There's a Bad Bill on the Rise

On April 17, the House of Representatives passed a bill that if signed into law could undo nearly five decades of wilderness protections. H.R. 4089, the so-called "Sportsmen's Heritage Act" is aimed at rolling back protections on public lands. The bill would: Open more than 109 million acres of wilderness areas to motor vehicle use. Take away the president's authority to designate National Monuments. Potentially open our wilderness areas to oil and gas drilling, logging, and mining. Please contact your senators now and tell them to say no to this bill.

Whatsup?

It's hard to believe that it has been almost three years since I moved "temporarily" to the Mojave. I miss the Great Basin and hope to return next year. If you want to follow my adventures & images please follow Southern Nevada Outside at http://volunteer4wild.blogspot.com/

A few images from southern Nevada....more that a few of my evening have been spent photographing the Sheep Range

Blue Moon over the Truckee Meadows

Red Rock Rainbow

I'm looking forward to head back to the land of ice and snow....and the Black Rock too. In the meantime here's a glimpse of the Red Rock NCA.

What old pines seem to like may kill them
By Stephanie Tavares

Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009 2 a.m.

Associated press / courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic garden
Some bristlecone pines, researchers have found, are growing much faster than usual.

Bristlecone pine facts■Bristlecone pines live only in a few spots in the mountains of the West and Southwest. One species, Pinus longaeva, lives in Nevada, Utah and California.■Bristlecones have an average age of 1,000 years. The oldest trees can be found near the tree line at between 10,000 and 11,000 feet above sea level. A bristlecone named “Methuselah” in the White Mountains of eastern California, just across the state line from Nevada’s Esmeralda County, is believed to be the oldest single living organism in the world. Based on a core sample, scientists have pegged its age at 4,767.■One secret to bristlecones’ longevity is their extremely slow growth rate — historically just tenths of an inch in girth each year. Their needles can live for up to three decades, which allows the trees to conserve energy and continue to photosynthesize through extreme weather and drought.
Beyond the Sun■High Elevation White Pines: Great Basin bristlecone pines
Nevada’s famous Great Basin bristlecone pines are experiencing a growth boom as temperatures have risen in their high-altitude homes. But the cause of the trees’ heyday could also signal that death is finally coming for the bristlecones, the world’s oldest living things.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/25/what-old-pines-seem-may-kill-them/

First Good Storm...sorta. Woke up early and I took Henry and Lucy out for a hike before dawn.
After all the build up on the news last night I expected a lot more snow, but that's OK it will come. I have big hopes for this winter.