O.K. I am always the last to know. When did the Park Service close the Chicken Strip in Saline Valley? I am sure (well almost sure) that I talked to someone that was there in May. I thought it might have been damaged by the winter rains.
For sure it is closed now. I should have taken a picture. White rocks and two large barriers across the runway. Your tax dollars hard at work.

George

Desert Rat wrote:O.K. I am always the last to know. When did the Park Service close the Chicken Strip in Saline Valley? I am sure (well almost sure) that I talked to someone that was there in May. I thought it might have been damaged by the winter rains.
For sure it is closed now. I should have taken a picture. White rocks and two large barriers across the runway. Your tax dollars hard at work.

George

Last I heard BLM or FS had an agreement with RAF to keep it open. I would suspect unauthorized persons such as cactus hugging hippies did it.

Good day

If it is an "official" closure, they would have put a large white X at each end, FS and BLM employees are usually to lazy to drag large rocks around.

There are LARGE X's at both ends and the wind sock is down. Many white rocks. This really sucks. That in about the only emergency strip in that deep valley. The AH's should have left it available.
I called Lee at the springs and he said the NPS closed it about three weeks ago. So... More Park Service B.S.

George

George,

I would encourage you to contact the folks at the RAF and tell them what you know and have found out. When they get briefed on this issue I'm sure they will be huge advocates on finding answers and hopefully getting things opened once again. www.theraf.org

I am now of the opinion the the Fed Gov is the enemy of the people. They just seem to always know what is best for the unwashed masses. On second thought, just about all government.

Tim

In the lower 48, most all national parklands, are "closed" to recreational aircraft landings unless specifically "opened."

Hmmm...as of right now the only two places listed as open to landings in Death Valley NP are the registered airports at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells. Unfortunately there isn't an easy way to research when the change was made exactly, those rules are reviewed annually. On the other hand considering the history since 2002 I'm not entirely sure it was ever listed as an official designated landing area.

DR why don't you write or call the park and ask them? Shocking suggestion, I know, to go the source.

OregonMaule wrote:Last I heard BLM or FS had an agreement with RAF to keep it open. I would suspect unauthorized persons such as cactus hugging hippies did it.

Good day

The RAF had what the RAF characterized as a five year agreement with the NPS beginning in 2007 for light maintenance work to be performed there. I highly doubt that the agreement imposed any duty on the NPS to keep it open, just that they would support the RAF doing maintenance there while it was open. I'm sure there was also a "conversation", but that particular Superintendent retired over two years ago.

So... I called the Park Service and it seems that this is Field Trip Day so on one is available? Left my number. They must have gotten other calls because they had all the correct answers ready. ILLEGAL is what they are going with. Immoral was my response.
They will call back tomorrow. Don't hold your breath.
George

Are there any Notams thats say closed? NOPE!!!

Just go land there and move the rocks back and then hang the skull and cross bones for a wind sock....(not really)

Found these links...checkem out..this one has the park supers name and contact info
http://home.inreach.com/grahdani/saline.PDF

RAF response
http://home.inreach.com/grahdani/SalinePosition.PDF

This one is interesting...about a pilot whe got a ticket for landing there
http://www.37000feet.com/report/404036/Pilot-of-maule-MXT7-180A-lands-at-closed-airport-and-is-ticketed-by

aktahoe1 wrote:Are there any Notams thats say closed? NOPE!!!

Just go land there and move the rocks back and then hang the skull and cross bones for a wind sock....(not really)

Found these links...checkem out..this one has the park supers name and contact info
http://home.inreach.com/grahdani/saline.PDF

RAF response
http://home.inreach.com/grahdani/SalinePosition.PDF

This one is interesting...about a pilot whe got a ticket for landing there
http://www.37000feet.com/report/404036/Pilot-of-maule-MXT7-180A-lands-at-closed-airport-and-is-ticketed-by

Those are really old and as I said Reynolds retired some time ago. Good background though.

aktahoe1 wrote:Are there any Notams thats say closed? NOPE!!!

I just did a search for this "Chicken Strip" in the Saline Valley, CA. I can't find any airport info on this strip.

Is the Chicken Strip located on Private or Public land?

Is the Chicken Strip open for Private or Public use?

Is or was the Chicken Strip even an official airport listed in the Airport Facility Directory? Or is/was it just a dirt runway in the middle of the desert?

I can't find this strip on any sectional or on Airnav.com

Therefore, maybe that's why there was or is not any NOTAMS for the Chicken Strip??

Just curious

It's like........ SHIT, I better get on the ball and get my plane back in the air before even more airstrips are closed down!!!!

They should close the park to cars and trucks, including theirs. Go Green.

Tim

Coyote Ugly wrote:I landed on the rougher close -in strip last summer, and got the same very unfriendly reception from a supposed park service guy that looked more like a hippy. He was driving an old beat up samurai and was very rude. He said I was going to get a ticket if I didn't move over to the other strip immediately, I asked if I could just eat a sandwich before I left, and he turned into an asshole, so I just told him I would get the fuck out of there, and left. Spent the next 15 minutes all pissed off, then forgot all about it as I was having way too much fun flying.

I would think that if said person was driving a vehicle without a CA Exempt, US Government, or State plates on their vehicle and didn't provide you with proper credentials (Badge, I.D., or even business card), I'd tell them to F off! "I'll take you more serious if you show back up with proper I.D. and or with local law enforcement official". By that time, you'd be long gone anyway

Public use of the Chicken Strip is tolerated by the NPS because they use it themselves for patrol purposes. It's a ~30 minute flight from Furnace Creek or a 4~6 hour drive for a ranger. It's not an official airport, but is "used for aircraft operations". The closer strip used to be the main one, but it was felt that it was too close to the camping area. The Chicken Strip is only a ten minute walk away...

Lizard Lee is a private citizen who is allowed by the NPS to live there and keep things steady and mellow. There is a feeling among those of us who have been using the springs since way before the NPS took them over from the BLM that the NPS would like to make the whole Saline Valley a wilderness area because people sitting in beautiful hot springs in the middle of nowhere is not compatible with the NPS "use plan" There is a kind of stasis nowadays where the people who used to "live" there for 7 months a year in dirt floor shacks are gone, but folks go there for a weekend to a week and keep the place up and working at no cost the government.

Those of us who love going to Saline Valley by air and land try to keep that stasis and refrain from rocking the boat so the NPS doesn't have any excuse to close the whole valley.

Just to clarify we are talking about the strip that is just to the North of the original one right? The original one was closed off a long time ago but I heard of someone going to the Northern one just recently myself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkNGEAVOfOs

Maybe it was some preservationist wackos who decided to take things into their own hands. I sure hope that the NPS didn’t do this.

The Chicken Strip (and the Hero Strip, before it) have for many years provided low-impact access for many people to the hot springs and the surrounding desert. The Chicken Strip itself is short and barely even noticeable from the air. The impact on the area is less than the ¼ mile of the dirt road leading to the springs. Left traffic naturally keeps our little prop planes away from the Springs. The only noise comes from cars, partiers at the springs and low passes by jets from China Lake.

In the General Management Plan for DVNP from 2002 http://www.nps.gov/deva/parkmgmt/upload/GMP_001.pdf, the NPS considered but rejected an “Alternative 3” that would have closed the Chicken Strip. Instead, they selected “Alternative 1,” which deferred the decision to a later date. With respect to Visitor Use in Saline Valley, the Plan says that “A site specific management plan will be prepared in consultation with interested public through the NEPA process.” This process was to have included “An analysis will be made of the Chicken Strip airstrip to determine whether to retain it under 36CFR [36 CFR what? Hiding the ball, NPS?] or whether it should be closed due to safety and/or resource impact concerns.”

I’ve been flying into the Chicken Strip since the late ‘80s and have been paying attention. I don’t recall seeing any notice or opportunity for comment through NEPA or any other kind of process on whether the Chicken Strip should be closed. Apparently, no one else did either. So, if this really is a Park Service closure, it was done unilaterally, without notice to or an opportunity for comment by interested parties. That would confirm my worst fears, but I’ll hold my rant until we find out who is behind this eco-elitist atrocity.

CAVU

Ok I talked with Death Valley National Park Superintendent Sarah L. Craighead's office. THEY DID IT. They know all about it. So you can't land and move the rocks. There are about a million of them. All painted white. Two white X's. IT WAS NOT DONE BY SOMEONE ELSE>>>>>It was done by the NPS. Go take a look and tell me if you think anyone can land there.
I am sure I will be able to talk with the Chief Ranger tomorrow but I am equally sure I won't get Sh-- for an answer. You could land at the strip south of the hot springs but Lee won't like that much.
It has been used for over 20 years but it was never on the charts.
These people can do anything they want. It is not your Park it belongs to them....
Someone go take a look and tell me what you think. More later....

George

I talked by E-mail with:

John Kounis
Southern California Liaison
Recreational Aviation Foundation

He called the NPS and got what I did. "We will call back tomorrow"

Geoege