ISSUE 759 - MARCH 16, 2017 - Track the Bloom - From the Field - Headlines and Highlights - BLM and DOI Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming Events TRACK THE BLOOM #MeetUsonRoute66 for an InstaMeet at Mojave Trails National Monument We are hosting our first InstaMeet on the @mypubliclands Instagram – Partners and our social media followers are invited to Amboy Crater on Saturday, March 18 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific to capture what is promising to be a great bloom in the desert. BLM staff will be on hand to talk about the history of Amboy Crater, the Mojave Trails National Monument, Route 66 and the importance of community in supporting public lands management. You won't want to miss this opportunity to photograph the dynamic contrast of wildflowers and black lava at the iconic landscape featured along Route 66. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,g16d,m5m7,1bct,ijo3 Related: My Public Lands Instagram http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,a4lz,8981,1bct,ijo3 Track the Bloom Campaign Hey, public lands visitors! The Bureau of Land Management in California, Nevada and Arizona want to share YOUR #superbloom photos from this epic year of precip. Help us #TracktheBloom by submitting your wildflower photos from BLM-managed public lands on our social media platforms below. We will be featuring photo contributions on our channels as the flowers bloom. Happy photographing. (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,ne4,827g,1bct,ijo3 Related: #TracktheBloom on Facebook and #TracktheBloom on Twitter http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,1ys,k94c,1bct,ijo3 http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,2juu,e8ie,1bct,ijo3 Related: The Desert is Blooming (New York Times 360 video) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,duox,hlq0,1bct,ijo3 Wildflower tour of Right Angle Canyon During most typical dry years in the San Joaquin Desert, Right Angle Canyon in the Panoche Hills looks like barren badlands and largely devoid of life. But in above average rain years such as 2017, the badlands come to life. Right Angle Canyon is underlain by the Moreno formation, a saline, acidic marine shale. Few plant species can tolerate the harsh soil conditions. Those that can, dominate the habitat and remain largely free of the non-native annual grasses and other weeds that have suffocated California's native annual wildflowers. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,3p9c,gj0z,1bct,ijo3 Wildflower tour of Monvero Dunes Following record winter rainfall that soaked California, spring has finally arrived in the desert areas of California and with sunny skies and warming temperatures, the hills are now drenched in the color of wildflower blooms. The BLM Central Coast Field Office provided a wildflower tour of Monvero Dunes located in the San Joaquin Desert. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,26gl,dorc,1bct,ijo3 FROM THE FIELD BLM, The Trust for Public Land and local farm cooperate to save eggs of endangered red-legged frogs in the California Coastal National Monument at Cotoni-Coast Dairies Land management stewards at the California Coastal National Monument at Cotoni-Coast Dairies and The Trust for Public Lands staged an emergency rescue of more than 25,000 California red-legged frog eggs from a storm damaged pond near the community of Davenport, California. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,bqw5,le97,1bct,ijo3 BLM Bakersfield biologists monitor species in the field BLM Bakersfield biologists are monitoring populations of endangered longhorn fairy shrimp (Branchinecta longiantenna) and sensitive species of western spadefoot toad (Spea hammondii) at a vernal pool on the Carrizo Plain National Monument. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,iyrd,mgcv,1bct,ijo3 FYI: For folks making plans to visit Carrizo Plain, the official information phone line for will be updated twice weekly during peak season (Thursdays and Sundays) and weekly during the off season. Information will include updated flowers reports, road conditions, closures and other pertinent information. Call (805) 475-2035 24/7 for updates. Gardening at the King Range BLM partnered with the Lost Coast Interpretive Association at Black Sands Beach to clean-up a native plant garden. Big thanks to local youth for an awesome job pulling weeds and planting hundreds of native plants in the King Range National Conservation Area. (Lost Coast Interpretive Association Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,j0gv,fa0c,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Big Win for Ridgecrest Field Office The 22nd Annual California on Location Awards, premiere awards program saluting location professionals for demonstrating professional excellence recognized a BLM employee. The Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitors Bureau awarded Elaine Hanson at the BLM Ridgecrest Field Office as Public Employee of the Year. Hanson won for her work at the BLM and coordination with the Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission. The Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission has worked hand in hand for years with BLM, forming a process that is like a well-oiled machine. Doug Lueck, Film Commissioner for the Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission says, “Elaine Hanson has been instrumental for our success in bringing top-notch productions to the region, which is not only important for economic benefits, but also to highlight the region in television and film productions that give audiences a glimpse of the natural wonder surrounding the area.” (Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,3oco,mcn,1bct,ijo3 Salmon Falls 50K Endurance Run Hats off to these runners! 350 runners completed the Salmon Falls 50K Endurance Run, which began on BLM-managed public lands at the Geenwood trailhead along the South Fork of the American River, and crossed several miles of public lands including Cronan Ranch on the way downriver. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,e6lf,m4w2,1bct,ijo3 Whale of a Day 2017 Big thanks to our visitors at Whale of a Day, we hope you had as much fun as we did. The Pointe Vicente Interpretive Center on the Palos Verdes Peninsula is the Bureau of Land Management's Southern California gateway to the California Coastal National Monument. "Whale of a Day" is a festival celebrating the migration of the Pacific Gray Whale from its summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chuchki Seas in Alaska to the winter breeding and calving grounds in Baja California. Migration viewing takes place December through April along the California South Bay coastline. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,evy6,kvyn,1bct,ijo3 Access Limited on Parts of Little South Fork Elk River Trail A section of the Elk River Trail in the Headwaters Forest Reserve, near Eureka, is temporarily closed due to muddy conditions. The access restriction begins about three miles from the trailhead parking area. The Bureau of Land Management is issuing a temporary closure to protect public safety and to prevent trail damage. The restriction will be lifted when conditions improve this spring. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,iv4v,hb0q,1bct,ijo3 Winter Storms Damage Sections of Bizz Johnson Trail; Visitors Urged to Use Caution Several sections of the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail west of Susanville were damaged by heavy winter storms, and the Bureau of Land Management is advising visitors to use caution in the affected areas. The most significant damage occurred at points four miles west of Susanville and at the Cheney Creek bridge about five miles west of Susanville. Narrow paths will enable trail users to traverse the areas, but bicyclists and horseback riders will need to dismount to cross these sections. Horseback riders will need to lead their horses and wade across Cheney Creek at one of the washed out areas. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,bcax,9u9l,1bct,ijo3 Travel Update: Road closure on National Trails Highway The County of San Bernardino Department of Public Works will be constructing two new bridges and road improvements on National Trails Highway (Route 66) at Dola Ditch (2.08 miles east of Kelbaker Road) and Lanzit Ditch (2.77 miles east of Kelbaker Road), east of the community of Amboy. The construction will include removing the existing timber bridges and constructing new timber bridges. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,3vud,ivqw,1bct,ijo3 BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS Interior names energy and mineral chief new acting BLM director The Salt Lake Tribune, March 16, 2017 Michael Nedd, who had run the Bureau of Land Management's office over energy and mineral programs, will take over as the acting director of the entire agency, the Interior Department said Wednesday. The BLM is the biggest land manager in Utah. Nedd, who was the assistant director for Energy, Minerals, and Realty Management, will take over as the interim head of the nation's land management agency, and Interior said his appointment signals Secretary Ryan Zinke's "focus on creating responsible energy jobs on public lands where appropriate." Read full story http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,8n17,v6w,1bct,ijo3 Related: Secretary Zinke Issues Lease for 56 Million Tons of Coal in Central Utah and Names Mike Nedd as New Acting-Director of BLM (Department of Interior News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,dcz9,30p1,1bct,ijo3 President Trump Requests $11.6 Billion for Interior Department’s FY 2018 Budget U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced President Trump’s $11.6 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget blueprint request for the Department of the Interior. The budget meets the Department's core mission while also saving taxpayers $1.5 billion or 12 percent reduction from the FY 2017 Annualized Continuing Resolution level. (Department of Interior News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,e4n7,5nkx,1bct,ijo3 Celebrating 114 Years of the National Wildlife Refuge System For 114 years, National Wildlife Refuges have helped people get outdoors and connect to nature. At over 560 refuges across the country, visitors can observe furry and feathered friends that will entertain and amaze you. With at least one national wildlife refuge in every state and a refuge within an hour’s drive of most major cities, there’s no reason you shouldn’t explore America’s best kept secret. Check out more stunning wildlife refuges across the country. (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,in2u,cge6,1bct,ijo3 Women's History Month Amelia Earhart dared to soar, defying the odds as she became the first woman to fly a solo trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Her inspiring courage and resolve are remembered where it all began, at the Amelia Earhart Birthplace in Atchison, Kansas. (Department of Interior Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,jk8z,j3k5,1bct,ijo3 Related: Women’s History Month: Breaking the Glass Ceiling at Interior (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,29hg,2wq0,1bct,ijo3 Related: Trailblazing Women: National Historical Sites Honoring Women (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,26vx,3v0c,1bct,ijo3 193rd Anniversary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs The BIA is just one part of Interior that serves the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, their reservations, communities, and members. (Department of Interior blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,gosc,ibqe,1bct,ijo3 Secretary Zinke Announces Record Visitation to America’s National Parks U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke hailed 331 million recreation visits to America’s national parks in 2016 – a third consecutive all-time attendance record for the National Park Service. Zinke made the announcement during a stop at Glacier National Park where he met with Park Superintendent Jeff Mow to discuss the park’s maintenance backlog and received a traditional spiritual blessing from members of the Blackfeet Nation. In 2016, Glacier broke attendance records attracting nearly three million visitors. (Department of Interior News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,f729,gyrx,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK Where does the western spadefoot toad get its name? a) the shape of its backfeet b) tiny black shovels (spades) on its hind feet c) it's excellence as a poker player Keep reading for answer below. UPCOMING EVENTS Now - May 19: Redding Mayor's Mountain Bike Challenge Don't miss Redding's first local Mountain Bike Challenge uniting current and new bicyclists in a friendly self-competition highlighting a diverse trail system. (Healthy Shasta website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,jj2i,hygm,1bct,ijo3 Related: Mountain Bike Challenge promo video http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,f1y5,afnw,1bct,ijo3 March 18: #MeetUsonRoute66 for an InstaMeet at Mojave Trails National Monument We are hosting our first InstaMeet – Partners and our social media followers are invited to Amboy Crater on Saturday, March 18 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific to capture what is promising to be a great bloom in the desert. BLM staff will be on hand to talk about the history of Amboy Crater, the Mojave Trails National Monument, Route 66 and the importance of community in supporting public lands management. You won't want to miss this opportunity to photograph the dynamic contrast of wildflowers and black lava at the iconic landscape featured along Route 66. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,ani1,dvmn,1bct,ijo3 March 18: Kid's Fishing Day Don't miss Kid's Fishing Day at the Sacramento River Bend from 9-3 p.m. For additional information call Virginia Evans at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at (530) 225-2361. Sponsors and participants include BLM, Kokanee Power, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shasta Trinity Fly Fishers, Myoutdoorbuddy.com, Phil’s Propeller Service, The Reel Deal and Sportsman’s Warehouse. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,b43q,klb3,1bct,ijo3 March 18: Whale Watching and Open House at Piedras Blancas Light Station Don't miss your chance to participate in whale watching and an open house from 5 - 8 p.m. at Piedras Blanca Light Station, part of the California Coastal National Monument. Email piedrasblancastours@xxxxxxxxx for more information. March 18 and 26: BLM Hosting Nature Hikes to Alabama Hills Movie Locations The Bureau of Land Management, Alabama Hills Stewardship Group and Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association will host guided hikes in March on the film history and natural history of the Alabama Hills. Film history hikes will be held March 4 and 26. There have been more than 400 movies and countless commercials filmed in the Alabama Hills. Participants will hear interesting and amusing stories about numerous productions as they explore the camera locations. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,axr5,git0,1bct,ijo3 March 19: Talk will Focus on Elusive Mountain Lions, Fishers An opportunity to learn about mountain lions and fishers, among the most elusive wildlife species on the North Coast, will be offered in a free lecture at 3 p.m., Sunday, March 19, at the Redwood Playhouse in Garberville. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,a4d,id7,1bct,ijo3 April 1: Photography Tour at Piedras Blancas Light Station Don't miss your chance to join a photography tour on April 1 from 5 - 7:30 p.m. at Piedras Blanca Light Station, part of the California Coastal National Monument. Email piedrasblancastours@xxxxxxxxx for more information. April 3: USFS and BLM 2017 Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Applications are Available for Public Comment The Inyo National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office have submitted to the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) preliminary applications for grant funds to enhance and manage motorized recreation. The agencies invite public comments on the preliminary grant applications. Comments should be submitted directly through the division website and sent to the responsible agency anytime from March 7 to April 3, 2017. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,1n9m,td3,1bct,ijo3 Related: Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Proposals (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,ajmt,mg67,1bct,ijo3 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,2rtxh,3xn3,7nbd,2179,1bct,ijo3 April 16 and May 6, 13 and 27: Bureau of Land Management Guided Hikes Planned for April/May in Pine Hill Preserve The Bureau of Land Management’s Pine Hill Preserve, located in the Cameron Park area, El Dorado County, will offer three guided-plant tours and a bird tour in April/May in different areas of the preserve. The tours, led by volunteer naturalists, are free and open to the public. There is a limit of 25 participants per plant tour and 20 participants for the bird tour. Each plant tour will focus on the diverse and rare plants growing within the chaparral and oak woodland ecosystems. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,aqr7,2t8s,1bct,ijo3 April 22: BLM Reopens its Desert Discovery Center The BLM has scheduled activities associated with the reopening of its Desert Discovery Center upon completion of renovations that began last fall. While finishing touches are taking place inside, the Center school programs have already started and the center will reopen to the public on Tuesday, February 28. The public is encouraged to visit the center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. A grand reopening celebration will take place on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2rtxh,3xn3,8kai,6yqq,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER Where does the western spadefoot toad get its name ? b) tiny black shovels (spades) on its hind feet The Spadefoot gets its name from the tiny black shovels (spades) on its hind feet. It uses these shovels to dig burrows in the ground where it is protected from heat and desiccation during dry months. (Question provided by Carly Summers, BLM Wildlife Biologist) 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/
