Hiking News - September 2008

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Diamond Found at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Monday, 29 September 2008

A 4.68-carat white diamond was found recently by Richard Burke and his wife, Carol, of Flint, Michigan from the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.

According to Assistant Superintendent Bill Henderson, Burke’s diamond looks like a frosted ice cube and is about the size of piece of Chicklet Gum. Burke named his diamond the Sweet Caroline after his wife, Carol, and their song, Ne il Diamond’s "Sweet Caroline." The couple plan to keep the diamond and mount it in a piece of jewelry.

Henderson noted that it was the 612th diamond found by a park visitor so far this year. "Surface hunting is very good at the Crater of Diamonds State Park right now because of the heavy rains the park received from recent Tropical Depression Gustav and Tropical Depression Ike," said Henderson.

He also emphasized that the park policy is finder-keepers. "What park visitors find in the diamond search area is theirs to keep."

Source:
www.arkansasstateparks.com

Arizona State Parks Save Many Resources

Friday, 26 September 2008

Phoenix, Arizona - Last September 19, 2008, the Arizona State Park's Board awarded more than $41 million in grants from the Arizona Heritage Fund, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the Recreational Trails Grant Fund Program, and the Land Conservation Fund.

The Heritage Fund, created in November 1990, provides up to $10 million annually from Arizona Lottery proceeds. There ar e three competitive grant programs offered annually from the Heritage Fund dollars to provide opportunities for the public to enjoy parks and outdoor recreation, and to help preserve natural and cultural resources: Local, Regional and State Parks (LRSP), Historic Preservation, and Trails.

The State Parks Board approved a total of $542,293 to 6 Historic Preservation Heritage Fund grant applicants. 17% of the State Parks Heritage Fund revenues are available annually (up to $1.7 million) to support historic preservation efforts. This program offers two cycles per year. The following Historic Preservation Heritage Grants were awarded for the 1st Cycle of 2008:

- Glendale was awarded $80,672 for the weatherization and stabilization of the Morcomb Adobe House & Service Station.
- Arizona Museum of Natural History - Mesa was awarded $100,000 for the Mesa Grande Ruins Interpretive Project.
- Glendale was awarded $45,660 for restoration of the 1st United Methodist Church built in 1929.
- Pinal County was awarded $150,000 for the rehabilitation of the 1891 2nd Pinal County Courthouse.
- Oro Valley was awarded $111,160 for the restoration and rehabilitation of the Steam Pump Ranch, Pusch Ranch House.
- Yavapai County was awarded $54,801 for the re-fencing of the east and south sides of the 1881 Citizens Cemetery.

The State Parks Board approved $3,109,068 to 9 applicants for the Local, Regional and State Parks Heritage Fund grants. The Local, Regional, and State Parks (LRSP) grant program is funded by the Arizona Lottery, and receives 35% (up to $3.5 million) of the State Parks Heritage Fund revenues annually. The revenues fund outdoor recreation projects such as ball fields, picnic areas, and playgrounds. This year the following first seven projects were approved for full funding with LRSP money. Because there were insufficient LRSP funds for the eighth project, (Tucson Silverlake Park Soccer Field Lighting), it received approval to be split funded with $88,595 of LRSP money and $161,405 of LWCF funds. The remaining LWCF funds $147,663, was approved to be awarded to the Tucson - Juhan Park Development. Below is the complete list of LRSP/LWCF projects approved for funding:

- Bullhead City was awarded $621,814 for the Rotary Park Soccer Field improvements.
- Pinetop-Lakeside was awarded $302,300 for the Mountain Meadow Rec. Complex: Phase 4.
- Santa Cruz County was awarded $85,503 for the Robert Damon Rec. Complex Soccer Field.
- Pascua Yaqui Tribe was awarded $430,500 for the Pascua Yaqui Pueblo Park.
- San Carlos Apache Tribe was awarded $621,814 for the San Carlos Aquatic Center.
- Avondale was awarded $621,814 for the Festival Fields Park development.
- Oro Valley was awarded $27,660 for the Canada del Oro Riverfront Dog Park.
- Tucson was awarded $250,000 for the Silverlake Park Soccer Field lighting.
- Tucson was awarded $147,663 for the Juhan Park development project.

The State Parks Board approved $734,228 to seven Trails Heritage Fund projects. Five percent of the State Parks Heritage Fund revenues available annually (up to $0.5 million) are allocated for grants to support acquisition and trail improvements for Arizona's trail system. This year the following Trails Heritage Grants were awarded:

- Prescott was awarded $64,570 for the PCT: Legacy Extension Acq/Dev.
- Flagstaff was awarded $135,000 for the FUTS: Rio North Trail Bridge Dev.
- Peoria was awarded $90,500 for the New River Trail Development.
- Payson was awarded $59,670 for the PATS: Goat Camp/Jimmy Harris Trails Dev.
- Phoenix was awarded $130,000 for the Telegraph Pass Trailhead Development.
- BLM - Tucson Field Office was awarded $129,488 for AZ Trail: White Canyon Passage Acq/Dev.
- NPS - Saguaro National Park was awarded $125,000 for Heartbreak Ridge Trail Renovation.

The Board approved $1,332,297 in Recreational Trails Program (Motorized Portion) grants for the following six projects to:
- BLM-Lower Sonoran Field Office was awarded $280,000 for the SDNM Access & Support Facility Development.
- BLM-Safford Field Office was awarded $163,500 for Route Inventory, Signage, & Map Development Project.
- Coconino National Forest was awarded $235,660 for Forest Wide Feature Signs Project.
- Kaibab National Forest was awarded $103,046 for the South Zone Trail Signage & Information Project.
- Pima County was awarded $279,900 for Pima Motorsports Park OHV Development.
- Tonto National Forest-Mesa Ranger District was awarded $270,191 for Mesa RD OHV Access Renovations.

The Board also approved $35,693,855 in Growing Smarter State Trust Land Acquisition Fund grants. The following two grants were awarded:

- City of Phoenix was awarded $32,193,855 for the acquisition of 715.419 acres of the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve Priority 2B.
- Pima County was awarded $3,500,000 for the acquisition of 320 acres of Tumamoc Hill.

The grant process operates on an annual cycle with the exception of the Historic Preservation Heritage Grant Fund Program, which now has two cycles annually. For more grant information regarding the grant programs or grant workshop dates and locations call Arizona State Parks at (602) 542-4174 or (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free (800) 285-3703) or visit the website at www.azstateparks.com.

Close Encounters of the Grizzly Bear Kind

Friday, 26 September 2008

Sponsored by Midland Hiking Club, Roy Kranz and Bob Peters will be presenting a video and slideshow highlighting their recent quest in Glacier National Park in Montana. The two will show how they were able hike over 100 miles, crawl through a cave, and stare down grizzly bears at close range while armed with nothing more than pepper spray.

The event will be held on October 2 at 7pm at the Chippewa Nature Center located at 400 S. Badour Road in Midland.

Everyone is invited to enjoy an evening of family-friendly wilderness photography and story-telling fresh from the trail. To get additional information, log on to groups.yahoo.com.

For more details on this news, please visit groups.yahoo.com/group/midlandhikingclub.

Arizona State Parks Seeks Advisory Group Members

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Phoenix, Arizona - The Arizona State Parks Board is seeking motorized and non-motorized recreation and historic preservation enthusiasts from all Arizona counties to serve in an advisory capacity. The term will begin on January 1, 2009.

Currently, there are twelve openings for four advisory boards including the Arizona State Committee on Trails (ASCOT), the Historic Preservation Adviso ry Committee (HPAC), the Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Group (OHVAG), and the Natural Areas Program Advisory Committee (NAPAC).

The Arizona State Committee on Trails (ASCOT) represents non-motorized trail interests and serves in an advisory capacity to the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission and the Parks Board. The overall mission of the Arizona Trails Program is to promote, develop, and preserve non-motorized trail opportunities throughout the state. The Parks Board appoints members to three-year terms.

The Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC) serves in an advisory capacity to the Parks Board representing historic preservation interests throughout the state. The Parks Board appoints members to three-year terms.

The Off-Highway Advisory Group (OHVAG) serves in an advisory capacity to the Arizona State Parks Board representing statewide off-highway vehicle opportunities and developing education programs that promote resource protection, social responsibility, and interagency cooperation. The Parks Board appoints members to three-year terms.

The Natural Areas Program Advisory Committee (NAPAC) advises the Parks Board on the expenditure of Arizona Heritage Fund monies earmarked by law for the acquisition, maintenance and operation of state natural areas. Membership in this advisory committee is limited to scientists with experience in botany, ecology, hydrology, zoology, wildlife biology; or experience in the conservation and/or preserve management fields.

The deadline for submitting an application for any of the listed advisory committees is 5 p.m., Friday, September 26, 2008. The application is an electronic form and individual information can be typed in, printed out, and sent to: Advisory Committee Coordinator, Arizona State Parks, 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007.

More information about each of the committees visit www.azstateparks.com or call 602-542-4174.

New Version of White Mountain Guide Online Launche

Thursday, 25 September 2008

The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) recently launched a new version of AMC White Mountain Guide Online, a web-based community and subscription service based on the 100th anniversary edition of AMC White Mountain Guide.

This new edition, the only comprehensive online guide to over 500 trails in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine, was developed based on feedback from its sub scribers and offers added functionality that allows users to:

• Download waypoints for trails, recommended hikes, and custom routes to handheld GPS devices (GPX format)
• Annotate custom maps and route itineraries
• Save custom routes for future use and editing
• Get trailhead driving directions using Google™ Maps

Source:
www.outdoors.org

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