Sierra Club, Santa Margarita Group: Club Activities from December 1, 2015 to April 1, 2016

Submitted for publication to Palm and Pine, A publication of the San Gorgonio Chapter of the Sierra Club, Serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties

Michael H. Momeni, PhD

Environmental Scientist

This has been a productive and fun period for our group.  Some of the activities have progressed well, new activities have been discussed, and some have been initiated. Our initiatives have focused on education about our environment, preservation and improvement of our local water quality, and wildlife protection.   We have expanded our ability to communicate within our organization and with the public by creating our webpage, Facebook and Santa Margarita Blog.  We are striving to make it easier for interaction and feedback processes.   

Environmental Air Quality

Among our environmental concerns is the air quality in our region.   Highway 15 crosses through Temecula Valley. It is the major highway between San Diego and the Inland Empire.  The road usage parallels those on Highway 5.  The regional population expansion has added to the already congested roads, increasing the duration of travel between the destinations. Although the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) provides bus connections within the region, it is not widely used by commuters mostly due to the increase in required travel time.  Although exhaust from cars and trucks has been well regulated in California, massive reliance on them as the principle mode of transportation continues to contribute to the degradation of our air quality.  Our region lacks light mass-transit trains.  Thus, commuters’ transportation from the Valley to San Diego and Los Angles is mainly by use of personal cars.  We are actively searching for ways to reduce these factors on our air quality.   The addition of a light mass-transit train from Escondido to Corona would go a long way to alleviate some of the problems.
 Wildlife Crossing Overpass:We have experienced a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall in our region. This problem has stressed many plants and wildlife species.  The narrow mountain range along Riverside and Orange Counties has been home to about 20 Southern California Mountain lions.
 
Mountain lions require a large track of space estimated as about 200 miles for hunting and roaming each. Under severe drought conditions, the lions would require a larger range for hunting due to scarcity of deer and other wildlife species.
Highway 15 interrupts the crossing between the Santa Ana Mountains and Palomar Mountains between Temecula and Rainbow.  Wildlife that attempts to cross Highway 15 is at risk of being killed by cars and creates road hazards to motor vehicles. In addition to deer, the documented number of mountain lions killed on the Southern California highways included four mountain lions between Temecula and Rainbow.   

We had an unfortunate mountain lion death on Friday, March 6, 2015. The lion, a healthy 125 pounds male yearling, was seeking refuge in a loading dock at the Promenade Mall in Temecula.

The State Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens missed the lion’s shoulder and the tranquilizer entered the lung tissue causing his death.  Genetic isolation of the population, in addition to this unfortunate event, further emphasizes the urgent need for creating a safe wildlife crossing across Highway 15 between Temecula and Rainbow.  This wildlife bridge in Singapore (source: ecological bridge) permits safe passage of wildlife across the busy highway.

A wildlife overpass on Highway 93 in Montana (Image via Big Think)
http://www.planetexperts.com/montanas-wildlife-crossings-keep-animals-off-highway-93/

Restoration Project:

Teri Biancardi is an active participant in the restoration and management of about 400 acres of open space within the Meadowview community in Temecula. 

“But after years of traditional management, the meadow is suffering”, she said.  “Disking for weed abatement nearly has wiped out the rare burrowing owls. Trails are eroding, non-native plants have moved in. The soil is blowing away.”

Residents decided to take different approaches:

1. Graze instead of disc;

1. Seed with bunch grass;

1. Restores soil vitality

To promote and educate the community and create pride about our environmental restoration and protection, the community invited the following speakers:

•   Jonathan Snapp-Cook, US Fish and Wildlife

•   Robert Rutherford, Holistic Grazing, Professor Emeritus, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

•   Mark Kramer, Meadowview Grazing Plan

•   Dan Noble, Association Compost Producers

•   Bob Hewitt, Natural Resources Conservation Service

•   Kurt Campbell, Meadowview Wildlife Biologist

Scott Bruckne

The project shows a process to seek public participation and education.  Biancardi said: “It is evolving and we have had some success acquiring financial grants for the project.”

Murrieta Creek Regional Trail:

The trail connects the cities of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar and Lake Elsinore.  The trail is designed for hiking, cycling and horse riding.  It serves as the spine of a network linking the other trails in the region.  This trail represents a joint effort between the cities in partnership with the Santa Margarita Group of the Sierra Club.

Among the ongoing activities in progress are creating trail posts and signs, placement of benches along the trail, and other options for waste collection and disposal containers.

Flood Control Project:

The project is a multi-purpose flood control, environmental restoration and recreation project along 7.5 miles of Murrieta Creek.  The flood control project is divided into four construction phases. 

                       

Our general meeting is scheduled on April 14^th in Temecula.  Representatives of Murrieta, Wildomar and Lake Elsinore will deliver an overview of trails in their cities.  Gary Oddi will present a review of local trails in Temecula.  He is a retiring educator from Great Oaks High School and a prominent member of the bicycling community. He works with several organizations and, in particular, the Inland Valley Mountain Bike Association (IVMTB).

April 23d, 2016, Murrieta Creek Army Corps/Flood Control group will present the Phase 2 of the project; the presentation will be followed by a guided tour of the project.

Celebration of the 100th Birthday of the National Park Service:

We will be visiting the Cabrillo National Monument to celebrate the 100th birthday of the National Park Service in 2016, and National Park Week from April 16 to April 24. The all-day activity was organized by Laurie Webster. The guided tour, she said: “will provide us with detailed history about the park and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. The visit will include an optional hiking of the Bayside Trail.”

Public Participation, Meetup Group

Pam Nelson, our Chair Lady, has actively involved the public regarding our environment.  Outdoor Family is an associated group to the Santa Margarita Sierra Group, inviting parents and their children to discover and explore some of the best natural places in and around Southwest Riverside County. They meet monthly at a designated place, often guided by a ranger or scientist; they discover plants and animals in that environment. Pam says: “The goal is to give children a chance to learn about nature and come to love it as we do. “

One of the Family Outings was Primal Pastures Farm Tour.  This educational experience placed the participants out on the pasture with the domesticated animals.  It was a great opportunity to learn about the farming and visit birds, sheep, pigs, dairy cows, guard dogs, farm cats, and more! 

On another outing, the group met at Vail Lake.  They hiked along the shore and the dry river bed.  The meetup group hiked into the Agua Tibia wilderness from the “Dripping Springs” campground. The next family outing is scheduled for hiking a section of Warner Springs; it is going to be an easy hike.

Trail Hike

•   The Joshua Tree National Park's Black Rock Canyon Trail is 6 miles, moderately difficult with about 1000 feet gain in elevation.  

•  The Hike from Humber Park in Idyllwild to the Deer Springs Trail Head is 11 miles.  The hike is strenuous with a gain of about 2400 feet in elevation.

Our two seasoned hike leaders are Robert Audibert and Gary Marsalone.   The two hikes scheduled for May and June 2016 are on May 7 "Black Rock Canyon Trail" and June 11 “Devil’s Slide Trail” followed to “Deer Springs Trail”.

The Environmental Education Collaborative, the 2016 Symposium

On Thursday, February 25, 2016 the Environmental Education Collaborative held the second annual symposium at the Living Desert in Palm Desert. The Sierra Club San Gorgonio Chapter was represented by Margaret Meyncke, from the Santa Margarita Group and George Hague, from the Moreno Valley Group. This event was a huge success and a fabulous opportunity for local educators to connect with a growing movement...environmental education.