BLM NEWS

A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California

Issue 593- 9/5/13   -   Visit us on Facebook -- follow us on Twitter - Share us with friends and colleagues!

THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:
- Marijuana News
- America's Great Outdoors
- On BLM and DOI Social Media Pages
- Wildlife Trivia Question of the Week
- Upcoming Events
- Wildfires and Prevention
- Headlines and Highlights: Assorted topics from your public lands in California
- National and Department of the Interior items

If this message does not show up properly in your email, you can see it online at:
www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/2013/593.html

MARIJUANA NEWS 125 Anti-Drug Agents Search 23 Properties for Illegal Grows  (Redding Record Searchlight, 08/30/13) Anti-drug agents say around 125 agents raided 23 parcels in the Trinity Pines subdivision of Hayfork Thursday morning. Agents from the North State Marijuana Investigation Team, Bureau of Land Management and the Trinity County Narcotics Task Force participated in the searches. http://www.ca.blm.gov/mbld Agents Move in on Illegal Grow Site (Inyo Register, 08/26/13) Local law enforcement identified and eradicated what they are calling a "massive" marijuana grow operation west of Independence this week, arresting eight individuals believed to be associated with the operation. Assisting in the eradication operation were Inyo County Sheriff's Department, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bishop Police Department, California Highway Patrol and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. http://www.inyoregister.com/node/5019

AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS Honing Wilderness Interpretation Skills (News.Bytes Extra) Eleven representatives from Bureau of Land Management California participated in the Carhart Institute's Interagency Wilderness Interpretation and Education Training held August 19-22 in Palm Springs, California. The purpose of the training was to strengthen knowledge about wilderness, build partnerships for communicating about wilderness, and to begin developing plans for participating in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Wilderness Act. Representatives from the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, California State Parks, Wildlands Conservancy, and the Sierra Club were also in attendance. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2013/593_extra_-_wilderness.html California Traveler Getaways (Sacramento Bee, 09/03/13) Photo Galleries: Blue Ridge Trail, Cache Creek-Poised like a massive wave forever about to break, a mighty ridge looms on the west rim of the Sacramento Valley. Yet despite its high visibility to drivers speeding past Fairfield on Interstate 80, this lofty geologic neighbor -- Blue Ridge -- retains an air of mystery. But it's a mystery that can be probed. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/01/4214849/california-traveler-getaways.html RELATED: Cache Creek Natural Area (BLM Website) This secluded, hilly expanse of oak woodlands, grasslands, and chaparral is a combination of over 70,000 acres of BLM managed lands and 4,700 acres of State and County lands. The Natural Area is traversed by Cache Creek, with its year-round water flow. Elevation ranges from 3200 feet atop Brushy Sky High, down to 600 feet in the eastern end of Cache Creek along State Route 16. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ukiah/cachecreek.html Don't forget about...Great California Road Trips, by Oh Ranger! The guide is the result of a partnership between the BLM and American Park Network. The guide is a wonderful resource for those planning a trip to the Golden State or for the armchair traveller who just wants to learn about places less known but worth visiting. The guide is free but regular shipping charges apply. Order a free guide here:  http://publiclands.org/ RELATED: The "Alcatraz of Lighthouses" (BLM Website) The Punta Gorda Light Station was known as the "Alcatraz of lighthouses" because of its inaccessibility and because Light House Service employees were supposedly exiled there because of misconduct. http://www.ca.blm.gov/gbld

On BLM and DOI Social Media Pages.... BLM California Facebook Photo Post The Bureau of Land Management - Nevada and Bureau of Land Management - California have teamed up to develop ways to conserve habitat for the Greater SageGrouse. In the coming months we will be releasing a draft environmental impact statement and holding public workshops designed to assist people with providing comments on the draft. http://www.ca.blm.gov/wbld BLM National Facebook Photo PostCaption This! photo entitled "Fly cap for a vine snake" from Mother Nature Network... http://www.ca.blm.gov/xbld My Public Lands Instagram Post King Range National Conservation Area -- California. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM. The Northern California Coastline is often shrouded in fog, especially in summer. Mountaintop locations offer excellent opportunities to get above the fog layer for some great photo opportunities. This image was taken at sunset when the sun was illuminating the top of the fog bank with a deep orange glow. The KingRange National Conservation Area -- Camera Settings: Lens focal length: 24mm, aperture: f16, shutter speed: 1/20 second, ISO 100.  http://instagram.com/p/dfcHPdnIov/ -For more photo tips follow on Instagram: http://mypubliclands.tumblr.com/ Department of Interior Facebook Post:  You won't want to miss this time-lapse video of the #Yosemite #RimFire from Yosemite National Park. https://www.facebook.com/USInterior#!/photo.php?v=556985534349733

WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK

What on earth is a Spadefoot? (a) a bird (b) a weasel (c) a frog (d) a toad (e) an angler who digs worms to use for bait See answer - and more wildlife stories - near the end of this News.bytes.

SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS BLM Schedules Public Comment Meetings for Palen Solar Project (BLM Website) The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has scheduled two public comment meetings to address the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) for the Palen Solar Electric Generating System (PSEGS).  http://www.ca.blm.gov/tbld Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. UC Riverside Palm Desert Center Thursday, Sept. 19, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Palo Verde College Sept. 18-19: Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Steering Committee Meets (BLM Website) Natural resource conservation topics northeast California's Warner Mountains and northwest Nevada's high desert are on the agenda for a field tour and meeting of the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Steering Committee, Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 18 and 19. The public is welcome. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2013/september/experimentalstewardshipmtg.html EXTENDED DEADLINE: Sept. 17, 2013: Wilderness Forever Photo Contest (Nature's Best Photography) The Wilderness50 coalition, distinguished panel of judges (see list below), the Smithsonian Institution, and the team at Nature's Best Photography now invite photographers at all levels of experience to enter the new "Wilderness Forever" photography competition. This nationwide call for entries seeks your best photos and personal stories and experiences within America's protected wilderness areas. http://www.naturesbestphotography.com/wilderness.php RELATED: BLM California Field Offices are planning local events and it's not too late to get involved with the Wilderness50 Celebrations. (Wilderness50 Website) Check out the national map of events at: http://www.wilderness50th.org/

WILDFIRES AND PREVENTION Fire in Yosemite Offers Forest Management Lessons  (San Francisco Chronicle, 09/3/13) The Rim Fire, now the largest fire in recorded Sierra Nevada history, is a treasure trove of information for scientists studying the effects of forest management techniques. That's because it burned through a variety of different landscapes, including chaparral-covered canyons, newly planted tree plots, previously burned areas and dense forests.  http://www.ca.blm.gov/bbld Rim Fire in Yosemite Now 4th Worst in State History, but San Diego Firestorms' Devastation Toll Not Likely to be Topped (East County Magazine, 09/01/13) The Rim Fire burning in Yosemite National Park has charred over 225,000 acres. Investigators have not yet determined the cause, but illegal marijuana growing operations are suspected.  http://eastcountymagazine.org/node/13907 Federal Funds for Firefighting Running Low (Desert Sun, 09/1/13) The Obama administration is running out of money to fight wildfires in the fall and Congress is under increasing pressure to find extra funds quickly and provide a steady stream of cash for a long-term effort to prevent blazes before they start.  http://www.ca.blm.gov/cbld Wildfire Control Campaign (Idyllwild Town Crier, 08/31/13) The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other land management agencies have a new fire safety campaign in California. The One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire campaign provides constant reminders during this fire season to reduce the numbers of human-caused vehicle and equipment wildfires throughout the state. http://idyllwildtowncrier.com/2013/08/31/wildfire-control-campaign-3/ RELATED: The One Less Spark - One Less Wildfire Campaign (PreventWildfireCA.Org Website) BLM California is one of the interagency partners involved in the fire prevention campaign to educate Californians about how to prevent wildfires. http://www.preventwildfireca.org/OneLessSpark/

HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS BLM to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Blythe Solar Power Project (Palo Verde Valley Times, 09/04/13) The Bureau of Land Management published a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Right of Way Amendment for the Blythe Solar Power Project, Riverside County. The Blythe Solar Power Project (BSPP) was fully permitted and approved as a 1,000 megawatt (MW) solar thermal generating plant in 2010. http://www.ca.blm.gov/qbld Sea Otters Boost Seagrass by Protecting Algae-Eating Sea Slugs  (Los Angeles Times, 08/26/13) Fertilizer runoff has led to a global decline in seagrass meadows, which provide crucial habitat forfish. But thanks to sea otters, these meadows areflourishing in Elkhorn Slough, a major estuary in Monterey Bay, scientists say.  http://www.ca.blm.gov/fbld RELATED: California Coastal National Monument (BLM Website) National Monument comprises more than 20,000 small islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles between Mexico and Oregon. The scenic qualities and critical habitat of this public resource are protected as part of the National Landscape Conservation System (National Conservation Lands), administered by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/nm/ccnm.html UPDATED: Desert Center Plane Crash Claims the Lives of Two Blythe Men  (Palo Verde Valley Times, 08/27/13) A plane crash in the Desert Center area on Monday, afternoon claimed the lives of two Blythe men. A Colorado River Station sheriff's deputy and a Bureau of Land Management ranger were patrolling the Desert Center area when they witnessed the small plane flying out of control and crash in the desert area east of Kaiser Road between Lake Tamarisk and the First Solar energy site. http://www.ca.blm.gov/rbld GLAMIS: Fee Increase Slated for Dunes (Riverside Press Democrat, 08/23/13) Off-road vehicle user fees at Glamis sand dunes will increase starting Oct. 1, the Bureau of Land Management announced Friday, Aug. 23. http://www.ca.blm.gov/nbld

NATIONAL, OTHER STATE AND DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS Secretary Jewell to Deliver Keynote Address at Native Hawaiian Convention (DOI Website, 09/03/13) U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell delivers the keynote address at the 12th Annual Native Hawaiian Convention in Honolulu, HI. In her remarks, the Secretary underscores the importance of Native Hawaiian issues within Interior, and the special oversight role the Department has for the Native Hawaiian community. http://www.ca.blm.gov/1bld Secretary Jewell to Hold Media Availability on Alaska Trip, Climate Science Research(DOI Website, 08/30/13) Following a briefing from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on the Alaska Climate Science Center and the Alaska Mapping Initiative, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell holds a media availability in Anchorage. http://www.ca.blm.gov/zbld This Week at Interior August 30, 2013 (DOI Website) This week: Crowds brave rainy skies to turn out on the National Mall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington; the raging Rim Fire continues to threaten Yosemite National Park... http://youtu.be/-0y5ODRYT4c Secretary Jewell to Lead U.S. Delegation at Pacific Islands Forum Dialogue (DOI Website, 08/29/13) Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell leads the U.S. government delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum Post Forum Dialogue in Majuro, the Republic of the Marshall Islands. http://www.ca.blm.gov/0bld

WILDLIFE TRIVIA answer and related websites What on earth is a Spadefoot?(d) a toad RELATED: "Spea hammondii, Western Spadefoot Toad" (US. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center) Information and two photos. http://www.werc.usgs.gov/OLDsitedata/fieldguide/scha.htm

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News.bytes published by
Bureau of Land Management
California State Office
2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1834
Sacramento, Ca 95825
(916) 978-4600