News.Bytes, Bureau of Land Management California ISSUE 752 - December 15, 2016 - 2017 Planner - From the Field - Headlines and Highlights - BLM and DOI Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming Events 2017 PLANNER 2017 Monthly Planner Is Here BLM manages 15.2 million acres of public lands in California - nearly 15 percent of the state's land area - and 1.6 million acres in northwestern Nevada. This year's monthly planner features stunning public lands across the state with impressive employee photography. Get your planner while supplies last: Issue 751 FREE OFFER http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,7h76,2d9u,1bct,ijo3 FROM THE FIELD Motorcycle Trials In Keysville The Southern California Trials Association hosted an observed motorcycle trials event at BLM Bakersfield’s Keysville Special Recreation Management Area last Sunday, December 11. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,8zhi,9ax4,1bct,ijo3 Archaeologists Restore Vandalized Cultural Resources Site Archaeologists in the BLM Applegate Field Office turned their dismay into determination recently, as they worked to restore a prehistoric cultural resources site that had been vandalized with spray-painted graffiti. Jack Scott and Devin Snyder discovered the vandalism during a routine monitoring visit to a well-known and easily accessible archaeological site that is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. They found spray paint at five locations, including a bedrock mortar milling feature. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,39lq,4c1w,1bct,ijo3 Burn Projects Benefit Sage-Grouse Habitat in Lassen County A spectacular scene played out on public lands in northern Lassen County, California recently, as crews from our Applegate Field Office burned piles of juniper slash across a snowy, sagebrush-dotted landscape. The pile burning project near Hayden Hill, about 50 miles north of Susanville, California was the latest step in restoring a sage-steppe landscape that benefits greater sage-grouse and other sagebrush dependent species. The piles of limbs resulted from project underway since 2012 to remove Western juniper trees that have encroached into the sage-steppe, threatening dominate the diverse vegetation important to sagebrush obligate species. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,7slf,4mxo,1bct,ijo3 Improving Mule Deer Habitat The BLM Bishop Field Office, California Deer Association and Eastern Sierra Land Trust spent a couple of days this fall planting bitterbrush, sagebrush and grasses to improve mule deer habitat in the Round Fire. The Round Fire of 2015 resulted in the loss of important winter habitat for mule deer in the eastern Sierra. We joined forces to give the burned area a head start in recovery and focused on the bitterbrush because it is one the mule deer's favorite things to eat! (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,3in8,8grm,1bct,ijo3 Happy trails to our visitors! Horseback riders, walkers and mountain bike riders are gaining access to new trails on BLM-managed public lands in Lassen County, California, thanks largely to the hard work of volunteers, including youth from the Student Conservation Association. (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,jf0s,7qj2,1bct,ijo3 Wildland Fire Vacancies Posted on USAJOBS Join our team! Are you looking for a job and love spending time outdoors? We have 20 wildland fire vacancies available on USAJOBS now. (usajobs.gov) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,hjb7,dk0n,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Celebrating National Public Lands Day Imperial Valley Press, December 10, 2016 As winter approaches and the weather cools off, Imperial Valley sees a dramatic increase in the number of hikers, campers, RV-ers, and off-roaders. It is an area known for plenty of opportunities for everyone to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Did you know that much of those opportunities are thanks to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976? Well, we didn’t either! Recently, Desert Museum staff joined the local Bureau of Land Management offices to help people celebrate National Public Lands Day and the public lands of Imperial County and learned a few new things. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,c1w3,2uv8,1bct,ijo3 Related: Honoring Military Veterans (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,8yxr,c8ad,1bct,ijo3 BLM staff are traveling far and wide for Every Kid in a Park! A free park pass distribution “bonanza” is well underway in the Bureau of Land Management’s Eagle Lake Field Office, with staff traveling in Lassen County, California to ensure that 4th graders and their families have the opportunity to visit national parks, monuments, lands and waters free for a full year. With BLM mascot, Seymour Antelope in tow, the Eagle Lake pass distribution team has visited 13 classrooms in nine schools and distributed 255 passes. They have logged more than 200 miles, and still more classroom visits are planned. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,g00c,lbs4,1bct,ijo3 Jeeps Score Big at First Rebelle Rally When the dust settled in the Glamis Sand Dunes at the finish of the 2016 Rebelle Rally (the first-ever all-women’s off-road rally in the United States), it was a Jeep that crossed the finish line ahead of all the rest. Four Jeeps placed in the top five positions, and seven ranked in the top 10. In fact, Jeep was the most-winning vehicle brand in this highly competitive, seven-day navigation rally that traveled across the remote and rugged terrain of the American West from Lake Tahoe to the Imperial Sand Dunes of southern California. (Four Wheeler Network) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,kgq0,gj5r,1bct,ijo3 Related: Rebelle Rally coverage (Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,esre,lxev,1bct,ijo3 GetOut! Sacramento River Rail Trail offers great views Record Searchlight, December 8, 2016 The Sacramento River Rail Trail shares the solid surface and scenic splendor of the Sacramento River Trail to its south, although not its celebrity. The less-busy — but no less worthy — U.S. Bureau of Land Management paved pathway along the west side of Keswick Reservoir stretches 11 miles from Keswick Dam to Shasta Dam. It’s nice for a bike ride, run or walk, especially in winter when dirt trails turn mucky. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,cfze,dvvd,1bct,ijo3 Related: Chappie-Shasta OHV Area video (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,6898,cuy6,1bct,ijo3 Madera and Mariposa counties to benefit from Sierra Nevada Conservancy grants The Fresno Bee, December 11, 2016 Madera and Mariposa counties will receive part of a $3.1 million grant awarded by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy for projects that will reforest land and reduce tree mortality in the Sierra Nevada, announced Sierra Nevada Conservancy spokeswoman Brittany Covich... Mariposa County will receive $498,985 for its Gentry Creek Watershed Restoration Project. The Yosemite-Sequoia Conservation and Development Council will use the grant to treat 300 acres of trees affected by bark beetle mortality on privately owned land that is surrounded by land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. The project will remove dead trees and improve Gentry Creek, a tributary stream of the Merced River, said Covich. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,j7bw,j601,1bct,ijo3 Joshua Tree National Park poised to grow by 20,000 acres LA Daily News, December 12, 2016 Joshua Tree National Park, the nation’s 15th largest, is poised to grow by more than 20,000 acres early next year. After a lengthy study and environmental assessment, the National Park Service recommends adding more than 20,000 acres of federal, state and private lands to the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park... The Park Service and federal Bureau of Land Management, which now administers most of the land, will evaluate public comments on the proposed transfer of the land from the bureau to the Park Service. Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,7yf6,kk8b,1bct,ijo3 Fishermen’s Trail Loop Guide – Nature and Wildlife Galore aNewsCafe, December 9, 2016 The name is a bit of a misnomer. While there are several access points to the water line, anglers seldom use this trail, generally preferring the shallower, faster water closer to the Shasta Dam discharge. But as if to question this judgement, other fishers—double crested cormorants—frequently perch atop the debris boom before the dam in the wintertime looking for prey... On the side of the trail in the first half mile are stretches of concrete and stone edging or terracing. A trailside rusty cable suggests past mining activity and it is tempting to think that these artifacts mark a riverside trail in mining days–until one realizes that the water line was 100 feet lower before the dam was built in 1950. The actual explanation is that the now-defunct Young Adult Conservation Corps built the trail in about 1980 and probably added the stonework as an embellishment. The trail is now maintained by the BLM. Read full story Wilk Bill Aims to Send CEMEX through Public Appeals Process SCV News, December 9, 2016 Senator Scott Wilk, R-Antelope Valley, introduced Senate Bill 57 that would compel CEMEX to go through the state public appeals process if the federal government determines that CEMEX can move forward with its mega-mine in Soledad Canyon. “The proposed CEMEX mega-mine would be one of the largest aggregate mines in the nation. The mine would devastate our air and water quality and choke the 14 Freeway,” stated Wilk. “Despite the magnitude of the project the public has been without an opportunity for input in over 25 years. SB 57 will guarantee the public has an opportunity to weigh in with regulators on this ill-conceived proposal.” Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,ea5b,aud3,1bct,ijo3 BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS Secretary Jewell Announces Milestones to Spur Renewable Energy and Transmission in the West As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to cut carbon pollution and create clean energy jobs, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced new steps with Western states to encourage the development of renewable power, efficiently deliver that electricity to market, and meet growing consumer demands for clean energy. (Department of Interior News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,7luk,meo2,1bct,ijo3 Related: U.S. Interior Dept. Aims To Spur Renewables In The West (Solar Industry Magazine) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,52s3,bs40,1bct,ijo3 15 Incredible Snapshots of Next Generation Public Lands Stewards Interior is leading a nationwide movement to inspire millions of young people to play, learn, serve and work in America’s great outdoors. For the long-term health of our economy and our nation's public lands, it's critical that we establish deep, meaningful connections between young people -- from every background and every community -- and nature. (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,ei4l,evzr,1bct,ijo3 How do you survive in the big empty? These lagomorphs use superpower adaptations, of course. It’s wide open in the Big Empty of sagebrush country. For the more than 350 species that live here, hiding spots are few and horizons are long. When you’re a favorite food of lots of predators you need special adaptations to survive. Lagomorphs are adaptation champs in this ecosystem. The term lagomorph describes mammals in the order of lagomorpha, better known as hares, rabbits, and pikas. In sagebrush country, some lagomorphs you might see are jackrabbits, cottontails, and pygmy rabbits. (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,3leo,5v37,1bct,ijo3 Related: #350species series (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,8vm7,h2pe,1bct,ijo3 12 Unforgettable Moments in Indian Country Secretary Jewell delivers remarks at the 2016 White House Tribal Nation’s Conference -- her final address at the conference. As chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, Jewell consistently worked to strengthen government-to-government relationships with tribes, advance tribal self-determination and invest in the next generation to ensure a bright future for Indian Country. (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,7i02,hg3n,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK True of false? The South Fork of Bear Creek is a key watershed for recovery of the threatened Chinook salmon in the Mattole River basin. Keep reading for answer below. UPCOMING EVENTS December 19: BLM Sets Meeting on Vehicle, Aircraft use in Wild Horse and Burro Program The Bureau of Land Management will host a hearing about the use of aircraft and motor vehicles in wild horse and burro management on public lands Monday, December 19, at 6:30 p.m., at the Hyatt Place Sacramento/Roseville, 220 Conference Center Drive, Roseville. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,dzkd,417z,1bct,ijo3 December 28: Holidays at the Piedras Blancas Light Station The Piedras Blancas Light Station Association will be hosting a Holiday Open House on Wednesday, December 28 between 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. The event is by reservation only due to limited parking at the Light Station. The cost is $25 per car, to be paid when making the reservation. Please call (805) 924-1807 or email piedrasblancastours@xxxxxxxxx. 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,2oz6e,3xn3,hp76,798l,1bct,ijo3 January 8, February 5, March 5 and April 9: Young Explorers program launched at Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Two programs are combined to make this new Young Explorer program. Story hour and a map and compass class. RSVPs are required as space is limited to 14 in each class, please call (760) 862-9984. Participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,8hw5,k0tv,1bct,ijo3 January 9: Travel Notice - BLM will Require Overnight Wilderness Reservations in King Range The Bureau of Land Management will require permits by reservation for overnight use in the King Range Wilderness and Backcountry Management Zone of the King Range National Conservation Area beginning January 9, 2017. The requirement will not affect day-use visitors or campgrounds outside the wilderness or backcountry areas. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,g36h,fuxf,1bct,ijo3 January 19: Sequoia National Forest and Bureau of Land Management to hold OHV Grant Application Workshop in Kernville The Sequoia National Forest and Bureau of Land Management will hold a public meeting/workshop Monday, January 19, from 9-11 a.m., at the Kern River Ranger District Office (105 Whitney Rd., Kernville) to obtain public input into the development of preliminary 2016/2017 grant-cycle applications to the State of California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,atnt,lcds,1bct,ijo3 January 21: Don't miss the 10th Annual Galt Winter Bird Festival! Go behind the scenes at the Cosumnes River Preserve for its first Spanish speaking tour. The tour will be led by Alex Cabrera who has worked 27 years with The Nature Conservancy in California and spent the past 21 years at the Cosumnes River Preserve. (City of Galt website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,j7u2,anr3,1bct,ijo3 Now - February 3: BLM Seeks Comment on Proposed Northwest California Resource Management Plan The Bureau of Land Management is asking for public comments on issues that should be addressed as it begins developing a Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for public lands managed by the Redding and Arcata field offices. The Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan will guide the agency in decision making on these public lands for the next 15 to 20 years. It affects about 400,000 acres of public land in Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, Tehama, and Butte counties. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2oz6e,3xn3,56r6,5bqg,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,2oz6e,3xn3,g856,auhe,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER True of false? The South Fork of Bear Creek is a key watershed for recovery of the threatened Chinook salmon in the Mattole River basin. True. Thanks to early and persistent fall rain, Chinook salmon are spawning in the King Range National Conservation Area! The South Fork of Bear Creek is a key watershed for recovery of the threatened Chinook salmon in the Mattole River basin. (BLM California Facebook video) 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/
