A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California
Issue 584 - June 21, 2013
THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:
- America's Great Outdoors
- On our Facebook pages
- On our other social media pages
- Not for educators only: Wildlife trivia question of the week
- Renewable energy
- Wild horses and burros
- Events and Celebrations
- Headlines and highlights: Assorted topics from your public lands in California
- National and Department of the Interior items
If this message does not show up properly in your email, you can see it online at:
www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/2013/584.html
 AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS
 Get Outdoors to The Volcanic Tableland in the Eastern Sierra. The
Tableland offers exceptional bouldering because of its unique geologic features. Thousands of climbers come from all over the world to try out their climbing skills on the many boulder problems the Tableland has to offer. With this dramatic increase in use, the BLM and the local climbing community
have developed a climbing management philosophy to protect the natural resources while preserving access to climbing opportunities.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop/bouldering/index.html
 "National Pollinator Week 2013" (News.bytes Extra)
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and the Department of Agriculture have designated June 17-23 as National Pollinator Week. In 2007, the U.S. Senate first designated a week in June as "National Pollinator Week" to help address the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations.
Pollinator Week has become an international celebration of the valuable services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and beetles.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_pollinator.html
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ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGES...
 ...Meet Bureau of Land Management - California's 2013 Folsom Lake Veterans Crew. The crew is made up of
16 military veterans who served in the Army, Air Force or Marines, in addition to five experienced fire personnel who lead the crew. Crew members have served in Iraq and Afghanistan in many positions including combat medic and sniper.
https://www.facebook.com/blmcalifornia
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ON OUR OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES...
 ...Tonka and Piggy, 3 year-old desert tortoises, enjoying their lunch at a BLM-California event in Otay Valley
Regional Park in San Diego. Photo by Barbara Croonquist, Public Contact Representative, California Desert District Office. http://mypubliclands.tumblr.com/
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NOT for EDUCATORS ONLY:
Thumbnail from a photo by C. Barr, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK:
After a particularly large meal, California condors:
(a.) usually behave as if they are about to migrate south for the winter
(b.) may have to spend hours on the ground or a low branch before they can fly again
(c.) tend to focus their next hunt for a meal on slower-moving animals that are easy to catch
(d.) try to cover any remains with leaves and branches, to save it for their next meal
(e.) bury any remains, so as not to attract scavenger animals to their hunting territory
(f.) fall asleep while listening to the after-dinner speaker drone on about commodity futures contracts and convertible debentures ample Text
See answer near the end of this News.bytes. |
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
"Here Comes the Sun" (News.bytes Extra)
A "Power On" ceremony marking delivery of clean, renewable solar power to San Diego Gas & Electric's Sunrise Powerlink took place recently at Tenaska's Imperial Solar Energy Center South facility. More than 130 representatives from various state, federal, and local agencies, as well as
business leaders and landowners attended the event. The transmission line connecting this solar facility to the grid was constructed on BLM-managed public lands in the El Centro area.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_here_comes.html
RELATED: "Sunrise Powerlink Project" (El Centro Field Office)
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/nepa/sunrise.html
 "The Art of Wind Energy" (News.bytes Extra)
Representatives from the BLM El Centro Field Office, Pattern Energy, Imperial Valley's Department of Education, and Seeley Elementary School faculty gathered recently at the school to launch an art project that will construct the Ocotillo Express Wind facility sign. Not just any sign, this
work of art entails the placement of thousands of pieces of pre-cut glass and agates that will result in a mosaic depicting the wind turbines, desert life, and landscape.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_art_of.html
RELATED: "Ocotillo Express Wind" (Department of the Interior, 2/11/13)
The project will generate enough electricity to power almost 94,500 homes and employ up to 350 workers during peak construction and up to 20 workers permanently.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/nepa/ocotillo_express_wind.html
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 WILD HORSES AND BURROS
"Meet the Mustangs Draws Horse and Burro Enthusiasts"
(News.bytes Extra)
Hundreds of wild horse and burro enthusiasts participated in the Napa Horsemen's Association's "Meet the Mustangs" festival in Napa over the weekend of June 15. When the event ended, 21 animals (14 mustangs and seven burros) had gone home with adoptive families, and many horse and burro
owners had gained new insight into training and care for their animals.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_meet_the.html
 "In the Market for a Mustang" (Napa Valley
Register, 06/15/13)
40 horses and burros from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management were available for adoption this weekend at the Napa Valley Horsemen's Association grounds on Foster Road. The public adoption of the animals, which were born in the wild and corralled from federal lands in California and Nevada, was
organized as part of Napa Mustang Days. http://www.ca.blm.gov/95kd
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EVENTS and CELEBRATIONS
"BLM Makes a Difference at Cabrillo National Monument's International Migratory Bird Day" (News.bytes Extra)
While millions sweltered in the heat of the inland valleys, 3,000 visitors from all over the world flocked to enjoy the beautiful views and cool ocean breezes at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego. Besides the natural beauty of the coast, the lucky visitors were treated to Cabrillo's
first International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) festival with lots of fun activities, bird walks and of course-live birds.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_bird_day.html
"Teens Go For Gold" (News.bytes Extra)
Riverside students reconstruct Rainbow Basin Flora. Last fall and winter, BLM volunteer paleontologists under authorization by Jim Shearer, Barstow BLM archaeologist, searched slabs of shale for fossil plant remains. The slabs produced 14 fossil plant species. Three of the volunteers, teenage
students from Riverside, developed their second fossil-related science fair project, "Using Fossil Evidence to Reconstruct a California Ecosystem during the Miocene Period in what is now the Mojave Desert: Year Two."
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_teens.html
"California Coastal National Monument Makes a Spalsh at Seal Day"
(News.bytes Extra)
Representatives of BLM's California Coastal National Monument were glad to lend a hand at the 21st annual Seal Day, an event supporting the San Pedro Marine Mammal Care Centers' efforts in rescuing and rehabilitating our ocean friends. Volunteers Tere Calderon, Sandra Hernandez, Eloisa Hernandez,
and Dee Dechert, as well as BLM's Barbara Croonquist assisted visitors in making pelican headbands and Look Who's Rockin' buttons to raise awareness of the role that BLM plays in managing the California Coastal National Monument.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_seal_day.html
"Tribal Members and BLM Celebrate Campground Co-Naming" (News.bytes Extra)
Descendants of the Native American Kammu Takadu people gathered recently with members of the BLM's Eagle Lake Field Office staff to celebrate co-naming of the Ramhorn Springs Campground as "Numu Summuth," or "People's Gathering." The new campground name recognizes native peoples' use of the high
deserts long before white settlement of the region now known as Lassen County, California.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_campground.html
"CDDO Programs Make a Difference in a Big Way" (News.bytes Extra)
Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference. In the California Desert District Office, we concentrate our efforts on providing a taste of nature to largely urban populations of all ages. Most of our events are in areas that are not close to a field office but where there are
present and future visitors to our public lands. We also serve many urban visitors who may never have the opportunity to set a foot on public lands but will remember their experience with a "kind ranger" or a live animal they touched or a fun activity that we helped them with.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_difference.html
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HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS
"BLM Issues Final Plan for Managing Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area"
(BLM, 06/17/13)
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its final decision for managing about 215,000 acres of BLM-administered public lands in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area and surrounding public lands in southeastern Imperial County, Calif. The approved Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area
Management Plan, which is accompanied by a Record of Decision, also includes amendments to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2013/june/blm_issues_final_plan.html
RELATED: "Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area Management Plan"
(El Centro Field Office)
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/recreation/ohvs/isdra/dunesinfo/docs/isdramp.html
"BLM Announces Public Review of Calnev Pipeline Expansion Conformity Determination Report" (BLM, 06/17/13)
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability for public review a Draft General Conformity Determination Report and three draft general conformity certifications for the proposed Calnev Pipeline Expansion Project. Calnev Pipe Line, LLC (Calnev), an operating partnership for
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, LP, proposes to construct a 16-inch-diameter pipeline to expand the capacity of the Calnev Pipeline System. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2013/june/blm_announces_public.html
RELATED: "Calnev Pipeline Expansion Project " (Barstow Field Office)
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/calnev_page.html
"Budget Cuts Felt at Jawbone" (The Daily Independent, 06/19/13)
The poor fiscal state of California's budget has led to chronic belt tightening as it has struggled to stay afloat during the Great Recession. The belt tightening will be felt locally, as the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the State Parks and Recreation Department has had
its budget for grants cut in half...Craig Beck, supervisory outdoor recreation planner for the Bureau of Land Management explained that the lack of grant funding is pretty simple - the state has little money and its coffers continue to dwindle. http://www.ca.blm.gov/g6kd
 "Tunnel Vision Part Two: Rivers in Peril"
(East Bay Express, 06/19/13)
California Congressmen Tom McClintock and Jim Costa are co-sponsoring a bill in the House of Representatives that would remove the federal wild and scenic designation on a section of the Merced River west of Yosemite National Park, thereby stripping it of federal protections. The federal
government has never before removed a wild and scenic designation on a river. The designation is considered to be one of the nation's most important and powerful environmental regulations, and protects many California rivers from being further dammed up and diverted.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/b6kd
RELATED: "Merced Wild and Scenic River" (Mother Lode Field Office)
Beginning in the high country of Yosemite National Park, the Merced River makes a headlong rush through glacially-carved canyons, rugged mountains and foothills to the San Joaquin Valley. Multiple access points allow skilled whitewater enthusiasts to challenge the rapids at your own pace. Enjoy
a day of fishing before gathering around the campfire to cook up the day's catch at McCabe Flat, Willow Placer or Railroad Flat campgrounds.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/folsom/mercedriverrec.html
"Passenger Listed in Critical Condition After Plane Crash"
(Mohave Valley Daily News, 06/18/13)
An official with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office on Monday released the names of the occupants injured following a plane crash Saturday night in the desert just north of Needles. According to Cynthia Bauchman, spokeswoman with SBCSO, around 5:30 p.m. a plane crash was reported in
the Dead Mountain Wilderness area, between Needles and Laughlin. http://www.ca.blm.gov/c6kd
RELATED: "Dead Mountain Wilderness" (Needles Field Office)
This 54,410-acre (approximate) wilderness area encompasses the jagged, steep, rust-colored Dead Mountains and the alluvial fans sweeping to the west towards Piute Valley and east towards the Colorado River.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wilderness/wa/areas/dead_mountains.html
 "Fort Ord National Monument Work Center Opens"
(News.bytes Extra)
Leaking roofs, rodent infestations, and bone chilling winds will no longer be the norm at the Fort Ord National Monument Work Center thanks to renovations that have recently been completed. The new shop and storage areas are dramatic improvements to working conditions for staff that are caring
for the Fort Ord National Monument that was designated by President Obama on April 20, 2012.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_fort_ord.html
"Abandoned Mine Lands Around Fremont Peak" (News.bytes Extra)
Many of the mines in the Fremont Peak District were constructed between the 1880s to the early 1900s, including the Monarch-Rand Mine. This mine like many around it can harbor hidden openings that can drop many feet down. "Rotting timbers and unstable rock formations make falls a real
danger" says Jamie Livingood, Geologist at the Barstow Field Office. BLM may take temporary measures to mitigate against physical safety hazards, such as by posting warning signs and fencing. Additional remedial measures include closure of adits and shafts, backfilling of highwalls, drainage of
impoundments, removal of leftover equipment and debris, and reclaiming to help offset erosion and improve stability. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/584_extra_-_aml_around.html |
NATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS
"Department of the Interior Hosts Stakeholder Workshop on Mitigation Strategy for Large Infrastructure Projects" (DOI, 06/19/13)
Senior officials from across the federal government convened a high-level workshop today on mitigation for large infrastructure projects. The event, which included participants from federal agencies, states, local governments, tribes, conservation groups and industry, is a part of the
Administration's commitment under the Presidential Memorandum of May 17 to more efficiently permit large infrastructure projects, such as renewable energy and transmission, while achieving improved outcomes for communities and the environment. http://www.ca.blm.gov/d6kd
"Interior Announces Steps Underway for Implementation of $1.9 Billion Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations" (DOI, 06/18/13)
Following extensive consultations with American Indian leaders, the Department of the Interior today made a number of announcements related to the significant efforts underway for the purchase of fractional interests in American Indian trust lands from willing sellers. In particular, the
Department announced that it has launched efforts to establish cooperative agreements with several tribal nations to facilitate the purchase of individual interests in highly fractionated trust lands for the purpose of consolidating ownership of these acres for the beneficial use of tribal nations.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/f6kd
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WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER
(b.) may have to spend hours on the ground or a low branch before they can fly again
SOURCE: "California Condor" (BLM California wildlife database)
Like all vultures, condors are carrion-eaters. They prefer large dead animals like deer, cattle, and sheep, but will also eat rodents and more rarely, fish. If a meal has been particularly big, they may have to spend hours on the ground or a low branch before they can take off again. http://www.blm.gov/ca/forms/wildlife/details.php?metode=serial_number&search=2451 |
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News.bytes published by
Bureau of Land Management
California State Office
2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1834
Sacramento, Ca 95825
(916) 978-4600
www.blm.gov/ca/
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