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MONTHLY
MEETINGS
MAPS AND
PHOTOS
CONTRIBUTIONS
AND DUES
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New Website! Go to www.dhnaa.org
for more articles, photos
and a trail map. More to please and inform you as I find time to
upgrade and update it. April 3, 2006 -Dave Noble
November
2005
TOWER MOUNTAIN TOUR As the cold winds of Autumn
blew and rain clouds threatened, DHNAA members Art Zack and
Michael Hamilton were joined by County Commissioner Mark Richard
and his daughters, Inland Northwest Land Trust Chris DeForest,
Spokane Mountaineers Jeff Lambert and Bill Fix and Dishman Ridge
Dream Trail Group Patty Houff. We started at the top of Tower
Mountain and walked down the east ridge to Big Rock and back
again, winding our way through the Rocks of Sharon. We discussed
geology, biology, the importance of the Conservation Futures
Program and how to preserve Big Rock and the surrounding natural
area. We have been working hard on the new conservation area on
Tower Mountain and a trail connection between Tower Mountain and
the Dishman Hills Natural Area to the north. Commissioner Mark
Richard was impressed and said that he would recommend putting a
5-year extension of the Conservation Futures Program on the
ballot, even proposing to make the Program permanent.
November
2005
HOW OLD ARE DISHMAN TREES? A burn study in the
Dishman forest in 1999 cored 16 trees. Their ages ranged from 33
to 202 years with an average of 126.25 years. North Central High
School students looked at trees of Pinecroft Natural Area Preserve
about 3 miles NW of DHNA. Twenty-five trees were cored. Their ages
ranged from 17 to 185 years with an average of 88.2 years. The
High School study revealed no significant relationship between age
and trunk diameter at breast height. The trunk diameter of
ponderosa pine is very dependent on local conditions of moisture
and soil depth and fertility, not just genetics. Logging often
removes only the largest trees. The small trees left behind are
often just as old or older. With plenty of water, our pines can
grow fast and very large. Many of our large "domestic"
ponderosa pines in the city are younger than the small "wild"
pine in nearby forests.
November 2005
THANKS FOR
GIVING Donations in 2005 up to mid-November totaled almost
$10,800, already exceeding 2004's total giving of $10,400. This is
allowing us to make accelerated payments on our land purchase
contracts, saving interest cost and making additional future
conservation projects possible. Foundation Northwest announced
that DHNAA will receive an annual distribution from the Stanley
and Bernice Fahlgren Fund and a grant from the Patricia M. Houff
Fund. Year 2004 financial number crunching showed we spent 3.8% of
income on management expenses and 4.0% on fund raising, the rest
going to conservation programs! "Thankyou!" to all
volunteers and donors of material and equipment.
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Inland
Northwest Land Trust
Pinecroft
Natural Area Preserve
Dishman
Ridge Dream Trail
The
Spokane Mountaineers
Conservation
Futures Program
Dishman
Hills Natural Area Association new website!
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