BLM California News.bytes Issue 687

Title: Untitled Document

California Coastal National Monument at Trinidad Gateway

ISSUE 687 - August 13, 2015

- Fire
- Discover the Coast
- Discover the Desert
- Headlines and Highlights
- BLM and DOI Highlights
- Wildlife Question of the Week
- Upcoming Events

FIRE

California Statewide Fire Summary

Fourteen active wildfires continue to burn in California, with 12,000 firefighters on the frontlines. Yesterday crews were able to contain new wildfires that had been burning for the past several weeks. The 2,300 Lowell Fire in Nevada County and the 5,700 acre Willow Fire in Madera County are both 100 percent contained. (CAL FIRE)

Cache Creek, Knoxville Areas Closed due to Rocky, Jerusalem Fires

The Cache Creek and Knoxville management areas are closed to all public use and access, including hunting and off highway vehicle use, until further notice due to the Rocky and Jerusalem Fires burning in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties. (BLM News Release)

RELATED: Fire Closure Map

Fire Restrictions Start Aug. 8 on BLM-Managed Public Lands in Northeast California and Far Northwest Nevada

Seasonal restrictions on the outdoor use of fire and firewood cutting begin Saturday, Aug. 8, on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management in northeast California and far northwest Nevada. The restrictions apply to lands managed by the BLM’s Eagle Lake and Applegate field offices and the Surprise Field Station in Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra, Shasta, Siskiyou and Washoe counties. (BLM News Release)

Jerusalem Fire Continues to Grow, Rocky Fire Closes in on Full Containment

Lake County News, 8/12/2015
Officials said the fire continues to burn into remote, difficult-to-access areas with dense vegetation and a lack of improved roads, with the added complications of winds that continue to be erratic. Read full story

Wildfires Impacting Habitats for Animals in North Bay

KTVU News, 8/10/2015

Though the number of homes lost to the Rocky Fire was limited to 45, the amount of habitat lost to plants and animals is almost 70,000 acres. But the Federal Bureau of Land Management says the impact of the fire will, in the fullness of time, heal itself. Even before humans created fire, animals learned how to cope, survive and recover. Read full story

Interactive Wildfire Maps in California

View interactive maps and information on current large wildfires in California. Fire perimeters from GeoMAC and MODIS heat are displayed, along with details about each fire from the National Interagency Fire Center Situation Report. Online Interactive Maps: 2015 California Wildfire Activity

DISCOVER THE COAST

2nd Annual Discover the Coast at Point Arena

The community of Point Arena celebrated the 2nd Annual Discover the Coast event and the 15thanniversary of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Conservation Lands in grand style on August 1. Hundreds of participant joined the festivities that included hikes, lighthouse tours, open house and an art fair highlighting the rugged and scenic beauty of the California Coastal National Monument. (Newsbytes Extra)

National Lighthouse Day, Art Night Celebrated at Trinidad

The spectacular setting of the Trinidad Lighthouse on California’s North Coast drew more than 100 visitors Friday, Aug. 7, for an observance of National Lighthouse Day. (Newsbytes Extra)

California Coastal National Monument at Trinidad

A little inspiration for ‪getting outdoors. A dramatic backdrop of rocks and islands and a community committed to conserving and sharing its natural and cultural heritage are hallmarks of the California Coastal National Monument at Trinidad. (BLM Facebook)

Getaways: Visit scenic Point Arena-Stornetta

The Press Democrat, 8/12/2015
Sonoma’s dramatic coastline provides its own share of waves crashing against cavernous cliffs and islands of sculptured rock formations. But it’s not until you arrive just north of Point Arena, at the new Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands, that you connect with Mother Earth and the marvel of California’s endless oceanscape. Read full story 

DISCOVER THE DESERT 

Night Time Desert Hunting

A magical evening with a star-filled sky greeted visitors to the Santa Rosa-San Jacinto Mountains National Monument on a “Night Adventures in the Monument” scorpion hunt. Bats began circling in the air at dusk, as the participants gathered to start their adventure. Because the moon had not yet risen, the sky was particularly dark and the Milky Way and numerous constellations seemed so close you could almost touch them! (Newsbytes Extra)

The Cadiz Dunes Wilderness

The Cadiz Dunes Wilderness is located in a remote corner of the Mojave Desert about 12 miles south of Cadiz and historic Route 66. Start planinng your winter or spring travels to ‪desert. The area is accessible year-round, but summer temperatures can soar to 120 degrees in the dunes so winter and spring are better times to visit. (BLM Facebook)

Friends of the Desert Mountains

Friends of the Desert Mountains helped protect a corridor between the Mecca Hills and Orocopia Mountains Wilderness areas. (Friends of the Desert Mountains)

Desert Discovery Center

Join the Desert Discovery Center in Barstow for Leave No Trace Fun Day on Aug 29. (BLM Facebook)

HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Saving Sagebrush to Protect Sage-Grouse

Now more than ever, protecting Greater Sage-Grouse habitat is of the utmost importance.  That is why it’s now the BLM’s number one natural resource priority. The loss of sagebrush steppe to wildfire and invasive weeds in the last 20-40 years is one of the primary threats to the Greater Sage-Grouse. (Newsbytes Extra)

Grant Union High School Summer Interns

This summer 16 students from Grant Union High School in Sacramento worked with the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and Bureau of Reclamation for a unique summer internship experience.  For the second year, agencies worked with Grant High’s Environmental Science Academy, known as GEO Academy to provide students with opportunities to expand their horizon in a variety of career in natural resources as they worked side-by-side with employees exploring the vast beauty and complexities of California’s public lands. (Newsbytes Extra)

Chappie-Shasta Off Highway Vehicle Area

Ride along with us as we explore the Chappie-Shasta Off Highway Vehicle Area and learn about the recreation opportunities available in this area.‪ (BLM YouTube)

For more information visit: Chappie Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Area (BLM Website)
California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (State of California Facebook)

BLM Intern Conducts Keyesville Survey Project

Fringing one of the only highway access routes between the California Coast and the Great Basin, Keyesville’s unique spatial characteristics and rich historic potential are not yet fully unlocked (forgive the pun) or easily accessible to the American public or other visitors. (Newsbytes Extra)

Cosumnes River Preserve

Cosumnes River Preserve is another great place to visit on Wildlife Wednesday. (BLM Facebook)

Valley Voice: Add Eagle Mountain to Joshua Tree Park

The Desert Sun, 8/10/2015

For those of us who feel graced with the surreal magnificence of Joshua Tree National Park in our backyards, there is a little-known process in democracy now open to the public until later this month. The National Park Service is scoping out the feasibility of reincorporating up to 28,000 acres of land in the Eagle Mountain area. Read full story

RELATED: Eagle Mountain Land Exchange (BLM Website)

Humboldt County Sites Eyed for National Monument

Redwood Times News, 8/10/2015

Trinidad Head, Lost Coast Headlands, and Lighthouse Ranch may become part of the California Coastal National Monument, thanks to the Golden State’s senators. Democrats Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, Aug. 5 that would expand the national monument to add 6,200 acres of federally owned lands in four California counties, including 461 acres on three sites in Humboldt County. Read full story

Sacramento County Inmate-Trained Mustangs To Go Up For Adoption

Sacramento Bee, 8/12/ 2015
Wild horses trained by inmates at Sacramento County’s Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center will be up for adoption later this month in Rancho Murieta. The nine mares are halter-trained and “saddle-started,” according to the Bureau of Land Management. Read full story

O.C.’s Tiny Islands are in Limbo, but Senator Wants to Protect Them

The Orange County Register, 8/12/2015
It’s hard to imagine a lighthouse atop the white-capped, guano-covered rocks visible from Crescent Bay Point Park in Laguna Beach – home to pelicans, cormorants, sea lions and little else. But in the 1930s that’s exactly what Congress reserved these rocks for. Same with dozens of other small rocks and miniature islands off the coast of Orange County. Today, the rocks and islands of O.C. exist in a kind of legal limbo. Read full story

Viewpoint: DRECP Region Voters Back Development Plan

The Desert Sun, 8/8/2015
California desert region voters share a common appreciation for the natural desert beauty in which they reside — the starry nights, gorgeous sunsets, and unique wildlife of the desert are things we have often heard residents of the region tell us they love about the places they call home. Read full story

National Monument Status Proposed for Piedras Blancas

The Cambrian,  8/12/2015
The historic 20-acre Piedras Blancas Light Station, built in 1875 to guide mariners and help them avoid large pinnacles in the sea, could become part of the 1,100-mile California Coastal National Monument. The light station already is designated as Bureau of Land Management Outstanding Natural Area. Read full story

BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS

Follow My Public Lands Roadtrip Stops this Week in BLM New Mexico and Nearby States

BLM in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas care for 13.5 million acres of public lands, from breathtaking prairies and lush riparian areas to open woodlands and desert peaks – the iconic landscapes of the American West. Join #mypubliclandsroadtrip all week to explore outstanding national monuments and wilderness areas, visit unique historic and prehistoric sites, enjoy a diversity of recreation sites and more!  (BLM Tumblr)

My Public Lands Roadtrip Watches the Sunset From the Dunes at Hackberry Lake

The Hackberry Lake Off-Highway Vehicle Use Area offers over 55,000 acres of rolling stabilized dune lands and cliffs, just 20 miles outside of Carlsbad, New Mexico.  The area is open to dune buggies, motorcycles and other OHVs – with scenic views in a family-friendly environment. (BLM Tumblr)

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Can Sea Otters live their whole lives without actually leaving the water?

Keep reading for answer below

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 15: Falk History Walk

The 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 (BLM Website). 

August 15: Learn about Forest Dynamics

Phillip 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 (BLM Website).

August 22: Trained Wild Horses Available for Adoption in Rancho Murieta

Wild horses that have been halter trained and saddle started will be offered for public adoption Saturday, Aug. 22, as part of the Murieta Mule Classic event beginning at 9 a.m. at the Murieta Equestrian Center, 7200 Lone Pine Dr., in Rancho Murieta. (BLM News Release)

August 26-27: BLM Northern California Resource Advisory Council Meeting

The Bureau of Land Management’s Northern California Resource Advisory Council will convene for a meeting and field tour Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 26 and 27, in the conference center at the Oxford Suites, 1967 Hilltop Dr., in Redding. (BLM News Release)

September 8: BLM Dumont Dunes Subgroup Public Meeting

The Dumont Dunes Subgroup to the Desert Advisory Council (DAC) has scheduled a public meeting for Tuesday, September 8, 2015 in Barstow from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (BLM News Release)

September 11-12: BLM Desert Advisory Council to Meet in San Diego

The next field trip and meeting of the California Desert Advisory Council will be held September 11-12, 2015 in San Diego. (BLM News Release)

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER

Can Sea Otters live their whole lives without actually leaving the water?

Answer is true:
Sea otters can live their whole lives without actually leaving the water. Also they often sleep holding hands, which is pretty adorable. Sea Otters can be found at Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

SOURCE: National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Facebook

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