News.bytes Extra, issue 451   

National Public Lands Day brings volunteers to Bishop-area BLM events

Local residents and staff from several agencies joined forces to collect trash, remove weeds and do other work as part of the National Public Lands Day celebration in this part of the Eastern Sierra.

Poleta open lands:

Eleven local residents came together to help pick up trash and discarded debris at the Poleta materials pit outside of Bishop.  Participants included representatives from the local Eastern Sierra 4-Wheel-Drive group, Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, BLM, and the U.S. Forest Service.  Several Bishop residents who had read about the effort in the local paper also attended, including a newlywed couple who only recently moved to the region from Southern California. In one hour, the dedicated group collected about five cubic yards of refuse.  Inyo County also stepped up in support and waived the gate fees at the local landfill. (text continues below)

Newlyweds Arely and Anthony Rader from Bishop lend a hand to keep their public lands healthy. " We thought it would be fun to come out here to help pick up trash," said Anthony.

River Springs Volunteer Day:

National Public Lands Day was also celebrated by a group of 25 adults and four children at a volunteer event to help preserve and restore the historic and remote River Springs stagecoach stop and livestock encampment area in Adobe Valley, California. The work day, organized by California Department of Fish & Game and the BLM’s Bishop Field Office, included installing a kiosk to display area information, fence and gate maintenance for wetland protection, invasive weed removal, and stabilizing a historic rock corral and loading chute.

Fish & Game and BLM resource specialists worked side by side with interested volunteers, including a cattle rancher and a local member of the Backcountry Horsemen of California, Eastern Sierra Unit.  With national forest lands adjoining nearby, Inyo National Forest archeologists assisted with the restoration efforts.  A National Park Service staff employee, a youth group leader of First Bloom from the Bishop Paiute tribe, and two children were also on hand in recognition of National Public Lands Day.  Along with the successful restoration projects, a stake bed truck was filled with with old wire, while other trucks were filled with weeds and other debris that were removed from the site, totaling some 500 pounds.

Other work needs to be done in caring for the River Springs area.  Please contact the BLM Bishop Field Office at (760) 872-5000 to see how you can help. 

BLM Range Management Specialist Jeff Starosta and Dr. Bill Carter (right) team up to repair a fence enclosure.

River Springs Volunteer Day:  A fine-looking group posed in front of the historic stagecoach stop, before work began on Saturday, Sept. 25.  Other folks showed up later and therefore missed the group photo opportunity.

- David Christy, BLM Central California District, 10/5/10

BLM-California News.bytes, issue 451