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- International Dark Sky Week |
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| INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY WEEK | ||||||
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Twinkle, Twinkle! 16 Awesome Public Lands for StargazingAfter the sun goes down, the skies above America’s public lands come alive. Some of the last harbors of dark skies, public lands provide unspoiled views of the stars glittering above. While fewer than 500 stars may be visible at night in urban areas because of light pollution, you can see up to 15,000 stars on some public lands. At public lands across the country, we’re working to protect these truly dark skies for visitors to enjoy. Whether you’re an astronomy expert or a lover of night skies, public lands offer up some of the best opportunities to see extraordinary natural lightscapes. Celebrate International Dark Sky Week with some amazing public lands for stargazing and check out five tips for fun and safe stargazing. (DOI blog) |
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Night Sky TutorialIn honor of International Dark Sky Week, BLMer Kyle Sullivan has a few tips and tricks to help you capture incredible night sky photos on your public lands. (BLM California Facebook) |
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| FROM THE FIELD | ||||||
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Just in Time for Earth WeekWith spring in the air and temperatures warming in northeast California, conditions have been good for public land improvement projects. Recently, five 5th graders from the Susanville Indian Rancheria joined our Eagle Lake Field Office staff to plant willows in areas along the Susan River that had been scoured by flood waters. Our partners at the Rancheria even brought along 50 sagebrush seedlings for planting in areas overlooking the river. We love every opportunity to get out onto the public lands, guiding young people as they work to improve our surroundings. Thank you, Susanville Indian Rancheria! (BLM California Facebook) |
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#LeaveNoTrash This Earth WeekThe Leave No Trace, #LeaveNoTrash campaign returns this Earth Week. Post a picture of yourself or a friend picking up trash! (Leave No Trace Instagram) |
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| HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Sea Otter ClassicWishing all riders a great weekend at the Subaru Sea Otter Classic. The Sea Otter Classic is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and brings cycling enthusiasts to Fort Ord National Monument. The Sea Otter Classic also hosts the world’s largest consumer bike exposition in North America. Be sure to visit our BLM booth at the expo to learn more about your public lands. (Sea Otter Classic website) |
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Our Wild And Scenic RiversThis year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, a good round-number that begs for a retrospective view of what has been accomplished in the past half century, and also for an eye to the future with its prospects and challenges. (Jefferson Public Radio) |
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Understanding Forest Ecology: Fire, Water, and Bark BeetlesAn estimated 129 million trees have died in California’s national forests since 2010. It’s important to look at how the ecosystem works, and how it's tied together, to help to understand why. Researchers discuss two things that help to influence forests: fire and water. The availability of water influences the size of trees, the density and the types of trees. Fire controls what’s going on in the understory—the future of the forest. (USFS video) |
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| BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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National Park WeekNational Park Week (April 21-29) starts this Saturday! Secretary Zinke says it's a great time for Americans -- and their families -- to discover the park next door. (DOI video) Remember, many of your BLM-managed public lands offer wonderful opportunities to explore the great outdoors on the way to some of the country's most popular destinations, including National Parks. (BLM Esri Story Map) |
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Zinke Signs Secretarial Orders to Increase Recreational Opportunities on Public Lands and WatersU.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed two secretarial orders continuing his efforts to prioritize the Department of Interior’s recreation mission and increase access to public lands. Secretarial Order 3366 directs certain Interior bureaus to create and deliver plans to the Department within 90 days that focus on developing or expanding recreational opportunities on public lands and waterways. This order also directs bureau heads to designate one full-time employee charged to oversee recreational opportunities. (DOI news release) |
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Interior Approves Final Two Segments of Gateway West Power LineThe Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management has approved routes for segments of the Gateway West electric transmission line project on public lands in southwestern Idaho, connecting previously authorized routes in southern Wyoming and eastern Idaho. The project will improve the nation’s energy infrastructure and boost the economy in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West. (DOI news release) |
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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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Secretary Zinke, Citing Record Energy Growth Under President Trump, Announces That He Will Not Lower Offshore Oil & Gas Royalty RatesDue to the success of President Donald J. Trump’s America-First energy strategy, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that the Department of the Interior will not lower royalty rates for future offshore oil and gas lease sales at this time. On February 28, the Royalty Policy Committee (RPC), re-chartered by Secretary Zinke in 2017, made its initial recommendations, including one to set a royalty rate of 12.5 percent on all Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease sales at all water depths through 2024. (DOI news release) |
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Quarter 1 in Review: Interior Releases Comprehensive List of First Quarter 2018 Accomplishments Under President Trump and Secretary Zinke
U.S. Department of the Interior released a comprehensive list of 2018 first quarter accomplishments that the Department has achieved under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Secretary of
the Interior Ryan Zinke. |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK | ||||||
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Bats do which of the following for humans?
a) Bats eat their body weight in insects 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 19-20: BLM and Leave No Trace to Host Outdoor Skills and Ethics Events in the Eastern SierraThe Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office, in partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, will be hosting two Outdoor Skills and Ethics events in the eastern Sierra as the region prepares for Earth Day 2018. (BLM news release) |
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April 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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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER | ||||||
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e) All of the above Related: Rock climbers and explorers can help protect bats by simply doing what they love and then tell us where they see bats. (“Explorers For Bats” video) |
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