Digital 395

[Sierra Lady]

In today's Mammoth Times:

Digital 395 project going full bore

...as the rash of construction along the highway corridor right now shows, the project is in full swing, both in Mono County and along much of the U.S. 395 corridor to Carson City.

[rphenry]

I got a call from the archaeologist. He is upset about what happened out there and described how the county told the construction people to keep moving over out of the road onto the shoulder. They did not like them blocking traffic.

Eventually, the excavator got over so far it was outside of where BLM told them to lay the line. That is when they entered into virgin territory.

So now the contractor is in a lot of trouble. The wagon rut was so obscure that nobody knew about it. I would have had to show them exactly where it was at. The archaeologists did survey the entire line, and it is really long. I can understand how they could miss this little goodie.

I am bummed I wasn't on top of it to see those guys out there and let BLM know before they got to the wagon rut.

That is the story of my life. I am always coming in after the damage is done.

I couldn't save the rut.

Environmental assessment report overs historical resources on pages 6 and 7

http://www.digital395.com/docs/EA-IS%20 ... lution.pdf

If avoidance is not possible, then
applicable parties will consult to find ways to minimize effects. If it is determined an adverse effect will
occur, the parties will consult to develop a treatment plan to avoid, minimize, or mitigate those effects.

Was anyone on site aware of the historical nature of the ruts? Should they have been? Are they on any BLM/FS map or inventory? Was any consultation done?

[SkierBob]

Makes me wonder what else they might not be aware of.

In the peoples quest for more bandwidth the over all feeling is a little culture and historical damage is ok as long as they can surf the web faster.

[rphenry]

Makes me wonder what else they might not be aware of.

In the peoples quest for more bandwidth the over all feeling is a little culture and historical damage is ok as long as they can surf the web faster.

Mitigation might take the flavor of putting up a website with panoramic "before" pictures of the construction sites that can then be viewed easily with the new bandwidth.

[SkierBob]

Makes me wonder what else they might not be aware of.

In the peoples quest for more bandwidth the over all feeling is a little culture and historical damage is ok as long as they can surf the web faster.

Mitigation might take the flavor of putting up a website with panoramic "before" pictures of the construction sites that can then be viewed easily with the new bandwidth.

Perfect!

[windyscotty]

Unfortunately, we do not have the before photos, because I never took any. That was funny!

"Was anyone on site aware of the historical nature of the ruts? Should they have been? Are they on any BLM/FS map or inventory? Was any consultation done?"

Nobody but myself knew where the rut was. I drove by it for 25 years and never saw it. There was no way the archaeologist would have found it. It was just too obscure. Not all the old wagon roads are mapped. Only a few guys like me know where they are. If I could have told Greg Haverstock, the BLM arch, about it, he would have made those guys tunnel under the rut.

But alas, I was too late.

This is not something to cry about. The mess they left on the road is.

In a big hurry to cause a big messed up delay.

The fault lies in that nobody was inspecting the contractors work until it was too late. That is the responsibility of the land agency. Contractors are out to make money and will cut any corner they can. They are notorious for leaving a mess behind after construction projects. Mining is a real bad example. One cleanup by the FS for a Tungsten Mill off the Buttermilk Rd. cost us $200,000. The mine owners just waltzed away and did not pay a cent for the cleanup. The no good, dirty rotten, stinking, sons of lousy...

[rphenry]

Unfortunately, we do not have the before photos, because I never took any. That was funny!

"Was anyone on site aware of the historical nature of the ruts? Should they have been? Are they on any BLM/FS map or inventory? Was any consultation done?"

Nobody but myself knew where the rut was. I drove by it for 25 years and never saw it. There was no way the archaeologist would have found it. It was just too obscure. Not all the old wagon roads are mapped. Only a few guys like me know where they are. If I could have told Greg Haverstock, the BLM arch, about it, he would have made those guys tunnel under the rut.

But alas, I was too late.

This is not something to cry about. The mess they left on the road is.

In a big hurry to cause a big messed up delay.

The fault lies in that nobody was inspecting the contractors work until it was too late. That is the responsibility of the land agency. Contractors are out to make money and will cut any corner they can. They are notorious for leaving a mess behind after construction projects. Mining is a real bad example. One cleanup by the FS for a Tungsten Mill off the Buttermilk Rd. cost us $200,000. The mine owners just waltzed away and did not pay a cent for the cleanup. The no good, dirty rotten, stinking, sons of lousy...

I have a hard time holding anyone at fault if no one knew about the resource.

When I was growing up in Vermont, there was a growing problem with old roads. Abandoned farms became vacation homes or woodlots, and there was conflict between the new land owners and recreational users (hikers, hunters, snowmobilers) about closing off traditional roads, some of which were completely overgrown and washed out. The Legislature gave every town a decade or so to name and map all the "ancient roads" in its boundaries, after which the land reverted to the adjoining landowners.

[windyscotty]

The contractor is at fault for not cleaning up the mess they made of the resource. It is in every govt. contract to clean up. The wagon road rut is literally history. Nobody gives a hoot about it but me. And believe me I do care. I could really get pissed about this whole deal, but I am going to see if they come through and clean up the entire Casa Diablo Rd. If not, I will hammer them.

The BLM is at fault for not inspecting the contractor.

As far as I am concerned, they are all at fault!

And damn them all for it!

Around here in the big, bad West, a freakin' road goes back on its own, because nobody uses it anymore. That's because idiots are too busy making a bunch of damn new roads, trails and rock-lined, hokey piece of crap paths. I really get sick of it, and it is a growing problem.

You cannot go anywhere around Bishop anymore without seeing a complete destruction of the resource. I don't care if it's new roads, trash, target practice bullshit, new trails, or stolen petroglyphs, it is all the result of careless, selfish assholes who are ruining are country by the day.

You don't want to run into me if you are destroying nature. I consider such people to be sub humans.

[OzzyBuckeyeBluechip]

http://www.mammothtimes.com/content/digital-future

Something in the Mammoth Times recently related to the Digital 395 project. Is there any new "local knowledge" on the timing? I've just had the first hand experience of working with Verizon and Suddenlink on getting a new connection. No way, no how!

Hope the construction goes well!

[windyscotty]

Last I was out there a couple of weeks ago, it was going nowhere. They have a pretty big cleanup job to do on the lower end. Maybe they will do it and maybe they won't.

[Sierra Lady]

^ OBB, most of January and February while the weather was so mild we've been watching the D395 crews along the SB shoulder of 395 doing their work. We drive to Bishop almost weekly to take care of an elderly friend down there so we monitored the D395 progress. We believe they are finished with the portion just south of the 203 off ramp and are now a bit north of us. We have heard they are ahead of schedule since they've had much more dry weather time to do the work this winter. What that means ultimately we don't know.

See the link below for a comprehensive interactive map of the work being performed.

http://www.digital395.com/project-map/m ... Digital395

[windyscotty]

Until the lines that are sticking out of the ground on the Casa Diablo Rd are connected, nothing will happen. Only BLM knows what will happen and when on the south portion. The contractor still has to clean up before they will approve it. They are in violation for making such a big mess.

I am not real happy about seeing so many of their pedestals sticking out of the ground. It looks like hell! It is like having to look at stinking mining claim tubes. What these buttholes are allowed to do to our public lands is negligent. Visual quality is important in natural areas. They don't get it, because they are greedy and don't care about public lands. They just want to get in there and rape their way to a big cash cow. Let's just throw in a fiber optic line even if it wrecks the environment. Who cares? We want our fast internet.

It is all bullshit, because things can be done right and responsible. The fact that this contractor was allowed to leave such a mess without anybody monitoring it is what is really negligent. That's right! Where was the inspector?

Do you care? I think not! You just want speed. Speed kills!

[OzzyBuckeyeBluechip]

Do you care? I think not! You just want speed. Speed kills!

I care! I'm a Landscape Architect. It's my profession to care! I also want to work remotely while in Mammoth Lakes, so guilty on wanting speed!

[TheSnowman]

Real Bandwidth = more cash flow for some of us work from home kooks.

Bandwidth was so bad during pres week my kid could not even log onto his online classes. Lame

[Sierra Lady]

Sierra Wave News today:

Digital 395 moves along

...He admitted that there have been some push backs and challenges, but things are still moving ahead. One of the hang-ups was a contention by the Bureau of Land Management that the Digital 395 crews had gone onto BLM land. Larry Primosch of BLM had told us that the Praxis crew apparently intruded into a Wilderness Study Area and outside the existing right of way. Ort said this issue is on the way to resolution.