BLM California News.bytes Issue 586

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Title: News.bytes, issue 586 - BLM California - 07-03-13
News.bytes
A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California

Issue 586 - July 3, 2013


white flowerSally Jewellriver bank with purple flowersgroup of peoplemoose drinking water

THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:

- Fire News
- America's Great Outdoors
- On our Facebook pages
- On our other social media pages
- Not for educators only: Wildlife trivia question of the week
- Wildlife Trivia Correction
- Wild horses and burros
- 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/2013/586.html

FIRE NEWS

REMINDER: It is illegal to possess or use fireworks and/or pyrotechnics on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed lands. Illegal possession or use of fireworks can result in fines up to $1,000 and/or up to six months in jail for each offense, and the laws also provide for seizure and forfeiture of all such materials from individuals by law enforcement. These restrictions include the restriction of possession and use of all fireworks (including safe and sane) and exploding targets on BLM managed public lands.

"Secretary Jewell's Visit to Fire Incident Command Posts in Arizona"
(Department of the Interior, 07/03/13)
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visited the Incident Command Posts for the Yarnell Fire and Dean Peak Fire in Arizona, where she met with first responders and volunteers. Secretary Jewell thanked them for their service as they work to contain the fires and protect human life and property. Jewell, along with Principal Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management Neil Kornze, met with Incident Commanders Clay Templin and Mike Quesinberry where they received a brief update on the efforts of state and local responders to contain the fire. http://www.ca.blm.gov/h7kd

"Statement by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on the Wildfire in Arizona"
(Department of the Interior, 07/01/13)
I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot crew yesterday near Yarnell, Arizona. I join all Interior Department employees in honoring their courage and sacrifice and standing with their families in their time of grief. The word "hero" can be overused, but in this case the word fails to do justice to these firefighters who stood in the path of a roaring inferno to protect their communities. http://www.ca.blm.gov/96kd

"Fire Crews Participate in Readiness Drills, Deemed Ready for Action"
(News.bytes Extra)
BLM fire crews across northern California completed readiness drills over the past several weeks, demonstrating proficiency in areas of firefighting ranging from engine operations, deploying over rugged terrain, and helicopter use. In the drills, crews respond to simulated fires, demonstrating skills to BLM fire program leaders and subject matter experts. The drills are designed to ensure that firefighters are well prepared, and that any deficiencies are discovered and corrected.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/586_extra_-_fire_readiness.html

"BLM Starts Additional Fire Restrictions in Mariposa County" (BLM, 06/28/13)
Effective July 3, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is implementing additional fire restrictions on all BLM-managed public lands in Mariposa County. These restrictions prohibit all open fires on public lands, including campfires in campgrounds, because of extremely dry conditions, according to Gerald Martinez, BLM's Mother Lode Field Office fire management officer. "With the recent high temperatures, fuels are extremely dry," he said.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2013/june/mariposacountyfirerestrictions.html



America's Great Outdoors logo features a family paddling a canoeAMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS

river bank with purple flowersWant to cool down this summer? Ride the rapids on the Merced Wild & Scenic River. Keep in mind, though, that a quickly-melting snowpack is creating high flows and very cold water -- kayaking and rafting conditions are challenging and potentially dangerous for now. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/folsom/merced.html


ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGES...
white flower...A respite from the broiling heat of summer can be found on the public lands of California's North Coast. The Elk River Trail in the Headwaters Forest Reserve offers ferns, flowers and the shade of a Douglas-fir and redwood forest. https://www.facebook.com/blmcalifornia

RELATED: "Headwaters Forest Reserve - Elk River Trail" (Arcata Field Office)
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/arcata/elk_river_trail.html



ON OUR OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES...
moose drinking water...Are you spending time outdoors over the holiday weekend? With temperatures reaching triple digits across the country, remember to stay cool and drink plenty of water! http://mypubliclands.tumblr.com/

Check out a photo of Secretary Jewell visiting the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station on the BLM Nevada Facebook: http://www.ca.blm.gov/k7kd

RELATED: "Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station" (Needles Field Office)
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/pendingapps/ivanpahsolar.html



NOT for EDUCATORS ONLY:

California Sea Lion
WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK:

What are the main predators of California sea lions?

(a.) electric eels and jellyfish
(b.) dolphins, protecting their near-shore breeding grounds
(c.) whales and squid
(d.) orcas and sharks
(e.) humans
(f.) other sea lions
(g.) loan sharks

See answer near the end of this News.bytes.


WILDLIFE TRIVIA CORRECTION

California Mountain KingsnakeIn issue 585 we published the photo to the left as a Common Kingsnake, but it is in fact a California Mountain Kingsnake. The News.bytes Team would like to thank Dr. Glenn R. Stewart from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona for catching the mislabeling. To learn more about the California Mountain Kingsnake please visit the BLM California Wildlife Database at:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/forms/wildlife/details.php?metode=serial_number&search=2461



silhouettes of wild horse and of a burroWILD HORSES AND BURROS

"Mustangs: How to Manage America's Wild Horses? The Debate Rages" (Los Angeles Times, 07/01/13)
The decades-long debate over how to manage America's wild horses has descended into an often-rancorous feud between animal advocates and state and federal authorities. BLM officials say the mustang population is out of control. Activists insist the agency has scapegoated an animal whose poise and dignity make it an apt symbol of the West. Bureau spokesman Tom Gorey calls the overheated battle the "natural-resource version of abortion. There is no easy way out, no fast way to a solution, no quick turnaround," he said. "The intensity brought by both sides makes everything harder." The agency says it does the best it can to protect Western range lands with diminishing resources. http://www.ca.blm.gov/c7kd

RELATED: "California Wild Horse & Burro Adoption Schedule"
California has two wild horse and burro preparation facilities where you can visit or adopt your very own California wild horse or burro. We have a facility in Litchfield, outside Susanville, and we have one in Ridgecrest. We also have a small adoption facility in Redlands in southern California. In addition, the BLM holds satellite adoptions throughout California.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/adoptions.html

RELATED: "Report Inhumane Treatment" (National Wild Horse and Burro Program)
If you observe or have factual information that a federally protected wild horse or wild burro has been treated inhumanely or sold to slaughter, please contact the BLM at wildhorse@xxxxxxx or at 866-4MUSTANGS (866-468-7826) with your name, contact information, and specific information about what you saw or know about.
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram.html



HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS

"BLM's Bakersfield Field Office Hosts Information Meeting for Case Mountain Access" (BLM, 07/01/13)
The Bureau of Land Management's Bakersfield Field Office will host a public information meeting on July 9 in Three Rivers to discuss progress on the opportunity to acquire additional lands and public access to the Case Mountain area.This meeting will follow up on the information, ideas, and concerns the community expressed during the May 29 public workshop in Three Rivers. Using this feedback, the BLM has developed some alternatives to address access to public lands and the potential acquisition of a portion of the Craig Ranch. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2013/june/casemtnaccess.html

"Bureau of Land Management Bishop Office to Hold Public Meetings on Campground Fees" (BLM, 06/27/13)
The BLM's Bishop Field Office is seeking public feedback on its campground fees and Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) permits. Three public open houses will be held in July. BLM campground fees are currently among the lowest in the Eastern Sierra, said Becca Brooke supervisory resource management specialist in the Bishop Field Office. BLM reviews fees every other year and is considering an increase to be closer to those charged by other agencies.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2013/june/bishopcampgroundfees.html

group of people"Nick's Interns are Making a Difference on California's North Coast" (News.bytes Extra)
For the past decade, young people on California's North Coast have been improving public lands, building their natural resources knowledge and developing career skills, all while honoring the memory of an exemplary young man. The students are part of Nick's Interns, a natural resources conservation crew hosted by seven government and private organizations focused on improving habitats critical for animals, plants and people.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/586_extra_-_nicks.html

sand with mountain in background"L.A., Owens Valley Settle Dispute Over Dust Control"
(Los Angeles Times, 06/26/13)
Los Angeles and the Owens Valley have reached a settlement in their dispute over new measures to control dust storms that have blown across the eastern Sierra Nevada since L.A. opened an aqueduct a century ago that drained Owens Lake.Under terms of the agreement, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will fast-track mitigation measures that do not use water, and the utility will be allowed to lay down a thinner layer of gravel to suppress dust.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/d7kd

"Fracking Near Shafter Raises Questions About Drilling Practices"
(The Sacramento Bee, 06/30/13)
Stretching from Los Angeles north along the coast and into the San Joaquin Valley, the formation is not just another potential new source of domestic oil. It is the grand prize, the richest oil shale formation in America. If it can be fully exploited - and that is not yet clear - it is estimated to hold enough oil to create hundreds of thousands of jobs, flood the state with tax revenue and halt oil imports to California for a half-century. Others, though, advise caution. "There is tremendous (scientific) uncertainty," said Michael Kiparsky, associate director of UC Berkeley's Wheeler Institute for Water Law and Policy and co-author of a recent report that found gaping holes in California's regulation of fracking.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/f7kd

CalNev Pipeline Expansion to Carry Fuel to Nevada" (The Press-Enterprise, 06/28/13) Construction could start next year on a long-proposed plan to expand an underground pipeline system that carries gasoline and other fuel across the Mojave Desert between Colton and Las Vegas. A final environmental report required under the National Environmental Policy Act and California Environmental Quality Act is expected in December, followed by a final decision on the project, said Rich Rotte, a realty specialist in BLM's Barstow office. BLM must review the project because the pipeline runs through federal land managed by the agency."It's been a long time. We're getting close," Rotte said. "They still have to do surveys and plot exactly where they're going to put it." http://www.ca.blm.gov/j7kd

RELATED: "Calnev Pipeline Expansion Project" (Barstow Field Office)
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/calnev_page.html



NATIONAL, OTHER STATE AND DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS

Sally Jewell"New Interior Secretary Promotes Outdoor Recreation" (Associated Press, 06/28/13) New Interior Secretary Sally Jewell traveled to a gathering of Western governors who complained about federal control of public lands that make up much of the West and Alaska. In a private moment, she won over the politicians with promises of collaboration, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said. Jewell devoted much of her prepared remarks to the importance of outdoor recreation as a major economic driver, even as many of the governors put their priority on energy development. http://www.ca.blm.gov/g7kd

"Secretary Jewell Underscores Commitment to Strengthening Partnership with Tribal Nations" (Department of the Interior, 06/27/13)
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell told tribal leaders that upholding the nation's trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives is a moral imperative and sacred duty, underscoring the President's commitment to a true and lasting government-to-government relationship with Tribal Nations. The White House Council on Native American Affairs, which Jewell will chair as Secretary of the Interior, will improve interagency coordination, efficiency and will expand efforts to leverage federal programs and resources available to tribal communities. http://www.ca.blm.gov/b7kd

"Interior Secretary Jewell Makes Emotional Pledge to Native Americans to Help Right Past Wrongs" (The Washington Post, 06/27/13)
In her first address to Indian Country as the 51st U.S. Interior Secretary, Sally Jewell made an emotional pledge Thursday to help right past wrongs against Native Americans and work together with tribes "nation-to-nation" to protect their sovereignty and develop their cultural and natural resources to become more economically self-reliant.Jewell, who became secretary in April, fought back tears and paused to compose herself near the close of her remarks to about 300 delegates of the National Congress of American Indians in Reno. The casino-ballroom audience gave her a standing ovation.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/l7kd



WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER

(d.) orcas and sharks


SOURCE: "California Sea Lion" (BLM California wildlife database)
The main predators of California sea lions are killer whales [orcas] and various species of sharks.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/forms/wildlife/details.php?metode=serial_number&search=2469

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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/

We appreciate feedback. Send comments to the News.bytes team at:
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