News.Bytes A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California Issue 617-03/27/14- Visit us on Facebook -- Follow us on Twitter -- Share us with friends and colleagues! THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES: - Discover the Coast - BLM Youth Programs - Headlines and Highlights - Wildlife Trivia Question of the Week - Upcoming Events - BLM 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/2014/617.html DISCOVER THE COAST Whale of a Day Event at San Vicente Peninsula (BLM Facebook) Join the 30th Annual Whale of a Day celebration this year at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,8ljs,ioqy,1bct,ijo3 BLM's Fort Ord National Monument Voted Best Place to Bike or Mountain Bike in Monterey County, 2014. (BLM Facebook) "It's a choose-your-own-adventure: pro or amateur, paved or dirt, hilly or flat." http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,fq0,bsnm,1bct,ijo3 Visit Our Discover the Coast Website (BLM Webpage) Learn about the coastal habitat, and how, together, the BLM and California Resources Agency are partnering with communities along the California coast to ensure the health of natural resources. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,2q8j,7jyk,1bct,ijo3 BLM YOUTH PROGRAMS Go West, Young People! (News.Bytes Extra) An energetic and enthusiastic group of young people recently descended upon the El Centro Field Office as part of a two week hitch for the Student Conservation Association. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,4bgh,fx6d,1bct,ijo3 Members of a Lassen County Explorer Post Visit Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Corrals (BLM Facebook) They learned about wild horses and burros on the public lands and our adoption program. They also made friends with some saddle horses and wild horses awaiting adoption.... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,4tef,kgbt,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS Military Veterans Perform Wilderness 50th Anniversary Trail Work (BLM Facebook) The Bear Creek Oasis Trail restoration project was selected as a tribute by our nation's veterans to raise awareness about this year's Wilderness 50th Anniversary. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,gbd8,6g51,1bct,ijo3 BLM, Partners are Building Trails in the Dunes (News.Bytes Extra) A new recreation trail system is steadily growing near Eureka on California's North Coast, thanks to the steady efforts of two volunteer groups partnering with the BLM's Arcata Field Office. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,fld3,hb4s,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: It's #TrailTuesday and We Have an Inspiring Volunteer Work Crew (BLM Facebook) "It's such a great experience for me to be working with kids, youth, and the elderly..." Says Bruce Cann, Outdoor Recreation Planner for the Arcata Field Office. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,k87r,k313,1bct,ijo3 Wilderness Celebrated at Big Morongo Spring Festival (BLM Facebook) Big Morongo Canyon Preserve celebrated the National Wilderness Preservation System at the annual Spring Festival last weekend. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,j9sf,iult,1bct,ijo3 PERRIS: Cleanup Slated for Steele Peak Shooting Area (The Press Enterprise, 03/25/14) Supporters of a free shooting range near Perris are planning a major cleanup. Debris removal will take place at the Steele Peak site, an open shooting area on land controlled by the BLM. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,b9ut,5hiw,1bct,ijo3 Saving the Mojave from the Solar Threat (LA Times, 03/25/14) America's need for renewable energy is real, and the desert is a logical place to put solar panels. But California has more than 1 million acres of non-pristine lands that could be used for such a proposal. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,vn9,a8vr,1bct,ijo3 Park Service: Project Would Harm Mojave Preserve (The Press-Enterprise, 03/20/14) Preserve Superintendent Stephanie Dubois submitted a letter critical of the plan to the BLM, which oversees the public land where the Soda Mountain solar project is planned, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,hyn,b8so,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: BLM Soda Mountain Solar Project (BLM Website) Project overview, schedule, and reports. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,d1yy,fu7e,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK Desert iguanas are most common in the Mojave and Colorado deserts of California. One special trait gives them an advantage over other animals in their range. What is it? (a.) They are the most heat-tolerant reptiles in North America, so they have little competition while locating food in midday heat. (b.) They need much less water than other desert species, so they can travel over a wider range and can escape predators into more remote areas. (c.) They can digest even the woodiest fibers of various types of cactus, so they can find more nutrition in a smaller area than other animals. (d.) They are more resistant to snake venom than other reptiles, so they can seek food in more areas than other desert animals. (e.) They know the words to hundreds of camp songs, passed down by ancestors who lurked outside prospector's campsites --so they can better put up with the long distance travel and solitude that are part of living in the desert. See answer - and more information near the end of this News.bytes. SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS Feb - Mar: Wildflower Walks- San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Management Area (BLM Facebook) Every Wednesday Morning in February and March. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,b2pu,bnv2,1bct,ijo3 Mar. 27: BLM Public Meeting on Proposed Solar Project in San Bernardino County (BLM News Release) The BLM will conduct a public meeting to solicit comments from public agencies and the general public about their concerns and interests on the proposed Silurian Valley solar project. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,fkov,a82n,1bct,ijo3 Mar- May 24 (Saturdays): Soda Lake and Painted Rock Guided Tours at Carrizo Plain National Monument (BLM Facebook) Come join us for our Soda Lake/Painted Rock Guided Tour. Reservations are required and can be made at http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,2mrx,hao0,1bct,ijo3 and http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,2z8u,cwxc,1bct,ijo3 Apr. 6: El Saucito Ranch Tour - Pioneer Life on the Carrizo Plain National Monument (BLM Facebook) Are you curious what pioneer life might have been like? If so, we have the tour for you, The El Saucito Ranch tour on the Carrizo Plain National Monument. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,7plc,4les,1bct,ijo3 Apr. 5 - 6: Roads, Trails in Dry Valley Area will be Used for Motorcycle Races (BLM News Release) Weekend back country explorers planning to visit the Dry Valley area east of Susanville the weekend of April 5 and 6 will encounter more people than usual, as a two-day motorcycle race is scheduled on public land. Competitors will begin arriving Friday, April 4. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,cuh0,gsqz,1bct,ijo3 Apr 10-11: Creek Freaks Community and Volunteer Educators Workshop (Creek Freak Eventbrite Page) BLM offices in California have been collaborating with the Izaak Walton League to host Creek Freaks workshops where community educators and volunteers can learn how to present hands-on, riparian-focused outdoor classes to young people. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,brvx,eiy0,1bct,ijo3 Apr. 16: Project Archaeology- Teacher Workshop at the San Joaquin River Gorge (BLM Facebook) The workshop includes everything you will need to teach archaeology in grades 3-5. It is inquiry-based, includes performance based assessments, and allows students to seamlessly integrate science and social studies. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,1yq8,3vdv,1bct,ijo3 May 4-10: The King Range Needs a Few Volunteers! (BLM Facebook) The King Range National Conservation Area will host a volunteer vacation with American Hiking Society. Volunteers will be camp out for a total of 5 days and 4 nights and will base camp at Buck Creek on the Lost Coast Trail. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,khj8,awhj,1bct,ijo3 BLM and DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS Last Week at the BLM: MARCH 17-21 (BLM Tumblr) Youth and veterans initiatives, discovery of a pygmy tyrannosaur, National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,df65,c0p6,1bct,ijo3 This Week at Interior: March 21, 2014 (DOI YouTube) Here's what happened this week at Interior: a new Secretarial Order is issued to expand opportunities for youth and veterans to play, learn, serve, and work in America's great outdoors; the White House honors 14 Champions of Change for engaging communities and youth in environmental stewardship and conservation... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,7kfu,tov,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER and related information Desert iguanas are most common in the Mojave and Colorado deserts of California. One special trait gives them an advantage over other animals in their range. What is it? (a.) They are the most heat-tolerant reptiles in North America, so they have little competition while locating food in midday heat. SOURCE: "Desert iguana - Dipsosaurus dorsalis" (BLM California wildlife database) These lizards are the most heat-tolerant reptiles in North America. They can remain active in temperatures up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (this temperature would kill most other reptiles). Most desert reptiles avoid the extreme heat of mid-afternoon, so with all of the other species hidden in shady areas, desert iguanas have very little competition for food.http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,jp3o,gwzf,1bct,ijo3 PHOTO: One of Amboy Crater's Desert Iguanas by Jennifer Dickson (The Wilderness Society, Jennifer's Blog) Make a pit stop for critters at California's Amboy Crater. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,l15f,7rmi,1bct,ijo3 -------------------- - If your e-mail program does not allow you to click on the above links to visit that Web page, copy and paste the URL into your browser's "Location" or "Address" bar. - Some online news sites require free registration to view their content online. Some news sites remove news stories from the Web soon after publication. If you plan to keep a story, you should print a copy or save the Web page to your computer. DISCLAIMER: By linking to Web sites, the BLM does not imply endorsement of those sites, or of products or advertisements on those sites. News.bytes published by Bureau of Land Management California State Office 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1834 Sacramento, Ca 95825 (916) 978-4600 http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,4h2h,jgx0,1bct,ijo3 We appreciate feedback. Send comments to the News.bytes team at: mailto:canewsbytes@xxxxxxx To subscribe to News.bytes, visit our News.bytes subscription page at: http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1uwd2,3xn3,k0vc,86f4,1bct,ijo3 To unsubscribe, send an email to: unsubscribe-@xxxxxxxxxxx You are currently subscribed to BLM CA Newsbytes as: . To unsubscribe send a blank email to: unsubscribe-@xxxxxxxxxxx.mailto:canewsbytes@xxxxxxx
