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ec
climber
ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 21, 2014 - 05:23pm PT
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Forest Plans To Rebuild Needles Fire Lookout Tower
February 20, 2014
Springville, CA – The Needles Fire Lookout Tower, located on the Western Divide Ranger District within the Giant Sequoia National Monument on the Sequoia National Forest was destroyed in a structure fire in July 2011. The purpose of this project is to rebuild the Needles Lookout Tower with a structure that maintains the same “look and feel” as the original structure while complying with current building codes and safety requirements.
There is a need to ensure all electronic equipment is replaced with new equipment meeting current technology standards, providing the necessary communication for agency personnel (e.g., firefighters and wilderness rangers) and supporting backcountry users. There is also a need to restore the lookout as the popular recreation destination it used to be.
The Needles are a series of massive granite rock formations rising up from the North Fork of the Kern River near its junction with the Little Kern River. The Needles and other geological features are identified as objects of interest in the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan.
The lookout tower was constructed in 1937-38 by the Civilian Conservation Corps atop the rock formation at 8,245 feet. A Forest Service employee, stationed in the tower, was responsible for detecting fires and relaying radio messages to a dispatcher, who in turn sent firefighters and support equipment to extinguish the reported fire. The tower was utilized as this employee’s office as well as their home for the summer months while the lookout was on duty.
A draft Decision Memo detailing the proposal is available for review at the Western Divide Ranger District Office, 32588 Highway 190, Springville, California. For additional information, or to obtain a copy of the draft Decision Memo, contact: Linn Gassaway, Zone Archaeologist, at (559) 338-2251, extension 396. The draft Decision Memo is also available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/sequoia/Needles
Comments will be accepted for 30 calendar days following publication of the legal notice in the Porterville Recorder. Legal notice will also be published in the Bakersfield Californian. Comments should be provided by mail, fax, e-mail, or in-person to the responsible official: Rick Stevens, District Ranger of the Western Divide Ranger District. Comments can be mailed to: 32588 Highway 190, Springville, CA 93265; e-mailed to: comments-pacificsouthwest-sequoia@fs.fed.us with Subject: Needles; or faxed to (559) 539-2067. Acceptable formats for electronic submissions include e-mail message, plain text (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf); Word document (.doc or .docx); or portable document file (.pdf). Hand-delivered comments should be submitted during the business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(via US Forest Service)
http://www.lakeisabella.net/forest-plans-to-rebuild-needles-fire-lookout-tower/
http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc123/forestservic.download.akamai.com/11558/www/nepa/83810_FSPLT3_1624350.pdf
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Edge
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Feb 21, 2014 - 05:27pm PT
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Man, I'd love to get the contract to rebuild.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Feb 21, 2014 - 05:42pm PT
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Will there be cookies again?
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Feb 21, 2014 - 05:48pm PT
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Cool.
Margee will be stoked
Hope they do a good job with the stairway
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labrat
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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Feb 21, 2014 - 05:52pm PT
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Yay! I hope it happens....
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Feb 21, 2014 - 06:15pm PT
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Awesome. It is a shame it was in its current state for a few years...
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Climberdude
Trad climber
Fresno, CA
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Feb 21, 2014 - 07:27pm PT
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I have not had a chance to review the documents yet, but do intend to and will comment. A potential issue could be the FS deciding that the rebuilt lookout is a security zone and thus climbers would lose access to this area. I wonder if this is discussed in the documents as it seems that the federal government is designating any place that has communication equipment as a security zone with limited access.
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ec
climber
ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 22, 2014 - 12:07pm PT
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Bump ta get da word out!
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ec
climber
ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 24, 2014 - 11:46am PT
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Again!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 24, 2014 - 11:48am PT
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I guarantee I could do it with Brandon for 1/4 the guvmint cost.
And that includes me sitting in an easy chair drinking beer while watching Brandon.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Feb 24, 2014 - 11:54am PT
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A potential issue could be the FS deciding that the rebuilt lookout is a security zone and thus climbers would lose access to this area.
Dual bureaucracy, not just in America. There are glaciers, and then there are glaciers.
I call party foul!
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ec
climber
ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 25, 2014 - 07:57pm PT
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ooomph! back to the top...
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Feb 25, 2014 - 08:45pm PT
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It boggles my mind that climbers would be the main proponents of installing a tourist attraction on top of some of California's finest rocks.
"Would you be in favor of new lookouts being built?"
I'm absolutely not in favor.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Feb 25, 2014 - 09:58pm PT
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I've been there numerous times.
Calling it a "tourist attraction"?
A five mile trail makes for determined "tourists"
It's an historical artifact worthy of preservation
On a practical level for climbers, if the lookout is not rebuilt it won't be long until first the campground at the end of the road is closed and soon after the access road itself disappears to be replaced by bulldozed piles of earth and a locked gate.
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MH2
climber
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Feb 25, 2014 - 10:06pm PT
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Why do we need to rebuild the lookout?
I'd tell you what was so special about it if only it weren't too cool for words. Definitely don't need to rebuild it but it would be cool if they did. Some things are just right, and the lookout was one of those.
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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Feb 25, 2014 - 10:44pm PT
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Solem, what is the word? Right on target Wendel.
TY
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ec
climber
ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 27, 2014 - 08:01pm PT
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Wow...I was merely trying to get the word out so those that had been there that cared enough to join into the public input could. While all the comments have merit, some remind me of the lame-ass comments for movies and sh*t, "I haven't seen it, but..." If you hadn't been there, STFU...
 ec
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Feb 27, 2014 - 08:29pm PT
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If you had been there you'd know the answer.
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Heyzeus
climber
Hollywood,Ca
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Feb 27, 2014 - 09:42pm PT
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I agree with TGT that having the lookout there preserves access, otherwise in no time the FS has no money and no reason to maintain the road etc. And the tower was cool, something special about it, it somehow belonged there.
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MH2
climber
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Feb 27, 2014 - 10:21pm PT
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