News.Bytes, Bureau of Land Management California ISSUE 735 - JULY 28, 2016 Facebook Twitter Flickr YouTube tumblr Instagram - Wildfire - Your Public Lands - Headlines and Highlights - BLM and DOI Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming Events WILDFIRE Fire Restrictions In Northern California Counties Capital Public Radio, July 27, 2016 Because of critical fire weather and dry conditions, the Bureau of Land Management has imposed fire restrictions on all BLM-managed public lands within the Mother Lode Field Office boundary. Restrictions prohibit all open fires, campfires or open fire stoves on public lands. The restrictions cover about 230,000 acres in 11 northern California counties: Sacramento, El Dorado, Amador, Placer, Stanislaus, Nevada, Yuba, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Sutter and Mariposa. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,jisf,k7vl,1bct,ijo3 Related: Bureau of Land Management Announces Fire Restrictions for Mother Lode Field Office Boundary (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,dlvm,5fw8,1bct,ijo3 As Wildfire Season Continues to Heat up, Interior Partners with Industry to Eliminate Drone Intrusions To address the growing problem of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) impeding wildland firefighting efforts, the U.S. Department of the Interior and industry partners activated a prototype warning system that provides real-time alerts and geofencing alarms to prevent drone pilots from interfering with firefighting operations. (Department of Interior News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,dn0j,lb1t,1bct,ijo3 Fire seasons are becoming hotter, drier and longer Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2016 The fast-moving brush fire tearing through the Santa Clarita Valley this weekend is part of a larger trend: Wildfire seasons in the western United States are lasting longer and burning more land, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Over 29,000 wildfires have scorched more than 2.6 million acres of land already this year, and the peak of the fire season hasn’t hit yet, according to the report published last week. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,bk0g,6lpy,1bct,ijo3 Related: Wildfires Heat Up Across the West (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,2zwz,cicg,1bct,ijo3 The Terrible Beauty of Californian Wildfires, as Seen by David McNew The Atlantic, July 25, 2016 Once more, triple-digit summer temperatures and dry conditions are fueling wildfires across California. Getty photographer David McNew has been covering many of these fires for more than a decade, and has an eye for finding the visual beauty amid the horrible destruction and efforts to battle these blazes. Gathered here are some of McNew’s compelling photographs of Californian wildfires over the past decade. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,27q2,1025,1bct,ijo3 YOUR PUBLIC LANDS How you can help identify, count elephant seals at Piedras Blancas The Tribune, July 27, 2016 The big boys are back on the beach. Adult male elephant seals and their younger brothers are spending a month molting their shaggy skin. Exactly how many adult males come to the Piedras Blancas rookery is a question some local researchers, members of Friends of the Elephant Seal, set out to answer. It’s impossible to count them accurately — they leave the beach and come back in a different place, and unless one has a distinctive scar or a numbered tag, observers can’t tell one from the next. Population biologists have developed some techniques to help. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,7a2,9qpv,1bct,ijo3 Related: Discover the Coast at Piedras Blancas (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,6gu1,1dkz,1bct,ijo3 Welcome to Week 7 of the virtual #mypubliclandsroadtrip 2016 - On the way to... Last week,#mypubliclandsroadtrip visited some of the best rivers, lakes and streams on public lands for fishing and boating. From July 26-31, #mypubliclandsroadtrip visits BLM-managed lands on the way to some of the country’s most popular recreation spots. (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,3vka,lgre,1bct,ijo3 Related: New story books that recap roadtrip stops (Steller) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,a821,1re7,1bct,ijo3 Related: Extreme Public Lands (Esri storymap journal) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,fsec,64cc,1bct,ijo3 Video: Archaeologists in Action Archaeologists from BLM Oregon, University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Texas A&M University, and the Oregon Archaeological Society wrap up this season's excavations at the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter in the BLM Burns District. (BLM Oregon Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,dxmu,kkj,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Bureau of Land Management Announces New Manager for King Range National Conservation Area The Bureau of Land Management has announced that Greg Wolfgang, an outdoor recreation planner currently based in Colorado, has been hired as the new manager for the King Range National Conservation Area. Wolfgang will begin his duties in early September, working from the King Range Project Office in Whitethorn. He replaces Gary Pritchard-Peterson who retired in June. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,2vmd,gfr7,1bct,ijo3 Related: King Range gets new manager (Times Standard) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,dgy2,gvn9,1bct,ijo3 Happy Graduation Americorps NCCC Team Green 1! Congratulations to our friends from AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region, Green 1 on their completion of their term of service with AmeriCorps! We cannot thank you enough for your past 10 months of service, you have truly made a difference for your public lands. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,ah60,cewz,1bct,ijo3 Related: Americorps NCCC Team Green 1 projects (BLM California Flickr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,hml0,sd0,1bct,ijo3 Tevis Cup Ride Congratulations to BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program California adopter, Mark Montgomery of Penn Valley, who finished the Tevis Cup on his adopted wild horse, Cody! The Tevis Cup Ride follows a rugged portion of the Western States Trail which stretches from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Sacramento, California. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,5jct,fl2k,1bct,ijo3 Hunting OK at new Sand to Snow National Monument Hi-Desert Star, July 21, 2016 Hunting will be allowed in the new Sand to Snow National Monument, federal officials said this week. “Hunting is included in the proclamation and we are not proposing any changes,” interim monument manager Rebecca Carr Wong said. The proclamation creating the Sand to Snow National Monument was signed by President Barack Obama on Feb. 12. The document states that the lands will be managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, just as they were before the monument was created. The area managed by the BLM remains open to outdoor recreation, hunting and grazing, according to the Campaign for the California Desert, which supported the new monument designations. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,dasp,1e67,1bct,ijo3 Related: Sand to Snow National Monument (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,gi84,98ad,1bct,ijo3 Monterey Bay Area’s Native Amah Mutsun Seek Return to Lost Way of Life KAZU, July 21, 2016 Descendants of the Native Americans who lived on the Central Coast before the establishment of the missions have an ambitious plan. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band wants to restore ecosystems that once flourished here: from the deer herds that roamed the land to the medicinal plants that sustained the tribe. It’s a plan that will take generations to realize, and the tribe is taking small, but real steps to get there. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,14e4,f44z,1bct,ijo3 Engaging Latinos in supporting coastal conservation The Californian, July 27, 2016 Latino Conservation Week kicked off July 16 with 17 nationwide events aimed at highlighting and promoting the beautiful public lands available to Latino communities. The weeklong event was a fantastic opportunity to explore our national parks, public lands and other favorite outdoor areas, and also to engage Latinos in the important work of advocating for our public lands. The celebration reminded us how essential it is to preserve our national treasures and create equitable access to these important spaces. We are working to honor and protect these lands through an effort to expand the California Coastal National Monument to include five beautiful places along the state’s 1,100-mile shoreline. Public access to these coastal beauties would be guaranteed by the designation, in addition to permanently protecting the lands. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,nnx,95pj,1bct,ijo3 Related: Latino Conservation Week (Hispanic Access Foundation website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,5o85,1r5r,1bct,ijo3 Tule Wind Project takes another step The San Diego Union-Tribune, July 26, 2016 It’s taken 12 years but the Tule Wind Project that is slated to eventually generate 201 megawatts of power from a 12,000-acre site in San Diego’s East County is on the threshold of getting built. But a group opposed to the wind farm — predicting the project’s turbines will kill migratory birds such as golden eagles and pointing at what it says are contradictory rulings in two federal court cases — won’t give up the fight. Last month, a three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with a U.S. District Court’s ruling that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has adequately investigated the impacts of the Tule Wind Project when it granted developers a right-of-way. That ruling gave the green light to the first phase of the Tule wind farm, which will produce 132 megawatts of electricity from 57 turbines located in the McCain Valley in East County, some 70 miles from San Diego. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,lky0,gdki,1bct,ijo3 Related: Tule Wind Energy Project (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,iiah,azuj,1bct,ijo3 BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS Director Kornze Finalizes Transfer of One-Million-Acre St. Lawrence Island to Alaska Natives BLM Director Neil Kornze signed a patent to finalize the transfer of more than one million acres of land to two Alaska Native corporations, Kukulget, Inc. of Savoonga and Sivuqaq, Inc. of Gambell. The patent completes the land transfer process for nearly the entirety of St. Lawrence Island, which lies in the Bering Sea about 160 miles west of Nome, Alaska, and just 36 miles from Russia. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,7ffo,l67d,1bct,ijo3 Related: BLM Director Kornze to Visit Alaska Next Week (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,m87,n3k,1bct,ijo3 BLM-Alaska Announces Management Plan for Alaska's Eastern Interior The Bureau of Land Management announced the availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Eastern Interior planning area in east-central Alaska. The Eastern Interior plan covers 6.5 million acres of BLM-administered public land and resources, including the White Mountains National Recreation Area, the Steese National Conservation Area, and the Fortymile area. In addition, the plan covers BLM lands in the upper Black River area and along the highway system—areas that, partially due to their remoteness, have never before been included in a BLM land use plan. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,2pv1,kyoi,1bct,ijo3 BLM to Analyze Proposed Production Well in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska The Bureau of Land Management announced a Notice of Intent to conduct an environmental review for a proposed oil and gas production well in the 23 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). If approved, the Greater Mooses Tooth-2 (GMT2) project would be the second oil and gas development project authorized on Federal lands in the NPR-A. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,8zpa,39rs,1bct,ijo3 BLM Moves to 100 Percent e-Filing of Drilling Permit Applications The BLM recently completed a multi-year effort to upgrade its online drilling permit processing system. The new internet-based module will help the BLM reduce permit processing timeframes by 50 percent, while also increasing the efficiency and transparency of the drilling permit review and approval process. The rollout of this new system was completed in phases, starting in October 2015. By year’s end, the BLM intends to shift to 100 percent electronic filing (or “e-filing”) of oil and gas drilling permits. To facilitate this shift, the BLM is also proposing a minor regulatory change today – an update to Onshore Order 1 – that would make e-filing the default method for submitting drilling permit applications. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,145k,d8n9,1bct,ijo3 Related: Online Permitting System (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,5wsc,c43j,1bct,ijo3 BLM and Joint Venture Adopt Partnership Building on the successful creation of plans and proven models to conserve sagebrush habitat for the Greater Sage-grouse, the BLM and the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) have formalized a partnership effort to help maintain the West’s “sagebrush sea.” During the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Summer Meeting this week, BLM Division Chief of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Steve Small announced that the two organizations had finalized a five-year, up to $5 million intra-agency agreement to promote win-win solutions for wildlife and working lands. The $5 million provided by the BLM will be matched with partner funding. Projects to be undertaken with these funds are specified in the agreement. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,9dxt,lnre,1bct,ijo3 Interior Releases Blueprint for Responsible Development in Moab The BLM Canyon Country District today released a proposed plan designed to guide mineral development in and around Moab, Utah while also protecting important cultural and recreational sites. The Moab Master Leasing Plan and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments/ Final Environmental Impact Statement (MLP/FEIS) are the culmination of a significant effort by the BLM and interested members of the public, community stakeholders and other local, state, and federal partners to provide for responsible development and conservation in the area. (Department of Interior News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,lni5,gkqd,1bct,ijo3 Share Pokémon — Their Top 5 American Cousins and where to find them You’ve downloaded the Pokémon GO app, agreed to the privacy policy and permissions, even roamed the neighborhood to “catch ‘em all!” Now it’s time to meet the real-life American cousins to some of our favorite Pokémon. For example, Ponyta & Assateague Wild Horses — Assateague’s wild horses are well known, even to many people who have never been to the island. Many visitors first learn about the Assateague horses from Marguerite Henry’s famous book Misty of Chincoteague. (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,digx,drzd,1bct,ijo3 Video: This Week at Interior July 22, 2016 West Coast travels to mark the Port Chicago munitions disaster, highlight the Land and Water Conservation fund, discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, and re-name a national wildlife refuge; a new database for Pacific walrus haulouts; and the White House honors a Youth Arctic Ambassador. (Department of Interior YouTube) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,1sfa,ishd,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK What does the Pokémon Go Poliwag and the Transparent Tadpole have in common? a) Pink lips b) Curly marks on belly c) Evolves into poliwhirl d) Nearly unbreakable elastic skin Keep reading for answer below. UPCOMING EVENTS August 4: BLM Schedules Additional Public Meeting on Palen Solar Project in Eastern Riverside County The BLM has scheduled a second public meeting to solicit public input for the Palen Solar project technology conversion. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 4 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Palm Springs City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262. The 30-day public comment period will close on September 3. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,ab2b,2whu,1bct,ijo3 August 6: Celebrate Point Arena-Stornetta Unit of California Coastal National Monument Come join us on August 6th for the 2016 Discover the Coast celebration at the Point Arena-Stornetta unit of the California Coastal National Monument. Hike the 3.5 mile Discovery Trail. Visit the Mendocino College Coastal Field Station Tour the Point Arena Lighthouse. (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,czy3,5hwn,1bct,ijo3 August 7: Trinidad Lighthouse Opens Tours of the historic Trinidad Head Lighthouse and living history presentations about the demanding life of the light keeper's family will be offered in a free open house Sunday, August 7, at the lighthouse site on Trinidad Head. Tours will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,m57b,14u9,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER What does the Pokémon Go Poliwag and the Transparent Tadpole have in common? b) Curly marks on belly That curly design on Poliwag (or its more “adult” forms, Poliwhirl and Poliwrath) isn’t just for show. Those are the intestines of a transparent tadpole! (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2lixa,3xn3,6sa7,3oj6,1bct,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/
