[pct-l] Letter to BLM re Golden Oak Springs

[Judith G]

For the information of anyone also thinking of writing, on April 9, I  
sent this letter to the two BLM field offices that share  
responsibility for Golden Oaks Spring.  I think it would be helpful  
to write, because I believe they will respond if they know how many  
people are concerned about the issue.  However, I recommend that your  
letters are not nasty, that does seem to bring out the passive  
aggression in government employees.  And my idea of a possible  
government passive aggressive response is that they would close off  
the trail to prevent hikers from dying.  So it might be best not to  
emphasize concerns about gazillion hikers dying.

Bureau of Land Management
Ridgecrest Field Office
300 S. Richmond Road
Ridgecrest, CA 93555

Bureau of Land Management
Bakersfield Field Office
3801 Pegasus Drive

Bakersfield, CA 93308

I am a member of the Pacific Crest Trail hiking community, and I will  
be hiking this spring in the Cache Peak Segment, which I believe the  
Ridgecrest Field Office oversees.  I subscribe to the PCT-l, an  
online discussion list for the PCT hiking community, and I was  
concerned to learn from various hikers who hiked this segment in  
March 2007 that the piped water at Golden Oaks Spring either trickles  
faintly, or has stopped completely.  They advise that when this  
year’s hikers reach the spring, it could be completely dry, creating  
a 37 mile waterless stretch of the trail.

In researching this issue online, I encountered a page on the BLM  
website for the Bakersfield Field Office, which contained the  
following statement:

“The MOU with the Ridgecrest Resource Area for shared maintenance  
responsibilities will be continued. Water sources along the trail  
(Fox Mill Spring, Chimney Creek Campground, Joshua Tree Spring,  
Walker Pass Campground, Golden Oaks Spring, and Willow Spring) will  
be maintained and additional water sources will be developed as  
possible.”

In the belief that the Bakersfield and Ridgecrest Field Offices would  
already be aware of this problem, I am writing to learn if you have  
plans to restore the water supply at this spring in the very near  
future.  The main body of this year’s PCT hikers will be coming  
through in May and June, and a failure of the water supply here could  
have a significant adverse effect on their experience.  It would be  
my hope that restoration of a useful flow might be achieved by simple  
maintenance procedures on your part.

I would be grateful to hear from you, by telephone or email, at your  
very earliest convenience respecting this issue, so that I may make a  
report to the PCT hiking community at large, via the discussion list,  
in order that hikers may make suitable plans to deal with this  
potential adversity.

Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,


Judith A. Gustafson