Just finishing up a trip in Baja and then it will only be a few weeks before the Conference. Yvonne and I are looking forward to seeing everyone. Zack and Sandy have been hard at work to assure that this is one of our best Spring Conferences.

Gary Graham gary@garycgraham.com

email archives

Voted Yet?
      Ballots must be postmarked by May 19! If you haven't voted yet, please do.

Spring 2008 Conference
      One to two weeks before the conference date, I'll circulate a list to all attendees of who's staying where and doing what. Approximately 90 members and guests had registered as of the May 9 deadline. See the notes and reminders below from the Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau.

Fundraising Raffle/Auction
      We've decided to do things a bit differently this year, using a silent auction format rather than a simple raffle for "big-ticket" items. We hope this will help us raise more money to fund the Outdoor Outreach program.
      Every year, Seven Crown Resorts donates a houseboat trip worth more than $1,300 and Remington donates a rifle or shotgun worth $400 to $600. Yet we raise perhaps $50 or $100 with each. That just doesn't make sense.
      This year, in addition to a $1,350 luxury houseboat trip and a $550 Remington Model 700 SPS-V .223, we've got a four-day, three-night trip to La Paz valued at $1,100, including oceanfront lodging and two days of fishing, donated by regular member Jonathan Roldan's Tailhunter International.
      Don't worry, though. We'll still have plenty of great stuff to raffle off too, much of which comes from regular members. If you haven't yet, now is the time to think about what you can donate — books? fishing tackle? wine? clothing? Whatever it is, let Raffle Chair Carol Martens (818-883-8125 or carolmartens@earthlink.net) know about it ahead of time.

Fall 2008 Conference
      The fall conference will be hosted Sunday, Oct. 12 through Tuesday, Oct. 14 in Santa Barbara, "The American Riviera," by the Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau (www.santabarbaraca.com). Tentative activities include fly fishing in the surf, ocean fishing on the Stardust, a Channel Islands cruise aboard the Condor Express, Lake Cachuma trout fishing, Solvang wine-tasting, a nature hike in Los Padres National Forest, and bass fishing at an exclusive "pay-to-play" guest ranch. Monday night's barbecue will be at the Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Museum.

—Zack Thomas, owac.director@gmail.com, (775) 562-4585

Ketchikan sunset from deck of Beacon Hill Lodge. Photo by Ron Ballanti.

The excitement builds as we await your arrival for the Spring 2008 OWAC Conference in Sonora. Just a few travel reminders and updates to make your trip more comfortable.

• The Tuesday, June 10 brunch will be at 10 a.m. at Mountain Springs Golf Course. Those wishing to play a round of golf may stay and play after lunch. This championship course can be viewed at www.goflyover.com
• Heads-up: On Saturday, June 7 there is a huge motorcycle rally in nearby Jamestown, called the Sierra Hope Ride. Around 3,000 motorcyclists will participate in this one-day ride as a fundraiser benefiting Muscular Dystrophy research. If you arrive early, please be patient with the motorcyclists.
• Inns of California does not have refrigerators in every room. Please contact us (see below) if you need a refrigerator for medication storage.
•  You will be contacted regarding Monday activities so you can be properly prepared.

• REMINDER FOR SUPPORTING MEMBERS: The deadline for Marketplace registration is Monday, May 26. Conference registration closed May 9.

We anxiously await your arrival. Please stop by the Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau at 542 W. Stockton Road in Sonora or call (209) 533-4420 for further information.

—Sandy Gordon, OWAC Conference Coordinator, tcvbmarketing@mlode.com

•           OWAC welcomes new members Stuart and Janet Wilson of Sacramento. The Stuarts are a freelance writing and photography team specializing in RV, budget, and general travel throughout the western states, as well as state and national parks, historic travel destinations, and soft adventure travel. Their combined credits include Highways magazine, RV Journal, Trailer Life, MotorHome, the San Francisco Chronicle, Sierra Heritage, andthe San Jose Mercury News. To see some of their work, visit www.wilsonstravels.com. Both Janet and Stuart can be reached at (916) 482-7251; email Janet at janetdwilson@earthlink.net and Stuart at wtravels@earthlink.net.

•           OWAC also welcomes as a new member Betsy Crowfoot of Carpinteria. Crowfoot, a freelance writer and photographer, is also Contributing Editor for Sailing and a regular contributor to Dockside. Her work has also appeared in Santa Barbara, Food & Wine and Spirit of Aloha magazines, as well as the Long Beach Press-Telegram, the Ventura County Star, the Orange County Register and elsewhere. Crowfoot is author of The World's Toughest Yacht Race, screenwriter of Transpac: A Century across the Pacific, and contributor to the book Whatever It Takes: Women on Women's Sport. She's a founding member of the Nauti Chicas offshore sailing team, a member of the Los Angeles Yacht Club and Director of the Transpac Yacht Club. She can be reached at (805) 448-1439 or betsy.crowfoot@verizon.net.

Supporting Member Notes

•           OWAC welcomes as a new Supporting Member Gauge Wines, based in Napa and founded by a pair of avid outdoorsmen and a savvy vintner. "This isn't wine for aristocrats," says the company. "This isn't wine to swish and spit. This is wine for drinking. This is wine for celebrating. This is a wine for the senses. Gauge Wine isn't inspired by the meals you cook. It's inspired by the meals you catch. It's inspired by the thrill of the hunt. The thrill that remains long after another successful haul." OWAC's primary contact is co-founder John Putnam, at (707) 312-0554 or info@gaugewines.com. Visit www.gaugewines.com for more information, or click here to read a profile of the company from the Napa Valley Register.

•           Our second new Supporting Member this month is the Binational Emergency Medical Care Committee, a Chula Vista-based nonprofit that gets travelers out of Mexico in case of medical or life-threatening emergencies. A dedicated bilingual staff does what is necessary — including contacting first responders such as ambulance personnel, consular officials, police and Coast Guard — to arrange safe transport back into the United States via air or ground ambulance. The committee is comprised of representatives from the medical field, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, social workers, consular officials and hospital personnel. OWAC's primary contact is Celia Diaz, at (619) 425-5080 or celia@bemcc.com Visit www.binationalemergency.org for more information.

•           Complimentary media passes available to Calaveras Winegrape & Gourmet, a celebration of local viticulture and unique flavors, May 31 at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp. click here

•           Hobie Cat launches new online press room. click here

•           California’s anglers and boaters score partial victory in no-fishing process; conservation proposal forwarded to California Fish and Game Commission (release from American Sportfishing Association).click here

•           OWAC members invited for a day of rafting and overnight stay at Mother Lode River Center near Coloma; eco-friendly raft company will share their love of rivers and, at the same time, teach guests about sustainable tourism (release from Nature Media Network). click here

•           The Bishop Chamber has received funding from Inyo County to host the month-long Bishop Creek Canyon Summer Classic Trout Derby June 1-30, with over $5,000 in cash to be awarded, plus loads of other great prizes. Contact Tawni Thomson (press only) at (760) 873-8405, ext. 5 or execdir@bishopvisitor.com.

•           Pair of fishing derbies scheduled in Plumas County — the Spanish Creek Kids' Fishing Derby, May 31 in Quincy, (530) 283-2050 for info, and the Lake Davis Fishing Derby, June 7, (530) 836-6811 for info.

•           Yosemite Association to host two 3-day educational family camping programs at Tuolumne Meadows in July. click here

•           2008 Shooting Sports Summit, hosted by National Shooting Sports Foundation, set for June 23-25 in Colorado Springs. Click here for complete information.

•           Hunting Heritage Trust to sponsor National Hunting and Fishing Day (release from National Shooting Sports Foundation). click here

Proud young lady with a Sierra lake Kokanee. Photo by Ron Ballanti.

Committee Update

Raffle/Silent Auction: Carol Martens — If you haven't yet, now is the time to think about what you can donate — books? fishing tackle? wine? clothing? Whatever it is, let Raffle Chair Carol Martens (818-883-8125 or carolmartens@earthlink.net) know about it ahead of time.

Tear sheets: Ken Jones — Everyone who sent in a tear sheet related to either the Bishop or Calaveras conferences will be entered in a drawing for a free conference. The winner will be drawn in Sonora. The free conference voucher is non-transferable and good for either the Fall 2008 or Spring 2009 conference. In the meantime, keep the clips coming to Ken Jones, 1701 Lakeshore Dr., Lodi, CA 95242.

Awards: Bill Becher — All award-winners have been notified by email.

Publicity: Bill Becher — Bill is working to assemble a list of publications that should receive general-interest OWAC press releases about Outdoor Outreach recipients, Californian of the Year honorees, etc. Please send your suggestions to bb@becher.com.

Outdoor Outreach: Ken Jones — Grant applications can be downloaded from the OWAC website at www.owac.org/president/outreach.htm. If you know of a deserving organization, please suggest that they apply or let Ken know about them.

Californian of the Year: Craig Hanson — Now is the time to give nominations for Californian of the Year some serious thought. In the past couple of years, OWAC members have raised the bar with well-deserving candidates and spirited competition.
We are looking for that person who exemplifies the spirit of the outdoors through contributions above and beyond the call of duty. The nominee’s qualifications may be for a lifetime of work, or a recent accomplishment.
Past recipients of the Californian of the Year award have been truly honored by the presentation. We should continue this tradition with a stellar contingent of candidates.
This is something worth getting behind…It doesn’t have to be a dissertation of one’s life, just solid reasons why this person should be awarded OWAC’s top honor as Californian of the Year. The presentation is scheduled to take place at the fall conference in Santa Barbara. Deadline for candidate nominations is July 1, 2008.
Email me with questions and nominations at sfangler@mindspring.com.
—Craig Hanson

Newsmaker: Bill Ryan and Craig Hanson — We’ve got ourselves one heck of a topical newsmaker coming to our Spring Conference. A consortium of major fishing, hunting and outdoor groups will release a study on the impact of climate change on outdoor recreation in April. We will get a firsthand explanation of the results delivered by either former U.S. Fish and Wildlife director Steve Williams, or former South Dakota Fish and Wildlife director John Cooper. Support material and one-on-one interviews will be available after the presentation. Visit www.seasonsend.com to learn more about the report. —Craig Hanson

Craft Improvement: Bill Ryan and Craig Hanson — I'm pleased to announce that Justin Coupe of Skinny Fist Productions, LLC, has just agreed to be one of our featured Craft Improvement speakers at our Spring Conference. Skinny Fist is an independent video and web producer in Sacramento. After 18 months of research, development and filming, they are close to wrapping up their feature-length film, Rivers of the Lost Coast. We will see segments of the film that tells a living history story of the old days of steelhead fishing on North Coastal rivers and the men and women who made it happen.
         For the other Craft Improvement session, Rick E. Martin will give away some trade secrets to Photoshop-ing his award-winning photos. —Bill Ryan

•           John Geiger, editor of California Game & Fish magazine, is actively seeking queries from freelance writers and photographers. Click here for guidelines and contact information..

•           OWAC members invited to participate in Outdoor Writers Association of America's annual conference in Bismarck, ND for same fee as OWAA members. click here

•           FitnessTravelGear.com is sponsoring a travel essay contest, with prizes from Outdoor Research, Steripen, Keen, Crumpler, Vasque, Teva, SIGG, Osprey, Pacsafe, Shred Alert, and McNett. Submissions due July 15, 2008. See contest details at www.fitnesstravelgear.com/contest.html.

•           Bill Ryan is selling his 2001 Tracker V18 welded aluminum bass boat and 2001 Ford F150 XLT Super Cab. Click here for details.