MDF Projects
Jawbone Ranger Station
East of Groveland, Calif.
By Kevin Townsend
Replacing the ranger station
garage roof are (left to right)
John Kroeker, Kevin Townsend,
Jim Phelan, Steve Goforth, and
Mike Youngman.
On May 15, 2004, six members of MDF's Mother Lode Chapter completed another stage of an ongoing project at the Jawbone Ranger Station east of Groveland, Calif. MDF members Steve Goforth, Jim Phelan, Mike Youngman, Bobby Klein, John Kroeker and Kevin Townsend met with Forest Service archaeologist Steve Marsh to tear off and install a new wood shingle roof on the garage. The crew made quick work of it and were done in time for an early dinner of spareribs cooked by Steve Goforth.
For many years, the Ranger Station suffered from deferred maintenance and, if not for the MDF and a dedicated Forest Service employee, its buildings would most likely been lost within a few years. MDF members Jim Phelan and the late Bob Terry worked with Steve Marsh for the past couple of years to save the buildings through basic maintenance. Marsh, Terry and Phelan helped get the projects funded by lobbying the local Resource Advisory Committee to pay for materials while MDF volunteers did the work. The chapter replaced the cabin roof in the fall of 2002. Future projects include paint, trim and fixing a few weak spots in the cabin floor.
The Ranger Station has provided a base of operations for the California Department of Fish and Game for many decades and, with these improvements, should give biologists and wardens a place to stay for several more.