News.bytes, Bureau of Land Management California ISSUE 720 - April 14, 2016 - National Volunteer Week - Every Kid in a Park - Discover the Desert - Headlines and Highlights - BLM and DOI Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming Events NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK Celebrating BLM Volunteers April 10-16 is National Volunteer Week. Although the BLM’s fantastic volunteers deserve thanks every day, it’s especially appropriate to highlight their contributions during this special week. With that, the BLM extends a warm, heartfelt “Thank You” to the 25,000+ volunteers who supported the BLM in 2015 and continue to do so today! (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,wtu,9q1i,1bct,ijo3 Related: Connecting People To Their Public Lands 2015 (My Public Lands Flickr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,kro2,4eig,1bct,ijo3 Related: 2015 Volunteer Accomplishments (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,14qm,5ayr,1bct,ijo3 Throwback Thursday in honor of National Volunteer Week Here volunteers spruce up the Reading Island Public Fishing Access. Today, Reading Island has a day use area along with a group campsite available by reservation. This area is often used by the Boy Scouts of America for camp-outs and canoe trips. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,ewbj,azub,1bct,ijo3 Steele Peak Gets A Spring Cleanup Over seven long hours on April 4, 2016, volunteers from the CalGuns Firearms Community organization, in conjunction with the Palm Springs/South Coast Field Office (PSSC), conducted a cleanup of BLM lands at the Steele Peak shooting area in Riverside County. (News.Bytes story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,g88d,c2ko,1bct,ijo3 Great Volunteer Work in the Needles Field Office This month, the BLM Needles Field Office hosted two volunteer groups which benefited Wilderness and adjacent lands. The first project occurred on March 18, in Amethyst Canyon near the Kingston Range Wilderness where the Great Old Broads for Wilderness joined the BLM to work on a trail project. The second project, over the weekend of March 25, 14 members of the Sierra Club restored a 3-mile hiking trail near the Turtle Mountain Wilderness. (News.Bytes story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,7izl,jzp0,1bct,ijo3 National Public Lands Day 2015 Thank You Video: With over 2,500 sites across the U.S. and over 200,000 volunteers participating, you made National Public Lands Day 2015 the most successful in its 22 year history! We sincerely thank you for your dedication to public lands and hope you continue to visit and support the public lands near you all year long. (National Environmental Education Foundation YouTube) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,dziu,j67r,1bct,ijo3 EVERY KID IN A PARK Every Kid in a Park Goes to Headwaters Forest Reserve! BLM’s Arcata Field Office, Headwaters Forest Reserve Park Ranger, Julie Clark led three 4th grade South Fortuna Elementary School classes out to Headwaters Forest Reserve. This was in an effort to get “Every Kid in a Park” for BLM’s April events. (News.Bytes story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,i4l8,c9mx,1bct,ijo3 Every Kid in a Park Scavenger Hunt Underway To celebrate Every Kid in a Park and public lands where kids can learn and play, we are having a virtual social media scavenger hunt during the month of April! (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,faee,ehhs,1bct,ijo3 Related: Scavenger hunt details. (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,ba0f,9lt3,1bct,ijo3 DISCOVER THE DESERT California's New Desert Monuments You could call it a monumental achievement: In February 2016, three new national monuments were created, protecting a combined total of 1.8 million acres of California desert. The names of the preserves evoke the scenery they protect: Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails, and Castle Mountains. (Visit California website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,1cif,696y,1bct,ijo3 Desert District Wilderness Ranger Academy BLM and the Society of Wilderness Stewardship co-sponsored the Desert District Wilderness Ranger Academy April 4 through April 8 adjacent to the Surprise Canyon Wilderness and BLM Ridgecrest Field Office. Participants learned Wilderness First Aid, Arid Land Restoration due to OHV incursions and noxious weed removal process while on Wilderness. Participants camped out under the desert stars – with glimpses of Burros, hearing the yelping calls of coyote and seeing some of the smaller desert wildlife in BLM's Wilderness areas. (News.Bytes story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,6blk,i4wq,1bct,ijo3 Exploring the Eastern Sierra Tahoe Weekly, April 6, 2016 The 30,000-acre Alabama Hills is easily accessible outside Lone Pine set against the backdrop of Mount Whitney. The hills are a wonderland of oddly shaped boulders that look like great castle walls and have been the setting for many commercials and movies. Explore some of the dirt roads on “Movie Road” and you’ll feel like you’re in an old Western where “Long Ranger,” “Rawhide” and many others were filmed. There’s a short driving tour to explore among the granite formations in Alabama Hills that resemble everything from polar bears to an eagle and a bullfrog. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,ey8v,8utj,1bct,ijo3 Related: Discover the Desert (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,cui7,a4bu,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Hitting the trail… OHV style! The Chappie-Shasta OHV Area, located in Shasta County, California was the site of the 2016 Shasta Dam Grand Prix on April 9th and 10th. Redding Dirt Riders motorcycle club has hosted the event for over 20 years at this location. This year set a record high with 525 participants racing. The Shasta Dam Grand Prix is part of the AMA National Hare and Hound Championship series and the AMA District 36 Cross Country series. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,f1q7,4gz5,1bct,ijo3 Related: 2016 Shasta Dam Grand Prix event photos. (BLM California Flickr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,fgkp,h3tx,1bct,ijo3 California Conservation Corps members participate in fire training Ventura County Star, April 13, 2016 Members of the California Conservation Corps participated in fire training in Ventura this week and practiced proper use of fire hand tools, hose lays, fireline cutting and fire shelter deployment near Sexton Canyon Road in Ventura. The 70 participants, who include 40 military veterans, will be working with the U.S. Forest Service and the BLM for classroom and field fire training. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,7pl,bsci,1bct,ijo3 Wildfires, Once Confined to a Season, Burn Earlier and Longer The New York Times, April 12, 2016 Fires, once largely confined to a single season, have become a continual threat in some places, burning earlier and later in the year, in the United States and abroad. They have ignited in the West during the winter and well into the fall, have arrived earlier than ever in Canada and have burned without interruption in Australia for almost 12 months. A leading culprit is climate change. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,1udn,bjr5,1bct,ijo3 NorCal RAC Members Meet in Susanville Members of the BLM Northern California District Resource Advisory Council discussed the importance of rangeland health for wildlife, livestock grazing and other uses during a tour and meeting April 7-8. RAC members visited the Litchfield wild horse and burro facility and toured land east of Susanville managed by the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, followed by a meeting at the field office. (News.Bytes story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,by7f,j63v,1bct,ijo3 Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument ‘open houses’ planned Lake County News, April 8, 2016 The Forest Service Mendocino National Forest and the BLM Ukiah Field Office will hold two open houses to provide the public with information on the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and monument planning process. The open houses will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Lakeport on April 28 at Clear Lake High School Gymnasium and in Winters on May 4 at Winters Community Center. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,cwxi,m3oh,1bct,ijo3 BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS 10 John Muir Quotes That’ll Inspire You to Explore America’s Great Outdoors Born April 21, 1838, Muir has become America’s most famous naturalist and conservationist. He shared his love of the outdoors through writing and inspired people to protect our country’s wild places like Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Sequoia & King’s Canyon national parks — earning him the nickname the Father of the National Parks. His passion for these special places fueled the formation of the National Park Service, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,htlt,5nlb,1bct,ijo3 Related: National Park Week from April 16-24 (National Park Service website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,g3rl,ayz8,1bct,ijo3 4 Wildlife Cams You’re Guaranteed to Love Like us, you’d probably rather be in America’s great outdoors right now, spotting animals in their natural habitats. But don’t let being stuck behind a desk stop you. Adventure awaits just about anywhere, thanks to wildlife cams. They give us a glimpse of what’s happening in animals’ private lives. You never know what you’ll see — it could be something amazing or nothing at all — which is part of the fun. (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,bfo9,1s6f,1bct,ijo3 BLM Releases Statistics on Oil and Gas Activity on Federal, Indian Lands The BLM released fiscal year (FY) 2015 statistics for oil and gas permitting, leasing and drilling activity on lands where BLM permits are required. Production from those lands, both Federal and Indian, increased 10 percent over FY 2014 and went up more than 108 percent since 2008. This compares to an 88 percent increase in oil production nationally over the same period, based on data obtained from the Office of Natural Resources Revenue and the Energy Information Administration. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,ic9n,548k,1bct,ijo3 Related: Oil & Gas Statistics (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,2vro,48kq,1bct,ijo3 BLM Releases Final Programmatic EIS to Use Three Herbicides on Western Public Lands As part of ongoing efforts to combat the spread of invasive and noxious weeds that threaten the health and productivity of millions of acres of public lands, the BLM released the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Final PEIS) that examines the use of three new herbicides that are safer for the environment and human health than those previously used. A notice for the Final PEIS for vegetation treatments using aminopyralid, fluroxypyr, and rimsulfuron on BLM lands in 17 western states, which was published today in the Federal Register, opens a 30-day review period on the document. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,6kti,gdh2,1bct,ijo3 BLM Extends Comment Period on Proposed Land-Use Planning Rule In response to requests from the public, the BLM will extend the comment period on a proposed land-use planning rule by 30 days. The proposed rule aims to improve the planning process by making it more collaborative, transparent, and effective. The comment period will be extended by 30 days, from April 25, 2016, to May 24, 2016. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,4blw,jno7,1bct,ijo3 This Week at Interior April 8, 2016 Video: Progress on the removal of four dams on the Klamath River; a roundtable and public forum on illegal wildlife trafficking; the Soda Mountain solar project gets a green light; settling civil claims from the Deepwater Horizon disaster; the future of the Sewall-Belmont House in Washington DC; and 16 new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service honor the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. (Department of Interior YouTube) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,j61s,5kwn,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK Which of the following are true about desert tortoises? a) Desert tortoises build burrows and nests. b) December and January are the most active months for desert tortoises. c) Desert tortoises are carnivores. d) Desert tortoises have existed for billions of years. Keep reading for answer below. UPCOMING EVENTS April 18-19: Meetings Set for BLM Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan Anyone interested in public lands in Shasta, Trinity, Siskiyou, Butte and Tehama counties has an opportunity to share with the Bureau of Land Management their values regarding these lands, in public meetings set for this month in Redding and Weaverville. These informal meetings will be early opportunities for public involvement as the BLM begins developing the Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,bbls,40pc,1bct,ijo3 May 18: Historic Route 66 Association to Host Economic Summit The BLM California Desert District, in partnership with the California Historic Route 66 Association, will sponsor a Route 66 Economic Development Symposium on May 18, 2016 in Barstow. Experts from the tourism industry also will provide insight on how California communities can develop dynamic tourism portfolios to attract national and international visitors. Discussions also will recommend strategies how to promote Route 66 attractions, including museums, historic buildings and other community attractions to enhance economic tourism development opportunities. (BLM Press Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ioq0,3xn3,g4ng,9gnc,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER Which of the following are true about desert tortoises? a) Desert tortoises build burrows and nests. Source: Desert tortoises have existed for millions of years, and during that time they adapted to the many climatic and geological changes that have occurred in southern California. They can live in many types of desert habitats, but they do require friable (crumbly) soils in order to build burrows and nests. Tortoises are most active between March and June. In late summer the temperatures become too warm and they spend the majority of their time in their burrows. Desert tortoises are very sensitive to the heat, and exposure to the extreme desert temperatures can kill them in less than one hour. They hibernate during the winter months. Desert tortoises are herbivorous. They eat a variety of desert plants, although forbs and green vegetation are their preferred foods. They will drink water if it is available, but they get some of the water they need for survival from the plants they eat. (BLM website) 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/
