Range of Light Group History

Recent Chapter History

The Congratulations to the Toiyabe Chapter on its 50th anniversary and Range of Light Group is now 15 years old. In the early 1990's a few Sierra Club members met in Mammoth Lakes and decided to form a new Sierra Club Group to represent Sierra Club members in Inyo and Mono Counties in the Eastern Sierra. Bette Goodrich originally proposed forming the Group and organized the effort. Pete Bakuses suggested our name based on John Muir's description of the Sierra Nevada as the "range of light." The Range of Light Group adopted its by-laws in 1992.

Shalle Genevieve (first Chair served four years), Owen Maloy, Kathy Morey, Kathy Duvall, Terry Crawford, Paul Kluth, Bette Goodrich, Cy Walker, and Bryce and Wilma Wheeler were first Group officers and activists. Lynne Foster became Group newsletter editor in the early 1990's. In the years before the Group was formed and afterward, Paul Kluth led Sierra Club hikes in the area. We still miss Bette, Paul and Ed Dillingham, Group leader, who passed away while leading a hike.

Outings were a major part of Group activities from its beginning and monthly meetings with a potluck and program began in 1992. Almost every week of the year, two different outings are led-hikes in summer, spring and fall, ski and snowshoe treks in the winter and into the spring, as long as there is sufficient snow.

Group successes over the years include:

1. We secured a land exchange of 1900 acres of wild and riparian lands to the Forest Service for 95 acres of Forest Service land in the Town of Mammoth Lakes. At our request, the Eastern Sierra Land Trust entered into a covenant with Snowcreek Investment Company (and subsequent owners) and the Town of Mammoth that limits the future land use of that property to recreation, open space and appropriate related uses as a golf course and related facilities. The covenant also allows for facilities related to public arts and cultural activities, as permitted by zoning regulations and ordinances.

2. By winning a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), we stopped plans by the Town of Mammoth Lakes to great expand the Mammoth Lakes airport to accommodate huge commercial aircraft from major cities and bring an overwhelming number of visitors to the area. Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks Conservation Association, and California Wilderness Coalition were our partners in the lawsuit and Earthjustice represented us. There will be no expansion of the airport. The current plan is for a small regional airport that will accommodate small commercial planes, starting with two flights a day from Los Angeles.

3. Together with the Owens Valley Committee, we obtained a court ruling against the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power (LADWP) requiring LADWP to re-water the Lower Owens River, which had been dry for over 90 years as result of water being exported to the City of Los Angeles. That rewatering did start December 2006 and flows are restoring riparian habitat to the long-dry riverbed. Mark Bagley, our Sierra Club Representative, is currently working on other necessary related mitigation issues to be performed by LADWP.

We are proud and happy that he National Sierra Club recognized two members of our Group with awards at the National Awards Banquet last September. Mark Bagley received a Special Service Award for his dedicated and many years of successful work on the Lower Owens River Project. Owen Maloy received the Susan E. Miller award for his outstanding service to Chapters and Groups. He is also recognized for his work on the Mammoth Lakes Airport expansion issue. Also, Larry Silver, our attorney who represented us so outstandingly well and successfully in the Lower Owens River lawsuit received the prestigious William O. Douglas Award for environmental and legal excellence at the Sierra Club national awards dinner.

The Group is moving into the future. Your ExCom has great plans to make the Group even more effective. We want to reach out to more members and inspire them to become activists.

We invite you to come to a meeting and/or come on an outing. We would love to have you join us.

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Home Page			Recent Chapter History The Congratulations to the Toiyabe Chapter on its 50th anniversary and Range of Light Group is now 15 years old. In the early 1990's a few Sierra Club members met in Mammoth Lakes and decided to form a new Sierra Club Group to represent Sierra Club members in Inyo and Mono Counties in the Eastern Sierra. Bette Goodrich originally proposed forming the Group and organized the effort. Pete Bakuses suggested our name based on John Muir's description of the Sierra Nevada as the "range of light." The Range of Light Group adopted its by-laws in 1992. Shalle Genevieve (first Chair served four years), Owen Maloy, Kathy Morey, Kathy Duvall, Terry Crawford, Paul Kluth, Bette Goodrich, Cy Walker, and Bryce and Wilma Wheeler were first Group officers and activists. Lynne Foster became Group newsletter editor in the early 1990's. In the years before the Group was formed and afterward, Paul Kluth led Sierra Club hikes in the area. We still miss Bette, Paul and Ed Dillingham, Group leader, who passed away while leading a hike. Outings were a major part of Group activities from its beginning and monthly meetings with a potluck and program began in 1992. Almost every week of the year, two different outings are led-hikes in summer, spring and fall, ski and snowshoe treks in the winter and into the spring, as long as there is sufficient snow. Group successes over the years include: 1. We secured a land exchange of 1900 acres of wild and riparian lands to the Forest Service for 95 acres of Forest Service land in the Town of Mammoth Lakes. At our request, the Eastern Sierra Land Trust entered into a covenant with Snowcreek Investment Company (and subsequent owners) and the Town of Mammoth that limits the future land use of that property to recreation, open space and appropriate related uses as a golf course and related facilities. The covenant also allows for facilities related to public arts and cultural activities, as permitted by zoning regulations and ordinances. 2. By winning a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), we stopped plans by the Town of Mammoth Lakes to great expand the Mammoth Lakes airport to accommodate huge commercial aircraft from major cities and bring an overwhelming number of visitors to the area. Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks Conservation Association, and California Wilderness Coalition were our partners in the lawsuit and Earthjustice represented us. There will be no expansion of the airport. The current plan is for a small regional airport that will accommodate small commercial planes, starting with two flights a day from Los Angeles. 3. Together with the Owens Valley Committee, we obtained a court ruling against the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power (LADWP) requiring LADWP to re-water the Lower Owens River, which had been dry for over 90 years as result of water being exported to the City of Los Angeles. That rewatering did start December 2006 and flows are restoring riparian habitat to the long-dry riverbed. Mark Bagley, our Sierra Club Representative, is currently working on other necessary related mitigation issues to be performed by LADWP. We are proud and happy that he National Sierra Club recognized two members of our Group with awards at the National Awards Banquet last September. Mark Bagley received a Special Service Award for his dedicated and many years of successful work on the Lower Owens River Project. Owen Maloy received the Susan E. Miller award for his outstanding service to Chapters and Groups. He is also recognized for his work on the Mammoth Lakes Airport expansion issue. Also, Larry Silver, our attorney who represented us so outstandingly well and successfully in the Lower Owens River lawsuit received the prestigious William O. Douglas Award for environmental and legal excellence at the Sierra Club national awards dinner. The Group is moving into the future. Your ExCom has great plans to make the Group even more effective. We want to reach out to more members and inspire them to become activists. We invite you to come to a meeting and/or come on an outing. We would love to have you join us. Return to top of this page
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