News.bytes, Issue 657

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News.bytes
A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California

Issue 657- 1/15/2015 - Visit us on Facebook -- Follow us on Twitter -- Share us with friends and colleagues! 


THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:

- BLM California 2014 Highlights 
- Discover the Desert 
- Discover the Coast
- Headlines and Highlights 
- Wildlife Trivia Question of the Week
- Upcoming BLM California Events 

If this message does not show up properly in your email, you can see it online at:
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,dro4,j8dr,1bct,ijo3



BLM CALIFORNIA 2014 HIGHLIGHTS


National Monument lands added to BLM's National Conservation Lands
The Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands were added to the California Coastal National Monument in March 2014. The designation protected approximately 1,665 additional acres of stunning northern California coastline to the monument. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,hx3i,86gl,1bct,ijo3

Released the Draft Desert Renewal Energy Conservation Plan for Public Review
The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) is an innovative, landscape-level renewable energy and conservation planning effort covering more than 22 million acres in the California desert. The plan has two broad sets of goals: (1) Renewable Energy and Transmission - The plan identifies specific development focus areas with high-quality renewable energy potential and access to transmission in areas where impacts can be managed and mitigated, and (2) Desert Conservation - Address species, ecosystem and climate adaptation requirements for 37 species and 31 natural communities covered by the plan as well as protection of recreation, cultural, and scenic values, and other desert resources.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,hdc7,33q0,1bct,ijo3

Conservation on the California Coast with the acquisition of the Coast Dairies Property 
Almost 6,000 acres of rolling green meadows, redwood forests, and dramatic vistas of Pacific Ocean, just north of Santa Cruz will be permanently protected following the donation of the Coast Dairies property to the Bureau of Land Management.
News.bytes Extra (April 2014): 
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,fugi,aigo,1bct,ijo3
Discover the Coast @ Davenport: http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,8c5b,ga10,1bct,ijo3

50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act
We celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act with partners and local communities. Congress designated 221 BLM wilderness areas encompassing 8.7 million acres, including the 1994 passage of the California Desert Protection Act which created 69 wilderness areas in California. Along the California coast, the King Range Wilderness has the longest coastal wilderness trail network in the country, more than 100 miles. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,df4j,aegp,1bct,ijo3

Sound Science, Scientific Discoveries and Partnerships
BLM California and a group of partners (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, UC Berkeley, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) created a multiagency Amargosa vole team to rescue the tiny rodent living precariously in the rare marshes of the Mojave Desert.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,a691,1bn9,1bct,ijo3
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,2zne,1dvq,1bct,ijo3

BLM Connected the American People with their public lands 
BLM released its inaugural issue of My Public Lands, introduced six vintage posters in an ongoing series, and told the BLM story on social media.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,1i2q,cw0s,1bct,ijo3

Provided a wide variety of Recreational Opportunities
BLM provided a wide variety of recreational opportunities for national and international visitors, from hunting and fishing to horseback riding and boating to birding and wildlife viewing. In an increasingly urbanized West, these recreational opportunities and the settings where these activities take place are vital to the quality of life enjoyed by residents of western states. 
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,ffp9,ft2,1bct,ijo3

Path Forward for Oil and Gas Program
We announced a path forward for oil and gas program that incorporates information from the independent science review, provides the results from public scoping on oil and gas development, and provides internal guidance.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,lvuv,69t6,1bct,ijo3 



DISCOVER THE DESERT 

'Discover the Desert' Interpretive Hikes in the Alabama Hills (News.bytes Extra)
BLM and the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group hosted interpretive hikes in the Alabama Hills during the past holiday weekend to discuss film history and view scenic arches as a part of our 'Discover the Desert' initiative. Future interpretive hikes will be held over the Martin Luther King and President Day weekends.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,glkj,ha0r,1bct,ijo3

Public Works expects to open stretch of Route 66 in January (Desert Dispatch, 12/18/2014)
Public Works is expecting to reopen a stretch of Route 66 between Ludlow and Amboy sometime in January, according to a news release from San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Robert Lovingood. The road, along with an estimated 40 bridges were damaged in September after several storms hit the area.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,dfdf,5ory,1bct,ijo3 

RELATED: Discover The Desert (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,29an,i81b,1bct,ijo3

Discover the Desert Story Maps (BLM Website)
Take an online tour of the California desert!
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,gr21,dabi,1bct,ijo3


DISCOVER THE COAST

North Coast Residents Flock to Trinidad Lighthouse (News.bytes Extra)
Lighthouse tours and living history presentations commemorated the 100th anniversary of a 200-foot-tall wave that rocked the lighthouse during a fierce storm that battered the North Coast for two weeks over the Christmas holidays in 1914-15.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,ho4r,k7ey,1bct,ijo3

California Coastal National Monument 15th Anniversary (Facebook)
Spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife, and heartfelt connections of the land and ocean - these are the natural ties between people and nature that combine to make BLM's California Coastal National Monument unique among the agency's assemblage of National Conservation Lands.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,jpd1,ad0r,1bct,ijo3

Cyclers blaze new trail at Ord National Monument (The Californian, 1/11/2015)
The morning light filtered through the twisted limbs of the Coast Live Oak trees. Hiking a new trail in the Fort Ord National Monument, I found it hard to remember that this lovely area was once used to practice war maneuvers. The winding trail up the hillside had just been opened for riding and hiking after months of hard work by volunteers. A ribbon cutting ceremony held Saturday by the Bureau of Land Management officially opened the trail for public use.http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,20wc,keua,1bct,ijo3

RELATED: Fort Ord Trail 19 Ribbon Cutting photo gallery (The Californian, 1/11/2015)
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,79q2,g7n0,1bct,ijo3


HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Activists choose broad path to preserve Berryessa-Snow Mountain area (Los Angeles Times, 1/10/2015) 
Nature has no rival when it comes to patience. It took millions of years for the gnashing of tectonic plates to form the magnificent riot of rocks that is home to the unspoiled rivers and rolling oak woodlands of California's inner Coast Range. For a group of residents here determined to provide federal protections for this lesser-traveled region, their campaign has only felt like millions of years, but the effort has required no less endurance.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,d7nu,hqfh,1bct,ijo3 

New national monument proposed for Santa Cruz coast (San Jose Mercury-News, 1/12/2015) 
Coast Dairies, a 5,843-acre expanse of rolling hills, redwood forests and scenic trails that stretches for six miles along the north coast of Santa Cruz County, was preserved from development in 1998 when environmentalists purchased the land with roughly $40 million from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Now Bay Area conservation groups want to raise its profile. They are launching an effort to have President Obama declare the property a new national monument this year. . . . For most of the 20th century, Coast Dairies was run as a farm and ranching operation by the descendants of two Swiss families. After it was purchased by Save the Redwoods League in 1998, it was transferred to the Trust for Public Land. Then, in 2006, about 400 acres of its beaches were donated to the state parks department. And last April, most of the rest of the land was transferred to the Bureau of Land Management. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,9b4y,aoye,1bct,ijo3 

Obama Moves to Create First Methane Limits for Gas Drilling (Associated Press, 1/14/2015) 
The Obama administration laid out a blueprint Wednesday for the first regulations to cut down on methane emissions from new natural gas wells, aiming to curb the discharge of a potent greenhouse gas by roughly half.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,63v8,9qpk,1bct,ijo3


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


------> See answer near the end of this issue of News.bytes.



SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

Jan. 16-19: Fee Free Weekend in Imperial County 
BLM's El Centro Field Office will waive recreation-related fees for visitors during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. These "fee-free" days will be available at the following locations: Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, Lark Canyon OHV Area and Cottonwood Campground. 
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,3rzl,f7k,1bct,ijo3 

Jan. 17: 17th Annual Dunes Cleanup (Imperial Sand Dunes Facebook)
The United Desert Gateway and the BLM will sponsor a volunteer work day in the Imperial Sand Dunes beginning at 8:00 am.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,gtjq,jnr7,1bct,ijo3

Jan. 17: Alabama Hills Volunteer Work Day 
The Alabama Hills Stewardship Group and the BLM will sponsor a volunteer work day in the Alabama Hills to perform trail maintenance and to restore vegetation near the Mobius Arch Loop trail.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,57nh,mg1y,1bct,ijo3 

Jan. 17: Bald Eagle Guided Hikes at Cache Creek 
The 5-mile hikes lasts about four hours. The trail includes a steep 600-foot climb in the first mile, so hikers should be in good physical condition.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,k1jy,m3fs,1bct,ijo3

Jan. 18-19: 'Discover the Desert' Interpretive Hikes in the Alabama Hills 
BLM will host interpretive hikes in the Alabama Hills during the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend discuss film history and view scenic arches. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,f177,gr2,1bct,ijo3

Related: Beautiful pictures of the Alabama Hills Recreation Area (Tumblr)
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,6r3,hft1,1bct,ijo3 


Feb. 14: Wild Horse and Burro Adoption in Ferndale 
BLM will offer two yearling fillies along with one mare, one gelding and two burros. The horses will be trained to accept halters and to lead.
News Release: http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,1krv,ihz2,1bct,ijo3
Adoption Schedule: http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,a0xj,66ra,1bct,ijo3



WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER and Related Information

After a particularly large meal, California condors:
Answer: b)	may have to spend hours on the ground or a low branch before they can fly again.


SOURCE: California Condor - Gymnogyps californianus(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.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,a6fq,br2f,1bct,ijo3

Surprise! Two California condors secretly mate, produce offspring (San Francisco Gate, 1/10/2015) 
The 9-month-old bird, which does not yet have a name, is already full grown, which means the love birds rolled in the hay, made a nest, produced an egg, incubated it for 60 days and then raised the hatchling for 6 months without being detected by prying biologists. The love birds, known by the decidedly unpoetic names of 209 and 231,will now spend a year showing the apple of their beady-eyes how to survive in the wild.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,eub8,gim8,1bct,ijo3


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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
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,24ngb,3xn3,4h2h,jgx0,1bct,ijo3

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