News.bytes 550 - BLM California

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From: BLM CA Newsbytes <reply-183567@elabs10.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:00:33 -0700
Subject: News.bytes 550 - BLM California
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News.bytes
A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California

Issue 550 - 9/28/12 - Visit us on Facebook -- follow us on Twitter -
Share us with friends and colleagues!

THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES:
- National Public Lands Day
- Get Outdoors tip of the week
- America's Great Outdoors
- Not for educators only: Wildlife trivia question of the week
- Off-highway vehicle areas
- Renewable energy
- Traditional energy
- Wildfires and prevention
- Wild horses and burros
- Headlines and highlights: Assorted topics from your public lands in California
- Marijuana on public lands
- Selected upcoming events
- National and Department of the Interior items
- More wildlife stories from your public lands

If this message does not show up properly in your email, you can see
it online at:
www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/2012/550.html


NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY

"National Public Lands Day 2012" (BLM California)
This weekend: Saturday, Sept. 29 is National Public Lands Day -- the
largest volunteer event for America's public lands. NPLD is a day when
thousands of Americans volunteer to improve and enhance our nation's
public lands. NPLD projects are taking place at several BLM locations
in California:
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/res/volunteers/npld.html

"Volunteers welcome at National Public Lands Day project in Trinidad"
(BLM, 9/25/12)
Volunteers can celebrate National Public Lands Day and help improve
North Coast public lands by working on an invasive weed removal
project Saturday, Sept 29 in Trinidad. The first 40 volunteers will
receive National Public Lands Day T-shirts. Lunch will be provided
near the work site when the project is completed around 1 p.m.
Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes or boots and long-sleeved
shirts. The project organizers will provide tools and gloves.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/npld-trinidad.html

"2012 National Public Lands Day Meetup" (BLM)
The Bureau of Land Management is hosting a 2012 National Public Lands
Day Social Media Meetup on Sept. 29. Share your experiences
volunteering on National Public Lands Day! Join in on Facebook,
Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. The BLM National Office will retweet,
reblog, like, and share the best pictures and posts throughout the
day.
www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/socialmedia/NPLDMeetup.html

"National Public Lands Day"
More than 170,000 volunteers are expected at more than 2,100 sites
across the country, to take part in the largest single-day volunteer
effort for public lands in the United States. Volunteers in every
state will visit parks, public and community gardens, beaches,
wildlife preserves or forests and chip in to help these treasured
places that belong to all Americans. They will improve and restore the
lands and facilities the public uses for recreation, education,
exercise and connecting with nature. Click on "Find a Site" to find
the one nearest you.
www.publiclandsday.org/


GET OUTDOORS TIP OF THE WEEK...
...Not able to take part in National Public Lands Day events this
weekend? Because of high temperatures in parts of California, or for
other reasons, BLM California's NPLD events will also take place on
other days during the fall. For instance, Oct. 13 in the areas of
Redding and Ridgecrest and Nov. 10 in the El Centro area. Check with
BLM Field Offices for details:
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/res/volunteers/npld.html

"National Public Lands Day: Fargo Canyon cleanup" (BLM Palm
Springs-South Coast Field Office)
On Saturday, Oct. 27, volunteers will assist the BLM staff and local
community groups with the cleanup of Fargo Canyon, an area just north
of Indio. They will be picking up garbage, tires, yard waste,
target-shooting remnants, and other household refuse littering the
sides of the road. Please RSVP by Oct. 24 to ensure enough lunch for
everyone!
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/palmspringsvolunteer.html


AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS

"Fall color hotspots 2012" (BLM Bishop Field Office)
The fall colors are beginning to show up and down the Eastern Sierra.
As of this past weekend (9/21-23/2012) small pockets of aspen were
beginning to turn yellow and orange throughout the area. Places to
check out include Bishop Creek (the aspen stands above Apendell, Lake
Sabrina and North Lake), the Rock Creek Drainage, Hilton Creek near
Crowley Lake and Lundy Canyon up near Mono Lake.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop/fall_colors.html

"Too early for fall colors? Not in California's Eastern Sierra" (Los
Angeles Times, 9/25/12)
"Though it's barely autumn, fall colors in California are coming on
fast at high elevations in Bishop, Mammoth Lakes and other parts of
the Eastern Sierra ... Colors are popping as aspens turn bright gold
at higher elevations in the Bishop Creek area in Bishop, Calif.,
specifically at Table Mountain Camp, Surveyors Meadow and Lake
Sabrina."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,4c0i,i4hk,283f,37zd

"Bizz Johnson trail shuttles planned for October" (BLM, 9/27/12)
Beautiful fall weather and colors await bicyclists, joggers and hikers
on the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail near Susanville, and two
upcoming bus shuttle opportunities will make visits convenient. The
season's last two weekend shuttles are Saturdays, Oct. 6, (coinciding
with the Lassen Land and Trails Trust's annual Rails to Trails
Festival), and Oct. 20, the yearly fall colors ride.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/bizzshuttles.html

"Fort Ord National Monument partners with Point Lobos Adventures camp"
(News.bytes Extra)
The two-week day camp offered by California State Park employees gets
more popular every year. The enrollment cutoff is at 35 students and
there is a waiting list every session. The idea of hiking on trails,
picking berries, visiting parks and learning about wildlife, are big
reasons why kids want to attend.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/550xtra_fort_ord_adventure_camp.html

RELATED: "Fort Ord National Monument" (BLM Hollister Field Office)
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,9o3x,6uxo,283f,37zd

"Firearms safety stressed as deer hunt underway in Placer County"
(Auburn Journal, 9/23/12)
With the start of the deer-hunting season in Placer County, state Fish
and Game Department officials are saying there are plenty of deer in
the woods -- but for hunters to be safe and watch out for fire ...
Detailed fire information is located on several websites including
those maintained by Cal Fire, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and
the U.S. Forest Service."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,jcvy,f4bn,283f,37zd

RELATED: "Hunting" (BLM)
State of California hunting regulations must be followed on Federal lands.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/recreation/hunting.html

"Sacramento River fall run hits stride" (Stockton Record, 9/26/12)
"Salmon have arrived en mass on the upper reaches of the Sacramento
River that are open for fishing, from the Deschutes Road bridge at
Anderson to Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area, east of Corning,
fulfilling scientists' predictions of a record-breaking year for the
fall run."
www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120926/A_SPORTS/209260322

RELATED: "Fishing" (BLM)
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/recreation/fishing.html


NOT for EDUCATORS ONLY:
WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK:
As of this week, California has an official state marine reptile. What is it?
(a.) The Pacific Hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricata bissa
(b.) The Coastal Whiptail, Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri
(c.) The Pacific leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea
(d.) The Delta crocodile, Crocodylus Californii
(e.) The Hollywood stereotypical slimyagent, Slitherin slithererii
See answer - and more wildlife stories - near the end of this News.bytes.


OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE AREAS

"Johnson Valley decision delayed as Marines review comments" (Palm
Springs Desert Sun, 9/21/12)
"A decision expected this month on plans to expand the Twentynine
Palms Marine base into the Johnson Valley off-roading area has been
pushed back to November or December because the Marine Corps is still
reviewing comments. About 1,000 comments from individuals and groups
about the proposed expansion of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat
Center poured in by the Aug. 27 deadline, according to the corps. A
Navy environmental impact report found the expansion could whittle
down the off-roading area by more than half and cut off access to some
of its most popular areas for two months a year."
www.mydesert.com/article/20120921/NEWS07/309210083/Johnson-Valley-Marine-base-decision-pushed-back

RELATED: "Decision delayed on expansion of Marine base at Twentynine
Palms" (Los Angeles Times, 9/22/12)
"The Navy and Marine Corps have delayed a decision on a controversial
proposal to expand the Marine base at Twentynine Palms to include
parts of Johnson Valley, a popular spot with off-road vehicle
enthusiasts ... an environmental impact report done for the Marine
Corps drew more than 1,000 comments in a month, many highly negative"
and the Navy and Marine Corps need more "time to review the comments,
the Marine Corps announced Friday ... The expansion plan would be
included in the annual defense budget, which would allow members of
Congress to have a say."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,cjue,3qkz,283f,37zd

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

"Imperial Sand Dunes management plan open for comments" (Imperial
Valley Press, 9/20/12)
"The reopening of thousands of acres for recreational vehicles while
protecting what the Bureau of Land Management calls '100 percent of
the critical habitat' of a native plant was proposed in the recently
unveiled Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area management plan. 'The
main purpose of writing this plan is for the agency to develop a
balance-management plan -- protecting and conserving our natural
resources, while still providing off-highway vehicle recreation for
public land visitors,' said ISDRA manager Neil Hamada."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,io3v,i7i2,283f,37zd

RELATED: "Dunes may expand off-roading area" (Yuma Sun, 9/26/12)
"About 40,000 acres currently closed to recreation in the Imperial
Dunes could be re-opened to off-roading enthusiasts under one of
several possibilities outlined in a new plan ... The proposal includes
eight options for land management, with the alternative allowing the
most off-highway vehicle, or OHV, use being the preferred plan for the
Imperial Dunes ... Currently, about 75,000 acres are closed out of the
roughly 215,000 that comprise the dunes. With the proposed switch,
about 35,000 acres would remain closed."
www.yumasun.com/news/dunes-82015-plan-energy.html

RELATED: "BLM releases Imperial Sand Dunes Proposed Recreation Area
Management Plan" (BLM, 9/24/12)
The BLM released the Imperial Sand Dunes Proposed Recreation Area
Management Plan (RAMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement. The
RAMP also includes proposed amendments to the California Desert
Conservation Area Plan. The RAMP provides guidance for the management
of approximately 215,000 acres of BLM-administered public lands in the
Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area and surrounding public lands in
southeastern Imperial County, Calif.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/release_isdra_ramp.html

"BLM El Centro hosts interagency EMS Conference" (News.bytes Extra)
The BLM El Centro Field Office hosted a conference of partner agencies
and organizations on Wednesday, Sept. 19, to help prepare for the
upcoming Imperial Sand Dunes off-road season. The conference, held at
the El Centro Chamber of Commerce, included representatives from
agencies or organizations that assist BLM staff manage and respond to
Emergency Medical Service calls in the sand dunes.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/550xtra_dune_prep_ems_conf.html

"Kids still OK in side-by-sides" (Yuma Sun, 9/26/12)
A provision of Assembly Bill 1595 "required passengers to be able to
ride with both feet flat on the floorboard, while strapped in, back
against the backrest and holding onto the grab bar ... it would have
prevented children and small adults from riding in the vehicles." But
AB 1266, eliminated the "feet flat on the floorboards section ... It
also delayed a provision banning non-factory seats, allowing a more
permanent fix to be drafted and sent through committees ... The law
still requires the vehicle operator to be at least 16 years old (or
supervised by a parent or other adult), and for operators and
passengers to wear helmets along with seatbelts and shoulder belts or
safety harnesses."
www.yumasun.com/news/law-82001-feet-fix.html


RENEWABLE ENERGY

"Salazar approves transmission line for Campo Verde Solar Project"
(Department of the Interior, 9/26/12)
As part of President Obama's all-of-the-above energy strategy,
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar approved construction of the
transmission line for First Solar's Campo Verde Solar energy project,
which will cross public lands southwest of El Centro. The 139-megawatt
solar energy project is expected to support more than 250 jobs through
construction and operations, generate $17.5 million in local tax
revenue over the life of the facility, and provide an estimated $239
million of financial benefits to local, county and state economies. At
full capacity, when built, the Campo Verde Solar facility will produce
enough electricity to power 41,700 homes.
www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Salazar-Approves-Transmission-Line-for-Campo-Verde-Solar-Project.cfm

RELATED: "Imperial County transmission project OK'd for 'Area of
Critical Environmental Concern'" (KCET, 9/26/12)
The Interior Department approved two possible routes "across protected
public lands for a 230-kilovolt radial generation tie line ... that
would connect the 139-megawatt Campo Verde Solar Project to San Diego
Gas & Electric's Imperial Valley Substation. Campo Verde, a project of
First Solar, is slated for 1,443 acres of private agricultural land
near the Imperial County town of Seeley.Each of the two possible
routes for Campo Verde's Gen-Tie line would cross public land, which
triggered federal environmental assessment of the cumulative impacts
of the entire project."
www.kcet.org/news/rewire/the-grid/interior-department-oks-new-transmission-in-imperial-county.html

"Pre-construction testing approved for Tule Wind Energy Project" (BLM, 9/25/12)
The BLM has approved a Notice to Proceed (NTP) to conduct
pre-construction geotechnical testing for the Tule Wind Project (NTP
No. 1). The NTP authorizes the use of public land for geotechnical
testing exclusively -- all other activities related to civil
construction will require additional requests for NTPs. The Tule Wind
Project is located on 12,200 acres of BLM-managed lands.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/pre-cnstructiontesting.html

"Taxpayers, ratepayers will fund California solar plants" (Los Angeles
Times, 9/20/12)
"Taxpayers have poured tens of billions of dollars into solar projects
... Government and solar officials say the subsidies are no different
from long-standing federal support for the oil, gas and nuclear
industries. They say generous incentives are necessary to incubate the
fledgling renewables industry ... Energy Department officials say
solar energy prices will fall as the industry matures, and the cost of
power from future conventional plants will be higher. Critics,
however, say that despite the righteous goal of combating climate
change, solar entrepreneurs are getting too much government money."
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bigsolar-20120921,0,7995250.story

RELATED: "Guest post: The true cost of renewable energy -- Reality vs.
the LA TImes" (GreentechSolar, 9/26/12)
"The contracts that the LA Times article derides as 'three to four
times' the price of market power are in fact at or below the long-term
market price of electricity from status quo natural gas power plants
... I'm not a big fan of large-scale desert-based solar projects ...
and the transmission required to bring them on-line. I'm a proponent
of 'community-scale' solar projects ... However, the criticisms the
article levels against BrightSource will surely bleed over onto solar
in general -- and entirely unjustifiably."
www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Guest-Post-The-True-Cost-of-Renewable-Energy-Reality-vs-the-LA-TImes

"Co-op gets nod from CAISO board" (Pahrump Valley Times, 9/21/12)
The California Independent System Operator Corporation board of
governors "approved an application by Valley Electric Association and
its subsidiary, Valley Electric Transmission Association LLC, to be a
participating electrical transmission owner ... While many Nevadans
like to shun California, joining the association that supplies
electricity to 80 percent of the California grid was seen as a way to
get power from solar generators to market."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,k50c,i0vu,283f,37zd

"Blythe Solar Project may be built with FirstSolar Panels" (KCET, 9/28/12)
"Thin-film photovoltaic panel manufacturer First Solar may have an in
for supplying solar panels for the one gigawatt Blythe Solar Power
Project," according to documents submitted to the California Energy
Commission. "The solar project, on 5,950 acres of public land west of
Blythe, California, was picked up by Florida-based NextEra after its
initial developer, Solar Millennium, filed for bankruptcy in April.
Originally proposed as a parabolic trough concentrating solar thermal
facility, the Blythe project was stalled after PV prices started to
drop in 2009-10."
www.kcet.org/news/rewire/solar/photovoltaic-pv/blythe-solar-project-may-be-built-with-firstsolar-panels.html

"San Diego City Council unanimously votes down Quail Brush Power
Plant" (KPBS, 9/24/12)
"A proposal for a power plant adjacent to Mission Trails Regional
Park, the state's largest municipally owned park," was voted down by
the council, which said that the Cogentrix "proposal for a 'peaker
plant' -- which would be turned on only during periods of high energy
demand -- was simply in the wrong location ... But the final decision
on whether the plant will be allowed rests with the California Energy
Commission." Plant backers said it would provide backup power for wind
and solar projects.
www.kpbs.org/news/2012/sep/24/san-diego-city-council-consider-quail-brush-power-/

RELATED: "San Diego City Council Unanimously Denies Quail Brush Power
Plant" (East County Magazine, 9/24/12)
"Cogentrix has claimed that the Quail Brush gas power plant is needed
for 'when the wind doesn't blow', a reference to wind energy projects
slated to come online in our region." A four-hour session, with two
hours of public testimony, included a crowd that alternately
"screamed" and "broke into applause."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,ajef,a2kp,283f,37zd

"BLM Seeking Public Comments on Geothermal Exploration Project" (BLM
Nevada, 9/24/12)
BLM Nevada is seeking public comments on a preliminary environmental
assessment for the Coyote Canyon South Geothermal Exploration Project
proposed by TGP Dixie Development Company, LLC. The proposed
geothermal exploration project is located in Dixie Valley, Churchill
County, approximately 50 miles northeast of Fallon, Nevada.
www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/blm_seeking_public.html


TRADITIONAL ENERGY

"Oil regulators hint at upcoming rules" (Bakersfield Californian, 9/20/12)
Among topics discussed at the California Oil & Gas Workgroup meeting
at the BLM's Bakersfield Field Office were "how upcoming rules could
protect groundwater during fracking ... and what disclosure
requirements these regulations may contain ... State Department of
Conservation officials also took questions about how they may respond
to recent legal challenges to state environmental reviews of oil
projects, and they hinted at how they may tackle the thorny issues of
underground waste injections and leakage of oil field fluids in the
oil-rich diatomaceous geological formations in West Kern."
www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/business/x485099270/Oil-regulators-hint-at-upcoming-rules

"California: The Next Fracking Frontier?" (Capital Public Radio, 9/27/12)
"The oil industry has been drilling in California for decades, and as
a result, most of the 'easy' oil is gone. But there's still a lot of
oil left ... it's possibly the largest oil reserve in the lower 48 ...
The US Energy Information Administration estimates that there's still
15 Billion barrels of recoverable oil, mostly trapped in the
impermeable 'tight' rock of California's Monterey formation."
www.capradio.org/articles/2012/09/27/california-the-next-fracking-frontier

"Study on fracking in Baldwin Hills area to be released next month"
(Los Angeles Times, 9/22/12)
"The field is surrounded by a handful of communities, including Culver
City, Baldwin Hills and Inglewood -- making it the largest urban oil
field in the country. Plains Exploration is hoping to tap into the oil
reserves in the field's shale formations identified in 2003. Residents
say their properties have been damaged by mysterious land shifts, and
that has increased their fears about the use of fracking. Some
homeowners say they suspect the movements may be related to drilling
operations. The cause is unclear, however, given that the area sits on
top of the Newport-Inglewood fault."
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fracking-baldwin-hills-20120922,0,7476917.story

"Gas drilling protests held in US, other countries" (Associated Press
in San Jose Mercury News, 9/22/12)
Demonstrators, including some in California, "protested Saturday
against the natural gas drilling process known as fracking that they
say threatens public health and the environment ... scientists
disagree on the risks of hydraulic fracking ... The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and many state regulators say fracking can be done
safely, and the American Lung Association says it can help reduce air
pollution. Opponents say the process can pollute water and sicken
residents."
www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_21609396/gas-drilling-protests-held-us-other-countries

"Administration announces NPR-A Oil & Gas Lease Sale in November" (BLM, 9/27/12)
The lease sale will include 400 tracts and cover approximately 4.5
million acres in the NPR-A, and builds on the December 2011 NPR-A sale
that made 283 tracts and three million acres available.
www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/nr_09_25_2012.html


WILDFIRES AND PREVENTION

"Stewardship Committee tours burn area, discusses recovery" (News.bytes Extra)
Members of the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Steering
Committee toured areas burned by last month's Lost fire near
Cedarville and discussed the BLM's plans for emergency stabilization
and recovery. A big part of the tour focused on fire impacts on
livestock grazing operations and grazing management changes that will
be needed to allow the area to recover.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/550xtra_esp_burnarea.html

"Firefighters fully contain deadly Shockey Fire" (KUSI San Diego, 9/27/12)
"Firefighters on Thursday fully contained the 2,556-acre Shockey Fire
that claimed a man's life and destroyed 11 back-country homes in rural
southeastern San Diego County ... Within hours of the fire breaking
out, dozens of residents in Tierra del Sol, Jewel Valley and Boulevard
were told to flee their homes. A retirement- age man was later found
dead in Tierra del Sol ... At the height of the fire early this week,
there were near 1,000 fire personnel assigned to the incident"
including BLM firefighters.
www.kusi.com/story/19656858/firefighters-fully-contain-deadly-shockey-fire

"State fire fee notices in county mailboxes" (Willits News, 9/26/12)
"In envelopes marked 'urgent,' area residents have now received
advance notices to pay California's $150 Fire Prevention Fee. The
notice tells property owners they will be receiving bills soon and
then will have 30 days to either send a payment or protest the amount
of the bill in writing ... The California Legislature approved the fee
in 2011 as a budget plan to raise $50 million initially and up to $200
million per year. It had to be called a fee because the Legislature
could not secure the two-thirds vote needed to impose a new tax.
Whether it is a tax or a fee is a topic likely to be resolved in
court."
www.willitsnews.com/ci_21635291/state-fire-fee-notices-county-mailboxes


WILD HORSES AND BURROS

"BLM holds burro adoption in Grass Valley" (BLM, 9/21/12)
The BLM will hold a "burro only" adoption in Grass Valley on Oct. 12
and 13, at the Nevada County Horsemen's Facility. The burros will
arrive Friday, Oct. 12, with an evening competitive bid adoption on
Friday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Animals not taken during bidding will
be available for a $125 adoption fee. Saturday, Oct. 13, will be
pick-up day and first-come, first-serve, for any unadopted burros from
8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/grassvalley.html

"BLM to Begin Antelope and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas Wild
Horse Gather" (BLM Nevada, 9/21/12)
The BLM Nevada, Elko District, Wells Field Office and Ely District,
Schell Field Office are scheduled to begin on or about Monday, Oct. 1,
2012, to gather and remove 200 excess wild horses from the Antelope
and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas, located about 60 miles
south of Wells and 50 miles north of Ely, Nevada. The helicopter
gather is necessary to prevent a further decline in animal condition
caused by minimal forage growth and reduced water availability due to
severe drought conditions.
www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/ely__blm_to_gather.html


HEADLINES and HIGHLIGHTS

"Great California ShakeOut - BLM presents activities for earthquake
preparedness"(News.bytes Extra)
The Great California ShakeOut will take place on October 18, 2012, but
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument volunteers did
some shaking with the public ahead of time! Ozzie Edwards and Heidi
Schneck teamed up with Rob Howard of California State Parks to staff
an interactive booth at Sunnylands Center and Gardens in Rancho Mirage
to help people get ready for the "big one."
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2012/550xtra_calif_shakeout.html

"BLM announces scoping meetings for Hollister Resource Management Plan
Amendment" (BLM, 9/26/12)
The Hollister Field Office intends to prepare a Resource Management
Plan Amendment with an associated environmental assessment for the
public lands in the San Joaquin Desert Hills, including the
56,000-acre Panoche-Coalinga Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
The BLM public lands in the western San Joaquin Valley stretch from
the Panoche Hills southwards to Coalinga, connecting a vast landscape
of ancient desert-like habitats and open space with outstanding scenic
and recreational values.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/scopingrmpamendment.html

"BLM schedules collaborative workshops for the El Paso and Ridgecrest
Travel Management Subregions" (BLM news, 9/25/12)
The BLM has scheduled four public workshops for the El Paso and
Ridgecrest travel management subregions within the West Mojave
Planning Area. Area residents and interested members of the public are
encouraged to attend. The BLM will solicit public input relative to
local area knowledge, issues and opportunities, including changes to
route access for motorized and non-motorized travel and also input on
effects on all forms of recreational use.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/workshopsElPaso.html

"BLM takes comments on Bishop Mill environmental assessment" (BLM, 9/20/12)
The BLM Bishop Field Office is taking public comments on an
environmental assessment (EA) of a proposed plan to re-activate the
Bishop Mill in northern Inyo County. Issues and alternatives
identified through public scoping have been incorporated into this
environmental review. The EA completed for this proposed project has
been posted on the internet for a 30-day public review and comment
period. To be considered in the environmental review, comments must be
received by Friday, Oct. 19.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/bishopmill.html

"Special meeting for Cadiz project slated for Monday" (Victorville
Daily Press, 9/26/12)
"The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors plans to conduct a
special meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday to consider various actions
related to the proposed Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and
Storage Project ... The county will issue a news release and make an
announcement on Twitter as soon as the documents are made available to
the Board of Supervisors and the public on the county's website."
www.vvdailypress.com/news/monday-36786-project-san.html

RELATED: "Water: Special meeting set for Cadiz project" (Riverside
Press-Enterprise, 9/27/12)
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,2000,jyh2,283f,37zd

"Safety careers excite students" (Victorville Daily Press, 9/26/12)
"The Academy of Academic Excellence held their first "Safety Day" at
the Corwin Campus in Apple Valley, a 2nd through 4th-grade school that
teaches close to 300 students ... Event coordinators focused on
highlighting the different careers within the realm of public safety
by exposing students to the various jobs they entail ... 'Why are the
tires so big?' one student asked Vince Spina and Alberto Camba Jr.,
two firefighters that work on a fire engine for the Bureau of Land
Management..."
www.vvdailypress.com/articles/students-36788-valley-apple.html

JOBS
"Current job openings - BLM California" (USAJOBS website)
Listings include Helitack Squad Leader, Wild Horse and Burro Facility
Manager and Land Surveyor, open to U.S. citizens; and Visual
Information Specialist with BLM California's State Office, open to
Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles).
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,8qwy,1ci0,283f,37zd


MARIJUANA GROWS ON PUBLIC LANDS

"Two marijuana grows in forest found, eradicated" (Porterville
Recorder, 9/22/12)
"Detectives from the Tulare County Sheriff's Department S.T.E.P. Unit
and federal officers from the U. S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management, and the Drug Enforcement Administration's Cannabis
Eradication and Reclamation Teams have continued the war on illegal
marijuana gardens with two operations, one on Sept. 13 and the other
last Tuesday, by raiding and eradicating two large mountain marijuana
grow sites in the Sequoia National Forest, near Speas Creek and Rube
Creek."
www.recorderonline.com/news/grows-54033-marijuana-county.html

"Pot plants removed from forest lands" (Inyo Register, 9/20/12)
"Local law enforcement kept millions of dollars worth of drugs off the
streets Tuesday by eradicating a large-scale marijuana cultivation
operation near Lone Pine. The Inyo Narcotic Enforcement Team, Inyo
County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol, U.S. Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management worked together to destroy
approximately 4,000 marijuana plants that were discovered on Forest
Service land in the Lubken Canyon area."
www.inyoregister.com/node/3574

"Feds charge men in marijuana grow operation" (Eureka Times-Standard, 9/25/12)
"The federal government is prosecuting three men arrested Thursday by
the Bureau of Land Management in connection with a suspected King
Range marijuana grow."
www.times-standard.com/ci_21624935/feds-charge-men-marijuana-grow-operation

"More than 400,000 marijuana plants removed from Valley farms" (The
Business Journal, 9/26/12)
"Operation Mercury" involved local and federal agencies including the
BLM. "The goal of the operation is to find and eradicate large
marijuana farms being grown in the middle of traditional crops like
cotton, grapes, tree fruit or vegetables. The program was developed
when federal and local officials determined that marijuana growers
were leaving federal forests and planting their crops on farms where
they could claim the marijuana was grown for medical uses. Authorities
insist however, that the marijuana was being trucked to other states
as far away as New Jersey."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,9jdh,brbz,283f,37zd

"$7 million in marijuana is unearthed at Mount Charleston" (Las Vegas
Sun, 9/27/12)
A Southern Nevada task force including the BLM "removed more than $7.4
million worth of marijuana plants from a remote area of Mount
Charleston during a recent raid ... the fifth outdoor grow site
discovered in Clark County this year."
www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/sep/27/7-million-marijuana-unearthed-mount-charleston/


NATIONAL, OTHER STATE AND DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR ITEMS

"BLM-managed lands contributed $130 billion to the U.S. economy in FY
2011" (BLM, 9/27/12)
Public lands and resources managed by the Bureau of Land Management
contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy while
supporting more than 600,000 American jobs in Fiscal Year 2011, BLM
Acting Director Mike Pool announced today at a Public Lands
Commemoration Forum in Phoenix, Arizona. The figures from FY 2011,
which ended September 30, 2011, are the latest available for a
complete fiscal year.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/economy.html

"Journey to jewelry takes millions of years and dollars" (Las Vegas
Review-Journal, 9/23/12)
"Today's miners move mountains to extract microscopic bits
recognizable as gold only in the assay lab. Barrick will use those lab
reports to peg gold percentages and map the best places to mine ...
Lower-grade ore might hold less than a tenth of an ounce per ton ...
[Barrick Gold Corp.] will explore for two years at Goldrush and
develop a mine plan. Then it will complete an environmental impact
statement with the Bureau of Land Management ... It'll take up to 10
years and tens of millions of dollars to finish the statement and get
mining permits."
www.lvrj.com/business/journey-to-jewelry-takes-millions-of-years-and-dollars-170876711.html

"BLM Announces 2012 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development
Award Winners" (BLM, 9/26/12)
The awards recognize the efforts made in implementing the principles
of sustainable development to balance environmental, economic, and
social concerns in planning for mining operations. The 2012 BLM
Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award winners are Barrick Golden
Sunlight Mine of Whitehall, MT, and Taiga Mining Company of Anchorage,
AK. The winner of the 2012 BLM Community Outreach and Economic
Security Award is Newmont Mining Corporation - Community Investment
and Sustainability Programs, of Elko NV.
www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/nr_09_26_2012.html

"BLM to Partner with Local Groups to Provide Firewood or Heating Gift
Cards to Help Families in Need to Stay warm this Winter" (BLM Nevada,
9/24/12)
Volunteers from Hilltop Community Church and Bridge Ministries will
collect firewood from the site of the former Airport Fire, near
Markleeville, California. This fire burned 81 acres of BLM and Alpine
County land during the 2011 fire season. Volunteers have a goal of
collecting between 40 and 50 cords of firewood. The BLM is authorizing
the removal of fire-killed trees to meet this goal. Families who don't
have a wood stove or fireplace will receive NV Energy gift cards,
which will be purchased by proceeds from the firewood.
www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/blm_to_partner_with.html

"'All the dots have been connected'" (Medford, OR Mail Tribune, 9/26/12)
"The location of the Battle of Hungry Hill, the largest clash in the
Rogue River Indian Wars of 1855-56, has been discovered after being
lost in the dust of time for more than a century ... The team
bushwhacked up and down steep hills and pored over old records, from
the National Archives in Washington, D.C., to the Bancroft Library in
Berkeley, Calif., following every clue during its three-year search"
and located the historic battlefield on lands managed by the BLM.
[Note: this site allows visitors to view three free articles per
month.]
www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120926/NEWS/209260321

"Private forests closed to hunters due to fire danger" (KVAL Eugene,
OR, 9/26/12)
"The fire danger created by hot, dry weather has forced many private
forest owners to close their lands to hunters ahead of the opening of
rifle season for deer Saturday ... Hunters will need to find public
lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management or USDA Forest Service
on which to stalk deer, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
said" -- but cautioned hunters to check for closures and fire
restrictions.
www.kval.com/news/local/Private-forests-closed-to-hunters-due-to-fire-danger-171404371.html

"Target shooting OK'd on BLM land in southern Ariz." (Associated Press
San Francisco Chronicle, 9/21/12)
The BLM "has finalized a plan that allows recreational target shooting
on 1.4 million acres in south-central Arizona ... Conservation groups
had argued that the BLM didn't explain its rationale for target
shooting and said the proposal could harm cultural resources and that
the BLM's road system was inadequate. BLM officials say the protests
carefully were considered ... They say they'll promote responsible
recreational shooting. The management plan covers the Lower Sonoran
Field office and the Sonoran Desert National Monument."
www.sfgate.com/news/article/Target-shooting-OK-d-on-BLM-land-in-southern-Ariz-3882921.php

"Study finds public land along Front is driver of growth" (Helena, MT
Independent Record, 9/20/12)
A new report "says that communities along the Rocky Mountain Front
have seen slow, steady growth with per-capita income and average
earnings per job being 10 to 15 percent greater than elsewhere in
Montana." The report "also says future income and job growth can be
experienced if residents and businesses take steps to preserve their
natural resources." People "flocking to areas where public lands
create wide, open spaces" include telecommuters and retiring baby
boomers.
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,bpfj,i2je,283f,37zd


SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

Oct. 2,3,4 - Open houses, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake land withdrawal
www.chinalakeleis.com/

Oct. 6-7 - Kids Bike Weekend - Redding area
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/september/NC12100.html

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

Oct. 1 - Guided hike

Oct. 6 - Star Party

Oct. 7 - Dog hike


WILDLIFE TRIVIA answer and related websites
(c.) The Pacific leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea

SOURCE: "Endangered turtle named state marine reptile" (Los Angeles
Times, 9/27/12)
California now has "an official state marine reptile ... the Pacific
leatherback sea turtle, or Dermochelys coriacea. (There already was an
official reptile, the desert tortoise.) The turtle is the world's
largest living reptile, growing to 2,000 pounds and more than 6 feet
in length. Every year, it migrates thousands of miles across the ocean
to eat jellyfish along the California coastline. It's also extremely
endangered," and the bill was written in order to "draw attention to
the animals' plight."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,chcm,14zf,283f,37zd

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

"Watch some sage grouse birds 'strut their stuff'" (CBS News, 9/27/12)
"I'll be honest: I had absolutely no clue what a Sage Grouse was
before today. I even made sure to include the word 'birds' in the
headline for those like myself who had never come across this species.
And as strange and foreign as they were to me going into the video,
their 'strutting' behavior and appearance only add fuel to the bizarre
fire ... The fascinating and odd YouTube video was shot by Bob Wick
and posted by the Bureau of Land Management in California ... So is it
just me or do they kind of seem like a punk rock version of a
peacock?"
www.cbsnews.com/8301-504784_162-57521853-10391705/watch-some-sage-grouse-birds-strut-their-stuff/

RELATED: "Sage grouse strut their stuff" (BLM National Facebook page)
This video was taken at the Mount Biedeman Wilderness Study Area in
the Bodie Hills. The strutting grouse sound like coffee percolators.
Learn more about sage-grouse...
www.facebook.com/BLMNational

"Ocean habitat to shift north with warming seas" (San Diego
Union-Tribune, 9/24/12)
"Sharks, loggerhead turtles and blue whales stand to lose potentially
large swathes of suitable habitat as seas warm, according to modeling
by a group of marine scientists at NOAA and institutions such as the
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Princeton and Stanford. They said some critical
ocean zones could shift 600 miles north of where they are now under
climate change scenarios, creating challenges for some species and
coastal communities that have come to depend on specific fish for
harvest and tourism."
www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/sep/24/ocean-grocery-store-moving-north/

"Global fisheries are declining but can still recover, study says"
(Washington Post, 9/27/12)
"The vast majority of the world's fisheries are declining but could
recover if properly managed, according to a paper ... in the journal
Science. The statistical analysis marks the first time researchers
have assessed the globe's roughly 10,000 fishing areas, more than 80
percent of which are unregulated."
http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,171ow,3xn3,3rdv,iuhi,283f,37zd

RELATED: "California Coastal National Monument" (BLM)
Located off the 1,100 miles of California coastline, the California
Coastal 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,
administered by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the
Interior.
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/nm/ccnm.html

"Researchers find malaria turning up in Alaska birds" (Anchorage Daily
News, 9/23/12)
"A new study reports that a form of malaria, generally considered a
tropical disease, is being contracted by birds as far north as
Fairbanks ... 'It is predicted that malaria parasites will spread to
both higher altitudes and latitudes with global warming,' it says ...
Avian malaria cannot be transmitted to people."
www.adn.com/2012/09/22/2636142/researchers-find-malaria-turning.html

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after publication. If you plan to keep a story, you should print a
copy or save the Web page to your computer. DISCLAIMER: By linking to
Web sites, the BLM does not imply endorsement of those sites, or of
products or advertisements on those sites.

News.bytes published by
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www.blm.gov/ca/

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