THE 766th MEETING
OF
THE MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
7:30 p.m., Friday November 9, 2001
Building E, Room 220
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California
PROGRAM
TO BE ANNOUNCED
NOVEMBER PROGRAM
Unfortunately the November program information was not available at the time of publication of the Bulletin. As soon as it is available it will be published on our Web Site; http//www.mineralsocal.org
IT'S DUES TIME
With a new year just around the corner, your treasurer is ready to accept your 2002 MSSC dues! Please remember that our dues are for the calendar year, so everyone's dues are due by January 1. New members joining this late in the year will be given full credit for 2002. Old members do have a short grace period after January 1, but please don't wait until your bulletin subscription has stopped to renew!
Dues are $15 for an individual, $20 for a family, and $5 for students under 21. It's easy to renew by mail. Just send your check made out to MSSC or Mineralogical Society of Southern California to:
Treasurer
MSSC
P.O. Box 41027
Pasadena, CA 91114-8027
Or come by the MSSC both at our fabulous show and renew in person. I look forward to seeing all of you then.
Thanks! Janet Gordon, Treasurer
Southern California Chapter
of the Friends of Mineralogy
Photo Project
Bob Reynolds has asked me to send out the following initial announcement of the newest SCFM Chapter project. Please think about pictures you could submit for use in educational poster boards at museums and schools.
"The FM is finding that mineral photo outreach exhibits are informative, educational and well received. The Southern California Chapter has formed a committee, chaired by Gene Reynolds that will develop exhibits concerning California mineral themes. If you have mineral photos that you consider appropriate, please submit 8 x 10" copies with your name, the mineral name, and California locality to our Bulletin editor: Mary Aruta, 25814 Business Center Drive, Suite A, Redlands CA 92374.. You will receive credit for your educational contribution."
GOLDEN BEAR AWARD
This year's Golden Bear award has been given to MSSC Life Member, and past president Jack Streeter. The Honoree's qualifications are:
1936 - Helped form CFMS
1946 - CFMS Convention in Glendale.
Retired as President of MSSC and elected as Vice President of CFMS
1947 - Participated in founding of AFMS in Salt Lake City
1948-50 - President of CFMS
1949 - President of AFMS
He spent many years creating rules and regulations for judging-a forerunner of today's AFMS Rules.
OUR COLLECTING AREAS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY!
By Steve Ivie,
Chairman, Field Trip - South
(Reprinted from the October 2001 CFMS Newsletter)
I read the article in the CFMS newsletter this month from Dick Pankey regarding the identification of our collecting areas, and I agree that it is a very good idea. We need to identify the areas where we collect to better protect their availability.
The article also said that a BLM representative stated that the BLM does not intend to further restrict our collecting areas. I see mixed messages coming from the BLM. For many months, the BLM has been having meetings to decide the fate of OUR DESERT. Because of a lawsuit filed against the BLM by the Sierra Club and others to enforce the Endangered Species Act, the BLM is actively pursuing a proposed closure of the majority of the roads that we use to get to our collecting areas.
They call this "the development of a vehicle access network on BLM lands". The irony of that statement is that there IS an established network of roads in the desert, and what they are doing is closing that network. They have nothing but closures in all the maps I have reviewed, and not a single new road.
Of course they don't plan to further restrict our collecting areas. We can still collect in them after walking many miles each way in the desert! Clever way to close an area-it's still open, but you just can't get to it.
Just in the last week or two, I received an E-mail regarding another such closure of sorts, and the following text is from the BLM's website. "The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued a proposed order to temporarily close to camping approximately 25,600 acres of public land east of the Imperial Sand Dunes in Imperial County to protect desert tortoise habitat. The area would not be closed to vehicles traveling on existing routes."
"BLM is implementing the closures as part of a settlement agreement reached in response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club, and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility regarding the Endangered Species Act."
What this means is that the BLM is already making concessions to the above groups while they are still having meetings to supposedly discuss the public opposition to the road closures. I attended one of the meetings in Ridgecrest, hosted by the BLM, to discuss the closures in the Randsburg, El Paso and Newbury Springs areas.
I decided to go because I wanted to better understand how the issues of closures were being handled. Another reason was that the BLM sent the meeting notifications so they arrived the day before the meeting. This short notice, combined with a meeting that starts at 6 p.m., 170 miles from my house, I felt would lower attendance and, as such, would not be properly represented.
At the meeting, I was greeted by many other groups fighting these closures including the Ranchers Association, Off Road Racing Association, 4 wheeler groups, horse riding groups, bird watchers and private citizens. Worried handicapped individuals also expressed their fears that closing routes would effectively prevent them from visiting old favorite sites. Even some local cities hired lawyers to represent them in these closures.
As others took turns speaking, I listened to many who had checked the road closures on the maps. Some of the comments were that 1) The BLM shows keeping open existing paved roads; 2) they show closing a route that is passable in exchange for keeping open a parallel route which is impassable by vehicle, 3) they show keeping open a creek bed but closing the road next to it.
The reason is that the BLM has not checked these roads themselves, but are relying on aerial photos to decide which roads to close. At the meeting I mentioned that I was from the CFMS. Many thanked me for coming, as they were hoping we would get involved. It appears that we have not had any representation in these meetings. Brad Tanas, the President of the Del Air Rockhounds Club attended the meeting with me. We were the only rockhound voices.
Brad and I spoke on your behalf to voice the loss if these roads are closed. I asked what would be a safe distance to walk in the desert without endangering one's health. I also told them that as I get older, I find it harder to walk long distances in the desert. I am only in my forties, so what about our seniors? Don't they have a right to use this desert? Without road access, it is effectively closed.
The general feeling I got from those with
whom I talked is that the BLM is caving in to the lawsuit and these meetings
are merely formality. No matter what is said, they will close the areas. But
what if there are more voices to say that we care? There are definitely enough
voices coming from the environmentalists. I am not one with much free time,
and like you, I can't attend all these meetings no matter how much I
care.
However, you don't have to go to the meetings in order to try to save your
hobby. Call the number for the Barstow BLM office or the "West Mojave
Team" at 1-909-697-5294 and request to be placed on the list to receive
maps of ALL the areas currently under review, and also those scheduled for
future review. These maps show all the proposed road closures. These maps are
sent to you free of charge. Then respond in writing to the BLM, voicing
opinion on the closings to Bureau of Land management, Attn: West Mojave
Planning Team, 6221 Box Springs Blvd., Riverside, CA. 92507. One of the BLM
websites that gives latest updates is
http://www.ca.blm.gov/cdd/lawsuit.html.
If you want to review the maps and pick out specific areas that need to remain open, do so, or you can simply voice your feelings on these closures in general.
What we can't do is be silent, or we will lose by not objecting. These are our public lands and we have rights to access them. We make very little impact on the desert, and denying us access is just not right.
A common saying I hear is that they want to
preserve the desert for future generations. Which generation will get to sleep
under the moon in the desert and walk through the sands, admire side-winders,
rabbits and roadrunners and, of course, collect some of its beauty in the form
of rocks and minerals? My sons, his sons?
Each of us must take individual actions by either getting involved, or simply
sending a letter stating your position or feelings on these proposed closures.
If they do not hear from many of us, then when this is over we will find that
it is too late, and our collecting areas will be locked away. Once closed it
will be a much harder, if not impossible, fight to get them reopened.
October 2001 MSSC Board Meeting
The October 2001 Board meeting was called to order by president, Dave Smith, at 2:20 pm at Charlie Freed's home. Board members present were Dave Smith, Charlie Freed, Charlie Crutchfield, Jim Schlegel, Janet Gordon, Ron Thacker, Bill Besse, and Robert Housley. Items on the agenda were Nominations for next year, Speakers, The Show, and a Treasurers report.
Several good speaker suggestions were made and I have passed them on to our acting Speaker Chair.
Our treasurer reported that our books are balanced and that we have enough cash in our checking account to meet anticipated expenses. Unfortunately the value of our mutual fund shares has decreased significantly. We currently have 153 members in the society.
I was reminded that I needed to have a slate of officers for 2002 ready to present at our November meeting. Fortunately most of the current officers are willing to continue for another year. I will be looking for replacements for two Board members whose terms are expiring. Several possible candidates were suggested.
Jim Schlegel reported that everything is going smoothly with the preparations for our upcoming Pasadena Show. Over 60 dealers have signed up and only a few spaces in the annex remain available. Show speakers will be Bob Jones, John Sinkankas, and Wayne Leicht. As was the case last year we cannot yet get a commitment from the Pasadena Center for next years Show. Unfortunately that means we again face the possibility of having to change either the dates or the location.
Respectfully Submitted by Bob Housley, Secretary
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NOVEMBER
3 - Ridgecrest CA - SC Chapter
Friends of Mineralogy
Mineral Collectors Workshop
Maturango Museum, 100 E. Las Flores Way
Hours 10 -5
Bob Reynolds
http://www.mineralsocal.org/scfm
3-4 Anaheim CA American Opal
Society
Quality Maingate Hotel
616 Convention way, near Disneyland;
Harbor Blvd South of Katella Avenue
Hours: Sat 10-6 Sun 10-5
Mike Kowalsky (714) 761-4876
3-4 Fontana, CA Kaiser Rock and Gem
Club
California Steel Ind; 9400 Cherry Ave.
Interstate 10 to Cherry exit then North about one mile on left
Hours: 9-5 both days
JoAnn Watson (909) 355-7455
3-4 Oxnard CA Oxnard Gem &
Mineral Society
800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, CA
Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4
"Gems for the Holidays" (Jingle Bell Rocks).
Show Chair: Laura Grayson (805) 482-3052.
Web: http://www.ogms.net
E-mail: webmaster@ogms.net
3-4 Ridgecrest, CA Indian Wells Gem
and Mineral Society
Desert Empire Fairgrounds, Mesquite Hall
520 S. Richmond Rd.
Hours: 9-5 both days
John De Rosa (760) 375-7905
17-18 Victorville, CA Victorville
Gem & Mineral Club
14800 7th Street
Hours: 9-5 both days
Show Chairman - Gil Gilbert (760) 868-6900
Publicity Chairman - Doug Arnold -
E-mail: oldjasper@earthlink.net
24-25 Barstow, CA Mojave Desert Gem
and Mineral Society
Barstow Community Center
841 S Barstow Road
Hours: 10-5 both days
Bob Depue (760) 255-1030
