Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/84746
6A Daily News – Thursday, September 27, 2012 By MARTI WEIDERT Special to the DN Just north of Yosemite National Park in Califor- nia, The Emigrant Wilder- ness contains thousands of acres of pine forests, grassy meadows, glacier- carved granite ridges, and hundreds of mountain lakes. Sierra Club leader travelogue A group of eleven of us from across the United States signed up for this beginner's backpack, a High Sierra beginner's backpack organized by national Sierra Club out- ings leaders. Our leaders were a retired geophysics professor from San Jose State who is on 2 search and rescue teams, and a mechanical engineer from the high desert. My first ever National Sierra Club outing, my goal was to go on "walka- bout" with a group some- where and carry my gear with me. This adventure was physically demand- ing; I wasn't sure I could do it, but I began training throughout June and July at Lassen Park and in my own neighborhood, walk- ing carrying weight in my pack. This National Out- ing had our group walking and camping at around 9,000 feet elevation, on average. I happily found that I could accomplish my goal, carrying all I needed on my back, walk- ing on foot around 4 or 5 miles a day in the compa- ny of some interesting new friends. For 7 days, carrying our personal equipment and 13 lbs of group commissary, trekked 28 miles through some of the most scenic lakes of the high Sierra. Meals planned by the leader, purchased and packed by her, and cook- ing equipment were car- ried by us all. Meals were like clockwork; we arose to hot breakfasts such as bacon, scrambled eggs, Tang, hot coffee each morning. Trip participants each took turns on 3 per- son crews helping with cooking and clean-up. As we walked along, we passed more than one group of Boy Scouts or teenaged boys from the Modesto stake learning rock climbing. They explained that scouting was something all young we live in California, or about equal to the city of Sacramento's human population. Which sounds like a lot, until you real- ize the deer are spread over the entire state: 99 million acres. If there were only 445,000 people in California, how does state's deer population SACRAMENTO (MCT) — An estimated 445,000 deer As habitat disappears, so long would it take you to find somebody you really wanted to hang out with? Such is the plight of the state's deer population, our most iconic emblem of the forest. Without much notice, the species has declined slowly but relentlessly in virtually every corner of the state. The decline has been almost too small to see on an annu- al basis. But since 1990, California has lost half its deer pop- ulation, according to the state Department of Fish and Game. Stowers, deer program manager at Fish and Game. "Quite frankly, until people start taking this seriously, we're going to continue to experience these types of declines." This forest icon is on the wane mainly for one simple reason: habitat loss. "Our deer are surviving, they're not thriving," said Craig Photo by Marti Weidert Pictured, from left, Leader Jindra Goodman of San Jose, Bobbie Berkman of Walnut Creek, Co-leader David Melton of Rancho Mirage, Marti Weidert, Shingletown, Cindy Roland of Skagway, AK and Tara Taft from Massachusetts. Seated are Erica Taft, 13, daughter of Tara, and Jan Gatzuras of Bristol, Conn. men in their church were expected to learn. One troup was from as far away as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. backpack was covering 100 miles in 7 days! Backpacking's not for everyone; in fact one per- son decided on the first day that its not for her! The art of getting oneself up again and moving after falling while carrying your backpack is an art learned by doing. Regular rest breaks made the going smooth. I learned a bit about the psychology of group systems, and how the leaders Their kept all 11 of us together despite the difference in walking pace and physical ability to shoulder a load. Karen Lopes, a science teacher in Merced during the school year who owns 3 horses, rides her horse as a Stanislaus Wilderness Volunteer in summers, teaching leave no trace for the U.S. Forest Service in areas where backpackers go. Karen gave us a "Leave No Trace" talk that was very informative, including topics such as toilet and campsite selec- tion etiquette. It can always rain or hail in the high Sierras. The Author- ity of the Resource always artfully dictates how visitors to wilderness should impact the land. Four hooves and 1,000 pounds of weight in the form of a horse can really tear down the land; that's why staying on the trail is good for both ani- mals and people. She shared that tungsten, an ingredient of making bul- lets, used to be mined in the area, and cattleman had grazing permits in wildeness areas that were "grandfathered" in, but many cows in the Cooper, Kennedy Meadows and Carson Iceberg Wilder- ness have impacted those meadows. The Wilderness Act, passed in 1964, voiced the desire that humans visit wilderness, but not leave an impact. Just leave everything the way it is, and not change or build anything. She taught us that when trav- elling, the quieter we are as we travel along the trail, the more chance we'll have to see wildlife. On the second day out, in the morning I was near the head of our group and watched as 2 blue Grouse calmly exiting a marshy area walked single file down a path right beside us. They are large birds the size of chickens, but are bluish in color. Fel- low wilderness volunteers from Back Country Horseman, Karen told us, have packed big, cross-cut saws up on horseback, spending the better part of days clearing BIG trees that have fallen, off the trail. allowed us to rest up, swim, and relax. I did 3 small paintings. All of our hiking was on established trails that went from lake to lake, some of the nicest of which were Chewing Gum Lake, Gem Lake, Y- Meadow Lake, and Wire Lakes, which afforded refreshing chances for swimming and sun- bathing on the warm, glacial-polished granite slab expanses. At the end of this most wonderful vacation, I returned home feeling stronger and more confidant than I ever have, and believing I can travel anywhere on foot and take what I need with me. And, I have invitations to visit places I have never been: Boston, Mass., a B&B in Alaska, and lovely Con- necticut New England from three new friends. I highly recommend a vacation where you take a risk, and stretch your idea of what you can accomplish. Two layover days Reach and motivate North State voters with Tehama County's Most Visited Local Website: www.redbluffdailynews 275,000 page views in August, 2012 77,712 website visits Average visit time almost 12 minutes! Online display ad size: 300 x 250 pixels Hosted "Run of Site" • 15,000 guaranteed impressions within 7 days: $125 • 30,000 guaranteed impressions within 7 days: $195 • 50,000 guaranteed impressions within 14 days: $300 • 25,000 30-second online broadcast commercial views Plus 15,000 guaranteed impressions within 30 days: $375 Discount multimedia packages available including Political Display Advertising in The Voice of Tehama County since 1885 Published Tuesday - Saturday DAILYNEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY 14,000+ Readers per Edition Bundled online/print discount packages – all run within 7 days. • 12,000 guaranteed impressions plus 2 quarter pages in The Daily News: $295 • 24,000 guaranteed impressions plus one half page and one quarter page in The Daily News: $450 • 20,000 30-second online broadcast commercial views plus one quarter page ad in the Daily News: $395 Contact your Daily News Advertising Representative now! (530) 527-2151 Gayla Eckels: geckels@redbluffdailynews.com Doris Hoagland: dhoagland@redbluffdailynews.com Suzy Noble: snoble@redbluffdailynews.com Between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency, 75,000 acres per year were con- verted to low-density housing across California. A recent Bee analysis of housing data showed a similar trend over the past decade, at least until the recession began. The rate was even greater prior to 1990. This land conversion eliminated food and migratory cor- ridors vital to deer. "You can't have a good migratory deer population when their wintering ground is covered in residential development for humans," Stowers said. "They're competing for the same resources we need, and they're losing." The species in question are mule deer and blacktail deer. Both species are lumped together in Fish and Game's 2011 population estimate of about 445,000 deer statewide, a drop from 850,000 in 1990. defined by habitat and deer behavior. Of the 45 zones, only about 6 have deer populations that held steady or increased slightly since 1990. These are generally found in some of the least populated areas of the state. All the other zones declined significantly. Rural residents might tell a different story. They see deer frequently around their yards, in their gardens, and as road- kill. Indeed, deer in these areas are often considered a pest. Deer require a particular type of forest habitat called "early seral." This means they prefer to eat the tender, nutri- tious, young vegetation that surges for several years after a forest fire or other land disturbance. The state manages its deer herds according to zones The problem for rural residents, these days, is that deer primarily find this kind of food in the vigorous growth of gardens and landscaping that tend to go with rural housing development. The natural sources of this deer food have been largely eliminated by a century of fire suppression in forests — the same problem that has caused forests to become over- stocked with small, young trees that now pose an enormous fire risk. vice now understand this error of excessive fire suppression. The problem is that allowing more fire is difficult because the overly dense forests pose a massive wildfire risk, and because so many people and homes have cropped up in and near forests. Land management agencies such as the U.S. Forest Ser- It's a "double whammy" for deer, said Stowers. Much of their habitat has been eliminated by rural development. And the habitat that remains is poor quality. "If deer numbers are poor, they are a real canary in the coal mine, so to speak," said Randy Morrison, California regional director at the Mule Deer Foundation, a conserva- tion and hunting organization. "They are a real bellwether species for a given habitat. And our habitat is not healthy, no question about it." Complicating the problem is that, when a wildland fire does occur, there is often a rush to remove the burned trees and replant with seedlings. Often this comes with herbicide spraying to prevent other plants from competing with the seedlings. This impulse eliminates the natural forest regen- eration that would support deer populations. And it's not just deer. A study last year by PRBO Con- servation Science, which examined conditions after fires on the Plumas and Lassen national forests, found that dozens of songbird species benefit from the same kind of post-fire habitat that emerges when a burned area is left alone. Over 25 years of experience The North State's premier supplier of stoves STOVE JUNCTION It's HOT now! But don't get left out in the 5A>6! Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com C & C PROPERTIES 741 Main Street, Suite #2 Red Bluff, CA 96080 1-800-287-2187 (530) 527-2187 An Independently owned and operated Member of Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates. FOR 24/7 PROPERTY INFO CALL 1-888-902-7253 2 BD 2 BA 1000 SQ.FT. 2 BD 2 BA 1344 SQ.FT. 3 BD 2 BA 1157 SQ.FT. 2 BD 2 BA 1104 SQ.FT. FORECLOSURES AND HOMES UNDER $200,000 3 BD 2 BA 1144 SQ.FT. 1 AC $59,900 Prop Code CB4009 3 BD 2 BA 945 SQ.FT. 0.07 AC $84,900 Prop Code CB4699 4 BD 2 BA 1254 SQ.FT. 0.23 AC $90,900 Prop Code CB24459 3 BD 1 BA 1216 SQ.FT. 1.16 AC $99,900 Prop Code CB4849 3 BD 2 BA 1176 SQ.FT. 0.249 AC $100,000 Prop Code CB4879 3 BD 2 BA 1643 SQ.FT. 0.129 AC $105,400 Prop Code CB4199 3 BD 2 BA 1578 SQ.FT. 0.151 AC $109,000 Prop Code CB4059 3 BD 1 BA 884 SQ.FT. 0.21 AC $110,000 Prop Code CB4059 3 BD 2 BA 1721 SQ.FT. 0.83 AC $129,000 Prop Code CB4699 3 BD 2 BA 1248 SQ.FT. 1.99 AC $129,900 Prop Code CB4909 3 BD 2 BA 1152 SQ.FT. 2.99 AC $135,000 Prop Code CB4079 2 BD 1 BA 884 SQ.FT. 0.37 AC $138,500 Prop Code CB4939 3 BD 1 BA 1036 SQ.FT. 0.132 AC $139,500 Prop Code CB4679 1 BD 1 BA 1080 SQ.FT. 0.149 AC $148,000 Prop Code CB4099 3 BD 1 BA 1224 SQ.FT. 0.51 AC $149,000 Prop Code CB4959 3 BD 2 BA 1080 SQ.FT. 0.141 AC $149,500 Prop Code CB4729 3 BD 2 BA 1493 SQ.FT. 0.09 AC $155,000 Prop Code CB4019 4 BD 2 BA 1572 SQ.FT. 0.276 AC $175,000 Prop Code CB4969 5BD 2 BA 2492 SQ.FT. 0.144 AC $189,000 Prop Code CB4529 3 BD 2 BA 1716 SQ.FT. 4.95 AC $195,000 Prop Code CB4169 3 BD 2 BA 1468 SQ.FT. 0.55 AC $198,000 Prop Code CB4979 3 BD 2 BA 1224 SQ.FT. 0.262 AC $199,000 Prop Code CB4229 3 BD 2 BA 1926 SQ.FT. 3.67 AC $199,900 Prop Code CB4179 $9,499 Prop Code CB4249 $27,500 Prop Code CB4209 $39,500 Prop Code CB4729 $59,000 Prop Code CB4319 TEHAMA COUNTY REAL ESTATE TEAM • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK www.redbluffcoldwellbanker.com See All Tehama County Listings at The