patented; the railroad was granted
another 80,000 acres of “checkerboard” properties.
Once “proved up” according to the provisions of the
Homestead Act, the parcels became private and were
later handed down within families, divided, or sold.
Some landowners who moved away continued to visit
their land for hunting and relaxation, but most did not,
and impacts to the land eventually faded away.
Although the remains of historic structures and
settlements can be seen scattered throughout the
preserve, especially in Lanfair Valley, most of these
private parcels are pristine in appearance, with
occasional historic relics to discover.
Not all private parcels had such light use, however.
Abandoned trailer-homes from the 1950s through the
1980s are a common sight in Lanfair Valley. Because
the isolation of the area made it difficult to for residents
to dispose of refuse, trash piles and pits grew alongside
them.
When the 1994 California Desert Protection Act was
passed creating Mojave National Preserve, Congress
authorized the acquisition of private lands within the
boundaries from willing sellers by way of donation,
purchase or exchange. Over the years several different
partner organizations have purchased private land and
donated it to the National Park Service. Since 2006, the
Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) has been the
principal organization leading this important effort.
The land acquisition process includes environmental
site surveys to assess any structures or dumps. An
archaeologist identifies materials of historical
significance and communicates the results. A land
restoration expert identifies hazardous waste, often
found at abandoned mine sites, and makes arrangements
for its removal. Other materials are generally
considered solid waste and can be cleaned up. In more
recent acquisitions, the Mojave Desert Land Trust
cleans up sites with large amounts of solid waste before
donating them. However, there currently is a backlog of
older parcels that require a cleanup.
Cleanups involve gathering a group of people to pick up
household items and debris and placing them in a rented
dumpster on the site. Materials frequently include can
dumps, trailers, sheds, animal pens, wire fences,
clothing and general trash. Tires, paint cans, 55-gallon
drums, batteries, and other items that are not accepted at
solid waste disposal sites must be separated out.
This process is labor intensive, and preserve staff cannot
do it without help. Over the past several years, Mojave
National Preserve Conservancy members have been
assisting with these cleanups. They have taken down
many miles of fence and cleaned up several dump sites
including the one described in this newsletter.
Volunteers camp for free at Mojave, and we often share
a potluck meal after the event. It’s a great way to get to
know preserve staff and volunteers and to learn more
about the landscape and its history.
Photo by Michael Gordon
3
Photo by Sid Silliman
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Restoration In The New York Mountains by Sid Silliman
The “Dorr site” – an acquired property in the New York
Mountains of the Mojave National Preserve – was
restored to an open meadow surrounded by pinion and
juniper-dotted hillsides on October 13th by an
enthusiastic group of eighteen individuals from the
Mojave National Preserve Conservancy, Desert
Survivors, local communities, and the National Park
Service. All debris that had marred the site was
collected and transported out of Upper Pinto Canyon.
Wood from the fallen, non-historic building on the
property was sorted and saved to repair or reconstruct
historic buildings elsewhere in the Preserve. Members
pulled and bagged Russian Thistle from an area along
Cedar Canyon Road after the cleanup in a continuation
of Park Service efforts to remove this invasive species
from the Preserve.
Why would anyone spend a day in hard labor cleaning
up acquired property in the Mojave National Preserve?
The motivations of participants for joining service
projects vary, yet there are several reasons for
participation. First, the service projects are good work –
the volunteers and the Park Service invariably restore a
portion of the Preserve to a more natural state, and the
effect is immediately apparent. Second, by the end of
the day, a community emerges from the common effort
toward preservation, the cooperation among different
organizations, and the good cheer of all. Third, the
Mojave Preserve is, simply stated, a lovely place to
spend the day. In this instance, the objective of
restoring the Dorr property was accomplished in short
order under blue skies in one of the beautiful places in
the park.
LanFair Valley Property Cleanup by Sid Silliman
The Mojave National Preserve Conservancy and the
National Park Service joined hands in March 2012 to
clean up and restore to its natural condition a parcel of
property in the Lanfair Valley, donated land now legally
part of the Mojave National Preserve. Thirteen
volunteers and staff filled two dumpsters and a truck
with wood, glass, and miscellaneous debris from the
site. The NPS trailer at the end of day hauled away, as
well, a load of metal and old tires for recycling. The
land now features old-growth Joshua Trees, a variety of
other desert plants, and a panoramic view to the west.
The enthusiasm of MNPC volunteers (Lloyd Gunn, Le
Hayes, David Lamfrom, Joe Orawczyk, Maryann
Orawszyk, Charlie Shrimplin, and Sid Silliman) was
matched by the energy of NPS staff and volunteers (Tim
Duncan, Mike Hall, Chris Mills, Bob Mills, Dave
Nichols, and Greg Thorton). Congratulations to all for a
good day’s work.
Photo by David Lamfrom Zebra-tailed lizard
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ALERTS: Information You Should Know About
The Missing Public At Mitchell Caverns by Sid Silliman
“Where in Southern California can you explore some
stunning scenery, be assured that it won’t rain, and
know that the temperature for your hike will always be
a comfortable 65 degrees?” This was John McKinney’s
“trail trivia question” in the Los Angeles Times on
December 12, 1987. The answer, then, was the trail
though Mitchell Caverns, part of Providence Mountains
State Recreation Area. Today, unfortunately, the public
cannot explore this subterranean trail as the Caverns and
Providence Mountains SRA have been closed since
4 early 2011. Today, this is the only unit of the California
state park system to remain closed after the cuts of 2012
in the California state budget.
What the public is missing with the closure of this
popular desert attraction is not trivial. The Mitchell
Caverns are the only limestone caves in the deserts of
Southern California, and cave tours permitted the public
to view and wonder over spectacular and intricate
formations. With the visitor center of Providence
Mountains SRA shuttered, travelers to the surrounding
Mojave National Preserve have lost an opportunity to
learn of the Chemehuevi people who have lived in the
area for hundreds of years and to know the
entrepreneurs Jack Mitchell and his wife Ida Belle
Wyatt. Without access to the caverns, young adults --
possibly future scientists -- are denied the chance to be
intrigued by cave species like ringtails, Townsend big-
eared bats, and Neptus beetles. Even the self-guiding
nature trail outside the Caverns, named after Riverside
naturalist Mary Beale, cannot be explored.
John McKinney raised his trivia question in 1987 to stir
interest in Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve. Today,
the public is missing from the Caverns and from the
larger Providence Mountains State Recreation Area but
not because of a lack of interest. If the infrastructure is
restored and the park is reopened, the public will come.
Photo by Sid Silliman Closed entrance to Mitchell Caverns
Photo by Michael Gordon
National Park Service Programs and Activities
Kelso Depot Art Exhibits
On exhibit at the Desert Light Gallery, Kelso Depot
Visitor Center
People of the Mojave
The Photography of Ken Schoening
October 6 - January 6
Next exhibit:
Many Names Have Never Been Spoken Here
The Photography of Gabriel Thorburn and the poetry of
Russell Thorburn
January 12 - April 6, 2013
5
NPS Ranger Programs at the Preserve
Saturdays
Kelso Dunes Walk 11:00 a.m.
Meet at the Kelso Dunes Trailhead
Hike to the base of one of the largest and most extensive
sand dune fields in the United States. Learn about the
geologic forces that created Kelso Dunes and the
mysterious booming sounds they make. Explore the
unique adaptations of the plants and animals that call the
dunes home. This easy 1/2 mile hike (one-way) will take
30-45 minutes. Please bring water and dress for the
weather.
Petroglyphs: Rocks that Talk 3:00 p.m.
Meet at Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center
For thousands of years the Mojave Desert has been home
to diverse cultures. The artifacts they left behind are both
beautiful and mysterious. Discover how previous cultures
survived in this harsh desert climate and the meanings of
the rock art they left behind. This easy 1/4-mile walk
(one-way) will take about one hour.
Evening Program - Various topics 7:00 p.m.
Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center
Gather behind the visitor center at the amphitheater and
munch on some popcorn (provided) while a ranger talks of
special places in this lovely, lonely desert. Meet inside if
the weather is poor.
Sundays
Coffee with a Ranger 8:30 a.m.
Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center
Do you have specific questions or would you just like to
chat with a ranger? Bring your own mug and share
conversation and coffee with Ranger Greg.
Geology of the Mojave 9:00 a.m.
Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center
Hole-in-the-Wall's seemingly tranquil landscape has not
always been this way. Great geologic forces have altered
this area both subtly and abruptly. Discover the meaning
behind the name and what carved the dramatic slot canyon
that lies within it. This easy walk takes about an hour.
Photo by Le Hayes
Photo by Dennis Schramm Castle Peaks Hike - Spring 2012
Photo by Dennis Schramm
6
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Volunteer in the Mojave National Preserve
Volunteering is fun. It's healthy. It makes a difference.
And it's easy to get started. We have a wide variety of
volunteer opportunities for both individuals and groups,
including many that do not require training or a lengthy
time commitment. When you volunteer, you’re making a
vital contribution to the health of our local Park, our open
space, and our community. Join us for a fun and
rewarding experience. Contact us directly for more
information at 760-219-4916 and tell us you are calling
about the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy. Or you
may find additional information at:
www.nps.gov/moja/supportyourpark/volunteer.htm
Photo by Dennis Schramm
.........................................................................................
Donate / Join Now
The Mojave Preserve depends on support from folks like
you. We invite you to join our mission in safeguarding
the scenic beauty, wildlife, and historic and cultural
treasures of our diverse park. Committed donors help us
to preserve our park’s heritage for generations to come.
You can help assure the future of our special park by
making a tax-deductible gift today to provide a future for
our park and those who enjoy it.
For a $25 annual membership, you can:
Support much-needed youth education programs
in the Preserve,
Sponsor important National Park Service research
projects in the Preserve, and
Ensure a sustainable future for the Mojave
National Preserve.
Receive invitations to “star parties” in the
Preserve, hosted by astronomers from Pasadena
Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers
We are a registered 501c3 non-profit organization; ALL
donations are tax-deductible.
Photo by Dennis Schramm
7
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE CONSERVANCY 400 S. 2nd Avenue #213 Barstow, CA 92311 WWW.PRESERVETHEMOJAVE.ORG 760-957-7887
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Lifetime Membership receives a membership card and featured art print from Desert Light Gallery!
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