 Pacific Crest Trail running through the Sand to Snow National Monument  |
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- 2018 Planner |
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From our Bureau of Land Management family to yours, happy holidays! We hope you find time to get outside and enjoy your public lands in the New Year. |
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| 2018 Planner | ||||||
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Enjoy the Beauty of California All Year Long with a 2018 PlannerThe Bureau of Land Management manages 15 million acres of public lands in California - nearly 15 percent of the state - 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 FREE planner while supplies last. (BLM website) |
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Not Your Ordinary Job: Apply to be a Wildland Firefighter TODAYDo you enjoy the outdoors? Looking for adventurous career? Want a job that challenges you physically? A wildland firefighting job might be for you! Wildland firefighters often travel to remote locations, many that are rarely seen by most people. (My Public Lands Tumblr) Related: USAJOBS website |
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BLM Hiring for Central California Seasonal Wildland Fire PositionsThe Bureau of Land Management Central California District is accepting applications for 2018 summer seasonal wildland firefighting jobs. There are fire positions available for hotshot, handcrew and engine crew members; heavy equipment operators; dispatchers and prevention/mitigation personnel based in Bakersfield, Bishop, Placerville and Porterville. (BLM news release) |
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BLM has Job Openings for Seasonal Firefighting Stationed in Northern CaliforniaThe Bureau of Land Management is accepting applications for summer seasonal firefighting jobs on northern California fire engine crews, the Diamond Mountain Interagency Hotshots and other positions, including a prescribed fire/fuels crew, dispatch, fire prevention/mitigation, helitack and fire lookout. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Announces Opening for Southern California Firefighting PositionsThe Bureau of Land Management California Desert District is currently accepting applications for 2018 summer seasonal firefighting jobs. There are positions available for fire engine crew members, helicopter crew members, dispatchers and fire prevention/mitigation personnel located in southern California. (BLM news release) |
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Sharing Personal Experiences from the Fire LineBLM Wyoming, the National Interagency Fire Center and other state, federal and conservation corps sponsors helped bring together an all women's fire crew this past summer! Crew members share their experiences after the Orleans Complex on the Six Rivers National Forest in California. (BLM California Facebook) |
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| HAPPY HOLIDAYS | ||||||
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"12 Days of Employee Photography" from BLM California's 2nd Annual Employee Photo Contest!
Thank you for joining us in celebrating your public lands this holiday season. We have enjoyed sharing images from our 2nd Annual BLM California Employee Photo Contest. Thank you to all of our wonderful
employees for helping share great work and unique views from the field. Check out more photos from over 200 submissions in the following categories: |
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BLMers Giving Back: What Does Alaska’s Boreal Forests and Sonoran Desert Sand Dunes Have in Common?What does Alaska’s boreal forests and Sonoran desert sand dunes have in common? Aside from remoteness, the answer seemingly is very little. However, these are the environments that staff from the BLM Alaska Fire Service and southern California’s El Centro Field Office find themselves working in. These two offices may seem to be polar opposites, both geographically and functionally, however staff from each office have been working together over the past year in a partnership helping each other out with emergency medicine, a topic not common in the BLM. (BLM California Facebook) |
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BLMers Giving Back: BLM Rangers Bring Holiday Cheer to Local YouthBLM Rangers, David Moffett and Moses Rinck, from BLM's Needles Field Office recently participated in a :shop with a cop" event organized by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Needles Station. 19 local area youth were paired up with law enforcement officers to ride in a parade, with lights flashing, and be driven to the local Walmart. With guidance from their law enforcement partners, each child received a $200 gift card to purchase gifts for themselves and their families. The highlight of the event was Santa arriving via helicopter to wish the youngsters a very Merry Christmas. The highly successful program is focused on providing a positive law enforcement interaction for children who have had family members on the wrong side of the law. |
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BLMers Giving Back: BLM Takes Number One at the Bakersfield Christmas ParadeThe Bakersfield Christmas Parade is a special event that brings joy and happiness to many people, not only in Bakersfield, but throughout Kern County. The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office staff volunteer their time and donated all the materials to build a float every year to participate in the parade. The Bakersfield Field Office won as the 2017 Sweepstakes Winner, with more than 100 entries. Congratulations to Joaquin Martinez, the BLM Bakersfield warehouse manager, who took charge of this amazing accomplishment! Joaquin was assisted by other BLM staff and volunteers who took time during the holiday season to help build, decorate and participate in the parade. (My Public Lands Tumblr) |
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| HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Public Lands Research to Help Endangered Species
BLM and the National Park Service have collaborated on grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to provide youth opportunities in conservation and to mentor youth into conservation careers.
With the Taking Flight II grant, BLM received funds to hire Eva Gruber, a 9-month intern who provided wildlife support for San Joaquin Desert endangered species. During her internship with BLM, Eva assisted with California red-legged frog surveys, California condor nest site investigation,
blunt-nosed leopard lizard research and with research on California jointfir (Ephedra californica) on the Panoche Plateau in the Panoche Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Her work was essential to the publication of BLM's recent research paper published with the National
Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. (BLM California Facebook) |
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BLM California and Union Mine High School Create a Formula for Science SuccessFrom water sampling to ecosystem studies and trail maintenance, Union Mine High School students put their outdoor skills to the test at the Greenwood Creek River Access on December 5, 2017. As part of a biannual class focusing on watersheds and ecosystems, students spent the morning in small groups rotating across the area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management in California. (BLM California Facebook) |
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25 Great Scenic Places To Retire In 2017The City of Redding and Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area made #10 on Forbes, "25 Great Scenic Places To Retire In 2017" list. Sacramento River Bend is a valuable historic and natural resource that presents many recreational and educational opportunities for those who live in or are planning to visit Redding. (Forbes) |
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Visit Mendocino County!Point Arena-Stornetta, part of of the California Coastal National Monument is mentioned on page 59 of this month's Alaska Airlines Horizons magazine. (Alaska Airlines website) |
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BLM Promotes Every Kid in a Park in Local ClassroomsRecreation and Fire Mitigation and Education staff from BLM's Applegate Field Office visited 115 students in Modoc County schools to encourage 4th graders to get outdoors and explore their public lands with the Every Kid in a Park program. Every Kid in a Park offers free, unlimited access to federal public lands for one year for all 4th graders and their families. Each 4th grader is issued a card that gives them access to hundreds of parks, lands and waters managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service and Army Corps of Engineers. Seymour Antelope even made a surprise visit to help students learn about what marvels and adventures await on their public lands. (Every Kid in a Park website) |
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Give the Gift of Fun and Adventure this YearThe annual America the Beautiful public lands pass pass provides free entrance to over 2,000 national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands locations -- making it the best bargain of the season and the perfect gift for family and friends. The money from pass sales goes directly to improving visitor recreation services. (USGS online store) |
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20 Public Lands to Explore this WinterAll across the country, America’s public lands are becoming winter wonderlands. As snow falls and temperatures drop, America’s public lands take on a whole new personality, revealing a spectacular wonder. While the days may be colder and shorter, they are still full of adventure -- whether you like to ski, snowshoe, hike or just enjoy the frosty view. Check out 20 awesome places to visit during the winter. We hope you find time to explore this season! (DOI blog) |
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Groundbreaking Report: U.S. Reliant on China, Russia, Other Foreign Nations for Many Critical MineralsU.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey released a report that detailed the extent to which the United States is fully, majorly, or partially dependent upon foreign competitors and even adversaries for our supply of "critical minerals." The report identified 23 of the minerals that are most-needed to sustain our national defense and economy and are used in manufacturing everything from batteries and computer chips to equipment used by our military. The report shows a troubling trend of foreign dependency. (DOI news release) |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK | ||||||
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Fill in the Blank: The National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count is on now! Join the science project in its _______ year. |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS | ||||||
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Now - January: Wild Horse and Burro Adoption EventsThe 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) |
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Now - April 30: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Announces Winter Visitor Center ScheduleAs the Coachella Valley begins to move into the winter months, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center will initiate its winter visitor center schedule. From October 1 to April 30, 2018, the visitor center will be open five days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday to Monday, and close on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. (BLM news release) |
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December 23: Discover Film History in the Alabama HillsThere have been more than 400 movies and countless commercials filmed in the Alabama Hills. Hear interesting and amusing stories about numerous productions as you explore the camera locations. Join a walk on Saturday, December 23 from 10 a.m. to noon, including drive time covering an area known as “Movie Flat” that includes locations from memorable films such as Gunga Din, Tremors, Bad Day at Black Rock and Django Unchained. This is a relatively easy walk on existing roads and trails covering less than one mile. Meet at the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center, U.S. 395 and CA‐136 in Lone Pine, California. Participants will carpool from there. Please wear layered clothing for a range of conditions, sturdy footwear and bring plenty of water. Contact Dave Kirk, dmkirk@xxxxxxx or the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center, (760) 876‐6222 for more information. |
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December 27: Discover the Coast at the California Coastal National MonumentDon't miss Piedras Blancas FREE hike in/ open house on Wednesday, December 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Park at the elephant seal viewing area (1 1/2 miles south of the light station). Visitors can hike at your own pace to the light station and join our docents to learn about lighthouse history and our local ecology. The hike is approximately 4 miles round trip. For more information visit www.piedrasblancas.org or contact piedrasblancastours@xxxxxxxxx/ (805) 927-7361. |
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January 6: Desert Cleanup at Amboy CraterJoin Mojave Desert Land Trust and BLM California in a morning of cleanup at the Amboy Crater. Activities include painting, sign installation, removing old kiosk elements, general trail cleanup and light restoration. Meet at MDLT's HQ at 7:30 a.m. to catch a ride to the Crater (limited seats available, please contact Adam Henne at adam@xxxxxxxx or (760) 366-5440 to reserve yours) OR meet at the trail head to Amboy Crater at 9 a.m. (MDLT Facebook) |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER | ||||||
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The National Audubon Society's Annual Christmas Bird Count is on now! Join the science project in its
118th year. About 60,000 people participated in 2016, counting 54.5 million bird sightings. Read more background on the #AudubonCBC via FiveThirtyEight. This week's "wildlife question of the week" photo is of a mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) along the shoreline rocks of Lake Abert – see more Pacific Northwest wildlife photography via BLM Oregon. |
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