News.Bytes A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California Issue 618-04/03/14- Visit us on Facebook -- Follow us on Twitter -- Share us with friends and colleagues! THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES: - Discover the Coast - Get Outdoors - 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/2014/618.html DISCOVER THE COAST Visit our Discover the Coast Website (BLM website) Learn more about our Discover the Coast campaign, partnerships, and events. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,1cr0,11yu,1bct,ijo3 Whale of a Day Event at San Vicente Peninsula (BLM Facebook) On April 5th, join the 30th Annual Whale of a Day celebration at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,8ljs,ioqy,1bct,ijo3 What's the Most-Viewed but Least-Known National Monument? (Outside Magazine, 03/25/14) The California Coastal National Monument extends from south of San Diego to the Oregon state line and is composed of 20,000 islands, rocks, and reefs... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,kkcb,414o,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: BLM's California Coastal National Monument (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,cdo5,r31,1bct,ijo3 Ma-l'el Dunes (Lost Coast Outpost, 04/02/14) Fragile yet massive, the Ma-l'el Dunes near Arcata is one of the hidden treasures of this area. Here, sea sweeps the sand and sand laps at the forest. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,8jiu,m8h8,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: Ma-le'l Dunes Cooperative Management Area (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,8fle,f8fc,1bct,ijo3 A Walk at the Fort Ord National Monument (BLM Facebook) A walk at the Fort Ord National Monument can be a lovely experience. A morning walk after the rain can be monumental. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,kepd,g2pv,1bct,ijo3 Sheep Are Back to Work on Fort Ord National Monument (BLM News Release) More than 600 ewes and their lambs are back at work, grazing on the BLM's Fort Ord National Monument in Monterey County. The grazing program is part of a cooperative strategy to improve rangeland conditions in this ecologically unique area. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,di6x,7g0n,1bct,ijo3 The Sea Otter Classic at Fort Ord National Monument. (BLM Facebook) BLM will have a booth at the event and you can drop by and learn more about the Monument. Come and see why Fort Ord National Monument was voted the best place to bike/mountain bike in Monterey County, 2014. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,c2xx,bg7k,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: BLM's Fort Ord National Monument (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,dqed,ksmj,1bct,ijo3 GET OUTDOORS Clear Creek Outings (BLM Facebook) We are offering everyone a chance to learn more about our natural world in a series of free outings near Clear Creek south of Redding. Topics on these free guided hikes include fire ecology and more. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,c194,eyme,1bct,ijo3 It's Trail Tuesday and We Have a Desert Trail Recommendation. (BLM Facebook) To find spring wildflowers, try the Rademacher Hills Trail near Ridgecrest, Calif. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,burs,e27j,1bct,ijo3 Looking For a Great Place to Hike and Camp This Spring? (BLM Facebook) Try the Merced River Recreation Area. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,4vbz,cvsg,1bct,ijo3 Seeking Trinity River Camp Hosts (BLM Facebook) How would you like to spend summer evenings being lulled to sleep by the rippling sounds of the beautiful Trinity River in Northern California? http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,4vnf,cum9,1bct,ijo3 or http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,gcb5,49r0,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS Protecting the Endangered Amargosa Vole (News.Bytes Extra) BLM's Barstow Field Office has been working with partners to study one of the rarest mammals in North America. Learn more: http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,5fgl,gwpl,1bct,ijo3 Endangered Desert Species Cling to Existence (LA Times, 03/23/14) Facing drought and climate change, animals such as the Amargosa vole are struggling to survive in the Mojave Desert. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,bpmi,5qhm,1bct,ijo3 Editorial: Nudge Congress to Act on Public Lands Bills (The Sacramento Bee, 04/02/14) Led by Rep. Mike Thompson and Sen. Barbara Boxer, 11 members of California's congressional delegation are sponsoring legislation to get National Conservation Area status for the federal lands in the 100-mile stretch from Lake Berryessa to 7,000-foot Snow Mountain, including the Cedar Roughs, Cache Creek and Snow Mountain wilderness areas. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,9x3f,1w4j,1bct,ijo3 Volunteer Project in the Alabama Hills (News.Bytes Extra) Students from Lone Pine High School showed their support of Public Lands by assisting with a restoration project in the Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine, California. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,ipbt,dbtv,1bct,ijo3 Meet Michelle Puckett, Our Newest Tumblr Blogger (BLM Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,emtp,50pl,1bct,ijo3 Tsunami Warning Signs (BLM Facebook) The very things that make some beach areas a spectacular place to enjoy can be lethal to those caught unaware along the shoreline. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,jgbb,1fbb,1bct,ijo3 Lawsuit Launched Over BLM's Failure to Report Threats to Desert Tortoise, Other Imperiled Species in California Deserts (Yuba.Net, 04/02/14) Environmental groups filed a notice of intent to sue the BLM for failing for seven years to report impacts to the desert tortoise and similarly threatened and endangered species from off-road vehicles, cattle grazing and other activities in California's deserts. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,11yv,kk25,1bct,ijo3 Retired National Park Leaders Oppose Soda Mountain Solar (KCET, 03/28/13) Five retired National Park Service Superintendents are asking the BLM to move a 4,000-acre solar project they say would threaten the Mojave National Preserve's wildlife, views and groundwater. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,59v3,h3vi,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,1v67z,3xn3,d1yy,fu7e,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK Which of the following are true about the Botta's Pocket Gopher? (a) Spend 90% of their lives underground (b) Create Mima mounds up to over 6 feet high (c) Create burrows with multiple chambers to accommodate nesting, food storage, and defecation (d) Dig primarily with their teeth and not their claws (e) Can only dig in soft soils because their teeth are sensitive to hard mineral soils (f) a-d (g) All of the above See answer - and more information near the end of this News.bytes. SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS 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,1v67z,3xn3,2mrx,hao0,1bct,ijo3 and http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,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,1v67z,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,1v67z,3xn3,cuh0,gsqz,1bct,ijo3 Apr. 10-11: Creek Freaks Community and Volunteer Educators Workshop (Creek Freaks 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,1v67z,3xn3,brvx,eiy0,1bct,ijo3 Apr. 14-15: BLM Sets Meeting of National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board (BLM News Release) The Bureau of Land Management's National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet for two days in April in Sacramento, California, to discuss issues relating to the management and protection of wild horses and burros on Western public rangelands. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,jg67,cxd8,1bct,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. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,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. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,khj8,awhj,1bct,ijo3 BLM and DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS Last Week at the BLM: MARCH 24-28 (BLM Tumblr) As part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, Department of the Interior Secretary Jewell on March 28 released a statement on the release of the Interagency Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,708i,douy,1bct,ijo3 This Week at Interior: March 28, 2014 (DOI YouTube) Here's what happened this week at Interior: Secretary Jewell testifies on Capitol Hill in favor of the Obama Administration's FY 2015 budget proposal... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1v67z,3xn3,iuoy,4ty,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER and related information Which of the following are true about the Botta’s Pocket Gopher? (f) a-d, are all correct EXPLANATION: Botta's pocket gopher is highly adaptable, burrowing into diverse soil types, from loose sands to tightly packed clays, from deserts to high altitude meadows. It can tolerate a wide range of soils because it digs primarily with its teeth, which have a thicker layer of enamel. In comparison, gophers digging with their claws can only dig in softer soils because claws wear down more quickly than teeth do. -------------------- - 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,1v67z,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,1v67z,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
