 BLM staff team up to mitigate hazards on public land trails near Redding, California effected by the Carr Fire  |
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- Wildland Fire |
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| WILDLAND FIRE | ||||||
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Interagency Team Assessing Watershed Impacts from Mendocino Complex FiresAn Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team from the Department of the Interior is assessing the impacts of the Mendocino Complex wildfires on the public land watershed managed by the Bureau of Land Management’s Ukiah Field Office. The team will be evaluating post-fire threats to human safety, infrastructure, sensitive species and important natural and cultural resources. (BAER news release) |
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Burned Area Emergency Response Team Begins Work on Carr Fire AreaA multi-agency Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team has begun working with a CAL FIRE team to assess the impacts of the Carr wildfire on the watershed. The team will evaluate post-fire threats due to flooding, debris flows, and hazard trees, as well as impacts to vegetation and wildlife. Team members will focus on the potential for accelerated erosion and runoff resulting from vegetation loss and identifying fire-weakened hazard trees. The team’s BAER plan will identify measures to reduce hazards and reduce further resource damage. Fire crews have already begun rehabilitating the fire lines and taking down tree hazards. (BAER news release) |
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BLM Reopens Pit River CampgroundThe Bureau of Land Management has reopened the Pit River Campground in eastern Shasta County, as the nearby Hat Fire has been contained. The campground is five miles west of Fall River Mills, along California State Route 299. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Assessing Recreational Trail Damage from Carr FireWith the bulk of firefighting efforts now focused on the northeast portion of the Carr Fire, officials at the Bureau of Land Management are now assessing damages and hazards within the public lands recreational trail network and working on plans to reopen trails to the public. (BLM news release) Related: Carr Fire photos (BLM California Flickr) |
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As Peak Fire Season Nears, More Soldiers Could Respond to California FiresCalifornia National Guardsmen are expected to remain busy this year, as part of ongoing firefighting efforts in a state that is battling the largest wildfire in its history. About 760,000 acres have burned or on fire now across the state. That equates to about the size of Rhode Island or 60 times the size of Manhattan, said Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, assistant adjutant general of the California Joint Force Headquarters. Nearly 1,000 California Guardsmen have been activated, along with 22 aircraft and over 100 vehicles, to assist the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. (U.S. Army website) |
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BLM Recreation Sites Reopen Along the Merced River After Ferguson FireThe 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, since there is no longer a public safety risk in this area from the Ferguson Fire. The Briceburg Visitor Center will reopen on Friday, Aug. 17 through Labor Day weekend. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Reopening Cache Creek, Indian Valley and Walker Ridge After Mendocino Complex FireThe Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office is reopening the Cache Creek Management Area, which includes Cowboy Camp, Indian Valley Management Area and Walker Ridge since there is no longer a public safety risk in these areas from the Mendocino Complex Fire. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Reopening Recreation Areas Along Clear Creek and in Cloverdale AreaRecreation sites along Clear Creek and in the Cloverdale area south of Redding have been re-opened to the public, as dangers from the Carr Fire have passed. The open areas are south of Placer Road and include the Clear Creek Gorge overlook and trails throughout the area. Recreation areas north of Placer Road, including the Swasey Recreation Area, remain closed to protect public health and safety. (BLM news release) |
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BLM Temporarily Closing Pit River Campground Due to Hat FireThe Bureau of Land Management is temporarily closing the Pit River Campground near Fall River Mills in eastern Shasta County due to dangers posed by the Hat Fire. The closure is in place until further notice. (BLM news release) |
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Campgrounds Reopen, Closures Lifted and Modified in Whaleback Fire AreaThe Lassen National Forest and Bureau of Land Management have reopened campgrounds and recreation sites at Eagle Lake, as fire crews have completely contained the Whaleback Fire within fire lines. The agencies have also rescinded or reduced area closures. (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, Susanville Indian Rancheria Will Start Video Monitoring at Vandalized Cave SiteIn the wake of continuing vandalism, the Bureau of Land Management and Susanville Indian Rancheria have begun video monitoring at Tommy Tucker Cave, an important eastern Lassen County archaeological site. The cameras can transmit real-time video to federal law enforcement officers. (BLM news release) |
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Desert Quartzite Solar Project Draft Environmental Analysis Available for Public CommentThe Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on actions that would allow the proposed development of the Desert Quartzite Solar Project, a 450-megawatt solar development in eastern Riverside County. (BLM news release) |
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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 started Wednesday, Aug. 8. (BLM news release) |
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| BLM AND DOI HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||
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Day in the Life: U.S. Park Police Mounted Unit OfficerEvery summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day, millions of visitors flock to the monuments and memorials on the National Mall in Washington DC. Among those responsible for keeping them safe, are the mounted officers of the U.S. Park Police, one of the country's oldest police equestrian units. From Presidential Inaugurations to political demonstrations, mounted officers help provide crucial crowd control and traffic management. But they also play a role in community policing, keeping the Nation's Capital and its visitors safe, while serving as goodwill ambassadors to the public. (DOI video) |
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BLM Announces Plan and Schedule for FY 2019 Auction and Sale of Federally Owned HeliumThe Bureau of Land Management’s Federal Helium Program is planning an auction and sale of federally owned crude helium for delivery beginning in fiscal year 2019. The acution and sale had been previously postponed, but will now take place on August 31, 2018. After the auction, the BLM will invite the helium industry to bid for crude helium in an unallocated sale. This effort will facilitate development opportunities that create jobs and help local communities grow. (BLM news release) |
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History Made: Alaskan Leader Tara Mac Lean Sweeney Becomes First Female Alaska Native for Assistant Secretary of Indian AffairsEarlier this month, Tara Mac Lean Sweeney, a prominent Alaskan leader and acclaimed businesswoman with the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, was sworn in as the Department’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. Sweeney was nominated by President Donald J. Trump in October 2017. Sweeney, a member of the Native Village of Barrow and the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, is the first Alaska Native and only the second woman in history to hold the position. (DOI news release) |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK | ||||||
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Have you wondered how many waterfowl there are in North America?HINT... think millions! Keep reading for answer below. |
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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) |
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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: BLM to Host Veterans’ Fishing Day at the Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural AreaThe Bureau of Land Management is hosting a free day of fishing for veterans and active duty military members from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 1, at the Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area. Anglers will have access to two ponds stocked with largemouth bass, catfish and redear sunfish for a day of outdoor recreation on America’s public lands. (BLM news release) |
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| WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK ANSWER | ||||||
| The 2018 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey Report, including the most current breeding population information available for waterfowl in North America, is now available. In the traditional survey area, the total duck population estimate (excluding scoters, eiders, long-tailed ducks, mergansers and wood ducks) was 41.2 million birds. This estimate was 13% lower than the 2017 estimate of 47.3 million and 17% higher than the long-term average from 1955–2017. (2018 Waterfowl Status Report via USFWS) | ||||||
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