Dear Friends of the Black Rock/High Rock,

This past year has been one of remarkable achievement for our organization. We have increased our involvement and influence in many ways. Below you will find a list of the programs that we have been involved with this past year.

We also have much more to do. To continue providing direction and management in the Black Rock Desert - High Rock Canyon - Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area and to initiate new, exciting programs in the future, we need your help and support.

I urge you to make a generous donation to the Friends of Black Rock, and if you have not already, please become a member. Also, send this message to your friends who might be interested in becoming a member. Your charitable donations to our non-profit will make a difference in the public lands that you love.

I thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Will Roger Peterson
President, Friends of the Black Rock/High Rock
blackrockdesert.org

To donate: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr

To become a member: shopblackrockdesert.org

2007 Achievements:

Outreach Events -- We attended 4 separate Earth Day events in Reno, Tahoe, and San Francisco, the Jackpot of Gems convention, X-Night at the Nevada Museum of Art, the Lake of the Sky festival, SF Decompression event, and the Nevada Day Parade. These events are an opportunity to promote membership, advertise our programs, and take our message to a wider audience.

Hot Spring Tours -- Since hot springs are a popular feature in the region, Friends board member and Sierra Club trip leader David Book conducted 4 separate tours to hot springs within and adjacent to the NCA.

Visitor Contact Trailer -- FBR/HR manages this facility for the BLM, which serves as the point of contact for visitors to the NCA. This year, 27 volunteers worked 503 hours, including at outreach events in Reno, Tahoe, and Carson City.

Black Rock Rendezvous -- This Memorial Day weekend event brought together several recreation and conservation groups for presentations, demonstrations, trainings, and field trips. 223 people attended, and the event concluded with our annual meeting and a partner group summit.

Emigrant Experience Tour -- Renowned OCTA member Chuck Dodd led this tour of the Lassen/Applegate Emigrant Trail from Imlay to Soldier Meadows with 12 Friends members.

5th Annual Guru Road Restoration -- 8 volunteers worked over two days to repair the road and perform maintenance the art installations.

3rd Annual Perseids Meteor Shower Outing -- 125 people attended this outing to observe the frequent falling stars and investigate celestial wonders through telescopes. On Saturday, the Friends of Nevada Wilderness and NOS conducted a wilderness hike and mining post removal project, with about 20 people participating.

Burning Man Event -- Friends helped produce interpretive displays for "The Playa" camp, in partnership with the Earth Guardians, Nevada Division of State Parks, Nevada Outdoor School, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, and others.

Coyote Springs Restoration -- 43 volunteers from the Burning Man event worked over 2 days to remove vehicle damage, place signs, construct a fence, and rehabilitate the sensitive spring fed dunes alongside the historic Nobles Route.

National Public Lands Day -- 71 volunteers joined Friends, the BLM, and other Black Rock user groups for various service projects, including repairs to the Stevens Camp cabin and cultural inventory at Massacre Ranch.

National Conservation System Foundation -- Friends Program Director Matthew Ebert and I attended the inception event in Washington, D.C. for this important new public lands group support foundation.

BlackRockDesert.org – The Nevada Commission on Tourism supported development of our website, which provides current conditions, a comprehensive calendar of Black Rock events, gateway community and user group information, news, project and event information, a user-based resource for adding comments and media, and soon an on-line store for buying merchandise, memberships, or to make donations.

Future Projects:

FM broadcast station -- On October 19, 2007, Friends applied for a non-commercial educational radio station license in Gerlach. If accepted, we intend to produce educational programs in partnership with various groups and provide emergency weather information to Black Rock visitors.

Gerlach Museum -- Friends has applied for a grant from the Union Pacific Railroad to renovate our office in Gerlach and develop a Gerlach Museum in part of the building, which once was a railroad administration building.

North Black Rock Wilderness -- Friends will conduct a volunteer project to rehabilitate roads in the North Black Rock wilderness around July 4, 2008.