Why is providence mountains sra closed
Supporters of other parks on the closure list have been working out similar arrangements, either with NPS or with other agencies or NGOs. But we're doing what we can. In the meantime, the closure has effectively cut off access to some of the most attractive hiking areas in the Preserve: the SRA was the trailhead of choice for hikers wanting to get to the high peaks in the Providence Mountains.
As it turns out, all this could have been avoided if not for political grandstanding by Representative Jerry Lewis R-San Bernardino. Lewis, whose currently sprawling district includes the Preserve, was an opponent of the CDPA due to wilderness provisions in the bill, and due to perceived threats to the lifestyles of people living in the newly created Preserve. The exuberantly right-wing th Congress was only too happy to approve his amendment.
Lewis's district has changed considerably in the last year, being redrawn in the last round of redistricting with a more heavily urban, potentially liberal electoral base. In January of this year, likely as a result of the greater likelihood of losing his seat, Lewis announced his retirement from Congress. Many factors contributed to the closing and subsequent vandalism of the Providence Mountains SRA, from the outrageous culpability of the vandals to the sweeping anti-tax sentiment among voters on initiatives over the last 40 years, to the park's general remoteness and lack of support among Californians.
But if you're looking for one person to blame for the whole mess, Jerry Lewis is as good a person as any to pick. After 33 years in Congress you might hope for a legacy more inspiring than making sure the only limestone cave in the State Parks system is closed to the public for as long as a generation. Chris Clarke is an environmental writer of two decades standing.
Author of Walking With Zeke , he writes regularly at his acclaimed blog Coyote Crossing and comments on desert issues here every week. He lives in Palm Springs. Read his previous posts here. Tending Nature. The Mallorca Files. Professor T Belgium. Fine Cut. SoCal Wanderer. Earth Focus Presents. Muhammad Ali. Southland Sessions. Line of Separation. Icon: Music Through the Lens. The Latino Experience.
Variety Studio: Actors On Actors. The Chemehuevi indian tribe have lived in this area for thousands of years. They call the entrance to the caverns "the eyes of the mountain". Jack Mitchell was the first owner and promoter of Mitchell Caverns. He and his wife Ida ran a resort that included tours of the caves from to The Caverns were hard to reach and there were little funds available to improve the roads. Jack had to improve the roads and build the rock facilities that are now used by the Park Service.
Even after opening the Caverns to the public, Jack Mitchell retained his interest in attempting to locate silver and other valuable deposits. The location of prospect holes and tunnels that he dug in this search, many along the Caverns' trail, can still be seen but have been blocked off as a safety precaution.
Mitchell Caverns consists of three basic caves that Mitchell called "El Pakiva," or the Devil's House; "Tecopa," named for one of the last chiefs of the Shoshone Indians; and the deep and vertical "Winding Stair Cave," a dangerous cavern that is off-limits to the general public.
For many years it was thought that the Caverns were no longer "living," which means stalactites and stalagmites were not "growing. Mitchell Caverns have been the subject of a number of scientific studies because they contain unusual formations not found in most other limestone caves. Providence Mountains SRA, including Mitchell Caverns, was closed in due to problems with the water source, its crumbling infrastructure and the California budgetary crisis.
Vandals subsequently decimated the park, breaking into the Visitors Center, and the Caverns, shattering windows and display cases, destroying the lighting system, stealing generators and copper wire; and leaving graffitied walls. The long road to its reopening on Nov. Buildings in the park were repaired. The Cavern was inspected. LED lighting was installed in the caves, which was a tremendous improvement. The park road was patched and the parking lot resealed.
The access route to the visitor center was also improved. Generators that supplied the only power were replaced. The caverns got a new LED lighting system. Rice said Mitchell Caverns, with its stalagmites, stalactites and other limestone formations, has some of the nicest caves in the Providence Mountains, although several other caves are less well-known yet accessible to cavers.
Show Caption. By Suzanne Hurt shurt scng. More in News.
0コメント