News.Bytes, Bureau of Land Management California ISSUE 749 - November 10, 2016 - Veterans Day - Headlines and Highlights - BLM and DOI Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming Events VETERANS DAY Honor Our Fallen, Honor Our Land, Honor Our Stewards at Fort Ord National Monument Last month, the Bureau of Land Management hosted a weekend of celebration at the Fort Ord National Monument as part of National Public Lands Day, National Make a Difference Day. First, on Saturday, October 23, the BLM co-sponsored and supported the Honor Our Fallen 10K memorial event with the Army to recognize soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our nation. The event helped assist programs for Gold Star families living near Monterey, California. (News.Bytes story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,dvb7,ipm0,1bct,ijo3 Sands of War The Bureau of Land Management, in conjunction with Full Frame Productions, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC and KOCE PBS Southern California, proudly presents: Sands of War. Using both current and rare archival footage, Sands of War recounts the story of the creation and role of the Desert Training Center against the backdrop of WWII. Told through the personal experiences of WWII veterans, and narrated by Emmy Award winning actor Peter Coyote, the program provides a compelling account of the young men and women thrust onto the heaving stage of world conflict. To date, 329 Sands of War telecasts have aired on 170 stations in 81 markets nationally – including most of the top 50 in roughly 14 months. This fall, PBS stations nationwide will be airing Sands of War in honor of our military veterans. (News.Bytes story) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,6n6n,3ypz,1bct,ijo3 Related: Sands of War Trailer (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,44yl,4a57,1bct,ijo3 Video: Department of Interior Thanks Veterans Tomorrow is Veterans Day. Across the country and around the world, the men and women of our armed forces have earned our respect and appreciation. Veterans, thank you for your service. (Department of Interior Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,1cmh,iweb,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS My Public Lands Instagram Takeover Monday kicked off week-long @mypubliclands Instagram takeovers by BLM states across the country! BLM California has been sharing some of the 15.2 million acres of public lands managed in California. Be sure to follow along! (My Public Lands Instagram) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,glus,idit,1bct,ijo3 BLM Focused on High Quality OHV Experience at Nor Cal Recreation Area In 2006, the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act established the Cow Mountain Recreation Area. This was the first congressional designation of lands that codified OHV use by stating: Motorized recreation shall be a prescribed use within the South Cow Mountain OHV Management Area… According to the BLM, the South Cow Mountain OHV Recreation Area emphasizes off-highway vehicle use. Over 120 miles of vehicle trails interweave 23,000 acres, and offer challenges to motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, and four-wheel drive enthusiasts alike. (Official Quiet Warrior Racing blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,7tx1,frkp,1bct,ijo3 Related: 10th Anniversary of the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (Tuleyome website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,ma4o,2xu4,1bct,ijo3 Women On The Fire Line We just learned a few months ago about wildland firefighters gathering for training exchanges, which they abbreviate TREX. Unfortunately, it’s pronounced “treks” and not “t-rex”. Anyway, we get to add a W, to make WTREX, because there are training exchanges for women. The very first WTREX just wrapped up in Northern California, after giving women firefighters and managers a chance to sharpen skills and compare notes. Listen to full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,cono,g9gs,1bct,ijo3 Related: Women-in-Fire Rx Fire Training Exchange (Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,eiu4,7lqi,1bct,ijo3 Tule Wind Energy Project The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for overseeing implementation of the mitigation measures set forth in the Joint Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the Tule Wind Energy Project. A federal Right-of-Way grant for the Tule Wind Energy Project was granted by the BLM to Tule Wind, LLC, a subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables, Inc. on April 10, 2010. (Tule Wind Energy Environmental Monitoring Reports) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,9m0x,24vm,1bct,ijo3 Clean energy for California: NextEra Energy Resources celebrates commissioning of Blythe and McCoy Solar Energy Centers PR Newswire, November 10, 2016 State and local leaders joined executives from NextEra Energy Resources and its partners to commission the Blythe and McCoy Solar Energy Centers, which created hundreds of construction jobs and will help California meet its renewable energy goals. “These projects represent a more than $1.2 billion investment in California and a tremendous step forward to help the state meet its renewable energy goals,” said Armando Pimentel, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, which built and will own and operate the projects. “We are very pleased to bring these solar energy centers online to help serve the state and boost the local economy.” Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,3s28,93wd,1bct,ijo3 Related: BLM California Approved Renewable Energy Projects (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,l85t,av86,1bct,ijo3 BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS Interior Department Finalizes Rule Providing a Foundation for the Future of BLM’s Renewable Energy Program Advancing the President’s Climate Action Plan to create jobs, cut carbon pollution and develop clean domestic energy, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that the Bureau of Land Management finalized its rule governing solar and wind energy development on public lands. The rule strengthens existing policies and creates a new leasing program that will support renewable energy development through competitive leasing processes and incentives to encourage development in suitable areas. (Department of Interior News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,fy6s,8tbn,1bct,ijo3 FLPMA deserves a party, too High Country News, November 10, 2016 America has spent the last year celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service. Given that the agency protects 85 million acres — 3.6 percent of the United States — this is a birthday well worth celebrating. But two other important birthdays passed almost unnoticed: October marked the 40th anniversary of both the Federal Land Policy Management Act, or FLPMA (usually pronounced “flipma”), which covers the Bureau of Land Management’s holdings, and the National Forest Management Act, which embraces our national forests. The combined acreage overseen by the two laws amounts to an astounding 20 percent of our 50 states. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,2jji,zp1,1bct,ijo3 Related: Forty years later, BLM’s multiple-use stewardship still works (The Salt Lake Tribune) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,eo0g,80zv,1bct,ijo3 Where will the West’s next national monument be? High Country News, November 8, 2016 While President Barack Obama has already designated or expanded 27 national monuments in the past eight years, more than any other administration, there are still efforts in many Western states pushing for the designation. Our map below shows the most well-known efforts such as Bears Ears and Gold Butte, as well as lesser-known efforts you may not have heard about. . . . In California, national monument proponents are urging President Obama to add several thousand more acres in six coastal areas to the existing California Coastal Monument. It currently includes 20,000 rocks, islands and reefs within 12 nautical miles of the California coast. Sen. Barbara Boxer and Reps. Lois Capps, Anna Eshoo and Jared Huffman are leading the effort to add the new sites. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,h9o3,jq2d,1bct,ijo3 High-Flow Experiment Underway at Glen Canyon Dam Simulates Natural Flooding through Grand Canyon The U.S. Department of the Interior initiated another high-flow release of water from Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona under an innovative science-based experimental plan. The fourth such release, the goal is to enhance the environment in Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area while continuing to meet water and power delivery needs and allowing continued scientific experimentation and monitoring on the Colorado River. (Department of Interior News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,616s,96h3,1bct,ijo3 Capturing Acadia: Through the Eyes of High Schoolers At Acadia National Park in Maine, they’re finding innovative ways to connect high school students to nature with technology. (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,9y3i,4du7,1bct,ijo3 Video: This Week at Interior November 4, 2016 A new plan for restoration of the “Sagebrush Sea,” a status report on Interior’s Land Buy-Back Program for tribal nations; ten new national historic landmarks announced; a mystery solved in Alaska; a new mobile video game to help save endangered California condors; and it’s Manatee Awareness Month! (Department of Interior YouTube) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,iztz,cwts,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK The wind and cold don’t bother this ______. Its long, coarse outer fur keeps it waterproof and windproof. Its underfur (called qiviut) traps its body heat to keep it very warm. Photo taken at the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve in Alaska. Keep reading for answer below. UPCOMING EVENTS Now - November 15: Construction Work Planned at Rice Canyon OHV Area A project to improve off-highway vehicle recreation opportunities is set to begin Wednesday, October 19 and continue through November 15 at the Rice Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area east of Susanville. Heavy equipment will be used, and visitors are asked to use caution when in the area. The Bureau of Land Management said additional work including trail maintenance will be ongoing throughout November. The project is funded by a June grant from the California Department of Parks and Recreation Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division that provides for improvements at the 105-acre area 10 miles northeast of Susanville in Lassen County. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,1tr2,glrm,1bct,ijo3 November 11 and January 13-16: BLM Waives Recreation Fees for Veterans Day and MLK Weekend in Imperial County The Bureau of Land Management El Centro Field Office will waive recreation-related fees for visitors on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11 and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day weekend, January 13-16, 2017. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,jym1,cbp2,1bct,ijo3 November 12: Volunteers Needed for Bald Mountain Trail Construction Volunteers are welcome to help the Bureau of Land Management build new recreational trails on Bald Mountain east of Janesville, in volunteer work days set for Saturdays, November 5 and 12. The trails are planned for use by horseback riders, hikers and mountain bikers. Anyone interested in helping should meet at 8:30 a.m. at the junction of Lassen County Road A-3 and Sunnyside Road near Standish. The work days are scheduled to run until 4:30 p.m., but volunteers are also welcome to work only part of the day. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,bida,5so3,1bct,ijo3 November 15: Cahto Peak/Black Oak Mountain Trail- Dozer Line Repair Come join Eel River Recovery Project volunteers, the Cahto Tribe and the Bureau of Land Management Arcata Field Office in appreciating and caring for a beautiful landscape at the top of the South Fork Eel wilderness. (Tuleyome website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,86zm,8vck,1bct,ijo3 November 19: The National Public Lands Day fun continues! Please join Friends of the Desert Mountains, National Environmental Education Foundation, San Bernardino National Forest and BLM staff to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday, November 19 from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm. Meet at the Top of the Cove, at the corner of Calle Tecate and Avenida Madero. RSVP → (760) 862-9984 (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,c8dv,cs8e,1bct,ijo3 December 1: Cache Creek Wilderness Field Trip Lower Lake Elementary School students from 4th grade and 5th grade classes will travel by bus to the Redbud Trailhead at the Northern border of the Cache Creek Wilderness. BLM staff and Tuleyome staff and volunteers will lead an interpretive hike into the Wilderness area. Participants will learn about fire recovery biology in an area burned in the Summer of 2015 Rocky fire, as well as archaeology, hydrology, geology, and recreation resources in the area. Family and parent volunteers should contact their child’s classroom teacher. Tuleyome volunteers can visit http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,ft72,46kh,1bct,ijo3 Contact Bill Grabert with Tuleyome at bgrabert@xxxxxxxxxxxx or (530) 350-2599. Now - January 3: BLM Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Fort Ord Supplementary Rules The Bureau of Land Management is asking for public comment on language clarification for the proposed supplementary rules for the Fort Ord National Monument Dog Management Plan. Comments will be accepted until January 3, 2017. The rules designate areas of the monument where off-leash opportunities exist for dogs and areas where leash requirements are in place. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,fzon,cvke,1bct,ijo3 April 10 and 15: Leave No Trace Master Educator Training Backcountry Horsemen of California are conducting a Leave No Trace Master Educator Training. The five-day Leave No Trace Master Educator Course is designed for individuals who will be teaching Leave No Trace Trainer Courses and Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops. Applications are being accepted until January 2017. (Backcountry Horsemen of California website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2o3p6,3xn3,fmzk,6pph,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER The wind and cold don’t bother this ______. Its long, coarse outer fur keeps it waterproof and windproof. Its underfur (called qiviut) traps its body heat to keep it very warm. Photo taken at the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve in Alaska. The wind and cold don’t bother this muskox. Its long, coarse outer fur keeps it waterproof and windproof. Its underfur (called qiviut) traps its body heat to keep it very warm. Muskoxen are one of the only large animals hearty enough to survive year-round in the Arctic. (The best wildlife photos from @USInterior on Instagram via USATODAY) If your e-mail program does not allow you to click on the above links to visit that Web page, copy and paste the URL into your browser's address bar. Some online news sites require free registration to view their content online. Some news sites remove news stories from the web soon after publication. Links do not imply endorsement of sites, products, or advertisements. 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/
