Tag Archives: alabama hills

Bureau of Land Management to Discuss Management Plan for the Alabama Hills

BISHOP, California. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bishop Field Office is seeking public input for the future management of the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine in Inyo County. Today’s release of an environmental assessment lays out three proposed alternatives and begins a 30-day public review period that ends on August 7, 2020.

 

Set between the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the Owens Valley, the Alabama Hills are a unique formation of rounded rocks and eroded hills that encompass more than 29,000 acres of public land that is well known for its mix of scenic, cultural, geological, educational, biological, historical, recreational, cinematographic, and scientific values. In March 2019, President Trump signed Public Law 116-9 (P.L. 116-9), also known as the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, which designated 18,745 acres within the Alabama Hills as a National Scenic Area. The BLM is currently preparing a management plan for the Scenic Area and adjacent public lands in the Alabama Hills Special Recreation Management Area.

 

Implementing P.L. 116-9 is a top priority for the Department of the Interior as we work to strike a proper balance for land and resource management, increase access for hunting, fishing, and recreation, and create economic prosperity, while protecting and preserving America’s treasures.

 

“We welcome continued public engagement in our effort to develop a comprehensive plan for management of the area,” says Bishop Field Manager Steve Nelson. “We also look forward to completing the plan and working with the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group, the local tribe, and the Lone Pine community to implement management strategies that will ensure the long-term protection, conservation, public access, and responsible use of this magnificent landscape.”

 

To facilitate public review and encourage public participation in the Alabama Hills planning effort, the BLM will host two virtual meetings in late July. Public meeting materials will be available on the project website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1502669/570. Virtual meetings will be conducted on the following dates and times:

  • Wednesday, July 22, from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 23, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

 

To register for one of the virtual meetings, go to the project website. Once registered, you will receive an email with instructions on how to join the meeting. These instructions will also include an option to call into the meeting using a traditional phone line.

 

Written comments on the proposed alternatives in the environmental assessment can be submitted via email to: blm_ca_alabama_hills_planning@blm.gov; by fax: 760-872-5055; or by mail to: BLM Bishop Field Office, Attn: Alabama Hills Management Plan, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100, Bishop, CA  93514.

 

Before including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or other personal identifying information in a comment, commenters should be aware that the entire comment, including personal identifying information, could be made publicly available at any time. While the public may ask the BLM to withhold personal identifying information from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.

 

For specific questions, please call Project Manager Monica Buhler at 760-872-5000.

New Principal Joe Garza Discusses Challenges for LPHS Students at Lone Pine Chamber Installation Mixer

Joe Garza, the new principal of Lone Pine High School was introduced to the citizens of Lone Pine Wednesday night. The Lone Pine Chamber Board of Directors were additionally installed at the same meeting.

Key members of the Lone Pine community, including Kathleen New and Jacque Hickman initiated the proceedings, with Principal Joe Garza being asked what he felt was the most important issue facing students of Lone Pine High School.

“I want my kids fully involved in the community and being active.” Garza said to attendees. “We have allowed our kids to be raised by television and the internet instead of by strong parenting. The responsibility relies on us to be more involved in our children’s lives.”

Garza went on to discuss the importance of unity when it comes to the community saying, “Bridges need to be mended in our town. Issues have been neglected with different sectors of the community who are in disputes. What we need is for the hospital [Southern Inyo Hospital], the chamber [Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce], everyone to come together for the collective good.”

When asked if there was anything that Garza needed assistance with, he discussed problems with the school’s library. “We have a library, nobody uses it and nobody check out books. Kids still read, but it isn’t the way we read. There are tons of interactive resources we have that are going to waste.” Garza expressed how serious he takes the issue of an empty library. “I will be there every day at lunch, encouraging kids to visit. We have air hockey tables, video games, and other things for the students to enjoy.”

Although Garza is doing his best to get students visit the library, he said that he cannot do it alone. “Labor contracts will not allow me to be in the library after school from three to four in the afternoon. I need somebody there to help me and help these kids. We need to get involved and help these students have positive experiences. I need volunteers Monday through Friday in the library.”

Garza was not the only point of focus during the event Wednesday night. The Lone Pine Chamber introduced their not-so-new Board of Directors. All members on the board had previously served on the Lone Pine Chamber Board. The list is as follows:

David Blacker – Death Valley Historical Association – Chairman

Chris Ellis – Coso Operating Co. – Vice Chairman

Bette Sisson – retired – Treasurer

Kathi Hall – Mt. Whitney Restaurant – Secretary

Loretta Dorame – Director

Chris Kostman – Adventure Corp – Director

Kurt Pauer – retired – Director

Valerie Diggs – Alta One Credit Union – Director

Billy Swaim – Dow Villa – Director

Boulder Creek RV Resort owner, Jaque Hickman welcomed the board members, saying that the Lone Pine Board of Directors are an example to all of us when it comes to service in the community.

“We should attend our government and community meetings.” Hickman expressed. “You can get a sense of how things are going in the community if you attend these events. If you disagree with things that are happening around you, it is important to get moving and do it yourself in order to foster meaningful change.”

Alabama Hills Volunteer Day

Alabama Hills Volunteer Work Day

LONE PINE, Calif. – The Alabama Hills Stewardship Group and the Bureau of Land Management’s Bishop Field Office will sponsor a volunteer work day in the Alabama Hills on Jan. 16, the Saturday of the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 We will be performing trail maintenance and vegetation restoration on the trail leading to the Shark Fin,” said Dave Kirk, Alabama Hills steward for the Bishop Field Office. 

Participants should meet at the corner of Whitney Portal and Movie roads at 10 a.m. Please come prepared for outdoor work with gloves, hat and sunscreen. BLM will provide tools, trash bags and drinks. For further information, contact Kirk via email at dmkirk@blm.gov, or at (760) 876-6210.

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Lone Pine Film Festival is this weekend

26th Annual Lone Pine Film Festival

Tom Mix, Jack Hoxie, Ken Maynard Return to the Silver Screen at the 26th Annual Lone Pine Film Festival

Film Festival Pres Release:

Yes, Mix, Maynard and Hoxie lead the bill, but the Festival screens and stages for the weekend present a broad spectrum of western Film Fare from Silent, Early and Contemporary Western directors and writers.

The weekend kicks off with a 4:30 PM Reception,  Thursday October 8th at the Museum of Western Film History with early festival guests, celebrities and the local community celebrating another year with America’s Cowboy Balladeer, Don Edwards in Concert at 7:00PM.

Western film screenings start sharply at 7:30 AM on Friday with the 1941 Hoppy film, In Old Colorado, and continue throughout the weekend, with over 20 plus films being screened. We are including the first film shot in Lone Pine, the classic Fatty Arbuckle 1920 4-Reeler, The Round-Up, which will be presented with the piano accompaniment of keyboard specialist J.C. Munns. Munns will also accompany other films for the weekend bringing the incredible keyboard nostalgia to these wonderful silent films as they were originally seen in the movie houses of the 1920’s.

Ed Hulse, Western writer, will be our moderator for panels & discussions featuring Los Angeles Times critic, Kenneth Turan,  Western Film historian, Robert Birchard, screenwriter, Robert Knox, and actors Rex Linn, William Wellman Jr. and  Wyatt McCrea as they provide guests with stimulating memories of films and film making.

Award-winning author editor and AFI film preservationist, Robert S. Birchard will present a program about the earliest days of silent Westerns. Incorporated into the program will be a short documentary film, Bronco Billy, the First Reel Cowboy, produced by the Arkansas Public Broadcasting Service, followed by a discussion of the earliest silent cowboys.

In 1938, Billy King, played child star to William Boyd in four “Hopalong Cassidy Features”. Billy shares wonderful memories of working with Hoppy, Grace Bradley Boyd and shooting in the Alabama Hills.

Join Sylvia Durando in her first public discussion of her Hollywood past as one of movie making’s great stuntwomen. Sylvia, has shared the screen with Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando, Richard Boone, Tony Curtis and Randolph Scott to name a few.

Additional celebrity guests Gary Brown, Diamond Farnsworth, Larry Floyd, Cheryl Rogers, Petrine Day Mitchum, and Bob White complement out weekend with wonderful stories of Western heroes, heroines, horses and even their “cars.”

Twenty-two “On Location,” guided tours celebrate the hundreds of Western films shot in Lone Pine and the incredible, unique landscape of the Alabama Hills.

Team Roping will be featured on Saturday at the Museum rodeo grounds. Sunday will begin with a morning Cowboy Church on the Anchor Ranch, followed by our famous Sunday Main Street Parade. The Closing Campfire led by Cowboy Larry Maurice at Lone Pine Park on Sunday evening will wrap the weekend festivities.

And last but not least, the weekend center of activity, The Museum of Western Film History. The Museum hosts a new name to represent the new and expanded mission of the Museum “to collect, preserve, protect, archive and exhibit original materials of permanent historical value relating to the history and heritage of the American Western film.” The Museum will continue to feature the films made in the Alabama Hills and the Eastern Sierra. Come see our new and updated exhibits, meet our staff, and join our membership, contributing to the Museum’s continued effort and commitment to honor Western film heritage.

Cover Photo, Tom Mix 1937 Restored Cord, photo provided

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Public Lands Day

Volunteer on Public Lands Day

BLM Bishop Field Office Invites the Public to Celebrate National Public Lands Day

Bishop, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office will host three National Public Lands Day events this year. They are:

* Alabama Hills Trail Construction, Saturday, Sept. 26:  The Alabama Hills Stewardship Group and Bishop Field Office invite you to join in a morning of trail construction in the Alabama Hills. Participants should meet at 8 a.m. at the junction of Movie Road and Whitney Portal Road for a volunteer orientation and to car pool to the project site off Whitney Portal Road. Volunteers are invited to enjoy a barbecue at the Lone Pine City Park after the project work. For further information, contact Becky Hutto, BLM park ranger, at (760) 872-5008 or Doug Thompson, Alabama Hills Stewardship Group, at (760) 937­2257.

*Tungsten Hills Trail Maintenance, Saturday, Sept. 26:  Sierra Responsible Riders and the Bishop Field Office invite you to join in a morning of single-track trail maintenance in the Tungsten Hills. Participants should meet at the Tungsten City Road and Ed Powers Road at 9 a.m.  BLM will provide water and snacks. Participants should bring gloves, hat and sunscreen. For further information, contact Richard Williams, BLM recreation planner, at (760) 872-5033.

*Bitterbrush Planting in Indian Fire burned area, Saturday, Oct. 3:  For the third year in a row, the Bishop Field Office invites volunteers to join in a morning of bitterbrush planting located off Highway 120 in the Indian Fire area. This project will help to restore native plants to the area that was burned in 2012, thereby improving habitat for birds and other wildlife.  Participants should meet at 9:30 a.m. at the junction of highways 395 120. Participants should bring their own water and food. For further information contact Martin Oliver, BLM botanist, at (760) 872-5035.

Volunteers for all events should wear sturdy shoes or boots, long pants, a hat and gloves. Sunscreen is also strongly recommended. Tools will be provided.

For more information, contact the Bishop Field Office at (760) 872-5000.

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Alabama Hills Meeting

Alabama Hills Stewardship Group

– Public Meeting Announcement

The Alabama Hills Stewardship Group, Inc. (a 501c3 non-profit organization), and the Bureau of Land Management’s – Bishop Field Office will be holding a public meeting on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015; regarding the future management of the Alabama Hills.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and take place at the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Reservation – Community Center located at 975 Teya Road, in Lone Pine.  Turn east off Hwy. 395 on Teya Road (where Best Western / Frontier Motel is located) and travel 0.4 mile to the Community Center.
“The purpose of this meeting is to discuss ongoing stewardship actions in the Alabama Hills for 2015 and beyond” said Chris Langley, President of the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group.
The Alabama Hills Stewardship Group – Board of Directors and our BLM partners would like to solicit additional community input on two important subjects: Development of a master map (print and electronic) for finding key access and recreation information for the Alabama Hills Development on a new interpretive/educational plan for the area.  Draft proposals have been prepared based on public input from an initial meeting last November and additional feedback is now needed to finalize this new map and interpretive plan.
Anyone interested in providing input on these important subjects and learning more about the Alabama Hills; or volunteering their time to help with various projects in support of this incredible landscape, should plan to attend

 

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Lone Pine Tesla Station opening

Lone Pine Welcomes Tesla Supercharger Station

On January 27, 2015 Lone Pine will open one of Highway 395’s first Tesla Supercharger stations.  The Station is located at the Lone Pine Film History Museum just South of Lone Pine, CA.
Tesla drivers on Highway 395 can now recharge for free while visiting one of America’s finest museums dedicated exclusively to the heritage of Western ”Cowboy” film making and then enjoy the tastes of Lone Pine’s many eateries.
Tesla’s business model includes building a network of fast charging stations — faster than any other electric vehicle manufacturer — along the major interstates around the country to enable Tesla owners to travel from city to city. Tesla offers the charging services for free, making the Superchargers a gathering place for members of the Tesla owner’s community.
A statement from the Lone Pine film history museum, ” While charging your car – you can visit the Lone Pine Film History Museum and the city of Lone Pine. Located at the base to the Eastern Sierra’s highest point in the continental USA, Mt. Whitney – and the Alabama Hills, whose unique geological formations brought Hollywood studios to the area to shoot “Cowboy” films, are not to be missed. Filming started in 1919 with a full-length feature film, The Roundup starring Fatty Arbuckle. The city is also an access location for Death Valley, The Ancient Bristlecone Forest, Eureka Sand Dunes and many other interesting American heritage areas along Highway 395.”

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Cook Introduces Alabama Hills Bill

Cook’s Bill would designate Scenic Area

Press Release:
Rep. Paul Cook Introduces Bill to Create Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
WASHINGTON –Earlier today, Rep. Paul Cook (R – Apple Valley) introduced the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area Establishment Act, legislation that would establish the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. This designation would encompass 18,610 acres of the scenic Alabama Hills and would preserve it for recreational use by the public and future generations.

This bill guarantees that all recreational activities currently taking place in the Alabama Hills will continue. This includes not only hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing, but hunting, fishing, and authorized motorized vehicle use as well. Additionally, recreational prospecting (rock-hounding) will continue in the historic mining areas under this legislation.
This bill is the culmination of months of work by Rep. Paul Cook and the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group to draft legislative language acceptable to all key local stakeholders. The stewardship group is dedicated to  promoting the long term vision, conservation, use, enhancement, and enjoyment of the Alabama Hills . Groups and organizations that have worked with the stewardship group include Inyo County, the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce, the Lone-Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, local business owners, and other key stakeholders.

Cook said, “The Alabama Hills are a natural treasure, and I’m excited to introduce this bill to help guarantee our children and grandchildren can enjoy them the same way we do. The level of local input has been incredible and should serve as an example for how land use decisions are made.

“Last year, I introduced legislation to establish the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. While it didn’t become law last year, it provided local stakeholders and conservation groups the opportunity to suggest changes to make this a better bill. I’m excited to incorporate these changes in the new version of this important legislation this year. My constituents in Inyo have been working to get this done for years, and I’m hopeful that 2015 will be the year the Alabama Hills get the protection they deserve.”

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Alabama Hills Work Day

Alabama Hills Volunteer Work Day Planned

The Alabama Hills Stewardship Group and the Bureau of Land Management’s Bishop Field Office will sponsor a volunteer work day in the Alabama Hills on Saturday, January 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We will be performing trail maintenance and restoring vegetation on and near the Mobius Arch Loop trail,” said Dave Kirk, Alabama Hills steward for the Bishop Field Office.

Participants should meet at the corner of Whitney Portal and Movie roads at 9 a.m. Please come prepared for outdoor work with gloves, hat and sunscreen. BLM will provide tools, trash bags and drinks. For further information, contact Kirk via email at dmkirk@blm.gov, or the Eastern Sierra Inter-agency Visitor Center at (760) 876-6222.

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