Author Archives: Lummer Steve

Prescott National Forest

MITIGATION OR DECIMATION? – PART TWO

Last Tuesday morning a group of us met with Casey and Corey from the Prescott National Forest to discuss the hazardous fuels mitigation work that will begin in the Iron Springs/Emmanuel Pines section of the PNF.

The gathering between the PNF and trail users was very positive and the questions were direct and the response was good.

The PNF is mitigating or brushing the forest to attempt to clean out the under brush in order to lessen the chance of another major forest fire in our area. (Thumbs up on that).

Our concern is that in the process of brushing many of our trails used by various interest groups become less than desirable after the brushing is completed.

Local mountain biker Nathan Herring put into words just how important the Iron Springs/Emmanuel Pines area is to all of us.

“Even though the trails in the pines are social trails, they do have a positive impact for the forest eco-system. With these trails being very popular among the locals, the human impact (bikers, equine, etc.) is spread out from the common areas such as Thumb Butte and Granite Mountain, which results in less damage to the overall eco-system.

We understand that the local community is attached to this area and that some have taken the initiative to remove ribbon marking that is placed by the Prescott National Forest. However, this action is causing more damage to the pines and lands. There is a system that is associated with the ribbons that is used by the PNF fire division to mark points. Please leave the ribbons, if you have concerns the appropriate and effective path would be to visit the local PNF visitor center in down town Prescott. ”

The forest leadership agreed that they can “tone down” the process in the following ways.

– Making the contractors that are doing the work aware of the concern by the community.

– Leaving larger patches of the “mosaic” cuts along the trails both social and numbered.

– Making trail users aware of the need to stay clear of the brushing machines for safety reasons.

– Placement of a  BLUE INDICATOR RIBBON along trails that the trail users would like to see more “sensitivity” or “less brushing” to allow for a “distinction” between the trail and the brushed areas.

– Make the public aware of the “ribbon placement” importance in the brushing areas.

This point is KEY for trail users during forest brushing seasons.

So here is a bit of info. that can help.

There are three colors of ribbon being used in the PNF to help communicate to the brushing workers as to what to clear and what not to clear.

RED ribbon means do not brush this area.

WHITE ribbon means do not brush this area because of  sensitivity or historical interest.

BLUE ribbon means take it easy or tone it down with this section of trail.

Part of the problem the PNF has been having is that they will but up the indicator ribbons in the forest and a week later they are missing or taken down thus making it impossible for the brushing crews to know were to stop brushing.

So, lets get the word out to leave the ribbon that is hanging from the trees.

When the ribbon is taken off the trees it just makes our cause to preserve the area more difficult for everyone involved.

If you notice someone removing the ribbons maybe explain to them the process or if they continue to remove ribbons you can call the PNF dispatch @ 777-5700.

The map below shows just how many acres are involved in the years work. (double click the image with your mouse to enlarge the photo)

Hopefully the conversation with the PNF will help and they can do the necessary work while keeping some of the trails enjoyable for the next few years until the plants begin to sprout back again.

If you have any comments or questions regarding work in the PNF call

Aaron Hulburd
Prescott National Forest
Forest Fuels Specialist
(928) 777-5666

Thanks for reading – thanks for caring

Steve

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Just sayin'

THE CHOICE TO DENY A VOICE

I just want to say something about not saying anything at all
It is a general fact that when it comes to word budgets the average guy speaks 2,000 to 4,000 words a day and the average woman 6,000 to 8,000. Interesting that there is no law (yet) that governs how many words we are allowed to speak in a day.
What would happen if we toned down the talkativeness just for a few moments of our day?
Could it be that the lost art of the “vow of silence” could help heal the hurts we think we have to talk about everyday?
A monastery in Missouri had this inscription above the entry: “an unguarded tongue dissipates the soul”. Ummm, could “momentary vows of silence” during your day give you the power over negative attitudes and controlling thought patterns that wear us out everyday.
What could possibly be wrong with disciplining ourselves to not speak about every emotion that comes over us.

Saying nothing gives us a power to:

– Deny a voice to the things that are falling apart in your life.
– Mute the habit of rehearsing negative self feedback you talk about everyday.
– Starve out toxic words by giving yourself permission to not speak about them for a change.
– Allow a peace that passes our limited understanding to invade the space that once was reserved for turmoil, anguish and anger.


Instead of feeling like we have to always give a verbal response to everything thing and everyone, sometimes it does your soul good to just smile and nod.

Being slow to speak and slow to become angry does start a domino effect inside us. It is so true that the emotion of tiring anger is closely linked to what we speak.

Give yourself permission to have the pleasure of not speaking. – Try it for a day and see what happens when you chose to not give a voice to certain things that are wearing you out from the inside.

Taming my talk

Steve

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Ministry

DO YOU SUFFER FROM A WOUNDED SPIRIT?

Taken from the series SHOES I taught 4/10/11

Here is a quick excerpt from the message “walking in a wounded man’s shoes” this Sunday.

It is just a partial slice of the message .

How do you know when you have a wounded spirit? – Here are just a few symptoms that are tell tale signs that you are walking around in a wounded man’s shoes.


A Wounded Spirit

A wounded spirit is one that is hurting, but one in which the hurt has festered into unbearable attitudes and responses. A person with a wounded spirit lives in inner misery that focuses regularly on his injuries. Out of this focus come the following “unbearable” characteristics:

1. A negative mind-set. The person with a wounded spirit is preoccupied with past injuries. He views incidents in life in the worst light. He sees the bad and ignores the good. His mind is filled with woes, suspicion, and assumption of evil.

2. Victim reasoning. With a wounded spirit, a person views himself as a sufferer. He can turn even kind actions of others into additional grievances, into added pain in his life. He is pleased when others notice his misery, and hurt when they do not.

3. Grievance mannerisms. Out of a wounded spirit come sighs, groans, and exclamations that draw attention to the hurt. There is body language such as shaking the head, throwing dark looks, facial misery, and slumped shoulders.

4. Blame tactics. A person with a wounded spirit holds other people responsible for the misery in his life. In truth, others may have done him wrong, but those wrongs become the means of blaming others. The wounded spirit is able to cough up old injuries no matter what the present subject. The stories that are told put others in the worst light. In addition to direct blame, there are ways of insinuating–giving details in such a way that worse is implied.

Is it any wonder the proverb exclaims, “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?  Proverbs 18:14

Out of the wound oozes the stench of self-pity, bitterness, and accusation.

I realize being a person who has been wounded hurts deeply and can be very painful. It does take some time and friends with gracious spirits to help us out of the depths of the wounded spirit life.

That is why Jesus (an amazing gracious friend) was “wounded for our transgressions and he was bruised for our iniquities.” Isaiah 53:5.

A good resource for dealing with and finding healing for a wounded spirit is Frank Peretti’s book

Frank Draws from news stories and his own childhood spent fighting the pain of a disfigurement that made him an object of ridicule to illustrate the effects of emotional scars, and offers ways to overcome abuse.

I would like to close this blog by giving one of my favorites quotes from author and pastor Rob Bell.

“To not forgive is like giving someone free rent in your head.”

Steve

Lead Pastor

http://www.discoveryprescott.com

 


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Mountain biking, outdoors, Prescott

Meet your Forest Service

This Tuesday morning we have an opportunity to meet with Forest Fuels Specialist Aaron Hulburd of the Prescott national Forest regarding the mitigation of hazardous fuels in the Iron Spring/ Emmanuel Pines area.

(double click your mouse to enlarge this photo)

If you have questions, comments or concerns regarding this process you will want to be at this gathering with Aaron.

We will meet at the Iron Springs/Granite Basin parking lot at 10:00 AM on the 12th of April.

The article link will help you gather a greater understanding of this process before our info. meeting.

http://www.dcourier.com/Main.asp?ArticleID=84796&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1

Also, here is a link to a blog I wrote a week or so ago regarding this work.

https://stevelummer.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/mitigation-or-decimation/

Hope to see you there with some positive helpful feedback.

Steve

Trail user


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Ministry

SHOES part 2

We are continuing our SHOES series this Sunday.

Last week we look at walking in a dead man’s shoes  and this week will are doing a message called “walking in a wounded man’s shoes.”

The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?  Proverbs 18:14

Sunday mornings 10:00 AM

Prescott First Assembly

1455 Willow Creek Road

Prescott Arizona

Have a great weekend.

Steve Lummer – Lead Pastor PFA

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church family, Ministry

SHOES

Really looking forward to starting a new series of messages this weekend called Shoes.

Have you ever heard the phrase “walk a mile in my shoes”?

God, in Christ, stepped into our shoes and walked. But are we willing to do the same for people who aren’t like us, and who may not believe the same things we believe? Christians can struggle with being judgmental, until they walk in someone else’s shoes.

Well for the next few  Sunday’s up through Easter we are going to look at what it feels like to walk in someone else’s shoes for a change.

Sunday mornings 10:00 AM

Prescott First Assembly

1455 Willow Creek Road

Prescott Arizona

Have a great weekend.

Steve Lummer

Lead Pastor PFA

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LEWIS AND CLARK

LEWIS AND CLARK MARCH ENTRY

Just wanted to post a few pics of the pups  from March.

This month they both turned one year old. They also had a little surgery – thus the cones to keep them from licking the stitches…. wow, two coneheaded large dogs in the house was interesting.

The Clark the conehead.

Lewis @ one year old.

Lewis usually takes a nap on his back – His Chiropractor suggested this.

Last week we did get some snow up here in beautiful Preskitt and the fellas loved it.

Happy 1st birthday Lewis and Clark

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Ragbrai

RAGBRAI Training: 15 Week Training Plan and Log

Here is a suggested 15 week training plan that starts for me on April 10th to get tuned up for this summer’s Ragbrai road trip.

Four days during the week of road riding is going to cramp my mountain bike activity so I will probably opt for three days on the road and just up the mileage per ride.

My neighbor and friend is suggesting that I  “Start riding the spars and work you way up to the loop…nothing else will be necessary! The Skull Valley loop is harder than a 70 mile Flat Lander ride…”

With this plan I feel confident that this summer’s event will go great and be a ton of fun.

2011-RAGBRAI_Training_Plan

Click to access 2011-RAGBRAI_Training_Plan.pdf

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outdoors, Prescott

MITIGATION OR DECIMATION?

MITIGATION OR DECIMATION?

This afternoon I had the privilege of  casually speaking with two fire fighters in the Prescott National Forest.
They had hand held GPS units and were working fast but gave me a few minutes of their time. I fielded them a few questions about the “hazardous fuel mitigation” work that has been going on for the past months here in the Prescott area.

When I asked them if they were going to do a prescribed burn in the Emmanuel Pines area they responded with, “No, we are going to start brushing this area like the others.”

After an attempt to gather my thoughts without coming across angry with the two young fire fighters, who were just out in the field doing their job, I ask this question. “Why does the forest service seem to have to decimate everything except the pines on so many acres in our amazing public land?”

They directed me to make a call to the Cortez office and talk with  their supervisor.
I did call Ed Paul (777-5665) of the PNF this morning and spoke with him for about 20 minutes.  He was informative as well as willing to listen to my concern and mentioned he would speak to the company the PNF has contracted with about being more careful with the work they are doing.

He did tell me that it would take from two to seven years for the vegetation to grow back to a normal state.

My request is simple.

Dear Prescott National Forest Service:

1. Please do not trash both the legal and social trails that have been recently established or have been around our forests, in many cases, for decades.
2. Please do not destroy the forest in an attempt to save it.
3. Please realize I am not trying to be critical of the PNFS but just attempting to voice my opinion in attempt to not have to look at a stripped forest for a few years.
4. I do understand the principle of hazardous fuel mitigation but think the application of this practice could be managed better.

5. Organize and allow a trails restoration crew to be permitted go back into the forest and restore both sanctioned as well as “social” none sanctioned trails back to a  usable state.  (under the direction of Jason Williams of the PNF or a PMBA type organization).

Much of the Granite Basin area currently reminds me of the barren land that is directly behind Lowes on Hwy 69 or a better description of that area could be  an “Arkansas with no trees”.
If the “mitigation” work doesn’t have a little more TLC (tender loving care) I am really convinced that the  the Emmanuel Pines area will be trashed in a few weeks.
I realize the Forest service has a huge task of managing about 1.25 million acres and I applaud the service and stewardship they provide. That being said,  my request is that they would TONE DOWN the decimation  of all vegetation and destruction of our hiking, biking and equestrian  trail systems by the mitigation process they are currently active in.
I would, as well as, many others in our community be glad to volunteer time as well as effort in helping the forest service maintain our forest system.  I agree that we need a defensible space but we don’t need a decimated space.

If you would like to contact the National Forest office to voice your concerns, call: Ed Paul @ 777-5665

Here is an article from the Prescott Daily Courier with more information if you would like to read it.

http://www.dcourier.com/Main.asp?ArticleID=84796&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1

The first photo is a picture of one of our trails were I had the conversation with the fire fighters. The rest of the photos are pictures of what it will look like if the PNFS continues the carnage.

Double click the pic to enlarge it.

Save these trails

After effect of Hazardous Fuel Mitigation work @ Granite Basin.

Welcome to Granite Basin ..”It will grow back by June”.

Of what year?

Awesome – invite your friends this summer.

Nice

Really?

“It will grow back by June”.

Nice lawn mower.

Mitigation work.

Seriously?

Hazardous fuel?

If you or I did this we are talkin big time fine.

Local quote of the day. ” Their rippen the lichen right of the rocks” – Ed

“it will grow back by June”

I do not want to be perceived as an enemy of the PNFS.  Actually, I’m a big fan of the PNFS and commend the leadership for their recent positive changes. – Just tryin to help the carnage not reach the Emmanuel Pines area like it has @ Thumb Butte or GB.
The tone of my concern comes from a cooperative yet concerned spirit.

Just trying to preserve what is left – Don’t destroy the forest to try to save it.

In  my own opinion … just sayin

Steve

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