I can’t wait to take our new boy on the trail.  Don’t worry - we won’t be taking him up the Half Dome cables this trip.

Photo of Karl in Training by Tommy Chandler

Carl Pope claims that “after years of fighting to keep our towering Sequoia trees safe from the timber industry’s saws, we have finally won.” For Mr. Pope to say that “we have finally won” is far from the truth.

Just because the timber mill withdrew one lawsuit is not, as Pope falsely claims, “preventing them - once and for all - from logging in the Giant Sequoia National Monument” or “putting an end to the pillage of these iconic trees.”

Mr. Pope is obviously also incompetently unfamiliar with how the Monument is managed by the US Forest Service, or he would tell the public the truth: we have not won!

In addition to other harmful projects, the Forest Service’s “Schedule of Proposed Actions” for the Giant Sequoia National Monument lists so-called “community protection,” “hazard tree,” “thinning,” and “fuel reduction” logging projects in the Monument. Funding for these projects has been generously provided by Congress.

Congress is now considering funding the Forest Service with millions of dollars in the 2009 budget which could be used to log in the Giant Sequoia Groves, the Grove influence zones, and elsewhere in the Monument. The battle to protect the Giant Sequoia National Monument is not over; indeed, the battle to protect the Monument is just getting underway. And where is the Sierra Club in this battle in the halls of Congress – no where to be seen?

Ara

Ara Marderosian
Sequoia Task Force
Conservation Chair
Kern-Kaweah Chapter
Executive Committee
(760) 378-4574

And

Mr. Ara Marderosian,
Executive Director
Sequoia ForestKeeper
P.O. Box 2134,
Kernville, CA 93238
(760) 376-4434
www.sequoiaforestkeeper.org
ara@sequoiaforestkeeper.org

We’ve all heard about the great hiking in Colorado, and a few of us have been lucky enough to experience it.  Another great place that sits just north of CO and has world class hiking is Wyoming.  The hiking in Wyoming goes from plains to mountains to hiking around lakes and everything in between. 

A good place to start your research for a Wyoming hiking trip is in Yellowstone.  This first U.S. National Park has miles and miles and miles of unique trails that will take your breath away while exposing you to animals that you probably don’t get to see much from your home like grizzly bears and bison. 

You can’t visit Wyoming without seeing the Grand Teton Mountains and while your there you should hike the Teton Crest Trail where you’ll feel some real exposure and see the world from the top. 

Make sure to include Wyoming on your list of places you must see and hike before you die.

Dear Scott,

I am delighted to share with you some very exciting news about a giant victory for Sierra Club and the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Just a week ago we saw the end to the Sierra Club’s three year long battle with the timber industry, preventing them - once and for all - from logging in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

The win came at the 11th hour, as the Sierra Club legal team prepared to appear in the Ninth Circuit court to argue the last case standing, a last-ditch appeal by the timber industry, regarding commercial logging in the Monument. But on the eve of the hearing, they abandoned and withdrew their appeal - putting the final nail in the coffin of this very drawn out case - and putting an end to the pillage of these iconic trees.

This was a major victory for the Sierra Club - and it would not have been possible without the support of our committed Members and Supporters. Thank you.

Beginning in 1901, when John Muir lobbied for the expansion of Sequoia National Park to encompass the entire range of the giant sequoia, the Sierra Club has advocated for the protection of giant sequoia ecosystems in their entirety. And after years of fighting to keep our towering Sequoia trees safe from the timber industry’s saws, we have finally won. Thanks to this hard-earned victory, our children and grandchildren will be able to stand in awe of these noble giants for generations to come.

Thank you again for your contribution to this critical victory - it never could have happened without your support.  

Sincerely

Carl Pope

I’ve been working too much for too long and have neglected this hiking blog.  If you have a hiking trip, or any other trip really, that you would like to share please send it to me at geckotales @ gmail.com.  

For now check out the Ubertramp blog.  My friend Nath is on a great Asian adventure now that you must read.  I’ve recently decided that the Ubertramp site is probably the best adventure travel Website online today. 

Read the story at the Washington Post