PRESS RELEASE
NEW INTERPRETATIVE PANELS INSTALLED AT BISHOP AIRPORT
8/6/24

Each year, thousands of people fly in and out of the Bishop Airport to visit and enjoy the Eastern Sierra and our wonderful “big backyard.” Now – thanks to Bishop’s two Rotary Clubs and their partners – tourists and local folks visiting the airport will have a new opportunity to better understand and value our treasured region and its many attractions. Four carefully designed interpretative panels now stand near baggage claim to help promote awareness and respect for our area’s unique recreational, historic, economic, and cultural resources – and inhabitants.
“These improved educational tools will help visitors better understand our area and embrace the importance of respecting and carefully stewarding local natural, historic, environmental, and cultural resources,” notes project organizer Bernadette Johnson of the Rotary Club of Bishop Sunrise. “There is so much for visitors to do here and a wealth of vibrant communities to experience and appreciate. The interpretive panels will highlight our area’s special – and often sensitive – resources beginning with local Indigenous cultures, mining/ranching, outdoor recreation, and the environment.”

The four interpretative signs include an Indigenous panel offering a welcome to Payahuunadü and acknowledging the history, resilience, and presence today of both the Nüümü and Newe people, whose “cultural and spiritual beliefs are rooted in a sacred relationship to the land.” This panel was written and developed with assistance from the Bishop Paiute Tribe. It is complimented by a recreation-focused panel, which highlights many of the world-renowned activities and opportunities that draw outdoor enthusiasts to our area. This sign emphasizes the importance of Tread Lightly and Leave No Trace principles, encouraging everyone to recreate responsibly to protect the Eastern Sierra’s natural and recreational values, now and for the future.

A third sign, developed in collaboration with knowledgeable volunteers at the Laws Railroad Museum & Historical Site, summarizes our area’s multigenerational mining and ranching histories, describing both the Pine Creek and Cerro Gordo mines and the historic 1861 cattle drive to this area. The fourth replicates the wording of a panel originally created by community members when the Bishop Airport’s World War II (WWII) era tower was restored over 20 years ago. This earlier panel had since deteriorated and was barely legible. Updated with historic photographs, the new panel briefly tells the story of the airport and its historic tower, noting their significance to WWII and the training of Army pilots.
All four panels were designed by talented local graphic artist, Jon Hess. Photographs for the project were provided by the Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, local author and historian Pam Vaughan, the Bishop Paiute Tribe, and the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission. The Indigenous, recreation, and mining and ranching panels are each on heavy free-standing “sleds” which can be relocated when the new terminal is built. The airport sign will be attached to the historic airport tower.

Funding for the project was provided by the Rotary Club of Bishop and the Rotary Club of Bishop Sunrise, as well as the Bishop Rotary Foundation and Rotary’s District 5190. The Bishop Sunrise Club meets Wednesdays at 7:30 AM in the Northern Inyo Hospital Annex Conference Room at 2957 Birch Street. The Rotary Club of Bishop meets Tuesdays at 12:00 PM in the Tukanovie Restaurant at 2742 N. Sierra Hwy. Both Clubs strive to be of service, in our local area and beyond. Visitors are always welcome at Rotary Club meetings.

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