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- Your Public Lands |
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| YOUR PUBLIC LANDS | ||||||
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Nature’s Finest Treasure HuntMarch signals many things for outdoor users: green grass, spring weather, longer days and, shed antler season! It's a time when outdoor lovers venture onto public lands to find antlers shed by deer and elk. It's one of nature's finest treasure hunts. Every year between February and March, antlered mammals shed their headgear in preparation for the new growth cycle. Did you know that antlers are one of the fastest growing tissues on earth? Antlers on some animals grow an inch a day! (BLM California Facebook) |
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Wild Recipes from Public Lands Across the CountryWe’re cooking up some of our favorite recipes! From pot pies to berry cobblers, all of these dishes include ingredients that you can hunt, fish or forage on public lands. To ensure the safety and well-being of our parks and visitors, please keep in mind the following guidelines as you use public lands as your pantry! Hunting and fishing are outdoor activities with tasty results. Before you go after game or cast your line, check out our hunting and fishing guides so that you can make sure you’re following the rules, have the federal and state licenses you need and are keeping safe. (DOI blog) Related: Bringing the Great Outdoors into the Kitchen (BLM California Facebook) |
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Searching for the Eagles of Cache CreekIn the early morning fog, as sunlight peeks over the green rolling hills of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, a group of seven hikers embark on a search for America’s national symbol – the bald eagle. One of North America’s largest and most iconic birds, the bald eagle nests in select areas throughout northern and central California, with breeding habitats more commonly found in mountain and foothill forests and wooded lands near waterways. (BLM California Facebook) |
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Road Trippers: Here are the Top 10 Loneliest roads in CaliforniaUS Route 95 (which borders part of Mojave Trails National Monument) was ranked the 4th least traveled road in California and the loneliest road in #SoCal according to recent article from Los Angeles Daily News. Travelers can expect stunning desert vistas and a variety of plant life, including ocotillo, cholla and barrel cactus. (Los Angeles Daily News) |
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America's Wild and Scenic Rivers Live Up To Their NameIn 2018 America celebrates the 50th anniversary of public rivers. The passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 created the National Wild and Scenic River System, which includes more than 12,000 miles of wild, scenic, and recreational rivers. The system protects specific segments of free-flowing, un-dammed rivers for water-based recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, scenery, geology, and cultural and historical uses. (USA TODAY) |
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#FindYourWay on BLM-manged Rivers and TrailsThe Bureau of Land Management is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Trails Acts. Take a journey through Montana’s Upper Missouri Rivers Breaks, where the Lewis and Clark and Nez Perce National Historic Trails follow the Upper Missouri River Wild and Scenic River. (My Public Lands Tumblr) Related: #FindYourWay On a BLM-managed National Trail with NEW Story Map (BLM California Facebook) Related: #MakeYourSplash On a BLM-managed Wild and Scenic River (BLM California Facebook) |
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'Homebuilders of the desert'Multiple agencies are currently collaborating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to raise the number of Mojave desert tortoises in areas where the populations are too low to be sustainable. The tortoises are brought in from areas where they have been displaced by human interference to protected areas with lower populations. (FWS website) |
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Sharing the beach with Western Snowy PloversBreeding season is here! For the Pacific coast population of western snowy plovers, March until September is the most important time of year: time to find a mate, lay and incubate eggs, then teach the young how to survive on their own. This past season was a season of firsts for the federally threatened western snowy plover. New nesting sites were found on Pacific Coast beaches, including along California's North Coast. This is a sign that, against all odds, western snowy plovers are making a comeback and the continued cooperation of beachgoers is needed to help give them the space they need to nest and raise their young. (FWS, BLM, California State Parks and Friends of the Dunes news release) |
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| BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Eureka! Rare Wildflower Pulled From Brink of ExtinctionDespite its macabre name, Death Valley is home to frost-covered mountain peaks, the striking badlands and the Eureka Valley sand dunes. While the dunes may seem desolate, it has served as a habitat for unique species throughout its estimated 10,000-year existence. Among them is a large desert wildflower that’s been saved from extinction. Originally listed as endangered in 1978, the Eureka Valley evening primrose is no longer in need of protection thanks to the combined work of Death Valley National Park, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management. This rare white flower only grows in the remote valley in the 3.4 million-acre national park. The key step in its recovery was designating Eureka Valley as a wilderness area. The Wilderness Act allows for recreation that is lighter on the landscape than what can be found in other areas. (DOI news release) |
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Secretary Zinke Meets with Tribal Nations on Opioid CrisisSecretary Zinke visited with tribes in Arizona, Wisconsin and Washington State. These meetings focused on the ongoing opioid epidemic and how the Department of the Interior can assist with tribal efforts. In all, the Secretary met with eight different tribes in three different states in less than one week. (DOI video) |
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Secretary Zinke Supports President Trump's Infrastructure PlanU.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke released the following statement following President Donald J. Trump's speech in Ohio about rebuilding American infrastructure. “President Trump is a builder and he knows that infrastructure is not merely an expense, it's an investment in America. Every dollar we put into rebuilding our roads, bridges, transmission lines, and pipelines will bolster the economy,' said Secretary Zinke. “At Interior we have tens of thousands of miles of roads and bridges, pipelines, trails, docks, and more. We also are responsible for permitting infrastructure projects whether they are on federal lands or not. Between investing in our public lands infrastructure to rebuild crumbling roads to streamlining the permitting process, we are supporting President Trump's modernization of our nation's infrastructure.” (DOI news release) |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK | ||||||
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True or False Keep reading for answer below. |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS | ||||||
Now - April 30: BLM Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Communication Site in San Bernardino CountyThe Bureau of Land Management’s Needles Field Office is seeking public comment on an environmental assessment for a proposed communications site at Halloran Springs, San Bernardino County, approximately 13 miles northeast of the community of Baker, just northerly of the I-15. (BLM news release) |
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Now - June 1: Mayor's Mountain Bike ChallengeThe Mayor's Mountain Bike Challenge is officially underway in the City of Redding! Shout out to partners from Healthy Shasta, Redding Trail Alliance, Redding Recreation and The McConnell Foundation. (Mayor's MTB Challenge website) |
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April 6-8: Limited Access at Dry Valley OHV Area During Hare Scrambles RaceWeekend back country explorers planning to visit the Dry Valley area east of Susanville the weekend of April 7-8 will encounter more people than usual, as a two-day Diamondback Hare Scrambles’ motorcycle race is scheduled on public land. Competitors will begin arriving Friday, April 6. (BLM news release) |
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April 7: Join the BLM for Alabama Hills "Stewardship DayThe Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office, in cooperation with the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group, will be co-sponsoring the seventh annual "Alabama Hills Day" on Saturday, April 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To participate, meet at the junction of Whitney Portal Road and Movie Road about two miles west of Lone Pine. The theme for Alabama Hills Day this year is public service through shared, conservation stewardship. (BLM news release) |
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April 7-8: Wild Horses, Burros Available for Adoption in King CityWild horses and burros from western public rangelands will be available for public adoption, Saturday and Sunday, April 7 and 8, at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division St., in King City. The Bureau of Land Management will offer 15 wild horses, all under 5-years-old, 10 gelding burros and 10 female burros. Anyone interested can preview the animals from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 6, and from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday, April 7. An auction begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, with bid prices starting at $125 per animal. Horses and burros not taken during the auction will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until 5 p.m. Saturday and from 7 to 11 a.m. Sunday. The adoption fee is $125. (BLM news release) Related: 2018 wild horse and burro adoption events (BLM website) |
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April 8, 14, 29, May 5, 20 and June 3: BLM, Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve Offer Spring OutingsThe Bureau of Land Management and Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve will offer free public outings ranging from bird watching to traditional uses of native plants, on weekends from late March until June. The events are free. (BLM news release) |
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April 14: Fishing at Bass PondJoin California Department of Fish and Wildlife and BLM's Redding Field Office at Bass Pond in the Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area off Bend Ferry Road near Bend, California. The pond will be stocked with trout and volunteers will be available to help with questions about fishing. Free bait and limited loaner tackle will also be available. Registration will go from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm and fishing from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Participants must be 16 years or younger and able to hold a rod and reel. For additional information call Monty Currier, CDFW at (530) 225-2368 or Eric Coulter, BLM at (530) 224-2100. |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER | ||||||
| True. Have you ever seen a sage-grouse strut? For the fourth straight year, you can witness the greater sage-grouse dancing to find a mate on a live-streaming wildlife camera. (The Nature Conservancy website) | ||||||
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