Final Report 2011-2012

Greetings all,

On behalf of the 2011-2012 Golden Valley Crew, I want to extend great thanks to the entire Ridgecrest Field Office Staff. Their unwavering support, vision, and dedication were integral to all that we were able to accomplish this season, both in terms of conservation service and personal fulfillment. Over the past several months, we had to address different needs – project guidance, technical instruction, workers’ compensation assistance, and trailer repairs, to name a few – and thus, we had the pleasure of interacting with countless staff members throughout the office. Without fail, they all showed us courtesy and prompt, thorough assistance. In particular, I want to thank our agency partner, Marty Dickes, as she is a never-ending wellspring of great ideas, and we were fortunate to not only bring many of those ideas into reality, but also to be given the trust and direction to make those ideas our own.

With the Ridgecrest Field Office, as well as countless other sources of support, we were able to provide outstanding stewardship efforts to two remarkable Wilderness Areas – Golden Valley and Grass Valley. Given the already extensive track record of service in Golden Valley, we focused on intermittent monitoring and fortification projects related to existing restoration and fence construction. With that said, the bulk of our season was spent in Grass Valley, and there we completed countless restoration projects, including an extensive network of incursions near the northeast corner, as well as the deconstruction and removal of a thirteen-kilometer barbwire grazing fence. Our final, major project of the season was the construction of a one-mile smooth wire fence securing the southeastern boundary. All season projects are reflected in the work totals below.

Field Work Totals

Intern Conservation Service Hours 3,761
Restoration Sites Restored 22
Sites Monitored 25
Sites Effectiveness Monitored 15
Line of Site Meters Restored 4,995
Sq. Meters Restored 9,530
Vertical Mulch (#) 1,187
Seed Pits # 1,374
Berms (#) 4
Berm (meters) 148
Hard Barriers Installed (#) 10
Hard Barriers Installed (m) 46
Fence Constructed (m) 1,947
Fence Maintained (m) 52
Fence Removed (m) 13,527
Signs Installed 48
Signs Removed 4
Trash (lbs) 11,102

As the season came to a close, two things were apparent: 1) our crew felt intense pride for all that was accomplished, and 2) we also felt an immeasurable love for the lands that we had come to know so well.

Adios for now, and if you would like a more in-depth look at our season, feel free to reference the attached End of Season Report.

Best,

Matt Duarte
Project Leader
Golden Valley Crew 2011-2012