News.bytes, Issue 666

Title: News.bytes, Issue 666 - BLM California

A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California

Issue 666-3/20/2015- Visit us on Facebook -- Follow us on Twitter -- Share us with friends and colleagues!

THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:
- Wildflowers
- Discover the Desert
- Headlines and Highlights
- Wildlife Question of the Week
- BLM and Department of the Interior Highlights

If this message does not show up properly in your email, you can see it online at:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/2015/666.html

WILDFLOWERS

Wildflowers (BLM Facebook)
The Bakersfield Field Office is showing off the wildflowers on public lands in the area. These photos were taken near Atwell. What you can't see is the incredible smell of a field of wildflowers. Get out there and experience it for yourself!
http://on.fb.me/1AOVTG1

F is for Funastrum (climbing milkweed) (BLM Facebook)
Take a closer look at the shrubs in desert washes - chances are, you'll find something growing on them! This inconspicuous vine comes alive in the spring and fall with huge clusters of purplish-pink flowers.
http://on.fb.me/1x8ZXpE

G is for Gold poppies (Eschscholzia glyptosperma) (BLM Facebook)
Bright yellow and iridescent in the sun, desert gold poppies are one of the most beautiful spring annuals in the desert. What are spring annuals, you might ask? They are non-woody plants that complete their entire life cycle in one year.
http://on.fb.me/18ywNVl

H is for Hesperocallis (ajo lilly) (BLM Facebook)
You may find the long, lanky leaves before you see the flower - but the bonus of searching out these beautiful white blooms on loose sand dunes in the eastern Mojave is that they also have a wonderful smell!
http://on.fb.me/1FtnHGq

I is for Eriogonum (BLM Facebook)
Yes yes, I know I'm cheating because it doesn't start with an "I". But it would be a tragedy if you weren't introduced to this beautiful, tiny, ubiquitous desert plant. It grows along roadsides and wash edges. You've probably driven right past it without noticing. Next time, take a closer look!
http://on.fb.me/1FD2SIm

J is for Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) (BLM facebook)
When you start seeing Joshua trees, you know you are in the Mojave Desert. The right amount of rain means they will bloom, lighting up the desert with their large white flowers. Did you know - Joshua trees are only pollinated by two species of moths!
http://on.fb.me/1H2zM6X

The Wildflowers are Everywhere (The Daily Independent, 3/17/2015) The wildflowers are everywhere at least in this valley! Every empty lot has become a garden. With the gentle rains and warm days, our desert has decided to bloom early this year.
http://bit.ly/1DAN8Gt

Wildflower Viewing Areas (BLM Website)
The wildflower season generally starts with an early spring in the desert regions of southern California and works its way northward. When the wildflower seasons occur, and how lush they are, depends on the weather.
http://on.doi.gov/1NTXcNP

DISCOVER THE DESERT

Enhancing Habitat for Rare Endemic Fish on the Amargosa River (Newsbytes Extra)
The Amargosa River south of the town of Tecopa is a green island oasis in the middle of one of the driest and hottest regions in the Western United States.
http://on.doi.gov/1EwsPHQ

Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (BLM Facebook)
Join us for "Fatal Vision" at Oldsmobile Hill this Saturday, March 21st at 10:00 a.m. Park rangers will be on hand talking about the dangers of drinking and driving, on and off the road as well as other off-highway vehicle (OHV) topics.
http://on.fb.me/1HZZVB9

Discover the Desert (BLM Website)
The desert offers a variety of ways to discover nature, adventure and travel. Opportunities are only limited by your imagination - wildlife and wildflower viewing, hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, rock hounding, scenic drives, off-highway vehicle adventure and much more.
http://on.doi.gov/1tgWgFC

CALIFORNIA HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Surveying in the Backcountry of the John Muir Wilderness! (Newsbytes Extra)
Our day begins at 6 a.m. We wake to a brisk July morning at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Six of us venture out of our canvas tents at Clyde's Pack Station, located 3.5 miles west of Wishon Reservoir, and begin to eat our first of many dehydrated meals.
http://on.doi.gov/1BQe4i8

RELATED: Crown Valley Cadastral Survey (BLM California Flickr) http://bit.ly/1F4au80

Angels Camp Horse Adoption (Newsbytes Extra)
Twenty horses and six burros were adopted at the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Adoption March 14 and 15 in Angels Camp.The adoption was held in conjunction with Backcountry Horsemen of California's Rendezvous. The adoption included two-year old fillies that were halter gentled at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center in Elk Grove, as well as fillies gentled by wranglers at the Litchfield Corrals.
http://on.doi.gov/1ByIjGG


Sage-grouse Conservation (BLM Facebook)
The BLM has partnered with officials from Mono County, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service - Inyo National Forest, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Brown's Campground to develop and install two interpretive signs promoting stewardship of wildlife habitat in Long Valley.
http://on.fb.me/1HVW0VW

Butte Creek, West Branch Bridge Work Completed (Enterprise-Record, 3/16/2015)
Work has been completed on bridges crossing Butte Creek and the West Branch of the Feather River from the Magalia area. Both bridges are part of the Ponderosa Way road complex constructed by the federal government in the 1930s stretching from Kern County to Shasta County.
http://bit.ly/1DANrRD

Butte Creek, West Branch Feather River Bridges Now Open to Traffic (BLM News Release)
The Butte Creek Bridge now meets federal highway load standards, and the West Branch Feather River Bridge is rated to carry 17 tons.
http://on.doi.gov/1FBY2ev

Energy Plan Sparks Productive Conversation (Daily Press, 3/16/2015)
We're no fans of red tape, and there are certainly times when hyper-regulation and onerous government restrictions stand in the way of progress.
http://bit.ly/18TwAf8

BLM letter: Is It the Beginning of the End for Cemex? (The Santa Clarita Valley Signal, 3/16/2015)
Bureau of Land Management officials told the Cemex mining firm that its proposed open-pit mine in the Santa Clarita Valley is no longer a viable option, according to a BLM letter released Monday.
http://bit.ly/1HZTm1r

Tribes Try to Block Project (The Press-Enterprise, 3/17/2015)
The Colorado River Indian Tribes have asked a federal judge to block construction of a 6-square-mile solar energy project near Blythe until a legal challenge to the project's approval is resolved.
http://bit.ly/1FB2MBf

RELATED: Blythe Solar Power Project (BLM Website)
A 230kV gen-tie line will connect the solar energy generating facility to the Southern California Edison Colorado River Substation) http://on.doi.gov/1pzYWwG

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What is the lifespan of a Mountain lion? a) 5-10 years b)12-25 years c)15-30 years d)18-30 years ------> See answer near the end of this issue of News.bytes.

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 21: Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area Public Meetings http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2015/february/ocotillo.html

March 21 - Fish Slough Clean-Up
http://on.doi.gov/1ExnKQT

March 31: BLM Advisory Council to Meet by Video Teleconference http://on.doi.gov/1Fju2nE

WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER

What is the lifespan of a Mountain lion?

Answer: About 12 years in the wild; up to 25 years in captivity. Mountain lions are active hunters and may travel long distances in search of food. They hunt alone and attack from behind, breaking the neck of their prey by biting it at the base of the skull. After killing their prey, they will bury it and leave it, coming back to feed on it when hungry.

SOURCE: Basic Facts About Mountain Lions (Defenders.org) http://bit.ly/1fQuLgZ