SailAway

That's what I was counting on! The cost of the booth is pretty substantial. I think I may be able to work out something with the SSSS to get FoDD's booth free (or at least reduced) but they don't usually allow "splitting" of booth spaces even when they're rented at full price. The only other problem with getting a secondary booth is it would be hell and gone from the DUNERS booth... but that would be my woe because I would be the one mostly splitting my time. We have a year to come up with a plan... I have no doubt it will be a good one. :freakin_nuts: Vicki

Nope. All we end up doing is having a little "extra" to take back to camp (or the dumpster) with us. There's not much work involved in putting a bag in one of those collapsible trash cans. And if more people did that... come cleanup day we could all spend more time playing! Vicki

Burning pallets at Dumont is against the regulations set for the area. I thought the BLM was stopping pallets from even making it to the campsites? Vicki

Ynot already said it but it must be said again. THANK YOU for the DDR help this weekend. This was a shared booth with DUNERS but they got their a$$es handed to them by the Dumont guys. Four new FoDD members and three times as much in donations... next time DUNERS promises to do better so watch out. Some things I observed this year... 1) the help on the DUNERS end are veterans. That’s great for DUNERS but doesn’t help the “new kids” get their feet very wet. My apologies on that and next time it will be different and ALL the new faces will be out in front getting the word out. 2) the 'cute girl' sometimes gets overlooked when the 'grizzled guy' is spewing a fountain of information. 3) the usual ice breaker line "do you go to Glamis or Dumont" got at least a 50-50 response this year (maybe even 40-60) versus the usual 80-20 response... that means Dumont is growing by leaps and bounds. Yikes. 4) Glamis sand gets really dusty but Dumont sand doesn’t change no matter how many hands run through it. 5) Pete, Anna and Walter are tremendous assets in the fight to keep Dumont open. 6) having sand from both areas for people to touch was a fantastic tool to get people informed and the guy rubbing some Dumont sand on his teeth was priceless. 7) I’m not the only one that gets glassy-eyed when feathering my fingers in the sand with dune season so close we can smell it. Next year the Dumont banner will go up on some kind of pole-and-twine rig so that it can be seen above the crowd and I think a big ol’ Dumont map would be a nice touch. And the FoDD info will be in the program. Oh, and thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello and introduce themselves... it’s great to put faces to names. And please, anyone who was there or worked at the booth that may have some thoughts on how to improve the Dumont presence, WE’RE ALL EARS. Great job to everyone. Vicki

Yeah baby... you know it's the best! I'll bet I could even get you reserved seating in the spa. Vicki

You can follow the sound of the blenders about 20 miles east to Corona... after the show on Saturday we'll be having some good stuff from Ramey's in Brawley, cold drinks and a warm spa to sooth our tired feet and legs. Send me an email and I'll send the details. Vicki

Good point dunefreak. I hadn't thought of it like that, but I'm sure you're right. People would end up filling those trash cans with stuff that they normally would have hauled back, not leaving enough room for the idiots who should be using them instead of dropping stuff on the ground. We've brought those collapsible trash cans with us to the drags and/or Comp at Glamis before, along with some bags. I've always been amazed at how many people walk over to the trash cans and drop their stuff. Our little areas always look a little cleaner than the others when we leave. So maybe that's an idea to adopt at Dumont. Individuals can take it upon themselves to bring those collapsible trash cans and bags (for hauling the stuff back to camp with) whenever they're going somewhere that a crowd usually gathers. Who knows... it might even catch on! Vicki

Friends of Dumont Dunes will be well represented at the SSSS this year. We're right next to the CORVA booth, kitty-corner from the GlamisDunes booth, and right inside some nice big rollup doors that help keep us cool. Thanks to some very clever volunteers we will have a "hands-on" display this year that will be really fun. Ross, if you are going to be there and want to help with the visitor traffic for Friends of Dumont Dunes, drop me a line and we'll make it happen. Vicki

This is an excellent idea. They do that at Pismo/Oceano and it really helps. Vicki

Just wanted to give an update and say thank to the folks at GlamisDunes.com... On Saturday, July 29th, a lot of them got together for a (really fun) Hot Wheels race and the proceeds went to Friends of Dumont Dunes. It was $5 per entry but most of the people gave more because it was going to help keep Dumont open to riding. They raised $450 and everyone had a fabulous time. I ran the blenders to help keep people happy. Thank you GlamisDunes.com!! Vicki

The Technical Review Team members act as liaisons between the duning community and the Bureau of Land Management, which is the agency in charge of managing the dumont dunes. Communication is always important but more so now that money is flowing. Having a TRT should help keep the BLM accountable to us, the users. Vicki

Great news on the Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard. Not to be confused with the Fringe-Toed Lizard that is being used against Dumont, but this is good news still. The Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard is trouble for hard pack and dune areas alike, so this really is a win for pro-access fighters. The missing section (bolded above) is the fact that the 2003 withdrawal was challenged, which brought us to the point we're at today. That challenge failed also and one of the challengers was the Center for Biological Diversity, those anti-access bad guys who are targeting Dumont now. Any loss for them is a win for us and a win for common sense and good science. Poor Dano. Many more of these and he might actually have to work for a living. Vicki

Thank you. I have what I think is some good news... I just got off the phone with Fish & Wildlife and the guy was very patient, clear and concise. Must be new to the job. :redhat: He confirmed what my research came up with yesterday and that is that the designation itself doesn't necessarily mean any change to the use of the river. It's just a management designation and that leaves it up to the local BLM office to decide how to handle the designated portions of the Amargosa. And, it really only pertains to the water resources which would prohibit things like a damn or building a house on the riverbank anyway. He also commented on something I had been informally told yesterday and that is, by excluding Sperry Wash the Bill seems to have been written with the Dumont users in mind: "(C ) The approximately 7.82 miles of the Amargosa River from the northern boundary of section 16 T20N R7E to the boundary of the Kingston Range Wilderness excluding the Sperry Wash OHV corridor in section 10 T19N R7E, as a wild river." And finally, he also commented that even if indeed the local BLM office decided to work against the users and prohibit interaction with the river, we could probably get a bridge built to span the river without even having to seek exception to the Wild & Scenic River designation since as long as it isn't in the river, doesn't prohibit the river's flow in some way, and isn't built directly on the river bank. I've been very happy with the dune support shown by the local BLM office and feel confident that they will continue to promote our use of the area. All in all I feel MUCH better about this than I did two days ago. I still do not support the legislation. But I'm not in a panic either. Now... what can we do? I suggest everyone contact their representative and seek their explanation of this Bill. Demand that your representative clarify that your use of the Dumont Dunes will not be hindered by the passing of this Bill and if it does, tell them you want them to vote against it. Go here to locate your representative. Send that email or make that call. Vicki

Don and Jim, I tend to agree. But I don't like that this particular part of the Amargosa was targeted at all. I want complete assurance that it can't be used against Dumont now or in the future... so I'll keep asking until I get the assurance we all need. Vicki

Cmyfirepole, that's a good find... but still too ambiguous for my tastes so I've written some emails looking for a clear answer as to how this new Bill would change life at Dumont. Vicki

That's one of the questions we are waiting for an answer to. Vicki

There is a new Bill being passed through Congress and our preliminary research indicates it could adversely effect the Amargosa River crossing at Dumont (bolded below). We haven’t completed our research yet but in the meantime, please read this Bill and get familiar with it. The text of the Bill is pasted below and here is the link to the web page for the Bill. Additional information can be found here. I am appalled to learn that my own Congressman, Ken Calvert, is not just supporting this piece of crap but is a co-sponsor! This is something that will need strong and immediate action in the form of faxes, letters, emails and phone calls. We will provide the contact information very soon... please start reading.

When the Andrews Dune Scarab beetle was looking like it might be trouble for Glamis DUNERS thought of doing a "beetle bash" with people getting $5 per whack. (Not to worry, no actual beetles were going to be hurt in the bash.) Maybe we could come up with a lizard stomp. Vicki

You guys ROCK! Vicki

Don, I missed you TWICE! It was a good show. A little slow on Friday but Saturday was better and Sunday was MUCH better. Talked to a lot of people, signed up some new members and me some really terrific people. A great time, absolutely. Vicki

OF COURSE! We have a "blurb" we're handing out and there's a link right on there to DDR. Vicki

I just got back from helping to set up the Friends of Dumont Dunes/DUNERS booth and I have to say, even though all I got was a quick glance, it was enough to get my blood pumping! The weather is perfect, the place is full of fun stuff to see and do and here I am at work watching the clock. If anyone's going to this event, please stop by booth 850/851 (building 8) and say HELLO! We're in the corner under the DUNERS sign... hoping for the Friends of Dumont Duners sign which didn't make it in the first truckload of booth paraphenalia, but we'll still be talking up Dumont A LOT, and I'm picking up sign I just ordered at Kinkos just in case. Hope to see you all there! Vicki

A compromise is not progress. Those acres were closed at Glamis without any proof or substantiation. It's extortion, plain and simple. Compromise is a slippery slope we will never recover from. Vicki

Friends of Dumont Dunes will be there. Stop by and say hi! Vicki

Unfortunately, the Pierson's Milk Vetch is a dune plant and although there have been scattered reports of finding this milk vetch in other places, they have all turned out to be other variations of the milk vetch... maybe Lang's or Coachella Valley, etc. However, there are some who are certain it grows in the part of the Algodones dunes that spread into Mexico. Unfortunately, those don't do the Glamis fight any good either. Vicki