YUROK TRIBE AND BLM WORK TOGETHER
Mike Pool, California BLM state director, visited the Yurok Indian Tribe in northern California in late August to discuss a cadastral survey project on the tribal lands. Director Pool met with the Tribal Council and toured the project area. BLM surveyors will define the exterior boundaries of the reservation and the trust allotments on the interior. Nearly a dozen tribal members will work as survey technicians on the project. More details, and photos from the visit:
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/newsbytes/temp_issues/124_yuroksurvey.html

IMPERIAL DUNES FEES

"Off-road costs triple for popular desert site" (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 09/03/2003)
"The [BLM], citing too many expenses and fewer funding sources, announced Tuesday that the agency will triple the cost of visitor fees at the desert's most popular off-roading area. Starting Oct. 1, a season pass for the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in the state's southeast corner will cost $90, up from $30 last year. The weekly pass will be $25, up from $10."
http://www.pe.com/localnews/sanbernardino/stories/PE_NEWS_nbdunes03.58364.html

"BLM Sets Imperial Dunes fees for 2003-2004 season" (BLM California news release, 09/02/2003)
After extensive consultation with visitors, vendors and off-highway vehicle (OHV) groups who enjoy the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in eastern Imperial County, the BLM has set new fees for the 2003-2004 season to allow the agency to better recoup its costs of managing the popular area.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/09/nr/CDDNews72_dunesfees/Conv.htm

"Dunes Fee Program Frequently Asked Questions 9/2/03" (BLM California Web site, 09/02/2003)
http://www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro/dune_faqs_9-2-03.html

"Imperial Sand Dunes news" (BLM California Web site)
Links to more information about the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro/sandnews.html

ADVISORY COUNCIL PROFILE: "Lee Chauvet"
Resource advisory councils and monument advisory committees provide representative citizen counsel and advice to the Secretary of the Interior, on planning and management of public land resources within each council's jurisdictional boundaries. Each advisory council or committee is comprised of citizens from a full array of interests, to bring a balanced and practical approach to the diverse issues in each area. Members are appointed to serve 3-year terms, on a staggered term basis, with as near as possible to one-third of the council subject to appointment or reappointment each year.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/rac/nerac/member_profiles/chauvet.html

NOT FOR EDUCATORS ONLY:

PHOTO ALBUM: "Wilderness"
A wilderness area is a natural place where human influence is essentially unnoticeable, whether mountain or desert or seashore. These areas provide outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation, and may contain ecological geological, or other features of scientific, scenic, or historic value. The BLM manages 80 congressionally designated wilderness areas in California encompassing 3.6 million acres.

WHERE IS THIS?
1. Bigelow Cholla Wilderness Area
2. Santa Rosa Wilderness Area
3. Trilobyte Wilderness Area
Follow the link to take your best guess:
http://www6.ca.blm.gov/forms/polls/issue124/wa/index.php

Related: "Wilderness - BLM California" (BLM California Web site)
Wilderness areas managed by the BLM are remote and undeveloped. They offer visitors a place to truly "get away from it all:" away from crowds of people, away from modern conveniences like running water, electric power - away even from developed roads. These wilderness areas are preserved under federal law, because they offer special ecology, scenery, geology, history or other values.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/pa/wilderness/index.html

WILDLIFE TRIVIA OF THE WEEK: Running hot or cold
How do reptiles and amphibians control their body temperatures?
(See answer near the end of this issue of News.bytes)

LAND USE PLANNING

"Fourth South Yuba River planning meeting" (BLM California news release, 09/02/2003)
The fourth a series of public meetings to write a comprehensive management plan for the public lands along the 39-mile stretch of the South Yuba River from Spaulding Reservoir to Lake Englebright will be held on Tuesday, September 9, 2003, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the L.O.V.E. Building, 660 Minnie Street, Condon Park in Grass Valley.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/09/nr/CCnews33_SYR_meeting_4.html

"Our Opinion" (Victorville Daily Press, 08/31/2003)
Editorial: "To environmental activists, 'balance' means their way"
http://www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-bin/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid1062337241,79436,

HUNTING AND SHOOTING ON PUBLIC LANDS

"Dove hunting season opens" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 08/31/2003)
"Monday [was] the first day of dove hunting season and the California Highway Patrol and Bureau of Land Management are preparing for the annual onslaught of complaints that accompanies it." The most common complaints are about hunters trespassing on private property. One reason is that land open to hunting a decade or so ago has been turned into housing areas and golf courses.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2003/local/20030831021327.shtml

"High Desert gun owners no longer can shoot at Hodge Road; BLM proposes to increase open shooting areas" (Barstow Desert Dispatch, 09/02/2003)
Informal shooting area closed, on land that went to a private owner several years ago in land exchange with BLM. Owners installed microwave communications tower, and closed the land soon after. Ranger says BLM is working with San Bernardino County on its shooting ordinance - which allows more areas where shotguns can be fired, than solid projectiles such as bullets. The BLM Barstow Field Office, the county and the state fish and game departments have proposed opening miles of new area with safe backdrops, to solid projectile shooting.
http://www.desertdispatch.com/cgi-bin/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid1062511921,86067,

"Feds want new policies against guns, poaching near Berryessa" (Napa Valley Register, 08/29/2003)
"Federal authorities are looking to ban firearms and stop trespassers on Bureau of Land Management property near Lake Berryessa. On Tuesday BLM's Rich Burns asked the Napa County Board of Supervisors for assistance in making what he feels are long-needed changes on the lands around the lake. Proposed changes include a ban on firearms in the Quail Ridge area, a tougher stance against trespassers in the Knoxville area and even a new name for a controversial road."
http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=AD91C2C8-BA18-48B5-B836-CBDD3B3DB115

WILDFIRE

"Spotters keep an aerial eye on lightning strikes" (Associated Press, in San Francisco Chronicle, 09/02/2003)
BLM employee and contract employee fly the Sierra along the northern California/Nevada state line, trying to spot smoke and flames from small fires - before they become large fires. This day, only a false alarm - but days earlier, two different lightning-sparked fires were smothered by flame retardant and fire crews, before they became raging infernos.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/09/02/state0257EDT0283.DTL

"BLM lifts fire restrictions on lands managed by NE California offices; Restrictions remain in effect for many other areas" (BLM California news release, 09/02/2003)
The Bureau of Land Management has announced that restrictions on outdoor use of fire have been lifted for public lands managed by the agency's offices in Susanville, Alturas and Cedarville. The offices administer about three million acres in northeast California and the northwest corner of Nevada.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/09/nr/NCnews87_NECal_firerestrictions_lifted.html

WILD HORSE AND BURRO ADOPTIONS

"BLM Adopt-A-Horse or Burro event to be held next weekend" (Ridgecrest Daily Independent, 08/28/2003)
Spokesperson says of Saturday event near Ridgecrest: "It's a nice family event even if they're not adopters, and they can talk with us about the program." However, the last such event brought 40 adoptions by midday, and organizers again look forward to meeting potential adopters.
http://www.ridgecrestca.com/articles/2003/08/28/news/local_news/news08.txt

Related: "BLM Schedules Special Back-to-School Wild Horse and Burro Adoption" (BLM California news release, 08/08/2003)
BLM has scheduled a back-to-school special you don't want to miss . . . a wild horse and burro adoption on Saturday, September 6 at its regional wild horse and burro corral facility, located 4 ½ miles east of Ridgecrest.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/08/nr/CDDnews69_ridgecrest_adoption.html

Related: See adoption Sept. 20-21 in Stockton, in "Selected Upcoming Events" below.

HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS

"City Council to vote on Discovery Center partnership" (Barstow Desert Dispatch, 09/02/2003)
Barstow City Council votes on partnership with several other groups in the Desert Discovery Center. The center's building - owned by BLM - will now be known as the Desert Discover Center Partnership. "The city would use the center to provide an educational program on ways to prevent pollution, such as recycling." (A brief note in the 9/3/03 Barstow Desert Dispatch stated that the city council did vote to approve the partnership.)
http://www.desertdispatch.com/cgi-bin/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid1062512237,15600,

"Pot gardens are raided; 1 suspect held; 14,000 plants a record for year " (Redding Record Searchlight, 9/4/2003)
"Forty officers from six law enforcement agencies [including BLM] surrounded a remote marijuana growing complex Wednesday where they confiscated more than 14,000 plants and arrested one suspect, narcotics agents said. Five other suspects are being sought..." Officers hiked two hours to reach the remote area.
http://www.redding.com/news/stories/20030904lo087.shtml

"County Parks acquires federal land at lake" (San Luis Obispo Tribune, 09/02/2003)
"The Bureau of Land Management has deeded 1,280 acres of federal land above the northern shore of Santa Margarita Lake to the county. County Parks has been managing the remote site as part of the lake's recreation area since 1993. After several years of working under a cooperative agreement, both agencies agreed local ownership makes more sense, according to a county press release."
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispotribune/6670230.htm