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ON THE LOOKOUT
From the National Chairman Keith A. Argow Vienna, Virginia Summer 2013 |
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It is summer already and most of us will be visiting, staffing, or restoring our favorite lookouts. There will be dedications of restored lookouts including Squaw Mountain (NHLR #500) on the Arapaho National Forest west of Denver, following a multiyear effort by the FFLA Colorado-Utah Chapter, the Colorado Forestry Association, and the Clear Creek Ranger District. At our up-coming western meeting in September on the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico we will be rededicating the beautiful Monjeau Lookout
(NHLR# 190). This historic and one-of-a-kind structure was burned out in the Little Bear Fire of 2012 and has been completely restored by the Forest Service. The San Diego-Riverside local chapter in Southern California trained more than 80 volunteers to staff two recently restored lookouts on Mt. Palomar. Those are High Point (NHLR# 735), a Cleveland National Forest 67' steel tower with a 14'x14' live-in CL-100 metal cab, and the large former CalFire Boucher Hill lookout (NHLR# 394) on Palomar Mountain State Park a few miles to the west on the same mountain. It is a 30' enclosed tower with a CDF 15' octagonal cab. Recently transferred by CalFire to California State Parks the structure and been splendidly restored by both state agencies, manpower from the San Diego-Riverside FFLA local chapter, plus financial support from San Diego County. It is very accessible to visitors on the state park road. Two observers at a time are needed, trading off roles of fire observer and site interpreter. Both lookouts continue to turn in a respectable number of first reports of fires. The dedicated efforts of the recently reorganized San Diego-Riverside local chapter are a wonderful example of the can-do attitude of FFLA members who have set their minds to getting things done! If any of you plan a visit to the Southern California region this year be sure to visit these two locations, plus seven more volunteer staffed lookouts on the San Bernardino National Forest, two on the Angeles and a few on the Los Padres where the program is developing. |
PLAN TO ATTEND ONE OF OUR TWO FFLA SUMMER MEETINGS!
Some of the best attributes of FFLA are our annual gatherings away from the crowds to greet, meet and eat! Important social bonds are renewed as these meetings, which feature interesting speakers discussing lookouts past and present-in the region. The programs normally include presentations in the morning followed by visits to local lookouts in the afternoon with the day ending with a group dinner, visiting, and sometimes a campfire. For those not fond of camping, there are always nearby motels. Check the FFLA website for this and other information. For the first time in several years there will also be an Eastern summer meeting. It will be combined with the first summer meeting of the new Southern Region. The main program is on June 22 in Beckley, West Virginia at the junction of I-64 and I-77 for ease of travel. On Friday, June 21 there is an optional 6-hour train trip on a steam-powered logging railroad that stops at two fire lookouts. See the program description on p. 3 for details. There will be additional lookout visits on Sunday. The Western meeting on the Lincoln National Forest east of Alamogordo, New Mexico promises to be quite an event. New Mexico Director Mark Gutzman has put together an outstanding multi-day program September 19th through the 22nd. This is Smokey Bear country where he was found and where wildfire remains a serious concern. They maintain and staff their lookouts for the earliest possible detection. All of them are historic. In addition to these summer meetings, the Oregon and Washington chapters will host a "social" campout on the Umatilla National Forest on July 19-21 for those northwestern members who cannot make the trip to New Mexico but want to maintain their annual FFLA family ties. I will be attending both the West Virginia and the New Mexico summer meeting. The planners of both meetings have made great effort on our behalf. Please do not disappoint them and plan to attend. I'll see you there! I will be attending both the West Virginia and the New Mexico summer meeting. The planners of both meetings have made great effort on our behalf. Please do not disappoint them and plan to attend. I’ll see you there! Keith A. Argow CEO/Chairman of the Board argow@cs.net |