The weather was perfect, a little warm but it made that night very comfortable. We had a good turn out.
After the sign in and some introductions we were off to the Green Angel Wing Collecting Site. This is an area Teresa and I came across a few years back and it has beautiful green and burgundy angel wings on the bottom with snow-white plumes on top. We felt it was time to let everyone in on our secret. It was funny because when we got there, many on the trip told us they drove past this area and never saw the turn off.
We all had an enjoyable time searching the hills for the different materials in the area.
At 11:00 we rounded up and we were off to the next site. We made a quick stop in the sagenite area so the group could hunt around the wash and eat lunch. Some even found some nice sagenite. Check out the pictures and you’ll see a beauty!
Eventually we got to the fluorite area. At first some needed a little guidance, but once they saw what we were looking for, they were off and running. Everyone seem to enjoy the fluorite location, which offers far more then just fluorite! There is yellow plume, and all kind of jaspers along with the agates mixed in the main wash. There were some nice finds!
All too soon it was time to head back. We sure built up an appetite, which was a good thing because we had a potluck planned. We had a little hick-up when we got back to the campsite. The Railroad Police and the BLM Ranger showed up and told up we couldn’t camp there any more and need to move! We were lucky though, because the Railroad Police let us stay the night with the agreement that we would be off the property by
4:00 pm the next day. He said that we could continue to cross the tracks but couldn’t camp on railroad property any more. I guess we just have to camp down the road. Well after he took pictures of our Driver Licenses and explain the situation to the BLM guy, we finally got to eat! Boy was it great! We had all kinds of food. Shari from our group was celebrating her Birthday so we sang to her and ate cake. I ate so much I could hardly walk.
Sunday I took our group to one of my favorite location on top of the cliffs. We had a scenic view of Afton Canyon above The Canyon of the Animals. We took some photos and then headed off to collect some nice moss and black and white sagenite.
We wandered around and filled our bags and enjoyed a quiet day hunting. Teresa found a perfect black and white nodule and many wandered over to the old onyx mine and found some very nice stuff.
But like all good things it had to end. We honored our agreement and packed up and Got Out of Dog before the Sheriff came to run us out! It is always a great day when I get to see smiling faces when the day is over. Here is what some of our group had to say…
Our last trip with Adam and Teresa took us deep into the Cady Mountains. We followed him onto a forsaken desert road devoid of any civilization. The Cady's have some of the richest deposits of agate that I have ever seen. Seams of agate lie exposed on the hillsides, constantly being eroded by wind and rain. I was able to easily follow the float trails up the mountains to find the originating seams. The first seam that I found contained a light blue agate with red plumes. What an amazing find!
The day culminated with a visit to a fluorite mine. My wife was able to locate some small pieces of green fluorite crystal in a rhyolite matrix.
Our 3 children had a good time running in the pristine desert washes, exploring natural caves and playing with the colorful rocks procured by the dedicated searchers.
The group had a huge potluck on Saturday night and we were privileged to be part of the eclectic group of rock hounds. Various issues were discussed that night, but the overriding theme seemed to be how to stop the bureaucrats from taking land rights from its citizens. As with all issues, no resolutions seemed have been agreed upon. It is my opinion that some action definitely needs to be taken.
Only the die-hards stayed for Sunday's morning trips and, of course, that did not include us. We enjoyed a nice breakfast, mingled with some soon to be departees, and prepared to leave.
My son, reading from his Bible, quoted this poignant verse from Joshua 3:3...
"When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are LEVERITES, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it."
Follow it we will......I don't know about the Leverites though,
Rex
Dear Adam:
Thank you for what you did for us Rockhounds this past weekend. One of the reasons I enjoy going out on rockhounding trips with you is that they are well planned and the day flows very smoothly. Another big asset is that you can identify and name rocks and minerals and help us amateurs.
To me the most exciting find was the fluorite. I appreciate you stopping by and helping Linda and I with our questions and showing us where to dig.
Thank you again for a good trip.
Dennis & Linda Gibbs
Gordon from Rosamond (the guy with his grandson)
CFMS Cady’s Trip 2010
This was my first time going rockhounding with the CFMS. Fortunately, when my grandson and I arrived at the
dry camping site on a very windy Friday night, we met very friendly folk who were more than helpful to a
couple of field trip newbie’s.
Saturday dawned with beautiful clear skies and light winds. I was very anxious to get started finding promised agates,
sagenite, and fluorite.
Thanks to the kindness of Carl from Ridgecrest, and the company of Ron, also from Ridgecrest, we were able to
hitch a ride out to the sites and the fun.
The first site was for angel-wing agate. What a find! I had to keep reminding myself to be selective and only take a few samples. There was just so much angel-wing, calcite crystals, and agate all over! But we were also going to be visiting two more sites and I needed to leave room in the bucket.
The second stop was for sagenite. While we mostly found calcite everywhere, there were those who found some sagenite samples. My grandson got a little bored, so he picked on a small mound in a gulley and tried to level it with a small sledge hammer. At least he was enjoying himself.
The third site was the fluorite mine. Okay, we couldn't actually go in the mine, but climbing the crumbling hillside in the canyon entry and finding the sunlight-faded crystals was a lot of fun (and work). Digging around the faded crystals did produce some nice green fluorite in bands. These were not the crystals I've seen for sale at some of the shows, but it was still very nice.
Finally we made it back to camp and eventually to the potluck. (I'll leave to others to talk about our brush with the law.) I was very surprised to see the variety and quality of the food offered. The homemade tacos, barbequed chicken, two kinds of chili, salads, fresh pineapple, spiced cashews, and on and on, and let's not forget the birthday cake! What a great time sitting around sharing a meal, chatting, and making new friends from all over Southern California.
We had to leave early the next morning, but for those who could stay, the hunt continued. I don't know what else they found, but if it was as productive as Saturday, I'm sure they had fun.
Gordon Butler
Rosamond (unaffiliated)
I thank you for the input on the trip. I feel it is important for others to hear what the group felt and not only from the leader, that way those that didn’t make it can see what happened from different points of view.
Adam Dean
The Agate Hunter
O.B.M.S. Federation Director
C.F.M.S. Co/Chair Field Trip Southern CA
(909) 489-4899
theagatehunter@verizon.net
By Dick Pankey
The CFMS Field Trips – North Land Claims Seminar was held at the Community Center in Empire, CA on Saturday, April 24th. This special event was hosted by the Mother Lode Mineral Society and let me say “They did a bang up job!” Bud McMillin coordinated the arrangements and many members made light work of the setup/takedown. Betty and I didn’t want the early morning drive so we pulled our trailer over and camped at the meeting site. Bud and the crew were there early Saturday morning and the coffee, muffins and doughnuts were out and ready when people started showing up a little after 8:00. For lunch they served us big, grilled hot dogs with all of the trimmings, potato salad, chips and cold drinks. Really great Polish dogs! A BIG SPECIAL THANK YOU to Bud McMillin, all of the members who showed up and helped, and the entire Mother Lode Mineral Society!
Also, a Special Thank You to Fred Ott for video taping the seminar. He plans to transfer the tapes to a DVD and provide copies to the CFMS Slide and Video Library.
There were 35 people from 13 CFMS societies and one unaffiliated person. The purpose of this seminar is to encourage CFMS societies to establish and share claims and to provide them with the information to do so. Filing land claims on our threatened and historic collecting sites is one way to protect them and to assure access and our collecting rights.
I started the seminar with a welcome and a presentation of background and need for the seminar. Bud McMillin, CFMS Insurance Chairman then talked about the need and procedures to obtain Liability Insurance for society claims. Then Gregg Wilkerson, BLM Mineral Examiner and Mining Law Administration Specialist, presented an overview of the claim process – history, how to file a claim, where and how to get information on the claims process, claims and claimed land and answers to our questions. Bud and Gregg had good handouts for the group.
There were 5 plus hours of presentation, questions and discussion. We don’t have enough room in this newsletter to tell you every detail. I will try to cover the highlights and important details.
In my presentation I discussed the threats to access and to our collecting rights from the Wilderness acts, the proposed “Hard Rock Mining and Reclamation Act,” the new/proposed “Desert Conservation and Recreation Act,” new/proposed National Monuments and from new/changes to BLM/FS Resource Management Plans. But the biggest threat to our rights and ability to use and collect on our Public Lands is complacency - is to do nothing! We should file claims to preserve collecting rights, to preserve access and to have control of collecting and use. I proposed that CFMS societies file claims on our collecting sites and share them with other rockhounds. We should file claims on our known/historic sites in threatened area and in areas and/or material that should be preserved. The next steps for the future of our collecting sites are up to the societies. But we do have other options, also. That is to get involved in the legislative and regulatory process. Get involved; learn about proposed laws and regulations; attend meetings and write letters and get your society members involved with you.
Bud McMillin explained the reasons that societies should have liability insurance on society claims. This insurance is available from the federation’s insurance broker and is similar to the society’s premises liability insurance. Bud passed out the required forms and took us through them with explanation and answered questions. Liability insurance for a society claim is relatively inexpensive; $.33 per acre with a minimum charge of $40. For details and specific questions contact Bud or Patt McDaniel (broker).
Before starting on his Claim presentation Gregg talked about participating in the regulatory process. Government affects you and you can affect government, in this case BLM and FS by participating in the Land Use Planning process. This is the “other options” that I spoke about. We have “rights,” but with those rights come “responsibilities.” Gregg suggests making contact with a local BLM/FS office, get to know people and ask to be put on their mailing list. When asked for comments and input, send letters and e-mails; personal letters best, but form letters better than nothing. When writing to BLM/FS send a copy to your representative.
Gregg recommends that we inventory our collecting sites and areas; including access roads and camping sites. Share this information with BLM/FS. For cost purposes there is a big push to eliminate roads. If they don’t know that we use roads and a site/area, they have no reason not to close off an area. Now I can hear some people yelling already, “If we tell them where our collecting sites are they will shut them down!!” Just the opposite is true. If an area is not being used, there is not a reason to keep it open. We need to tell BLM/FS where we collect, what roars we use and where we camp. We need to develop a friendly working relationship with the BLM/FS; not perpetuate an antagonistic relationship. We need to tell them what we want and help them provide it to us.
Next Gregg gave us an explanation of claims process and procedures to file a claim. A claim is a property right and can’t be removed without due process. It gives the claimant the right to use and the right to exclude others from using (no trespassing). It also provides for right of access. All claims are considered valid until proven invalid in a court or judicial review. Extraction permits are required for collecting for commercial purposes. Casual use collecting for personal use does not require a permit.
To find out if a claim is current or valid it is best to check with the BLM or County Recorder. You will need the location of the claim in question in map terms of Township, Range and Section. Claim locations can also be found on www.geocommunicator.gov web site. If you are out on BLM land and come upon a claim, locate the Discovery Marker to see if the paper work in it is current. To be current the paper work must list the name of the claimant, the material claimed, the location of the claim (Township, Range and Section) and filing date/update in the current year (September 1 to August 31.) If not current you are free to collect.
This was a great informative and productive seminar. We learned why and how to use the claim process to protect access and our right to collect on Public Lands. And we were introduced to the “Other Option” – working with the BLM and FS to maintain access and collecting rights. Looks like we have the basis for our next seminar.
–Dick
By Bud McMillin & Patt McDaniel
Patt, A lot of societies are starting to form Junior Rockhound groups within their societies now as more societies see the advantages of bringing in younger families and “new blood” to our societies and our wonderful family hobby. My question this month has to do with how our liability insurance covers our Juniors and is there anything special we should do to insure their safety? I know, in the Mother Lode Mineral Society, we now have a two step process for accepting new members that was established to protect our 41 Junior Rockhounders. We have a request for an Application for Membership so we can run all potential new members through “Meagan’s Law List” prior to sending out an application for membership. We also require a parent or responsible adult to accompany their Junior on all field trips and to sign the Release of Liability form prior to attending the field trip.
So, how are our Juniors covered on the policy and can you suggest any further measures we should take to insure the safety of our Juniors?
Thanks, Bud
Bud, thank you for this question. It is wonderful that CFMS is making this knowledge and appreciation of the geological world available to young people. The insurance company understands that this may well be part of CFMS’s mission as a nonprofit public benefit corporation. I have never seen an insurance policy that has wording regarding minors or persons of any particular age. The law, of course, has much to say and many legal precedents. I am certainly not a lawyer, but we all know that very young persons are not responsible for their own actions and as a child’s age increases he or she becomes progressively more responsible. This puts responsibility on the parents, guardians or caretakers. It is important that in providing these services to young people, you do not put yourselves in the position of caretakers. Parents or other responsible persons should always be there for that.
Federation clubs always carry some responsibility to those for whom they provide services or whom they instruct in a workshop but that duty is increased when young people are involved. Increased care and consideration of the well being of these young people is obviously called for and the Federation people I have spoken with seem to have an appreciation of this responsibility.
As with any club’s insured activity, the company will respond if the club or its officers or volunteers are held responsible for injury or property damage to others. Children are considered as ‘others’, even if acting as volunteers, because the ultimate responsibility must reside with an adult.
The above considerations do not begin to address the potential for sexual misconduct and I am glad to see that the Federation is proactive in taking precautions. One of the most important guidelines is never to allow a minor to be alone with just one adult (other than his or her parent or guardian), no matter whom. All activities should be in the open as much as possible. The Federation does not have sexual misconduct insurance. This would be a separate policy that would be very carefully underwritten.
I hope this addresses your questions and I invite any of you to call with any additional questions. It is my understanding that Bud McMillin and Richard Pankey have worked to familiarize themselves with the concerns and precautions for these types of activities and I am sure they would be willing to discuss it with any members as well.
Patt Wilson McDaniel
By Jim Brace-Thompson
At the upcoming AFMS/CFMS Show & Convention, there will be an area for juniors activities, and within that area, we'll have a table for promoting the AFMS Future Rockhounds of America Badge Program.
Because much of my time during the show will be tied up in meetings between my duties for the AFMS and the CFMS, I'm seeking volunteers who can help by giving an hour or two of their time to sit at the AFMS/CFMS Juniors table to field questions and promote the badge program. So, if you're using the AFMS/FRA Badge Program in your club and are planning to be at the show in La Habra this June, I welcome your help. Please contact me at (805) 659-3577 or jbraceth@roadrunner.com. The job will be fairly easy. You just need to let folks know that to utilize the badge program, they need to be members of a club affiliated
with the AFMS (many times, we'll have Scout leaders or home schoolers asking if they can use the program), and we'll have a flyer to give to interested parties that gives full details about the program. We'll also have a "Treasure Chest" of tumble-polished stones to give to kids. Finally, we'll be selling "Paint-a-Fossil" plaster casts at fifty cents apiece to help raise funds to underwrite the AFMS/FRA badge program via the AFMS Endowment Fund.
So if you can spare the time, here's to helping out and to having fun!
- Jim
By Susan Chaisson-Walblom
Seeking Nominations for AFMS 2011 Scholarship Foundation Honoree
To make a nomination, send in the name(s) of your nominee(s) along with a brief background explaining why you believe your nominee deserves this award. Please consider service that has been long and reaches beyond the regional level.
You may submit your nominations by contacting me:
by phone at (661-943-1861),
mail (42122-52nd Street West, Quartz Hill, CA 93536),
or e-mail (slchaisson@yahoo.com).
Thank you in advance for your nominees!
-Susan
By John Martin
Listed below is the latest status on Proposed Legislation that will have an unfavorable affect on Rockhounding when passed. Getting involved with the process can help to keep our collecting locations open and accessible to all Rockhounds.
S. 787: Clean Water Restoration Act
A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify the jurisdiction of the United States over waters of the United States.
- April 2, 2009: Introduced
- Jun 18, 2009: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- April 9, 2010: Still in Committee
S. 796: Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009
A bill to modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land, and for other purposes.
- April 2, 2009 Introduced
- July 14, 2009: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-116.
- April 9, 2010 Still in Committee
H.R. 699: Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009
To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain lands, consistent with the principles of self-initiation of mining claims, and for other purposes.
- January 27, 2009 Introduced
- February 26, 2009 the bill has been referred to the following committees:
House Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources -- Hearings Held
- April 9, 2010 Still in Committee
S. 799: America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009
A bill to designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of people in the United States.
- April 2, 2009 Introduced
- Apr 2, 2009: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- April 9, 2010 Still in Committee
H.R. 1925: America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009
To designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
- April 2, 2009 Introduced
- Oct 1, 2009: The bill has been referred to the following committees:
House Natural Resources, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands -- Hearings Held
- April 9, 2010 still in committee
S.2921: California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act
A bill to provide for the conservation, enhanced recreation opportunities, and development of renewable energy in the California Desert Conservation Area, to require the Secretary of the Interior to designate certain offices to serve as Renewable Energy Coordination Offices for coordination of Federal permits for renewable energy projects and transmission lines to integrate renewable energy development, and for other purposes.
- December 21, 2009 Introduced -- California Desert Protection Act of 2010 - Amends the California Desert Protection Act of 1994.
- December 21, 2009 Senate Energy and Natural Resources
- April 9, 2010 still in committee with no (0) co-sponsors
H.R. 2454: American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
(CAP and TRADE)
To create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence; reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy.
- May 15, 2009 Introduced
- Jun 26, 2009 Passed House 219 -212
- Jul 7, 2009: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 97.
- This is the most restrictive and regulating bill to come before congress in US history. If passed and signed into law it will have some controlling effects on each and every one of us in our daily lives. Even the short summary is to long to place in this article and the full text of the bill is over 1000 pages. To see the full text of the bill go to
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2454 .
For more detailed information on these issues go to the American Lands Access Association Website www.amlands.org
-John
By Bural LaRue
Flowers everywhere are blooming and attracting bees in large numbers. This is the time of year to be especially alert to large numbers of bees appearing to set up housekeeping near areas of activity. The Africanized honey bee (AHB) and the European honey bee look the same. Both species protect their nest and sting. Their venom is the same and they can sting only once. Both species are beneficial in that they pollinate flowers and produce honey and wax.
Why the concern? The Africanized variety is much more aggressive than its European cousin and poses a far greater threat to people and their pets. When disturbed, they respond quickly and sting in large numbers. They have been known to pursue their enemy ¼ mile or more. They can sense a threat from people and animals 50 or more feet from their nest and can sense vibrations from power equipment 100 feet away. They swarm frequently to establish new nests.
Nesting sites for the Africanized honey bee include empty boxes, cans, buckets or other containers, old tires, lumber piles, holes and cavities in fences, trees or the ground. They will also nest in sheds, garages, and other buildings. Remove potential nest sites around buildings. Be careful wherever bees may be found.
To keep bees away, wear light-colored clothing and avoid scented soaps and perfumes. Don’t leave food, drinks, and garbage uncovered.
Don’t pen, or tether animals near bee hives or nests and never attempt to remove a nest yourself. Find a reputable pest control company that specializes in bee removal. Check with your local extension office or the State Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for trained and licensed pest control operators in your area.
(To be continued in next newsletter)
Source: Riverside County Open Spaces District handout
-Bural
By Jennifer Haley
With gratitude we recieved a letter from SJSU student Bret Treece thanking CFMS and our Honoree Frank Monez for awarding him a scholarship this year. In his words, receiving this gift helped him in his decision to continue on to graduate school next year. In June Bret will be studying Paleozoic and Cenozoic rocks of the Schell Creek Range in eastern Nevada. He will be constructing a geologic map of the area, cross sections, and writing a final report. The students will be tent camping for 4 weeks. Brett will be field assisting with Ashley Van Dyne, a graduate student at SJSU, with her thesis project on plutons, in the Sierras. This year I think we can all feel that we received an award too by the impact we had as members of CFMS societies who made it possible to make a dream come true for a student such as this. Congratulations everyone!
-Jennifer
By Marshall Havner,
President Tule Gem & Mineral Society
& Dick Pankey
I must confess that five years ago I did not know that American Lands Access Association (ALAA) even existed. I had just retired from a long and mutually beneficial career as an employee of the State of California. I was ready and willing to become one of the willingly ignorant members of society who reaps the profits of accumulations and blindly ignores the sufferings of others. My first resolution was to stop reading newspapers and watching the news on television as they were just too depressing. All that travail the news medias continually focused on was upsetting my peace of mind. After all, I reasoned, it was only right that I should enjoy the comfortable lifestyle I had worked hard to accomplish.
I started looking around my community and talking to friends and acquaintances about events and activities that were fun to do that required little input on my hard earned retirement time. I heard about a local trip to look for jade and decided to go. During the trip I was invited to visit the workshop of a local rock club and I accepted. At the rock workshop I discovered a host of lapidary equipment that I could use to make jewelry out of rock that I had collected. This was what I was looking for as I liked rocks and had already used them to decorate the flower beds around my house. I fondly remembered that as a boy I always had a pocket full of rocks. I joined that local rock club and in no time I was turning plain rock into beautiful polished pieces I used to make jewelry.
After I had been in the Tule Gem & Mineral Society for two months I received a telephone call from the present President Don Vieira informing me that I was going to become an officer. I replied that I had just joined the club and had no experience with the club’s management and that I needed time to get informed of club policies and just to think about this proposal. His only response was "don’t argue with me" to which I had to reply simply "yes sir". Don Vieira had been one of my High School teachers who I have a great deal of respect for and a man I can not say no to. It was also Don Vieira who at the Tule Gem & Mineral Society November 2009 meeting proposed I be a TGMS Representative for ALAA.
After becoming actively involved in ALAA I realized and became inspired by a host of members who individually were making a huge difference in ALAA’s goal of preserving multiple use and access of our public lands for our and future generations. I remember a Math Professor who stated that for every problem there is a minimum of seven solutions. In ALAA it has been my experience that for every difficult situation I have been in I have had a minimum of seven dedicated individuals I can turn to for advice and inspiration. I can only hope to walk in the shadow of these individuals who are making a life’s practice of service for others. Therefore, I dedicate all that I do and all that I will accomplish for American Lands Access Association to all the individuals who mean so much to me.
-Marshall
(I first met Marshall last November when I gave a presentation on ALAA and Claims to the Tule G&MS. The society had just joined ALAA and Marshall was to be the society representative liaison. Marshall is what ALAA is looking for as an “involved member” and demonstrates what can be done and how to do it. I hope Marshall’s testimonial will serve as an example and inspiration to others to get involved. Dick Pankey, President, ALAA)
-Dick
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