VENTANA WILDERNESS WATCH › images › docs › newsletters › 2017...V E N TA N A W IL D E RNE S S WATCH II Volume 18 Number 1 SPRING 2 0 1 7 4 and Steve Benoit, Maria Ferdin, Jack

Middle Fork Limekiln Creek I March 2017 Photograph by Leor Pantilat I pantilat.wordpress.com

VENTANA WILDERNESS WATCHventanawild.org

Special Map Insert

The Silver Peak Wilderness

Q&A with Meteorologist Dann Cianca

Citizen Scientists in the Milpitas SIA

Newsletter of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance Volume 18 Number 1 I Spring 2017

P r o t e c t i n g t h e B i g S u r B a c k c o u n t r y

V E N T A N A W I L D E R N E S S W A T C H I V o l u m e 1 8 N u m b e r 1 I S P R I N G 2 0 1 7

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VENTANA WILDERNESS WATCHNewsletter of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance

PO Box 506 I Santa Cruz, California 95061(831) 423-3191 I ventanawild.org

The mission of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance

is to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness qualities and

biodiversity of the public lands within California’s northern

Santa Lucia Mountains and Big Sur coast.

BOARD of DIRECTORSTom Hopkins, President

David Jacobs, CPA, TreasurerMaria Ferdin, Secretary

Betsy MacGowan, Director-At-LargeAl Budris, Director-At-Large

Greg Meyer, Director-At-LargeElizabeth Thomas, Director-At-Large

John Tilley, Director-At-Large

STAFFToan Do, Youth in Wilderness

Program ManagerAmy Patten,

Administrative Assistant Richard Popchak, Communications

and Development Director Mike Splain, Executive Director

Trevor Willits, Stewardship Program Coordinator

NEWSLETTER PRODUCTIONEditor: Richard Popchak

Design: Lynn PiquettPrinting: Community Printers, Santa Cruz

Printed on 30% post-consumer waste recycled paper with Agri-based inks.

Leor Pantilat has a passion for adventure running and his love for nature’s beauty takes him to some of the most remote and

rugged places on the West Coast. We are thankful that he discovered the Ventana Wilderness. Leor captured the cover photo while exploring the Middle Fork of Limekiln Creek. We encourage you to learn more about Leor Pantilat’s Adventures at pantilat.wordpress.com.

ON THE COVER

Executive Director’s Message My, how the world has

changed since our last issue of

Ventana Wilderness Watch.

Corporate conservatism is on

the rise in Washington, while

environmental protections,

public lands and the under-

lying institutions of conserva-

tion are under constant attack.

Meanwhile, the Soberanes

Wildland Fire has dramatically

reshaped once-familiar coun-

try. On top of that, a deluge of

precipitation has buried the

Sierra Nevada in snowpack,

prompted a wildflower super bloom and recharged streams throughout the Santa Lucia

Range, all the while wreaking havoc on trails, roads and infrastructure. Massive landslides

and the collapse of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge have relegated many Big Sur residents to

“island life.”

Numerous other roads have endured severe storm damage, and even if we could drive to

places like Bottcher’s Gap, the northern Ventana Wilderness remains under a post fire

closure order. At this writing, Highway 1 is closed near Ragged Point Inn, restricting access

to the Silver Peak Wilderness. Here at the VWA office, more than a few inquiries are met

with “Sorry but you can’t get there from here.” So what good is all this protected land if

people can’t enjoy it? Of course the answer is that wilderness has a right to exist regardless

of us. Plants, wildlife, and indeed evolution itself are threatened by human incursions

across the vast majority of our state. Wild things deserve places to go about their business,

untrammeled by anthropogenic meddling. Still, the visitors will come, and their impacts

will be concentrated in a handful of accessible locales that I dare not mention here.

While it may take years to dig ourselves out of this mess (literally and figuratively), I hope

you’ll find some solace and inspiration in these pages. Together, we can stave off the

onslaught, depoliticize conservation, protect biodiversity, and fight for public lands and

wilderness. Although the scale of the challenge is daunting, as Gil Scott-Heron once

declared, “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.” So please, write a

letter to the editor, call your political decision makers, join a volunteer trail crew, get

involved in citizen science, donate to the VWA, or some combination thereof. Wild places

have no voice of their own. No matter if we ever set foot within its hallowed grounds,

wilderness has an inherent right to exist—thanks for doing all you can to keep it wild.

Mike Splain I [email protected]

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Fire and Rain I by Richard Popchak Volunteer Wilderness Rangers I This essential program gets boots on the ground in the Ventana and Silver Peak backcountry. Within the fire closure area, the rangers are gathering information on trail and camp conditions. Unsurprisingly, given the weather and the plethora of road closures, the rangers are not seeing much evidence of people entering the forest. It’s just too darn difficult to get there! Outside of the fire closure area, there were concerns that visitor impacts would be concentrated in a few areas. For the most part, this has not been the case as the lack of accessibility is keeping people away. The one exception is the Milpitas SIA which continues to grow in popularity. Trail Program I The greatest impacts are being felt within the Trail Program. Weather and road conditions have conspired to stymie the efforts of our intrepid volunteer Trail Crew. Meanwhile, the lack of accessibility has resulted in the postponement of grant- funded professional crews. See the next page for details. Heaven knows much work lies ahead once things return to “normal.” ■

Big Pines may someday be known as “no pines” due to more frequent fire cycles. Photo: Erich Huebner/USFS

My buddy says that Californians are overly dramatic about weather. “With you guys it’s always something,” he says. “Spend a year in Virginia and then complain.” Well, I’m not complaining. And it is readily apparent that the weather here has been dramatic. Like ole James Taylor, we’ve seen fire and we’ve seen rain. And not long ago we saw sunny days that we thought would never end. It’s just that all of these events packed a significant punch and lasted a long time. The drought, the fire, and the rains have had a tremendous impact in the Ventana region and these events have far-reaching consequences. There are many after-effects on the land and waters and the native plants and animals that live there. The repercussions for the people who live and work in the communities on the periphery of the wilderness are profound. A big part of this dramatic change is the loss of access to the region—for locals, workers, tourists and the people who protect the land while improving access into it. Let’s talk about how all of this affects the VWA mission. Advocacy I The VWA is dedicated first and foremost to the protection and preservation of the public wildlands of the northern Santa Lucias. Our advocacy work continues unimpeded by fire and rain. The organization recently provided comments on the US Forest Service-proposed Strategic Community Fuelbreak Improvement Project (SCFIP), which could have a huge effect on wildfire suppression strategy for many years to come. The VWA also continues to reach out to agencies and elected officials whose decisions impact the wilderness character of the Ventana region. Youth in Wilderness I Despite the challenges presented by the fire and road closures, VWA’s unique outdoor education program for underserved youth in the region continues to grow and improve. The biggest impact has been the increased time and expense necessitated for travel to far-flung trailheads. Program Manager Toan Do and our education partners have demonstrated great flexibility and creativity to ensure that local young people are connected to our public wildlands. See page 5 for more information.

“Discovery Falls” near the middle fork of Limekiln Creek in March 2017. Photo: Leor Pantilat


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and Steve Benoit, Maria Ferdin, Jack Glendening, Mike Heard, and Steve Cypher of the Los Padres Forest Association.

AmeriCorps NCCC I The feel-good story of the year is the success of the 13-person AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) team that worked out of Arroyo Seco for seven weeks in the fall. They were led by Trevor Willits, VWA’s Stewardship Program Coordinator. Together this cast of characters from across the USA braved nasty weather, plentiful poison oak, and a variety of unfamiliar critters to complete work on the Santa Lucia Trail and Santa Lucia Trail Connector. Never was heard a discouraging word! This was VWA’s third engagement with AmeriCorps NCCC and we hope to do it again.

You can help improve trails by making a donation to the Ventana Trails Forever fund at the Community Foundation for Monterey County. Or you can provide “sweat equity” and join a trail crew. Go to meetup.com/Ventana-Wilderness-Alliance-Meetup to learn more. ■

The Never-Ending ChallengeOne only needs to look at winter storm damage to the area’s roads and bridges to imagine the devastation to the trail system within the Ventana. But unlike the effort to repair our state’s roadways, we can’t count on tax dollars and heavy machinery to get the job done. The VWA is the only organization taking on the challenge to restore and maintain the 300-mile network of trails in the Big Sur backcountry. Fortunately, generous donors, dauntless volunteers, and the U.S. Forest Service are providing essential support to chip away at the many challenges.

Professional Crews I Our biggest setback this year has been the cancellation of professional crew work in the Silver Peak Wilderness. Major slides north and south of key trailheads have effectively eliminated access to the work area. The multi-year project to restore and maintain trails in the Silver Peak is funded by a grant from Sean and Alexandra Parker (Neraida LLC) with matching funds from the National Forest Foundation. We will re-start the project this fall.

In the meantime, thanks to a grant from REI and matching funds from the National Forest Foundation, work is being completed by professional crews on the upper Pine Ridge Trail. The goal is to make the trail pack-stock accessible from Divide Camp to Pine Ridge Camp. This work will provide access to iconic backcountry locales and set the stage for continued work on the Black Cone Trail and further on the Pine Ridge Trail.

Volunteers I Despite the forest and road closures, and the inclement weather, VWA Trail Crew volunteers are completing an amazing amount of work inside and out of the closure area. Trail Crew Chief Betsy MacGowan is leading by example. She recently spearheaded a nine-outing effort to clear the Pine Ridge Trail from China Camp to Divide Camp. This area was significantly damaged by Soberanes Fire burnout operations. Betsy and the other volunteers understand that supporting professional crews with pack stock greatly increases their productivity. We thank the U.S. Forest Service for providing pack stock support to the VWA Trail Program at no cost. Betsy also has led outings on the historic Carrizo Trail this year. Other volunteer leaders that we’d like to acknowledge for their work since last November include Beth

The AmeriCorps NCCC Gold 6 team gets serious before another day on the trail.

Imagine what will become of the trail network with aggressive post-fire re-growth. Photo: Erich Huebner/USFS

5Students from Community Partnership for Youth (Seaside) jumping for joy at Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve.

Rancho Cielo Culinary Academy students and expedition leaders goofing around in the rain on the Cawatre Trail at Arroyo Seco.

Students from Greenfield Community Science Workshop exploring a cave at The Indians.

Local Youth Go WildDespite the 2016 Soberanes Fire and the destructive winter storms, the Youth in Wilderness program continues to grow and improve. We’d like to thank VWA members and the local and national grant providers (see page 10) that make it happen. We also greatly appreciate the relationships that we have with our education partners such as Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, Community Partnership for Youth, Greenfield Community Science Workshop, Warner Davis Community School, and Paso Robles High School. ■

Access to and nurture of our local

wilderness is our right and responsibility, a key

aspect of child development and an urgent environmental necessity. The VWA is making this a reality for our youth here in Greenfield

and across the central California coast.”

— José S. SánchezGreenfield Community

Science Workshop


DISCLAIMER: This map is not intended for route finding or travel. Trail conditions change constantly. VWA assumes no liability for the usage of this map.

The Silver Peak Wilderness offers a rare combination of primitive recreation, high-value conservation, and fee-free trailhead access to visitors of the California coast. But increasing human visitation is having a profound impact on this special place. In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, and thanks to grants from Patagonia and the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance, the VWA has created a special map and brochure to help people practice Leave No Trace principles in the Silver Peak. It is being distributed in print and online at ventanawild.org/trails/silver-peak-wilderness-trails.


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Dann Cianca kicking around Corral de Tierra.

divert these weather systems as they reach the coast. Air flowing up over the mountains is forced to shed its moisture, keeping the east side arid. Big Sur (Station)’s annual rainfall is around 45 inches, King City, just 30 miles away usually picks up 12 inches. In the mountains, the moderating influence of the ocean is often negated. During the winter, the mountains tap into the colder air aloft; in the summer, the warmer, continental air mass often sits just above the cooler, maritime air. Hike up a mountain and feel the temperature rise as much as 40ºF!

Q: What can you share about the effects of climate change in the region? Could boom-or-bust winters and frequent landscape-scale wildfires become “the new normal”? I think the uncertainty is the scary part. Water is already such a valuable resource in the state. There are some studies that show that the frequency of drought will increase as the climate of California changes. Other studies have shown that weather events can be more extreme. It seems that there is much less comfort in between! Will that happen for certain? It’s hard to say.

Q: What makes the northern Santa Lucia Mountains so special? Why is it important that these public lands remain protected? Back in January of 2016, I drove up to Chews Ridge to see the snow. I was astounded at the views, showing the vast expanse of dynamic, wild terrain. It seemed as if the mountains would stretch on forever, even though I knew the ocean was hiding behind them, only ten miles away. It is also very comforting to realize that despite the proximity to urban California, this wilderness is an island of solitude—where it is easy to disappear from humanity for a few hours or a few days. It’s an incredible expanse where nature can be nature without too much interference from man. And I think without these places, we might forget that they ever existed—and I don’t think that would be good for anyone. ■

Interview with a Meteorologist I Dann Cianca Folks living in the Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz area are probably familiar with KION News Channel 5/46 meteorologist Dann Cianca. And if you are familiar with Dann, then you know that he loves weather and forecasting. We asked Dann to share some thoughts with us about public lands, weather in the Ventana region, and the historic storms of 2017.

Q: What a winter! When did you first realize that it had the potential to be one for the record books? I think that realization is coming to me more retrospectively! After the last few years, even when the rains have come, it seems like they would abruptly shut off, killing off hope of an end to the drought. I think many of us kept waiting for that to happen this winter. Meanwhile, the rain totals kept climbing and floods kept happening. Even looking at the computer models, I would often think, “This wet pattern couldn’t continue, could it?”

Q: As you look at the various measurements for this winter, what are some of the numbers that really stand out? Since October 1st, 113 inches of rain have fallen at Three Peaks above Salmon Creek, 103 inches at Anderson Peak above McWay, and 74 inches on a hill above the village of Big Sur, numbers which are two to three times the yearly normals. On January 10th, the Big Sur River reached a flood stage of 12.34 feet, the second highest on record. (Data as of April 14)

Q: What are some of the ways that the Santa Lucia Mountains affect weather in the region? The Santa Lucia Range has a large impact on the weather of the region. To the West, you have a flat and fairly thermally uniform body of water which rules the weather of the air mass above. Any weather system moving through this environment does so with ease. Then come the mountains—a 5,000 foot-tall wall that can block and

On April 15, 2017, the VWA teamed up with researchers, field biologists and intrepid volunteers to survey the biodiversity of the Milpitas Special Interest Area (SIA). The Milpitas SIA was created in 2005 by the Los Padres National Forest to preserve the exquisite natural and cultural resources of the upper Arroyo Seco and San Antonio watersheds. In order to fully protect this precious, sensitive landscape, land managers and scientists need information about what species occur there and how they use the area. Community members can assist in collecting this data by becoming citizen scientists and recording photos and information on the species they observe. Citizen science allows for collection of much larger

datasets than a single team of scientists could gather on its own. These observations provide valuable information on where species occur, when they are active, and timing of activity patterns or life history cycles.

The citizen scientists at the BioBlitz were treated to their own Ventana “super bloom” with carpets of goldfields, owl’s clover, and lupines covering the grasslands and tucked between rock outcrops.

Naturalists tracked down rare plants, including Santa Lucia fir, near the Arroyo Seco River and western toads in breeding ponds full of tadpoles and recently metamorphosed toadlets. Observations were entered into iNaturalist, a publicly accessible database of

natural history observations. Experts in the iNaturalist community peer-reviewed the observations and verified species identification to generate research-grade data. BioBlitz observations provided a valuable snapshot of biodiversity, including information on the spread of invasive plants and locations of species of conservation concern. These data will be shared with the Forest Service to guide management decisions. Thank you to all of our citizen scientists who participated in this fun event! If you are interested in getting involved in VWA’s citizen science projects, contact Amy Patten at [email protected] for more information. ■

Participants watched California condors from Indians Road.

Goldfields and owl’s clovers beneath valley oaks on Wagon Cave Plains.

The success of VWA’s BioBlitz relied on a wide range of field guides. One of the most useful was Monterey County Wildflowers – a Field Guide by Rob Yeager, MD and Michael Mitchell (CNPS Press, 2016). This excellent tome features the county’s most common species. Organized by flower color and plant family, it’s got plenty to offer for amateurs and seasoned botanists alike. Pick up your copy at the CNPS bookstore at store.cnps.org/collections/books. Proceeds will benefit the conservation of California’s precious native flora. ■

Citizen scientists collected data on the Santa Lucia Fir, Abies bracteata.

Citizen Science in the Milpitas Special Interest Areaby Amy Patten


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FOUNDATIONSAND FUNDS Arkay FoundationAlexander P. Saxton Trust OneBarnet Segal Charitable TrustCleo FoundationCommunity Foundation for Monterey CountyCommunity Foundation Santa Cruz CountyDean Witter FoundationFarrell/Allen Carmel Rotary Fund at Community Foundation for Monterey CountyFenton Family Gift FundFernandez Pave The Way FoundationKiplinger FoundationMahoney Peterson Family FundMcKee FoundationMoccia Family Schwab Charitable FundMonterey County Weekly Community FundMonterey Peninsula FoundationNational Forest FoundationPebble Beach Company FoundationRiver Styx FoundationRose FoundationTides FoundationWyss Charitable Endowment

ORGANIZATIONSBackcountry Horsemen of CaliforniaCondor Trail AssociationHenry Miller Memorial LibraryLionheart Institute of Transpersonal Energy HealingLos Padres Forest WatchNational Wilderness Stewardship AllianceRancho Cielo Inc.Save the Redwoods LeagueSierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter - Backpack SectionTassajara Zen Mountain CenterUC Santa Cruz Arboretum BUSINESSESCamouflage Inc.Chiorini, Hunt & JacobsDharmas Natural Foods RestaurantDown WorksGoogleJuniper RidgeNorth Coast Vision OptometryOld Capitol BooksOtter B BooksPatagoniaThe Red RoomREIScharf Investments LLCTB Sojka Photography

INDIVIDUALSStuart AbelPamela AckleyRobert & Donna AdamsonPatricia AddlemanSue AddlemanRobin AeschlimanWilliam AkeyMark Alderson & Anne SeckerPauline AllenRobert & Ann AllenDavid & Susan AndersonGene AndersonNiklas AnderssonHank ArmstrongRobert ArmstrongJesse ArnoldPatricia Ashe-WoodfillMarlene AttellLarry & Sharon BaconAlan BaldwinJo Ann Baumgartner & Sam EarnshawRoger BeaudoinDoug BeckAnn BeckettLeif BehrmannJon BennerEdward L. BennettSteve & Beth BenoitMaria BerekCarol BernthalPaola BerthoinLen BeyeaMary Blackler & Phil Wagner

Joe BlauDan BlunkTom BobrowskiTom BoehmeKathleen BonnerMichael BooneSusan Boone SmithRenie BorowskiWayne & Jeanne BossCelia BosworthRobert BoyceEric & Mary Jo BrazilSally BrazilLinda BrodmanJustin BronsonBonnie BrooksBryan BrownArroyo SecoAlan BuchwaldKatherine BucquetAlfred Budris, IIDebbie Bulger & Richard StoverDr. Donald BurnettDonna BurychDonald & Cecily ButtsNancy CallahanJim & Lynda Campbell, Jr.Rick & Tricia CampbellGeorge CampionMichael CamposMiranda & Don CanestroRoger CannonAnne & David CanrightStuart Carlson & Solange NascimentoNoel CarrSteve & Diane CarrGabrielle CarrollSean CarrollLise CarterRuth CarterDavid CastersonMark Chaffey & Heidi HallMax & Cynthia ChaplinMichael ChenYvon ChouinardCarl ChristensenEllen & Jason ChristianAlan ChurchLinda CiolinoNadine & Dan ClarkPat Clark-GrayAuberge CarmelJerome Cohen & Madeleine Delman CohenJoshua CohenMark CohenDoug ColaciccoAlex J. ColeStephen CollierAndy CominosChristopher ConneryMark ConoverGina Marie ContoliniWillis CostelloDavid & Susan CourrejouCarol CourtneyPaul Crafts & Bonita Zisla CraftsTom & Karla CravensJosephine CrawfordRobert CreekMartha CreweAlan & Wendy CrockettChristine CrozierBarbara CrumJesse CudeSheilah Cummings & Mark BurdenMary Cunningham-WelshMary CunovJane CurtnerKevin CutlerRita & John DalessioMargaret DanielsonRaziel DavisonAmy DaweElaine DawsonRobert & June DawsonAlexandra De La VegaArthur & Anne Schwartz DelibertSusan DennyJoanna DeversCharles E. DeweeseLiliana DiazBarbara DickinsonAlan & Sue Burden-DickmanMargaret DilferSheila DiricksonCharles DixonDwight & Jennifer DixonJan Doelman & Nicole ChupkaDarlene DoorlagBruce Draper

Stanley DudekNicholas DuffieldCameron DunnDiane DunnJames DunnPeter & Sherry DuveneckPhilip EastonAngela EcclesRobert Echols & Michele FlomTom EdellChris EideKenneth Ekelund, IIIMarc EldridgeMichael ElliottPeter EllisPeggy ElwellCarole January EricksonAmy Essick & Frank TakacsPablo EstradaKeith & Meg EvansSteven EvansJim FairchildWilliam & Celeste FalorCraig & Debby FarmerCatherine Farrant & Mary DaintonBarry Farrara & Cathy ThomeJamshid FaryarGary & Darlene FelsmanMaria FerdinAva FergusonKaren & Hugo FerlitoMeade & Denise FischerBruce FlatowPaul FleischmanPatrick FoleyLeslie FooteRuben FordMichael Foster & Vivian Key-FosterSam FosterSuzanne FrancoeurJames FranksAlan FrenchCalvin FrenchGernot FriederichMary GaleFrancesca GaribaldiPaul & Diana GarneauGuilbert GatesDan GearhartGina GianfalaLaurie & Jonathon GibsonAnna GilliganJake GlazierJohn GlendeningJosh GoldbergSam GoldeenGed GoodheartJason GrahamJoe & Lori GraingerMike & Cindy GrallStephen GranerStacey & Tony GrantDick & Lyn GraybillJacquelyn GriffithArlen GrossmanJacqueline GrubelnikEd GrumbinePaul GrunlandDavid GubernickRob & Susie GularteAnn HaberkornGerhard HahneVinzenz & Barbara HakeMarilyn HalbergBob HaleSamuel & Hope HaleTom HaleyBrett HallRyan HallDavid HalliganMichelle & David HamersloughRobert HanleyPenny HannaGinger HarmonSteven HarperDavid HarrisMorgan HarrisWendell HarryGisela HartmanJane HartmanDaniel HartmannDawn HartsockArthur HaseltineShari HasteyConstance HastingsKim HastingsRichard HavenickMichael HawkAnne HayesLiam John HeadleyCharles HeardDaniel HeastonGero HeineAnne Helms

Alexander HensonAdrienne HermanEsperanza HernandezJohn HickeyDale HillardDavid HirschAstrid HolbergBreta HolgersJillian HollowayMark & Roxane HolmanSheyna HolmesChristina HolstonPatricia HoltVictoria HooverBill HopkinsHeidi Hopkins & James MerzTom & Julie Anne HopkinsHeather HortonPeter HossWayne HowardJohn HowertonSusan HubbardWalter & Patty HughesBoon HugheyWilliam HymanKatherine IsomDavid S. JacobsLindsay JeffersBrennen JensenLaura & Dru JensenCedar JohnsonGordon JohnsonWilliam H. Johnston, MDHoward H. JonesNancy & Bobby JonesPaul JonesTamara JonesKelsey Jordahl & Alice ShumateJoseph JordanRobert KafkaDavid KaiserJanet KamiyaLawrence KellerKaren KellyLynn KennedyRobert KennedyBill KeyeTom KillionEllie KincadeDennis KingNicholas KingSue KirkpatrickMary Ellen KleeDenise KleinMarvin KleinDavid KnappRobert KnappCatherine Kobrinsky EvansGeorge & Diane KoenigJacob KoffAlice KollmannMari KoolCatherine KordichEllen & Robert KorstanjeBrook KraegerIra Jay KristalVernon KuskaKatie LageJerome LapointeDavid LauritsWilliam & Katherine LausterBarbara LebeckJean LeBlancJoe & Annette LegalletBrian & Carol LeNeveJudy LeRoyValerie LevulettJonathan Libby & Kate CunninghamGeraldine LiebyKirsten LiskeGary LopezChris & Debi LorencMarcia Love-Jackson & Robert S. JacksonPamela LowryNathan LundbladErik LundgrenSteve Lustgarden & Susan KauffmanJim LutzBarbara LyonBetsy MacGowanSalem & Laurie MagarianDennis & Elaine MaloneyLarry ManesChristopher MankeJohn & Margaret MarcroftCharles MartinFlo MartinFrank MartinMark Maslow & Regina PettusDorothy MasseyRyan MastersPatricia Matejcek

Mary Ann MatthewsRandy May & Carol GreenstreetGordon Mayfield & Janet BloomCam McAraBob & Victoria McCayRoss McClenahanMichael McCloudRobert McCormickSusan McDonald BrodeyPaul McFarland & Yvette GarciaGeorge McInnisKarla McIntyreLinda McMenimonBruce MerchantEd MercurioTed MerrillTed MeyenbergGreg MeyerChristine MillerGordon MillerJanet & Dennis MillerJohn G. MillerKathleen MillerJazz & Akim MimounHarriet MitteldorfMark MoehlingLena MolinariLynn MoncherRichard & Judith MontgomeryCarolyn MoodyAndrea MooreMik & Nancy MooreJames MorrisPenny MorrisCarla & Eric MossJudith MostynCaroline & David MoyerRichard MuellerLaura MurphyKonny MurrayJoseph NarvaezE. Roene NasrHolly NaylorNicole NedeffSteve NeffDavid NelsonMatthew NelsonNormand NelsonKenneth NemireThomas NeuJanet Newman & John GerhardtThanh NguyenJeanette NicelyRon NicholsMark NicolsonWilliam NielblingDouglas Nienhuis & Twylla EricksonDavid NorrisDoug O’BrienHelen OgdenDavid Ohanesian & Susan KrivinJean OlsonTama OlverCarol O’NeilKelly OringerKaren OrsoIrene OsterbrockDouglas & Denise OvermanDavid PalmDennis & Ollie PalmChris & Elizabeth PanettaRobert ParksJason ParsonsSamuel PashallAndrew PassellAmy PattenDaniel PattenNancy & Tom PattenGary PattonPhilips PattonChrista PeacockGeorge PepperTodd PerkinsDaniel PerlsteinEric PetersenKenneth PetersonMelanie PhillipsMonica Pielage & Blake CooperSusan PierszalowskiJulia PinskyLynn PiquettCarl T. PlesciaJames PlourdKatherine PofahlJoe PokrifkaMary PommerichNancy PopchakRichard PopchakJim Preston

Elizabeth ProctorElizabeth QuinnJohn RadfordJoe RadoslovichDarien RaistrickWhit & Darcey RambachJoanne RatcliffeMaritza RaveloBarbara RayKaren RayMack RayDon ReedSandra Reel & Bruce MerchantMeredith ReifschneiderAlison ReitzDavid ReneauKatherine RenekerEllen ReyesJulianne RhodesNeil RichmanWesley RiderRichard RiedlChris RifeChristian & Susan RindermannJames RinglandMax RitchieEugene & Maya RizzoDavid RobertsAlan RobertsonNina RobertsonElliott RobinsonGary RobinsonTerry RockwoodBill RodgersDavid RogersMartin RosenGordon & Vicki RosenbergJeffrey RothalBrian & Michele RowlettSara RubinSteve RubinElliot Ruchowitz-RobertsJoshua & Anastasia RudeCarol RyanWilliam & Diane SalmonParker SantiagoGeorge Schaaf, Jr.Jeffrey SchafferCraig SchiedingSharon SchimmollerDaniel & Betty SchlothanBill SchoenbartRobert SchuhStephen SchulteRobert SchumackerAndrew SchurrDougald Scott & Virginia Morgan-ScottPeter & Celia ScottPauline SealesJacqueline & Michael SedgwickChris SelmerA.J. Semtner, Jr.Monica & Joel SeversonSharol SevillaCathy SeyferthMike ShannonGreg ShawverMark ShwartzBurkhard SiedhoffRichard SilvaVince SilvaJan & Mary SimekAnne SimmonsArt SimonGary SimsMary SkipwithGiuseppi SlaterLeland SmithSusan B. SmithTimothy SmithLeslie & Charles SnorfRob SomersJames SommervilleJoe & Mary Lou SortaisWilliam Soskin & Marian PennDavid SpilkerJim & Jane SpisakTerry SpitzMichael SplainGeorge St. ClairSarah & Chad StacyLee StaleyBob StallardRichard StanleyBrian SteenBobby & Kim Chi StegerRita Mae StegerAnnette SteinerNaidene StengelKatherine StewartWinona Stewart & Austin Keegan

James StiefelBrian StratmanMeredith Stricker & Thomas CowenPaulette E. StruckmanAbigail & Morgan StrykerCarol StuartDeidre SullivanHeidi SullivanJoshua SullivanAnneliese SuterBernice SwartleyErik SwedbergMelissa & Robert SwedbergPeter & Marie SzydlowskiBrent TaylorKen TaylorKatsuaki TerasawaAntony TersolBrian ThayerReed ThayerDonna & Peter ThomasElizabeth ThomasCole ThompsonStephen ThompsonDaniel TichenorJohn TilleyCathy Toldi & Gene BushFrancis ToldiTony TollnerBrian TomasiniVincent TorrasBreck C. TostevinChuck Tremper & Sue ThomasMary TrotterHillary TroutPaul David TuffJeannette Tuitele-LewisJohnathon TurnerEllen UhlerJohn UmnusSteve UnderwoodRuth UpdegraffLois Van BurenJoyce VandevereMary Ann VasconcellosTony VastolaRichard VeumMichael VizzaPaul & Cindy VizzaBill VogtEinar VollsetAdam WachtelDavid & Rosann WachtelRichard WadsworthElissa WagnerJeannine WahlLisa WallenderKymm Ann WallinJohn & Priscilla WaltonKennan & Karen WardThomas WardLisa WartingerWilliam & Diana WaycottDouglas WegnerJoseph WeintraubMichael WellbornRobert WellingtonDouglas WengerAndrew WernerGordon WheelerDave WhippleMargie WhitnahAlan L. WhittemoreAlex WilczewskiLaura WilkersonCeleste WilliamsGordon & Beverly WilliamsHolly WilliamsPeter WilliamsJanet WilluweitScott WilsonLynnelle Wing & Derek WilliamsBryce WinterKarla WolfRichard WoodrowReid & Karen WoodwardSuzanne Worcester & Steve MooreDarby WorthBarbara WoytHarry & Karen WyethWilliam WymanVern YadonRobert H. YangAnn YoungCarol YoungJames Yurchenco & Amy LauterbachMarsha ZelusBradley ZeveDarryl Zimmerman ■

We Can’t Thank You Enough: Our 2016* Members and Funders

* For donations received January 1, 2016 through March 29. 2017. Our apologies if we have somehow missed you. Please notify us at [email protected].

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Discover the Benefits of Giving Wisely Did you know there are creative ways to support the Ventana Wilderness Alliance? Ways in which the VWA and you and your loved ones all benefit at the same time? Such giving techniques are called “planned gifts,” because with thoughtful planning, you create win-win solutions for you and the VWA.

The VWA is proud to offer web resources to help you think about legacy giving. This information is presented in simple language. You don’t have to be a lawyer or accountant to understand the variety of ways that you can protect wilderness now and in the future. Learn more at:

ventanawild.plannedgiving.org

2016 Annual Report In 2016, the VWA launched a “Scaling for Sustainability” initiative that included hiring new staff and relocating to an expanded office. Factor in the sweat equity of nearly 200 volunteers and we now have greatly increased capacity to achieve our mission, and are much better positioned to meet the many challenges ahead. The VWA’s 2017 focus is to grow and improve programs with maximum efficiency and minimal expense, while increasing major gifts and grant funding. For every dollar raised in 2016, 90 cents went to programs on the ground. Thank you for your ongoing support. ■

■ Grants

■ Annual Appeal

■ Gifts & Memberships

■ Event Income

■ Ventana Trails Forever

■ Endowment Distributions

■ Interest Income

PROGRAM EXPENSES 2016 PERCENT EXPENDITURES OF TOTAL

Stewardship $447,054 77.0% Advocacy $75,729 13.0%Fundraising $27,684 4.8%Management $30,477 5.2% & Governance

TOTAL $580,944 100.0%

SUPPORT AND REVENUE 2016 PERCENT CONTRIBUTIONS OF TOTAL

Grants* $396,950 63.5%Annual Appeal $58,175 9.3% Gifts & Membership $57,566 9.2%Event Income $829 0.1%Ventana Trails Forever** $95,200 15.2%Endowment $13,281 2.1% Distributions Interest Income $3,096 0.5%

TOTAL $625,097 100.0% * includes a $64,920 matching award from the National Forest Foundation

** includes 80% pass-through to the Ventana Trails Forever endowment at the Community Foundation for Monterey County

STATEMENT OF ASSETSCash $429,885Certificates of Deposit $121,836

TOTAL $551,721

Stewardship Advocacy Fundraising Management & Governance

$350,000

$450,000

$400,000

$300,000

$250,000

$200,000

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

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NON PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAIDSANTA CRUZ, CAPERMIT NO. 150

Post Office Box 506 I Santa Cruz, CA 95061

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

SAVE THE DATESeptember 23

Wild & Scenic Film FestivalGolden State Theatre, Monterey

Details TBA

Remembering Pat BaileyThose who love and care for the public lands of the northern Santa Lucias lost a dear friend when Pat Bailey passed away last November. Prior to his retirement from the U.S. Forest Service, Pat was the Wilderness, Trails, and Stock Manager for the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest. He worked closely with VWA staff and volunteers on a multitude of projects and could always be counted on to bring a fun-loving and friendly attitude to the work at hand. Longtime friend and VWA member Robert Walton offered this poem to the Bailey family at the memorial celebration of Pat’s life:

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A Walk PostponedLike wild troutMy thoughts dart awayFrom the shadowOf your death. We did not stopNear Ojito;We did not kneelIn bay-scented shade;We did not sip waterFrost-spiced;

But some October dayAt Willow SpringsBeneath sable ridges,Or in Lost Valley’sWood-smoke dusk,We’ll meet,For these hillsAre eternal And youAre of them.

— Robert Walton, 2016

VENTANA WILDERNESS WATCH › images › docs › newsletters › 2017...V E N TA N A W IL D E RNE S S WATCH II Volume 18 Number 1 SPRING 2 0 1 7 4 and Steve Benoit, Maria Ferdin, Jack

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