King Range National Conservation Area News.bytes, Bureau of Land Management California ISSUE 713 - February 24, 2016 - Youth - America's Great Outdoors - Headlines and Highlights - BLM and DOI Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming Events YOUTH BLM California and Sacramento State Host Annual Youth Summit On Friday, February 19 representatives from the Bureau of Land Management California and Sacramento State joined over 400 high school students, partner agencies and organizations for the annual Youth Summit – Lead the Way Outdoors. Thank you to all our partners! (BLM Newsbytes) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,b0xp,gi4d,1bct,ijo3 Related: Check out all the photos from the youth summit at BLM California Flickr http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,hw8u,4hnt,1bct,ijo3 Video: Youth Summit Highlights The Annual BLM Youth Summit is designed to connect youth to America’s Great Outdoors, foster an appreciation and knowledge about the importance of natural resources, and expose young people to higher education and career opportunities. (BLM YouTube) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,gt6a,61ga,1bct,ijo3 BLM Youth Summit Bioblitz Dance Corps members from Fortuna and Sacramento presented three different times at the BLM Youth Summit in Sacramento. They spoke about the opportunities available in the corps and about the benefits of serving our state and its communities. And to top it off, they taught the Youth Summit participants the Bioblitz Dance. The Bioblitz Dance is a celebration of the outdoors. It was created on the Ukiah Center grounds, and after being performed at a National Geographic event, it has spread worldwide. (California Conservation Corp Foundation Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,ltas,4a31,1bct,ijo3 Selfie with Seymour Selfie time with Seymour and BLM youth. (Jose Gonzalez Instagram) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,4h9x,4jfj,1bct,ijo3 Bay Area Wilderness Training At BLM Youth Summit teach tent building and water filtration. BLMCA is making it happen! (BAWT Twitter) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,62oh,p0a,1bct,ijo3 American Conservation Experience American Conservation Experience, a nationwide Non-Profit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management is seeking multiple interns willing to dedicate a minimum of 11 weeks to various projects in a variety of locations. (11 positions with BLM California)! For full position descriptions and qualifications, please visit: American Conservation Experience http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,esfb,1bjr,1bct,ijo3 http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,hphx,863x,1bct,ijo3 Boy Scouts of America Boy Scouts of America Troop 717 from Foresthill, California visited Cosumnes River Preserve last Saturday morning. Five Scouts and their adult leaders were in search of 20 different bird species to satisfy a portion of the requirements of the Bird Study Merit Badge. Among the nearby meadows and agricultural fields, oak woodlands, and marshes, they observed and identified 23 bird species within a few short hours and enjoyed beautiful weather. Every Kid in a Park, this is a perfect location for kids to get outside as the weather warms up. (BLM Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,58lg,3ek5,1bct,ijo3 AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS Travel with Guest Photographer and Wilderness Specialist Bob Wick Travel with photographer and BLM Wilderness Specialist Bob Wick to California’s Humboldt Coast! A five hour drive north of San Francisco, California’s fog-shrouded Humboldt Coast is a land apart from the traffic and bustle of California’s urban centers. There are year-round photography opportunities here ranging from crashing winter storm waves to brilliant spring wildflowers; from towering redwoods to rushing mountain streams. The weather can be fickle so be prepared to adjust your photography for conditions. (BLM Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,ci12,7yak,1bct,ijo3 Amazing Places in California where you can Camp for Free San Francisco Gate, 2/22/2016 Didn’t bother making reservations? Want to avoid crowds? If you’re willing to get a little more outdoorsy than an RV at a hookup, the Bureau of Land Management has a lot of options for you. The BLM manages millions of acres of U.S. land — one-eighth of the country’s landmass — and plenty of it is available for free camping. As long as you follow the rules of good campers, there’s a whole world of free natural beauty awaiting you. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,kuv2,g18v,1bct,ijo3 A Giant Sequoia Grove Near Visalia Just Got A Little Easier to Visit KVPR, Valley Public Radio, 2/22/2016 A hard to reach grove of giant sequoias in Tulare County is going to get a lot easier to get to later this year. The trees sit on top of a mountain seven miles southeast of Three Rivers that’s part of Craig Ranch. The ranch was given to the Bureau of Land Management through a deal between the Visalia Sequoia Riverlands Trust and the San Francisco based Save the Redwoods League. Jessica Neff is with the league. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,42xu,13e0,1bct,ijo3 Discover the Desert at the Imperial Sand Dunes Where do you go to Discover The Desert? Go to Discover the Desert to learn about opportunities to have fun in the California Desert! (Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,achb,g0rb,1bct,ijo3 Dumont Dunes: Tiny Spot on Map is Huge With Off-Roaders The Press-Enterprise, 2/18/2016 Driving north from Baker toward Death Valley National Park, one can’t miss the distinctive Dumont Dunes. The sprawling mountains of golden sand are visible for miles as the highway weaves around them and the Amargosa River, a normally dry stream that has been running thanks to winter storms. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,h0r4,cclq,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Fog and Rocks: The Piedras Blancas Light Station turn 141 New Times Slo, 2/18/2015 More than 100 people line up alongside the normally vacant white walls of the old Piedras Blancas Hotel on Saturday, Feb. 13. It’s 9:45 a.m., foggy, windy, and the cracked concrete of the parking lot is full of cars, also in line. Everybody is waiting to tour the Piedras Blancas Light Station, which just turned 141. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,7pag,7ae,1bct,ijo3 Protecting Black Oystercatchers along the Monterey Coast California Audubon, 2/18/2016 The Black Oystercatcher is considered an indicator for the health of rocky intertidal shorelines. Threats to this habitat are real and growing: sea level rise, ocean acidification, and increased recreational and commercial use of coastal areas. But there is hope — we can secure this bird as its habitat changes by understanding it better. Audubon California coordinates agencies, chapters, and volunteers to monitor Black Oystercatchers. (California Audubon) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,1xlj,8cg9,1bct,ijo3 Research Update on Saving the Amargosa Vole UC Davis Current News, 2/19/2016 There are only a few hundred Amargosa voles left in the world with an 85% chance of going extinct over the next 10 years if intensive management is not implemented. Voles are rodents related to mice and rats. They are notable for the variety of their breeding systems, their extraordinarily high rate of evolution, their diversity, and the fact that many species are indistinguishable to the naked eye. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,9uhw,295t,1bct,ijo3 Popular Ukiah trail gets a touch-up Ukiah Daily Journal, 2/22/2016 The Ukiah Valley Trail Group could not have picked a more perfect day to be on Cow Mountain Sunday as members added a new section to the popular Valley View Trail. With Feb. 21 offering no rain and not too much sun, the group of about a dozen or so volunteers made quick work of a reroute around one of the steeper sections of the approximately four-mile trail. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,53g4,3w,1bct,ijo3 Hollister BLM Field Office Moves to Marina Benito Link, 2/23/2016 The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for thousands of acres in San Benito County and the surrounding areas. Photo courtesy of BLM. The Bureau of Land Management is no longer in Hollister. Oh, there are still thousands of acres that the BLM controls in San Benito County, including 35,000 acres in the Panoche Hills, but as of Feb. 17 there is no longer a BLM office in Hollister. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,1elt,ljko,1bct,ijo3 Related: BLM Hollister Field Office Gets New Name and Location (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,c8fp,g65f,1bct,ijo3 New National Monument a Boon for California’s People and Economy The Hill, 2/1/2016 California has managed to retain its iconic status as the land of golden opportunity in the face of earthquakes, droughts, wildfires and an economy that has lurched between boom and bust. Despite, or perhaps because of, all this, the state remains one of the most desirable places in the United States to live, work and visit, thanks in great part to its natural beauty. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,9i8k,ctl1,1bct,ijo3 Our View: DRECP needs a little fine-tuning Victorville Daily Press, Desert Dispatch, 2/24/2016 The long process of putting together the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, or DRECP, has been almost wondrous to behold. We’ve seen numerous government agencies working with conservation groups and mining groups. We’ve seen environmentalists recognizing the needs of business are important to this plan, and vice versa. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,93qo,1ser,1bct,ijo3 Butte Fire Rehabilitation As part of ongoing Butte Fire rehabilitation, the BLM Mother Lode Field Office contracted a helicopter to drop wood shreds for erosion control. (BLM Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,5icz,38wr,1bct,ijo3 BLM Invites Public Comments on Grant Application The Bureau of Land Management Arcata Field Office is inviting public comments on a draft grant application to the state of California’s Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. The field office is requesting funds for law enforcement and ground operations at the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,g7u6,e51b,1bct,ijo3 New hope, scrutiny for Carmel River in wake of dam removal,rerouted channel Monterey Herald, 2/20/2016 An adult steelhead was spotted in the Carmel River earlier this month, migrating upstream past the point where two white stripes of concrete on steep canyon faces mark the site of the old San Clemente Dam. Redds or nests that female steelhead build for their eggs have been seen above the dam removal and river reroute site, evidence the threatened species is moving upriver unimpeded for the first time in nearly a century. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,kj7n,epbe,1bct,ijo3 BLM California Desert District Announces Appointments to Desert Advisory Council to Advise Agency on Balanced Management of Nation’s Public Lands The Bureau of Land Management today announced new appointments or reappointments of members to the California Desert District citizen-based Desert Advisory Council which advises the agency on over 10 million acres of southern California desert public land management issues. The DAC is composed of members with diverse interests and backgrounds. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,io6g,j3yd,1bct,ijo3 BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS This Week at Interior Interior goes Google for history, we get three new national monuments, and Lincoln’s memorial prepares for a facelift. (DOI YouTube) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,kn9d,cv4g,1bct,ijo3 Op-ed: Sage-Grouse Decision is a Call to Action for Western Lands The Salt Lake Tribune, 2/22/2016 As Westerners gather this week in Salt Lake City to chart the future of sagebrush conservation, it’s a good time to take stock of where we are and where we need to go. In 2010, many thought it was a foregone conclusion that the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service would soon list the greater sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act. This prospect catalyzed the most ambitious and far-reaching conservation effort in the act’s history. The service’s September 2015 decision to not list the greater sage grouse was a remarkable moment in wildlife conservation. (Read full story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,825o,7gua,1bct,ijo3 To Prevent Another Dust Bowl, the US must Sow the Right Seeds LiveScience, 2/22/2016 In the 1930s, a serious drought, combined with excessively intensive farming practices, transformed the U.S. Great Plains into a dust bowl, wreaking economic devastation on farmers and their communities. The fertile topsoil that fed a nation was, quite literally, blowing in the wind. The U.S. government was desperate for something — anything — that would anchor the remaining topsoil back to the ground. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,dbig,bybh,1bct,ijo3 Black History Month In celebration of Black History Month, we are excited to honor the outstanding achievements of these 10 African and African American environmentalists via University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (Nature Bridge Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,61wf,4nx5,1bct,ijo3 Connell, Pena: Lands Managers Value Cooperation East Oregonian, 2/19/2016 As employees of federal land agencies in Oregon, we are entrusted by Congress with the responsibility to help steward and manage federal lands for all Americans. This is a tremendous honor and responsibility we take seriously. And we can’t do it alone. As public lands belong to all Americans, managing these lands is a collective effort. It is a privilege to work alongside local communities, partners, and the public to help achieve the long-term health, productivity, and protection of public lands. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,dqbp,eg01,1bct,ijo3 Looking past Malheur: America’s Real public lands legacy The Hill, 2/23/2016 In remote Harney County, Oregon, life is slowly returning to normal as investigators sift through the evidence left by six weeks of intense standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. One person is dead, more than a dozen have been arrested, and this sad chapter in the fight for the future of America’s public lands is nearly closed. But the story is far from over. Unfortunately, America probably hasn’t seen the last of misguided extremists who believe they have the moral authority to take over public lands – lands that belong to every American. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,14mk,f3me,1bct,ijo3 GOP Chairwoman Pans Obama Interior Budget as ‘rocky start’ to 2016 The Hill, 2/23/2016 The chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday blasted President Obama’s budget request for the Department of the Interior as a bad start to his final year in office. Jewell defended the budget proposal and sought to highlight provisions that reflect major Obama administration priorities. “It builds on the successes we’re achieving through partnerships, the application of science and innovation, and balanced stewardship,” she said. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,dczi,e497,1bct,ijo3 A New Normal Settles Over Harney County OPB, 2/25/2016 Eleven days after the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge ended, the community of Harney County is taking a collective deep breath. The fences and concrete barricades that surrounded the county courthouse in Burns are gone, but on the front doors, a new sign asks visitors to leave any guns in vehicles before they enter. Bureau of Land Management employees are back to work in federal offices, but with new fencing around the buildings. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,6dkh,akew,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK monarch_t Which reptile can accurately predict when the scarce rain of the Mojave desert will fall? a) Desert Horned Lizard b) Desert Tortoise c) Desert Iguana d) Mojave Rattle Snake e) Night Snake Keep reading for answer below UPCOMING EVENTS March 4: BLM Schedules Public Meeting on Temblors Recreation Area The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a town hall meeting in Taft to discuss management of public lands in the Temblor Mountain Range west of Taft. The meeting on the Temblor Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) will be held Friday, March 4, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the West Side Recreation and Park District Community Center auditorium, 500 Cascade Place. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,ie0h,1ez8,1bct,ijo3 March 5: Coachella Valley Wildflower Festival Mark your calendars now for our 9th Annual Coachella Valley Wildflower Festival on March 5! (Friends of the Desert Mountains Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,9sxe,36tw,1bct,ijo3 March 12 : Birds of Prey Presentation in Garberville North coast residents and visitors will have the chance to get a close look at live raptors and learn more about them in a Birds of Prey presentation Saturday, March 12, at 3 p.m., at the Redwood Playhouse, 286 Sprowel Creek Rd., in Garberville. Staff members from the Humboldt Wildlife Care Center in Arcata will bring a great horned owl, western screech owl, a northern spotted owl and a red-tailed hawk or peregrine falcon to the presentation. They will discuss these rescued birds and describe their rehabilitation from injuries. (BLM NewsRelease) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,f1ol,hyd2,1bct,ijo3 March 19-20: Halter-Gentled Mustangs, Wild Horses and Burros Available for Adoption in Angels Camp More than 20 wild horses, including animals gentled and trained to ride, will be offered for adoption SaturdayandSunday, March 19 and 20, at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, 101 Frogtown Rd. in Angels Camp. The Bureau of Land Management will offer 18 wild horses, two 3-year-old geldings gentled under a trainer incentive program, and three 5-year-old geldings trained by Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center inmates to saddle and ride. Eight burros also will be offered. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,j1qm,lufv,1bct,ijo3 April 2: Public Meeting Scheduled to Address Land Use in the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area Representatives from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Marine Corps will host a Resource Management Group meeting on April 2, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Lucerne Valley Community Center, 33187 Highway 247 East, Lucerne Valley, Calif. The purpose of the meeting is to communicate the Marine Corps’ plans to conduct a large-scale exercise August 1-31, 2016 that will include training in the congressionally established shared use area of the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,84tl,4cox,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER Which reptile can accurately predict when the scarce rain of the Mojave Desert will fall? Answer: b) Desert Tortoise The desert tortoise can accurately predict when the scarce rain of the Mojave Desert will fall, before the rain falls, the tortoise will trek to its favorite drinking site. While drinking, the tortoise will flush out its entire system, emptying its large bladder and then refilling with water … the amount of water a tortoise can carry depends on its size, but a trip to the watering hole can increase its body weight by 25 to 30 percent. Source: This Desert Life: Tortoise Talk (Victorville Daily Press) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,d7dg,61mr,1bct,ijo3 Source: Desert Tortoise (BLM Wildlife Database) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2h7pj,3xn3,et5k,lxdh,1bct,ijo3 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 www.blm.gov/ca/
