A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California Issue 671-4/24/2015- Visit us on Facebook -- Follow us on Twitter -- Share us with friends and colleagues! THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES: - Happy Earth Day - Youth - Sage-Grouse - Discover the Coast - Headlines and Highlights - BLM and DOI Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming 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,27w4h,3xn3,8dzg,ivnm,1bct,ijo3 HAPPY EARTH DAY Happy Earth Day 2015 From the BLM! (BLM Tumblr) Enjoy a snapshot of your amazing public lands- no place like home. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,fqhd,kk3r,1bct,ijo3 On Earth Day, We Celebrate BLM Employees, Volunteers and Partners Who Make Everyday Earth Day (BLM Tumblr) Check out this Nature Selfie of the Nevada Conservation Corps crew that found themselves swinging "hoedads" and plunging "dibbles" to plant trees on a fire rehabilitation project near Markleeville, California. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,9x2w,fj4p,1bct,ijo3 Earth Day Draws Students of all Ages (Record Searchlight, April 22, 2015 ) Students of all ages learned about the Earth and the environment Wednesday at an Earth Day event at Shasta Community College. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,3a5y,2pks,1bct,ijo3 Earth Day Lessons (Desert Dispatch, April 22, 2015) Sixth-grader Gabriel Bustos had lots of questions. High School STEM students Tylor Holcombe, Angelo Sciortino and Nolan Martinez answered them all. The three STEM students explained their fuel cell car in front of group of sixth-graders inside the Barstow High School Gym. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,ex46,2h4j,1bct,ijo3 Nature Selfie (BLM Facebook) One of the most amazing things about living in the West is the access to wide open country and the sunsets that it provides http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,ata7,bnjw,1bct,ijo3 Earth Day 2015: Inland's Top 5 Environmental Issues (Press Enterprise, April 21, 2015) As Earth Day dawns on Wednesday, April 22, it's clear that the multi-year drought has grabbed headlines as the top environmental issue in Inland Southern Californians, with suppliers scrambling to find ways to meet state-mandated restrictions on use. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,998b,gxf,1bct,ijo3 YOUTH An Unforgettable Paddling Field Trip at Cosumnes River Preserve (Wilderness Inquiry) At the Cosumnes River Preserve, the Canoemobile crew was joined by remarkable staff and volunteers from the Bureau of Land Management. By working together, nearly 400 students from the Galt Joint Union School District discovered the Preserve from a new perspective! http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,bqdy,41e7,1bct,ijo3 Cosumnes River Preserve (BLM Facebook) More than 400 kids from the Galt Joint Union School District got the chance to get out on the water at Cosumnes River Preserve thanks to Wilderness Inquiry and their Canoemobile. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,7dox,611w,1bct,ijo3 Wilderness Inquiry's "Canoemobile" visits Cosumnes River Preserve (BLM Youtube video) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,f7y6,knf6,1bct,ijo3 Junior Fishing Derby (BLM Facebook) The Bureau of Land Management's Hobo Camp Day Use Area near Susanville was a popular spot Saturday, April 18, as youngsters and their families fished the pools in the Susan River, hoping to land prize-winning trout in Lassen County's annual Junior Fishing Derby. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,3rxx,ccxk,1bct,ijo3 SAGE - GROUSE Successful Conservation Partnership Keeps Bi-State Sage-Grouse Off Endangered Species List (USFW News Release, April 21, 2015) Partnership among California, Nevada, Federal Agencies, & Landowners Helped Conserve Key Habitat, Reduce Threats to Bird. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the Bi-State population of greater sage-grouse does not require the protection of the Endangered Species Act. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,extr,32wo,1bct,ijo3 Bi-State Sage-Grouse Conservation Partnership (BLM Facebook) Thanks to the successful conservation partnership between California, Nevada, federal agencies and landowners, the Bi-State sage-grouse does not require ESA protection. These groups worked together for the past 15 years to conserve key habitat and reduce the long-term threats to this distinct population segment of greater sage-grouse. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,4v5n,5dni,1bct,ijo3 Sage Grouse Decision Lauded by Mono County, ESLT (Sierra Wave,4/21/2015) "Today's action by the Department of the Interior shows that Mono County's ongoing commitment to resolving this issue through participation paid off for our communities and for the species. Mono County had a choice when the proposed listing was issued: Commit to the conservation..." http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,7nul,zhc,1bct,ijo3 The Ultimate Nature Selfie: Greater Sage-Grouse Strut Their Stuff! (BLM Tumblr) Every year from March through May, male Greater Sage-Grouse come to communal mating grounds called leks to show off their moves. In hopes of impressing some very picky hens, the males puff their chests, fan their feathers and really strut their stuff. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,mc4k,6l10,1bct,ijo3 Feds Opt Not to List Mono Basin Sage Grouse (High Country News, April 22, 2015) Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced this week that the small, isolated population of greater sage grouse that lives along the border between California and Nevada does not need to be put on the endangered species list. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,dr86,fxgu,1bct,ijo3 DISCOVER THE COAST West of the Rest: Kelpfest! (Newsbytes Extra) In southern California suburbia sprawls, city skyscrapers shoot up, freeways flow like veins, and beaches swarm like beehives. In contrast the shoreline zone where small rocks and islands off the coast of California seems steady and unwavering. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,hno6,7vu7,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: National Conservation Lands (BLM Facebook) For more than 20 years, Laguna Beach's kelp forests had declined by as much as 80%.. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,cfm7,7639,1bct,ijo3 Happy Birthday Fort Ord National Monument! (BLM Facebook) Three years ago today, Fort Ord National Monument was created by Presidential Proclamation. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,ji5,7ot,1bct,ijo3 Happy Birthday Fort Ord National Monument (BLM Tumblr) The Fort Ord National Monument - a part of the BLM's National Conservation Lands - holds some of the last undeveloped natural wildlands along the Monterey Peninsula, over 35 species of rare plants and animals, and miles of world-class recreation trails. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,jhl5,l83q,1bct,ijo3 CALIFORNIA HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Stunning Night-Sky Images from the American Desert (Live Science, April 20, 2015) Some of the most beautiful night skies in the United States can be found on public lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,l2ob,accd,1bct,ijo3 New Policy Requires Owners to Walk Dogs on Leash at Fort Ord Trails (KION, April 21, 2015) Hundreds of people have signed a petition seeking to get the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to rescind its new rule forcing dog owners to keep dogs leashed while at Fort Ord National Monument. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,86t5,d5sn,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: Additional Munitions Cleanup Prompts Heightened Safety Protocols, Interim Dog Leash Requirement on Fort Ord National Monument (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,kak6,bfxc,1bct,ijo3 Santa Cruz County Supervisors Support Proposed National Monument (Santa Cruz Sentinel, April 21, 2015) Santa Cruz County is one step further in a race to have President Obama designate a national monument on the picturesque North Coast. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,f7py,hy8i,1bct,ijo3 Horses Trained by Sacramento County Inmates Offered for Adoption (The Sacramento Bee,4/23/2015) Two fillies halter-trained through a program at Sacramento County's Rio Cosumnes Correctional Facility will be available for adoption this weekend at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport. The fillies will be among the wild horses and burros offered for adoption by the federal Bureau of Land Management on Saturday and Sunday. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,30u,fed9,1bct,ijo3 Cemex Game Changer (SCVnews, April 20, 2015) The game has changed when it comes to the dispute over whether Cemex will proceed with its plan to mine 56 million tons of aggregate from a site in Soledad Canyon just outside of Santa Clarita city limits. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,m9cv,gq0u,1bct,ijo3 Reintroduced Bill Pushing to Reopen Clear Creek (Free Lance, April 16, 2015) Congressman Sam Farr and others are reintroducing a bill attempting to reopen the federally owned Clear Creek Management Area for off-road use. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,c4ia,m21h,1bct,ijo3 Sacrificed for Solar: 'Fast track' Project Approvals Left Tribes Behind (The Press Enterprise, April 19, 2015) The Genesis solar project was one of 23 alternative energy projects sought for public lands in southwestern states that were singled out by the Obama administration in 2009 for sped-up or "fast-track" approvals. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,64mq,8xky,1bct,ijo3 BLM AND DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HIGHTLIGHTS This Week at Interior (Video): April 24, 2015 (DOI Youtube) President Obama and Secretary Jewell mark Earth Day 2015 with a visit to Florida's Everglades; the Marjory Stoneman Douglas House in Miami is designated a National Historic Landmark; a multi-agency initiative to fight climate change's effects; the results of the first-ever carbon storage assessment in national parks; Secretary Jewell travels west to celebrate a sage-grouse conservation success story; America has its 563rd National Wildlife Refuge; and Deputy Secretary Mike Connor throws out the first pitch at Nationals Park, to mark National Park Week.http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,h15d,danp,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK What is the diet of Sage-grouse? a) Wildflowers b) Insects c) Forage crops d) All of the above ------> See answer near the end of this issue of News.bytes. UPCOMING EVENTS April 24: BLM Advisory Council Plans Meeting at Mother Lode Field Office (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,1cne,7zbv,1bct,ijo3 April 25: The Friends of Jawbone (Jawbone.org) will be holding their 19th Annual Moose Anderson Day Clean up on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Pre-registered volunteers receive a free t-shirt, BBQ lunch, and raffle ticket. Visit Jawbone.org for more information and to register. April 25-26: BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program (BLM News Release) Your turn is coming, California! Join BLM for a wild horse adoption at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport. Up to 40 animals will be available to adopt. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,1mqa,7vsq,1bct,ijo3 May 2: The Friends of El Mirage (elmirage.org) will be holding their annual Spring Clean up of the El Mirage Open Area on May 2, 2015. Pre-registered volunteers receive a free t-shirt, BBQ Lunch, and raffle ticket. This year's event will also include a special drawing where four lucky winners will get to name four of El Mirage's resident tortoise ambassadors! Visit elmirage.org for more information and to register! May 9: BLM Desert Advisory Council to Reschedule Ridgecrest Business Meeting (BLM News Release) Due to unforeseen circumstances, the scheduled public meeting of the Desert Advisory Council scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2015 in Ridgecrest has been rescheduled for May 9, 2015 in Riverside, Calif. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,dodq,8sgi,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER What is the diet of Sage-grouse?? Answer: d! While sage-grouse will feed on wildflowers, insects and forage crops in spring and summer, they depend on sagebrush for food year round, and especially in winter when sagebrush is the only available food source. SOURCE:Sage-Grouse (Defenders.org) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27w4h,3xn3,9mrp,58sf,1bct,ijo3
