BLM California Newsbytes Issue 690

Title: Untitled Document

 Headwaters Forest Reserve (Photo by BLM) 

ISSUE 690 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

- Every Kid in a Park 
- BLM Roadtrip
- National Public Lands Day 
- Headlines and Highlights
- BLM and DOI Highlights
- Wildlife Question of the Week
- Upcoming Events

EVERY KID IN A PARK

Administration Launches Every Kid in a Park Pass

“America is blessed with the great outdoors, and through Every Kid in a Park, we’re inviting every fourth grader and their families to enjoy our nation’s unrivaled public lands and waters,” said Secretary Jewell. “We want to make sure that every American has the opportunity to develop a lifelong connection to our nation’s land, water and wildlife.” (DOI News Release)

Every Kid in a Park

Cutest video you’ll watch all day.
See how 4th graders react to getting a free pass to all public lands. Starting today, all 4th graders and their families can visit federal lands and waters for FREE thanks to the Every Kid in a Park initiative. (DOI YouTube)
Learn more → Every Kid in a Park

Every Kid in a Park Kicks Off at Red Rock Canyon

President Obama’s Every Kid in a Park initiative entitles all fourth graders and their families to a free pass for a full year to visit federal lands and waters.The kids were enthusiastic about being outside and going on a hike to explore the stunning desert landscape, Native American rock art and surprise pockets of lush green plants at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, only a 20-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip. (The White House)

BLM ROADTRIP 

My Public Lands Roadtrip Recap in BLM California!

The summer roadtrip in BLM California covered it all – from desert to forest to coast. We featured conservation efforts, amazing coastal wildlife, and endless recreation opportunities. Our favorite roadtrip stop in California – King Range National Conservation Area, the Lost Coast. You just can’t find a bad view! (BLM Tumblr)

My Public Lands Roadtrip Recap

This summer, we headed out on a virtual roadtrip to public lands across the country.  From coast to coast – plus Alaska – we explored beautiful landscapes and unique resources and met employees behind-the-scenes. This week through Labor Day, join us for a #mypubliclandsroadtrip wrap up! We’ll highlight roadtrip favorites from the summer – and throw in a few new places to explore. (BLM Tumblr)

Check out story maps of all roadtrip stops here: (BLM Tumblr)

Sunrise Over King Range

My Public Lands Roadtrip Recap: You can't beat a sunrise over the King Range National Conservation Area in California, aka the Lost Coast! Timelapse by Bob Wick, BLM (BLM Instagram)

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY 2015

National Public Lands Day

Join us on Saturday, September 26, 2015 to help care for our public lands! The nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands in your neighborhood.
Find NPLD events near you: National Public Lands Day (BLM website)

BLM Bishop Field Office Invites the Public to Celebrate National Public Lands Day

The Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office will host three National Public Lands Day events this year. They are; Alabama Hills trail construction, Tungsten Hills trail maintenance and bitterbrush planting in Indian Fire burn area. (BLM News Release )

HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Northern California RAC Names New Subcommittees

The Bureau of Land Management’s newly-formed Northern California District Resource Advisory Council got right to work at its inaugural meeting, naming two standing subcommittees to assist the agency with high priority work.Meeting in Redding Wednesday, Aug. 26, the council set up committees to help the BLM determine priorities for sage grouse conservation projects, and in development of a new resource management plan for the Redding and Arcata field offices. (Newsbytes Extra)

Firefighters to the Rescue of Baby Acorn Woodpeckers

CAL Fire Engine 2182 crew out of Butte County, working on the Jerusalem Fire night-shift, came across three noisy baby acorn woodpeckers on the fire line. The nest was precariously entangled in a dozer berm among oak tree branches and brush. (Newsbytes Extra)

BLM Folsom Lake Hand Crew

Thinking of our hardworking firefighters in the field this Friday! Thank you for all you do, stay safe! Pictured here, the BLM California Folsom Lake Hand Crew. (BLM Instagram)

BLM Reopens Trails, Campgrounds, in King Range Closed by Horse Fire

Just in time for Labor Day weekend, the Bureau of Land Management Arcata Field Office has reopened all trails and campgrounds in the King Range that were closed due to the Horse Fire. “Although we are reopening trails and campgrounds, the risk of fire danger remains high and campfire restrictions are still in place. Enjoy our public lands, but keep safety in mind,” said Molly Brown, Arcata Field Office manager. (BLM News Release)

HACU Intern at the BLM Sacramento State Office

From June to August, I embarked on a transformative journey that has not only heightened my professional skill sets in the field of communications but also increased my understanding of the many applications the Bureau of Land Management serves as. I worked as the Public Affairs Intern at the BLM California State Office, constructing news articles about public lands, youth initiatives, outdoor adventures, renewable energy projects, and other information relating to the conservation and management of California’s public lands. (Newsbytes Extra)

Getting Wild: This Latina Finally Gets to Experience the Thrill of the Outdoors

Huffington Post, 8/26/2015
I have felt the joy of solitude and what it’s like to experience complete stillness in the air broken only by the sounds of a bird or the wind rustling through the trees. I have looked up into the sky, as recently as this Fourth of July weekend in Sequoia National Park, and instead of watching fireworks I saw something far grander — millions of brightly-shining stars framed by a canopy of towering trees. I also know that, without a doubt, the outdoors is not just for the rich or for the Anglos. It’s for everyone — girls, boys, women, men, Latinos, Latinas, African-Americans, and anyone in-between. It belongs to all of us. (Read full story)

BLM Announces Mariposa County Briceburg Closure Planned for Suspension Bridge Work

Sierra Sun Times, 9/3/2015
Effective Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office will close the Merced River Recreation Area while the Briceburg suspension bridge is painted. The closure is expected to last until about Dec. 7. (Read full story)

Related: Briceburg Closure Planned for Suspension Bridge Work (BLM News Release)

BLM Plans Meetings on Cow Mountain Recreation Management Plan

Off-road.com, 9/2/2015

The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office will hold public scoping meetings in September to gather comments for a recreation management plan for North and South Cow Mountain. BRC strongly supports the managed OHV recreation program at the Cow Mountain National Recreation Area (NRA). (Read full story)

Related: BLM Plans Meetings on Cow Mountain Recreation Management Plan (BLM News Release)

BLM Reopens Trails, Campgrounds, in King Range Closed by Horse Fire

Just in time for Labor Day weekend, the Bureau of Land Management Arcata Field Office has reopened all trails and campgrounds in the King Range that were closed due to the Horse Fire. “Although we are reopening trails and campgrounds, the risk of fire danger remains high and campfire restrictions are still in place. Enjoy our public lands, but keep safety in mind,” said Molly Brown, Arcata Field Office manager. (BLM News Release)

BLM has Camp Host Opportunity at Pit River Campground

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking a campground host interested in living and working along the Pit River in Northeast California for the late summer and fall seasons.The camp host will provide visitor information, collect camping fees and perform light maintenance at the BLM Pit River Campground. (BLM News Release)

Parents of Woman Killed on San Francisco Pier File Claims

AP, 9/1/2015
The parents of a San Francisco woman who was fatally shot by a man in the country illegally said Tuesday that federal and local authorities contributed to the death of their daughter through negligence and bureaucratic bungling. (Read full story)

Next Step in Cemex Mine Saga Could be an Appeal

Santa Clarita Valley Signal, 8/31/2015
With the Bureau of Land Management’s announcement last week that contracts for the proposed mega-mine in Soledad Canyon have been canceled, effectively killing the proposal, the federal agency is preparing for the next step. The decision to cancel the contracts, which Cemex has held since 1990, was “based on Cemex’s own inaction,” said BLM California State Director Jim Kenna in a statement Friday. (Read full story)

Our Voice: Congress, not Obama, Should Create Monuments

The Desert Sun, 8/31/2015
Sen. Dianne Feinstein has been pushing her colleagues in Congress to approve legislation that would create new national monuments in the California desert. Now she’s asking President Barack Obama to make the decision on his own, using authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act to create the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains monuments. (Read full story)

BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS

This Week at Interior August 28, 2015

The nation marks ten years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico; wildfires continue to burn across 11 states; Interior approves the Blythe Mesa Solar Project in California; Secretary Jewell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announce the appointments of members of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council; the Fish and Wildlife Service is expanding hunting and fishing opportunities on 21 wildlife refuges; and the National Park Service celebrates its 99th birthday with a special celebration on the National Mall. (DOI YouTube)

Connecting People to Their Public Lands 2015

Check out all the cool things BLM accomplished last year showcasing the important role that young people are playing in the management of public land resources. Check out California’s stories on pages 14-15. Download a copy (BLM Website)

It Starts With A Seed: Blm Botanist Plants New Tree Of Knowledge At Little Big Horn College

Sitting along a small tree line, about ten students gather to learn what a botanist’s life is like in the field. BLM Montana/Dakota Botanist Wendy Velman closely examines a sample and explains the painstaking process of properly identifying and cataloging plants. (BLM Tumblr)

My Public Lands Roadtrip Meets BLM’s Boise Idaho Smokejumpers

Did you know?
The U.S. has about 450 jumpers. (Conversely, Russia uses about 4,000 jumpers.) Smokejumping in the U.S. dates back to 1939. The first operational fire jump occurred in 1940 on the Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho. The Boise jump base employs some 80-85 jumpers every season. During the fire season, these jumpers are based out of other locations in the Great Basin, depending on where the needs are. (BLM Tumblr)

Obama Administration Unveils New Climate Resilience Tools

As part of the Obama Administration’s Climate Data Initiative, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced a new set of online climate data resources to help Arctic communities with climate change planning, adaptation and management. The new data sets, introduced today as part of an online Climate Resilience Toolkit, comprise more than 250 Arctic-related datasets and more than 40 maps, tools, and other resources designed to support climate-resilience efforts in the Arctic. (DOI News Release)

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK

How fast can Peregrine Falcons drop into a steep dive when hunting for prey?

a) 80 miles an hour
b) 100 miles an hour
c) 200 miles an hour 

Keep reading below for answer

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 1: BLM Public Land Mining Claim Fees Due 

The deadline for filing annual mining claim fees with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is Tuesday, September 1, 2015. All mining claimants who wish to retain mining claims on federal public lands through 2016 must pay a maintenance fee or file a maintenance fee waiver certificate on or before September 1, 2015. (BLM News Release)

September 5: Free Fishing Day

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites all Californians to celebrate the end of summer by going fishing. Sept. 5 is the second of two Free Fishing Days in 2015, when people can try their hand at fishing without having to buy a sport fishing license. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife website)

September 8: BLM Dumont Dunes Subgroup Public Meeting

The Dumont Dunes Subgroup to the Desert Advisory Council (DAC) has scheduled a public meeting forTuesday, 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)

October 24: Twilight Tour

Don’t miss the next Piedras Blancas Light Station living history tour, on the evening of October 24th. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the light station at twilight, get a feeling for what life at the light station was like in the old days, and view the sunset. For more information about this event visit Piedras Blancas Light Station (BLM Website)

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER

How fast can Peregrine Falcons drop into a steep dive when hunting for prey?

c) 200 miles an hour
After sighting prey,  Peregrine falcons drop into a steep dive down that can top 200 miles an hour.

SOURCE: National Geographic 

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News.bytes is a publication of the Bureau of Land Management California.

Bureau of Land Management
California State Office
2800 Cottage Way, Suite W1623
Sacramento, Ca 95825
(916) 978-4600