Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, Idaho |
|
|
|
ISSUE 1 - OCTOBER 20, 2016 |
      |
|
|
|
|
- Celebrate Your Public Lands
- Headlines and Highlights
- Youth
- Wild Horse and Burro
- Energy and Minerals
- Wildland Fire
- Wildlife Question of the Week
- DOI Highlights
|
|
|
|
CELEBRATE YOUR PUBLIC LANDS |
|
Welcome to the first issue of Your Public Lands, BLM's E-Newsletter! This monthly E-Newsletter will bring you the latest stories from across the Bureau of Land
Management. Today, the BLM manages ten percent of the land in the United States and a third of the nation’s minerals. BLM-managed public lands stretch across the nation, from the Arctic Ocean to the Mexican border, and from Key West, Florida, to Washington’s San Juan
Islands. |
 |
The Bureau of Land Management used to be in the business of selling or transferring federal land. Forty years ago, all of that changed. On October 21, 1976,
President Gerald Ford signed the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), which directed the BLM to permanently retain these lands and to manage them on behalf of all Americans. (Your Public Lands story)
|
|
HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS |
 |
What’s in a sign? A lot, actually. Visually appealing and easy-to-read signs can go a long way toward improving an organization’s ability to communicate
effectively with a wide audience. That’s why improving the Bureau of Land Management’s signage has been a priority initiative for Director Kornze. Millions of people see BLM signs each day, and each one of those impressions is an opportunity to educate people about the agency and the
incredible lands that we manage. (Your Public Lands story)
|
 |
Employees of the Bureau of Land Management, the Department of the Interior, and members of the public recently gathered to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Grand
Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The event featured remarks from Director Neil Kornze and Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Janice Schneider. (Your Public Lands
story)
|
 |
The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of Utah’s most iconic landscapes, covering more than 30,000 acres of BLM-managed land in the Salt Lake Field Office. Since 1914,
this majestic landscape has served as the racing grounds for generations of land speed racers from around the world. For decades, these passionate racers have tested themselves, each other, and their vehicles in an ever-escalating contest to go faster than ever before. (Your Public Lands story)
|
 |
The Catalyst, October 4, 2016
Some of Utah’s best beginner-friendly whitewater and towering canyon walls are now available to Colorado College students, thanks to the Outdoor Recreation Committee (ORC)... Through a newly acquired permit, a recent FOOT trip became the first major school-sponsored outing to paddle a
popular Moab-area stretch of the Colorado River, the Moab Daily, which has been off-limits in years past... A recent, unexpected decision by the Bureau of Land Management allowed certain schools and other organizations access to a permit lottery following the forfeiting of one permit by a commercial
outfitter. The ORC and other similar institutions now share between themselves the dates of this single commercial permit, allowing them access one at a time on select days. Read full story
|
 |
Las Cruces Sun News, October 1, 2016
We are fortunate to have a rich diversity of public lands in southern New Mexico. In fact, the 5.4 million acres of public lands in Doña Ana, Otero, Luna, Sierra, Grant and Hidalgo Counties boast some of the best areas for a variety of multiple uses. The Bureau of Land Management Las
Cruces District is the federal agency charged with ensuring these lands are managed and used for the benefit of the American people. Places like Picacho Peak Recreation Area and Otero Mesa are important for their vast resources, including wildlife and vegetation. Getting to know them can be a
nice weekend getaway this fall. As the desert has its own seasonal features, visitors will be surprised with the changing colors, aromatic scents and how good a picnic lunch tastes in the outdoors. Read full story
|
 |
Andy Senti, who worked 67 years for the federal government and 64 years for the BLM, is a BLM legend for his lifetime of service and dedication to the BLM’s
mission over the course of his career. Up until his passing in December 2015 at the age of 90, Andy was well-known throughout the Bureau for his expertise in legal, practical and historic matters, a legacy that will not soon be forgotten. He once again bestowed his legacy on the natural resources
community by designating Utah State University’s Quinney College of Natural Resources, Andy’s alma mater, as the primary beneficiary in his will. This is one of the largest donations from an individual the college has ever received. (Your Public Lands story)
|
 |
The Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) staff is proud to announce that our first restoration partnership project with Southwest Conservation Corps’ Ancestral Lands Program will be underway
September 19 – 29. A conservation corps made up of five young people from Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico will be doing habitat restoration and stewardship work on two units of the National Conservation Lands: Rio Grande Natural Area near Antonito, Colorado, and El Malpais National Conservation
Area near Grants, New Mexico CLF and more than 100 individuals made donations to support them—another “first” we’re excited about. (Conservation Lands Foundation blog)
|
 |
The Moris and the Shoesole Resource Management Group have been grazing permittees on public land for 20 plus years. All involved were recently recognized with 2016
Rangeland Stewardship awards given by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These awards recognize the dedication to the health and productivity of public rangelands that the BLM manages. The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land. Every year four awards are given and this year two of
the four awards were given to Elko County ranchers. (My Public Lands Tumblr)
Related: BLM Announces Recipients of 2016 Rangeland Stewardship Awards (BLM News Release)
|
 |
The Buffalo News, August 29, 2016
I competed for the United States in archery at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. As a professional athlete who uses America’s public lands for both
cross-training and relaxation, I left for the games concerned that our lands are under threat from being sold off to state or private interests. I worry that selling off our lands would be a permanent loss not just for elite athletes but all Americans. I grew up in the Buffalo area, having free
rein to explore and enjoy nature, which made a tremendous impression on me as a person and an athlete. When I moved to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, I continued to pursue outdoor recreation, including archery, in the Bureau of Land Management’s Otay Mountain
Wilderness. Spending time in the wilderness allowed me to find emotional and physical balance as I pursued my dream of competing at the Olympic level. Read full story
|
 |
Dominic Meads is a young man who has it all figured out. By the time he graduated from Ashland High School he had already volunteered for watershed councils,
cultural associations, and several natural resource management agencies. Dominic also graduated with 70 college credits under his belt and an intense love of fishing. Most recently, Dominic was accepted to the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program sponsored by the American Fisheries Society.
(Your Public Lands story)
|
|
YOUTH |
 |
Throwing a party is one way to find out how many friends you have. So when the BLM Alaska Campbell Creek Science Center held its combined 20th Anniversary/National Public Lands
Day (NPLD) celebration, it quickly became apparent that the Science Center has a lot of friends indeed. Approximately 800 people attended the festivities, making it the largest NPLD event ever. (Your Public
Lands story)
|
 |
The Bureau of Land Management Rio Puerco Field Office in New Mexico is working with its third Teachers on Public Lands (TPL) at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National
Monument. Developed by the BLM’s Hands on the Land (HOL) Program and the University of Colorado-Denver, TPL provides professional development experiences for teachers by placing them as teacher “interns” at BLM HOL sites. TPLs spend a portion of their summer learning and working at
an HOL site and performing various tasks depending on their interests and the education needs of the site. TPLs engage with site education projects, learn about BLM resources, and develop lesson plans that can be used by BLM employees, other teachers, and community volunteers. (Your Public Lands story)
|
 |
Last month, the second year of Every Kid in a Park kicked off nationwide. The Every Kid in a Park Program provides free access to fourth graders and their
families to more than 2,000 federally managed sites, including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and marine sanctuaries. Although most BLM-managed sites don’t charge an entrance fee, the Every Kid in a Park program has provided the BLM with an opportunity to reach out to young people
who will be the next generation of land stewards. (Your Public Lands story)
Related: Every Kid in a Park Starts Second Year (Department of Interior YouTube)
|
|
WILD HORSE AND BURRO |
 |
KWQC, October 13, 2016
Wild horses and burros will be up for adoption in Iowa. The Bureau of Land Management announced it will offer approximately 40 wild horses and possibly a few yearling and burros for adoption this fall. The event is being held at the Pullin-Simonsen Arena, 257 Ansborough Ave. in Waterloo, Iowa
Oct. 21st and 22nd… The bureau is charged with managing wild horses and burros under the authority of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The law allows the bureau to remove excess wild horses and burros from the range, to sustain the health and productivity of the public
lands. Read full story
|
 |
Twelve young ladies recently competed in the third annual BLM Youth Trainer Challenge in Tyler, Texas. The event was open to ages 18 and under, and provided participants the
opportunity to train yearling wild horses in order to prepare them for adoption. The youth picked up the horses in May, and had 90 days to gentle and train the animals before the show and adoption. (Your
Public Lands story)
|
 |
The Salt Lake Tribune, September 28, 2016
The Bureau of Land Management may have found a face to launch a thousand adoptions. It’s the face of a baby burro born three weeks ago at
Utah’s Hogle Zoo. Nicknamed Burro-ito by zookeepers, he’s charming visitors from a pen along the tracks of the Zoofari Express train. “You do want to take him home, don’t you?” zoo spokeswoman Erica Hansen said, moments after a train filled with kids and their moms
passed by, the sight of Burro-ito standing shyly between his mom and an “auntie” burro eliciting oohs and aahs, shrieks and finger pointing. That’s the kind of reaction federal BLM officials hoped to get when they entered a partnership two years ago to display animals from its
wild horse and burro adoption program at Hogle Zoo. Read full story
|
 |
Every year in July, visitors come from around the globe to see the “daddy of ’em all” rodeo at Cheyenne Frontier Days. This legendary 10-day
rodeo has been bringing the best cowboys and cowgirls to Cheyenne, Wyoming since 1897. And this year, the BLM partnered with BraveHearts and the Mantle Ranch Wild Horse Adoption and Training Facility to show the world the special bond created between military veterans and wild horses. (Your Public Lands story)
|
|
ENERGY AND MINERALS |
 |
The Pew Charitable Trust, September 14, 2016
The Bureau of Land Management issued its final decision Sept. 14 on a sweeping California desert plan that seeks to balance land and wildlife conservation with
renewable energy development on public lands. The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), represents a landmark collaboration by California, the federal government, and many other stakeholders to provide a landscape-level approach to protecting wildlife habitat across the desert, which is
home to such iconic species as bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, and bobcats. Read full story
Related: Secretary Jewell, State of California Announce Landmark Renewable Energy, Conservation Plan for 10 Million Acres of California Desert (Department of Interior News Release)
Related: Landmark Renewable Energy, Conservation Plan for 10 Million Acres of California Desert (BLM California YouTube)
|
 |
The Bureau of Land Management recognized three hardrock mineral companies for advancing the use of sustainable development practices in their work. The awards
were presented at a ceremony in Las Vegas by BLM Assistant Director Michael D. Nedd, who oversees the agency’s energy, minerals, and realty management programs. (Your Public Lands story)
|
 |
The Idaho Statesman, October 6, 2016
The Bureau of Land Management chose routes Thursday for the Gateway West high-power transmission line that avoid private land, sage-grouse habitat and the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. The routes have been a source of controversy with residents
critical of previous plans that sought primarily to avoid the Birds of Prey area. Idaho State BLM Director Tim Murphy said the agency had to ensure the area received “a heightened level of protection and care.” “Another important effort we’ve undertaken is working
with the state and other essential partners to protect high-quality sage grouse habitat throughout Southern Idaho,” Murphy said. “The routes we have selected honor both of these priorities while also providing a path forward for this important project.” Read full story
|
|
WILDLAND FIRE |
 |
Popular Science, October 12, 2016
Scenic mountains, fields of flowers and verdant forests are burning more frequently and intensely than ever before. The number of wildfires on public lands is up 500 percent since the late 1970s. Fighting fires is no easy task, but it’s an ever more important one for
California’s Bureau of Land Management. The bureau deploys firefighters, many of whom are veterans, with trucks, helicopters and specialized equipment to control blazes in remote areas. This year, BLM firefighters have been battling the Soberanes Fire in Monterey County since July 22.
Caused by an illegal campfire, the fire scorched more than 130,000 acres, mostly in the Los Padres National Forest. At its peak, more than 5,000 men and women were assigned to the fire. The effort cost a bulldozer operator his life, destroyed 57 homes, and cost $236 million — the costliest
fire in U.S. history. Read full story
|
 |
For the past two years, the Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with the Department of Interior and Team Rubicon, has been conducting a wildland
firefighter training sessions throughout the country for military veterans. The training sessions educate Team Rubicon members in wildland fire suppression tactics, including communication techniques, fireline construction, equipment operation, and other critical wildland firefighting skills. Other
sessions have been held in Colorado, California, Texas, Georgia, Washington and Maryland. (My Public Lands Tumblr)
Related: Another Great Year for the BLM California Folsom Lake Veterans’ Fire Crew (My Public Lands Tumblr)
|
 |
Despite an early start to Alaska’s 2016 wildfire season, the number of acres burned this summer ended up well below normal levels. A total of 558
wildfires burned 500,095 acres in Alaska this summer, making it the 36th largest fire season on record dating back to 1939, according to statistics from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center in Fairbanks. During an average Alaska fire season, there are about 500 fires and approximately 1
million acres are burned. While Alaska’s fire season got off to an early start, heavy rainfall in the Interior in June and July slowed fire activity during what are typically the two of the busiest months of the fire season. In terms of acres burned, 2016 didn’t compare to 2015,
when 768 fires burned more than 5.1 million acres in Alaska, making it the second-largest fire season on record in the Last Frontier. (Alaska Division of Forestry blog)
|
|
WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK |
 |
Which animal has the longest average
lifespan?
a) Manatee
b) Grizzly bear
c) California condor
d) North American river otter
Keep reading for answer below.
|
|
DOI HIGHLIGHTS |
|
Birds are all around, connecting people with nature and adding beauty, sound and color to our world. While this allows us to have a wildlife experience every day (no matter where
we are), public lands like National Wildlife Refuges are often set aside specifically to protect birds and other wildlife. Many refuges and parks also offer guided bird walks with experts who can offer tips for bird watching and identification to make the experience even more
enjoyable. Throughout 2016, we’re celebrating the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty and 100 years of bird conservation. The treaty was the first international effort to protect birds, wherever they fly. (Department of Interior blog)
|
|
Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael L. Connor and Deputy Under Secretary for U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment Ann Mills today concluded a
two-day visit to the Yakima River Basin where they met with local stakeholders, including the Yakama Nation, to assess progress on several projects associated with the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan. (Department of Interior News Release)
|
|
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell joined National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and Tim Gill, philanthropist and founder of the Gill Foundation to announce the release of a new
National Park Service theme study identifying places and events associated with the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified Americans. The release of the theme study coincides with National Coming Out Day, a commemoration first celebrated in 1988 on the anniversary of the
1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. (Department of Interior News Release)
|
|
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. “Larry” Roberts announced that the Obama
Administration has exceeded its goal of placing half a million acres of tribal homelands into trust for federally recognized tribes. (Department of Interior News Release)
|
|
Partners Commemorate 1-Year Anniversary of Sage-Grouse Plans
“All challenges are local, and it can be tough to be a pioneer,” said DOI Secretary Sally Jewell as she looked at the conservation professionals, industry representatives, ranchers, and
state and federal land managers gathered around the table at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. This diverse group of self-proclaimed “grouseketeers” reconvened on September 21 – one year after the Greater Sage-Grouse was found to not warrant listing on the
Endangered Species Act – to share successes, talk through challenges, and set commitments for the next year of sage-grouse and sagebrush conservation. (Your Public Lands story)
Related: Secretary Jewell, Governor Hickenlooper Celebrate Unprecedented Collaborative Conservation Effort for Greater Sage-Grouse (Department of Interior News
Release)
|
|
WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER |
|
Which animal has the longest average lifespan?
c) California condor
The California condor is the largest flying bird in North America. Their wings may stretch nearly 10 feet from tip to tip. When in flight, these huge birds glide on air currents to
soar as high as a dizzying 15,000 feet. Like other vultures, condors are scavengers that feast on the carcasses of large mammals, such as cattle and deer. When a big meal is available, the birds may gorge themselves so much that they must rest for several hours before flying again. Condors
were sacred birds to the Native Americans who lived in the open spaces of western America for up to 60 years. (National Geographic: Animals)
|
|
|
Your Public Lands is a publication of the Bureau of Land Management.
Bureau of Land Management
1849 C Street NW, Room 5665
Washington DC 20240
Phone: (202) 208-3801
Fax: (202) 208-5242
yourpubliclands@xxxxxxx
|
|
|
