| | | | Hot Creek is safe from mining activities--for now! But we can't rest on our laurels: We've still got Conglomerate Mesa to protect! | | | | | | If you follow Friends of the Inyo on social media, you already know: Just days ago, we received the happy news that an appeals court struck down the National Forest Service's approval of gold drilling at Hot Creek, which otherwise could have started as early as tomorrow, September 1! Phew! | | | | | | | | | | | | There are many people to thank in this effort, including our fellow plaintiffs in the court case, Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project, and the Sierra Club, as well as the team of passionate, dedicated attorneys who worked tirelessly to get a favorable ruling from the appellate court; local grassroots partner organization No Hot Creek Mine; and, of course, all of you, who through your support and comments to the Inyo National Forest made it clear that Hot Creek must be protected. Thank you! Friends of the Inyo will remain ever vigilant and committed to the protection of Hot Creek and other lands and waters in our precious Eastern Sierra from destructive mining and other extractive industries. That means Conglomerate Mesa in Southern Inyo County, too, of course! Below is our Action Alert Reminder to submit your comments to the Bureau of Land Management by the October 16 deadline to help shape the Environmental Impact Statement the BLM is requiring before it will allow exploratory drilling on the mesa by project proponent K2 Gold. Your voice can make a difference! And immediately following that reminder is an opportunity for you to be present at our "Protect Rally" in Lone Pine next Monday, Labor Day, in solidarity with the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone and Timbisha-Shoshone Tribes and other stakeholders in defense of Conglomerate Mesa. We hope to see you there! Also in this issue of The Juniper: - Our September schedule of interpretive hikes and other events led primarily by our Trail Ambassadors;
- A job announcement for those interested in working with Friends of the Inyo on the Water Justice front;
- A reminder that Friends of the Inyo will be at the Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fair in Bishop this weekend;
- A brief review of a must-see exhibit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (and so much more!) at the Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center;
- News from local coalitions whose communications and websites we manage;
- And more!
| | | | Happy reading—and if you like what you read, happy sharing! Sincerely, Louis (Lou) Medina
Communications and Philanthropy Director
Louis@friendsoftheinyo.org | | Remember: When scrolling through our newsletter, you might come across a message at the bottom that says [Message clipped] and/or the hyperlink "View Entire Message." Be sure to click on the link to keep reading, as more news will be displayed. This is done to prevent bandwidth issues in e-mail delivery. Thank you. | | | | | | Tell the Bureau of Land Management you do not want “Modified”—more destructive—drilling on Conglomerate Mesa!
Submit your comments by Oct. 16! The Conglomerate Mesa Coalition has created a page to help you with talking points and the customizing of your comment letter. | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | Here Are Our FREE Interpretive Hikes, Other Events and Volunteering Opportunities in September: Most of our interpretive hikes and other events are led by our Stewardship Team of eager and knowledgeable Trail Ambassadors: Returning Lead TA Jean Redle, plus first-timers Brian Bosak, Logan Hamilton, Kelly Kish and Colt Russell. The team receives direction and encouragement from FOI Stewardship Director Lindsay Butcher. Learn more about each of them on the Staff and Board page of our website. Find your passion: There are more than a dozen educational or volunteer events to choose from! Click on the link for the hike or event that interests you, and you will be taken to the event page on our calendar where you will find more specific meeting time, parking, what-to-bring, and other details, and where you will also need to RSVP by filling out a waiver form for safety reasons. Interpretive Hikes and Educational Events Volunteering Opportunities - 9/23: National Public Lands Day - This is a great day to give back to Mother Nature by volunteering on trail maintenance, litter cleanup, or other types of stewardship projects. Friends of the Inyo is working on a possible volunteering event on that day, but details have yet to be confirmed. Please visit FriendsoftheInyo.org/Events from time to time to get updates and to sign up. It is also good to check our Events page from time to time to see if any of our posted events has been canceled or postponed due to weather or other factors.
See you on the trails! | | | |  | | | | | | | Friends of the Inyo seeks a Water Justice Organizer to assist with a campaign to improve the health of the communities and ecosystems in Payahuunadü, (the Paiute “Land of Flowing Water,” now referred to as the Eastern Sierra, or Inyo and Mono Counties), through more just and equitable distribution and management of the area’s water. The position is part time permanent (10 to 25 hours per week) and will report directly to the executive director. For questions, write to Wendy@friendsoftheinyo.org. | | | | | | | | Nature, Connectivity and Credit Redux! | | | |  | We will be at the Tri-County Fair in Bishop on Aug. 31, and Sept. 3, with partners AltaOne Federal Credit Union and others, to educate the community about public lands protection and access, as well as to help people who are unbanked or lack credit to apply for a credit or debit card account with AltaOne. This is a continuation of the community service we began during Latino Conservation Week in July, in response to many National Parks and other venues making a transition to cashless collection of entry fees and other payments from the public. We want everyone to have access to our beautiful national parks and, thanks to the Tri-County Fair graciously agreeing to host us, we will be able to do much outreach regarding Nature, Connectivity and Credit to fair-going members of underrepresented communities so that credit can open outdoor recreation opportunities for them. See you at the Fair! | | | | | | | | | | Imagine the pain of a people whose children were separated from their parents and forced to give up their traditional ways and language in a brutal exercise of cultural erasure perpetrated by the colonizing dominant power. Imagine the fear, anguish and lack of closure upon seeing countless of your mothers, sisters and daughters go missing, only to be found murdered--if found at all. Imagine the helplessness at having your "Water Relative" be syphoned, captured and constrained mercilessly within a steel pipe, and pumped hundreds of miles away for the convenience of people who do not feel the same type of kinship, respect and love for "Paya," the namesake of your beloved "Land of Flowing Water." Walking in Beauty delivers an emotional gut punch the moment one enters its exhibit space. For those of us who are not members of the Native American community, this exhibit, which "celebrates Indigenous resilience while it honors women, water and children," can help us gain a small insight into the pain, strength, and cosmic and spiritual vision of our Indigenous neighbors. There is much to learn here. And much to feel. The City of Bishop is truly blessed to have the cultural gem that is the Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center here for the public to enjoy an exhibit like Walking in Beauty. AND IT'S FREE! The Cultural Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Monday. For more information, please call 760.873.8844. | | | | | | | | | | This month, an "Extra!" issue of Inyo to Coso, the Conglomerate Mesa Coalition's Newsletter, features news about the open comment period for the public to help the Bureau of Land Management shape the drafting of an Environmental Impact Statement before any sort of exploratory drilling can be allowed on Conglomerate Mesa; the Conglomerate Mesa Coalition's upcoming "Protect Rally" in Lone Pine on Labor Day Monday; a link to view the short documentary film "Island in the Sky," and more. Happy reading. Happy sharing. And...Don't forget to submit your public comment to the BLM by the October 16 deadline. Read Inyo to Coso for talking points and assistance in crafting/customizing your letter for the greatest impact. | | | |  | | | | |  | The latest issue of the Keep Long Valley Green Coalition's newsletter, Every Last Drop, features a gorgeous photo tour of Long Valley in an especially green, lush summer. Please help us share the beauty of Long Valley with your family, friends and networks. | | | | | | | | | | | |  | And, not to be outdone, the Bodie Hills Coalition Partnership's Quarterly Newsletter also features some photos of wildflowers, plus others of the hills taken from an EcoFlight; hopeful news about sage grouse protection; mining updates; opportunities to engage with the coalition; and more! | | | | | | | | You can also access the latest and past issues here. And use the button below to sign up to receive the newsletter in your e-mail inbox FREE. In between newsletters, keep up with Bodie Hills news on social media: The BHCP has launched an Instagram, @bodiehills, this year to augment its social media following on Facebook and Twitter. | | | | | | | |  | Want to support Friends of the Inyo? Consider making a donation online today!
Or keep reading below to learn more about our ongoing Help Us Grow Our Circle of Friends...of the Inyo! campaign by purchasing a membership for a friend or loved one. It makes a great gift! Thank you for your generous support. | | | | | | | | Buy Our Swag!
Make a Fashion Statement and Support FOI! Want to look like a million bucks while you help further Friends of the Inyo's mission: To Protect and Care for the Land and Water of the Eastern Sierra? Then consider buying one of our swag items! You will be helping to call attention to our work while supporting important conservation goals with your purchase. Our T-shirts, hats and mugs make great gifts for birthdays and other special occasions. | |  | | | | | Friends of the Inyo appreciates the following organizations and local businesses for their generous monetary sponsorship of our programs: | | | | | | | | Inyo Mono Alpine County
Cattlemen’s Association | |  | | | | | | | Remember to update the address to our new location: Friends of the Inyo
621 W. Line St., Suite 201
Bishop, CA 93514 FriendsoftheInyo.org | | | | Like and follow us on social media: | | | | | | |
