Stake Removal Volunteer Update

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VOLUNTEER INFORMATION FOR STAKE REMOVAL

First of all, if you haven't already signed up to volunteer and you are coming, please let me know. We need to provide numbers so we can have enough food for lunch.

Secondly, we still need Buttercup volunteers! We almost have 100 people signed up to help at our Gecko location and only 30 for our Buttercup location. So again, please let me know if you plan on coming.
Just because we have a large number of people volunteering at Gecko, doesn't mean that we don't want more volunteers. The more people we have helping out, the more we can accomplish before it gets too hot.

Please note, you do not have to sign up Friday night if you don't want to or aren't there between 6-9pm. However. we are signing people up Friday night just to help expedite the process.
Every person who is volunteering will have to sign in at our main staging area which will be on the South side of Gecko Campground in Glamis or at the Buttercup Ranger Station in the South. After you are done Saturday with the stake removal, you will need to sign yourself and/or group back in. We want to make sure that everyone comes back from the dunes!

The BLM will be conducting a briefing on Saturday (May 3rd) morning at 5:30 a.m. Please be there for the briefing, there is safety information that they will go over with the group and will also explain where people should go and where to take the stakes after being removed.

Things to bring with you:
-Please wear appropriate clothing for the weather. The weather forecast for Saturday is expected to be 100.
-Please wear sunglasses or protective eyewear.
-Bring leather gloves. The stakes are made of fiberglass so leather gloves are best to avoid splinters.
-Because of the weather, the BLM recommends that everyone take one gallon of water with them (per person) while you're in the dunes. We do have some water donated and will have extra water out at the stake drop off locations, but bringing your own water with you is best.
-If you have shovels, please bring them with you. Many of the stakes are only 1/2 way buried in the sand. Those stakes should be easily removed with a shovel and gloves. For the stakes that are more than 1/2 way buried in the sand, the BLM has fabricated stake removal devices. There are a limited amount of these devices. Some will be available in both the Gecko and Buttercup locations. If you come across stakes that you
can't remove, please leave them in place and we will have BLM take care of it.
PLEASE NOTE, WE NEED TO TRY AND REMOVE THE STAKES IN ONE PIECE. THE STAKES WE ARE REMOVING WILL BE USED TO STAKE OUT THE NEW CLOSURE AREA. ALL STAKES MUST BE RETURNED TO THE BLM. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO KEEP THEM.

Is there anyone that is coming that has a vehicle that can be used to tow out someone if they get stuck? The BLM says that we have to have someone designated for this task. Please respond here or email me if I can list you or someone in your group as this person.

Finally, we can use the time that you are volunteering towards matching dollars for future dune projects and/or grants. When you sign in to volunteer, please include your total travel time (for each person in your party) to and from the dunes on your sign in sheet. All of this time and any prep time on the ground can be counted for matching dollars. However, the actual time you are driving your vehicle or OHV can NOT be included. Additionally, BLM will not be responsible for you while you are operating your vehicle or OHV while in the sand. I checked into this and Federal regulations state that you have to go through official BLM vehicle safety courses and a bunch of other crazy government regulations type of stuff.

If you have questions, you can post here and I'll try to check in but as you can imagine I've been swamped. The easiest way to get a hold of me is by email Nicole's ngilles@asasand.org. You can also reach me on my cell or by text at 760-996-8983.

Finally, we received word that the CBD is in fact going to file an appeal with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. So our fight is far from over! If you aren't already an aSa supporting member, it's only $25. Here is where you can sign up: http://americansandassociation.org/stor ... rship.html or if you want to make a donation, please do so here: http://americansandassociation.org/stor ... tions.html. YOUR DONATIONS WILL HELP US KEEP THE DUNES OPEN!

Thank you,

Nicole Nicholas Gilles
Executive Director
American Sand Association