News.Bytes A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California Issue 636-08/07/14- Visit us on Facebook -- Follow us on Twitter -- Share us with friends and colleagues! THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES: - Free Poster Offer - Discover the Coast - Energy Resources - Fire Management - Headlines and Highlights - Wildlife Trivia Question of the Week - BLM and Department of Interior Highlights - Upcoming BLM California Events If this message does not show up properly in your email, you can see it online at: www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/2014/636.html FREE OFFER! Discover the Coast @ Piedras Blancas Poster This 11"x14" poster features a stunning photograph of the Piedras Blancas Light Station and information on the back about Discover the Coast and Piedras Blancas. (while supplies last). http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,jfub,g09e,1bct,ijo3 DISCOVER THE COAST Piedras Blancas Lighthouse Plans Historical Tribute (The Cambrian, 07/24/14) People who take the Piedras Blancas Light Station tour Aug. 9 will get special Peek at the Past glimpses of period-costumed volunteers portraying life at the scenic site during the early 1900s. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,3a0z,8l5r,1bct,ijo3 VIDEO: Voices of the Coast @ Piedras Blancas (BLM YouTube) Local communities share their thoughts about the coast and invite you to Discover the Coast @ Piedras Blancas. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,4j1a,lpwj,1bct,ijo3 Happy National Lighthouse Day! (BLM Tumblr) Piedras Blancas Light Station Outstanding Natural Area is currently managed by the BLM as a historic park and wildlife sanctuary. The waters off Piedras Blancas boast an incredible number of marine mammals. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,gjkq,ff2v,1bct,ijo3 The Wild50 2014 Crew at Fort Ord National Monument (BLM Facebook) A Student Conservation Association WildCorp Crew ends their season with project work at BLM's Fort Ord National Monument near Monterey, California. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,ljjy,diek,1bct,ijo3 Trinidad School Thank You Video for BLM's California Coastal National Monument Partnership (BLM Facebook) Working with the BLM in developing place based curriculum has been a dream come true. My love of the ocean and marine sciences has been a perfect match for the BLM Teachers on Public Lands program. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,k7jh,dd1e,1bct,ijo3 Visit Our Discover The Coast Website (BLM website) Learn more about our Discover the Coast initiative, partnerships, and events. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,1cr0,11yu,1bct,ijo3 ENERGY RESOURCES Our Voice: Big Steps Toward Our Renewable Energy Goals (The Desert Sun, 08/06/14) The approval of NextEra Resources' Blythe solar project by the U.S. Department of the Interior is another boost in California's campaign to generate a third of its power from renewable sources by 2020. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,2wnl,anjr,1bct,ijo3 Interior Department Approves Amendment for the Blythe Solar Power Project in California (BLM News Release) Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management Janice M. Schneider signed a Record of Decision approving a change in technology for the Blythe Solar Power Project... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,gsxf,a140,1bct,ijo3 BLM Initiates Environmental Review of Major Transmission Line in California Desert (BLM News Release) The BLM published a Notice of Intent to conduct an environmental review for the Coolwater to Lugo Transmission Line Project in San Bernardino County. Public scoping ends September 3, 2014. During this period, the BLM and the CPUC will solicit public comments on planning issues... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,381x,kwt7,1bct,ijo3 FIRE MANAGEMENT Humidity Helps Crews Fighting California Wildfires (SF Gate, 08/05/14) Thunderstorms that brought light rain and increased humidity to Northern California helped crews make progress Tuesday against two large wildfires that threatened hundreds of homes but also raised the possibility of new lightning-sparked blazes in the region. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,705r,e0v0,1bct,ijo3 Wildfires Across NorCal Prompt State of Emergency (News10, 08/03/14) Wildfires across Northern California have prompted the governor to take immediate action. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,fvp1,9u6,1bct,ijo3 BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program Employee Helps with Animal Rescue During the Sand Fire (BLM Facebook) Jason Williams, BLM's northern California Wild Horse and Burro Compliance Officer helped the El Dorado County Animal Control evacuate stranded horses and other large animals from neighborhoods in the path of the Sand Fire. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,dd0k,e241,1bct,ijo3 The BLM Folsom Lake Veterans Fire Crew in New Quarters (BLM Facebook) The BLM Folsom Lake Veterans Fire Crew has moved into new quarters on Gold Hill Road near Coloma. The crew, made up of military veterans, is housed at the former El Dorado County Fire Department station... http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,h5hn,lk24,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK Verdins are among the most characteristic birds of the desert. They are year-round residents and, in the Mojave Desert, must withstand both searing heat and bone-chilling cold. Which of the following statements about the Verdin is false? (a.) They are identified by their light green back and tail feathers. (b.) Verdins share nest building between males and females (male builds outer layer, female build the inner lining). (c.) They build nests for both breeding and roosting. (d.) Nests built in summer open toward prevailing winds, perhaps to aid in cooling. (e.) They eat mostly insects, but also take nectar from flowers and feeders. ------> See answer near the end of this issue of News.bytes. OTHER CALIFORNIA HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Lone Pine Tribal Youth Environmental Camp (BLM Facebook) Students from the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Reservation learned about the environment, their culture, and their past. For the second year running, archaeologists from the BLM Bishop Field Office were invited to the Lone Pine Tribal Youth Environmental Camp to talk about the science of archaeology and to the importance of protecting cultural resources. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,5rty,bdkf,1bct,ijo3 BLM Seeks Organization to Administer Wetland Waterfowl Hunts (BLM News Release) The BLM is seeking a qualified organization to administer waterfowl hunting for youth, women and disabled hunters on its Cougar Wetland at the Cosumnes River Preserve during the 2014-15 hunting season. Submit a detailed, written proposal by Aug. 21. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,hhya,7bbm,1bct,ijo3 BLM and DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR Highlights LAST WEEK AT THE BLM, July 28-August 1, 2014 (BLM Tumblr) BLM Director Neil Kornze testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on a bill that would increase the efficiency of oil and gas permitting on public lands and coordination among agencies; BLM's National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet to discuss issues relating to the management and protection of wild horses and burros on Western public rangelands; BLM conducted the first auction of federal helium on July 31, 2014, under the terms of the recently enacted Helium Stewardship Act. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,4ux9,3rm7,1bct,ijo3 VIDEO- This Week at Interior: August 1, 2014 (DOI YouTube) Interior joins forces with the AFL-CIO's Union Sportsmen Alliance on projects to renew, rebuild, and restore the nation's public lands; a new report shows up to a quarter of National Park land could be vulnerable to vegetation shifts due to climate change and habitat loss and more. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,kc7e,51nw,1bct,ijo3 Feds Will Spend $450K to Help Native Americans Adapt to 'Climate Change' (CNS News, 08/05/14) The BLM plans to spend up to $450,000 in taxpayer dollars to teach Native American tribes in the Great Basin region "climate adaptation plans" for their hunting, fishing and gathering activities. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,tw7,71qj,1bct,ijo3 BLM, Local Law Enforcement Tensions Near Breaking Point in the West (LA Times, 08/04/14) Perkins is the sheriff of Garfield County, a rural bastion the size of Connecticut with only 5,500 residents, where 90% of the land is maintained by the BLM. The relationship between local law enforcement and often heavily armed federal officers has always been tense, and now threatens to reach a breaking point. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,8ncd,1qqz,1bct,ijo3 SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS Apr-Oct. 23: Webcasts Scheduled to Solicit Comments on Route 66 Management Plan (BLM News Release) The California Historic Route 66 Association and BLM California Desert District have scheduled four webcasts to continue soliciting public comments on the preparation of a corridor management plan for the segment of historic Route 66. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,ge64,i1gg,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER and Related Information Verdins are among the most characteristic birds of the desert. They are year-round residents and, in the Mojave Desert, must withstand both searing heat and bone-chilling cold. Which of the following statements about the Verdin is false? ANSWER: (a.) They are identified by their light green back and tail feathers...is False. SOURCE: All About Birds- Verdin (Cornell Lab of Ornithology Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,fu9o,huj3,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: Drab and Inconspicuous, Verdins Liven Up the Desert Anyway (KCET, 06/27/14) Verdins are desert birds. They don't migrate with the seasons, which means that at least in the Mojave, these tiny little things have to be able to withstand both searing heat and bone-chilling cold. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,1zgns,3xn3,8eul,f66m,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,1zgns,3xn3,4h2h,jgx0,1bct,ijo3 We appreciate feedback. Send comments to the News.bytes team at: mailto:canewsbytes@xxxxxxx
