This FREE event is hosted in coordination between the Crowley Fish Foundation, Cal Trout, No Hot Creek Mine, Friends of the Inyo, Trout Unlimited, and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.  In addition to the screening of  short films all fish and hot creek, there will also be a participation based raffle, with prizes for attendees who submit a public comment requesting that the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board designate Hot Creek as an Outstanding Natural Resource Water.

Hot Creek is a unusually productive stream, ecologically – its distinctive water chemistry and temperature regime influenced by the hydrothermal inputs up and down its length, combine to produce huge volumes of aquatic plant growth and macroinvertebrates, which in turn support one of California’s most famous wild trout fisheries, known for its impressive biomass (number of fish/mile). But Hot Creek is threatened by gold mining. In September of 2021, the Inyo National Forest approved a project that involves “exploratory drilling” for gold near Hot Creek, one of California’s most famous wild trout streams. The drilling site is located about one-third of a mile from the creek, in Mono County. In the wake of widespread public opposition (No Hot Creek Mine) and litigation by Friends of the Inyo, Western Watersheds, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Sierra Club,  the Forest Service’s approval of the project was overturned in 2024. Yet, the threat of future mining near Hot Creek remains, especially given the federal government’s new emphasis on increasing mineral production on public lands.

A proposal now before the Lahontan Regional Water Board would permanently protect the water quality in Hot Creek from being degraded by mining waste by designating it an Outstanding National Resource Water (ONRW).

We have until May 5th to urge the water board to make this critical designation! Together, we can help to secure permanent protections for Hot Creek and its legendary trout fishery by submitting comments to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to designate Hot Creek as an Outstanding National Resource Water.

Questions? Reach out to allison@friendsoftheinyo.org

We're excited to kick off another season of caring for our public lands. We’re still adding events to the calendar, and many more opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay in the loop by checking our events calendar or signing up for our volunteer email list. 

Here are the dates we have so far. Some events may not be on the events calendar yet, but will be posted as soon as we have more details to share.

May 18, 2025 (Sunday): Fire Ring Restoration with the Whitebark Institute along the Mammoth Scenic Loop

June 22, 2025 (Sunday): Stewardship with the Mono Lake Chautauqua

July 24 - 28 (Thursday - Monday): Golden Trout Wilderness Volunteer Work Week

August 21 - 24 (Thursday - Sunday): White Mountains Volunteer Work Week

Saturday 20 (Saturday): Great Sierra River Clean Up 

October TBD: Inyo Mountains Wilderness Work Week 

We can't wait to see you out on the trails!

The draft Environmental Impact Statement for K2 Gold's mining exploration project on Conglomerate Mesa is expected to be released at the end of this week. Keep an eye out for an Action Alert to learn how you can raise your voice to help protect Conglomerate Mesa. For more information on Conglomerate Mesa, please check out www.ProtectConglomerateMesa.com

Trail Ambassadors are Fully Funded for 2025! 

We’re thrilled to share that thanks to a final grant from Southern California Edison and donations from our loyal supporters, our Trail Ambassador program is fully funded for the 2025 season! That means we’ll have our usual crew of five dedicated ambassadors out on the trails, connecting with visitors and helping protect the Eastern Sierra’s most beloved outdoor spaces.

While we celebrate this season’s success, we’re also looking ahead. Funding for future years remains uncertain, and sustaining this program long-term will require continued support from grants, public partners, and donors like you.

At the same time, our federal land management partners—including the Inyo and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests—remain critically understaffed. They’re depending more than ever on partner organizations like Friends of the Inyo to fill in the gaps. That makes your support not only meaningful but essential.

If you love the Trail Ambassador program—or care about the long-term stewardship of our public lands—please consider making a donation today. Your support helps keep boots on the ground and backs FOI’s policy and advocacy work to protect these places for generations to come.

This past month, Friends of the Inyo was able to partner with three different school groups for exciting days of stewardship, learning, and fun. 

Athenian School Stewardship Days
We spent two days in the Alabama Hills with high schoolers from the Athenian School in San Francisco, restoring campfire rings alongside the BLM. These students were fresh off a month-long backpacking trip and capped their adventure with hands-on conservation—an annual tradition before heading home. Despite being exhausted from their journey, the Athenian School students were incredibly positive, thoughtful, and energetic. Thank you Athenian School!

Kids to Parks Day with Bishop Elementary
Thanks to a Kids to Parks micro-grant, we partnered with Bishop Elementary’s mild to moderate disabilities classroom for a special day at Bishop City Park. Thirteen students enjoyed outdoor play and stewardship activities while learning about the importance of spending time in and caring for our natural spaces. Students ran around on the playground, practiced mindful yoga poses, played with a giant parachute, and still had time to steward their park by picking up trash. 

Round Valley Earth Day Fair
In celebration of Earth Day, we teamed up with Round Valley School and hosted a morning of activities featuring the BLM, Bishop Paiute Office of Environmental Management, Mono Lake Committee, Sierra Forever, and Whitebark Institute. Students spent the morning rotating through fun, hands-on activities focused on the environment and stewardship. Activities ranged from mindful nature journaling to getting to crawl around in a wildland fire crew’s fire truck! 

These events remind us how meaningful it is to foster a love for the land in the next generation—and we’re so grateful to the partners and educators who make this work possible!

In August 2024, Friends of the Inyo finished replacing a section of boardwalk on the Upper Rock Creek Lake trail in the Inyo National Forest: It took 13 people ALL day on August 10th to dismantle the old rotten section, haul in the new material and get it assembled. (Our team would like to give a huge shout out to the volunteers that took the day to help!) This 80ft section alone cost over $14,000 in materials... suffice to say, quality timber that can last for years to come is not cheap!

Now, we need to raise $15,000 to tackle the remaining sections of the Upper Rock Creek Trail that were damaged and left in dangerous condition by the extraordinary runoff in recent years. We started this fundraiser last fall, and we are falling woefully short: we need your help to make this project possible this summer! 

So far we have raised 3,445 out of the 15,000 dollar goal. We are SO grateful to the donors who have contributed so far, and we hope that while you dust off your hiking boots for the summer you consider donating to this necessary trail upgrade as well. Small donations from many hands go far. If every person who received this newsletter donated even just 5 dollars, we would far out-achieve this goal. 

Please help us reach our goal so we can tackle additional sections of the Rock Creek boardwalk and restore this beloved trail to a safe and pleasant condition. Your contributions are tax-deductible as allowable by law. Thank you for helping to steward this beautiful land!

The team is looking for 20 volunteers who are able to donate 2 dozen hard boiled eggs during the time of the walk - Is that YOU? 

Kate Bunney, Coordinator says: 'We are all very excited to be walking again in the valley - acknowledging 10 years since our first walk from Mono Lake to Los Angeles and bearing witness to the ever evolving water story. We will be walking roughly 10 miles a day for 3 weeks - through heat, winds and with blisters - so hard boiled eggs are probably the most appreciated item for all the walkers. Community support has been incredible so far and we hope people feel part of the walk in some way. Thanks to everyone in advance who will support us with 2 dozen eggs. "

Want to learn more about the Lake to Lake walk? Join Walking Water's "Talking Water" session on May 14th at 10 AM pacific to hear from event partners. 

Questions? Please write to Kate at katbun12@gmail.com to get more details. 

Friends of the Inyo is featured in this episode of 90 Miles from Needles: The Desert Protection Podcast. Season 4, Episode 11: "Beauty Meets Struggle: The Endangered Treasures of BLM Lands" features host Chris Clarke engaging in a compelling conversation with author Josh Jackson about the significance of BLM lands in California, including conversation on the Bodie Hills and Conglomerate Mesa. Josh shares his journey from discovering BLM lands to exploring them extensively and writing a book about his experiences. His book, "The Enduring: A Journey into California's Public Lands," aims to shed light on the underappreciated beauty and value of these lands, advocating for their protection against growing threats.

The United States Forest Service is hiring for jobs in wildland fire: 

The Forest Service is hiring permanent employees nationwide to prepare for catastrophic wildfire, implement fire prevention and active forest management strategies, and respond effectively to wildfire emergencies to safeguard lives, property, and natural resources.

Apply April 14th through April 24th, 2025. Positions available include permanent Wage Grade (WG), Wage Leader (WG), and General Schedule (GS) 3-13, aviation officers, dispatchers, equipment operators, fire engine operators, fire management officers, fire planners, fire prevention specialists, forestry aids and technicians, handcrew members, helitack crew members, hotshot crew members, pilots, prescribed fire and fuels specialists, smokejumpers, and more.

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Thank you for your generous support.