News.bytes 542 - BLM California

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From: BLM CA Newsbytes <reply-183567@elabs10.com>
Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:01:30 -0700
Subject: News.bytes 542 - BLM California
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News.bytes
A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California

Issue 542 - 8/3/12 - Visit us on Facebook -- follow us on Twitter -
Share us with friends and colleagues!


THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:
- Headlines and highlights: Assorted topics from your public lands in California
- Mining claim fees coming due
- America's Great Outdoors
- Get Outdoors tip of the week
- Wildfires and prevention
- Wild horses and burros
- Not for educators only: Wildlife trivia question of the week
- Renewable energy
- Selected upcoming events
- 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/2012/542.html


HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS

"Twentynine Palms: Marine expansion advances to off-roaders' dismay"
(Riverside Press-Enterprise, 8/1/12)
"Off-road enthusiasts said they are neither surprised nor happy about
an environmental report that recommends handing a popular off-road
area over to the U.S. Marine Corps for expanded training maneuvers.
The Marine Corps' Twentynine Palms training center expansion would
shut off or curtail access to a majority of the Johnson Valley, one of
Southern California's most used off-road vehicle recreation areas."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,73d2,agw2,283f,37zd

RELATED: "Proposed 29 Palms Training Land Acquisition/Airspace
Establishment Project" (U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
Twentynine Palms, 7/27/12)
The Final Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed base expansion
has been posted online. Comments will be accepted until August 27.
(Note: last week's News.bytes erroneously listed this date as Aug.
17.)
www.marines.mil/unit/29palms/las/Pages/default.aspx

RELATED: "Johnson Valley Off-Highway Area" (BLM Barstow Field Office)
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/johnson.html

"West Mojave Route Network Project" (BLM California)
The WEMO Task Group - a sub-unit of the BLM California Desert Advisory
Council WEMO Subgroup - will accept data from the public on all travel
management areas at a meeting Saturday, Aug. 4 in Lucerne Valley.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,6lle,g88i,283f,37zd

"BLM Northwestern California RAC tours, makes recommendations"
(News.bytes Extra)
Members of the BLM's Northwest California Resource Advisory Council
developed recommendations on a variety of topics when they met for a
field tour and business session last week. A highlight of the meeting
was a tour of a recently acquired public land parcel within the Cedars
of Sonoma, a geologically unique area home to eight plant species
found nowhere else in the world. The BLM Ukiah Field Office manages
public lands at the core of the Cedars with the focus on species
protection and scientific research.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/542xtra_nwrac_tour_mtng.html

"Performance car rally set for South Cow Mountain" (Ukiah Daily Journal, 8/2/12)
"Performance rallying is a cross between the vehicle-pounding
toughness of off-roading and the finesse driving skills needed for a
road race such as Sonoma Raceway. From noon to early evening on
Saturday, August 4, rally teams will be driving full-out in a race
against the clock across the tight and twisty dirt forest roads of
South Cow Mountain between Ukiah and Lakeport."
www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/sports/ci_21218775/performance-car-rally-set-south-cow-mountain

RELATED: "South Cow Mountain OHV Area to be temporarily closed during
rally event" (BLM, 8/1/12)
The BLM will close the South Cow Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Area to
general recreation use and through traffic from Friday, August 3
through Saturday, August 4, to provide for public safety during the
Mendocino Rally car race. NorCal Rally has been granted an exclusive
use permit to utilize Mendo-Lake Road through the OHV Area for this
"stage rally" event.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/july/CC1271_cowmtnclosure.html

"Construction project to begin on Little Darby Nature Trail near
Willits" (BLM, 8/2/12)
Construction of a new footbridge, trail improvement work and
replacement of a storm-damaged culvert will get underway Tuesday, Aug.
7, at the Little Darby Nature Trail near Willits, and the area will be
closed until project completion targeted for Aug. 31. The temporary
closure is needed for public safety because heavy equipment will be
used.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/august/NC1281_littledarby.html

"Little South Fork Elk River Trail closed during improvement project"
(BLM, 8/2/12)
The Little South Fork Elk River Trail in the Headwaters Forest Reserve
will be closed from Aug. 3 through Aug. 24, while a restoration
project is underway. The closed area is about three miles from the Elk
River Trailhead parking area. The first three miles of the Elk River
Trail will remain open during the project.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/august/NC1282_southforktrail.html

"Cadiz water plan clears hurdle" (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 8/1/12)
"Cadiz Inc.'s controversial plan to pump more than 16 billion gallons
of groundwater per year from the Mojave Desert and deliver it to
California cities moved ahead with approval of an environmental
review, despite public outcry. The board of Santa Margarita Water
District in Mission Viejo, the lead agency on the project, on Tuesday,
July 31, certified the final environmental impact report on and a
purchase agreement that outlines financial terms. The Orange County
district is one of six water agencies that have agreed to buy the
water."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,24ss,20fi,283f,37zd

RELATED: "Santa Margarita Water District defends, approves Cadiz plans
for Mojave groundwater pumping" (KPCC Southern California Public
Radio, 8/1/12)
The board of the Santa Margarita Water District voted 5 to 0 to
certify an environmental impact report for the Cadiz water project,
and to "commit the district to a purchase plan for the water supplies,
and set new rules for monitoring groundwater impacts from the
project."
www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2012/07/31/9243/santa-margarita-water-district-approves-cadiz-plan/

RELATED: "Locals wade into Cadiz water fray" (Hi-Desert Star, 7/28/12)
"There is not much middle ground over a proposal to extract millions
of acre feet of underground water from the desert about 40 miles
northeast of Twentynine Palms for sale to Orange County residents.
More than 50 people gathered at Copper Mountain College for a public
hearing Wednesday evening on the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation,
Recovery and Storage Project."
www.hidesertstar.com/news/article_d15d9ca2-d867-11e1-9b86-001a4bcf887a.html

RELATED: "O.C. water board approves Cadiz's desert-pumping plans" (Los
Angeles Times, 8/1/12)
"But the water district's authority to certify the project's
environmental review has been challenged in lawsuits and the proposal
faces a number of other hurdles, including possible scrutiny by the
federal government ... The proposal is the latest attempt by British
entrepreneur Keith Brackpool, the head of Cadiz, to make money off the
desert aquifer beneath his company's holdings. Opponents ... have
warned that the pumping could harm the nearby Mojave National
Preserve."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,8zn8,jqdr,283f,37zd

"Tales from Town: Museum visitors tell tales of Cambrian in 1870s,
1940s" (San Luis Obispo County Tribune, 8/2/12)
"The public is invited to view the story of the Piedras Blancas
Lighthouse starting 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17" at the Cambria
Historical Museum ... the display will include many photos of the
edifice and its staff over the years, and present-day volunteers on
task ... the museum and gardens have become a major destination to
many out-of-town and out-of-state visitors, including special tour
groups by the busload."
www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/08/02/2167567/tales-from-town-museum-visitors.html

RELATED: "The Cambria Historical Museum" (Cambria Historical Society)
www.cambriahistoricalsociety.com/museum.html

RELATED: "Piedras Blancas Light Station" (BLM Bakersfield Field Office)
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield/Programs/pbls.html

"Rain in the desert: monsoons, flash flooding, and wildflowers" (KCET, 7/30/12)
This year's Southern California's "monsoon" season has the potential
for more rain "than any system to hit the desert since Hurricane Isis
in 1998 ... there are two things that bear keeping in mind about
monsoons like this: 1 - 1998's Hurricane Isis was followed by a really
good spring for bloom, so start thinking about March wildflower
excursions to the desert, and 2 - Until then, watch out for flash
floods. Wait for another week to go hiking in California slot canyons,
and if you're driving along and come upon a flood of water crossing
the road in a low spot, do not try to drive through the flash flood
... People die when they try driving through flash floods."
www.kcet.org/updaily/the_back_forty/weather/rain-in-the-desert.html

"Authorities nab 2, seize 1,200 marijuana plants" (Sonora Union
Democrat, 7/31/12)
"Two men thought to be in the country illegally were arrested Friday
morning after authorities raided an illicit marijuana growing site on
public land south of Groveland ... the arrests stem from an
investigation into a suspected illegal marijuana grow site on public
lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management."
www.uniondemocrat.com/News/Local-News/Authorities-nab-2-seize-1200-marijuana-plants

RELATED: "Marijuana season keeping TCSD busy" (Porterville Recorder, 8/3/12)
Marijuana eradication operations "between July 22 and July 31 on
public and private lands throughout the foothill and valley areas of
Tulare County ... resulted in the seizure of more than 25,000
marijuana plants and numerous firearms."
www.recorderonline.com/news/season-53509-tcsd-tuesday.html

JOBS
"Current job openings - BLM California" (USAJOBS website)
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,8qwy,1ci0,283f,37zd


MINING CLAIM FEES

"Mining Claims/Sites Filing Instructions for 2013; Due on or before
September 1, 2012" (BLM)
The Bureau of Land Management is issuing this rule to amend
regulations on locating, recording, and maintaining mining claims or
sites. In this rule, the BLM amends its regulations to respond to a
recent law that changes the way the maintenance fee is calculated for
unpatented placer mining claims. Because September 1, 2012 falls on a
Saturday, and Monday, September 3rd is a holiday, we will accept your
yearly filings through Tuesday, September 4, 2012 as timely filed.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/iac/miningfacts.html

"BLM issues interim final rule regarding placer mining claim
maintenance fees" (BLM, 7/27/12)
The Bureau of Land Management has issued a rule that changes the way
maintenance fees for placer mining claims are assessed. The rule
implements the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 (the FY 2012
Act) which requires the BLM to collect maintenance fees for placer
mining claims based on the total acreage contained in the claim,
rather than by the claim.
www.blm.gov/pgdata/content/wo/en/info/newsroom/2012/july/NR_07_27_2012.html

"Administration of mining claims and sites" (Federal Register Notice, 7/27/12)
Related Federal Register Notice.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,frn,kgxh,283f,37zd


AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS

"Survivor: Coachella Valley teaches kids about nature" (News.bytes Extra)
This summer the Friends of the Desert Mountains, the Desert Recreation
District and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National
Monument have teamed-up to offer "Survivor: Coachella Valley" to kids
in surrounding communities, as a way for them to learn about nature
and beat the heat.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,h48l,30k5,283f,37zd

"Amphibian Quest featured in next King Range summer hike" (BLM, 8/1/12)
A free, guided discovery hike to learn about amphibian habitat near
the abandoned Queen Peak Mine will be offered Saturday, August 18.
Hike leader David LaFever, a U. S. Bureau of Land Management forest
ecologist at the King Range National Conservation Area, will lead the
outing by exploring two different amphibian habitats, Bear Creek and
the pond at the Queen Peak Mine.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/august/NC1280_amphquest.html

"Commercial rafting gets mostly a thumbs up" (Calaveras Enterprise, 8/3/12)
"Few concerns were raised at a public meeting held in Amador County
Tuesday regarding a three-year pilot study of commercial recreation on
the Mokelumne River. The program would include opportunities for
commercial rafting, kayaking lessons and guided fishing excursions. If
there are no major public objections to the study, it will likely
begin early next year, allowing a limited number of commercial rafting
trips and kayaking classes to take place on the river every other
weekend."
www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_b74d6416-dd8d-11e1-a71b-0019bb2963f4.html

RELATED: "BLM to Study Impacts of Permitting Commercial Rafting on
Upper Moke" (TSPN Amador County, 8/2/12)
About 85 people attended a meeting as the BLM "began to take input on
a three-year study of impacts on Amador County and Calaveras County
from potential permitting of commercial rafting operations on the
Upper Mokelumne River."
www.tspntv.com/component/k2/item/19108-blm-to-study-impacts-of-permitting-commercial-rafting-on-upper-moke

GET OUTDOORS TIP OF THE WEEK...
...Bike the Devil's Garden Route, a very versatile bike route for the
beginner and advanced rider. It is made up of 3 miles of gravel and
2.3 miles of flat dirt roads. For the advanced, this offers steep
grades and graveled roads. For the beginner, the dirt trails of the
flats go through juniper woodlands. Also enjoy the views on the way to
and from this bike route.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/alturas/mt_biking.html


NOT for EDUCATORS ONLY:
pygmy rabbit
WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK:
A notable characteristic of the pygmy rabbit is that:
(a.) It is the only North American species in this family to dig its
own burrows.
(b.) It has the highest ratio of body length to distance hopped, of
any rabbit in the Americas.
(c.) It is the only rabbit species to be found on all continents
except Antarctica.
(d.) It is the only North American species to eat mainly the leaves of
low-growing coyote brush.
(e.) It is the fiercest fighting rabbit, able to take down most moose
that invade its territory – at least the smaller moose. It does not
fare as well against larger moose.
See answer - and more wildlife stories - at the end of this News.bytes.


RENEWABLE ENERGY

"Climate change threatens California power supply: report" (Reuters, 7/31/12)
Higher temperatures "will impede the state's ability to generate and
transmit power while demand for air conditioning rises ... The warmer
climate will decrease hydropower generation in the summer months when
it is needed most ... higher temperatures alone will require the state
to increase its electricity generating capacity 38 percent over
current levels by 2100. The report notes that renewable energy
facilities, like wind and solar, are less threatened by climate change
conditions, use less water, and produce none of the heat-trapping
greenhouse gas emissions that come from natural gas-fired plants."
www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/01/us-usa-california-climate-idUSBRE87001Q20120801

"Sunrise Powerlink transmission line inauguration" (Community Spectrum, 8/1/12)
Video: Governor Brown joined state and local dignitaries in eastern
San Diego County "to officially inaugurate the Sunrise Powerlink
transmission line." BLM California State Director Jim Kenna spoke of
the power line's contribution to the reliability of power and the move
to clean energy. Imperial County leaders spoke proudly of their
county's contribution to renewable energy.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,5f9e,eqxw,283f,37zd

"Enviros split on Interior solar plan" (KCET, 8/1/12)
Columnist: "The mammoth Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(PEIS) for solar development on public lands in six southwestern
states was released July 24, and environmentalist response has been,
like the PEIS's proposed Solar Energy Zones, all over the map. That's
no surprise: the environmental community has been split for a number
of years on the utility-scale desert solar issue, with some arguing
that the climate crisis requires we sacrifice some intact deserts, and
others saying that there are better options that don't harm wildlife
and wildlands."
www.kcet.org/news/rewire/government/solar-peis/enviros-split-on-interior-solar-plan.html

"Eagle Mountain mine 'green' power project stymied" (Palm Springs
Desert Sun, 7/26/12)
"Developer Steve Lowe wants to turn the long-idle Eagle Mountain iron
mine ... into a massive, pumped storage plant that would help
integrate wind and solar power into the grid ... Excess power from
solar or wind plants would be used to pump water from a lower
reservoir to a higher one, and held there until the electricity was
needed. Then the water could be released and run back down to the
lower reservoir, powering the turbine to create electricity." Mine
owner Kaiser Ventures has "spent more than 20 years trying to turn it
into one of the world's largest landfills," and a spokesman "says the
firm has no intention of selling."
www.mydesert.com/article/20120726/BUSINESS0302/207260310/-Green-power-project-envisioned-defunct-iron-mine-stymied


TRADITIONAL ENERGY

"California regulators take heat over fracking" (Los Angeles Times, 7/26/12)
A series of seven meetings ended with "California oil regulators ...
pledging to use thousands of public comments to guide their efforts to
write rules for the controversial method of oil extraction. But
environmentalists, community activists and residents argued for a
moratorium ... during the rule-making process ... Officials said the
state's drinking water was already protected by 'robust construction
standards' for oil wells but acknowledged the need for more
information about fracking in California."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,blry,8pe5,283f,37zd

RELATED: "'Fracking' poses threat to groundwater quality" (Santa Ynez
Valley News, 8/2/12)
"The California Department of Conservation is seeking comments on new
regulations regarding hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of oil and gas
wells ... you can get involved now ... It is not true that fracking
has never been linked to water well contamination ... any resulting
groundwater contamination problems may not be curable." -"'Community
Matters' explores local topics of public interest. Retired businessman
Bob Field is president of his neighborhood's mutual water company."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,k6r8,idgi,283f,37zd

"Long-term monitoring plan approved for Ruby Pipeline Project" (BLM
Nevada, 7/31/12)
This 678-mile natural gas pipeline crosses 368 miles of federal land
from Wyoming to near Malin, Oregon. It went into service on July 28,
2011. Construction restoration, stabilization, and final clean-up are
not expected to be completed until later in 2012. The Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission and the BLM will continue to closely monitor and
evaluate restoration progress along the entire pipeline ROW for
several years. The pipeline was proposed to supply natural gas to
California.
www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/july/long_term_monitoring.html

"Over drilling rights, a cozy relationship between public and private
interests" (New York Times, 7/27/12)
Documents "show how the Western Energy Alliance, a oil and gas
industry trade association, has sought to influence federal policy
related to drilling on federal lands in the West. The group's lobbying
campaign worked closely with the Bureau of Land Management, the
federal government agency at the center of the battle, as it attempted
to protect the public lands while still extracting revenue from them."
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/07/28/us/28blm-intro.html

"Drillers in Utah have a friend in a U.S. land agency" (New York Times, 7/27/12)
"The Bureau of Land Management, part of the Interior Department, is
the nation's biggest landlord, controlling 248 million acres,
including nearly half the land in Utah. Charged with protecting public
lands while exploiting their resources -- for mining, drilling,
timbering, ranching -- [the BLM] has been at the center of a fierce
battle in recent years as companies have sought to lease federal
property and get drilling permits."
www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/us/politics/bureau-of-land-managements-divided-mission.html

"Fracking lifts lowly bean's poor farmers" (New York Times in San
Francisco Chronicle, 7/28/12)
Guar, "a modest bean so hard that it can crack teeth ... is now widely
used to thicken ice cream and keep pastries crisp" -- and is also able
to "stiffen water so much that a mixture is able to carry sand
sideways into wells drilled by horizontal fracturing, also known as
fracking." Supplies depend on a monsoon season in India -- which
produces "about 85 percent of the world's guar ... Now, an
international effort is under way to ensure that guar supplies come
closer to meeting the soaring demand, and hundreds of thousands of
small farmers here have been recruited in the effort."
www.sfgate.com/default/article/Fracking-lifts-lowly-bean-s-poor-farmers-3743947.php


WILD HORSES AND BURROS

"Wild horses moved from dried-up water source " (Klamath Falls Herald
and News, 8/2/12)
"The water was gone, dried up in summer's heat, yet the wild horses
stayed at Summit Springs in the Fox Hog Herd Management Area. Bureau
of Land Management officials at the Surprise Field Office overseeing
the herd were paying close attention to the Summit Springs location
and the drought there..."
www.heraldandnews.com/members/news/inside/article_d079fd0c-dc64-11e1-a690-001a4bcf887a.html

"Use caution when traveling on Highway 95" (BLM Arizona, 7/31/12)
The BLM Yuma Field Office continues to ask the public to use caution
when traveling on Highway 95, especially between Mile Posts 45 and 65.
"Recently, there has been several traffic accidents associated with
wild burros along Highway 95 and five burros were killed in one
accident this morning," said BLM Yuma Field Manager John MacDonald.
"We are very concerned about the safety of the traveling public and
also the burros that roam in the area. Please be extra careful when
you drive through that stretch of the road after dark."
www.blm.gov/az/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/july/burro-accidents.html

"U.S. Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard member from Kelso to ride at
fair" (Daily News, Longview, WA, 7/27/12)
"Bryanna Kessler found a way to merge her two loves -- horses and the
military -- and Cowlitz County fairgoers this year are getting to see
the union of those interests." The 2006 Kelso High School graduate
rode at the Thunder Mountain Rodeo and again in the Cowlitz County
Fair parade as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard.
"Kessler is one of only two women ever to have served in the unit,
which performs precision drill movements while presenting the flags of
both the United States and the Marines ... The equine members of the
color guard are palomino wild mustangs captured and placed for
adoption by U.S. Bureau of Land Management."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,18s8,57g6,283f,37zd


WILDFIRES AND PREVENTION

"Viewpoints: Luck, $13 million helped save towns from Robbers fire"
(Sacramento Bee, 7/31/12)
"We were very lucky. A change in wind direction could have caused the
town of Foresthill or the city of Colfax to be evacuated from the path
of the Robbers fire in Placer County, with who knows what kind of
damage. As it turned out, the winds and the weather cooperated ... We
owe a debt of gratitude to the firefighters from all over California
... The other debt we owe is the $13 million price tag for just the
cost of fighting the fire -- paying for the crews, food, equipment,
planes and helicopters."
www.sacbee.com/2012/07/31/4676138/luck-13-million-helped-save-towns.html

"North Fire fully contained Monday evening" (Lake County News, 7/30/12)
"A fire burning near Cow Mountain in Mendocino County has been fully
contained ... after having burned a total of 385 acres. No structures
were damaged, but one injury was reported ... The effort to get the
fire under control involved many local and state agencies ... Also on
Monday, the Bureau of Land Management reopened the Cow Mountain
Recreation Area to the public ... Potential witnesses or anyone with
information is asked to call Cal Fire investigators at the agency's
Arson Hotline, 800-468-4408."
www.lakeconews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26203

"Crews get upper hand on Grapevine Fire" (Bakersfield Californian, 7/30/12)
The Grapevine Fire burned 350 acres over the weekend in southern Kern
County near Interstate 5, but was "100 percent contained Monday
morning." Firefighters including the BLM "used two helicopters, a
fixed-wing plane and three bulldozers to help battle the blaze near
the Lebec area ... No buildings burned, and no injuries were
reported."
www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Crews-get-the-upper-hand-on-southern-Kern-Cos-Grapevine-Fire--164191926.html

"ODA warns of noxious weed rebirth after range fires" (Oregon
Department of Agriculture, 7/31/12)
"Wildfires this month have already devastated more than 800,000 acres
of rangeland in southeastern Oregon. Ranchers and land managers don't
want to get burned a second time by invasive noxious weeds that may
sneak in as part of restoration efforts in the area ... From the
private landowner who plants from a 20-pound bag of seed to federal
agencies responsible for thousands of acres that purchase seed by the
ton, using clean, weed-free seed is critical to repairing the land."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,dlxi,f74p,283f,37zd

"California prepares for harsh realities of changing climate" (San
Jose Mercury News, 7/31/12)
Studies release this week "warn that California can expect more
scorching heat waves, severe wildfires and strain on the electric grid
as the Earth warms and sea levels rise along the state's 1,100-mile
long coast."
www.siliconvalley.com/green-energy/ci_21201845/california-climate-change-report-prepare-harsh-realities-warming

"U.S. Forest Service rejects firefighting aircraft study" (Los Angeles
Times, 7/31/12)
"The U.S. Forest Service is dismissing a study it commissioned that
recommends a major overhaul in its approach to fighting wildfires,
suggesting swapping out expensive retardant-dropping air tankers in
favor of less costly water-scooping planes." The Forest Service chief
said numbers used in the study are outdated, retardant and water have
different uses, and helicopters are more maneuverable than large
airplanes.
www.latimes.com/news/local/me-0731-fire-plane-20120731-1,0,5105839.story

RELATED: "U.S. is urged to change its firefighting air fleet" (New
York Times, 7/30/12)
"The study also acknowledged uncertainties about the relative value of
water, which is cheap and widely available, and retardant. Some of the
water will blow off target or evaporate on the way down, and it will
not last long on the ground, so dumping it in the path of a fire may
not be effective. (Aircraft do not usually put out fires; they slow
them down so workers on the ground can extinguish them or establish a
firebreak around them.)"
www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/us/forest-service-urged-to-update-firefighting-fleet.html

"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?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,116g,55i0,283f,37zd

"Fire Information" (National Interagency Fire Center)
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, "is the nation's
support center for wildland firefighting. Eight different agencies and
organizations are part of NIFC, including the BLM.
www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm

"California incidents" (InciWeb)
Current and recent wildfires (and prescribed fires).
www.inciweb.org/state/5/


NATIONAL, OTHER STATE AND DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS

"Interior Secretary and U.S. Army Reserve Chief sign agreement to
bolster reservist and veteran employment opportunities in America's
Great Outdoors" (Department of the Interior, 8/1/12)
Under the Memorandum of Agreement, the U.S. Army Reserve and the
Department of the Interior will seek joint programming opportunities
to include U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers, especially employment
opportunities, collaborate to provide developmental opportunities to
both workforces, engage military families in local conservation
projects, and expand recreational opportunities for community-based
wounded warriors.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,14gpm,3xn3,ffv4,1n4c,283f,37zd

"Pending lawsuits postpone Over The River" (Canon City, Colo. Daily
Record, 7/31/12)
Artist Christo announced a postponement of the proposed 'Over The
River' project, while three legal cases against the federal and state
governments are resolved. "The cases include a regulatory appeal to
the Interior Board of Land Appeals in Washington; a lawsuit filed ...
against the Bureau of Land Management; and a lawsuit filed against
Colorado State Parks ... The OTR project involves about six miles of
fabric panels to be suspended over sections of the Arkansas River
between Salida and Cañon City.
www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/ci_21199976

"BLM completes closure of 148 dangerous abandoned mine sites in
Humboldt and Lander Counties" (BLM Nevada, 8/1/12)
Nevada contains thousands of abandoned mine land features from the
1800s and early 1900s that now serve as habitat for bats and other
valued wildlife and are hazards for off-highway vehicle riders and
other recreationists. Sometimes remnants of former mining operations
that can alert hikers and others to the presence of potential hazards
-- other times there is just a hole in the ground that can go down for
hundreds of feet. Funding for the project was part of $1.5 million
received to permanently close dangerous abandoned mines in northern
Nevada. Money from the project was spent in local communities.
www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/august/blm_completes_closure.html


SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

More information on the following events at the Santa Rosa and San
Jacinto Mountains National Monument can be found at:
www.desertmountains.org/

August 5 and 19 - "Early bird happy tails adventures hikes" with dogs

August 10 and 24 - Sunrise hikes

August 15 and 29 - Guided hikes in the higher elevations of the monument


WILDLIFE TRIVIA answer and related websites
(a.) It is the only North American species in this family to dig its
own burrows.

SOURCE: "Pygmy Rabbit - Brachylagus idahoensis" (BLM California
wildlife database)
www.blm.gov/ca/forms/wildlife/details.php?metode=serial_number&search=2846

More wildlife news from your public lands (and elsewhere):

"Oregon Zoo releases last of its pygmy rabbits" (Associated Press at
San Francisco Chronicle, 7/19/12)
"Biologists and volunteers released the last Columbia Basin pygmy
rabbits produced in a captive breeding program to 6-acre enclosures of
grass and sagebrush in central Washington on Monday, marking the
latest step in restoring the endangered species to its native
habitat."
www.sfgate.com/default/article/Oregon-Zoo-releases-last-of-its-pygmy-rabbits-3720895.php

"Nevada sage grouse panel tweaks recommendations" (Associated Press at
Ventura County Star, 7/31/12)
An advisory committee issued more details on "how Nevada can lessen
threats to sage grouse and keep the bird off the endangered species
list ... covering everything from how wildfires are managed and burned
areas rehabilitated to mining and mineral exploration, ranching, wild
horses and predator control. One thing became clear - the endeavor
will not be easy or without cost. And it's a challenge resource
managers have known for years."
www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/31/nevada-sage-grouse-panel-tweaks-recommendations/

"Finishing touches put on sage grouse recommendations" (Las Vegas Sun, 7/31/12)
"An advisory committee has put the finishing touches on a report to
save the threatened sage grouse population while permitting
agriculture and mining to expand and use the public lands ... One of
the main threats to their survival is range fires destroying their
food source."
www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/jul/31/finishing-touches-put-sage-grouse-recommendations/

"BLM representative says preventing sage grouse listing is a priority"
(Reno Gazette-Journal, 8/1/12)
"The possibility that sage grouse could be placed on the Endangered
Species List by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raises concerns
from many quarters about the potential financial impact it might have.
However, a representative of the Bureau of Land Management said at the
July 19 meeting of the Lyon County Commission that the BLM is doing
everything it can to make sure that doesn't happen."
www.rgj.com/article/20120801/DAYTON01/308010137/

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