news
>
ourier C
views
>
announcements
>
columns
>
K K E E R N N
Friday, January 27, 2012
events
>
things you can use
R II V V E E R R
Serving the Kern River & Isabella Lake Communities
>>>
PRESORTED Kernville Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit 25
FREE
www.kernrivercourier.com Vol. 8 No. 51
weekend weather Friday high 64° Mostly sunny Friday low 30° Mostly clear Saturday high 63° Sunny Saturday low 30° mostly clear Sunday high 67° Sunny
Goins’on at the flat
Sunday low 30° Partly cloudy
Out
National Weather Service
Inside
By Sandi Johnstone Special to the Kern River Courier Howdy folks! Here’s some news from the campaign trail. The place was sure abuzz last Friday night at Ewing’s in Kernville. Flower Filly Sue and her fancy ladies showed up in full bloom to engage in a poker game that was bein’ played in the
Courtesy of Flower Filly Sue Mayor Candidate Flower Filly Sue AKA: Sue Rumsower, and her fancy ladies Sheryl Parmelee, Sue Hart, Sally Marqez, Patty Edwards and Carol Painter.
See Flat, Page 4
Forest Service may scale down fee areas? Local officials get final say on changes Western Slope No-Fee Coalition Special to the Courier The U.S. Forest Service has completed a nationwide inventory and review of recreation fees in what the agency calls “High Impact Recreation Areas,” according to the Kitty Benzar of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition of Durango, Colorado. If recommendations from the agency’s Washington Office are implemented, the public could see a substantial reduction in fees required on National Forests. However, the final decisions are being left to local managers, so whether there will be actual change on the ground is uncertain. In California, 33 HIRA’s, encompassing 390,212 acres may, according to documents obtained by the Coalition from the Forest Service’s Washington D.C. headquarters, be reduced to 13 smaller areas. Numerous stand-alone day-use and campground fee sites would remain but the land between those stand-alone sites would be restored to free access. Locally, the Lake Isabella HIRA could be eliminated. The $10 day-use fee would be dropped and fees would be charged only for developed campgrounds. Critics of the Forest Service’s fee program have mixed feelings about the plan. “Right now these HIRA’s contain hundreds of fee sites that control access to lakes, rivers, and undeveloped backcountry, as well as dispersed camping areas where fees are charged despite a lack of developed facilities," said Benzar, president of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition. “The Forest Service claims that 95 percent of the land they manage is fee-free, but much of people
>
dining
>
lodging
Submitted by Western Slope No-Fee Coalition Isabella Lake HIRA designated fee sign. that cannot be reached except from places where parking fees are charged. “If, under the new plan the remaining fee areas and stand-alone sites still contain access points like trailheads and dispersed campsites, then there will be no real change. If the fee areas are tightened up to include only developed facilities and general access returns to being free, then that will be an improvement. We’re watching closely to see how this plays out on the ground” she said. HIRA’s vary in size from the 40-acre Piper HIRA on the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire to the 191,791acre Mirror Lake Scenic Byway on the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah. Nationally, HIRA’s encompass over 1.4 million acres of National Forest. Within a HIRA, visitors are charged a Standard Amenity Fee, for all-day use. Those who
See Fee Areas, Page 12
>
adventure
>
history
>
Ready Kern alerts users to emergencies Have you heard about www.readykern.com? Ready Kern is an emergency notification system that you can register for to be alerted of any emergency situation in your area - whether it be your home, your family member’s homes, your child’s school, or place of employment - you can register online at www.readykern.com to help safeguard you and your family. The process begins when Kern County issues a message about a potential safety hazard or concern. Messages will be sent to all standard voice and text communication devices, including land line phones, cell phones, e-mail, and more. If you don't confirm receipt of the message, the system will try to reach your second contact number or email. The system will continue trying to contact you until it receives a confirmation from you. Fires, floods, crime suspects on the loose, evacuations and missing persons have all been announced and shared through this emergency notification system. With this service, Kern County can send personalized voice and e-mail messages to residents and businesses within minutes with specific information about time-sensitive issues such as emergencies and local community matters. Don’t delay. Add yourself and your loved ones today. Go to www.readykern.com to register up to six locations. Share this with your friends and family too. nature
>
fun & games
>
2 4 5 7
Bribe a Whiskey Flat mayor using the Courier Calendar.
If you can count, you can bake Bodfish Bob’s cake for one.
Forest Service presents plans to reconnect Trail of 100 Giants.
Have nothing but Fun & Games.
kern river water data: Wednesday 6 a.m. Storage, Isabella Reservoir 169,939 acre-feet Reservoir peak 361,709 acre-feet Pool maximum 568,075 acre-feet Pool safety limit 360,000 acre-feet Upper Kern Kern Inflow at Kernville 492 cfs (5-hr avg.) Lower Kern Outflow 327 cfs Borel Canal Outflow 297 cfs Data from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cfs=cubic feet per second 1 cu.ft. = 7.48 U.S. gallons 1 ac.ft.= 325,851 U.S. gal.
things you can do
>>>