BLM California News.Bytes Issue 716

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News.bytes, Bureau of Land Management California
ISSUE 716 - March 17, 2016
- Nature
- Every Kid in a Park
- Headlines and Highlights
- BLM and DOI Highlights
- Wildlife Question of the Week
- Upcoming Events

NATURE
	
Bringing the Green this St. Patrick's Day

Spectacular in its beauty, the Headwaters Forest Reserve is also a vital ally in conservation efforts to protect the most iconic forest species in the Pacific Northwest. Located 6 miles southeast of Eureka, these 7,542 acres of public lands feature magnificent stands of old-growth redwood trees that provide nesting habitat for the marbled murrelet, a small Pacific seabird and the northern spotted owl. (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,gr9x,77ku,1bct,ijo3
	
Happy St. Patrick's Day

Rainbow over the Southern Sierra Mountains in the Owens Peak Wilderness near Short Canyon Area of Environmental Concern. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,9hu0,7x38,1bct,ijo3

	
Green and gorgeous: Take tour of Ireland flora in Bakersfield

The Bakersfield Californian, March 11, 2016
The nearest bogs to dry-as-dirt Kern County are along the state’s coastline, but even that cool, moist climate can’t produce the mossy green wetlands found in Ireland, as Bakersfield botanist Denis Kearns discovered on a monthlong trip last summer to the homeland of his grandmother. “In California, the bogs are small and localized. In Ireland, they’re huge. They cover mountaintops and things.” He will share details of his travels to Ireland, including a trove of beautiful photographs, at a meeting of the Native Plant Society on — appropriately enough — St. Patrick’s Day. The March 17th meeting is free and open to the public. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,am7j,6dzv,1bct,ijo3

	
Spring Blooms throughout the Mother Lode

Sierra Lodestar, March 15, 2016
The welcome sight of patchwork quilts of wildflowers as they begin spring’s march throughout the Mother Lode is a wonderful treat for those on the lookout for the colorful scenes. A wide range of flowers – from lilies to lupines and everything in between – is not only found in abundance here, but can be spotted in backyards, in front of businesses and along roadsides where people present natural pops of color... The Red Hill area maintained by the Bureau of Land Management near Chinese Camp has hundreds, if not thousands of flowers in bloom in any given year. The area sometimes appears as though an artist dabbed their paintbrush all over the rolling hills. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,6phf,2nxd,1bct,ijo3

	
10 Amazing Hidden Gems in California

The Weather Channel featured Piedras Blancas, Alabama Hills and Trona Pinnacles in their "10 Amazing Hidden Gems in California"! (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,1adj,dm7h,1bct,ijo3

	
Wildflower Monitoring

BLMer Jennifer Wheeler from the Arcata Field Office and Kaleb Goff, Chicago Botanic Garden Conservation and Land Management (CLM) Program intern visited the coastal dunes to monitor wildflowers and pollinators. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,dlxw,988r,1bct,ijo3

	
Butte Fire Rehabilitation

As part of ongoing Butte Fire rehabilitation, BLM contracted with a helicopter to drop wood shreds for erosion control. BLM Botanist Beth Brenneman visited the Jesus Maria Creek canyon and found that the wood shreds successfully in place after the weekend storms. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,f0px,adtu,1bct,ijo3

WILDLIFE
	
Celebrating National Wildlife Week

You otter see this! BLM California fish biologist Zane Ruddy captured video of a curious otter in Mattole River Estuary during a restoration project. Located along the northern coast of California, the Mattole River Estuary is an important habitat for migrating birds, fish and other wildlife. (News.Bytes Story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,c22d,e9wk,1bct,ijo3

Related: The video was also shared on the Department of Interior's Instagram account. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,f05i,3xv9,1bct,ijo3

	
Amargosa Vole Gets Emergency Help at Tecopa Hot Springs, California

Found only in a few spring-fed marshes in the Mojave desert east of Death Valley National Park, the Amargosa vole was federally listed as endangered in 1980, due to loss and degradation of its habitat. In 2014, the rangewide population of this species was fewer than 100 individuals. To prevent the possible extinction of this species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of California, Davis, U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, and California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife partnered to capture 20 voles from marshes near Tecopa Hot Springs to serve as founders for a captive breeding colony. Read full story on USFWS Pacific Southwest Region website. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,5s4e,d2m2,1bct,ijo3

Related: Amargosa Vole Conservation Efforts (California Department of Fish and Wildlife website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,9k1m,lpwm,1bct,ijo3

	
Plover Tidings: What is a Snowy Plover?

The western snowy plover is a small shorebird, approximately the size of a sparrow.The Pacific Coast population of the snowy plover is a distinct sub-population that is Federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The snowy plover breeding season extends March through September. Locally, snowy plovers can be seen nesting and rearing their young along the sandy shores, estuaries, and the lower stretches of the Eel River. (News.Bytes Story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,biqd,77wr,1bct,ijo3

Related: Plover Tidings: What is a Snowy Plover? (USFWS Pacific Southwest Region’s NEW Tumblr blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,3ng5,fncb,1bct,ijo3

Related: Western Snowy Plover Frequently Asked Questions (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,c5nm,9kh4,1bct,ijo3

	
Celebrating 113 years of National Wildlife Refuges

Happy Birthday, National Wildlife Refuge System! President Theodore Roosevelt created the first national wildlife refuge on March 14, 1903, at Pelican Island, Florida, to protect brown pelicans and other birds from extinction through plume hunting. After 113 years, the Refuge System now includes more than 560 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts covering over 150 million acres plus more than 418 million acres of marine national monuments. More than 47 million people visit refuges every year, hearing the songs of birds, watching the curious behavior of mammals and feeling the thrill of humpback whales breeching over ocean waves. (DOI Press Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,8sp4,f4zh,1bct,ijo3 

EVERY KID IN A PARK
	
Free Youth Fishing Day

On March 12, 2016, kids braved the cold, wet and windy weather to go after some Rainbow Trout at the Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area.  The California Department of Fish and Wildlife along with the Bureau of Land Management Redding Field Office, partnered to host an opportunity for youth to get outdoors and enjoy a day of fishing.  For many kids, this was their first time fishing and many kept at it despite the harsh weather conditions. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife supplied loaner tackle and bait while many volunteers provided fishing assistance along with a barbeque lunch. (News.Bytes Story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,cidp,7on0,1bct,ijo3

	
California Coastal National Monument hosts a Whale of a Day

The annual Whale of a Day Festival drew thousands of whale watchers to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center to celebrate the migration of the Pacific Gray Whale from its winter breeding and calving grounds in Baja California to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chuchki Seas in Alaska. Over 5,000 visitors enjoyed the beautiful day that featured over 45 whales spotted from the patio viewing station. It really was a Whale of a Day! (News.Bytes Story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,3lg2,88l6,1bct,ijo3
	
Every Kid in a Park

President Barack Obama created Every Kid in a Park so fourth graders and their families could discover our wildlife, resources, and history for free. Every Kid in a Park is an administration-wide effort supported by eight federal agencies including the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Education, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 4th graders and their families have free access to more than 2,000 federally-managed sites within a one-hour driving distance of their home. (Every Kid in a Park Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,8jro,4v32,1bct,ijo3

Related: Secretary Jewell Signs Order Promoting Access to America’s Public Lands for Under-Resourced Youth (DOI Press Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,j4z0,43ec,1bct,ijo3

HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS
	
Dedication of new national monument set for Saturday

Chico Enterprise-Record, March 16, 2016
A spring festival and ceremony is planned 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday to celebrate establishment of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The event will be at Cowboy Camp, east of Williams along Highway 16, about a mile south of Highway 20. The monument extending from Berryessa Peak and other lands in Napa, Yolo, and Solano counties up into Lake, Colusa, and Glenn counties to the eastern boundary of the Yuki Wilderness in Mendocino County was established by President Obama on July 10, 2015. The monument consists of 330,780 acres of federal lands managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,7ks1,1iz0,1bct,ijo3

Related: Secretary Jewell to Join Community Dedication Ceremony for Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in California (DOI Press Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,3vr8,2bv8,1bct,ijo3

BLM Central Coast proposing new shooting rules

The Californian, March 11, 2016
The Bureau of Land Management is proposing new rules to manage shooting activities on public lands administered by the Central Coast Field Office. The proposed rules are needed to provide consistency and uniformity for shooting on BLM-administered lands, to prevent user conflicts and provide greater safety to the visiting public. The proposed rules do not close public lands to shooting activities. These proposed rules are available for review and comment during a 60-day public comment period ending May 10, 2016. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,5p4w,io79,1bct,ijo3

Related: Notice of Proposed Supplementary Rules for Shooting on Public Lands Managed by the BLM Hollister Field Office, California (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,k4kc,9054,1bct,ijo3

BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS
Bureau of Land Management Director Tours North Slope

YourAlaskaLink.com, March 15, 2016
The Director of the Bureau of Land Management Neil Kornze is set to travel this week, to the North Slope.  During his trip, Kornze has meetings scheduled with local governmental officials, native corporations and regional community heads. Today, the Bureau of Land Management Director is assisting to cap two cores south of Barrow; which are within 18 legacy wells the BLM vies to clean up in 2016. On Wednesday, Kornze will arrive in Wainright to conclude the 1,500 federal land transfer to the Olgoonik Corporation, whose sale aims to assist economic advancements in the near future.  This week’s trip is a portion of the BLM’s focus on Arctic agendas. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,ic1r,gtkn,1bct,ijo3

	
Hats off to our colleagues in Alaska!

BLM Director Kornze visits legacy well sites in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a 22.8 million-acre roadless area located 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Navy drilled 136 test holes within and adjacent to the NPR-A for oil and gas resource exploration and gathering of geological data. The Bureau of Land Management Alaska was given responsibility for managing the NPR-A in 1976 and has been assessing, plugging, and remediating legacy wells since 1982. Read more HERE. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,9ob2,7pjv,1bct,ijo3

Related: BLM Director Kornze Visits Legacy Well Sites in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (BLM Press Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,c926,ldux,1bct,ijo3

	
Great Photos from the Ceremonial Start of the 2016 Iditarod!

Crowds gathered for the ceremonial start of the 2016 Iditarod race in Anchorage, Alaska. While perhaps best known for the annual Iditarod race, the Iditarod National Historic Trail commemorates a 2,300-mile system of winter trails that first connected ancient Alaska Native villages, opened up Alaska for the last great American gold rush. Over 1,500 miles of the historic winter trail system are open today for public use across state and federal lands. (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,fyf4,56oa,1bct,ijo3

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Which of the below are correct about otters?

a) nostrils can be closed underwater
b) feet have claws and are completely webbed
c) boundless energy is a result of a very high metabolism 
d) whiskers are used extensively in hunting
e) all of the above

UPCOMING EVENTS
March 18-20: 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 Saturday and Sunday,  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,2hvay,3xn3,9p93,1vmt,1bct,ijo3

March 19: Berryessa Snow Mountain Monument Dedication and Spring Festival Planned

Federal agencies and partners will hold a spring festival and dedication ceremony Saturday, March 19, to celebrate establishment of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument.  The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cowboy Camp, east of Williams along California State Highway 16, about a mile south of Highway 20. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was established by President Obama on July 10, 2015. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,89ry,6wi6,1bct,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,2hvay,3xn3,5z89,ebln,1bct,ijo3

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER

Which of the below are correct about otters?
e) all of the above

North American river otters are semi-aquatic mammals, with long, streamlined bodies, thick tapered tails, and short legs.  They have wide, rounded heads, small ears, and nostrils that can be closed underwater. Individuals live alone or in family groups, typically females and their young.  They are known as playful animals, exhibiting behaviors such as mud/snow sliding, burrowing through the snow, and waterplay.  Many “play” activities actually serve a purpose as some are used to strengthen social bonds, to practice hunting techniques and to scent mark.

Source: The Alaska Zoo http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2hvay,3xn3,166s,8l1j,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/


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