News.bytes 531 - BLM California

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From: BLM CA Newsbytes <reply-183567@elabs10.com>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 14:38:31 -0700
Subject: News.bytes 531 - BLM California
To: guyperea@gmail.com

News.bytes
A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California

Issue 531 - 5/18/12

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THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:
- America's Great Outdoors
- Get Outdoors tip of the week
- Wild horses and burros
- Wildfires and prevention
- Not for educators only: Wildlife trivia question of the week
- Renewable energy
- Traditional energy/Fracking
- Headlines and highlights: Assorted topics from your public lands in California
- Selected upcoming events
- National and Department of the Interior items

If this message does not show up properly in your email, see it online at:
www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/2012/531.html


AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS

"Obama Administration to hire 20,000 young people for summer work on
public lands" (Department of the Interior, 5/18/12)
In response to President Obama's call to expand opportunities for
summer employment for young people and connect them with the great
outdoors, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Chair of the White House
Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley today highlighted summer
work opportunities for more than 20,000 young people, ages 15-25, in
national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges and other public
lands.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,bj1v,3160,283f,37zd

"Trail days teaches students about wilderness" (Paradise Post, 5/12/12)
A group of fifth graders "spent a few days in the wilderness learning
how to take care of the forest .... how to identify local vegetation
and how to protect their community from fire danger, while learning a
few personal fire safety tips .... The students worked with local
firefighters and Bureau of Land Management crews throughout the 3-day
event. In the spirit of teamwork, the youngsters were taught logging
exercises like how to use a misery whip, which is a two-man saw. The
students were also taken on a nature hike and taught about plants and
wildlife common to the area .... With the help of the California
Conservation Corps, the youths were also taught a little bit about
discipline. "
www.paradisepost.com/news/ci_20610229/trail-days-teaches-students-about-wilderness

"Children learn about environment during 'In the Creek Day'" (Lake
County News, 5/13/12)
"Four elementary schools sent a total of 160 fourth graders to a
natural setting by Putah Creek ... to learn about the environment and
how to take care of it." In the Creek Day is "a springtime event which
gives children demonstrations of various aspects of the environment
and how to be good stewards." Educators included the BLM's Jeff
Tunnell, who taught about fire safety.
www.ca.blm.gov/4dkd

"Secretary Salazar, CEQ Chair Sutley will speak at Fort Ord dedication
ceremony" (Department of the Interior, 5/16/12)
On Saturday, May 19, 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and
White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley will
speak at the dedication ceremony for the recently established Fort Ord
National Monument.
www.ca.blm.gov/ffkd

RELATED: "Fort Ord National Monument" (BLM California)
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/hollister/fort_ord/index.html

"BLM to open Trinity River campgrounds" (BLM, 5/14/12)
The Junction City and Steel Bridge campgrounds will be first to open
on May 21, followed by the Douglas City Campground on May 24.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/blm_to_open_trinity.html

"America's Great Outdoors: Salazar Designates National Natural
Landmarks in California, West Virginia" (Department of the Interior,
5/18/12)
As part of the 50th anniversary of the National Natural Landmarks
Program this month, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has
designated Lake Shasta Caverns, a pristine cave in northern
California, and Ice Mountain, an unusual geological phenomenon called
glacière talus in West Virginia, as national natural landmarks.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,1ozk,38m1,283f,37zd

The Volcanic Tablelands ... offer exceptional recreation. Its unique
geologic features were formed by the eruption of the Long Valley
Caldera 750,000 years ago. Through time, this once barren tableau has
evolved to support a unique and fragile environment that takes time –
and a keen eye -- to appreciate. The Volcanic Tablelands is at the
ecological cusp of the Northern Mojave and Great Basin floristic
provinces, where plants and associated wildlife species combine to
make this an unusual and biologically diverse landscape. It has taken
millennia for this environment to evolve, and it will take responsible
recreational users to preserve it into perpetuity -- so enjoy and
protect this place. Donated public service video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgnQYGx695w&feature=relmfu

RELATED: "Volcanic Tablelands"(BLM Bishop Field Office)
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop/volcanictablelands_caso.html

"Military families to get free pass to national parks" (CNN, 5/15/12)
"Members of the U.S. military and their families are now eligible for
free passes to national parks and monuments as part of a program timed
to celebrate Armed Forces Day on Saturday, the White House announced
.... The passes normally costs $80 and cover admission to 2,000
locations managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and other
federal agencies. Under the program, military members and their
dependents will only need to show Defense Department identification to
get the free passes."
www.cnn.com/2012/05/15/us/us-parks-military/index.html




GET OUTDOORS TIP OF THE WEEK...
...Come out to watch adopters and their mustangs compete in the
Extreme Mustang Makeover in Norco. The event begins May 18 and
continues through May 20. Guests are encouraged to come watch
competitions Friday and Saturday with free admission, and to see the
winners in the finals Saturday night, with a ticket required.
Adoptions will be held Sunday, May 20.
www.extrememustangmakeover.com/norco.php



WILD HORSES AND BURROS

"Nurturing nature" (Coos Bay World, 5/12/12)
Beads of sweat trickle slowly down Dave Swisher's forehead as he
removes his white cowboy hat and takes a deep sigh. The mustang to his
left stays fixated on his every move,pushing her nose gently toward
his face while he kisses her head and whispers softly in her ear."
Swisher will compete in Albany Oregon June 29 to July 1, in an Extreme
Mustang Makeover challenge that "pits 50 trainers from Oregon,
Washington, Montana and northern California against each other.
Trainers are given a wild mustang that is captured from different
herds across the West. Ten of the trainers, including Swisher, were
given two mustangs." Includes video.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,cgck,18sr,283f,37zd

RELATED: "Wild horse and burro adoptions 2012" (BLM California)
This schedule is subject to change. Please check back or call the
contact numbers listed.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/adoptions.html

"BLM sets hearing on vehicle, aircraft use in Wild Horse and Burro
Program"(BLM, 5/17/12)
The use of aircraft and motor vehicles in wild horse and burro
management on public lands will be discussed in a public hearing
Tuesday, June 5 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in Sacramento. At the hearing,
participants can provide written comments or make statements about the
use of motorized vehicles in managing wild horses and burros by the
BLM California. The BLM periodically gathers and removes wild horses
and burros from public lands to maintain populations in balance with
other range users, and to ensure that rangeland forage and water
sources are not over-used. BLM California manages two adoption
facilities, in Ridgecrest and Litchfield, and holds adoptions
throughout the state.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/CASO126_aircraftmtg.html

"Deadline for submitting comments on planned wild horse roundup
extended" (Sacramento Bee, 5/17/12)
The BLM "has extended the deadline for submitting comments on a
proposed roundup of wild horses in northeast California and northwest
Nevada" until May 24. The BLM is "considering roundups of wild horses
in November from federal ranges in the Buckhorn and Coppersmith areas
in Lassen County and across the state line in Washoe County, Nevada.
Roundups for the Carter Reservoir area, in Modoc and Washoe counties,
are tentatively scheduled for July 2013."
www.sacbee.com/2012/05/17/4495941/deadline-for-submitting-comments.html

"BLM to begin gather of wild burros from Cibola-Trigo Herd Management
Area in Arizona" (BLM Arizona, 5/14/12)
The BLM's Yuma Field Office plans to begin gathering 350 burros from
the Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area north of Yuma, Arizona, on
Monday, June 4, 2012. BLM expects the gather to last approximately two
weeks. The gather is part of ongoing management to maintain a healthy
population of wild burros and horses on public lands in balance with
their environment.
www.blm.gov/az/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/CF-gather-june.html

"Feds can't sideline horse roundup evidence" (Courthouse News Service, 5/14/12)
"A federal judge may block an agency's plan to castrate wild stallions
and return them to public lands after finding that it used an email
error to 'remain studiously ignorant of material scientific
evidence'."
www.courthousenews.com/2012/05/14/46464.htm




WILDFIRES AND PREVENTION

"BLM issues fire restrictions for public lands" (BLM, 5/15/12)
The BLM issued fire restrictions on public lands in the California
desert, including requiring permits for campfires and barbecues. A
prolific growth of highly flammable invasive grasses ensuing from last
year's above-normal rainfall, followed by this year's below-normal
rainfall, have resulted in a landscape of completely cured holdover
grasses that are very combustible.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/cddfirerestrictions.html

"Whitewater Canyon closures in effect for fire prevention" (BLM, 5/16/12)
The BLM has temporarily closed more than 4,000 acres of public land in
Whitewater Canyon to help protect its valued landscape from potential
wildfires. The Whitewater Preserve operated by the Wildlands
Conservancy remains open.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/CDD1248_whitwtrfireclose.html

"Fire restrictions announced for BLM in western Arizona" (BLM Arizona, 5/11/12)
To protect the public, natural resources, and reduce the risks of
wildfires, the BLM Colorado River District has announced fire
restrictions on 2.5 million acres of public lands in western Arizona
and southeastern California along the Colorado River.
www.blm.gov/az/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/fire_restrictions.html

"Crews getting ready for increasing fire risk" (BLM, 5/17/12)
With Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, area fire agencies
are cautioning northstate residents and visitors to be careful with
any outdoor use of fire. Officials at the Susanville Interagency Fire
Center (SIFC) said vegetation is drying quickly due to light winter
precipitation and recent warm and windy days.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,j6l9,kcsa,283f,37zd

"Ex-military train with California Conservation Corps near Auburn for
firefighting" (Auburn Journal, 5/11/12)
"Fifty military veterans are completing initial firefighter training
from the California Conservation Corps and the U.S. Forest Service" at
the corps' Placer Center near Auburn. "The joint training partnership
is intended to ease the veterans' transition from military service to
the civilian workforce .... Born and raised in Auburn and out of the
Army since late January, 23-year-old program participant Jason
Howerton described the training, with potential employers like the
Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management looking on, as a
'fantastic opportunity'."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,3zf6,8a5h,283f,37zd

"Arizona wildfires: 2nd community evacuated near Gladiator Fire"
(Arizona Republic, 5/18/12)
"The Gladiator Fire continues to blacken the Bradshaw Mountains,
forcing a second community to evacuate and two more to be put on
notice for a possible evacuation .... The Gladiator Fire has consumed
almost 10,000 acres and was 5 percent contained, according to fire
officials Friday morning. More than 600 firefighters are working to
control the blaze."
www.ca.blm.gov/nfkd

RELATED: "Fires around Arizona - May 2012" (Arizona Republic, 5/17/12)
Photos from the firefighting effort in Arizona, including BLM firefighters.
www.azcentral.com/photo/News/Breaking/22366

"Take responsibility..." (California Fire Alliance)
In California, the number of homes and businesses are growing in the
Wildland Urban Interface – and fire is an increasing threat. Reduce
your home's fire danger and prevent wildfires from spreading by taking
responsibility today.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,116g,55i0,283f,37zd




NOT for EDUCATORS ONLY:


northern leopard frogs


WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK:
Northern leopard frogs:
(a.) Lay thousands of eggs in a year.
(b.) Lay eggs in other frog's nests, for them to raise.
(c.) Give birth to live tadpoles.
(d.) Can jump up to 25 feet.
(e.) Change colors, depending on their surroundings.
(f.) Are set to costar as the secondary character, "Splat" in the
upcoming movie based on the video game Frogger.
See answer near the end of this News.bytes.




Correction to link: News.bytes issue 529 included a link that worked
internally, but not when emailed to our readers or posted on our web
site. Here is the corrected link:
GET OUTDOORS TIP OF THE WEEK...
...visit the Pit River, the largest river in Northeastern California.
This isolated area is one of the most unique and aesthetic camping
spots around. Pit River provides other recreational activities such as
hiking, biking and sightseeing.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/alturas/pit_river.html




RENEWABLE ENERGY

"Ocotillo wind project advances despite tribal objections" (San Diego
Union-Tribune, 5/12/12)
The Interior Department "approved the construction of a large-scale
wind energy project across 10,000 acres of public lands on the
outskirts of the desert town of Ocotillo .... over the objection of
Native American tribal officials who remain concerned about the
aesthetic impact of the project on ancestral lands and the potential
for disturbing cultural and archaeological artifacts, including
possible cremation sites. The Bureau of Land Management said it worked
closely with Native American tribes and neighboring residents to
minimize impacts of the project."
www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/may/12/ocotillo-wind-project-advances-despite-tribal-obje/

RELATED: "Bureau of Land Management blesses Ocotillo Express wind
turbine project" (Imperial Valley Press, 5/12/12)
"The announcement comes about two weeks after the Board of Supervisors
approved the project amidst heavy opposition from the Viejas Band of
Kumeyaay Indians, the Quechan Tribe, environmentalists and some
Ocotillo residents who appealed for the project's denial."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,7mw7,ari7,283f,37zd

RELATED: "Interior Approves Ocotillo Express Wind Project in Imperial
County, California" (BLM, 5/11/12)
The 315-megawatt wind energy facility on more than 10,000 acres of
public lands near Ocotillo is expected to provide enough electricity
to power 94,500 homes and create up to 350 jobs at peak construction.
The project is expected offset approximately 288,000 metric tons of
greenhouse gas emissions per year.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/CASO127_ocotillo_ROD.html

RELATED: "Tribe seeks injunction to stop desert wind energy project"
(KPBS, 5/16/12)
The Quechan Indian Tribe complaint "says the U.S. Department of the
Interior violated various federal laws when it recently approved
construction of the wind turbines. The 315-megawatt project is planned
for nearly 20 square miles of public land, some of which the Quechan
and several other tribes claim is sacred."
www.kpbs.org/news/2012/may/16/tribe-seeks-injunction-stop-desert-wind-project/

"Aging wind farms in need of a modern makeover" (Palm Springs Desert
Sun, 5/13/12)
"The end of a key federal tax incentive for the wind industry could
put a damper on much-needed wind turbine replacement efforts ... just
as many of the region's iconic windmills are hitting the upper limit
of their 30-year lifespan ..... geology and weather make the San
Gorgonio Pass the prime wind region that it is .... The total number
of turbines in the pass right now is something of a moving target, due
to the ebb and flow of new and repowered projects and farms currently
out of commission. The pass covers about 5,500 acres, of which 3,589
acres are public land...."
www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012205130357

"Bureau of Land Management plans to trim solar plant's impact on
environment" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5/14/12)
"At 1,208 acres, the Desert Harvest solar project is already the
smallest of the large-scale solar plants proposed for public land east
of the Coachella Valley." But the BLM "wants to cut down the
150-megawatt photovoltaic plant by 164 acres, while allowing the
project developer enXco to use 'high-profile' racks that would raise
the panels 15 feet off the ground." The enXco project "would produce
enough power for about 45,000 homes."
www.ca.blm.gov/gfkd

"Artifact finds slow Genesis project" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 5/14/12)
"Work has been halted on approximately 100 acres of the 1,800-acre
Genesis solar project between Desert Center and Blythe, following the
discovery of "widely dispersed artifacts," many of which may date to
before A.D. 1000, according to the federal Bureau of Land Management."
www.mydesert.com/article/20120515/NEWS07/205150305/Artifact-finds-slow-Genesis-solar-project

"Blythe: Company scales back solar project" (Riverside
Press-Enterprise, 5/11/12)
"BrightSource Energy Co. says it is downsizing plans for a large-scale
solar development in eastern Riverside County near the Colorado
River," from three to two "power towers .... the change would shrink
the footprint by 1,800 acres, reduce the visual impacts, eliminate a
need to reroute Imperial Irrigation District transmission lines and
speed up construction. Most of the land involved is owned by
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California." The company needs
approval from the California Energy Commission and the BLM.
www.ca.blm.gov/hfkd

"BLM sets public meetings for solar project near El Centro" (BLM, 5/15/12)
The BLM announced public presentations in El Centro on Wednesday, May
23 for the proposed San Diego Gas and Electric Ocotillo Sol solar
energy project in Imperial County for public review and comment. The
presentations will highlight the draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the proposed application for a right-of-way on public lands to
construct a solar photovoltaic power plant facility on about 115 acres
nine miles southwest of El Centro and 82 miles east of San Diego.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/ocotillo_sol_public.html

"Mojave Desert: Lawmakers assist solar project"(Riverside
Press-Enterprise, 5/11/12)
California lawmakers approved legislation "that would allow a solar
development planned on public land in a remote valley east of Barstow
to avoid local environmental reviews. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the
legislation, the project can be approved by the California Energy
Commission and won't be subjected to the permitting process that would
have been required by San Bernardino County." The 4,000-acre Calico
development site is on BLM-managed lands about 37 miles east of
Barstow. "Environmental groups oppose the project because the land is
largely undisturbed and is home to desert tortoises and other
wildlife."
www.ca.blm.gov/jfkd

"Mitigation meditation -- the solar trade-offs" (Palm Springs Desert
Sun, 5/15/12)
Mitigation is "a word often used in environmental impact reports for
large-scale solar projects, such as the 150-megawatt Desert Harvest
project being planned for 1,000-1,200 acres of open desert .... when
it comes to lessening the impacts of solar, it seems there are two
basic classes of mitigations -- direct, onsite actions and indirect,
offsite actions .... In fact, it would probably be better to use the
word compensate -- to counterbalance, or to make an appropriate,
counterbalancing payment -- in such cases."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,6brh,anrr,283f,37zd

"Solar Energy: Lawmakers grill executives over loan program"
(Riverside Press-Enterprise, 5/16/12)
"A controversial federal loan program that brought billions of dollars
to solar energy projects in Riverside and San Bernardino counties has
again come under fire from GOP lawmakers who say they have new
evidence showing that the funding decisions were wrongfully
intertwined with politics. A panel of executives from major solar
development firms sought to counter the accusations during a heated
hearing Wednesday, May 16. They said the projects earned federal loan
guarantees on their merits and remain on track."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,9j7s,l4do,283f,37zd




TRADITIONAL ENERGY/FRACKING

"Science And The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers" (NPR at KUNC
Colorado, 5/17/12 and earlier)
A series of stories: "A natural gas boom is underway in the U.S., with
more than 200,000 wells drilled in the last decade .... residents who
live close to the natural gas bonanza have the same questions: What
kind of pollutants is the industrial activity putting into their water
and air, and are those pollutants making them sick? NPR's science desk
& KUNC explore why there aren't solid answers to those questions
yet..."
www.kunc.org/topic/science-and-fracking-boom-missing-answers

"Fracking meeting ends early for lack of comments" (Bakersfield
Californian, 5/17/12)
"More than 75 people" attended a listening session on hydraulic
fracturing held by the California Department of Conservation -- the
first in a seven-city "fracking tour" running through late July. But
"most of the public comments came from a relatively few industry
spokespeople" who said "fracking is already guided by strict rules
governing well construction" and "a vital practice within California
oil production" and asked "why the state was drafting new rules to
begin with, and what scope these regulations might have.
www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x84912920/Fracking-meeting-ends-early-for-lack-of-comments

"Oil companies agree to post fracking data" (Bakersfield Californian, 5/15/12)
"Kern County's biggest oil producers, consenting to a request by state
regulators, have agreed to share information about their fracking
operations by the end of June, executives with a leading industry
trade group said Tuesday."
www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x243433713/Oil-companies-agree-to-post-fracking-data

"Oil industry says it will report California 'fracking' information"
(Sacramento Bee, 5/16/12)
"On the eve of a series of public hearings on hydraulic fracturing, a
controversial but little-regulated method of oil extraction in
California, an industry group said Tuesday that its members will
voluntarily post information about their "fracking" operations on a
disclosure website, Frac Focus, likely by the end of June."
www.sacbee.com/2012/05/16/4492835/oil-industry-says-it-will-report.html



HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS

"Company wants to tap Mojave's public lands for Southland water" (Los
Angeles Times, 5/16/12)
Cadiz, Inc. wants to sell "ancient desert groundwater" to southern
California cities. "Federal lands surround the 34,000 acres the
company owns .... a half-dozen congressionally designated wilderness
areas are close by" and Mojave National Preserve is about 15 miles
away. The plan would use "a public resource" for "private profit,
blazing a new -- and some warn ominous -- path in the state …. Cadiz
has lined up new customers, released a thick pile of environmental
documents and hired one of the West's most powerful law firms ....
Cadiz argues that it does not need federal approval because its
pipeline route follows an existing railroad right-of-way. But a recent
Interior Department solicitor's opinion held that railroads cannot
authorize activities in their federal right-of-ways 'that bear no
relationship to the construction or operation of a railroad'."
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-water-cadiz-20120516,0,391990.story

"Popular Dumont Dunes OHV Area helps NASA prepare for Mars
exploration" (News.bytes Extra)
NASA scientists are using the popular Dumont Dunes OHV area to test
how their Curiosity rover will navigate similar terrain on Mars.
Curiosity was launched on November 26, 2011 and will travel an
estimated 354 million miles before reaching Gale Crater on Mars, later
this year.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/531xtra_nasa_dumont_dunes.html

"BLM names Burke acting manager of Cedarville Office"(BLM, 5/16/12)
Tim Burke, manager of the BLM's Alturas Field Office, has been
appointed acting manager for the neighboring Surprise Field Office in
Cedarville, Calif. Burke will fill in behind Allen Bollschweiler, who
became manager of the BLM Grants Pass, Ore. field office. Burke will
retain his responsibilities managing the BLM Alturas Field Office
while he provides management support in Cedarville.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/blm_names_burke_acting.html

"Carrizo Plain National Monument Advisory Council plans June meeting"
(BLM, 5/16/12)
The BLM's Carrizo Plain National Monument Advisory Council will meet
June 30 at the Carrisa Plains Elementary School to discuss management
planning for the monument.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/carrizo_mac_meeting.html

"BLM El Centro Field Office honors local law enforcement" (News.bytes Extra)
The office kicked off National Police Week by joining forces with
local law enforcement agencies in the Imperial Valley, starting with a
a law enforcement family day picnic and memorial run to honor officers
and their families, hosted by the United States Border Patrol El
Centro Sector. The day started with a 28-mile relay race, with each
team running in honor of a fallen law enforcement officer. The
celebration continued with a fair for all law enforcement officers and
their families, with activities and booths set up to educate, inform,
and engage officers and their children.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/531xtra_blm_natl_police_week.html

"Digital 395 crosses another hurdle" (Mammoth Times, 5/15/12)
The 583-mile long Digital 395 Broadband Project would run fiber cables
through the Eastern Sierra between Barstow and Reno, "with many
service connections to schools, hospitals, government agencies and
other critical facilities along the way," and "very high levels of
broadband" to more than 35 communities, "most of which have either no
or very poor access to the internet today." The BLM is involved in
permits for the project.
www.mammothtimes.com/content/raw-digital-395-crosses-another-hurdle

"Tribe discusses park land swap proposal" (Del Norte Triplicate, 5/17/12)
"The Yurok Tribe would like to manage federal lands that were
historically used for Yurok ceremonial purposes, but loose ends remain
on how that could be done." The tribe proposes "to co-manage 1,204
acres of Redwood National Park land and 1,229 acres of U.S. Forest
Service land" and "put into trust Redding Rock, a sea stack off the
coast of Orick" managed by the BLM, "on which the tribe has "a
stewardship and management role .... Another 324 acres of BLM land
scattered in separate parcels near the Hoopa Reservation would also be
put into trust as part of the legislation."
www.triplicate.com/News/Local-News/Tribe-discusses-park-land-swap-proposal

"Taking care of our local watershed is top priority"(Redwood Times, 5/15/12)
"Water Day II drew a lively crowd of scientists, river advocates and
homesteaders to the Mateel Community Center on Sunday, May 6." Among
the presenters was a civil engineer with the BLM, who "talked about
the impact of road building and heavy equipment excavation on
watercourses. He has been witness to the damage done by large cartel
marijuana grows in the mountains...."
www.redwoodtimes.com/garbervillenews/ci_20628805/taking-care-our-local-watershed-is-top-priority

"Law enforcement planning to make big splash on river this weekend"
(Mohave Valley Daily News, 5/17/12)
The BLM will join other agencies on the Colorado River system this
weekend, "enforcing Arizona's OUI legal limit of a 0.08 blood-alcohol
content." "A large number of boating accidents involve alcohol," said
an Arizona Game & Fish Department spokeswoman. "Removing impaired
boaters from the waterways is a critical element in creating a safe,
enjoyable recreational environment .... we share these waterways with
California and Nevada. It's becoming very congested, which lends
itself to more potential hazards."
www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2012/05/17/news/local/doc4fb49d593ee96996908989.txt

JOBS
"Current job openings - BLM California" (USAJOBS website)
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,8qwy,1ci0,283f,37zd



MEET YOUR ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Louise Jensen represents national/regional environment interests on
the BLM's Northeast California Resource Advisory Council.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/rac/nerac/members/louise_jensen.html



NATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS

"New online application and other tools expand public access to
critical data for assessing water availability across the West"
(Department of the Interior, 5/16/12)
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced a new online tool for
western water managers and the public to help increase accessibility
of science-based information and understanding of how climate
variations will impact the availability of water to communities. The
Bureau of Reclamation site provides a straightforward interface to
projected streamflow data for 195 sites on streams and rivers
throughout the West.
www.ca.blm.gov/9dkd

"BLM opens Black Rock Station near Gerlach" (BLM Nevada, 5/11/12)
The Black Rock Station visitor contact center will open on May 16, for
the 2012 season. Visitors may obtain information about the Black Rock
Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area at
the visitor contact center, which will be open over the weekends from
Thursdays through Mondays.
www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/winnemucca__blm_opens.html

RELATED: "Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National
Conservation Area" (BLM Nevada)
The longest intact segments of the historic emigrant trails to
California and Oregon in the western US, including wagon ruts,
historic inscriptions and a wilderness landscape largely unchanged
since the days of the pioneers are found in the Black Rock-High Rock
Region of northwestern Nevada. The world land speed record was set
here in 1997, and the playa is the location of the Burning Man
Festival.
www.ca.blm.gov/bfkd

"A man with an irresistible urge to run wide open" (New York Times, 5/11/12)
Craig Breedlove was "practically a household name in the 1960s," after
speeding at more than 400 miles an hour and ending a "decades-long"
British domination of the land speed record. The British again hold
the record, at 763 mph -- and Breedlove, 75, wants to capture it by
going 800 mph Breedlove first set a course record of 148 mph in a 1934
Ford coupe at El Mirage dry lake bed (managed by BLM California) and
went on to set a 600 mph record in a rocket car on the Bonneville Salt
Flats, managed by BLM Utah.
www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/automobiles/a-man-with-an-irresistible-urge-to-run-wide-open.html

RELATED: "Conserving Utah's fragile salt flats" (New York Times, 5/11/12)
It is "doubtful that any race course has a history to match that of
the Bonneville Salt Flats .... Left untouched, the hard surface might
maintain its cap, up to seven feet thick in places, for millenniums to
come." But today the crust is receding, "down to just a few inches in
some areas. Veteran racers have said that speed trials on the salt
flats could be forced to end in less than a decade" due to mining on
nearby BLM-managed lands.
www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/automobiles/conserving-utahs-fragile-salt-flats.html

"BLM restores old homesteads for the future" (Great Falls Tribune, 5/13/12)
"BLM archeologist Zane Fulbright is " leading a restoration of a
two-story log barn" built in 1914 that is a rare relic from Montana's
homestead boom in the early 19th century .... More than that,
Fulbright is trying to explain to today's generation what yesterday's
homesteaders endured."
www.ca.blm.gov/cfkd

"Reenactment will launch center's opening" (Elko Daily Free Press, 5/16/12)
"Walkers and folks on horseback or riding a mule" -- and dressed
either in "pioneer clothing or modern-day clothing" can join a
reenactment of "the expedition of Pete Skene Ogden, who traveled along
the Humboldt River in 1828." The June 2 trail ride ends at the
California Trail Center in Elko, Nev., in time for the Center's grand
opening and California Trail Days activities and demonstrations.
www.ca.blm.gov/dfkd

"Seventh graders on class field trip make 900 year-old find" (Fox News
Latino, 5/14/12)
A group of seventh-graders exploring caves in a rural stretch of New
Mexico stumbled upon a pot that could be 900 years old" while on a
class field trip. BLM archeologists who removed the pot "estimate the
age to be 800 to 1,000 years old because of clues from the pot: size,
shape and design on the pot, and comparisons to other artifacts
already dated."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,fphj,52a0,283f,37zd

"Senate bill would preserve helium supply for research" (Science
Insider, 5/11/12)
A Senate bill "would alter the terms under which the United States is
selling off its once-vast reserve of helium gas, held underground in a
natural geological formation near Amarillo, Texas .... The proposed
Helium Stewardship Act of 2012 (S.2374) would maintain a roughly
15-year supply for federal users, including the holders of research
grants" and "maintain a steady supply of helium for scientists as they
ease over to private suppliers."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,113mm,3xn3,k3su,fqmu,283f,37zd

RELATED: Congressional testimony (BLM)
Link to testimony of Timothy R. Spisak, BLM Deputy Assistant Director
of Minerals & Realty Management, on S. 2374, the Helium Stewardship
Act of 2012 and BLM Deputy Director Mike Pool on H.R. 3365, Federal
Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization (FLTFA).
www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/congressional_testimonies/2012.html



SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

May 18-20 - Extreme Mustang Makeover - Norco, CA
www.extrememustangmakeover.com/norco.php

June 2 - Guided hike to learn about plants - King Range National
Conservation Area
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/king_range_guided.html



WILDLIFE TRIVIA answer and related websites
(a.) Lay thousands of eggs in a year.

SOURCE: "Northern leopard frog - Rana pipiens" (BLM California
wildlife database)
www.blm.gov/ca/forms/wildlife/details.php?metode=serial_number&search=2776

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