In this issue:

1. Warrior’s Society Event Update in next week’s news

2. Natural History Association Santa Ana Mountains wildflower tour

3. Support the Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R.807, S.2635)!

4. California Legislature to consider resolution calling for the repeal of FLREA forest fees.

1. WARRIOR’S SOCIETY EVENT UPDATE IN NEXT WEEKS NEWS

Next week we will have an update on our remaining two events for 2007, the Saturday, May 12th Toad Festival, which will be a fun ride to benefit the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation and “The Traverse” our new event on Saturday, June 9th that will be a race (with placing cash) across the top of the Santa Ana Mountains from Black Star to the Trabuco Canyon Trail.

We hope to have registration open by April 1st for these two events.

2. THE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS WILDFLOWER TOUR

TRABUCO RANGER DISTRICT & THE SANTA ANA NAT. HISTORY ASSOCIATION INVITE THE PUBLIC TO SEE THE WILDFLOWERS OF THE SOUTH MAIN DIVIDE

Corona, CA- March 21, 2007…The Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco Ranger District, and the Santa Ana Mountains Natural History Association would like to invite the public on a wildflower expedition on Saturday, March 31, 2007, from 8AM to 11AM. Participants can expect a relaxing search for winter & early spring blooming wildflowers. This area contains many fine plants that are not found (or not easily seen) elsewhere in the Santa Ana Mountains. Highlights in the area include bigberry manzanita (large plants), California lilacs, white currant, 5 species of monkey-flowers, scarlet bugler (an uncommon red penstemon), deer ears (a very unusual tall gentian), mountain blue-curls (wow!), golden ear-drops (an odd poppy, up to 7 feet tall), and an assortment of coast live oaks and scrub oaks.

Bring a hat, jacket, sunscreen, water, & snacks. Some plants are short, so plan on getting dirty while viewing them. Wear long pants & long sleeved shirt; boots are not necessary, your shoes will get dirty and perhaps a bit wet (there is a lot of fog drip, so plants are covered with dew).

Wildflower field guides, hand lens, loop, camera, and/or binoculars are highly recommended. You can even bring a fold-up chair to sit and watch bees & hummingbirds as they visit the manzanitas. Most of the trip will be
car-caravaning to selected sites with very short walks to see the plants (not long hikes) and plenty of time to observe. We will bring a table & field guides with which to study the wildflowers.

Meeting location: 8AM at the Wildland Firefighter Memorial at the corner of
Ortega Highway (Hwy 74) and South Main Divide Road. Take Ortega Highway 27.5 miles from I-5 or 5.5 miles from Grand Ave in Lake Elsinore and turnsouth on South Main Divide Road.

If you would like more information on the expedition or the Santa Ana Mountains Natural History Association go to:

www.freewebs.com/santaanamountains

or contact Debra Clarke, Wilderness/Trails Manager at 951.736.1811×3227 or drclarke@fs.fed.us or www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland.

3. SUPPORT THE BICYCLE COMMUTER ACT (H.R. 807 AND S. 2635)

The Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R.807, S.2635) is before congress right now. It would provide a tax benefit to employers who offer cash reimbursements to employees who ride to work in order to help defray their commuting costs. All this requires is an amendment to the Transportation Fringe Benefit of the tax code to extend the definition of “transportation” to include bicycles. Employers are given the flexibility to set their own levels of benefit payments and the bike commuter can use those payments to pay for a bike, accessories, safety equipment, insurance and locker or shower fees.

How:

It is so SIMPLE!! Just go to this link:

http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=8647031

and input your zip code and the page generates emails to go to all your congress people….Then just sign and send.

Mailed letters are even better so please look up your House and Senate Representative and send them a letter of support.

Thanks to Tito Fuentes of the Laguna RADS Mountain Bike Club for this alert.

4. CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE REPEAL OF FLREA FOREST FEES

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

A resolution was introduced in the California Assembly in mid-March, AJR 21, which urges Congress to repeal the public lands access fee law, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA).

AJR 21 (which stands for Assembly Joint Resolution), authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena), will come before the Assembly’s Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on April 10th. Then it will go to the Assembly floor for a vote.

The text of AJR 21 is at:

http://tinyurl.com/3y5rgg

Similar resolutions have been passed by legislatures in Idaho, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, New Hampshire and by the Alaska House of Representatives. Together, these resolutions show our legislators in Washington DC how unpopular the FLREA is – and help move them to repeal it soon. (The House Resources Committee in DC has a list of topics in its website that they will be addressing, and it includes the FLREA.)

California’s Assembly and Senate have in fact already passed (unanimously) a resolution against the FLREA’s predecessor, the Recreation Fee Demo Program, back in 1998. The current resolution, AJR 21, will, when passed, reiterate the California legislature’s opposition to access fees on public lands managed by the US Forest Service, the BLM, the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation.

WE NEED YOU AND MANY OTHERS TO DO THREE THINGS:

First- It is most important to have your organization send a “Support Letter” to the Committee via the Resolutions Author Assemblyman Portantino. The Support Letters should have some kind of letterhead, briefly explain the purpose of your organization, state that your organization supports AJR 21 and give a brief outline why.

These letters must be received no later than the afternoon of April 2nd to be considered by Committee. Your letter stays with the resolution and helps support AJR 21 all the way through the process.

Individuals are also strongly encouraged to send Support Letters.

You can send your Support Letters via e-mail to: Diane.Shelton@asm.ca.gov

Or fax them to: 916-319-2144

Next- Make phone calls to your Assemblyman or Assemblywoman right away to demonstrate support for AJR 21 and to urge the Committee, and the Assembly as a whole, to support it. Encourage them to cosponsor AJR 21. Briefly explain why. The link below will take you to a map, where you can click on your home area and be directed to your Assembly member’s website and contact information.

http://tinyurl.com/33cpn2

Lastly-Please call and email as many as you can, through mid April, of the Assembly members who sit on the Committee for Water, Parks and Wildlife. They will be the first to decide on AJR 21. The Committee members are:

Lois Wolk, Chair (D), (916) 319-2008
Assemblymember.wolk@assembly.ca.gov

Bill Maze, Vice Chair (R), (916) 319-2034
Assemblymember.maze@assembly.ca.gov

Joel Anderson (R), (916) 319-2077
Assemblymember.Anderson@assembly.ca.gov

Tom Berryhill (R), (916) 319-2025
Assemblymember.Berryhill@assembly.ca.gov

Anna M. Caballero (D), (916) 319-2028
Assemblymember.Caballero@assembly.ca.gov

Charles M. Calderon (D), (916) 319-2058
Assemblymember.Calderon@assembly.ca.gov

Jared Huffman (D), (916) 319-2006
Assemblymember.Huffman@assembly.ca.gov

Doug La Malfa (R), (916) 319-2002
Assemblymember.lamalfa@assembly.ca.gov

Ted W. Lieu (D), (916) 319-2053
Assemblymember.Lieu@assembly.ca.gov

Gene Mullin (D), (916) 319-2019
Assemblymember.mullin@assembly.ca.gov

Pedro Nava (D), (916) 319-2035
Assemblymember.nava@assembly.ca.gov

Nicole Parra (D), (916) 319-2030
Assemblymember.Parra@assembly.ca.gov

Mary Salas (D), (916) 319-2079
Assemblymember.Salas@assembly.ca.gov

SAMPLE PHONE MESSAGE TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

You can keep it brief. Remember, unlike Congress in DC, which is responsible for the unpopular FLREA, these Assembly members are just being asked to support a resolution against it.

“My name is (…). I’m calling from (City and/or County). Please support AJR 21 when it comes before the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.”

SAMPLE PHONE MESSAGE TO YOUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER

“My name is (…). I’m calling from (City). Please coauthor AJR 21, the resolution opposing access fees on federal public lands in California. I visit the (Los Padres/Angeles/etc.) National Forest to (hike, hunt, ride my horse, mountain bike, etc.) and I oppose fees for access to undeveloped areas.

Thank you.”

Manitou and Shimano are the Major Component Sponsors of the Warrior’s Society

Cytomax is the official fluid replacement drink of the Warrior’s Society

Clif Bar is the Official Energy Bar and Gel of The Warrior’s Society

The Warrior’s Society
A Tax-Exempt organization under 501(c) 4 of the IRS Code www.warriorssociety.org

An MTBAccess and Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) affiliated organization

“Some Americans need hyphens in their names because only part of them has come over; but when the whole man has come over, heart and thought and all, the hyphen drops of its own weight out of his name.”

Woodrow Wilson

In this issue:

1. The Windy Ridge Fire – Santiago Oaks Wilderness Park Update

2. “Thanks” ride rescheduled to Saturday, April 21st.

3. Caspers Wilderness Park needs some volunteers

1. THE WINDY RIDGE FIRE – SANTIAGO OAKS WILDERNESS PARK UPDATE

As some of you know the recent Windy Ridge Fire severely affected Santiago Oaks Wilderness Park, a popular area for mountain bikers and equestrians adjacent to the cities of Orange and Anaheim.

There is a lot of concern that with the vegetation burned away park users will go off the designated trails increasing erosion severely affecting the restoration of the park environment. The park will be closed for two weeks to fully evaluate the damage. The park staff is looking for experienced trail volunteers to help with the restoration efforts as is stated in the update below, which was provided by Jim Meyer of Trails4All.

The SHARE Mountain bike club and the Warrior’s Society will be arranging a Trail Work Day in mid-April to assist with the restoration.

Here is the update on the condition of Santiago Oaks:

Tom Davidson writes –

Today I met with various agencies to discuss Santiago Oaks Parks and I wanted to give everyone an update on what’s going on there. The park will be closed for at least two weeks. Over 80% of the grounds suffered damage from the fire. The undergrowth is pretty well burned clean away, but many of the large trees look to be in good shape. It will take time to assess the damage and put together a restoration plan. There is even talk of making some changes and improvements as long as they have a clean slate to work with.

There are a few things of which you need to be aware. Just as we were looking to find shelter for our animals last Sunday, the real inhabitants of the park, all the critters and such, are doing the same. They have become Mother Nature’s homeless. You should be alert to any encounters and take care. It is imperative that we all stay on designated trails, once the park is opened and the restoration starts. Nature will begin the healing work immediately, but our shoes, hoofs, and tires will hinder the process greatly. Staying on trail is the biggest way in which we can aid the recovery, so don’t hesitate to spread the word or educate others.

In the mean time, the County and especially the Santiago Oaks Park Staff, led by Head Ranger Don Ziegler, Maureen Beckman, and Jonathan need the help of knowledgeable trail folks in and around the park. If you have time and would like to volunteer, call the park’s direct line, 973-6620. I’m sure you can respect how monumental of a task it is to deal with a restoration on this level, so please be patient with the situation. Let’s show our beloved park and its hardworking staff every consideration we can, and if you can help, please do.

Just a side note: Last Sunday, firefighters reported that they had seen two mountain lions leaving Santiago Oaks Park during the fire. This is an unconfirmed sighting, but worthy of consideration. This is just my opinion, but you may want to stay to open trails and away from areas like the Willows until things settle down. ~ Julie ~

2. “THANKS” RIDE IS RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, APRIL 21st

Our “Thanks” ride has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 21st. Our awards makers need more time to bead the coup feathers for new members and the pipes for the new Elders. We will also be recognizing those accepted as “Dog Soldiers.”

This club “Thanks” ride is open only to those who have participated in volunteer activities (trail work and event prep pre/post and as support during the Pow Wow) since January 2007.

The Warrior’s Society will be providing a Mexican food lunch, drinks and raffle prizes.

Please RSVP if you are a Warrior’s Society volunteer and would like to attend.

3. CASPERS WILDERNESS PARK NEEDS SOME VOLUNTEERS

From Ryan Cordero the Park Ranger II at Caspers Wilderness Park:

As many of you know, I am the new Park Ranger at Caspers Wilderness Park. I am primarily focused on the backcountry areas of the park, including the 30+ miles of trails, which make for great hiking, biking and equestrian recreation. As an active hiker, mountain biker and equestrian, I understand the various needs and desires of these primary trail users. I have spoken to some of you regarding a revitalization of trail volunteers at the park.

I am currently recruiting park volunteers to participate in the parks new “Backcountry Volunteer Unit”. This unit would be focused primarily on trail maintenance and exotic plant eradication throughout the park. follow this link for ocparks.com recruitment:

http://www.ocparks.com/newsroom/default.asp?Show=1001447&subshow=A

I am looking for general/long term volunteers to join this unit. Upon completion of the adopt a park general volunteer application and live scan process, volunteers will be invited to attend an 8 hr “Trail Maintenance for Volunteers” course where they will earn a certificate of completion sanctioned by the Southern California Trails Coalition. This certification will enable them to join the Caspers Park “Backcountry Volunteer Unit” and will ensure a standard of training accepted by other government agencies such as the United States Forest Service and California State Parks.

I am very excited about this new unit, but need your help to make it a success. Please refer any interested volunteers who might be interested in joining this “Backcountry Unit”. Any additional recruitment postings or forwarding of this e-mail would also be appreciated. I look forward to working with you all in the near future. Happy Trails!

Ryan Cordero
Park Ranger II
Caspers Wilderness Park
Harbors, Beaches and Parks
County of Orange
(949) 923-2208-Office
(714) 277-9023-Mobile

Manitou and Shimano are the Major Component Sponsors of the Warrior’s Society

Cytomax is the official fluid replacement drink of the Warrior’s Society

Clif Bar is the Official Energy Bar and Gel of The Warrior’s Society

The Warrior’s Society
A Tax-Exempt organization under 501(c) 4 of the IRS Code www.warriorssociety.org

An MTBAccess and Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) affiliated organization

“Some Americans need hyphens in their names because only part of them has come over; but when the whole man has come over, heart and thought and all, the hyphen drops of its own weight out of his name.”

Woodrow Wilson

In this issue:

1. The 2007 Mountain Bike Pow Wow wrap-up

2. “Thanks” ride for our trail work and event volunteers – March 24th

1. THE 2007 MOUNTAIN BIKE POW WOW WRAP-UP

The 2007 Mountain Bike Pow Wow wrap-up has been posted on our web site at:

http://www.warriorssociety.org/events/writeup_pow_wow2007.html
Below is the link on the Orange County Register article on 9-year old club member Troy Sladeck breaking the record as the youngest finisher of the Counting Coup:

http://tinyurl.com/2tlo39

To see a news story that discusses Troy’s record to to:

http://tinyurl.com/2nwqlg

Thanks again to all the participants and volunteers who helped make the Pow Wow such a success!

See you at the Toad Festival

2. “THANKS” RIDE FOR OUR TRAIL WORK AND POW WOW VOLUNTEERS – MARCH 24TH

On Saturday March 24th we will be having a spring “Thanks” ride to recognize all trail work and Pow Wow volunteers. This event is only open to volunteers who have helped with the trail and riding events we have had so far in 2007.

Several rides will be offered and lunch will be served afterward along with a prize raffle. We will also be initiating new club members and honoring club elders.

If you volunteered at our two trail work projects in January or volunteered at the Pow Wow and would like to join us please RSVP to:

countingcoup@warriorssociety.org

Manitou and Shimano are the Major Component Sponsors of the Warrior’s Society

Cytomax is the official fluid replacement drink of the Warrior’s Society

Clif Bar is the Official Energy Bar and Gel of The Warrior’s Society

The Warrior’s Society
A Tax-Exempt organization under 501(c) 4 of the IRS Code www.warriorssociety.org

An MTBAccess and Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) affiliated organization

“Some Americans need hyphens in their names because only part of them has come over; but when the whole man has come over, heart and thought and all, the hyphen drops of its own weight out of his name.”

Woodrow Wilson