News.Bytes, Bureau of Land Management California ISSUE 769 - JUNE 14, 2017 - Your Public Lands - Wildfire - Headlines and Highlights - BLM and DOI Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming Events It’s Flag Day! One of the best stories about Old Glory is from Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Maryland. During the 1814 Battle of Baltimore, a massive flag measuring 30 feet high and 42 feet long flew over the fort. After a night of British bombardment, Francis Scott Key saw the flag still waving above the fort and was inspired to write the words for the “Star Spangled Banner.” It remains a moving sight to this day. (America's Great Outdoors Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,azbj,1l0b,1bct,ijo3 YOUR PUBLIC LANDS 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Viewing Tips On Monday, August 21, 2017, millions of people across the United States will get to see one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights -- a total solar eclipse. With wide-open spaces and low light pollution, public lands managed by Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon are the perfect place for viewing this rare event. (DOI blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,4zil,jxzc,1bct,ijo3 Related: Watch Solar Eclipse on Your Public Lands (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,32nb,5h1r,1bct,ijo3 National Pony Express Re-Ride, on the Trail until June 15 from Missouri to California California is where the National Pony Express Association began in 1978. It was the Western Terminus of the historic Pony Express Route. It has both the Overland and Water Route of the Pony Express Trail beginning in San Francisco. (National Pony Express Association website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,5r2p,4f03,1bct,ijo3 Macroinvertebrates, botany, bird calls, OH MY! Nearly 50 students from California and Oregon are spending the week at Camp Esther Applegate, on Lake of the Woods near The City of Klamath Falls, learning about the diverse natural resources that make up an ecosystem. Resources and People Camp, also known as RAP Camp has been providing exciting environmental and career education since 1992. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,djb,94ls,1bct,ijo3 Related: RAP Camp 2017 (BLM California Flickr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,4dax,gupu,1bct,ijo3 "In Their Own Words" from #RebelleRally 2016 Rebelle Rally visited public lands managed by Bureau of Land Management in Nevada and California last October, including Imperial Sand Dunes. Over the next week, Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is sharing "In Their Own Words" from Rebelle Rally 2016. (Imperial Sand Dunes Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,2nxx,5mld,1bct,ijo3 Part of History, Making Traditional Tule Mats Students learned how to make traditional tule mats at the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge Outdoor Education event that will be used to make a traditional Pit River summer house at the Modoc County Children's Fair and Sportsman Expo in Alturas, June 17-18. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,6rvc,g16e,1bct,ijo3 Bus Shuttles Offered for Bizz Johnson National Recreational Trail The Bureau of Land Management encourages the public to take advantage of the Lassen Rural Bus service for the Bizz Johnson National Recreational Trail. The service offers bike shuttles for large groups, which helps eliminate the need to arrange vehicle shuttles. Trail users can take advantage of the West County Commuter Route operated by Lassen Rural Bus from Mondays through Saturdays. Bike rack-equipped buses leave from stops in Susanville and can drop cyclists, hikers and runners off at Devil's Corral, Fredonyer Summit and Westwood. Return biking or hiking trips to Susanville are about 7, 18 and 30 miles on the Bizz Johnson Trail. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,i859,c0an,1bct,ijo3 Find Your Way June marks Great Outdoors Month and the start of the #FindYourWay campaign, an inter-agency and partner effort to celebrate our nation’s many rivers and trails. The BLM, along with our many partners and our fellow U.S. Department of the Interior agencies, invite you to start your own adventure on the thousands of miles of waterways and paths that cross our country. (My Public Lands Tumblr) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,ca5u,fhbp,1bct,ijo3 Related: #FindYourWay on America’s Scenic and Historic Trails (DOI Blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,df8a,11x,1bct,ijo3 Related: BLM, Partners Launch #FindYourWay to Celebrate America’s National Trails and Wild and Scenic Rivers Systems (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,73s2,2np5,1bct,ijo3 WILDFIRE Prescribed Fire Improves Wildlife Habitat Last month, the BLM California Desert District took advantage of an opportunity to complete a prescribed fire planned to improve habitat for the endangered Stephens’ kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi). CAL FIRE held firing operations training at the nearby Ben Clark Training Center. The live fire training took place on Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency and BLM-managed public lands and was designed to meet the resource management objectives of Stephens’ kangaroo rat habitat. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,il56,aw9d,1bct,ijo3 Video: Teaming Up to Fight Wildfires Secretary Ryan Zinke and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue join forces in Boise, Idaho, at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) for a tour and briefing on the upcoming wildfire season. The secretaries also sent a memorandum to wildland fire leadership highlighting the importance of inter-departmental collaboration in protecting communities and managing public lands. (DOI blog) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,9nzp,keag,1bct,ijo3 Related: Secretaries Zinke and Perdue Stress Inter-Departmental Collaboration as Wildfire Season Approaches (DOI News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,1hsy,1i2l,1bct,ijo3 Interior Expands Information Sharing Initiative to Prevent Drone Incursions over Wildland Fires Building on recent initiatives to prevent privately operated Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones) from interfering with Federal, state, and local wildland firefighting activity, the Department of the Interior announced today that it is expanding and enhancing its wildfire location data-sharing program for 2017. The new service being offered is called “Current Wildland Fires” and is accessible through the Geoplatform ArcGIS Online Organization. (DOI News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,fog2,h9ht,1bct,ijo3 Current Fire Restrictions -BLM Announces Fire Restrictions for Lands Managed by Central Coast Field Office http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,c3tu,6yst,1bct,ijo3 -BLM Initiates Emergency Fire Prevention Closure for Whitewater Canyon, Riverside County http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,5v0d,3j9h,1bct,ijo3 -BLM Initiates Stage III Fire Restrictions in the California Desert District http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,fv3c,34c9,1bct,ijo3 -BLM Bakersfield Field Office Issues Fire Restrictions http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,8i3t,2rgb,1bct,ijo3 For the latest wildland fire information be sure to utilize InciWeb and the CAL Fire Information website. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,m6wk,2k0x,1bct,ijo3 http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,4dxm,jqn7,1bct,ijo3 HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Wild Horses Find New Homes Last weekend at the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento, BLM California and partners from Sacramento County Sheriffs Department Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (R3C) and Friends of R3C adopted five saddle-started horses to lucky adopters. R3C inmates trained these horses to walk, trot and canter under saddle, as well as load into a trailer and have their feet handled. These horses also now have been in the exciting atmosphere of the Expo and they handled it like pros! The horses have strong foundation to take their adopters into any equestrian discipline. (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,bhmo,kipz,1bct,ijo3 Related: Inmate-trained wild mustangs up for adoption (ABC 10) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,ee29,2do2,1bct,ijo3 Endangered Amargosa Voles Need More Than a Rainy Day Despite the welcome rains in California this year, the fate of endangered Amargosa voles that depend on rare marshes in the Mojave Desert remains dire, with only about 500 animals remaining in the wild and most of their habitat degraded or dying. (UC Davis News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,e1gq,f611,1bct,ijo3 BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS BLM oil and gas lease sales in Colo., Okla., Texas net combined $4.7 million In keeping with the Administration’s goals of promoting America’s energy independence, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico and Colorado state offices yesterday sold a combined 87 parcels at their quarterly oil and gas lease sales, totaling approximately 67,499 acres and netting $4,735,508 including rentals and fees. The combined bids from the sales will be distributed between the federal government and the states of Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,fet6,8mwt,1bct,ijo3 Readout of Day-1 of Secretary Zinke's Trip To New England U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke visited Connecticut and New Hampshire on the first day of his four-day trip through New England. The Secretary began the day at the National Congress of American Indians mid year annual conference at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. The Secretary delivered a speech, met with Tribal leaders, and met with members of the NCAI Youth Commission. (DOI News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,3weo,dpbp,1bct,ijo3 Related: Secretary Zinke to Visit New England (DOI Media Advisory) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,l1t,25oi,1bct,ijo3 Secretary Zinke Announces Distribution of $1.1 Billion to State Wildlife Agencies U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced $1.1 billion in annual funding for state wildlife agencies from revenues generated by the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration acts. The announcement was made during day one of a four-day trip across the Northeast where Secretary Zinke met with New Hampshire Fish and Game Executive Director Glenn Normandeau, whose state will receive $8,146,960 through the acts. Related: State-by-state listings of the final Fiscal year 2017 apportionments of Wildlife Restoration Program fund (USFWS website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,lvve,1l62,1bct,ijo3 Related: Sport Fish Restoration Program fund (USFWS website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,i11r,je2x,1bct,ijo3 Secretary Zinke Submits 45-Day Interim Report on Bears Ears National Monument and Extends Public Comment Period U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke submitted a 45-day interim report on Bears Ears National Monument to President Donald J. Trump on Saturday, June 10, 2017, in accordance with the April 26, 2017, Executive Order (EO). The order directs the Secretary to review monuments designated under the Antiquities Act between January 1, 1996, and the present date that are 100,000 acres or more in size, or any monument the Secretary deems to have been created without appropriate public input. The EO also directs the Secretary to submit an interim report regarding Bears Ears specifically to the President no more than 45 days from the date of the EO. (DOI News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,8tzg,g4d7,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK Which of the following are names for a cougar? a) Catamount b) Mountain cat c) Mountain lion d) Panther e) Puma f) All of the above Keep reading for answer below. UPCOMING EVENTS Now - January 2018: Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Events The BLM offers wild horses and burros for adoption or purchase at events across the country throughout the year. Upcoming wild horse and burro adoption events are planned into 2018. The most current adoption and purchase event schedule is provided on the BLM website. All times are in local time. Event information is shown in local time and subject to change without notice. Please call the Wild Horse and Burro Information Call Center at (866) 468-7826 for the most updated information. (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,9u3i,bsku,1bct,ijo3 June 20: Dune Discovery Get ready to make tracks at this action-packed evening exploring sand dunes! Seek out signs of animals that thrive in this special desert environment from6:00-8:00 pm in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Call (760) 862-9984 or (760) 641-8832 to RSVP! (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,7gpi,gduq,1bct,ijo3 June 24: Free Guided Hike to Focus on Regrowth after Wildfire A free guided hike focused on forest recovery after wildfire is set for Saturday, June 24, in the King Range National Conservation Area on the California North Coast. The five-mile round trip hike will follow the Buck Creek Trail into the area burned by the 146-acre Horse Fire in 2015. The fire burned with varying intensity, so hikers should be able to see differences in the aftermath of the fire. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,ecet,7cd7,1bct,ijo3 June 24: Volunteers Welcome at Bald Mountain Trail Improvement Project Day Volunteers are welcome to help the Bureau of Land Management improve single-track trails in the Bald Mountain Trail Network east of Susanville, in a project day set for Saturday, June 24. Volunteers will clear rocks and smooth out ruts and small gullies caused by winter storms. Anyone interested should meet at 8 a.m.at the fire station near the junction of Lassen County Road A-3 and Sunnyside Road north of Janesville. Those who arrive late can follow signs to the trailhead and hike to meet the work parties. The project concludes at 1 p.m. (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,cifg,e5w,1bct,ijo3 Related: Thank you to volunteers for work on National Trails Day! (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,hfhh,g5pt,1bct,ijo3 June 27: Scorpion Hunts Join a nocturnal adventure in search of these mysterious creatures! Learn about scorpions and use an ultraviolet light to find them from 7:30-9:00 pm in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Call (760) 862-9984 or (760) 641-8832 to RSVP! (BLM California Facebook) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,81qm,f0zr,1bct,ijo3 September 30: National Public Lands Day National Environmental Education Foundation's National Public Lands Day (#NPLD), sponsored by Toyota USA is the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. NPLD connects people to public lands in their community, inspires environmental stewardship and encourages use of public lands for education, recreation and general health. Bring your family, friends, students or coworkers to spend the day outdoors giving back to your community by pulling invasive species, maintaining trails, picking up trash and so much more. Stay tuned for more details. (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,96o8,2zam,1bct,ijo3 September 30 and November 11-12: Fee-Free Days on BLM-managed Public Lands The unique and diverse natural landscapes and world-class visitor facilities on BLM-managed lands are among America’s greatest treasures, and most of these lands and waters are open for recreational use. Through the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, the BLM and other Federal agencies -- including U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -- collect recreation fees to maintain and improve the quality of visitor services and amenities. Visitors may purchase recreation passes that cover many recreation fees. On fee free days, recreation standard amenity and day use fees on Bureau of Land Management lands are waived. (BLM website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,buvs,f5uw,1bct,ijo3 October 6-8: Norco Horse Affair See you in City of Norco - Horsetown USA! BLM's Ridgecrest BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program Corrals will be participating in the Norco Horse Affair on October 6, 7 and 8. BLM will be bringing 10 burros and 20 wild horses for adoption. (Norco Horse Affair Facebook event) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,9hw6,49n2,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER f) All of the above The heavyweight champion of the wildcat family, the cougar (aka catamount, mountain cat, mountain lion, panther and puma) is perhaps one of the most feared and misunderstood predators. It may surprise you to learn that, since 1890, mountain lions have claimed fewer than 25 fatalities in North America. In fact, you are more likely to get struck by lightning, attacked by a dog or get shot in a hunting accident than face the wrath of the so-called ghost cat of the wilderness. (How to Handle a Cougar Encounter via Trails.com) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,2ugxx,3xn3,cc5g,40fl,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/
