A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California
Issue 531 - 5/18/12
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THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:
- America's Great Outdoors
- Get Outdoors tip of the week
- Wild horses and burros
- Wildfires and prevention
- Not for educators only: Wildlife trivia question of the week
- Renewable energy
- Traditional energy/Fracking
- Headlines and highlights: Assorted topics from your public lands in California
- Selected upcoming events
- National and Department of the Interior items
If this message does not show up properly in your email, see it online at:
www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/2012/531.html
 AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS
"Obama Administration to hire 20,000 young people for summer work on public lands" (Department of the Interior, 5/18/12)
In response to President Obama’s call to expand opportunities for summer employment for young people and connect them with the great outdoors, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Chair of the White House Council on
Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley today highlighted summer work opportunities for more than 20,000 young people, ages 15-25, in national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/pfkd
 "Trail days teaches students about wilderness" (Paradise Post, 5/12/12)
A group of fifth graders "spent a few days in the wilderness learning how to take care of the forest .... how to identify local vegetation and how to protect their community from fire danger, while learning a few personal fire safety tips .... The students worked with local firefighters
and Bureau of Land Management crews throughout the 3-day event. In the spirit of teamwork, the youngsters were taught logging exercises like how to use a misery whip, which is a two-man saw. The students were also taken on a nature hike and taught about plants and wildlife common to the area ....
With the help of the California Conservation Corps, the youths were also taught a little bit about discipline. "
www.paradisepost.com/news/ci_20610229/trail-days-teaches-students-about-wilderness
  "Children learn about environment during 'In the Creek Day'" (Lake County News, 5/13/12)
"Four elementary schools sent a total of 160 fourth graders to a natural setting by Putah Creek ... to learn about the environment and how to take care of it." In the Creek Day is "a springtime event which gives children demonstrations of various aspects of the environment and how to be good
stewards." Educators included the BLM's Jeff Tunnell, who taught about fire safety.
www.ca.blm.gov/4dkd
"Secretary Salazar, CEQ Chair Sutley will speak at Fort Ord dedication ceremony" (Department of the Interior, 5/16/12)
On Saturday, May 19, 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley will speak at the dedication ceremony for the recently established Fort Ord National Monument.
www.ca.blm.gov/ffkd
RELATED: "Fort Ord National Monument" (BLM California)
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/hollister/fort_ord/index.html
"BLM to open Trinity River campgrounds" (BLM, 5/14/12)
The Junction City and Steel Bridge campgrounds will be first to open on May 21, followed by the Douglas City Campground on May 24.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/blm_to_open_trinity.html
"America's Great Outdoors: Salazar Designates National Natural Landmarks in California, West Virginia" (Department of the Interior, 5/18/12)
As part of the 50th anniversary of the National Natural Landmarks Program this month, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has designated Lake Shasta Caverns, a pristine cave in northern California, and Ice Mountain, an unusual geological phenomenon called glacière talus in West Virginia,
as national natural landmarks.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/qfkd
  The Volcanic Tablelands ... offer exceptional recreation. Its unique geologic features were formed by the
eruption of the Long Valley Caldera 750,000 years ago. Through time, this once barren tableau has evolved to support a unique and fragile environment that takes time – and a keen eye -- to appreciate. The Volcanic Tablelands is at the ecological cusp of the Northern Mojave and Great Basin
floristic provinces, where plants and associated wildlife species combine to make this an unusual and biologically diverse landscape. It has taken millennia for this environment to evolve, and it will take responsible recreational users to preserve it into perpetuity -- so enjoy and  protect this place. Donated public service video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgnQYGx695w&feature=relmfu
RELATED: "Volcanic Tablelands"(BLM Bishop Field Office)
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop/volcanictablelands_caso.html
"Military families to get free pass to national parks" (CNN, 5/15/12)
"Members of the U.S. military and their families are now eligible for free passes to national parks and monuments as part of a program timed to celebrate Armed Forces Day on Saturday, the White House announced .... The passes normally costs $80 and cover admission to 2,000 locations managed
by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies. Under the program, military members and their dependents will only need to show Defense Department identification to get the free passes."
www.cnn.com/2012/05/15/us/us-parks-military/index.html
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GET OUTDOORS TIP OF THE WEEK...
  ...Come out to watch adopters and their mustangs compete in the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Norco. The event begins May 18 and continues through May 20. Guests are encouraged to come watch competitions
Friday and Saturday with free admission, and to see the winners in the finals Saturday night, with a ticket required. Adoptions will be held Sunday, May 20.
www.extrememustangmakeover.com/norco.php
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 WILD HORSES AND BURROS
  "Nurturing nature" (Coos Bay World, 5/12/12)
Beads of sweat trickle slowly down Dave Swisher's forehead as he removes his white cowboy hat and takes a deep sigh. The mustang to his left stays fixated on his every move,pushing her nose gently toward his face while he kisses her head and whispers softly in her ear." Swisher will
compete in Albany Oregon June 29 to July 1, in an Extreme Mustang Makeover challenge that "pits 50 trainers from Oregon, Washington, Montana and northern California against each other. Trainers are given a wild mustang that is captured from different herds across the West. Ten of the trainers,
including Swisher, were given two mustangs." Includes video.
http://theworldlink.com/news/local/nurturing-nature/article_e6b72825-1303-5f20-b34e-346964ec396c.html
RELATED: "Wild horse and burro adoptions 2012" (BLM California)
This schedule is subject to change. Please check back or call the contact numbers listed.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/adoptions.html
"BLM sets hearing on vehicle, aircraft use in Wild Horse and Burro Program"(BLM, 5/17/12)
The use of aircraft and motor vehicles in wild horse and burro management on public lands will be discussed in a public hearing Tuesday, June 5 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in Sacramento. At the hearing, participants can provide written comments or make statements about the use of motorized vehicles
in managing wild horses and burros by the BLM California. The BLM periodically gathers and removes wild horses and burros from public lands to maintain populations in balance with other range users, and to ensure that rangeland forage and water sources are not over-used. BLM California manages two
adoption facilities, in Ridgecrest and Litchfield, and holds adoptions throughout the state.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/CASO126_aircraftmtg.html
"Deadline for submitting comments on planned wild horse roundup extended" (Sacramento Bee, 5/17/12)
The BLM "has extended the deadline for submitting comments on a proposed roundup of wild horses in northeast California and northwest Nevada" until May 24. The BLM is "considering roundups of wild horses in November from federal ranges in the Buckhorn and Coppersmith areas in Lassen County
and across the state line in Washoe County, Nevada. Roundups for the Carter Reservoir area, in Modoc and Washoe counties, are tentatively scheduled for July 2013."
www.sacbee.com/2012/05/17/4495941/deadline-for-submitting-comments.html
"BLM to begin gather of wild burros from Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area in Arizona" (BLM Arizona, 5/14/12)
The BLM's Yuma Field Office plans to begin gathering 350 burros from the Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area north of Yuma, Arizona, on Monday, June 4, 2012. BLM expects the gather to last approximately two weeks. The gather is part of ongoing management to maintain a healthy population of wild
burros and horses on public lands in balance with their environment.
www.blm.gov/az/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/CF-gather-june.html
"Feds can't sideline horse roundup evidence" (Courthouse News Service, 5/14/12)
"A federal judge may block an agency's plan to castrate wild stallions and return them to public lands after finding that it used an email error to 'remain studiously ignorant of material scientific evidence'."
www.courthousenews.com/2012/05/14/46464.htm
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WILDFIRES AND PREVENTION
"BLM issues fire restrictions for public lands" (BLM, 5/15/12)
The BLM issued fire restrictions on public lands in the California desert, including requiring permits for campfires and barbecues. A prolific growth of highly flammable invasive grasses ensuing from last year’s above-normal rainfall, followed by this year’s below-normal rainfall,
have resulted in a landscape of completely cured holdover grasses that are very combustible.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/cddfirerestrictions.html
"Whitewater Canyon closures in effect for fire prevention" (BLM, 5/16/12)
The BLM has temporarily closed more than 4,000 acres of public land in Whitewater Canyon to help protect its valued landscape from potential wildfires. The Whitewater Preserve operated by the Wildlands Conservancy remains open.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/CDD1248_whitwtrfireclose.html
"Fire restrictions announced for BLM in western Arizona" (BLM Arizona, 5/11/12)
To protect the public, natural resources, and reduce the risks of wildfires, the BLM Colorado River District has announced fire restrictions on 2.5 million acres of public lands in western Arizona and southeastern California along the Colorado River.
www.blm.gov/az/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/fire_restrictions.html
"Crews getting ready for increasing fire risk" (BLM, 5/17/12)
With Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, area fire agencies are cautioning northstate residents and visitors to be careful with any outdoor use of fire. Officials at the Susanville Interagency Fire Center (SIFC) said vegetation is drying quickly due to light winter precipitation and
recent warm and windy days.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/memorial_day_fire.html
 "Ex-military train with California Conservation Corps near Auburn for firefighting"
(Auburn Journal, 5/11/12)
"Fifty military veterans are completing initial firefighter training from the California Conservation Corps and the U.S. Forest Service" at the corps' Placer Center near Auburn. "The joint training partnership is intended to ease the veterans’ transition from military service to the
civilian workforce .... Born and raised in Auburn and out of the Army since late January, 23-year-old program participant Jason Howerton described the training, with potential employers like the Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management looking on, as a 'fantastic opportunity'."
http://auburnjournal.com/detail/207732.html
  "Arizona wildfires: 2nd community evacuated near Gladiator Fire" (Arizona Republic, 5/18/12)
"The Gladiator Fire continues to blacken the Bradshaw Mountains, forcing a second community to evacuate and two more to be put on notice for a possible evacuation .... The Gladiator Fire has consumed almost 10,000 acres and was 5 percent contained, according to fire officials Friday morning.
More than 600 firefighters are working to control the blaze."
www.ca.blm.gov/nfkd
RELATED: "Fires around Arizona - May 2012" (Arizona Republic, 5/17/12)
Photos from the firefighting effort in Arizona, including BLM firefighters.
www.azcentral.com/photo/News/Breaking/22366
"Take responsibility..." (California Fire Alliance)
In California, the number of homes and businesses are growing in the Wildland Urban Interface – and fire is an increasing threat. Reduce your home's fire danger and prevent wildfires from spreading by taking responsibility today.
http://takeresponsibility.com/
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NOT for EDUCATORS ONLY:
northern leopard frogs
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WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK:
Northern leopard frogs:
(a.) Lay thousands of eggs in a year.
(b.) Lay eggs in other frog’s nests, for them to raise.
(c.) Give birth to live tadpoles.
(d.) Can jump up to 25 feet.
(e.) Change colors, depending on their surroundings.
(f.) Are set to costar as the secondary character, "Splat" in the upcoming movie based on the video game Frogger.
See answer near the end of this News.bytes.
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Correction to link: News.bytes issue 529 included a link that worked internally, but not when emailed to our readers or posted on our web site. Here is the corrected
link:
  GET OUTDOORS TIP OF THE WEEK...
...visit the Pit River, the largest river in Northeastern California. This isolated area is one of the most unique and aesthetic camping spots around. Pit River provides other recreational activities such as hiking, biking and sightseeing.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/alturas/pit_river.html
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 RENEWABLE ENERGY
"Ocotillo wind project advances despite tribal objections" (San Diego Union-Tribune, 5/12/12)
The Interior Department "approved the construction of a large-scale wind energy project across 10,000 acres of public lands on the outskirts of the desert town of Ocotillo .... over the objection of Native American tribal officials who remain concerned about the aesthetic impact of the
project on ancestral lands and the potential for disturbing cultural and archaeological artifacts, including possible cremation sites. The Bureau of Land Management said it worked closely with Native American tribes and neighboring residents to minimize impacts of the project."
www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/may/12/ocotillo-wind-project-advances-despite-tribal-obje/
RELATED: "Bureau of Land Management blesses Ocotillo Express wind turbine project" (Imperial Valley Press, 5/12/12)
"The announcement comes about two weeks after the Board of Supervisors approved the project amidst heavy opposition from the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, the Quechan Tribe, environmentalists and some Ocotillo residents who appealed for the project’s denial."
http://articles.ivpressonline.com/2012-05-12/wind-turbine-project_31683206
RELATED: "Interior Approves Ocotillo Express Wind Project in Imperial County, California" (BLM, 5/11/12)
The 315-megawatt wind energy facility on more than 10,000 acres of public lands near Ocotillo is expected to provide enough electricity to power 94,500 homes and create up to 350 jobs at peak construction. The project is expected offset approximately 288,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas
emissions per year.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/CASO127_ocotillo_ROD.html
RELATED: "Tribe seeks injunction to stop desert wind energy project" (KPBS, 5/16/12)
The Quechan Indian Tribe complaint "says the U.S. Department of the Interior violated various federal laws when it recently approved construction of the wind turbines. The 315-megawatt project is planned for nearly 20 square miles of public land, some of which the Quechan and several other
tribes claim is sacred."
www.kpbs.org/news/2012/may/16/tribe-seeks-injunction-stop-desert-wind-project/
  "Aging wind farms in need of a modern makeover" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5/13/12)
"The end of a key federal tax incentive for the wind industry could put a damper on much-needed wind turbine replacement efforts ... just as many of the region's iconic windmills are hitting the upper limit of their 30-year lifespan ..... geology and weather make the San Gorgonio Pass the
prime wind region that it is .... The total number of turbines in the pass right now is something of a moving target, due to the ebb and flow of new and repowered projects and farms currently out of commission. The pass covers about 5,500 acres, of which 3,589 acres are public land...."
www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012205130357
"Bureau of Land Management plans to trim solar plant's impact on environment" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5/14/12)
"At 1,208 acres, the Desert Harvest solar project is already the smallest of the large-scale solar plants proposed for public land east of the Coachella Valley." But the BLM "wants to cut down the 150-megawatt photovoltaic plant by 164 acres, while allowing the project developer enXco to use
'high-profile' racks that would raise the panels 15 feet off the ground." The enXco project "would produce enough power for about 45,000 homes."
www.ca.blm.gov/gfkd
"Artifact finds slow Genesis project" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5/14/12)
"Work has been halted on approximately 100 acres of the 1,800-acre Genesis solar project between Desert Center and Blythe, following the discovery of “widely dispersed artifacts,” many of which may date to before A.D. 1000, according to the federal Bureau of Land Management."
www.mydesert.com/article/20120515/NEWS07/205150305/Artifact-finds-slow-Genesis-solar-project
"Blythe: Company scales back solar project" (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 5/11/12)
"BrightSource Energy Co. says it is downsizing plans for a large-scale solar development in eastern Riverside County near the Colorado River," from three to two "power towers .... the change would shrink the footprint by 1,800 acres, reduce the visual impacts, eliminate a need to reroute Imperial
Irrigation District transmission lines and speed up construction. Most of the land involved is owned by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California." The company needs approval from the California Energy Commission and the BLM.
www.ca.blm.gov/hfkd
"BLM sets public meetings for solar project near El Centro" (BLM, 5/15/12)
The BLM announced public presentations in El Centro on Wednesday, May 23 for the proposed San Diego Gas and Electric Ocotillo Sol solar energy project in Imperial County for public review and comment. The presentations will highlight the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed
application for a right-of-way on public lands to construct a solar photovoltaic power plant facility on about 115 acres nine miles southwest of El Centro and 82 miles east of San Diego.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/ocotillo_sol_public.html
"Mojave Desert: Lawmakers assist solar project"(Riverside Press-Enterprise, 5/11/12)
California lawmakers approved legislation "that would allow a solar development planned on public land in a remote valley east of Barstow to avoid local environmental reviews. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the legislation, the project can be approved by the California Energy Commission and
won’t be subjected to the permitting process that would have been required by San Bernardino County." The 4,000-acre Calico development site is on BLM-managed lands about 37 miles east of Barstow. "Environmental groups oppose the project because the land is largely undisturbed and is home to
desert tortoises and other wildlife."
www.ca.blm.gov/jfkd
"Mitigation meditation -- the solar trade-offs" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5/15/12)
Mitigation is "a word often used in environmental impact reports for large-scale solar projects, such as the 150-megawatt Desert Harvest project being planned for 1,000-1,200 acres of open desert .... when it comes to lessening the impacts of solar, it seems there are two basic classes of
mitigations -- direct, onsite actions and indirect, offsite actions .... In fact, it would probably be better to use the word compensate -- to counterbalance, or to make an appropriate, counterbalancing payment -- in such cases."
http://greenenergy.blogs.mydesert.com/2012/05/15/mitigation-meditation/
"Solar Energy: Lawmakers grill executives over loan program" (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 5/16/12)
"A controversial federal loan program that brought billions of dollars to solar energy projects in Riverside and San Bernardino counties has again come under fire from GOP lawmakers who say they have new evidence showing that the funding decisions were wrongfully intertwined with politics. A
panel of executives from major solar development firms sought to counter the accusations during a heated hearing Wednesday, May 16. They said the projects earned federal loan guarantees on their merits and remain on track."
http://shar.es/qnQNB
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TRADITIONAL ENERGY/FRACKING
"Science And The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers" (NPR at KUNC Colorado, 5/17/12 and earlier)
A series of stories: "A natural gas boom is underway in the U.S., with more than 200,000 wells drilled in the last decade .... residents who live close to the natural gas bonanza have the same questions: What kind of pollutants is the industrial activity putting into their water and air, and
are those pollutants making them sick? NPR's science desk & KUNC explore why there aren't solid answers to those questions yet..."
www.kunc.org/topic/science-and-fracking-boom-missing-answers
"Fracking meeting ends early for lack of comments" (Bakersfield Californian, 5/17/12)
"More than 75 people" attended a listening session on hydraulic fracturing held by the California Department of Conservation -- the first in a seven-city "fracking tour" running through late July. But "most of the public comments came from a relatively few industry spokespeople" who said
"fracking is already guided by strict rules governing well construction" and "a vital practice within California oil production" and asked "why the state was drafting new rules to begin with, and what scope these regulations might have.
www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x84912920/Fracking-meeting-ends-early-for-lack-of-comments
"Oil companies agree to post fracking data" (Bakersfield Californian, 5/15/12)
"Kern County's biggest oil producers, consenting to a request by state regulators, have agreed to share information about their fracking operations by the end of June, executives with a leading industry trade group said Tuesday."
www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x243433713/Oil-companies-agree-to-post-fracking-data
"Oil industry says it will report California 'fracking' information" (Sacramento Bee, 5/16/12)
"On the eve of a series of public hearings on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial but little-regulated method of oil extraction in California, an industry group said Tuesday that its members will voluntarily post information about their "fracking" operations on a disclosure website, Frac Focus,
likely by the end of June."
www.sacbee.com/2012/05/16/4492835/oil-industry-says-it-will-report.html |
HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS
  "Company wants to tap Mojave's public lands for Southland water" (Los Angeles Times, 5/16/12)
Cadiz, Inc. wants to sell "ancient desert groundwater" to southern California cities. "Federal lands surround the 34,000 acres the company owns .... a half-dozen congressionally designated wilderness areas are close by" and Mojave National Preserve is about 15 miles away. The plan would use
"a public resource" for "private profit, blazing a new -- and some warn ominous -- path in the state …. Cadiz has lined up new customers, released a thick pile of environmental documents and hired one of the West's most powerful law firms .... Cadiz argues that it does not need federal
approval because its pipeline route follows an existing railroad right-of-way. But a recent Interior Department solicitor's opinion held that railroads cannot authorize activities in their federal right-of-ways 'that bear no relationship to the construction or operation of a railroad'."
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-water-cadiz-20120516,0,391990.story
 "Popular Dumont Dunes OHV Area helps NASA prepare for Mars exploration" (News.bytes Extra)
NASA scientists are using the popular Dumont Dunes OHV area to test how their Curiosity rover will navigate similar terrain on Mars. Curiosity was launched on November 26, 2011 and will travel an estimated 354 million miles before reaching Gale Crater on Mars, later this year.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/531xtra_nasa_dumont_dunes.html
"BLM names Burke acting manager of Cedarville Office"(BLM, 5/16/12)
Tim Burke, manager of the BLM's Alturas Field Office, has been appointed acting manager for the neighboring Surprise Field Office in Cedarville, Calif. Burke will fill in behind Allen Bollschweiler, who became manager of the BLM Grants Pass, Ore. field office. Burke will retain his
responsibilities managing the BLM Alturas Field Office while he provides management support in Cedarville.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/blm_names_burke_acting.html
"Carrizo Plain National Monument Advisory Council plans June meeting" (BLM, 5/16/12)
The BLM's Carrizo Plain National Monument Advisory Council will meet June 30 at the Carrisa Plains Elementary School to discuss management planning for the monument.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/carrizo_mac_meeting.html
  "BLM El Centro Field Office honors local law enforcement" (News.bytes Extra)
The office kicked off National Police Week by joining forces with local law enforcement agencies in the Imperial Valley, starting with a a law enforcement family day picnic and memorial run to honor officers and their families, hosted by the United States Border Patrol El Centro Sector. The
day started with a 28-mile relay race, with each team running in honor of a fallen law enforcement officer. The celebration continued with a fair for all law enforcement officers and their families, with activities and booths set up to educate, inform, and engage officers and their children.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/531xtra_blm_natl_police_week.html
"Digital 395 crosses another hurdle" (Mammoth Times, 5/15/12)
The 583-mile long Digital 395 Broadband Project would run fiber cables through the Eastern Sierra between Barstow and Reno, "with many service connections to schools, hospitals, government agencies and other critical facilities along the way," and "very high levels of broadband" to more than
35 communities, "most of which have either no or very poor access to the internet today." The BLM is involved in permits for the project.
www.mammothtimes.com/content/raw-digital-395-crosses-another-hurdle
"Tribe discusses park land swap proposal" (Del Norte Triplicate, 5/17/12)
"The Yurok Tribe would like to manage federal lands that were historically used for Yurok ceremonial purposes, but loose ends remain on how that could be done." The tribe proposes "to co-manage 1,204 acres of Redwood National Park land and 1,229 acres of U.S. Forest Service land" and "put into
trust Redding Rock, a sea stack off the coast of Orick" managed by the BLM, "on which the tribe has "a stewardship and management role .... Another 324 acres of BLM land scattered in separate parcels near the Hoopa Reservation would also be put into trust as part of the legislation."
www.triplicate.com/News/Local-News/Tribe-discusses-park-land-swap-proposal
"Taking care of our local watershed is top priority"(Redwood Times, 5/15/12)
"Water Day II drew a lively crowd of scientists, river advocates and homesteaders to the Mateel Community Center on Sunday, May 6." Among the presenters was a civil engineer with the BLM, who "talked about the impact of road building and heavy equipment excavation on watercourses. He has been
witness to the damage done by large cartel marijuana grows in the mountains...."
www.redwoodtimes.com/garbervillenews/ci_20628805/taking-care-our-local-watershed-is-top-priority
"Law enforcement planning to make big splash on river this weekend" (Mohave Valley Daily News, 5/17/12)
The BLM will join other agencies on the Colorado River system this weekend, "enforcing Arizona’s OUI legal limit of a 0.08 blood-alcohol content." "A large number of boating accidents involve alcohol," said an Arizona Game & Fish Department spokeswoman. "Removing impaired boaters from
the waterways is a critical element in creating a safe, enjoyable recreational environment .... we share these waterways with California and Nevada. It’s becoming very congested, which lends itself to more potential hazards."
www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2012/05/17/news/local/doc4fb49d593ee96996908989.txt
JOBS
"Current job openings - BLM California" (USAJOBS website)
http://blm.usajobs.gov/JobSearch/Search/GetResults?location=California |
NATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS
"New online application and other tools expand public access to critical data for assessing water availability across the West" (Department of the Interior, 5/16/12)
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced a new online tool for western water managers and the public to help increase accessibility of science-based information and understanding of how climate variations will impact the availability of water to communities. The Bureau of Reclamation site
provides a straightforward interface to projected streamflow data for 195 sites on streams and rivers throughout the West.
www.ca.blm.gov/9dkd
"BLM opens Black Rock Station near Gerlach" (BLM Nevada, 5/11/12)
The Black Rock Station visitor contact center will open on May 16, for the 2012 season. Visitors may obtain information about the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area at the visitor contact center, which will be open over the weekends from Thursdays through
Mondays.
www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/winnemucca__blm_opens.html
RELATED: "Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area" (BLM Nevada)
The longest intact segments of the historic emigrant trails to California and Oregon in the western US, including wagon ruts, historic inscriptions and a wilderness landscape largely unchanged since the days of the pioneers are found in the Black Rock-High Rock Region of northwestern Nevada. The
world land speed record was set here in 1997, and the playa is the location of the Burning Man Festival.
www.ca.blm.gov/bfkd
  "A man with an irresistible urge to run wide open" (New York Times, 5/11/12)
Craig Breedlove was "practically a household name in the 1960s," after speeding at more than 400 miles an hour and ending a "decades-long" British domination of the land speed record. The British again hold the record, at 763 mph -- and Breedlove, 75, wants to capture it by going 800 mph Breedlove
first set a course record of 148 mph in a 1934 Ford coupe at El Mirage dry lake bed (managed by BLM California) and went on to set a 600 mph record in a rocket car on the Bonneville Salt Flats, managed by BLM Utah.
www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/automobiles/a-man-with-an-irresistible-urge-to-run-wide-open.html
RELATED: "Conserving Utah's fragile salt flats" (New York Times, 5/11/12)
It is "doubtful that any race course has a history to match that of the Bonneville Salt Flats .... Left untouched, the hard surface might maintain its cap, up to seven feet thick in places, for millenniums to come." But today the crust is receding, "down to just a few inches in some areas. Veteran
racers have said that speed trials on the salt flats could be forced to end in less than a decade" due to mining on nearby BLM-managed lands.
www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/automobiles/conserving-utahs-fragile-salt-flats.html
 "BLM restores old homesteads for the future" (Great Falls Tribune, 5/13/12)
"BLM archeologist Zane Fulbright is " leading a restoration of a two-story log barn" built in 1914 that is a rare relic from Montana's homestead boom in the early 19th century .... More than that, Fulbright is trying to explain to today's generation what yesterday's homesteaders endured."
www.ca.blm.gov/cfkd
 "Reenactment will launch center’s opening" (Elko Daily Free Press, 5/16/12)
"Walkers and folks on horseback or riding a mule" -- and dressed either in "pioneer clothing or modern-day clothing" can join a reenactment of "the expedition of Pete Skene Ogden, who traveled along the Humboldt River in 1828." The June 2 trail ride ends at the California Trail Center in
Elko, Nev., in time for the Center's grand opening and California Trail Days activities and demonstrations.
www.ca.blm.gov/dfkd
"Seventh graders on class field trip make 900 year-old find" (Fox News Latino, 5/14/12)
A group of seventh-graders exploring caves in a rural stretch of New Mexico stumbled upon a pot that could be 900 years old" while on a class field trip. BLM archeologists who removed the pot "estimate the age to be 800 to 1,000 years old because of clues from the pot: size, shape and design
on the pot, and comparisons to other artifacts already dated."
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/05/14/nm-seventh-graders-make-archaeological-find/
"Senate bill would preserve helium supply for research" (Science Insider, 5/11/12)
A Senate bill "would alter the terms under which the United States is selling off its once-vast reserve of helium gas, held underground in a natural geological formation near Amarillo, Texas .... The proposed Helium Stewardship Act of 2012 (S.2374) would maintain a roughly 15-year supply for
federal users, including the holders of research grants" and "maintain a steady supply of helium for scientists as they ease over to private suppliers."
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/05/senate-bill-would-preserve-helium.html
RELATED: Congressional testimony (BLM)
Link to testimony of Timothy R. Spisak, BLM Deputy Assistant Director of Minerals & Realty Management, on S. 2374, the Helium Stewardship Act of 2012 and BLM Deputy Director Mike Pool on H.R. 3365, Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization (FLTFA).
www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/congressional_testimonies/2012.html |
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