 Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area  |
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- Your Public Lands |
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| YOUR PUBLIC LANDS | ||||||
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Openings for Campground Hosts in Northwest CaliforniaOutdoor enthusiasts have the opportunity to live and work in a beautiful northern California outdoor settings, in volunteer camp host positions offered by the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM needs campground hosts at Douglas City, Steel Bridge and Junction City campgrounds along the Trinity River, west of Redding. The camping season runs from May to November. (BLM news release) |
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Bringing the Great Outdoors into the KitchenAmerica’s public lands are some of the best places in the country to go on a hunt, cast a fishing line or forage for tasty treats. Check out recipes from the home of Dan Ryan, Realty Specialist for the BLM California Eagle Lake Field Office. (BLM California Facebook) Related: Hunting and Fishing on Public Lands (DOI blog) |
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#FindYourWay On a BLM-managed National Trail with NEW Story MapThis year the Bureau of Land Management, alongside multiple agencies and nonprofit organizations, will celebrate the creation of the National Trails System by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. There are currently 30 congressionally designated National Scenic and Historic Trails within the National Trails System, and BLM manages nearly 6,000 miles of 18 designated trails within 15 states. National Scenic Trails provide outdoor recreation opportunities as well as conservation of significant geographic characteristics, such as desert lands and forests. (BLM California Facebook)
Related: National 50th Anniversary Trails Events (Esri Story Map) |
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#MakeYourSplash On a BLM-managed Wild and Scenic RiverSigned in 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act protects more than 200 rivers in 40 states and Puerto Rico. Wild and Scenic Rivers are designated into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System to preserve their free-flowing condition and to protect and enhance their outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish, wildlife, historic, cultural and other similar values. The Act provides three levels of river classification: wild, scenic and recreational. (BLM California Facebook) Related: National 50th Anniversary Rivers Events (Esri Story Map) |
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| HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Trainings Set for Seabird MonitorsThe Trinidad Coastal Land Trust will hold spring training sessions for volunteers wishing to become seabird monitors in the new Trinidad Citizen Seabird Science Project. Volunteers attend two training sessions on seabird identification, habits, habitats, natural history and scientific data collection, led by seabird expert Shannon Brinkman, a Bureau of Land Management biologist. Once qualified, “citizen scientists” will be asked to donate three hours per month monitoring seabirds or in community outreach and education. (Times Standard) |
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BLM Seeks Public Comment on Desert Solar ProjectThe Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the proposed Crimson Solar Project, located near Blythe in eastern Riverside. Sonoran West Solar Holding LLC., has requested a rights-of-way authorization to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission an up to 350-megawatt photovoltaic facility along with necessary ancillary facilities, including up to eight project substations, access roads, operations and maintenance buildings, and lay-down areas. The project site consists of approximately 2,700 acres of BLM-managed land. (BLM news release) |
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Sheep Returning to Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park for Weed ControlApproximately 700 sheep will be arriving around mid-March at the Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park along the South Fork of the American River near Pilot Hill. The Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office utilize the sheep as an environmentally-friendly weed control measure. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Seeks Comments on 2018 Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation ProposalsThe Bureau of Land Management invites the public to comment on proposals it has submitted for the 2018 Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Proposal. The proposals are available on the Internet at www.ohv.parks.ca.gov, for review and comment from March 6 to April 2. Approximately 30 projects throughout the state have been proposed, including OHV rules enforcement, operation and maintenance, restoration work and other activities. The proposals are funded through the Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program sponsored by the State of California, which provides financial assistance to cities, counties, districts, federal and state agencies, educational institutions, federally recognized Tribes and nonprofit entities. (BLM news release) |
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Military Veterans Train for Wildland Firefighting at National ParksAbout 200 aspiring wildland firefighters – all local military veterans – attended four days of wildland firefighting training from March 2-5 at Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and at Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park... This is the second year in a row that the Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with Team Rubicon, will be kicking off the national wildland firefighter training session in Los Angeles. Instructors will then travel to Texas, Maryland, Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Idaho and Alaska to educate Team Rubicon members in wildland fire suppression tactics, including communication techniques, fireline construction, equipment operation, and other critical wildland firefighting skills. (BLM news release) Related: Military Veterans Train In Santa Monica Mountains To Become Wildland Firefighters (KCLU) |
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Sorry, There Probably Won’t be a Carrizo Plain ‘Superbloom’ this YearBad news, wildflower watchers: There probably isn’t going to be a “superbloom” at the Carrizo Plain National Monument this year. The federal Bureau of Land Management’s Central California District wrote that “there’s been a hiccup” in this year’s rainy season, and the paltry levels of precipitation have been “nowhere near enough for wildflowers.” Unusually wet weather in 2017 enabled the stunning blooms that drew the world’s attention and more than 100,000 visitors, according to the BLM. The blooms were even visible from space. “San Luis Obispo County ... typically gets more than a foot of rain from October through mid-February. But this season, slightly more than one inch of precipitation has fallen in that time frame,” the BLM wrote. (The Tribune) |
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| BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Secretary Zinke Moves Forward to Improve Safety OffshoreU.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced a series of new initiatives to strengthen the federal offshore oil and gas inspection program. Zinke highlighted a risk-based inspection element and an increase in the amount of time allotted for physical inspection of offshore facilities as two of six initiatives that the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement will institute before mid-2018. Zinke’s announcement at the 2018 CERAWeek conference coincides with the U.S. offshore’s highest oil production year on record, totaling 629 million barrels during 2017. (DOI news release) |
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U.S. Geological Survey Marks 139 Years of Scientific AdvancementCreated by Congress on March 3, 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey was originally dedicated to exploring the geology and mineral potential of western lands, but over its 139-year-history, it has evolved to dramatically expand our knowledge of natural science. Check out some great facts about USGS to commemorate 139 years of scientific inquiry and advancement for the benefit of the American people. (DOI blog) |
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Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Sign Agreement with Department of the Interior to Implement Land Buy-Back ProgramPrincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs John Tahsuda announced that the Department of the Interior has signed an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon to guide implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. This is the second agreement of its kind signed between the Department and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. In July 2017, the Department announced new policies and a revised implementation schedule to maximize the consolidation of fractional interests. The revised schedule includes locations where the Program has been implemented previously, which enables more efficient implementation when the Program returns. (DOI news release) |
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Interior Women Make More HistoryMarch is Women’s History Month, and we’re highlighting notable firsts for women at Interior and our bureaus. From the past to the present, women at Interior blazed a trail to help the Department achieve its mission managing the nation's natural resources and cultural heritage, pursuing cutting-edge science, and honoring trust responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives and affiliated island communities. (DOI blog) |
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Interior Releases Report on Fight Against Invasive MusselsThe U.S. Department of the Interior released a report highlighting the progress made in the fight against invasive zebra and quagga mussels, which can impair the delivery of water and power, diminish boating and fishing, and devastate ecosystem health. The report comes after U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced in June a set of initiatives to protect western ecosystems and hydroelectric facilities from the destructive species through continued collaboration with western governors as well as federal, state, and tribal agencies. (DOI news release) |
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Printing the Past: 3-D Archaeology and the First AmericansFor the first Americans, and the study of them today, it all starts with a point. A sharp point fastened to a wooden shaft gave the hunter 13,000 years ago a weapon that could single-handedly spear a fish or work in numbers to take down a mammoth. For a prehistoric human, these points were the difference between life and death. They were hunger-driven, handmade labors of love that took hours to craft using a cacophony of rock-on-rock cracks, thuds and shatters. They have been called the first American invention, and some archaeologists now think 3-D scanning points can reveal more information about both the technology and the people. (BLM Oregon Facebook) |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK | ||||||
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Name this animal! Keep reading for answer below. |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS | ||||||
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March 17, 21 and 30: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center Spring ScheduleThe visitor center is open Wednesday through Monday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The visitor center will remain closed on Tuesdays. This visitor center schedule will be in effect through April 14. The following is a sampling of activities scheduled during March at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. (BLM news release)- Desert Mountains Art Faire on March 17 - Wildflower Workshop on March 21 - Full Moon Hike on March 30 |
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March 20: BLM Desert District Advisory Council to Meet in VictorvilleThe Bureau of Land Management will hold a meeting of the BLM California Desert District Advisory Council, demonstrating that partnerships and inclusion are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands. The public is welcome to attend the meeting, which will occur on March 20, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Mirage Room, 12603 Mariposa Rd., Victorville, from noon to 5 p.m. (BLM news release) |
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March 24: Desert Advisory Council Dumont Dunes Subgroup to Meet in BarstowThe Bureau of Land Management’s Dumont Dunes Subgroup of the California Desert Advisory Council will meet from noon to 2:30 p.m., March 24, at the Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Rd. to discuss Dumont Dunes Recreation Area. The meeting is open to the public. (BLM news release) |
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2018: Wild Horse and Burro Adoption EventsHave you checked our schedule of wild horse and burro events taking place across the country this year? In addition to 17 permanent adoption and sale centers that are available year round, BLM is hosting nearly 50 special events aimed at finding new homes for wild horses and burros. Learn more about adoption and sale programs and find an event or facility near you. 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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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER | ||||||
| American martens are common at some public lands across the Rockies and upper Great Lakes like Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, but don’t count on seeing them if you’re visiting now. Because they have limited body-fat reserves, martens tend to spend most of the winter in torpor -- a period of decreased activity, reduced body temperatures and metabolic rates. This cute face is another reason we’re looking forward to spring. Photo by Fish and Wildlife Service. | ||||||
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