Winter 2011 Canyon Echo

Of the elements: AIR

Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet

http://arizona.sierraclub.org Grand Canyon Chapter Winter 2011

Arizona “Leaders” Deaf to Public Health ConcernsBy Sandy Bahr

Sandy is the Chapter Director.

Essay ContestShare your thoughts about our state! Any personal essay that focuses on

Arizona’s environment is welcome. The winner will receive a bag full of Sierra Club goodies, plus the honor and recognition of your fellow members! Visit

http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com/Essay+Contest to enter.

Happy New Year!

To get involved in advocacy work with the Sierra Club locally and find out how you can work for cleaner air and other environmental challenges,

please contact Sandy Bahr at 602-253-8633 or [email protected].

John Muir said, “Few are altogether deaf to the preaching of pine trees.” Unfor-tunately, it appears those “few” are concen-trated in the Arizona Legislature, Governor, and the Congress – and it’s not just the pine trees they cannot hear.

The outlook for positive action on ev-erything from climate change to protecting water quality is dismal, to say the least, and we will likely see efforts to weaken any pro-tections in place. The U.S. House has already decided to eliminate a climate change panel, and here in Arizona, Governor Brewer has developed a new climate change task force to undermine actions taken under a previous governor.

Most poignant, however, is the concert-ed effort by our elected officials to ignore or eviscerate air quality measures.

The Phoenix metropolitan area is a nonattainment area, meaning it does not meet the federal health-based standards, for both ozone and coarse particulates, referred to as PM

10 as they are 10 microns in size or

smaller. (For comparison, the average hu-man hair is about 75 microns.) Pinal, Pima, and Yuma counties also suffer from poor air quality but not to the degree of Maricopa County – at least not yet.

For decades, the various plans and pro-posals to clean up the air in our state’s most populated region have consistently failed to do enough. It is our lungs, and especially the lungs (and hearts) of the elderly, children, and those with respiratory or other health is-sues, that are at greatest risk.

When PM10

particulates are inhaled, they can affect the heart and lungs and in-crease respiratory symptoms, irritation of the airways, coughing, breathing difficulty, and more. People do get sick because of the air they breathe. People can and do die be-cause of poor air quality. The fact that “bad air days” necessitate schools keeping children inside rather than allowing them to enjoy the playground…well, that is just wrong.

So what are our leaders doing to address this significant public health issue? They are

seeking to vilify the Environmental Protec-tion Agency and weaken the public health mandate of the Clean Air Act. Furthermore, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), which consists of the cities and towns in Maricopa County, has hired a lob-byist for some of the biggest polluters to now represent and promote a new round of ex-cuses rather than solutions.

All of this does not even get at ozone and the new health-based standards for this major pollutant. Ozone damages lung tissue by reacting with it chemically and prema-turely aging the lungs. Exposure to ozone

increases the risk of asthma attacks, reduces lung function, and causes pulmonary in-flammation and risk of premature mortality. Metropolitan Phoenix is one of the top five U.S. cities for asthma-related deaths.

So, what next? Make no mistake, we are up against huge obstacles, but that means we must work harder, be creative, and make clear the consequences of doing nothing, or worse. Our health, the health of those we love, and the health of every child in this state is worth the fight.

Youth enjoying the clear air in the Matzatzal Mountains. Photo by Lisa Vaaler.

2 Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter

http://arizona.sierraclub.org

Canyon EchoWinter 2011 Vol. 47 No. 1

Canyon Echo © 2011. Canyon Echo (ISSN 0164-7024) is published quarterly for Sierra Club mem-bers by the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Ste. 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Phone: 602-253-8633, Fax: 602-258-6533. Printed at Valley Newspapers.

Front page banner designed by Erika Gronek.

Printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.

EDITOR: Tiffany Sprague602-253-9140, [email protected]

DEDICATED VOLUNTEERSOutings Editor: Jerry Nelson

602-279-4668, [email protected]

Mailing Organizers: Bill Gill, Jerry Nelson

Publications Committee: Priscilla Benbrook, Jon Findley, Kurt Florman, Jack Foster, Chris Gehlker, Tricia Gerrodette,

Renée Guillory, Jerry Nelson, Carole Piszczek-Sheffield, Mike Smith

Publications Chair: Keith Bagwell520-623-0269, [email protected]

Webmaster: Dawson [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Annual dues to the Sierra Club are $39 (including $1 for Canyon Echo). Subscription rate for non-members is $10. Send check payable to Sierra Club - Canyon Echo, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Ste. 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

ADVERTISING: Advertising is sold on a first-come, space-available basis. The editor reserves the right to re-fuse any advertisements, and inclusion of advertisements does not imply endorsement by the Sierra Club. All in-teractions between advertisers and consumers are solely the responsibilities of those parties.

SUBMISSIONS: Send electronic or hard copies to the editor (include a S.A.S.E. for return of hard copies). In-dicate copyright or Creative Commons preference. We are not responsible for lost or damaged items. Writer’s guidelines can be obtained by contacting the editor. All rights to publication of articles in this issue are reserved. The deadline is the first day of the month preceding the issue. Opinions expressed in Canyon Echo are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Sierra Club.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes and postage due to Sierra Club Member Services, c/o Canyon Echo, P.O. Box 421041, Palm Coast, FL 32142-6417. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ.

Arizona Chapter Action DirectoryChapter Director Sandy Bahr 602-253-8633 [email protected] Chapter CoordinatorTiffany Sprague 602-253-9140 [email protected] Canyon Conservation Program CoordinatorAlicyn Gitlin 928-774-6514 [email protected] Conservation Program CoordinatorDan Millis 520-620-6401 [email protected] Sentinels Program CoordinatorSteve Pawlowski 602-254-9330 [email protected] Southwest Regional OfficeRob Smith 602-254-8362 [email protected]

CHAPTER OFFICES & COMMITTEE CHAIRSChairperson/Council: Jim Vaaler (xc) 602-553-8208 [email protected]: Dale Volz (xc) 480-892-5102 [email protected]: Elna Otter (xc) 520-212-9736 [email protected]: David McCaleb (xc) 602-840-7655 [email protected]: Jenny Roberts (xc) 480-488-2256 [email protected]: Don Steuter 602-956-5057 [email protected] Chair: vacantOutings Chair: Bev Full 480-595-2306 [email protected] Chair: Jon Findley (xc) 480-756-2916 [email protected] (At-Large): Keith Bagwell (xc) 520-623-0269 [email protected]

Ken Langton (xc) 520-749-3829 [email protected] McCarthy (xc) 928-779-3748 [email protected]

Palo Verde: Don Steuter Saguaro: Bev FullPlateau: Tom Martin Sedona/Verde Valley: Marlene RaynerRincon: Roy Emrick Yavapai: Tom Slaback

2010 Group Voting Representatives to Chapter Ex-Com:

(xc) 2010 Chapter Executive Committee (Ex-Com) members

Chapter AnnouncementsJAN 8–9 (SAT–SUN). Chapter Conservation (SAT) and Executive Committee (SUN) meetings. Club leaders meet to consider matters related to statewide conservation efforts, share experiences across groups, and coordinate strategy to align our Chapter mission and goals with that of national Sierra Club. The meetings will be located in the Quality Inn and Suites Garden Room at 202 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix. For more information, contact Don Steuter at 602-956-5057 or [email protected] or Jim Vaaler at 602-553-8208 or [email protected].

JAN 25, FEB 22, MAR 22 (TUE) Energy Committee gatherings. Discussions, programs, and field trips will encompass various energy activities, including renewable energy and energy efficiency campaigns nationally and locally. Everyone is invited to participate, no matter how much or how little you know about energy issues. Specific time and location will be announced online or via email. To be added to our list or to get more information, please contact Jon Findley at 480-756-2916 or [email protected].

FEB 2 (WED) 5:30 p.m. Publications Committee meeting. Have an idea? Help plan future issues of the Canyon Echo! Contact Keith Bagwell at 520-623-0269 or [email protected] or Tiffany Sprague at 602-253-9140 or [email protected].

MAR 1 (TUE) Copy deadline for Spring 2011 Canyon Echo. The theme is “Of the Elements: Water.” Articles, art, photographs, poetry, essays, and brief epiphanies are welcome. Contact the editor before submitting at 602-253-9140 or [email protected] to discuss word count, photos to include, licensing, issue topics, and to request submission guidelines.

MAR 30 (WED) 1–5 p.m. (stop by anytime) Canyon Echo Mailing Party. Club volunteers save the Chapter hundreds of dollars every year by preparing Canyon Echo for mailing. Thank you! The job is easy to learn and takes only a few hours once every three months. We all have a great time. Any amount of time that you’re available is appreciated. Contact Jerry Nelson at 602-279-4668 or [email protected] or Bill Gill at [email protected] for location and other details.

GRAND CANYONCHAPTER

Tucson

Prescott

Flagstaff

PALO VERDE

YAVAPAI

SEDONA/ VERDE VALLEY

Phoenix

PLATEAU

SAGUARO

RINCON

mailto:[email protected]


Winter 2011 Canyon Echo 3


Electronic Newsletter Available!

Help save resources and money by signing up for the electronic newsletter! Signing up is easy: just fill out the short form at http://ari-zona.sierraclub.org/echo/paperlessform/form.asp or send an email with your full name and membership ID (8-digit number located on your mailing label) to [email protected]. You will receive an email when the latest issue is available online.

2 Chapter Announcements

4 Cast of Characters

5 Thank You!

6 SunZia Transmission

7 Uranium Mining

8 Kids and Nature

9 Clean Air for the Verde?

10 Climate Change “Fixes”

11 The Small and the Mighty

12 Group Happenings

14 Hikes and Outings

16 Service Outings

Grand Canyon Chapter – What’s Going On?

There was an error in my candidate statement for a position on the Chapter Excom. Where I stated “I am currently a member of the Saguaro Group Excom and Chair of the Group,” it should have read “I am currently a member of the Saguaro Group Excom and Outings Chair of the Group.” I apologize for the omission of the word “Outings.”

–Jim Wilkey

Of the Elements

Earth, air, fire, and water, the four elements of classical Greek thought, comprise the themes for this year’s four Canyon Echo newsletters. Since the days of Aristotle and Socrates, science has raised the number of naturally occurring elements to 88 or 92, depending on whose argument you listen to. We could publish that number of newsletters this year, as some believe we should, but financial realities and resource use need to be considered. Besides that, each of the four original elements seem to fit with environmental topics much better than do more modern ones like Praseodymium, Technetium, or Gadolinium.

We considered the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – Conquest, War, Famine and Death – as the model for this year’s themes, but, in light of the state of the economy and the mid-term elections, it was decided that these would only further increase our readers’ depression. We’ll try to keep things as optimistic and enlightening as realistically possible and hope you’ll find this year’s Canyon Echo to be worthwhile reading.

–Jerry Nelson, member of the Chapter Publications Committee

The original of this book came out in 1995. This new edition contains a great deal more, and I haven’t found time to read it yet. So here I am, in the ridiculous position of reviewing a book I haven’t read.But I must say that the first edition was so great that the fresh material can only add to it. The first example that springs to mind

is Columbus, a man who, so said our self-glorifying American history textbooks, discovered America.Not only was America fully occupied by a number of peoples from a wide variety of the world’s areas, but Columbus didn’t even

land here.Columbus landed on some rather isolated Caribbean islands, where he and his men quickly proceeded to enslave, rape, murder,

and otherwise abuse the native peoples he found living there, then continued that same horrid behavior wherever he went.That is just one of a series of incredibly violent and inhumane behaviors that have typified us wonderful Americans ever since,

and it continues to this day.Not that we are alone in such incredibly horrid behavior, as your daily paper, of whatever stripe, will tell you.Extrapolating from these few examples, I have long ago concluded that the human race deserves the fate it is still in the process of

making for itself and the entire earth. I could rant on for a long time about these goings-on, but this is supposed to be a book review, and I have long since strayed into a review of humanity as a whole.

I intend to make those rants available to anyone who wants to read them, but, since they stray far from the tenets of the Sierra Club, I rather expect those who oversee the publication of this paper would reject them, even though at the Sunday picnic a couple of weeks ago, a number of old friends and others remarked that they had read the first edition and that it was a very good book.

I offer my very best wishes to you all. Good luck!

Grand Canyon Chapter’s Book CornerLIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME. By James W. Loewen, Touchstone, 2007, 464 pages.

Reviewed by Jack Foster

Jack is a happy, wrinkled, skinny, round-shouldered guy.

History and Sustainability: Stories of Progress, Hubris, Decline, and Resilience

April 12–16, 2011

The American Society for Environmental History’s next annual conference, hosted by Arizona State University, will include a wealth of discussions, film screenings, exhibits, and field trips focusing on water development, urban planning, local archaeological projects, Arizona’s border, and more!

For more infomation, visit http://www.aseh.net/conferences or contact Paul Hirt at [email protected].

http://arizona.sierraclub.org/echo/paperlessform/form.asp

http://arizona.sierraclub.org/echo/paperlessform/form.asp





Cast of Characters

Roy EmrickMore than just a Dam Activist

Rincon Group Chair Roy Emrick got the bug for outdoor adventure after he fell in love with the mountains during two summers in Los Alamos as a graduate student in physics. That was in the 1950s. He remains a dedicated activist, lucky for us with the Sierra Club.

The mountains of northern New Mexico were a special treat for a young man who was attending graduate school at the University of Illinois, in the flatlands of Champaign-Urbana. Roy has never looked back, spending the rest of his adult years as an avid hiker, especially of Grand Canyon, and as a well-traveled adventurer.

Roy moved to Arizona in 1960 to take a job as a physics professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He soon was embroiled in opposition to the construction of Glen Canyon and other dams on the Colorado River, working with Arizonans for Water without Waste, which later morphed into Arizonans for Water, Wilderness, and Wildlife and continued battling the environmental travesties of the Southwest’s power brokers in their lust for sprawling growth at any cost.

In 1965 Roy joined the Sierra Club, then spent several years in the 1970s as co-chair of the Rincon Group with fellow activist Gayle Hartmann. Also in 1965, Roy became a member of the Southern Arizona Hiking Club, which in addition to sponsoring Grand Canyon hikes was a local force to be reckoned with through the 1980s.

Hiking was Roy’s forte, but he also developed a taste for rambling around some 800 miles of rugged dirt roads in Baja California, Mexico, in a Volkswagen microbus. He had so much fun doing that in 1967 that he did it again in 1969, and again in 1971.

Since retiring from the UA, Roy has become a leader of the Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, serving a term as board chairman and now as treasurer.

A photography and travel buff, Roy went on many of his hikes over the years with his frequent companion, Buddy, “the only dog who ever made it into the Rincon Group ExCom minutes.” Buddy passed away a year ago, but Roy and his wife Fran still enjoy the company of their cat Bentley, an indoor feline who does not hike but likes to flee their house at every opportunity. Roy has three adult children – a son and two daughters – and eight grandchildren.

Roy still believes Arizona’s greatest environmental problem is its unquenchable thirst for water in an area of deserts and droughts, which global climate change is making even drier. He does not expect help from the Arizona Legislature and looks forward to a better November 2012 when we can replace these bums with environmental champions.

Roy Emrick. Photo courtesy of Roy Emrick.

A Sense of PlaceThe journey always begins in your mind You arrive at the trailhead The vision comes to life You cannot turn back You have been here before Many times You know the beauty It is fragile You know it can be destroyed

I think of Juarez An asylum of hopelessness and helplessness And death The third world (or just the face of the apocalypse?) All of our guns and walls cannot stop it (there is a better way!) And yet it seems it may engulf us Phoenix seems beautiful by comparison I can’t believe I said that I take it back Phoenix is just a lesser threat, a lesser scar, a lesser evil

But I am out here and I feel safe (but am I?) Out here, out here on the Chillicut

I think of the Tea Party A cartel mentality Kill the world For a few dollars more Politics will not be our salvation And I feel paralyzed

But I am out here and beyond their reach (but am I?) Out here, out here on the Chillicut

I think of our legislature Busily plotting and planning the destruction of our world My world! Our freedom Our democracy My life And I feel the paralysis again

But I am out here and out of their sight (but am I?) Out here, out here on the Chillicut

I am sitting on the Chillicut Overwhelmed by this sense of place Staring at trees Staring at life Staring at our salvation And I think of all these entities of evil And I feel hate But hate is too easy I reject it For pity For they are not out on the Chillicut But I am (but am I safe?) Out here, out here on the Chillicut

-Jim Vaaler, October 2010

The “Chillicut” is a trail in the Four Peaks Wilderness.

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Thank You to Our Donors!

The Grand Canyon Chapter is also thankful for the generous support from those who chose

to remain anonymous.

We send an appeal to our members each March, ask-ing for contributions directly to our Chapter. These contributions really do make a difference and are a vital part of our Chapter’s budget.

When you make a donation to the Chapter, you sup-port the Sierra Club’s work in your own backyard. You allow us to continue our work to protect wilder-ness and wildlife, to improve the quality of life in our cities, and to promote the enjoyment of nature.

Please be as generous as you are able. These funds directly affect your way of life in your neighborhood.

Contributions to the Sierra Club are not tax-deductible.

Mail your contribution to this address:Sierra Club – Grand Canyon Chapter

202 E. McDowell Rd., Ste. 277Phoenix, AZ 85004

Support Your Local Sierra Club

Photo by Scott Jones.

Make the Mountains Glad ($100–299)Diana ImigCheryl NordstromUniversity of Notre DameJeff Williamson

Keep Close to Nature’s Heart ($50–99)David CathellSuzanne GreenLois KelleyDavid & Barbara KellyRosemary KistJanet MorrisonS. Painter & K. WetzelLinda PieleJohn Silvester

Hitched to Everything Else in the Universe ($30–49)K. and M. HoughtalingGary McCormick

Friends ($1–29)Marilyn Brady & Don DowdeyMr. & Mrs. Marlin FriedJewell HawthorneJules KetchamLynn MarcusCarol A. RichardsonRobert ScirettaRobert H. SellesSusan M. WhiteSandra Whitley

Office Thanks ToJon Blaich

Jerry NelsonDebbie White

Thank You, Members and Volunteers!By Tiffany A. Sprague

On Sunday, November 14, approximately 60 people gathered at Papago Park to honor our many priceless volunteers, members, and friends. Our annual Volunteer and Member Recognition Picnic was highlighted by a gorgeous fall day, delicious food, visits with old friends, introductions to new, and caricatures by member Brigham Kerr.

The program began with rec-ognition of the 10-year members – David Anderson, Keith Bagwell, and Tiffany and Scott Sprague – and 25-year members – Jeanne Devine, Jack Fos-ter, and Gail Johnson, Jr. – who were in attendance.

The Chapter recognized Mike Brady with our Outings Award. Mike has led Si-

erra Club hikes for a couple of decades, including monthly clean-ups at McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

Sarah King received the Outstanding Service Award. Sarah has consistently helped promote the Sierra Club by helping at out-

reach events and has also been a faithful volunteer on our Rio Salado proj-ect.

Our Conservation-ist of the Year Award went to Gerry Mc-Cullough, who works tirelessly to protect the Upper Verde River through our Water Sen-tinels program.

Jerry Nelson re-ceived our Behind the

Scenes Award for many years as an activ-ist, participation in various committees and groups, and drive to make sure Canyon Echo is the best it can be.

Our Environmental Partner Award was given to the Arizona State Parks Founda-

tion, which has worked to promote parks conservation and continues to do so during very trying times.

Last, but certainly not least, Keith Bagwell was recognized with our Lifetime Achievement Award. Keith has fought the environmental battle on many fronts, start-ing with the Citizens’ Growth Management Initiative, and continues to work to protect our lands, wildlife, and people.

Two award recipients were not able to attend: Blair McLaughlin, who was recog-nized with the Special Achievement Award for his work with the Palo Verde Group, and Lynn DeMuth, who received the Leader-ship Award for her strong political work over the years.

Thanks, again, to all of our dedicated friends!

“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless!” –Sherry Anderson

Tiffany is the Chapter Coordinator.

2010 Volunteer Picnic. Photo by Steve Pawlowski.



Passed in 1963, the Clean Air Act (CAA) authorized the development of a national program to address air pollution is-sues. The act came on the heels of studies that found correlations relating urbaniza-tion, industrial development, and increased motor vehicle use to mounting public health issues. (Needless to say, air pollution is not limited to urban areas. Toxaphen, a pesticide used in the U.S. Corn Belt, has been found in the fatty tissues of polar bears.) Since then, the impact of the CAA has clear and quan-tifiable results.

Over the years, the CAA and its 1970, 1977, and 1990 amendments (CAAA) have allowed the U.S. to make significant strides in controlling air pollution. Since 1970, re-strictions on fixed and mobile sources of air pollution have resulted in a decrease in the amount of carbon monoxide, sulfur diox-ide, PM-10 particulate matter, and lead of 31, 27, 71, and 98 percent, respectively. In 2005, emissions from electric power plants

Clearing the Air: The Clean Air ActBy Priscilla M. Benbrook

were found to be 41 percent lower than those in 1980.

In the past 20 years alone, cities such as Phoenix and Tucson have seen cleaner bus fleets and the installation of vapor nozzles at service stations. Most of us are not aware of the fact that even that pesky little “check engine” light on our dash is a mandate of the CAA. The 1990 CAAA required its in-stallation in all post-1996 light duty vehicles to alert drivers of possible pollution control device malfunctions. If it pops on, one of the first suspects should be an improperly closed gas cap.

Unfortunately, the battle for clean air continues. As I type this, I see yet another high pollution advisory in effect for tomor-row (December 4). November’s election left me brow-beaten. Sometimes I ask why I even bother. Then I return to a quote from Dr. Seuss, reminding us that “unless some-one like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Freefall

All those grains of sand rushing towards us at 32 feet per second per second.

They whisper together, inform us that they’re solid: a barrier erected long ago well out of memory’s reach not by hands but by the coincidental workings of accident and the Laws of Nature.

I tell you we’ll pass right through And moving from the realm of clouds into living stone will be glorious.

We’ll find the vast vacuums of space between each atom of durable slickrock, limestone, and antimony – slip right through not dodging, barely curving our backs.

We’re unmarked.

And we keep falling as though our very lives depended on it.

–Renée GuilloryPriscilla is a freelance science writer with degrees in English and Conservation Biology from ASU.

Transmitting Fossil Fuel Isn’t Green!By Elna Otter

Elna is a member of the Chapter ExCom and part of the Cascabel Working Group.

Mike Gray and transmission tower. Courtesy of Mike Gray.

In 2007, a SouthWestern Power Group coal plant intended for Bowie, Arizona, failed to get Cochise County Board of Supervisors approval. It was an interesting plant in that it sought the approval in order to take ad-vantage of federal encouragement of power plants with highly controversial carbon cap-ture and storage. Bowie’s method for doing this was quite unique, given that such proj-ects ordinarily plan to contain the collected carbon underground or under the ocean for thousands of years. The Bowie plan was to waft CO

2 over tomato plants or saplings –

which would have meant enhanced growth and thus carbon storage in the former un-til the tomatoes were eaten. Saplings would have been a bit better. It sounded green.

When the board of supervisors denied approval, they did grant permission to build a gas-fired plant. Unheralded was the fact that available transmission lines to transport the power to consumers were insufficient to carry the plant’s full power capacity. (Bowie’s biggest near neighbor is Tucson about 100

miles to the west.) At about that time, a SunZia project was pro-posed that could transport that power. It turns out that SunZia was conceived and proposed by the SouthWestern Power Group.

The following year, southern Arizona residents began to hear about new green power lines – be-ing built to transfer green solar and wind power across our state and called SunZia. The Bureau of Land Management held open houses, and a big show was made out of the project being green. An un-fortunate detail, though, was that these power lines would have to go through the San Pedro River Valley or the Aravaipa Canyon watershed, both extremely sensitive ecologi-cally. At a later time, Avra Valley was proposed as another alterna-tive. Meanwhile, local groups and the Sierra Club have produced long, carefully written

documents that explain in detail how the proposed, massive twin 500-kV power lines

would do irreparable damage to either of the originally proposed routes. They wouldn’t do Avra Valley any good either.

It has recently come out that there is a transmission route to the north that is part of a “High Plains Xpress” project that would not involve going through any pristine lands. No one hears much about that route. What sets the northern route apart from the three southern routes currently being considered is that it doesn’t pass near Bowie – which recently extended its gas-fired plant permit until 2020. Someone might think that all the green talk is just to get transmission lines to justify yet another fossil fuel plant.

For more information on this topic, check out http://cascabelworkinggroup.org. To visit the irreplaceable Arizona sites threat-ened by the project, join a Sierra Club back-pack to Aravaipa Canyon or a nature walk along the middle San Pedro, both in March (see pg. 15).

Photographer unknown.



A great showing of volunteers came out for the Red Butte Restoration Project to re-store land around the sacred Red Butte site where the Havasupai and other tribes per-form traditional ceremonies. Over 30 people gathered with gloves and rakes on October 24th to remove the invasive Russian thistle (Salsola kali). Russian thistle, known in the West as tumbleweed, threatens the vital soils and grasslands in this traditional cultural area. Over 50 bags of this prickly plant were removed from a one-acre area, and many plants were burned on site. By removing this weed, native grasses will be able to grow back and restore soil health. In addition to habitat and soil conservation, the restoration project was a culturally and environmentally significant event to increase awareness of the uranium mining threat in the region.

Currently, three Denison Mines ura-nium mines near Grand Canyon, one of which is near Red Butte, are scheduled to open, pending the approval of Air and Wa-ter Quality Control Permits. Nearby com-munities would once again be exposed to toxic pollution in the air, water, and soil. Radioactive particles in the groundwater and Colorado River are a serious risk to the

Restoring Red ButteBy Cynthia Pardo

Potential Wildlife Devastation from Uranium Mining Near Grand CanyonBy Alicyn Gitlin

health and livelihoods of millions of people who drink from this river. In particular, the Havasupai who live directly off these waters in Grand Canyon and tribal people who worked in the mines still live with the legacy of uranium exposure. This environmental injustice is one of many reasons that these communities are working to restore the cul-tural integrity of their homelands and the natural health of these vulnerable ecosys-tems.

Recognizing the need to protect this area from further threats, the Red Butte Res-toration Project was initiated through a part-nership between the Havasupai Tribe, Grand Canyon Trust, U.S. Forest Service Tusayan Ranger District, and Sierra Club. This part-nership formed in 2009 at the Red Butte Gathering that brought regional tribes, envi-ronmental groups, and government agencies together to recognize the need to protect the people, watersheds, Red Butte, and Grand Canyon from uranium mining.

“This project demonstrates the Sierra Club’s continuing support for our partner-ship work to bring a deeper understanding to the importance of protecting places like Red Butte from uranium mining,” said

Andy Bessler, a Field Organizer for the Si-erra Club. “Red Butte is an important place to many in the Southwest and needs more protection and respect....”

Thank you to all the volunteers and or-ganizations that gave of their time and ener-gy for this important cause! Your efforts help

protect our communities and sacred places like Red Butte and Grand Canyon.

Red Butte is known to the Havasupai as Wii’i Gdwiisa, or “clenched fist mountain.” The Canyon uranium ore mine is located about five miles from this sacred site.

According to a National Park Service document, land clearing and road building for 93 uranium mines in ponderosa pine forests south of Grand Canyon National Park (about 1% of all mine claims registered in the region in the last five years) will kill ap-proximately 14,600 birds. Development of 921 mines in piñon-juniper woodland will destroy 75,000 birds. Clearing for mine sites and roads could cause the death of nearly 450,000 small mammals. These disastrous figures don’t even include compounding fac-tors such as habitat fragmentation and road collisions.

A temporary withdrawal of nearly 1 million acres of land from consideration for new uranium mines will expire next sum-mer, and if a 20-year withdrawal doesn’t get approved, the plateaus around Grand Can-yon could become an industrialized land-

scape inhospitable to many of the creatures that dwell there now. About 100 of those species are considered “of concern” to federal or state agencies.

Southwestern willow flycatchers could receive increased parasitism from brown-

headed cowbirds in disturbed edge habitats. Endangered California condors, which are bold and vary their water sources, may suffer poisoning from waste ponds. All 41 estab-lished Mexican spotted owl Protected Activ-ity Centers in the park could be disturbed

by mining, as juveniles appear to cross the proposed withdrawal area when dispersing.

According to the Environmental Im-pact Statement (EIS) for the Canyon Mine, slated to reopen soon near Tusayan, “Five elk calving areas totaling approximately 2,000 acres have the potential to be impacted.... Approximately 9,900 acres of deer fawning habitat have been identified in the vicinity of the mine and ore haul routes. Three [prong-horn] fawning areas, totaling roughly 2,300 acres have been identified. Approximately 1,600 acres of turkey nesting habitat have the potential to be impacted. Haul route traffic is likely to disrupt...13% of all reliable waters in the affected area which are histori-cally used by wildlife.” And that’s just one mine where there could be hundreds.

Stand up against uranium mining!

On January 6th at 6 p.m., please attend a public hearing at Sinagua Middle School Auditorium, 3950 E. Butler Ave, Flagstaff, to oppose the uranium mine permits.

For more information, visit http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/permits/denison.html.

Red Butte. Photo by Stacey Hamburg.

Cynthia is an active Sierra Club member.

See Wildlife continued on pg. 10.

A California condor soars over Grand Canyon. Photo by Bettina Bickel.



Children and nature belong together. From the moment we’re born, we begin an adventure through life that involves chasing butterflies, splashing in creeks, and picking prickly pear spines out of our shins. Or at least it should. The sad reality is that most of Arizona’s children grow up in urban environ-ments, and their interactions with nature are limited to the decomposed granite beneath plastic playground equipment and chemi-cally sustained grass patches at city parks.

Over the past decade, research has prov-en that kids who grow up in the outdoors are healthier and happier and have an easier time focusing on simple and complex tasks alike. Authors such as Richard Louv have written extensively about “nature deficit disorder,” a tragic phenomenon that produces an imbal-ance within our children that didn’t exist two generations ago. When you remember your childhood, imagine what it would be like if you were to replace all of those outdoor ex-periences with time in front of a video game or television set or in a shopping mall. There is a social plague affecting the next genera-tion, and unless we work together to get kids out of the city and into the wilds, who will maintain the trails, visit the National Parks, and vote to protect the places we’ve worked so hard to preserve?

The mission of Inner City Outings (ICO) is to provide opportunities for urban

youth and adults to ex-plore, enjoy, and protect the natural world. In Tuc-son, Phoenix, and 44 oth-er cities nationwide, ICO volunteers are dedicated to providing outdoor opportunities to people who would not other-wise have them, includ-ing low-income youth of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and refugee families. ICO is made up entirely of volunteer lead-ers who organize a variety of outdoor adventures, including hiking, camp-ing, kayaking, mountain biking, caving, horseback riding, and service learn-ing for people of all ages and abilities. Through these outings, participants are introduced to the wil-derness, the Sierra Club and its values, and how to tread lightly by using Leave No Trace ethics.

Ask any ICO volunteer about the or-ganization, and you’ll see their eyes light up when they tell stories about small miracles

that happen every time they’re out on the trail. Playing in the deserts, canyons, and mountains close to home is physically, emo-tionally, and spiritually healthy for youth, and it allows them to explore the world around them with all their senses. Nature brings out the “kid” in kids.

Over the next year, Canyon Echo will feature trip reports, po-ems, photographs, original art-work, and other forms of creative expression to help tell the story about connecting youth with na-ture from the perspective of the youth themselves. Who better to talk about the wonders of the wild than those in their wonder years? Their words help remind us of the simple beauty that ex-ists in nature and are evidence that children and nature belong together.

Getting Kids Back Out ThereBy Matthew J. Nelson

Matt is the Chair of Sierra Club Inner City Outings in Tucson.

For more information or to get involved in ICO, contact Matt Nelson (Tucson) at 520-404-7992 or [email protected] or Lisa Vaaler (Phoenix) at 602-468-4158 or [email protected]. Please also visit the ICO website at http://www.ico.sierraclub.org.

Photo by Kim Daly (www.dalysite.com).

http://www.dalysite.com





Gary, the Yavapai Group’s Vice Chair, is speaking up for the Verde River.

Members Examine Border IssuesBy John Morgan

See Border continued on pg. 11.

Clean Air for the Upper Verde?By Gary Beverly

Tiring of some monotonous farming tasks, last weekend I escaped for a short hike on the upper Verde. Approaching the can-yon, my view to the northeast overlooks the Verde watershed, past the Sycamore Wilder-ness, to the San Francisco Peaks looming large on the horizon with bright, fresh snow – sharp and clear 50 miles away.

The air is cold and clear. I hope it stays that way.

The view to the northwest reveals Drake Cement, built on private property surround-ed by Prescott National Forest (PNF) piñon-juniper-grassland. A 340-foot tall stack of equipment juts into the sky, enclosed by 120 acres of buildings and machinery – the guts of a modern extractive mining indus-try. Drake will surface mine Redwall Lime-stone from a quarry on PNF land and then re-contour and restore the vegetation. The limestone is heated in a rotary kiln fired with coal to produce portland cement, the “glue” of concrete, an essential construction mate-rial for roads, homes, bridges, buildings, etc.

Heating the limestone releases carbon dioxide to the atmosphere; this is fossil car-

bon locked in stone over 300 million years ago. Burning coal releases additional fossil carbon. Worldwide, cement manufacture accounts for 4% of fossil carbon dioxide emissions; Drake will emit over 800 thou-sand tons per year.

The plant operates under an Air Qual-ity Control Permit issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) based on rules established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because the Sycamore Wilderness is an EPA Class 1 air quality area, the plant can-not degrade the air downwind from the plant. Drake Cement has chosen to build a relatively clean facility (as cement kilns go). Although Drake uses the best available pol-lution control technology to minimize emis-sions, air quality concerns limit plant capac-ity to 660,000 tons of cement per year – a small plant, about one half of Clarkdale Ce-ment and about a third of a proposed Selig-man kiln that threatens Grand Canyon air quality.

There is no solid waste; dust, coal ash, and heavy metals all are eventually en-

tombed in someone’s driveway. However, the stacks release particulates, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and ox-ides of nitrogen, nearly 2,000 tons per year. There is an environmental cost of concrete.

Mercury vapor is one dangerous pollut-ant that escapes the plant. We want to ensure that mercury emissions will not harm the Verde River, but that is a longer story – the subject of the next column.

Why build a cement plant here? Be-cause economically it is a great spot for a plant: high quality limestone raw material

and rail lines to ship coal in and cement out are nearby. Because the market exists: Ari-zona now imports cement from some of the vilest kilns in North America near Barstow, CA. Because they can: the plant is built on a private in-holding within PNF, and the 1872 Mining Act allows the PNF to issue the mineral extraction permit.

I wouldn’t pick a cement kiln for a neighbor, but we had no choice.

To be continued….

Clear air over the Upper Verde River. Photo by Gary Beverly.

On November 6, 2010, ten Si-erra Club members met to follow Mark Twain’s wise advice by explor-ing our sensitive border lands. Our group was organized by Elna Otter and led by Sierra Club Border Cam-paign Coordinator Dan Millis.

We convened at the Historic Y in Tucson for an overview of border issues, a summary of our upcoming excursion, and a viewing of Wild vs Wall, which helped us visualize the region and the human, environmen-tal, and economic costs embedded in the border controversies.

Departing Tucson on the Ajo Highway and Route 286, our group’s first stop was at a “virtual fence” tower used for electronic detection of border crossings. The building contractor, Boeing, has been less than suc-cessful in its operation, and the Department

of Homeland Security has suspended fur-ther development.

We ventured on to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, where we exam-ined the Sasabe border wall and learned its incredible costs, and then took a short hike

to a stone memorial marking the loca-tion of the death of a migrant. We then traveled along rough backcountry roads toward Pata-gonia Lake while Dan pointed out several migrant trails and presented survival issues faced by migrants. The evening was spent at Windsong Ranch

with a post-dinner showing of Rory Kenne-dy’s documentary video The Fence.

Sunday found the group headed east to the Huachuca Mountains and Montezuma Pass. The pass offers a roadside park with an amazing view of the region meant for pub-

lic enjoyment. In these times, however, the parking area also hosts an array of Border Patrol trucks and surveillance equipment in addition to a group of pleasant young men from an Army National Guard unit carrying imposing-looking weapons. We noted the irony of the situation.

The final leg of the tour focused on the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and a local ranch. Dan pointed out several types of wall barriers and the envi-ronmental hazards they present, especially as barriers to animal migration and contribu-tors to soil erosion. In many areas along the river, efforts to mitigate damage were as bad as the initial injury.

Ranch owner Bill Odle led a discussion at the southern edge of his property, which is also the U.S./Mexico border. The “no-non-

Dan Millis explains the use of a vehicle barrier at the border. Photo by John Morgan.

“Supposing is good, but finding out is better.” –Mark Twain



Wildlife continued from pg. 7.Classified Ads

(To inquire about advertising in Canyon Echo, contact Tiffany Sprague at 602-253-9140 or [email protected].)

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FOR RENT. Cabin and Airstream trailers at Blue River Wilderness Retreat near Alpine, AZ. Pines, flowing streams, and bordered by National Forest. Outstanding hiking, fishing, and birding. Reasonable rates by week or month. www.blueriverretreat.com – [email protected] – 928-339-4426.

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THRIFTY MTN. SUPPLY is 6000 sq.ft. of outdoor gear, both recycled and new. Tents – Boots – H2O shoes – Sandals – Hiking – Camping – Travel Packs – Parkas for snow and rain, Kids’ clothes, 100’s of Hats, Shorts, Zip-off pants, SPF Clothing, Backpacks, and River gear. Great gear – Great prices! Have some fun – Get over here! 928-282-1110. 2020 Contractors Rd., #7,8,&10, West Sedona, AZ.

Gee-Whiz: Technological Fixes for Climate ChangeBy Chris Gehlker

No Space, No TimeThis subject is way too big for one ar-

ticle. Please see “Engineering the Climate: Research Needs and Strategies for Interna-tional Coordination” at http://bit.ly/bsanYY and “Geopiracy” at http://bit.ly/c1VYAA or “Retooling the Planet?” at http://bit.ly/hkbcPQ. These documents give a good in-troductory overview and a balanced view of the issues. There is also a longer version of this article on the Wiki (http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com). Please comment there.An Inconvenient Truth

Serious climate scientists believe that we are close to a climate tipping point, if we haven’t passed it already. Consequently, an array of gee-whiz technologies, typically la-beled geoengineering, has been proposed to deal with the situation. These technologies share an element of desperation, maybe even of madness. Yet the likelihood that a few of them will be tried is increasing.

Elements of the environmental com-munity have reacted to these proposals with suspicion. The documents listed above point out some of the problems.Plan B

There are several definitions of geoen-gineering, some so broad that they include low-risk techniques. One technology that is pretty much agreed upon that is not geoen-gineering is point source carbon capture and storage/sequestration (CCS). Techniques

that are geoengineering break down into two broad categories.Solar Radiation Management

Aerosol sulphates in the stratosphere: Pumping aerosol sulphates or aluminum nanoparticles into the stratosphere to block sunlight.

Cloud whitening: Spraying seawater into the atmosphere to increase the reflectivity and condensation of clouds.

Space sunshades: Launching trillions of small free-flying spacecrafts, or space mir-rors, a million miles above the earth.

Albedo enhancement: Increasing the re-flectivity of the Earth’s surface by planting crops genetically engineered to be whiter or shinier, or covering desert regions or moun-tains with reflective white material.Carbon Dioxide Removal or Air Capture

Ocean fertilization: Promoting carbon sequestration deep at sea by using iron or ni-trogen to artificially stimulate the growth of phytoplankton.

Ocean upwelling or downwelling en-hancement: Using giant pipes to bring ni-trogen or phosphorous-enriched waters up from the deep ocean to cool surface waters and enhance ocean sequestration of CO

2.

Genetic engineering of algae: Using ge-netically engineered algae, often created through synthetic biology techniques, to cover urban buildings, open ponds, or the surface of the ocean in order to capture CO

2.

Carbon-sucking machines or synthetic trees: Extracting CO

2 from the air by using

liquid sodium hydroxide (or other materi-als), which is converted to sodium carbon-ate; the “excess” solid carbon dioxide is then buried in the soil or dumped in the oceans.

Biochar: Planting huge quantities of biomass and burning it by pyrolysis (low oxygen environment) and burying the con-centrated carbon in the soil.

All these approaches have serious risks documented in the reports referenced above.Getting Tipsy

Most scientists agree that there are “tip-ping points” such as the release of methane

from melting Siberian ice where reducing emissions alone may be ineffective. Geo-engineering then becomes our only hope. Nobody seems to be able to identify such tipping points with certainty.

Many find these proposals frightening. That’s a good thing. Sometimes people who can’t stop smoking despite the threat of can-cer can be scared out of it when they con-template chemo or radiation therapy. Let’s hope something analogous happens with these schemes and greenhouse gasses.

Chris is an active Sierra Club member.

Schematic representation of geoengineering proposals. Diagram by Kathleen Smith, LLNL.

The Canyon Mine is in the pathway of a major deer migration corridor.

Mountain lions, one of the last large predators of the southwest, already experi-ence high mortality from vehicle/animal collisions.

It is hard to predict how bats will re-spond to the sounds of haul trucks, front-end loaders, diesel trucks, sorting screen op-erations, and mine shaft vent fans. A sound study by Sandhill Company of Utah found that humans will perceive a 100x greater sound increase in some areas where the ac-tual measured average sound is about 2000x greater than natural ambient park levels.

The Draft EIS for the proposed with-drawal of these lands from mining is sup-posed to be released in January. Please re-spond during the comment period in sup-port of the full withdrawal and protection of 1 million acres. Protect our wild places!

For more information, contact Alicyn Gitlin at 928-774-6514 or [email protected]. Receive regular updates about this and other issues affecting Grand Can-yon by signing up for our Grand Canyon Ecoregion email newsletter at http://arizona.sierraclub.org (click on “Stay Informed”) or by friending the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Protection Campaign on Facebook!

Alicyn is the Conservation Program Coordinator for the Chapter’s Grand Canyon Project.

http://bit.ly/hkbcPQ

http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com





The Small and the Mighty: A FableBy Ann McDermott

It is said that there was once a time when Night, the feminine half of the two primary creators, strolled through the desert under a full moon. The evening was cool, but it was

spring, and days were warm, warm enough that early annuals had flowered and gone to seed. As they dried, their limbs became brit-tle and their burrs hardened. Night sighed as she stepped through the growth covering her chosen path.

“Look at my slippers. How will I ever get them clean?”

“They do brush off,” promised Slender Pectocarya, notorious for her small crescent-shaped burrs. “But would you mind doing that elsewhere? I’m really trying for new ter-ritory next spring. How about that hillside over there? Wouldn’t my tiny, white flowers be a wonderful carpet for its lower slopes next February? Provided we have plentiful winter rains, of course. If you could just pluck off my burrs over there, I’d be ever so grateful.”

“If you’re going over that way,” added Filaree, “how about dropping off a few of my seeds, too.” He hooked a few of his cork-screw-shaped seed pods to Night’s shoes. In the next rain, moisture would cause the corkscrew to unwind, pushing the seed into the ground.

Bigelow bluegrass seed covered Night’s footwear, too. “On your way, before you reach the hill, how about sprinkling some of my seed under the creosote bushes? Yes, the thickest ones, just there, where my sprouts will be well shaded and better watered in the lowlands. My whole life is spent in six weeks of late winter/early spring, so your help in seeing next year’s seed to good soil is much appreciated.”

Night bent low over a patch of plants only an inch high. Some branched, but many had just a single, erect stem. Tiny flowers clung to the plants, no bigger than a pinprick in size, and blood red. Tiny seeds, two per flower, dropped to the sandy soil below the plants, almost microscopic, but powerful, for the plants they became domi-nated the small plot of sandy soil. Their greens were soft to the touch. No burrs. No stickers.

“I’m so small,” Sand Pygmyweed an-swered Night’s unspoken question. “I have Wind and Rain to scatter my seed. I remain a tender carpet beneath your feet rather than a hitchhiker upon them.”

“So tiny, were it not for your numbers, you’d go unnoticed,” said Night in amaze-ment. “How brave of you to maintain such vulnerability,” she added, stroking the sup-ple stems.

“Not really,” answered Sand Pygmy-weed modestly. “Like all life, I’m here only for a short while. Formed of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, I’m no better, no worse, than any other.”

“Wisely and well spoken,” said Night. “You have knowledge many have yet to learn. Even though minute in size, you are mighty in soul.”

Embarrassed, Sand Pygmyweed blushed. The entire patch looked pinkish surrounded by the other plants touched by rising Sun.

And to this day, each year’s Sand Pyg-myweeds redden at the deep, genetic mem-ory of Night’s praise, while humbly matur-ing their seed for the next generation, which they will never see.

sense” ex-Marine had few, if any, kind words for the barriers between the two nations. He fears for the survival of the many migratory animals on his ranch that are blocked by the fence – mountain lion, bear, two kinds of deer, and many others. In the small wash be-hind him, he noted large amounts of brush and trash the wall collected, such as discard-ed clothing, shoes, etc., and that mitigation had been ineffective despite federal funds for that purpose. Further, he noted that the walls do not inhibit illicit crossings into the U.S. Odle pointed out areas where eco-

nomic refugees easily breach the wall. Drug smugglers have also found many innovative ways to get illegal products past the various barriers.

At the conclusion of our tour, we had completed an important learning experi-ence. The walls are ineffective, incredibly expensive, and damaging. There must be a more humane and productive policy to deal with immigration issues and to prevent negative effects on our nation. It brings to mind yet another pithy Mark Twain quote: “Nature knows no indecencies; man invents them.”

Border continued from pg. 9.

The Canyon Echo encourages contributors to license their work through Creative Commons.This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105.

All other contributions, including photos, cartoons, and written work, fall under standard copyright restrictions.

Sand pygmyweed. Photo by Michael Charters.

Ann is committed to the fable as an art form that reaches across rational mind limitations.

Yesterday I found at my door the famil-iar plastic bag containing a new large and heavy phone book. In the past I would have stashed the new book on the shelf under the telephone and carried the old one to the re-cycle bin. For the last couple years, though, I’ve thrown out the new one immediately. It’s become easier to find a phone number with a Google search from my laptop or Droid phone than it is to leaf through all that paper and fine print of the phone book.

Many people, of course, are not Inter-net-enabled and need their phone direc-tories. The number of phone book users is dropping, though, and I have to wonder how many trees are cut for books that, like mine, are never looked at. Recycling those phone books costs money, and the best choice is to not have them printed at all. Fortunately there is an easy way to opt out of phone book delivery. Go to http://www.

yellowpagesoptout.com and enter your ZIP code. You’ll be taken to web sites with sim-ple forms where you can stop delivery and do your part to reduce the 650,000 tons of phone books that are produced in this coun-try annually.

Interesting articles on phone books and other ways to go green can be found at http://www.treehugger.com.

Ban the Unused Telephone BookBy Jerry Nelson

Jerry is an active Sierra Club member. John is an active Sierra Club member.

Photographer unknown.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5

http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com

http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com



Happenings Around the StateSix Groups make up the Grand Canyon Chapter. All the events and meetings listed below are open to members interested in learning more about the Sierra Club. You can find out more at our website: http://arizona.sierraclub.org – click on “Meetings and Events.” Schedules are subject to change.

See Group Happenings continued on pg. 13. (x) Group Ex-Com members

Plateau Group (Flagstaff)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/plateau

Chair/Political: Tom Martin (x) 928-558-0742 [email protected]/Conservation: Kim Crumbo (x) 928-638-2304 [email protected]: Sharon Galbreath 928-774-1571 [email protected]: Jim McCarthy (x) 928-779-3748 [email protected]: Jennifer Mitchell 315-882-8485 [email protected] (At Large): Hertha Woody (x) 928-214-6188 [email protected]

Marti Callahan (x) 928-525-9165 [email protected]

To get involved with the Plateau Group, contact Tom Martin at 928-558-0742 or [email protected].

Palo Verde Group (Phoenix)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/paloverde

Chair: Blair McLaughlin (x) 602-618-8591 [email protected]/ICO: Jim Vaaler (x) 602-553-8208 [email protected]: Anna Tufo (x) 623-937-9471 [email protected]: Jerry Nelson (x) 602-279-4668 [email protected]: Don Steuter (x) 602-956-5057 [email protected]: Jon Findley 480-756-2916 [email protected]: Denise Aston 623-910-7978 [email protected] City Outings: Lisa Vaaler 602-468-4158 [email protected]: Sherry Celine (x) 602-840-4611 [email protected]: Dennis Ryan (x) 602-348-5667 [email protected]/Publicity: Michael Brady (x) 480-250-4054 [email protected] (At-Large): David McCaleb (x) 602-840-7655 [email protected]

Rincon Group (Tucson)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/rincon

Chair: Roy Emrick (x) 520-326-7883 [email protected]: Keith Bagwell (x) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: Melissa Ramsey (x) 520-270-8190 [email protected]: Randy Serraglio (x) [email protected]: Russell Lowes (x) 520-321-3670 [email protected]: Mitch Stevens 520-991-1199 [email protected] City Outings: Matt Nelson 520-404-7992 [email protected]: Lee Oler 520-791-9246 [email protected]: vacantEx-Com (At-Large): Carl Kanun (x) 520-297-1128 [email protected]

Brissia Perez (x) [email protected]

JAN 11, FEB 8, MAR 8 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Conservation Committee meetings. Contact Don Steuter at 602-956-5057 or [email protected]. Executive Committee meeting, 8 p.m. Contact Blair McLaughlin at 602-618-8591 or [email protected]. Located at 202 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix (2nd floor conference room in the SE corner of the Quality Inn).

The following programs are located in the Eduction building at The Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix. For more information, contact Sherry Celine.

JAN 18 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Condor Recovery, Saving a Species. Join Kathy Sullivan to enjoy a 10-minute video and a 50-minute slide presentation about condor biology and identification, recovery and reintroduction efforts (successes and hurdles), breeding and mortality in the wild, and lead poisoning and efforts to reduce it. Q&A session after the presentation.

FEB 15 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. The Future of Agriculture and Energy Production. How will our children produce food when natural resources are depleted? Abundant agriculture uses minimal resources, increases yield and quality by 30%, decreases food costs by 40%, eliminates use of agricultural poisons by 90%. Presented by Mark Edwards, PhD, who is a professor of Strategic Marketing and Sustainability at the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU.

MAR 15 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Potential Wildlife Devastation from Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon. Without a 20-year withdrawal of nearly one million acres of land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park from new uranium mining, the National Park Service predicts mortality of hundreds of thousands of animals. Join Alicyn Gitlin, the Chapter’s Grand Canyon Conservation Program Coordinator, to be introduced to some of the species in this region, learn about the destruction predicted, and discover what you can do to help.

Announcement: We are looking for a new program director or someone to share the position. This entails arranging presenters for our meetings, providing refreshments, and coordinating set-up. Interested? Contact Sherry Celine at 602-840-4611 or [email protected].

JAN 27, FEB 24, MAR 31 (THU) Conservation Committee (6 p.m.) and Executive Commit-tee (7:15 p.m.) meetings. Located in the first floor conference room of the Historic YWCA, 738 N. 5th Ave., Tucson. Open to the public. Sierra Club members, in particular, are urged to participate in the Conservation Committee meetings. Hope to see you there!

Programs are from 7–8:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona, 924 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson. FREE and open to the public.

JAN 13 (THU) 7 p.m. Devil’s Canyon, Paradise Lost? Join Mitch Stevens and Matt Nelson for a multimedia slideshow presentation and discussion on preserving one of the most amazing canyons in southern AZ: Devil’s Canyon. A foreign-owned mining company that operates a mine nearby wants to expand its operations, destroying the water table and the rich biodiver-sity within the canyon. (For more information, see article on pg. 16.)

FEB 10 (THU) 7 p.m. Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs Are Back! The black-tailed prairie dog, a keystone grasslands species once abundant across Southern AZ, was extirpated by 1961 due to poisoning treatments. In 2008, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) began re-establishing the species. Since then, 300 black-tailed prairie dogs have been released. Holly Hicks, a small mammal biologist with AGFD, discusses the project, including challenges and plans for the project’s continuation.

MAR 10 (THU) 7 p.m. Power Paths. Join us for a documentary by Bo Boudart about coal mining on Northern AZ’s Black Mesa. For nearly 50 years, the Navajos and Hopis of Black Mesa have made possible the explosive urban growth of the Southwest. In return, they have suffered the consequences of Peabody Coal Company’s massive Black Mesa strip mine – cancers, horrifying pollution, and environmental devastation. Power Paths follows a group of Navajo and Hopi grassroots activists who are taking on corporate and political interests, and often their own tribal governments, to transition their local economies to renewable energy.

Sedona/Verde Valley Grouphttp://arizona.sierraclub.org/sedona

Chair: Marlene Rayner (x) 928-203-0340 [email protected]/Treasurer: Bob Donahue (x) 928-639-1885 [email protected]: Brian Myers (x) 928-204-1703 [email protected]: Nancy Baer (x) 928-204-2353 [email protected] Dennis Rayner (x) 928-203-0340 [email protected]

JAN 22 (SAT) 2–4 p.m. Local Sustainability and Zero Waste II. Information provided by Marlene Rayner, member of the national Sierra Zero Waste Committee. Located at the Sedona Public Library Community Room.




Group Happenings continued from pg. 12.

Yavapai Group (Prescott)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/yavapai

Chair/Conservation: Tom Slaback (x) 928-778-4233 [email protected]/Outings: Gary Beverly (x) 928-636-2638 [email protected]/Treasurer: Joe Wenzel (x) 928-771-0838 [email protected]: Bob Grossman (x) 928-778-4919 [email protected]: Joe Zarnoch (x) 928-636-5501 [email protected]

JAN 5, FEB 2, MAR 2 (WED) 6 p.m. Executive Committee meetings. All Yavapai Group members are invited to attend your monthly Sierra Club meeting. We will discuss local issues, have updates, set priorities, and formulate action plans.

JAN 20, FEB 17, MAR 17 (THU) 6 p.m. Film Nite. Join us for a social hour with snacks at 6 p.m. prior to the screening of environmentally-themed movie at 7 p.m. Check our monthly e-newsletter or website for the program announcement.

Volunteer opportunities: The position of Treasurer is available. Join us on monthly flow monitoring and mini clean-up day trips to the Upper Verde River. We will teach you how to do and record the monitoring and discuss Verde River issues, while spending an enjoyable day on the river. For more info, contact Tom Slaback. To subscribe to the e-newletter, contact Gary Beverly. Updated announcements and events not published in the Echo may be found here and on the website.

Saguaro Group (North Maricopa County)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/saguaro

Chair: Bev Full (x) 480-595-2306 [email protected]: Louis Lantz (x) 480-488-4581 [email protected]: Urb Weidner 602-595-3301 [email protected] Outings: Gordon Chase 480-650-0365 [email protected] Club: Lynne Cockrum-Murphy (x) 602-569-6079 [email protected]: Adam Sisenwein (x) 480-502-9614 [email protected]: Bob Moore (x) 714-686-1670 [email protected]: Norma Hand (x) 480-595-9977 [email protected]: Doug Murphy 602-569-6078 [email protected]: Jim Wilkey (x) 480-649-2836 [email protected]

JAN 12 (WED) 7 p.m. Converting Your Home to Solar Energy. Join Jess Carnell, who designs and installs solar panels and whose home runs on solar power only. Located at the Harris Bank Community Rooms, SE corner of Scottsdale Rd. and Carefree Hwy. Anyone interested is invited to attend. Refreshments will be served. For information, contact Bev Full at 480-595-2306 or [email protected].

FEB 20 (SUN) 6 p.m. Film Club. We will view and discuss two DVDs produced by the Grand Canyon Chapter Border Campaign showing environmental damages being done on our border with Mexico. Popcorn and refreshments will be served. For information, contact Bev Full at 480-595-2306 or [email protected].

MAR 16 (WED) 6 p.m. Executive Committee meeting. Meet at Bev’s for this dinner meeting. Interested members are invited. The agenda will include reports from all our committees. Contact Bev Full for information at 480-595-2306 or [email protected].

Today WasA collaborative poem

by Inner City Outings-Tucson & The Owl and Panther Project from King Canyon, Tucson Mountains, Saguaro National Park

Today was a list of learned nuggets Amazing animals met Lines to create a poem

Gathered in shade on the side of a trail

Today was wonderful Nice, fabulous, good

Fantastic, captivating Beautiful at the museum

Today was an amazing thing A special day, a dark scary climb

A strong feeling for you and others A special rock stashed in pockets

Today was a day strangers met and climbed out from a canyon as friends

a message considered that had been scratched into cliffs long ago

Today was a surprise of moss Stripped rocks Backlit desert

A natural adventure

Today was breezy A nurturing change of pace

A generous gesture A desert poem

2000



Enjoy and Explore ArizonaFor up-to-date information about outings, visit http://arizona.sierraclub.org/outings.asp.

JAN 2 (SUN) “B” Black Canyon. Looking west from Sunset Point Rest Area off I-17, one gets a good view of the wild Black Canyon country at the base of the Bradshaw Mtns. This hike will follow an off-trail route 9 mi. down Black Canyon and may require some wading, rock hopping, and vegetation confrontation. Gloves recommended. Drive 55 mi. from Phoenix. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

JAN 8 (SAT) “B+” Granite Mtn. (10–12 mi., 1500’ EC). Granite Mtn. is a 4699’ high peak in the Mazatzal Mtns. near Sunflower. We will follow a jeep road climb off-trail to the summit. On the climb, expect steep, rocky, and slippery slopes and spiny plants aplenty. Views should be spectacular. Drive 45 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

JAN 15 (SAT) “C” Hike to Tonto NF Petroglyphs (4 mi., 300’ EC). From New River we’ll hike on rough, rocky roads and some brushy off-trail areas to see evidence of past inhabitants. Many small ups and downs, 2 steep hills, and an optional climb up a rock tower. Contact Nancy Santori at 623-780-4734 or [email protected]. Phoenix

JAN 22 (SAT) “B+” Tortilla Rim (8 mi.).We’ll head off-trail from Tortilla Ranch Rd. to Mesquite Flats in the Superstition Wilderness, following ridges and bagging high points. Expect plenty up- and downhill and rough, rugged, slickrock terrain with steep and slippery slopes, drop-offs, and spiny brush aplenty. If you don’t like the rigors of off-trail travel, you won’t like this hike. Enjoy some of the finest vistas in the Superstitions along a rarely traveled route. Gloves and cameras recommended. Drive 50 mi. from Tempe. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

JAN 22–27 (SAT–THU) Canoe on the Lower Colorado River. Explore the Imperial Wildlife Area, AZ, and the Picacho Recreation Area, CA, in this scenic section of the river. Cost for the canoe, shuttle, and food is $195. A few spaces are still available. Contact Bev Full at 480-595-2306 or [email protected]. Phoenix

JAN 23 (SUN) “C” Tilting at Windmills I (6 mi. RT, 300’ EC). This is the first of two hikes to windmills within Saguaro National Park. This one is in the Rincon Valley on the south side of the east district. We’ll follow an old road and return the same way. Limit 18. Contact Meg Weesner at 520-290-1723 or [email protected]. Tucson

JAN 29 (SAT) “B+” Horse Mesa (10–14 mi., 2000’ EC). On this on- and off-trail exploratory hike, we’ll climb an old cattle trail to Horse Mesa, near Fish Creek Hill in the Superstitions. We’ll explore the extensive mesa top and enjoy exceptional views of Fish Creek Canyon, Apache Lake, and who knows what else. Expect steep, rocky, and slippery slopes and spiny plants. Gloves recommended. Drive 65 mi. from Tempe. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

JAN 29 (SAT) “B” Hike The Verde: Part 3 – Upper Verde River Wildlife Area to Granite Creek (5 mi., 400’). 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Hike up the Verde to the confluence with Granite Creek using

informal trails. After lunch at Verde Springs, we may climb to the rim (spirits willing) to visit a multi-room ruin. No wading required, but it’s fun to get your feet wet. We’ll learn about the conservation issues surrounding our Verde River. Reservation required, 12 hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at 928-636-2638 or [email protected]. Prescott

JAN 30 (SUN) “B” Margie’s Peak (9 mi., 1800’ EC). Join us for an exploration of this wilderness study area located in the NW corner of the Sonoran Desert National Monument. Hiking will be cross country in nature. Expect to see beautiful desert vistas in a little visited area. Contact Jim Vaaler at 602-553-8208 or [email protected]. Phoenix

FEB 2 (WED) “C” Ground Hog Day on the Bronco Trail. Tonto National Forest. Observe growth of this area in Tonto National Forest that was recently damaged by forest fire. Picnic lunch at Sears Kay Ruins. Contact Jim Wilkey at 480-649-2836 or [email protected]. Phoenix

FEB 5 (SAT) “B+” Migraine Mtn. (10–12 mi.). On a peninsula formed by Canyon Lake, the Salt River, and Tortilla Creek in the Superstitions is a rarely visited but highly scenic area of

cliffs and buttes. Expect fine views, steep slopes, endless stretches of teddy bear cholla and other annoying plants. Gloves recommended. Drive 50 mi. from Tempe. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

FEB 5 (SAT) “C” Pontatoc Ridge (2.4 mi OW, 1200’ EC). The trail is relatively flat for the first mile and then steadily uphill to the end. Wide open views of Pontatoc Canyon and the entire Tucson valley. Return to parking lot by 1 p.m. Bring snack, water, and appropriate clothing. The hikers’ parking lot can get crowded, so the leader will help people carpool from a nearby shopping center parking area. Contact Neil Weinstein at [email protected]. Tucson

FEB 6 (SUN) “A+” Weavers Needle Summit. This technical outing will involve trekking to the top of this impressive landmark. The Superstition Wilderness will lie at your feet. Open to 7 experienced outdoor climbers. Optional base camp on Sat. or very early departure on Sun. Contact John Che at [email protected] (preferred) or 520-360-2507. Tucson

FEB 12 (SAT) “A” Coffee Flat Mtn. (13–14 mi., >2300’ EC). On this peak bag, we will ascend to the 4621’ high point of Coffee Flat Mtn. in the Superstition Wilderness. Some of the hiking will be on-trail, the rest will involve climbing a long ridge. Expect steep, rocky, and slippery slopes; vicious vegetation; abundant spectacular views. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

FEB 12 (SAT) “B” Butterfield Stage Memorial WSA (8 mi., 1500’ EC). Join us for an exploration of this wilderness study area located just south of the North Maricopa Wilderness Area in Sonoran Desert National Monument. Besides beautiful desert scenery, participants will learn about the route of the Butterfield Stage as well as the route of Morman Battalion which passed through this area earlier in our history. Hiking will be cross country in nature. Contact Jim Vaaler at 602-553-8208 or [email protected]. Phoenix

FEB 13 (SUN) “B” Hike The Verde: Part 6 – Upper Verde River Wildlife Area (6 mi., 400’ EC). 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Hike down the Verde River into the Prescott National Forest using informal trails to view native fish, beaver dams, and wildlife in a scenic canyon. Some shallow wading is required. We’ll learn about the natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding our Verde River. Reservation required, 12 hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at 928-636-2638 or [email protected]. Prescott

FEB 19 (SAT) “B+” Trans-Goldfield (13 mi.). This off-trail trek, for fast and strong hikers only, will cross the rugged Goldfield Mtns., from the Salt River to the Apache Trail. We will follow spectacular and colorful canyons through a rarely visited area. Expect steep and rocky slopes, thick and thorny vegtatation, and formidable car shuttle. Gloves recommended. Drive 35 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

On September 25, 2010, I had the most fun experience of my life. My classmates and I went hiking in the Huachuca Mountains. We had so much fun riding in the vans all the way to the mountains. We saw lots of things like the tree that had really, really soft bark. We were amazed at how many things we saw at the Huachuca Mountains.

At some spots we saw beautiful views. At one point we saw how old a tree was, more than 100 years old! Also, we went in the stream and splashed around. How amazing that was to us! We saw a pond built just for frogs. We saw lily pads and flowers on the lily pads. I wish I could go there every day.

Nature is way more important than any electronics.Thanks for taking me to the mountains. I appreciate that!

~Desiree Gallego, 5th grade student at Los Niños Elementary School

Examining some of the fauna. Photo by Kim Daly (www.dalysite.com).






Enjoy and Explore ArizonaFor up-to-date information about outings, visit http://arizona.sierraclub.org/outings.asp.

FEB 26 (SAT) “B+” Mine Mtn. (10 mi., 2300’ EC). This exploratory peak bag will take us to the 5162’ summit of Mine Mtn. in Four Peaks Wilderness. On our ascent, we will follow a winding dirt road to Mine Mt. Spring and then proceed steeply off trail to the summit. On our return, we’ll follow a ridge paralleling the road. Expect steep and slippery slopes, spiny vegetation (gloves recommended), and fine views. Drive 35 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

FEB 26 (SAT) “C” Verde River Sheep Bridge (4 mi., 400’ EC). It’s time once again to lead my pilgrimage to the Verde River Sheep Bridge. While this could be a “one-way trip” for vehicles that are in “uncouth” mechanical condition, the leader himself would never take a vehicle that wasn’t “ready” for the trip. After walking across the Sheep Bridge, we will follow Verde River Trail #11 upstream for a couple of miles, enjoying beautiful views of the Verde River riparian corridor. Contact Jim Vaaler at 602-553-8208 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAR 5 (SAT) “A+” Maverick Mtn. Death March (12 mi., 1500’ EC). On this arduous peak-bag, for fast, strong, and crazy hikers only, follow a series of ridges and high points to the 4606’ summit of Maverick Mtn. in the Mazatzals. Then follow a wash and dirt roads back, including the world’s steepest and most cramp-inducing road. We’ll bag 5120’ Diamond Mtn. and skirt or climb several other peaks. Total elevation gain and loss greater than 1500’. Expect steep, rocky, and slippery slopes; spinaceous plants aplenty; excellent views; and high adventure. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

MAR 12 (SAT) “C” Wildflowers in Rackensack Canyon (3.5 mi., 200’ EC). This canyon NE of Carefree has an abundance of blooming plant species due to constant subsurface moisture and a fire a few years ago. We’ll stop frequently to identify and discuss the many plants here. Camera and notepad welcome. Contact Nancy Santori at 623-780-4734 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAR 12 (SAT) “C” Tilting at Windmills II (6 mi., 600’ EC). Hike a series of little-used trails in the west district of Saguaro National Park. We’ll see beautiful stands of ironwood trees and saguaros and stop for lunch by a windmill. If there are wildflowers, we’ll spend a little time identifying them; bring your wildflower book. Limit 18. Contact Meg Weesner at 520-290-1723 or [email protected]. Tucson

MAR 13 (SUN) “B+” Pinacate, Mexico. Join us for a guided outing to Pinacate National Park in Mexico, located just south of the international border about an hour from Organ Pipe National Monument .Enjoy volcanic craters, lava fields, sand dunes, and exotic Sonoran Desert vegetation such as Cardon cactus. The hikes will be non-technical, and views may include the Sea of Cortez on clear days. We will observe and discuss the ecology, geology, and flora and fauna of this region, the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Expect a fee for the guide. Contact Mitch Stevens at [email protected]. Tucson

MAR 18–20 (FRI [night]–SUN) “B+” Aravaipa Canyon – East Side Backpack (14 mi. RT, min. EC). Aravaipa Creek is one of the last free-flowing streams in Arizona and is threatened by

the possibility of twin, massive 550-kV power lines. Meet on Fri. night at a nearby campground for an early start on Sat. morning. Explore a portion of the main canyon as well as Hell Hole (slot canyon), camping at their junction. No trail, multiple stream crossings. Cliff-dwellings. Wildlife a possibility. A geologist will explain the striking rock formations. BLM fees $15. 10 person limit. Reservations required. Contact Jim McPherson at 520-212- 9736 or [email protected]. Tucson

MAR 19 (SAT) “B+” Elephant Head via Agua Caliente TH (9 mi. RT, 2800’ EC). This is a “hands-on” hike up one of the most prominent peaks in the Santa Ritas – you will want to keep your hands on the rock as you scramble up the last 500’ on the ridge to the summit. Also, you will have a memorable experience of the local vegetation while tracking the faint route into and out of Chino Canyon, especially if you are not wearing long pants. Limit 15. Contact John Che at 520-300-4639 or [email protected]. Tucson

MAR 19 (SAT) “C” Hike The Verde: Part 4 – Verde Springs (4 mi., 200’ EC) 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Entering through private property (with permission), we will hike down Granite Creek to the Verde River, then down the Verde to view beaver dams and Verde Springs. After lunch, we’ll view birds, beaver dams, and rock art. Easy, pretty hike, lots of fun and info! No wading required. We’ll learn about the natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding our Verde River. Reservation required. 12 hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at 928-636-2638 or [email protected]. Prescott

MAR 19 (SAT) “B” First Water Canyon (9 mi.). This off-trail hike in the Superstition Wilderness will explore First Water Canyon and cross an interesting and scenic slickrock area. Expect some heavy vegetation confrontation, steep slopes, and possibly wet feet. Gloves are recommended. Drive 25 mi. from Tempe. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

MAR 20 (SUN) “B” Hutch’s Pools (4 mi. OW, 600’ EC). We’ll hike along Sabino Creek from the Sabino Canyon Shuttle stop until we reach a creek junction and then follow the West Fork of Sabino Creek to Hutch’s Pools. These are large pools of water set within granite walls. This is one of the best destination hikes in the Catalinas. Except for a short, beginning section, most of the trail is almost flat. Bring lunch, water, and appropriate clothing. Cost is $8 per person for the shuttle and $5 entry fee. Contact Neil Weinstein at [email protected]. Tucson

MAR 24 (THU) “C” Shaw Butte Loop (5 mi., 600’ EC [loss]). Optional lunch at Bistro, 7th and

Thunderbird. Look for signs of spring along the trails. Contact Bob Moore at 480-543-7409 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAR 26 (SAT) “D” Nature Walk along the San Pedro. Walk along the San Pedro River with a naturalist expert on local flora and fauna. An important migratory flyway, this is one of the areas, already endangered, that is threatened by the possibility of massive, twin 550-kV lines. See what might be lost! Bring lunch and plan to get your feet wet. Limit 16. Contact Elna Otter at 520-212-9736 or [email protected]. Tucson

MAR 26 (SAT) “B” Brady Trail (8 mi., 1600’ EC). We will follow the interesting but brushy Brady Trail up into the rarely visited highlands of the Goldfield Mtns. north of Mesa. We will then hike off trail to the summit of Peak 3097 for spectacular vistas. Expect steep and slippery slopes and spiny vegetation (gloves recommended). Drive 35 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 2 (SAT) “B+” Southern Perry Mesa (13 mi.). This on- and off-trail hike will explore the southern end of Perry Mesa in Agua Fria National Monument. We will ascend the steep slopes of the mesa, visiting mining and cultural sites and enjoying spectacular rim views. Expect extremely steep and slippery slopes, rocky trails, and spiny plants aplenty. Gloves recommended. Drive 40 mi. from Phoenix. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 9 (SAT) “B+” Fortuna Peak (10 mi., 1300’ EC). This exploratory peak bag will take us to the 5260’ summit of Fortuna Peak in the mtns. north of Superior. Although much of the hike will be on dirt roads, the off-trail route will involve steep and slippery slopes and thick, spiny, and brushy vegetation. Views should be excellent. Drive 70 mi. from Tempe. Call Ken McGinty at 602 265-2854. Phoenix

The Sierra Club is a nationwide organization with active local outings for members and non-members. Please join us as we make friends and explore life-enriching interests. Simply find an outing by date and contact the leader for directions, reservations, time, and additional information. RESTRICTIONS: NO FIREARMS, RADIOS, OR PETS (unless noted otherwise). Outings are by reservation. Call early (group limit 20). Each hike is rated for degree of difficulty and risk by the leader.

“A” >16 miles or > 3,000 ft. elevation change (EC)“B” 8–16 miles and 1,500–3,000 ft. EC“C” 3–8 miles, 500–1,500 ft. EC RT Round Trip“D” <3 miles and 500 ft. EC OW One Way

The trip leader has absolute authority to question trip participants as to their equipment, conditioning, and experience before and during the trip. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. If you would like to read the liability waiver before you choose to participate in an outing, please go to http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms or contact the National Out-ings Dept. at 415-977-5528 for a printed version. Sierra Club liability covers leaders only. Each person is responsible for his/her own first aid equipment. If you are injured, notify the leader immediately. If you leave the trip, with our without the leader’s permission, you are considered to be on your own until you rejoin the group. Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share the driver’s fuel expense. Donations are ac-cepted from all participants at $1 (member) and $3 (nonmember). Money is collected by the leader and deposited with the group treasurer. For more information, contact Beverly Full at 480-595-2306. Hikes and outings are also listed online and in the Sierra Singles newsletters. CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

Hiking Guidelines








Devil’s CanyonBy Mitch Stevens

Mitch is an outings leader and Sierra Club member.

Flight of the CranesSaturday, February 5

Contact: Rebecca Dewitt, 602-405-9060, [email protected]

Join us for this special outing to experience the thrill of tens of thousands of sandhill cranes congregating before your eyes! Sandhill cranes, one of the largest birds in North America with a wingspan of up to eight feet, spend the winter in the Sulphur Springs Valley in southern Arizona. Thousands of people visit this area annually to witness the spectacular sight of these birds as they launch into the air in the morning and return to roost in the evening.

Hundreds of sandhill cranes. Photo by Michael S. Smith.

Kick Some Grass!Dates TBD

Contact: Sandy Bahr, 602-253-8633, [email protected]

Help us restore habitat! Join us for an invasive weed pull and clean-up at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, just south of downtown Phoenix. Once a dump site, the area is now a lush riparian corridor that supports a variety of wildlife and recreation opportunities. We need help removing trash and buffelgrass, a non-native, invasive species. Snacks, drinks, gloves, and some tools provided.

Sierra Service OutingsGet involved and make a difference! Join us for these exciting service outings!

Down, down, down, into the heart of the still wild canyon we descended, rappel-ling 60 feet into what is reportedly Arizona’s largest plunge pool. Accompanying us was a lovely, trickling spring-fed waterfall, spilling its precious cargo into the seemingly bot-tomless pool below. The view from atop a few moments earlier was breathtaking and dizzying, inspiring nothing short of awe. In the distance stood the canyon, resplendently green and dazzling in the late afternoon sun. The canyon walls cast dramatic shadows and there were hundreds of rhyolite hoodoos comprising the cliff sides. Saguaros and oth-er quintessential Sonoran Desert vegetation were scattered among the reddish-brown rock. Before we reached the famed Five Pools, the canyon scene was more sylvan and soothing, sporting a riparian forest so dense that sunlight rarely touches the ground. We observed canyon tree frogs hopping about, blue gills racing through the cool dark pools, crayfish, garter snakes, Sonoran mud turtles, and a rich assortment of birds including red-tail hawks, canyon wrens, and ravens.

This is Devil’s Canyon, an inviting and amazing paradise second to none, set amidst the blazing desert. However, a foreign-owned mining company called Resolution Copper Mining (RCM) operates a mine at the end of Magma Mine Road, and they want to expand their operations. The canyon is cur-rently being threatened by a proposed land swap that would allow RCM to extract ore from 7,000 feet below the surface, destroy-ing the water table and the rich biodiversity that exists within its realm. The mine’s op-eration would also cut off access for all rec-reationalists and naturalists who treasure this area. The Sierra Club and local nonprofit organizations (Queen Creek Coalition and Friends of Queen Creek) have been organiz-ing to help preserve the area, but the mine continues to garner support from Senators McCain and Kyl. The site planned for min-ing is precious for its beauty as well as its his-tory. The name of Apache Leap, an impres-sive cliff adjacent to Devil’s Canyon, comes from an event that took place back in the 19th century when Apache families threw

themselves off the cliffs to avoid capture by U.S. troops.

It is unthinkable that Devil’s Canyon and surrounding environs can be destroyed

so that a company can extract copper, which is unlikely to be in short supply. Instead of destroying it, we should make the canyon and Oak Flat a national monu-ment. Please visit the Arizona Mining Re-form Coalition’s website at http://www.azminingreform.org to send comments about why you oppose the land swap and why you believe Oak Flat and Dev-il’s Canyon should be preserved. We also encourage you to contact Raul Griljalva (http://griljalva.house.gov) and tell him how much you appreciate his dedication to supporting conservation in Arizona and for upholding a Presidential Order that goes back to 1955. There is also great in-formation that represents the San Carlos Apache point of view of this area’s wealth of spiritual, cultural, and environmental significance at http://www.sancarlosa-pache.org.

Let’s do our part to preserve this won-derful and amazing ecological jewel and oa-sis known as Devil’s Canyon!

Devil’s Canyon. Photo by Mitch Stevens.

Rio Salado volunteers. Photo by Sandy Bahr.

http://www.azminingreform.org

http://www.sancarlosapache.org

Documents

Winter 2011 Canyon Echo