BLM California News.Bytes Issue 956

View as a webpage

news bytes - bureau of land management california
Painted Lady butterfly

Painted Lady butterfly in Owens Peak Wilderness, Ridgecrest Field Office

ISSUE 956- June 25, 2021

Recreation and Public Access

Cattle graze in a green field with the ocean in the background.

Bureau of Land Management approves new access to California Coastal National Monument

Hiking, biking, horseback riding and bird-watching are just some of the planned activities the public will be able to enjoy at Cotoni-Coast Dairies – one of the latest additions to the California Coastal National Monument. A finalized management plan released this week will guide the use of nearly 6,000 acres of coastal-facing public lands. (BLM CA News Release)


A waterfall in Laguna Mountains.

Great Outdoors Month

The Laguna Mountain Area, @BLMca, consists of somewhat rugged terrain with rolling hills covered in dense brush. Laguna Creek flows through the area most of the year, accompanied by a series of scenic waterfalls in the Gorge. #ReimaginePublicLands. (BLM Twitter)

Hikers.

Be Prepared for Hot Weather in California and Beat the Heat

Summer heat is here! Always make sure to check the weather, pack extra water, and wear appropriate clothing. Explore more heat safety tips at
@Cal_OES's site. (BLM CA Twitter)

Hikers crossing a stream.

Trailhead Host program at the Black Sands Beach and Mattole Trailheads

The BLM King Range National Conservation Area in collaboration with the King Range Alliance has started a Trailhead Host program to offer important information to backpackers and day use visitors at the Black Sands Beach and Mattole Trailheads along the Lost Coast. (BLM CA Facebook)


Headlines & Highlights

Water flows in a creek.

The Bureau of Land Management welcomes public input on Cottonwood Creek Wild and Scenic River Draft Comprehensive Management Plan

The Bureau of Land Management Ridgecrest Field Office, in partnership with the Inyo National Forest, is seeking public comments on a Comprehensive River Management Plan for the Cottonwood Wild and Scenic River in Inyo County. (BLM CA News Release)

Win turbine on a lake.

BLM Releases Draft Environmental Analysis for the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility Project

The Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility Project located in Riverside County. Publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register initiates a 45-day public comment period. (BLM CA News Release)

 AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region Team Green 6 working.

AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region completes projects on public lands

This month, AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region Team Green 6 completes 10 months of service on BLM California managed lands. The team worked on over a dozen projects in ten Field Offices across the state. This month we share a series of reflections and insights the team garnered during their months of service on public lands. (BLM CA Facebook)

A wild horse.

The BLM and USFS seek nominations to fill vacancies on National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service are seeking nominations to fill three positions on the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. The Board plays an important role in the efforts of both agencies to be good neighbors in states where the BLM and USFS oversee wild free-roaming horses and burros. The Board advises the agencies on the protection and management of wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands administered by those agencies. (BLM News Release


Fire & Fuels Management

A photo of the new fire dashboard.

Introducing the new BLM California Wildfire Dashboard

BLM California is announcing the new BLM California Wildfire Dashboard. This dashboard provides the public with live wildfire incident information, BLM California fire restrictions, and temporary closures. (BLM CA Twitter)

A column of smoke rises above the Alabama Hills.

Alabama Hills evacuated due to wildland fire danger

Due to wildland fire danger from the nearby Alabama Fire, the Inyo County Sheriff has issued a CodeRED Alert to campers and recreationists to evacuate the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area near Lone Pine, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office. The BLM, in cooperation with the California Highway Patrol, Inyo County Sheriff, Inyo National Forest and CalFire directed outdoor enthusiasts to leave the Alabama Hills and advised them not to return until the fire danger has subsided. (BLM CA News Release)

A house with a red sky behind it.

Make your home wildfire defensible

Building a strong defense against wildland fires starts at home. Our partners @NFPA say that over the past decade the number of structures lost in wildfires has increased by 163% per year. Learn more (U.S. Forest Service Twitter)

Firefighters and a fire engine.

'Fire season' becomes year-round, forcing National Interagency Fire Center to transition seasonal employees to full-time

The National Interagency Fire Center or NIFC announced it's making a big workforce transformation. The transformation is to make the typical seasonal job a year-round, full-time one. That’s because wildfires are no longer burning during a season but are active year-round. (KTVB7)

Related: NIFC upgrades to Preparedness Level 4 for fourth time in 20 years. (CBS2)

A spectacular meeting of land and sea at King Range National Conservation Area in CA. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.

BLM California Fire Restrictions

BLM California fire restrictions or temporary public land closures are used to reduce the risk of wildfires and protect the public. Often times these preventative measures focus on human-related activities, such as campfires, off-road driving, equipment use and recreational target shooting, since human-related activities are the number one cause of a wildfires. BLM Arcata, Bakersfield, Bishop, Mother Lode, Redding, and Ukiah field offices have issued seasonal fire restrictions. (BLM CA Web)


Question of the Week - Wildlife

A bee on a flower.

Pollinators in the form of bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles provide vital but often invisible services, from supporting terrestrial wildlife and plant communities, to supporting healthy watersheds.

Yes or No. To bee or not to bee?

Keep scrolling to find out!


DOI & BLM National News

A native American girl sitting looking out on a field.

Secretary Haaland Announces Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a comprehensive review of the troubled legacy of federal boarding school policies. (DOI News Release)  

The Bobcat Draw Badlands WSA in Wyoming encompasses 17,150 acres of BLM-administered land and 1,390 acres of state land. BLM photo by Bob Wick.

Keep our 75th celebration going, keep coming to the public lands

We are midway through celebrating the Bureau of Land Management’s  75th anniversary and meanwhile there’s optimism that the worst days of the pandemic are over. Americans are breaking in new hiking boots, respooling fishing reels, and tuning their bikes to answer the call of summer activity. (BLM Medium)

Shenadoah national park sunshine

Secretary Haaland Announces $529.3 Million to Support Vital Community Services

Today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced more than 1,900 local governments around the country will receive $529.3 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding for 2021. (DOI News Release)

Black and white photos of Indian boarding school students.

This Week at Interior June 25, 2021

Secretary Haaland announces a Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to review the troubled legacy of federal boarding school policies; the Secretary joins award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma to encourage all Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19; the week of June 21st is proclaimed National Pollinator Week; the Federal Duck Stamp contest may be getting new rules; and a slow but steady tortoise makes its way into our social media Picture of the Week! (DOI Video)

Question of the Week Answer

Yes. To bee! Native bees pollinate plants like cherries, blueberries and cranberries, and were here long before European honeybees were brought here by settlers. Honeybees are well known for pollinating almond and lemon trees, okra, papaya and watermelon plants. But native bees are estimated to pollinate 80 percent of flowering plants around the world. According to the USDA, bees of all sorts pollinate approximately 75 percent of the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United States, and one out of every four bites of food people take is courtesy of bee pollination. In sum, bee pollination is responsible for more than $15 billion in increased crop value each year. https://www.usgs.gov/news/it-s-national-pollinator-week-get-buzz-usgs-pollinator-research

Source: USGS.gov

facebooktwitterflickryoutubeinstagramtumblr