Hometown Honors for Alabama Hills Stewardship Group

Members of the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group held a hometown awards ceremony last week following their earlier trip to Washington, D.C.

The group received the Department of Interior’s Cooperative Conservation Award in Washington earlier this spring.

In a follow-up event on June 10, the Bureau of Land Management honored the stewardship group members for their exemplary and creative collaborative work in accomplishing environmental and economic goals for the Alabama Hills Recreation Area. BLM State Director Mike Pool presented signed certificates from the Secretary of Interior to members of the group at the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History in Lone Pine.

“This was an opportunity to bring the award home and give well-deserved recognition to all the participants in the stewardship group” Pool said.

Inyo County Supervisor Richard Cervantes (left) chats with BLM-California State Directory Mike Pool (center) and Associate State Director Jim Abbott, amid posters from movies filmed in the Alabama Hills

Inyo County Supervisor Richard Cervantes (left) chats with BLM-California State Directory Mike Pool (center) and Associate State Director Jim Abbott

This citizen-centered stewardship group has been instrumental in completing projects such as rehabilitating an entrance station, developing and marketing a “Don’t Crush the Brush” campaign, organizing a community spirit day, developing the Alabama Hills arch trail, publishing the Alabama Hills Movie Tour Guide and cleaning up and rehabilitating damaged lands. (story continues below)

The Alabama Hills have been the backdrop for many a motion picture and commercial. Working together the community and BLM have developed a coordinated film permitting program. Here, a film crew sets up with the Alabama Hills in the background.
A film crew on the scene at the Alabama Hills

In the current hit movie, "Ironman," the Alabama Hills stand in for Afganistan. This large film production was a major boost to the local economy.
In the current hit movie, "Iron Man," the Alabama Hills area filled in for Afghanistan

The stewardship group published the Alabama Hills movie tour guide, pinpointing locations where scenes were filmed in several major movies. (Also online as a PDF file - 3.2 megabytes):
Movie Road poster

A "Don't crush the brush" button that the Stewardship Group developed to remind folks not to drive on the plants in the Alabama Hills. The buttons are handed out to film crews and area visitors.

"Don't Crush the Brush" button

Group awards were presented to: Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Film History, Healthy Communities of Southern Inyo County, Inyo County Film Commission, Lone Pine Band of the Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Indians, Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce, McDonalds of Lone Pine, Whitney Portal Store, City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, County of Inyo, BLM Central California Resource Advisory Council, BLM Bishop Field Office.

Individual awards were presented to group members Dana Jeffries, Kathleen New, Chris Langley, Doug Thompson, Charles James, Jon Turner, Paul McFarland, Kevin and Lis Mazzu, Wilfred Nabahe, Robert Frickel, Mike and Nancy Prather, Mary Gorden, Tim Standing, Russ Monroe, Linda Hubbs, Gene Mathern, Donald Reeves, Kathy Jefferson Bancroft, Sanford Nabahe, Woody Hunter, Michael Strassman (deceased), Richard Cervantes and Dave Kirk.

Awards were also presented to BLM employees Bill Dunkelberger, Joe Pollini, Jim Jennings, Diana Pietrasanta, Donna McMullen, Scott Justham, Becky Hutto, Richard D. Williams, Joy Fatooh and Larry Primosch.

Photos from the earlier Washington, D. C. award presentation

- D. Christy, 6/08

BLM-California News.bytes, issue 336