 Cosumnes River Preserve  |
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- From the Field |
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| FROM THE FIELD | ||||||
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BLM Wraps Up Fire Rehabilitation Project in Long Valley Fire AreaNatural resources specialists at the Bureau of Land Management are optimistic that a 1,200 acre fire rehabilitation project in southern Lassen County has a great chance at success. Crews took advantage of mild late winter to complete the seeding project. They hope recent spring rains will help the project along. (BLM California Facebook video) |
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Listening for Stormpetrels in the California Coastal National MonumentThe California Coastal National Monument includes more than 20,000 offshore rocks, sea stacks, and islands off the California coast. These offshore ecosystems provide prime real estate for wildlife, including an estimated 200,000 breeding seabirds and a few thousand marine mammals. However, much about the wildlife resources of the Monument remains unknown, and this can create challenges for resource managers looking to preserve its ecosystems. Together with industry partners, scientists with the USGS and BLM scientists and staff are studying the range and population size of an elusive, sensitive seabird in the Monument to inform management and conservation of its species. (page 29 in DOI Newswave) Related: Seabird Health and Adaptive Management (USGS) |
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Salmonid Carcass Monitoring in Headwaters Forest ReserveAdult coho salmon and steelhead die shortly after spawning. The carcasses of the spawners provide essential ocean-derived nutrients to the stream and riparian forest, and are a food source for terrestrial scavengers. In an effort to understand the species that utilize salmon and steelhead carcasses in Headwaters Forest Reserve, a team consisting of BLM Arcata fish biologist Zane Ruddy and Watershed Stewards Program members Deja Malone-Persha and Karlee Jewell installed game cameras near carcasses along the South Fork Elk River. A diverse array of species scavenged on the carcasses, demonstrating the important role of the carcasses on the terrestrial food web. A more robust effort is being planned for next year so stay tuned! (BLM California Facebook video) |
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| HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Behind the Scenes at #CanoemobileStudents from the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District are participating in Wilderness Inquiry's forth annual Canoemobile. Students paddle in 24-foot Voyageur canoes and participate in environmental education activities at Cosumnes River Preserve. Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile program engages youth across the country in hands-on, outdoor learning experiences that are focused on academics and outdoor recreation. The Canoemobile program is collaboration with federal, state and local partners and a wonderful way to get Every Kid in a Park. (Wilderness Inquiry website) Related: Social media coverage featuring 2018 Canoemobile at Cosumnes River Preserve (@BLMca Twitter) |
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11 Horses Adopted with Help of Sacramento Sheriff's EventThe Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the Bureau of Land Management-California hosted a wild horse adoption event at the Rio Cosumnes Correction Center in Elk Grove on Sunday. "We received the horses from the Bureau of Land Management, and we use inmates here that are in custody serving time to train the horses to become saddle broken animals," said Sgt. Sean Hampton, spokesman for the sheriff's department...Two of the horses were adopted by rangers from Yosemite National Park, and the other nine were adopted by the public, Hampton said. The bids ranged from $300 to $2,300. According to the BLM officials, 68 inmate-trained horses have been adopted since the Sheriff's Department Wild Horse Program was established in 2014. (ABC 10) Related: Inmates help wild horses become adoption-ready (KCRA News) |
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BLM Recreation Sites Reopen Along the Merced River after Mudslide Cleaned UpThe Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office is reopening recreation sites along the Merced River, including McCabe Flat, Willow Placer and Railroad Flat campgrounds, after a mudslide on Railroad Grade Road has been cleaned up. Still, outdoor enthusiasts should exercise caution on the trails. Recent heavy rains have loosened the soil along the trails, causing trail damage, and the Merced River high-water flows have deposited debris on the trails, resulting in rough patches. The Briceburg Visitor Center, along the Merced River, is closed for the season and will reopen Friday, May 4 through Labor Day weekend. (BLM news release) |
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Access Temporarily Limited on Little South Fork Elk River TrailPublic access will be temporarily limited to the first three miles of the Little South Fork Elk River Trail in the Headwaters Forest Reserve due to muddy conditions beyond the three-mile point. Access restrictions began Monday, April 9. Hikers, bicyclists, and dog walkers can still enjoy trail outings on the lower three-mile section that includes a mile of paved trail designed for those with limited mobility. The first mile of this trail contains a variety of interpretive signs about the area's forest resources and rich cultural history. (BLM news release) |
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| BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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BLM Announces Call for Nominations to Wild Horse and Burro Advisory BoardThe Bureau of Land Management is issuing a call for public nominations to fill three positions on its national Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. Nominations are for a term of three years and are needed to represent the following categories of interest: public interest, wild horse and burro advocacy, and veterinary medicine. The Advisory Board advises the BLM, an agency of the Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the Department of Agriculture, on the protection and management of wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands administered by those agencies. The Board will meet one to four times a year and the BLM’s Designated Federal Official may call additional meetings when necessary. Members serve without salary, but are reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses according to government travel regulations. (BLM news release) |
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In First Raid, New Opioid Task Force Seizes $2.5 Million worth of Meth and $22,000 in Marijuana, Heroin and Other NarcoticsJust two weeks after U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced the Department was forming a new Joint Task Force (JTF) to combat the opioid crisis in Indian Country, the Secretary announced the JTF's first raid seized 49 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of $2.5 million and more than $20,000 worth of marijuana, plus smaller amounts of heroin, and other narcotics. The raid was led by Interior's JTF with partnership from the Pueblo Tribes and New Mexico law enforcement officials. Secretary Zinke formed the JTF in response to President Donald J. Trump's commitment to end the opioid crisis. (DOI news release) |
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Secretary Zinke Committed to President Trump's Latest Infrastructure InitiativeU.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing the Interior Department to follow President Trump’s One Federal Decision framework for processing of environmental reviews and permits for major infrastructure projects. The MOU was also signed by Secretaries from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of the Army. Additional signatories to the MOU include the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Acting Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council. These officials signed the MOU pursuant to a joint memorandum issued by Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Mary Neumayr, the Acting Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. (DOI news release) |
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The Defining Moments and Historic Places of the Civil WarSecretary 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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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK | ||||||
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Fill in the Blank: Michigan’s Bird of ______ Rises from the Ashes
a) pride 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 - April 30: Tortoise In Peril"Tortoise In Peril" will air on KCET this month! Desert tortoises are a threatened species. Habitat destruction, diseases and other factors have reduced their numbers by up to 90 percent. Now flocks of ravens, that often live off human trash, are eating baby tortoises, reducing the odds of tortoise survival as a species. This documentary explores that impact, pointing out how people can change the environment through seemingly innocent actions. (KCET website) |
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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 13-15: Adopt a Burro this Weekend10 gelded jacks from the Ridgecrest BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program facility will be at this weekend's adoption, in conjunction with the Backcountry Horsemen of California Rendezvous at the Paso Robles Event Center. The burros were gathered from the Jonnie Herd Management Area near Prump, Nevada and are yearlings and two-year-olds. Don't miss a preview tomorrow, April 13 from 9-5 pm and a competitive bid adoption starting at 9 am Saturday. All are available on a first-come, first-served basis until 5 pm Saturday and from 8-10 am on Sunday.
Related: 2018 wild horse and burro adoption events (BLM website) |
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April 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 | ||||||
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b) fire After years of population declines, the Kirtland’s warbler -- often called Michigan’s Bird of Fire -- is rising from the ashes of near-extinction. By the early 1970s, there were fewer than 200 known pairs of the small songbird in existence. But decades of partnerships among federal and state agencies, industry and conservation groups has led to population rebounds and a proposal to remove the bird from federal protection. (DOI blog) |
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