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| ISSUE 684 - JULY 23, 2015 | ||||||
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- Youth |
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| YOUTH | ||||||
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Camp Smokey at the California State FairIn the midst of summer in Sacramento, you can find the annual California State Fair at Cal Expo with wonderful exhibits for visitors to enjoy, including the very popular Camp Smokey. This fun and interactive fire prevention program teaches fire safety at home and in the forest. You can visit Smokey’s cabin and enjoy puppet shows, learn “stop, drop and roll” and safely exit “smoke-filled” rooms to earn your Camp Smokey bandana! Kids of all ages can hike the forest trail and learn how to prevent fires when camping. (Newsbytes Extra) |
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Friendship Born at BLM Wild Horse Adoption Event in NapaA new friendship was born and a high school senior project got off the ground, when the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program visited Napa in late June. Napa resident Jaylene Young adopted Hollywood, a 2-year-old halter-trained mare, and over the coming months will train her to accept a saddle. She will document their progress and produce a video for her her high school senior project. (Newsbytes Extra) |
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Inner-City Campers Discover the DesertThree cheers for Los Angeles City Council President, Herb Wesson, who again hosted the 9th annual Camp Wesson on behalf of the Project SAVE gang intervention program and the City of Los Angeles! Camp Wesson is a three-day, two-night camping event held at Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Lake View Terrace. (Newsbytes Extra) |
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Nick’s InternsMattole Recreation Site is at the northern tip of the King Range National Conservation Area, where the Mattole River meets the Pacific Ocean. The Mattole River is the major inland collection point for 39 tributary streams, and drains 300 square miles of watershed. Its 100-acre estuary is important to migrating birds and shorebirds, providing the only protected wetland habitat along many miles of rugged coast. Wildlife of various kinds are attracted by the lush riverside vegetation, the beach, offshore rocks and the sea beyond. (BLM Facebook) |
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Discover the DesertDiscover The Desert with Desert Discovery Center and the many educational opportunities they provide. (BLM Facebook) |
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| FIRE | ||||||
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Private Drones Increasing Force Firefighting Aircraft to the GroundThis year is poised to be a difficult firefighting season in the Pacific Northwest. Most parts of Oregon and Washington experienced the warmest January to June since record keeping began in 1890, and the drought that has devastated California is steadily advancing north.Making the season even more tense, firefighters are reporting an increasing number of near misses with unmanned drones, many of which appear to be sent by hobbyists or photographers trying to document fires. (BLM Facebook) |
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Above Spectacular Wildfire on Freeway Rises New Scourge: Drones
CNN, 7/19/ 2015 |
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Chasing Video With Drones, Hobbyists Imperil California Firefighting Efforts
The New York Times, 7/16/2015 RELATED: If You Fly, We Can’t: (USDA Forest Service) |
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When Not Battling Flames, BLM Firefighters are TrainingKeeping skills sharp is an important part of any profession, and for wildland firefighters, nearly continuous training and drills are a way of life. Bureau of Land Management crews assigned to units in the Northern California District recently demonstrated their readiness and skills in an annual fire readiness exercise in the high desert hills near Susanville. (Newsbytes Extra) |
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Portable Water Sources are Additional Firefighting Tool in Sagebrush CountryAs historic drought conditions persist over northeast California and northwest Nevada and the need to protect important sagebrush habitats increases, the Bureau of Land Management has positioned portable water reservoirs to help firefighters improve response time to wildfires. (Newsbytes Extra) |
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BLM Creates Portable Water Reservoirs
Herald & News, 7/22/2015 RELATED: BLM Installing Temporary, Portable Water Sources for Firefighting (BLM News Release) |
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Wildfire Threatening 200 Structures Near Lake Berryessa
abc7news, 7/23/2015 |
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Wildfire PreventionPlease make sure you always check fire restrictions before you head out for adventures on public lands. Many public lands in the western United States are under fire restrictions, including the BLM’s King Range National Conservation Area in California. Before you head out for a hike or ride on public lands, please check local offices for current fire restrictions and potential for wildfire. (BLM Tumblr) |
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| HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Berryessa Snow Mountain and 2 other Wild Places Protected as National Monuments!
The Wilderness Society, 7/20/2015 |
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National OHV Group Supports California’s New Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument“I believe this monument designation will improve economic opportunities for the local economies; increase coordination between federal agencies; provide well-managed recreation opportunities including casual and permitted off road vehicle activity on designated roads, trails and areas; safeguard the area’s natural beauty, sensitive areas, wildlife and rare plants; and ensure the continued use and enjoyment of these lands for future generations,” Don Amador, Blue Ribbon Coalition. (BLM Facebook) |
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Rally Racers Compete in an off-road Race to become the King of Cow MountainMendocino Rally LLC held its fifth annual “stage rally” event in the Indian Valley Management Area on July 18th and in the South Cow Mountain Recreation Area on July 19th 2015 under a Special Recreation Permit issued by the Ukiah Field Office. A stage rally is a series of timed automobile races (stages) between start control points and finish control points over a prescribed route, with competitors separated by timed intervals. Rally vehicles consist of two wheel and all-wheel drive automobiles that are licensed, street legal and insured. (BLM Facebook) |
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Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal EsealCamIf you want to discover the coast and elephant seals, but are stuck at work or home? Then the California Coastal National Monument at Piedras Blancas you can allow you to virtually visit with the Esealcam complements of Friends of the Elephant Seal, San Simeon, California. To view a live stream go to Friends of the Elephant Seal webpage. |
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Old Mine in the Old Woman Mountains WildernessIn the heart of the Mojave Desert you can discovery remnants of the past. This #throwbackthursday we take a look at an old mine in the Old Woman Mountains Wilderness. The Mojave Desert had mostly gold and silver mines dated as far back as the early 1880’s. Today, you can still find evidence of the mining operations that took place on public lands throughout the desert. (BLM Facebook) |
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Fossils Found in Clark County in 2002 back from California
San Francisco Chronicle, 7/19/2015 |
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Tribal Fight Over Steam Leases Gets New Life
Courthouse News Service, 6/20/2015 |
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Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area Subgroup Members SelectedThe California Desert Advisory Council (DAC) has selected five members for the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) subgroup. They are Charla Teeters-Stewart, representing Local Community; Nicole Gilles, representing Local Community; Ed Stovin, representing OHV organizations; Thomas Acuna, representing CA OHV enthusiast; and Richard Holliday, representing CA OHV enthusiasts. (BLM News Release) |
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| BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
This Week at InteriorThis week: a new USGS study takes a fresh look at storm damage in New York state in the wake of Hurricane Sandy; it's the highest point in North America, but how high is it? Three southern courthouses that played a key role in the civil rights struggle are named National Historic Landmarks; the National Park Service awards more than $1 million for battlefield research, documentation, and interpretation; a grant to help transform Grand Canyon National Park's Desert View into an inter-tribal heritage center; and Secretary Jewell joins the celebration at the newly-designated Browns Canyon National Monument. (DOI YouTube) |
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Check Out What Happened Last Week at BLM : JULY 13-17, 2015On July 16, 1946, the General Land Office and the Grazing Service merged and became the BLM within the Department of the Interior. As the BLM celebrated its 69th birthday last week, the My Public Lands instagram known for its photos of breathtaking public landscapes – reached 100,000 followers. (BLM Tumblr) |
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This Week, Explore the West with My Public Lands Roadtrip in BLM WyomingThe BLM manages more than 17.5 million acres of public lands in Wyoming. Explore those lands with my public lands roadtrip this week for classic western movie locations and historic trails, unique wildlife and science, a stop at the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days and so much more! (BLM Tumblr) |
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My Public Lands Roadtrip in BLM Wyoming checks out Pronghorn, Deer, Red Fox, and More Amazing WildlifeWyoming has an unbelievable variety of world class wildlife. From grizzly bears to marmots, golden eagles to cutthroat trout, Wyoming offers something for everyone. BLM lands are vital to big game, upland game, waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, raptors and hundreds of species of non-game mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. (BLM Tumblr) |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK | ||||||
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How does the Rubber Boa kill its prey? Keep reading for answer below |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS | ||||||
July 25: Discover the DesertDiscover The Desert at night when the desert comes alive when the Friends of the Desert Mountains hosts Night Time Adventures in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. On July 18 and 25 these family-friendly, after-dark events will seek out night creatures with the use of blacklights. Be prepared to find scorpions, tarantulas, lizards and more. Find out more details at the Friends of the Desert Mountains website. |
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July 25: Poet and Environmental Writer will Lead WorkshopJerry Martin, Poet and Environmental Writer will lead a workshop on how to write with a one hour discussion and lunch. The event will be held at the Headwaters Education Center, Elk River Trail, Headwaters Forest Reserve. For more information visit Headwaters Education Center Website. |
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August 1: Second Annual Discover the Coast @ Point ArenaJoin the local community at the second annual Discover the Coast @ Point Arena celebration with lighthouse tours, self-guided hikes, local food vendors, and an art fair. Explore at your own pace with a self-guided hike along 3.5 miles of coastal trail between the City Hall and Lighthouse Road. Visit stations staffed with docents to learn more about history, geology, botany and wildlife of the area. Discover the Coast @ Point Arena (BLM Website) |
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August 9: Nature StoriesPaul Woodland, Storyteller and Naturalist, will present the whit, whimsy and wonders of nature stories. All ages encouraged. The event will be held at the Headwaters Education Center, Elk River Trail, Headwaters Forest Reserve. For more information visit Headwaters Education Center Website. |
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August 15: Falk History WalkThe Headwaters Education Center will have a history walk and talk about the history of Falk, a historic lumber mill town. The event will be held at the Headwaters Education Center, Elk River Trail, Headwaters Forest Reserve. For more information visit Headwaters Education Center Website. |
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August 15: Learn about Forest DynamicsPhillip Van Mantgem, USGS Research Ecologist, will discuss forest dynamics with an emphasis on climate change impacts, fire ecology and the management of forested ecosystems. The event will be held at the Headwaters Education Center, Elk River Trail, Headwaters Forest Reserve. For more information visit Headwaters Education Center Website. |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER | ||||||
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How does the Rubber Boa kill their prey? Answer: Rubber boas are not very common throughout their range. They are mainly crepuscular, meaning that they are active at dusk and dawn. These boas seek shelter in rotting logs or under rocks and they can also build burrows in loose soils. Rubber boas prey upon small mammals and lizards. They kill their prey by constricting them. SOURCE: BLM Wildlife database |
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