 Mike Thompson Wildlife Area, South Spit Humboldt Bay  |
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- The Great Outdoors |
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| THE GREAT OUTDOORS | ||||||
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The 2018 Perseid Meteor Shower Promises Spectacular Views This WeekThe best meteor shower this year is here: The Perseids peak this weekend, promising dazzling views for skywatchers in dark areas. The Perseid meteor shower is always popular, but this year's peak — which occurs on the nights of Aug. 11 to 12 and Aug. 12 to 13 — will be particularly spectacular this year because the moon will be a thin crescent and set early, leaving a dark canvas for the meteors' bright streaks and fireballs. (SPACE.com) Related: 10 Things: How to Photograph a Meteor Shower (NASA Tumblr blog) Related: Why your Streak is (probably) NOT a Meteor (Star Circle Academy) |
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California's Desert MonumentsNow desert dwellers like bighorn sheep, golden eagles, fringe-toed lizards, and desert tortoises have nearly 2 million protected acres to call home. (Visit California website) |
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Paddle Wild and Scenic Rivers for a Wild and Scenic Summer
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Enjoy Public Lands and Rivers During These Hot Days of SummerAh, summer has arrived in the Golden State and it’s getting hot outside, which means more people will be visiting public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management for recreational opportunities like fishing, swimming, camping, rockhounding, backpacking, hiking, boating and off-highway vehicle use. (BLM California Facebook) |
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| WILDLAND FIRE | ||||||
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NIFC Operations Busy as Fire Crews, Resources in High DemandMuch of the West is in the grip of a dangerous fire season. In California alone, there are 16 large and out of control wildfires burning. Here in Idaho we have major fires of our own. We also have what could be called the epicenter of wildfire response: the National Interagency Fire Center, or NIFC. KTVB's Morgan Boydston took a tour of the campus to see different operations. One of the largest operations is the Great Basin Incident Support Cache. Firefighting supplies are stored in an 80,000 square-foot warehouse and are shipped out to southern Idaho, Nevada, Utah and part of Wyoming. (KTVB 7 News) |
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Australian Firefighters Head to US to Help Battle BlazeUp to 200 firefighters from Australia and New Zealand will fly to the United States this week to help battle the wildfires burning along the nation's west coast... The team of 188 fire specialists, including safety officers and helicopter pilots, will fly to California, Oregon and Washington on the US west coast on Friday. (SBS News) Related: Australia, New Zealand sending firefighters to help battle blazes in U.S. Western states (KCBY 11 News) |
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BLM Temporarily Closing Cache Creek Management Area Due to Danger from Mendocino Complex FireThe Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office is temporarily closing the Cache Creek Management Area, which includes Cowboy Camp, due to the potential risk to public safety from the nearby Mendocino Complex Fire. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Ukiah Field Office Increases Fire Restrictions and Further Limits Target ShootingThe Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office increased fire restrictions and further limited target shooting effective Aug. 4, due to high fire danger. The restrictions apply to BLM-managed public lands in Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Temporarily Closing Public Lands in Near Whaleback Fire at Eagle LakeThe Bureau of Land Management has temporarily closed public lands on the west side of Eagle Lake in Lassen County, including the North Eagle Lake Campground, Rocky Point camping area and Buck Point, for public safety due to the dangers from the Whaleback Fire. The temporary closure also includes lands bounded by Cleghorn Road on the north, state Route 139, County Road A-1 on the east and south, and the Lassen National Forest boundary on the west. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Temporarily Closing Indian Valley Management Area Due to Fire ProximityThe Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office is temporarily closing the Indian Valley Management Area in eastern Lake and western Colusa counties for public safety due to the proximity of the Mendocino Complex Fire. This closure also includes Walker Ridge and BLM-managed public lands along state Route 20, until further notice. On July 27, the BLM temporarily closed the Cow Mountain Recreation Area due to active wildland fire. These closures are necessary to protect public land users from risks associated with active wildfire, and to protect wildland firefighters from recreational activities associated with hunting of wild game. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Temporarily Closing Cow Mountain Recreation Management Area Due to Fire Proximity
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BLM Expanding Temporary Public Lands Closure Due to Carr FireThe Bureau of Land Management expanded the boundaries of the temporary closure of public lands near Redding for public safety due to the rapidly expanding Carr Fire. In addition to the closure of the Chappie-Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, BLM-managed lands will also be closed to public access east of Lewiston, north of Cloverdale Road, north of Bully Choop Mountain, south of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest boundary near Wild Cow Mountain, as well as west of Interstate Highway 5. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Central Coast Field Office Increases Fire Restrictions and Further Limits Target ShootingThe Bureau of Land Management Central Coast Field Office is increased fire restrictions to Stage 2, effective Aug. 1, on BLM-managed public lands in Fresno, Monterey and San Benito counties, due to high fire danger. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Mother Lode Field Office Temporarily Closes Merced River Recreation Sites Due to Ferguson FireThe Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office has temporarily closed the Briceburg Visitor Center, along with McCabe Flat, Willow Placer and Railroad Flat campgrounds, located along the Merced River, due to the proximity of the Ferguson Fire. (BLM news release) |
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Fire Season ReminderRemember campfire permits are available free at any BLM, Forest Service or CAL FIRE office or by visiting preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit. Please stay up-to-date with fire restrictions on your public lands in California: blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/california/fire-restrictions
Follow fire information via: |
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| HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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BLM Bakersfield Seeks Input for Potential Hydraulic Fracturing Impacts AnalysisThe Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office is seeking public input on the potential environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing during oil and gas production on new leases on public lands and Federal mineral estate. The 30-day scoping period starts Wednesday, Aug. 8. (BLM news release) |
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Wild Horses Rounded Up in Cold Creek To Go Up for AdoptionThe public will soon get its first chance to adopt wild horses rounded up earlier this year near the Spring Mountain community of Cold Creek. The Bureau of Land Management plans to offer up 82 mustangs removed from the Cold Creek area at an Aug. 11 auction and adoption event at its regional holding facility in Ridgecrest, California, about 240 miles southwest of Las Vegas. The horses include 57 geldings ranging from 2 to 20 years old and 25 fillies and geldings under the age of 2. (Las Vegas Review-Journal) Related: BLM offering Cold Creek wild horses for public adoption and sale on Saturday, August 11 (BLM news release) |
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Rock Star AwardThe BLM California Coastal National Monument presented Monterey Bay Kayaks with a 'Rock Star Award' recognizing their long-term support of the coastal environment and commitment to fostering stewardship among coastal visitors. Monterey Bay Kayaks pioneered eco-tourism in 1985 and is a leader in kayak recreation and education. Monterey Bay Kayaks staff members educate their clients about the impacts of disturbing wildlife and how to avoid it while enjoying the coast, and is participating with the California Coastal National Monument in a state-wide effort to reduce coastal wildlife disturbance. (BLM California Facebook) |
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| BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Secretary Zinke Designates Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home as African American Civil Rights Network SiteRecognizing the immense impact that Medgar Evers’ life and Myrlie Evers' contribution had on the African American civil rights movement, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke designated the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home as an official African American Civil Rights Network site. He also announced the Trump Administration is opening up the formal public comment process to designate the home a national monument. The home, which is located in Jackson, Mississippi, is the fourth site to be designated under the African American Civil Rights Network Act, which was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in January 2018. The network includes historic locations that tell the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. (BLM news release) |
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Secretary Zinke Kicks Off National Parks Infrastructure Discussion at Bipartisan EventHighlighting the need to repair and rebuild our parks, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke spoke at a bi-partisan event at the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. The focus of the event was on fixing and preserving national park infrastructure and the $11.6 billion maintenance backlog currently facing our nation’s 417 national parks. The Secretary was joined by Senators Rob Portman, Mark Warner, Lamar Alexander, Angus King, and Steve Daines, as well as representatives from the National Park Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, National Parks Conservation Association, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Outdoor Industry Association. Secretary Zinke also premiered a new National Park Service video that highlights the love story of Americans and our national parks. (DOI news release) |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK | ||||||
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What kind of owl is Harry Potter’s Hedwig?Keep reading for answer below. |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS | ||||||
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Now - Summer: BLM Crews Sprucing Up Hobo Camp Day Use Area, Invite Volunteer HelpCrews from the Bureau of Land Management have launched a summer project to spruce up the Hobo Camp day use area along the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail, and welcome volunteer help. BLM employees have started the project work by painting, removing graffiti, clearing weeds and installing new signs. (BLM news release) |
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Now - October: Bus Shuttles Offered for Bizz Johnson National Recreational TrailWeekend 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) |
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Now - 2019: Bring Home a Wild Horse or BurroThe BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program is excited to announce nearly 70 events this year as part of BLM's efforts to find good homes for our nation's wild horses and burros. Known for their intelligence, endurance and loyalty, wild horses and burros, with the right training, are outstanding for trail riding, packing, working and have successfully competed for awards in numerous fields from endurance riding to dressage. With more than 81,000 wild horses and burros on BLM-managed public lands, these wild icons of our American history need your help more than ever. Without any natural predators that can control population growth, wild horse and burro herds grow rapidly on the range and can quickly overcome the land's ability to support them. The BLM works to maintain healthy wild herds by gathering excess animals and placing them into good homes. (BLM website) Related: BLM offering Cold Creek wild horses for public adoption and sale on Saturday, August 11 (BLM news release) |
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August 11: Step Back in Time with the BLM at the Historical Walker Cabin Family DayHistory will come alive when the public joins the Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office for a free, family friendly, educational event at the Walker Cabin in the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area near Lake Isabella on Aug. 11, from 9 a.m. until noon. (BLM news release) |
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August 29: Hike In Open House at Piedras BlancasDon't miss Piedras Blancas FREE "hike in open house" on the last Wednesdays of July and August from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Park at the elephant seal viewing area, 1 1/2 miles south of the light station. Hike at your own pace to the light station and learn about lighthouse history and local ecology. The hike is approximately 4 miles round trip. For more information visit piedrasblancas.org, email piedrasblancastours@xxxxxxxxx or call (805) 927-7361. |
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September 1: Veterans Fishing DayRedding Field Office is sponsoring a Veterans Fishing Day on Saturday, September 1 to show our support of those who serve. This event will take place at the Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area just outside of Red Bluff. This is a California free fishing day (fishing license NOT required). Contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at wildlife.ca.gov for information regarding free or reduced fishing licenses. There will be limited loaner fishing rods, tackle and bait available. For more information contact Eric Coulter at the Redding Field Office at (530) 224-2100. |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER | ||||||
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Harry Potter’s owl Hedwig is a snowy owl! The snowy owl is the heaviest and most powerful of the North American owls. That’s because these birds live in the Arctic, which requires dense feathers and fur-covered feet to provide insulation from frigid temperatures. The male snowy owl distinguish itself with all-white fur, while the female has a spotted white coat. In recent years, this bird has taken to migrating south to winter in regions of the Great Lakes and Midwest plains. The snowy owl thrives in open grasslands, nests on the ground and hunts mainly during the day -- so be sure to keep your eyes on the ground when trying to spot this owl. (Owl facts via DOI blog) |
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