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

[cmkudija at ca.rr.com]

Couldn't have written it better myself.  Good letter, Judith, particularly the reference to the MOU.  The MOU, fwiw, is the document that memorializes what this BLM District HAS ALREADY AGREED TO DO (as is feasible, possible, practicable, etc).  Reminding them of what they've already committed to do is important.

Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
PCT partially '94

www.pcta.org
Join Now!

Ceanothus (see-ah-no-thus) or California lilac:  Shrubs or small trees, often with divaricate, sometimes spiny, twigs...[flowers] small but showy, white to blue or purplish, sometimes lavender or pinkish, borne in terminal or lateral panicles or umbellike cymes. 
                                                               Philip A. Munz
                                                               A California Flora, U.C. Press, 1973


-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]On Behalf Of Judith G
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2007 8:17 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net; montypct
Cc: suzanne PCTA wilson; asabat at 4jeffrey.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Letter to BLM re Golden Oak Springs

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
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