BLM California News.Bytes Issue 810

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Title: Your Public Lands, BLM's E-Newsletter

Iron Canyon Trail in the Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area
ISSUE 811 - June 7, 2018     

- Great Outdoors Month
- Headlines and Highlights
- BLM and DOI Highlights
- Wildlife Question of the Week
- Upcoming Events

GREAT OUTDOORS MONTH

Great Outdoors Month

Summer is the time to #EscapetheIndoors and connect with nature. This June during Great Outdoors Month, discover outdoor activities that you can enjoy with your family and friends, and get ready for your next fishing, boating, camping, hiking and biking adventures! (Great Outdoors Month website)

- Bike Travel Weekend on June 1-3, 2018

- American Hiking Society's National Trails Day on June 2, 2018

- National Fishing and Boating Week, a national celebration to enjoy recreational boating and fishing during June 2-10, 2018

- National Marina Day on June 9, 2018

- Great American Campout on June 23, 2018

Top River Trips on America’s Public Waters

With approximately 3.6 million miles of streams -- including 12,734 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers -- the United States has some incredible stretches of water. They’re the perfect place for a quiet float trip, a heart-pumping whitewater adventure or the chance to catch a big one. Whether it’s a day trip or overnight, below are some of the best river trips on America’s public waters to help you get started in your search for the perfect river adventure. Flow levels, weather and other factors can change the level of skill required to ply the waters or any other river segment. Check local conditions before venturing out. And for those who are unsure of their skills or who want to relax and let others do the planning, professional outfitters offer guided trips on many rivers. So fasten your life jackets, grab your paddle and #FindYourWay on one of these awesome river trips! (DOI blog)

Hear It From Our Staff: The Best Public Lands for Family Fun

Public lands are great places for families to unplug, slow down and spend time with one another. The staff at Interior knows these special places as well as anyone and recently sent in pictures and memories of spending family time on public lands. We hope these stories will encourage more people to get out and enjoy their public lands together -- especially families with young kids. Inspiring an appreciation for parks at an early age is critical to creating the next generation of conservationists and public land enthusiasts. (DOI blog)

#FindYourWay On a BLM-managed National Trail

This 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)

#MakeYourSplash On a BLM-managed Wild and Scenic River

Signed 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)

New Junior Ranger Activity Book Encourages Kids to Go Fish

The U.S. Department of the Interior along with the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will publish a new free booklet to help kids get hooked on fishing. Starting June 2, aspiring anglers can download the Junior Ranger “Let’s Go Fishing!” activity booklet, which will introduce them and their families to fishing and encourage healthy and responsible outdoor recreation. (DOI news release)

Related: Join the adventure with BLM Jr. Ranger books (BLM website)

Secretary Zinke Announces 19 New National Recreation Trails in 17 States

Continuing his work to expand recreational opportunities on public lands, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today designated 19 national recreation trails in 17 states, adding more than 370 miles to the national recreation trails system of more than 1,000 trails in all 50 states. “By designating these new national trails, we acknowledge the efforts of local communities to provide outdoor recreational opportunities that can be enjoyed by everyone,” said Secretary Zinke. “Our network of national trails provides easily accessible places to exercise and connect with nature in both urban and rural areas while boosting tourism and supporting economic opportunities across the country.” (DOI news release)

VG18: Paddling

Cache Creek is part of the wild and scenic California water system. It is one of the major rivers in Yolo County, flowing southeast from Clear Lake through U.S. Bureau of Land Management land and then along Highway 16. The wilderness area has the second largest populations of bald eagles and tule elk in California. (Davis Enterprise)

HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS

California Invasive Species Action Week

The goals of the California Invasive Species Action Week are to increase public awareness of invasive species issues and promote public participation in the fight against California's invasive species and their impacts on our natural resources. Prevention is the most effective strategy in managing invasive species. However, hundreds of invasive plants and animals have already established in California and are rapidly spreading each year. These invaders are negatively impacting waters, native plants and animals (some of them rare, threatened or endangered), agriculture, health, economy and favorite recreational places. Help celebrate California's Invasive Species Action Week, and more importantly, help stop the spread of invasive species, by volunteering to take action. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife website)

Restoration Completed on Vandalized Pictographs in Lassen County Cave

Restoration specialists have completed a project for the Bureau of Land Management Eagle Lake Field Office to remove graffiti from panels of Native American cave paintings at a site in Lassen County. The effort took five days and cost nearly $9,000 to complete. “We hired a restoration professional to undertake this delicate task of removing as much graffiti as possible, while leaving the slightest impact possible on the pictographs,” said Eagle Lake Field Manager Brian Novosak. “The restoration specialist had to remove chalk, charcoal and spray paint. Sadly, in some cases the graffiti was extensive and could not be completely removed.” (BLM news release)

BLM Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Communication Site in San Bernardino County

The Bureau of Land Management Needles Field Office is seeking public comment on an Environmental Assessment for a proposed communications site at Nipton, in San Bernardino County. Today’s posting of the EA commences a 30-day public comment period that will close July 5. InterConnect Towers LLC has submitted proposals for five communications’ sites within the Needles Field Office, located approximately 10 miles south of the California-Nevada state line, 1.25 miles southwest of the junction of I-15 and Nipton Road. The BLM will complete an EA and conduct a public comment period for each proposal, as submitted. The BLM intends to respond to the applicant’s request for use of public land by authorizing a communication site lease for the Nipton proposal. (BLM news release)

BLM Releases Environmental Assessment for Gas Pipeline Project in San Bernardino County

The BLM California Desert District has released an Environmental Assessment along with a Finding of No Significant Impact to amend an existing right-of-way allowing Pacific Gas and Electric to conduct required testing and maintenance activities for PG&E natural gas pipelines in San Bernardino County, California. This EA and FONSI are available for a 15-day public comment period ending on June 18, 2018. (BLM news release)

BLM, Partners Receive Award for Restoration Work on Mattole River

An international organization has recognized the Bureau of Land Management, Mattole Restoration Council and the Mattole Salmon Group for their restoration achievements in the Mattole River estuary in southern Humboldt County. The American Fisheries Society Western Chapter presented their 2018 Riparian Challenge Award to the partners who have been working since 2013 along the lower three miles of the Mattole River within the BLM-managed King Range National Conservation Area. (BLM news release)

Related: Mattole River restoration efforts internationally recognized (The Times-Standard)

BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS

Trump Administration Announces $256 Million in Construction Projects Approved for National Park​s​

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced more than $256 million in approved funding to rebuild critical national park infrastructure. The list includes projects like the repair of the Arlington Memorial Bridge in D.C., the visitor access upgrade at Herring Cove Beach at the Cape Cod National Seashore,​ and the rehabilitation of the Elkmont Waste Water System at Great Smoky Mountains National Park—dire maintenance and repair needs that contribute to the $11.6 billion backlog currently facing the nation’s national parks. (DOI news release)

Horse, Burro Adoption Event a Success

The Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Department of Corrections – Silver State Industries conducted a saddle-trained horse and halter-trained burro adoption event on June 2 at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center south of Carson City. All 15 animals showcased at the event were subsequently adopted. Thirteen former wild horses and two burros from herd management areas located on BLM-administered public lands in California and Nevada were trained for approximately four months by inmate trainers in the NNCC program and offered during a competitive-bid adoption. (Elko Daily Free Press)

NEWSWAVE: Ocean, Great Lakes and Coasts

June is a month full of ocean celebrations. The President has proclaimed June National Ocean Month, this week is Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, D.C.  June 5-7, and World Ocean Day is on June 8. To help you immerse yourself in Interior's ocean, Great Lakes and coastal topics, DOI is pleased to release our Spring 2018 issue of NEWSWAVE and the Summer 2018 Photo Issue -- 12 pages of images that capture the breadth and diversity of Interior’s Blue Portfolio. (DOI NEWSWAVE Spring Issue and NEWSWAVE Summer Photo Issue)

Interior Celebrates 500 Days of American Greatness Under President Trump

"President Donald J. Trump and the entire administration are delivering on promises that the President has made to the American people. In the first 500 days of President Trump's Administration, the Department of the Interior has relit the pilot light of American energy production, increasing energy revenues by more than a billion dollars in our first year and approving key energy infrastructure projects. We are making American communities safer by taking opioids and other dangerous drugs off the streets, and we are increasing law enforcement on public lands along our southern border. We are opening up more public lands for hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities, while we are also working with Congress on a bipartisan bill to rebuild our National Parks' crumbling roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. And we’re just getting started."  — Secretary Ryan Zinke (DOI news release)

Secretary Zinke Announces $1.1 Million Reclamation Contract to Navajo Nation Tribal Government for Assisting San Juan River Basin Recovery

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that the Bureau of Reclamation is awarding a $1.1 million contract that will allow the Navajo Nation Tribal Government to assist with the recovery of endangered fish as partners in the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. Reclamation operates Navajo Dam and Reservoir located on the San Juan River in Colorado and New Mexico. The recovery program facilitates the recovery of two endangered fish that live in the river—the Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker, while allowing the continued development of water and power resources throughout the Colorado River Basin. (DOI news release)

Interior Collaborates with Idaho Partners to Improve Vital Habitat for Wildlife

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management signed the Record of Decision for the Bruneau-Owyhee Sage-Grouse Habitat Project. This Decision authorizes the removal of encroaching western juniper on 617,000 acres in a 1.67 million-acre area of sagebrush-steppe habitat in Owyhee County. The project was developed in collaboration with the Idaho Governor’s Office of Species Conservation, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Lands, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (DOI news release)

Trump Administration Taskforce Completes Successful Opioid Bust in Arizona

From May 15, 2018 through May 26, 2018, the Department of the Interior Opioid Reduction Task Force conducted a Criminal Interdiction Operation in and around Tribal reservations in Arizona, seizing 9,050 Fentanyl pills, 48.2 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.2 pounds of heroin, 863 pounds of marijuana, one-half pound of cocaine, and $30,000 in cash. In total, the drug bust yielded a seizure of 913.5 pounds of illegal narcotics, with a street value of approximately $4,791,417.00, and led to 86 total arrests. The operation in Arizona is the second led by Interior’s Joint Task Force, which Secretary Zinke established to help achieve President Donald Trump's mission to end the opioid epidemic. (DOI news release)

Forest Service Preps for Another Summer of Devastating Wildfires Across Much of the Country

Get ready for another summer of destructive wildfires across much of the country. Forecasters at the National Interagency Fire Center are predicting that warmer and drier-than-normal conditions have put large portions of the Western United States at above-average risk for significant wildfires between now and September. This year’s wildfire season could rival last year’s, which was one of the most devastating on record, said Vicki Christiansen, interim chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Last year’s fires killed 53 people, including 14 firefighters, and burned more than 10 million acres, an area larger than Maryland. More than 12,300 homes and other structures were destroyed. (USA TODAY)

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK

In honor of World Otter Day on May 30, 2018: Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels. There are ____ species of otter around the world.

a) 33
b) 13
c) 300
d) 3


Keep reading for answer below.

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 2 - October: Bus Shuttles Offered for Bizz Johnson National Recreational Trail

Weekend bus shuttle services for the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail will begin Saturday, June 2, and continue through October. The service, a partnership of the Bureau of Land Management and Lassen Rural Bus, is available to bicyclists, hikers and runners, and eliminates the need for trail users to arrange their own vehicle shuttles. On Saturdays, the bus picks up passengers at 8:15 a.m. in front of the Historic Susanville Railroad Depot, 601 Richmond Road.  The bus makes stops at Devil’s Corral, Fredonyer Summit and at the Westwood Y.  From these stops trail users can use the Bizz Johnson Trail for trips of 7, 18 or 30-miles back to Susanville. (BLM news release)

June 8-10: "North America’s Equine Event of the Year," the Western States Horse Expo

Don't miss these four horses at "North America’s Equine Event of the Year," the Western States Horse Expo! The most elite equine exposition in the United States, California’s Western States Horse Expo is a must-attend event for any horse owner. In three short days (June 8-10 at Cal Expo), you can catch up on the latest training and education, shop the nation’s premier equine vendors and connect with your horse friends. Attending the expo is more than a weekend away, its a yearly pilgrimage with friends, a way to stay engaged in the horse industry, making sure you have the tools, knowledge and products to help make the most of your investment in the horse owning lifestyle year round. Don't miss your chance to take home a horse from the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program. (BLM news release)

June 13: BLM Seeks Comment on Case Mountain Vegetation and Forest Health Plan

The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office is seeking public comment on the vegetation and forest health plan environmental assessment and the unsigned finding of no significant impact for the giant sequoia groves on Case Mountain, southeast of Three Rivers, Tulare County. The 30-day public comment period will close June 13. (BLM news release)

June 15-17: Celebrate America's Wild Horses and Burros at Napa Mustang Days

Napa Mustang Days, June 15-17, combines an adoption of wild horses and burros, with a day for the public to come out, enjoy horses, learn more about them, experience proud equestrian history and celebrate America’s “living legends”. Maybe take one home too, four horses will be available for adoption through the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program. (BLM news release)

Related: Meet the animals (BLM California Facebook)

WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER
b) 13

In honor of World Otter Day on May 30, 2018: Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels. There are 13 species of otter around the world. (International Otter Survival Fund)

News.Bytes is a publication of the Bureau of Land Management California.

Bureau of Land Management
California State Office
2800 Cottage Way, Suite W1623
Sacramento, Ca 95825
(916) 978-4600
www.blm.gov/california


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