Monday, March 1, 2010

March 2010

{FMWC} E-Newsletter March 2010

FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/


NEXT MEETING: March 17, 2010

Our meeting will be held at the El Paso Public Library’s Main Branch located downtown at 501 N. Oregon St. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Maud Sullivan room. The main branch’s location map and parking information are available online at:
http://www.elpasotexas.gov/library/ourlibraries/main_library/main_library.asp


VOLUNTEERS

We can always use volunteers: you can help man our booth at an event; meet with elected officials or attend civic meetings; coordinate outreach to community organizations; distribute our rack cards; contribute to our bi-monthly newsletters. Please contact Judy at 755-7371 or Kathy at 227-5330 if you are interested in volunteering.


MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, SCOTT CUTLER

The fourth annual Poppies Celebration will take place Saturday, March 20th. This should be the biggest celebration yet with a wide array of educational booths (including a wolf and an eagle) and vendors. It looks like there will even be a nice display of poppies! A great number of organizations have put a tremendous amount of effort into planning this event and we are expecting thousands of people to show up. With all of these visitors, we will need volunteers to help set things up and keep the event going. If you have some time to volunteer, please contact me at 581-6071.

FMWC has renewed its commitment to clean up a stretch of Transmountain Road as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program. We have a beautiful length of highway to care for and it’s a great opportunity to publicize the Coalition with the signs and the cleanup. The site starts at the entrance of the Tom Mays Unit of Franklin Mountains State Park and goes west for two miles. We have agreed to do three cleanups in 2010 and four in 2011 and 2012.

We are looking for someone to act as the Coordinator for Cleanups. Our Coordinator would contact the Adopt-A-Highway office with cleanup dates; arrange for bags and vests; and draft an email for distribution to our members announcing each event and asking for participation. One phone call and email every three months with help available to pick up the materials for each clean up. If you’re interested, please contact me at 581-6071 for details.


NEWS

FMWC Organizational Members (Judy Ackerman): FMWC is a COALITION. Each member organization designates a representative to the FMWC Board. Any non-profit organization that supports preservation of the Franklin Mountains can join. We have 30 very diverse local organizational members that give FMWC its strength and demonstrate West Texas and Southern New Mexico commitment to protecting our mountains.

We list our member organizations and their contact information on our website and on our stationary. Significantly, we identify our member organizations when we request funding from Congress. It is to your advantage to participate in FMWC decision making by attending our meetings.

We encourage representatives from our member organizations to share FMWC newsletters and alerts with the membership of their individual organizations and to submit articles and event calendars for this newsletter.

If you belong to a local non-profit, invite them to join FMWC. If your member organization’s contact info has changed, please send the updated information to our secretary at j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.


Reyes Acts to Preserve Castner (Judy Ackerman): Congressman Reyes and his staff have succeeded in securing $300,000 to study a Conservation Conveyance on Castner Range in the fiscal year 2010 federal budget! The Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) administers the funds. The OEA’s mission is to assist communities that are affected by closure or expansion of military bases. FMWC representatives are working with El Paso’s land trust, The Frontera Land Alliance, to preserve Castner Range as natural open space. The end goal is that Castner Range become part of the Franklin Mountains State Park once it is cleared of dangerous unexploded ordnance.* We are several steps closer to our goal thanks to Congressman Reyes.

*Interested in more details of this process: contact Kathy at kmcconaghie@gmail.com for email copies of the January 14th Technical Project Planning meeting minutes and presentation.


Preserving El Paso’s Open Spaces: Palisades Canyon was purchased by the Public Service Board. Excerpt from “On the Water Front”, a message from Ed Archuleta: ...Palisades Canyon – 200 beautiful acres at the tip of the Franklin Mountains...located near Robinson Avenue in the Kern Place area...a gateway to the Franklin Mountains State Park for El Pasoans who use its trails for mountain biking and hiking...” (Entire message can be seen at http://www.epwu.org/OnTheWaterFront/water_front0210.html )
Our City Council is also working towards preservation of several hundred acres of privately owned mountain land and FMWC will continue to monitor and assist in these endeavors.



1 Arroyo 41A from Upper Sunset Trail, by judy Ackerman

Mountain to River Trail: Our team continues to monitor progress on preservation of Arroyo 41A and the proposed Mountain to River Trail from the impacts of quarry operations and residential developments. Stanley Jobe, the holder of the quarry lease on GLO land, provided workers who assisted rangers on building a new trail. Park Superintendent, Cesar Mendez, really likes the new trail that they are creating which ends at Picnic Area 39 or connects further down with the Avispa Canyon portion of the Lower Sunset which goes past Schaeffer Shuffle and back to the same picnic area. Mr. Jobe reported that surveying of the buffer around 41A has been done and the GLO is currently studying the situation.



2 Photo by Richard Love

PARK NEWS

Park Volunteer Richard Love writes: “Here we are three months into the new year and the moisture/snow keep gracing our mountain. March 20th the Poppy Festival happens and this should be a banner year. As early as the end of February we were seeing and getting reports of poppies blooming along the roadside at lower elevations. All of you Photographers dust off the cameras and macro lenses this is going to be the year to fill your portfolios with the poppies and other wildflowers that have been missing for the past several springs. The late spring Cactus blooms should be really special this year. In March and April in the park Kelly and I are going to do two classes on wildflower photography. These are going to be geared for the beginner and non professional photographers. The dates are not set as of this article, but you can call Kelly at 566-6441 or email her at kelly.serio@tpwd.state.tx.us to be included in the fun. Kelly has filled her calender with hikes, classes, moonlite hikes and all kinds of fun events, and can schedule your group for tours and hikes. Volunteers!! If you are available for any of these classes and would like to help or even learn some new skills please consider contacting Kelly. We were not real happy during the month of February. Four of our mountain's residents were killed by cars on Transmountain Road. Please tell all of your friends to drive carefully when on any of the roads around the mountains. Not only would it help keep our deer population alive, but prevent literally hundreds of dollars damage on your cars. The Wildlife Viewing Area has a newly remodeled water feature. The old design was very hard to keep clean and very hard to work on.
The spring birds haven't begin to come in yet but around the park we have seen some special visitors. Mid February one of the golden eagles visited the area. It is a very beautiful Raptor and presented itself close enough to identify without binos. A pair of Loggerhead Shrikes visited and hung around for a couple of weeks. They may still be there but choosing to stay out of sight. The weather conditions have been just right all though February for some gloriously beautiful sunrises. For all of us early risers on the west side there have been some light shows unbelievable.”




3 Photo by Richard Love


MARK YOUR CALENDARS

MARCH 16: Poppy Proclamation designating March 20, 2010 as Franklin Mountains Poppies Preservation Day to be presented to Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition at City Council meeting.

MARCH 20: 2010 Franklin Mountains Poppies Preservation Celebration, 10 am – 6 pm at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Rd. Fourth annual festival, FREE Family Fun Event. Full day of programming with nature talks and walks, wildlife displays, visit with a real wolf and meet Takota, the El Paso Zoo’s new Golden Eagle Ambassador for Conservation of the Chihuahuan Desert, educational exhibits, demonstrations, art vendors, live music and food. FREE parking at Cohen Stadium and overflow parking at EPCC. NO parking at museum or on Transmountain Rd. FREE shuttle to and from the museum from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. Full schedule of events available at http://www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum/_documents/Schedule%20of%20events%20Poppy%20Festival.pdf

MARCH 21: El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 3:00 pm, Free Admission: Clovis Caches: Windows into Ice Age Technology by David Kilby, Ph.D

MARCH 27: El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society Field Trip to Swan Pond, Leasburg Dam & Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park
Time: 7:30 a.m. (Bring Lunch)
Meet at: The Shell Station and Dairy Queen at the intersection of Transmountain Road & I-10.
Reservations and Information: Ursula Sherrill
526-7725; usherrill@miners.utep.edu

MARCH 30: Natural Open Space Zoning Ordinance at City Council meeting

MARCH 31: El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 6:30 pm, Free Admission: An Australian Rock Art Saga: Finding Yidumduma by David M. Lee

MARCH 31: Walkin’ Jim Stoltz – Forever Wild
Benefit concert for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance
7:00 pm, UNM Continuing Education Center
1634 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque
Tickets: $15 ($12.50 Advance)
Children 14 and Under: $10 ($7.50 Advance)
Call 505-843-8696 for more information

APRIL 10: El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society Field Trip to Percha Dam
Time: 7:30 a.m. (Bring Lunch)
Meet at: The Shell Station and Dairy Queen at the intersection of Transmountain Road and I-10.
Reservations and Information: Ursula Sherrill
526-7725; usherrill@miners.utep.edu

APRIL 14: New Mexico Wilderness Alliance 2nd Annual Patagonia Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival at the Rio Grande Theatre in Downtown Las Cruces from 6:00 – 8:30 pm. Part of a 100 town and city national tour hosted by various environmental organizations, this event is used as a way to raise awareness of local and regional campaigns; to encourage local citizens to get involved (and) features films on a range of issues: Fresh celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people who are re-inventing our food system, and offering a sustainable vision for our food and planet in the future. Flathead Wild explores the “threatened” beauty of the Flathead River Valley in British Columbia, based on the photography of the International League of Conservation Photographers. A Year in the Desert: Anza Borrego showcases the seasons in California’s largest State Park, and the struggle to keep it open against all odds. The Fun Theory: Piano Staircase posits change for the better through increasing the “fun factor”—like putting giant piano keys on stairs to get people singing up the stairway, instead of plodding up the escalator.

The NM Wilderness Alliance works with coalitions to protect important natural treasures, including the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Wilderness Legislation for mountain ranges near Las Cruces and El Paso.

General Admission is $8 for Adults & $5 for Students. Children are FREE.
For further information please contact Nathan Small in Las Cruces at: nathansmall@nmwild.org or [575] 527-9962/ [575] 496-9540.

APRIL 17: El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society Field Trip to Big Bend – still in planning stages, contact Ursula Sherrill for more information.

APRIL 24: FeatherFest at Keystone Heritage Park -10 am – 4 pm - An "Open House" event with tours of the archaeological site, information about Chihuahuan Desert plants, birds of the Keystone wetland, refreshments and more - $3.00 admission fee
MAY 1 – 2: El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society Birdathon 2010 - This event is the primary fundraiser for El Paso Audubon Society. Historically, portions of the proceeds from the Birdathon have also been donated to organizations that benefit wildlife of the Northern Chihuahuan Desert, such as Franklin Mountains State Park, Rio Bosque Wetlands Park, & Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue. If you would like to participate in the annual bird count, now is a good time to begin sharpening your bird identification skills and talking with friends and
relatives you think may like to sponsor you. Contact Ursula Sherrill for more info.


Texas State Parks “Adventure Camping Program

The increasingly popular Texas Outdoor Family program is branching out to deliver adventurous programs for families who are looking for something more than an introductory how-to camping experience.Four Texas state parks, including Big Bend Ranch, this spring will host Texas Outdoor Family Adventure workshops designed to familiarize families with the outdoors and teach them how to tent camp, cook outdoors and get the most out of their outdoor experience. These events will occur in some of the Texas State Park System’s larger, more remote sites.Texas Outdoor Family adventure campouts dates are March 25-28 at Big Bend Ranch, April 17-18 at Palo Duro Canyon, April 24-25 at Lost Maples State Natural Area and May 15-16 at Colorado Bend State Park.The Big Bend Ranch adventure camp will include a guided canoe trip down the Rio Grande and a two-day desert camping program in the interior of Texas’ largest state park that encompasses more than 300,000 acres near Presidio. The cost for the Big Bend Ranch camp is $86, plus $53 for canoe rental.Highlighting the Palo Duro Canyon campout will be a three-hour guided hike through the “Grand Canyon of Texas” to its famous geologic wonder known as The Lighthouse. The theme of the Lost Maples adventure camp will be an introduction to backpacking in which state park rangers will teach families the basics of successful backpacking. Participants in the Colorado Bend adventure campout will experience cave exploration, guided hikes to scenic Gorman Falls and river canoeing. “These new programs are aimed at families who are looking for more adventurous camping experiences,” explains Chris Holmes, Texas State Parks outdoor education coordinator. “We recognize that many families want to expand their outdoor recreation knowledge, but are uncomfortable going alone to a remote site with limited facilities. This series of adventure camping allows the families to be in a safe environment with knowledgeable rangers to guide and assist at any time.”TPWD’s Texas Outdoor Family program launched in the summer of 2008 has taught hundreds of families throughout the state, most of them from urban environments, how to safely enjoy the great outdoors.

The outdoor family workshops are designed to combat "Nature Deficit Disorder," a phrase coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book, "Last Child in the Woods." Louv cites studies that show that playing outdoors strengthens a young person’s mind and body, leading to better performance in school and interactions with others. The first-of-its-kind Texas program has gained national attention from such national organizations as Leave No Trace and the National Association of Interpretation, spurring spinoff programs in other states.The program was begun to try to eliminate barriers to families wishing to share the outdoor experience together. The campouts are designed for persons who have never camped before or may not have camped for many years, as well as for those who don’t have the necessary equipment or see the outdoors as being boring or dangerous. By providing quality gear to be used for the overnight stay and park-specific programs and activities, TOF’s outdoor specialists show how anyone can enjoy camping with no hassles. Texas state parks, with ample campsites and a law enforcement presence, prove the ideal setting for the structured campouts.During a typical outdoor family workshop, participants are welcomed on Saturday morning to the host state park, where they have reserved a campsite and receive assistance with pitching camp and operating propane lanterns and other camping equipment. After an afternoon filled with fun outdoor activities, such as geocaching and cooking an outdoor meal, participants enjoy an evening presentation on night sounds to prepare them for what they might hear while snuggled in their tent.The adventure campouts cost $55 per family. Program sponsor Toyota helps keep the program affordable by providing funding for equipment.Visit the Texas Outdoor Family Web page for more information, including the complete schedule of this spring’s weekend workshops. Texas Outdoor Family is now on Facebook, where participating families post their pictures and share stories of their outdoor adventures.Families can register by calling (512) 389-8903 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and speaking to a Texas Outdoor Family representative or by sending an e-mail to tofsp@tpwd.state.tx.us. After registration, a confirmation packet with details, including a suggested shopping list, will be sent.


FMWC BOARD

President: Scott Cutler
Vice President: Jane Fowler
Secretary: Judy Ackerman
Treasurer: Pat White
At Large Members: Matt Carroll Jim Tolbert


LONE STAR LEGACY

You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.

FMWC IN CYBERSPACE

This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.


The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike AssociationBorder Toasters, Toastmasters International BordersensesCelebration Of Our MountainsCentro San VicenteChihuahuan Desert Education CoalitionChihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue • Eco-Club EPCC • El Paso Archaeological SocietyEl Paso Cactus And Rock ClubEl Paso County Master GardenersEl Paso Native Plant SocietyEl Paso Regional Group Of The Sierra ClubEl Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon SocietyEl Paso Youth SymphonyEl Paso ZooEnvironmental Advocates at UTEPFriends of the Arroyo Friends Of The Rio Bosque • Jolly Elders • League Of Women Voters Of El PasoMesilla Valley Audubon SocietyMountain Park Community AssociationPhotography Enthusiasts Of El PasoSouthern New Mexico Group Of The Sierra ClubSouthwest Environmental Center • Skyline Optimist Club Of El Paso • Trans Pecos Chapter Of The Texas Master NaturalistsVista Hills Rotary ClubVoter Education Project, Inc
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