Quarterly Newsletter: October 2024

Hello Bodie Hills Lovers,

We hope you have been able to get out into the Bodie Hills this autumn:as you likely know by now, the fall colors in the Eastern Sierra have been absolutely gorgeous. Check out Mono County's fall colors report to see where to go across the area to get those last of the season golden hues.

In this issue we have an exciting opportunity to get out on the land and help contribute to research on one of the most critical parts of the Bodie Hills ecosystem, pinyon juniper woodlands! Join the team to enjoy time in the Bodie Mountain Wildnerness Study Area and contribute to research that could affect policy in the Bodie Hills and beyond.

Thank you for reading,

The Bodie Hills Conservation Partnership (BHCP)

Volunteering Opportunities

Pinyon Pine Health Surveying on Saturday November 9th, 9AM-12PM in the Bodie Mountain Wilderness Study Area

Bodie Hills Conservation Partnership member Friends of the Inyo and researchers with the PiCCA project will be hosting a Pinyon Woodland Health Survey event the morning of Saturday, November 9th in the Bodie Mountain Wilderness Study Area, north of the 270.

The group will be surveying stands of pinyon for overall woodland health. Researchers from Stanford and Berkeley will train all attendees on the protocol and provide advice and input on how to use the 123 survey app or website (Cell Phones with LTE required for digital survey). Surveying will involve hiking slowly through off-trail sections of pinyon pines, so please wear sturdy comfortable shoes/appropriate clothing for a mellow walk in the woods, and bring water & layers depending on the weather.

Register

Mining Updates

There are currently five exploratory drilling projects in the Bodie Hills at the moment, all of which are on the Nevada side. None of the sites were drilled this summer, and, with the snowy season of winter upcoming, it is unlikely that land disturbance will occur in 2024. Members of the BHCP will continue to monitor public notices and be in conversation with Forest Service staff to assess potential damage to the landscape in 2025.

Why are we so concerned about exploratory drilling? BHCP Landscape Health Subcommittee member and Chair of the Sierra Club Range of Light Group Lynn Boulton has prepared a great video explaining why. Watch "The Harms of Exploratory Drilling" for more information on this ongoing and worsening issue across not only the Bodie Hills, but the whole west.

Watch "the Harms of Exploratory Drilling"

New Exploratory Drilling Projects:

THE LODESTAR PROJECT

The fifth and latest addition to the Bodie Hills exploratory drilling destruction in Nevada is the Lodestar project, adjacent to the fourth project, the Polaris Project, and operated by Headwater Gold. Drilling was expected to start on the Lodestar project in the fall of 2024, according to the company. Read more ›

THE POLARIS PROJECT

The Polaris Exploration Project is a ten-year, gold exploration project in the Bodie Hills surrounding the historic Aurora Mining District. It is the biggest of the now five drilling projects in the Bodie Hills, and it will damage the environment on the south side of the Aurora Crater, the east face of Sawtooth Ridge, and the top and east face of East Brawley Peak.

Ongoing Exploratory Drilling Projects:

SPRING PEAK

Spring Peak is in the southeast corner of the Bodie Hills on the south slope of Aurora Peak in Nevada. This project started in September 2020 and was supposed to continue into Summer 2024, as the Forest Service has been counting the one year in the Categorical Exclusion (CE) not as a calendar year but as the number of days the company spends at the site, i.e., the company has 365 days to do complete their work. This has led to the project going into its fifth year of disturbance. This policy is supposed to change, and the company was told this would be their last year.

BALD PEAK

There were two Radius Gold exploratory drilling projects started in the Bodie Hills. One started in 2017 on the Nevada side of the Dry Lakes Plateau and the other in 2019 on the California side of the Dry Lakes Plateau. Both were called Bald Peak and both projects were exploring the same hydrothermally altered rock that was a hot spring millions of years ago (a "sinter"). It is unclear if drilling will continue at Bald Peak in 2025. BHCP members will continue to monitor. Read more ›

SAWTOOTH RIDGE

Klondex/Hecla Nevada drilled at three places behind the historic Aurora Cemetery in 2023 as part of this project; a start on the 16 locations they were approved for. It is unclear at this time if they will continue drilling next summer. BHCP members will continue to monitor. Read more ›

Thank you for supporting the Bodie Hills Conservation Partnership (BHCP). If you would like to represent your Bodie Hills love out in your community, please message allison@friendsoftheinyo.org to have a BHCP sticker sent to your address: perfect for cars, water bottles, laptops and more!