Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Rename North Palisade to.......

From Los Angeles Times Article:

California peak could become a lasting tribute to environmentalist David Brower

The state's U.S. senators are backing a bill to rename North Palisade after the first executive director of the Sierra Club. But the local congressman isn't sold on the idea.

By Steve Chawkins
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

8:10 PM PDT, July 24, 2008

California's U.S. senators have introduced a bill to rename the state's third-highest peak after David Brower, the fiery environmental activist who whipped the Sierra Club into a national force.

Under the proposal, 14,242-foot North Palisade would become Brower Palisade, a tribute to the California native who was one of the environmental movement's most prominent flag-bearers.

But the homage planned for Fresno County's highest point has left the local congressman flat.

"I most likely wouldn't support it," Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Visalia) said Thursday. "If you look at a lot of these radical groups that were formed, they've cost my district thousands of jobs. Take the timber industry: We let our forests burn up and meanwhile buy all our wood from Canada -- it's kind of a sad deal."

Nunes said most of the people he represents in his Central Valley district probably feel the same way. However, he said, his mind isn't made up since he has yet to confer with Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, the Democratic senators behind the legislation.

In a news release, Feinstein said Brower Palisade "will be a lasting reminder of David Brower's leadership and invaluable contributions to the environmental community."

Brower, the Sierra Club's first executive director, died eight years ago at the age of 88. A tireless crusader who was frequently criticized as arrogant, he led the fight to keep dams out of the Grand Canyon, rallied support for Redwood National Park and the Point Reyes National Seashore, sounded warnings on nuclear energy and, over decades, became one of the nation's most influential environmental warriors.

However, his pugnacious style also turned off some of his supporters, prompting a Nixon-era official to quip: "Thank God for David Brower; he makes it so easy for the rest of us to appear reasonable."

In addition to his activism, Brower was an avid mountaineer who scaled the mountain known to climbers as North Pal.

steve.chawkins@latimes.com

I'm against this. There are plenty of peaks in the Sierra that don't even have a name. Name one of them after Brower if they want. There's no need to rename North Pal.

I agree.... it seems strange that they would they pick North Palisade. It would be interesting to have Ken's input on this.

paul

How about re-naming a street in Sacramento, or a stretch of freeway? This proposed re-naming is a more of a tribute to politics than to mountaineering.

It won't have much of an impact for many years. It will take that long for all the existing maps and books to get phased out. Most people in to hiking, climbing, fishing, and appreciating the mountains will still refer to it as North Palisade even if it gets re-named.

How many people in the mountaineering community refer to Denali by its "official" name?

I would be totally opposed to that. This Brower guy is nothing to the average person. Name the street Brower the Sierra Club headquarters is on. Leave the Palisades alone.

First I've heard about it.

I think that Brower was a disciple of Muir, who had many impacts on the outdoors, and the Sierra in particular. Many mountains are named after other contemporaries of his, who had similar impacts. I find it reasonable, that people who made it their life's work to protect the Sierra should have Sierra peaks named after them.

Is North Pal the right mountain? I suppose that one could make the argument that the prominence of the man deserves the prominence of the peak. But, somehow, I doubt that Brower himself would support that change. I think that naming an unnamed peak after him would be the most appropriate. There must be reasonable candidates.

However, I'd be a lot happier with Brower Peak for North Pal, than I am with Crook's Peak.

I'm sure that Rep. Nunes, as well as Boxer and Feinstein, scan this message board daily, so I will let them know, right now, that I think they should leave North Palisade alone.

I planted a redwood tree 20 years ago across the street from my home and it is now about 30 feet tall. I will be glad to put up a sign proclaiming it David Brower's tree....and I'm a Sierra Club member too!

Not a good idea.

Why not name the next new designated wilderness area after him (like the Ansel Adams or Juhn Muir Wilderness areas)? That way it includes an entire eco-area, with forests, valleys, waterways, mountains, etc, - more in line with the values he tried to instill through the Sierra Club.

If they're going to name a prominent peak after Brower, why not a prominent one for John Muir?, instead of that minimal 'bump' on the Whitney crest that's named after him?

IMHO, no. As Kurt pointed out there are many peaks left unnamed so changing the name of a well know one seems a bit much. But once again it's politics as usual and I truly don't believe the strong opinions of those who truly love and enjoy the mountains matter above the lobbyists and special interests. There have been so many blunders and foolish measures decided by politicians who seldom step outside save to get into their car let alone spend a moment, aside from looking at pictures, taking in the mountains and lands their policies so drastically affect.

FYI: Here's a limk to the discussion on summitpost.org:

http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=39028&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75

I put some links on it to the US Senate's web pages on about page 5 of the discussion (Feinstein's and Boxer's home pages, plus the bill itself, SB3304). If you want to to you can send the senators a short e-mail on the bill. I'm against it, and would rather see a wilderness area, with its streams, meadows, diversity of wildlife and plants, and peaks, namesd after Brower. North Pal is just too well known, and a wilderness area seems to better represent what Brower stood for. A few proposed California wilderness areas can be found on Sen. Boxer's pages.

I couldnt care less what they name the peak. However, as a tax paying citizen of America I am disgusted that I am paying for this debate, and if it passes the money to pay for the renaming, which wont be cheap. Lets see....we have two wars going on, rampant illegal alien invasion, a budget deficiet, energy problems, health care issues, and many others and what do our elected officials want to deal with...NAMING A MOUNTAIN THAT ONLY .001 % OF AMERICANS EVEN KNOW ABOUT. Congress needs to shoot themselves in the head and do us all a favor.

I, too, oppose renaming North Palisade as Brower Palisade, and agree strongly with those who point out that there are hundreds of beautiful, unnamed peaks that could be named to honor Brower. My candidate for the honor is the lovely Peak 12047 above the Treasure Lakes on South Fork Bishop Creek. Name it "Brower Peak" to correspond to nearby Hurd Peak. Many dayhikers and backpackers will see this peak each season and be inspired by the memory of David Brower's commitment and contributions.