Summary of progress made on CCSHRP during 2004:
The project became a legal entity. I incorporated it as Coon Camp Springs LLC.
Midnight Harvest moved all of their equipment from Five Dot ranch onto our property in order to work exclusively on
the CCSHRP property. There were two main reasons for this. The first was the sudden dramatic jump in the price of
diesel fuel. Clearing and chipping trees five miles from the highway was not a break-even situation. The second
reason was my offering to help out on expenses where I could.
Juniper Removal- due to the move onto the CCSHRP property, Juniper removal is progressing fantastically. Midnight
Harvest started at the western fence line and moved east until they got to the BLM property and the Coon Camp
Springs property which is owned by the Heath Corporation. They then moved to the northeastern corner of the
property. The whole northeastern section of the property has been thinned of Junipers. They stopped at the
ridgeline. They then started working south. The whole eastern boundary of the property has been thinned of
Junipers. They were working on the southeastern border when the bad weather set in. Exact tonnage and estimated
acres processed follows.
As of the end of 2004, Midnight Harvest had removed 12028 green tons of Juniper trees. That equates to 7170
bone dry tons. They have processed approximately 1800 acres of the property. In the process, they have
reconstructed about 5.7 miles of old roads and constructed 4.8 miles of new road.
The dam at Horse Meadows Pond has been repaired. And improved. I got volunteers to come up and help me on 3
different weekends. We repaired the dam and raised the height by a couple feet. We also put in a culvert pipe so
that if the pond fills to capacity, it will flow out the pipe instead of washing out the dam again.
Horse Meadow Spring has been improved. The encroaching Junipers outside and inside of the fence have been
removed. Water is flowing again out of the cistern.
Coon Camp Spring is being fenced off to keep the cattle out of it. Tim Thayer of Midnight Harvest has been building
rock jacks in order to put up a fence that the cattle will not be able to knock down. There was a steel cistern pipe
lying on the ground at the spring on the front of the property. It has been there for years. I had Tim sink it in the
ground at Coon Camp Spring. We then filled in the hole around the outside of the tube with rocks and also sank a
pipe. Now we can attach a pump and pull fresh water.
Grass seeding started briefly and then the winter weather set in. As soon as there is a break, I will be back up there
seeding.
I have prepared 8 lbs. of Antelope Bitterbrush seeds for planting. This involved soaking them in a Peroxide solution
for several days and then drying them. I will start planting them as soon as the snow melts.
In July, I obtained some shipping boxes that will be useful for storage/etc. during the project. I rented a flatbed truck
and hauled them up to the property. Now I need to get some assistance in put them together.
2004 Expenditures:
Direct Expenditures:
Antelope Bitterbrush seed – 15 lbs. $587.25
Perennial grasses – 300 lbs. $557.10
Perennial grasses and wildflowers – 200 lbs. $918.00
36” Culvert pipe for Horse Meadow pond dam $545.12
Barbed wire, fence posts, fence stays for Coon Camp Spring $211.77
Dump truck rental (for dam repair) $1426.69
Excavator rental (for dam repair) $1650.00
Liability insurance $586.00
$6481.93
Indirect Expenditures:
Truck/equipment rental/fuel to bring shipping boxes up $727.43
Tires, tune-up, belts, hoses, etc for work truck $258.27
Incorporation $392.20
Corporation Taxes $800.00
$1977.00
2004 Income and contributions:
Trespass fee for Antelope season (no Antelope tagged) $200.00
Trespass fee for Deer Season (2 deer tagged) $400.00
The Costa Azul Adventure packages were sold $1600.00
¾ ton Chevy truck donated
104 man-hours donated
Outlook for 2005:
Juniper removal will continue.
Horse Meadow Spring and the spring on the front of the property (I am calling it Hanna’s Spring) will be developed
and fenced off.
Fencing of Coon Camp Springs will be completed.
Grass seeding will continue as soon as the snow lets up.
Bitterbrush seeding will begin.
Work will begin on the Aspen grove that is near Boffinger’s site.
I have sent funding requests to over 30 private companies who are known to donate to projects such as this one.
I have been talking to U.S. Fish and Wildlife about a partnership program they have. This program provides
matching funds. The greatest part of their funding program is that they consider labor performed as part of my
matching funds. I am going to try to meet up with their representative on Jan 29.
I will also be trying again to get into the Dept. of Fish and Game PLM program.
We have been working with the BLM in order to get some of their holding cleaned up. They are in the process of
putting together a Stewardship package. It will probably be finished and ready for bidding next fall. The winner of the
bid will thin the Junipers on the holdings and will also be able to thin the pines. We have walked the property and
there are not a lot of pines that can be thinned but there are enough to help counter the operation costs.