HEADWATERS PLAN

"Headwaters Forest Reserve proposed Resource Management Plan available" (BLM California news release, 10/8/2003)
The proposed resource management plan outlines management direction for the 7,500-acre Reserve. The plan and EIS/EIR describe and analyze the environmental effects of management actions including watershed restoration, forest restoration and development of compatible recreation facilities, including provisions for public access. The plan also addresses research programs, fire and fuels management and special designations within the Reserve.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/NCnews05_headwaters_plan.html

"Headwaters Forest Reserve Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final EIS/EIR" (BLM California Web site)
Links to the plan, in Adobe Acrobat/PDF files.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/arcata/Headwaters_final_EIS.html

COURT ORDER RESTRICTS WEST MOJAVE ROADS

"BLM reinstates interim route restrictions in West Mojave per court order" (BLM California news release, 10/02/2003)
In compliance with a Sept. 18, 2003 federal court order interpreting an earlier lawsuit consent decree, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has reinstated interim restrictions on routes of travel affecting about 685,000 acres of public lands in Kern and San Bernardino counties within the central West Mojave planning area.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/CDDnews01_wemo_resrtictions_reinstated.html

"400 miles of back roads closed in Mojave" (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 10/03/2003)
"Complying with a recent federal court order, the [BLM] closed the routes that meander through 685,000 acres of public lands in San Bernardino and Kern counties....The roads will remain closed until a final decision is made on the overall West Mojave Plan .... expected next spring. The bureau's move to reinstate the road closures has drawn barbed comments from representatives of environmental and off-highway vehicle groups."
http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203%257E21481%257E1676185,00.html

"Court orders restriction on desert travel routes" (Bakersfield Californian, 10/06/2003)
"A federal court order to reinstate route restrictions in the western Mojave Desert will affect a small pocket of northeastern Kern County and a bigger piece of San Bernardino County, a move applauded by conservationists."
http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/4097748p-4119114c.html

"BLM reinstates route closures; Judicial ruling affects access to 685,000 acres of public lands" (Victorville Daily Press, 10/04/2003)
"To comply with a federal court order, the [BLM] has reinstated interim route restrictions on Edwards Bowl, Fremont, Helendale/Silver Lakes, Juniper Flats, Kramer, Newberry/Rodman, Ord Mountain, Red Mountain and Superior. A lawsuit filed in 2001 by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club, and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility had established the closures." The reinstated closures had been lifted by BLM June 30.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-bin/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid1065274189,4234,

NOT FOR EDUCATORS ONLY

WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What is the most popular warm water game fish in California? Black crappie, Largemouth bass, Bluegill, or Rainbow trout? Take your pick and compare your answer to others, in this interactive feature:
http://www6.ca.blm.gov/forms/polls/issue129/wild/index.php

WHERE IS THIS?
1. Funeral Mountains Wilderness Area
2. Dead Mountains Wilderness Area
3. Orocopia Mountains Wilderness Area
Take the quiz, and compare your answer to others who answered so far, at:
http://www6.ca.blm.gov/forms/polls/issue130/wa/index.php

BOOKSTORE FEATURE: "Scenic Byways - Farwest"
National Forest Scenic Byways from Alaska to Southern California - which meander through old-growth forests, trace salmon-filled rivers, and cross trails leading deep into wilderness areas. This book takes you on 33 byways and provides all the information (travel maps, historic sites, campground locations, etc.) you need to spend your vacation the way you want.
http://store.ca.blm.gov/cgi-bin/webc.exe/st_prod.html?p_prodid=264

MEET YOUR ADVISORY COUNCIL: Mary Gorden
A member of the Central California Resource Advisory Council, Mary Gorden spent 20 years as a public school teacher before becoming an educational consultant. She represents Archaeological/Historical interests on the council, and has been involved in a number of archaeological monitoring projects.
Learn more:
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/rac/cencal_rac/member_profiles/gordon.html

Related: "New members named to BLM Northwest California Advisory Council" (BLM California news release, 10/01/2003)
The Bureau of Land Management's Northwest California Resource Advisory Council (RAC) is welcoming two new members and two returning members, following appointments by Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/NCnews03_nwrac_appts_100103.html

Related: "New members named to BLM Northeast California Advisory Council" (BLM California news release, 10/01/2003)
The Bureau of Land Management's Northeast California Resource Advisory Council (RAC) has welcomed three new members.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/NCnews02_nerac_03appointments.html

Related: "New members named to BLM Central California Advisory Council" (BLM California news release, 10/8/03)
BLM's Central California Resource Advisory Council has welcomed two new members.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/CCnews02_ccrac_appointments.html

PROFILE: Elaine Downing
Elaine Downing, Information and Outreach Coordinator for BLM's Needles Field Office, is also the volunteer coordinator, an instructor and data steward for the National Mail List System, an automated system created to enhance efforts to communicate with constituents. Her son Nick is also profiled, for his volunteer work with BLM - including his Eagle Scout project organized to clean up and enhance an area for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher and leaf-nosed bat
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/newsbytes/profiles/downing.html

HIKERS, HUNTERS: BE CAREFUL OUT THERE

"Pot raid nets 3,400 plants" (Redding Record Searchlight, 10/07/2003)
"A marijuana raid Monday near French Gulch brought the total to more than 85,000 plants that have been eradicated by law enforcement in the region this year." BLM rangers participated. A sheriff's spokesman warned that this is marijuana harvest time: "With many hunters out in the area, officials are concerned for their safety. 'We want to make sure they don't get into gardens and then into confrontations with armed men'...He asked hunters who see anything suspicious to call the Shasta County Sheriff's office."
http://www.redding.com/news/stories/20031007lo060.shtml

"DFG, sportsmen to host pheasant hunts" (Redding Record Searchlight, 10/05/2003)
"In a joint effort, Department of Fish and Game, the Shasta Country Sportsmen Association and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management will be sponsoring a junior pheasant hunt to take place Nov. 8-9 on the 'Bend area' of the Sacramento River Recreation Area north of Red Bluff."
http://redding.com/outdoors/stories/20031005ou063.shtml

"Hikers, dodge that bullet" (Los Angeles Times, 10/07/2003)
"With hunting season upon us, is it also open season on hikers? In California, the odds are in your favor when it comes to hunter safety....Hunters tend to track game far from established hiking trails and usually hunt at dawn and dusk, when animals are foraging. Still, during hunting season, it's often best not to venture too far off-trail - and it's usually a good idea to make some noise while hiking...Some public lands have firearm restrictions, but most lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management are open to hunting. Hunting is not allowed in state and national parks....it's smart to know what's being hunted and when the seasons run." California's general hunting season is starting now and runs into November.
http://www.latimes.com/features/outdoors/la-os-deer7oct07b,1,7421868.story

WILD HORSES AND BURROS ADOPTED
During the BLM's first ever visit to Woodside last weekend, 20 horses and 15 burros found new homes. The adoption was cosponsored by the BLM and the San Mateo Mounted Patrol, and held at the Mounted Patrol arena. See photos from the event, and learn more:
http://www.ca.blm.gov//news/newsbytes/temp_issues/129_whb-woodside.html

"Up for auction, group of undomesticated animals sought after for smarts" (San Jose Mercury News, 10/04/2003)
Onlookers picked their favorites and commented on animal character traits, as BLM workers unloaded 70 wild horses and 20 wild burros for adoption last weekend at the San Mateo County fairgrounds.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/6931703.htm

"Bids taken on burros, mustangs in Woodside" (San Mateo County Times, 10/06/2003)
"Recently, the horses and burros roamed wild on the plains of central Nevada, foraging on grasses and drinking out of narrow creeks and streams." Said one observer who adopted a mustang -- "Rio" -- at an earlier adoption: "Rio has taught me a lot in horsemanship...People think that you teach the horse, but the horse actually teaches you."
http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87%257E11268%257E1679810,00.html

"Special Halloween Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Scheduled at Descanso" (BLM California news release, 10/8/2003)
This Halloween could just be the greatest "trick and treat" opportunity for people throughout southern California who have ever considered adopting a wild horse and burro. The BLM will offer 80 Mustangs and 20 burros will be offered to qualified adopters, at a wild horse and burro adoption October 25-26.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/CDDnews03_descanso_adoption.html

MORE LAND USE PLANNING

"South Yuba River planning meeting Wednesday evening, Oct. 8" (BLM California news release, 10/03/2003)
The sixth in 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 Wednesday, October 8, 2003, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the L.O.V.E. Building, 660 Minnie Street, Condon Park in Grass Valley. Everyone who is interested in the South Yuba River is invited to attend.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/CCnews01_SYR_meeting6.html

"Comment period closes Oct. 31 on BLM land use plan "scoping" phase" (BLM California news release, 10/02/2003)
Public comments on issues that should be addressed and included in a scoping report for new Bureau of Land Management land use plans for the Northeast California and Northwest Nevada will be accepted until Friday, Oct. 31.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/NCnews04_neplan_commentpd.html

"General Plan adopted" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 10/8/2003)
"Calling it 'unprecedented' and a 'monumental achievement, 'the Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously ratified a new General Plan....The new land-use document, which took four years and $10 million in consultant fees...creates certainty for property owners about how their communities and land may be developed..." The county's plan is part of the Coachella Valley Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan, on which BLM is working with many partners.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2003/local/20031008025619.shtml

Related: "Well-used trail may be diverted next year" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 10/06/2003)
"It's...possible that October will kick off the final season of official public access to the upper leg of this 1.3-mile trail that winds through foothills on private and government-owned land in the city's southern sector....The Bump and Grind Trail issue is part of a larger environmental picture called the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, which has been in the works for eight years and is nearing a critical point." At issue is whether the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep could be frightened away from their water source by hikers.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2003/local/20031006012923.shtml

NATIONAL and/or DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NEWS

"BLM separates roads from planning process for public lands" (Salt Lake Tribune, 10/07/2003)
Related: "As Utah's six [BLM] field offices develop plans for 9.9 million acres of public lands, the simple definition of what constitutes a road or trail promises to cause grief. That is why the agency's national office issued planning guidelines Monday that give field offices like those in Utah more time to complete route designations while they finish their resource management plans. Essentially, BLM will be able to produce the overall management plans before, and separate from, the road plans."
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Oct/10072003/utah/99501.asp

Related: "BLM Clarifies Guidelines for Travel Management; Flexibility added to OHV route designations in limited areas" (BLM national news release, 10/06/2003)
The BLM issued nationwide planning guidance that allows field-level staff more time to complete route designations in areas identified as limited. Current guidance requires route designations to be in place before completion of the plan. "This is a common sense approach that will better serve the public," said a spokesperson.
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2003/pr031006_ohv.htm

"Interior defends roads deal to Congress" (Salt Lake Tribune, 10/06/2003)
"Despite a congressional backlash and the threat of lawsuits, Interior Department officials have told members of Congress that they intend to go forward with the program to surrender federal ownership claims to miles of backcountry roads in Utah. Agency officials also say they have discussed developing similar road-release pacts with Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and San Bernardino County in California."
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Oct/10062003/utah/99233.asp

"Court lets monument plan stand" (Sacramento Bee, 10/07/2003)
"The last legal challenge to California's Giant Sequoia National Monument collapsed Monday as the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal by Tulare County and logging groups. Issued without comment, the court's action upheld former President Clinton's creation of the 327,769-acre ... monument. Frustrating Western conservatives and private property advocates, the court also refused to hear challenges to other Clinton-era monuments in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon and Washington State."
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/environment/story/7554290p-8495718c.html

Related: "Clinton's Sequoia protection to stand" (Bakersfield Californian, 10/07/2003)
"High court refuses to hear from critics, who say status jeopardizes safety, revenue."
http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/4101264p-4119155c.html

HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS

"Native California plant taken off federal protection list" (Associated Press, in San Francisco Chronicle, 10/07/2003)
"A native California plant that has been federally protected for 13 years has recovered, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday in removing it from the endangered species list. The decision to remove Hoover's woolly-star from a list of threatened species comes after the discovery of new populations in three counties, the service said....The plant is mainly found on land controlled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which will designate [it] a 'sensitive species' to provide for continued protection and monitoring."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/10/07/state1410EDT0060.DTL

"Geothermal power firm attracting heat; Calpine's plans for resource surveys draw criticism" (Redding Record Searchlight, 10/07/2003)
"Medicine Lake - A...company planning to build a pair of geothermal plants near this sacred lake has asked the U.S. Forest Service for permission to conduct more than 200 surveys of the resource-rich area. Calpine Corp. says it isn't planning any new projects and that the surveys are meant only to get a better understanding of the area's potential....Environmentalists warned that more surveys could mean only one thing: More development in an area held dear by American Indians and nature lovers." BLM is involved in the permitting process for geothermal projects on public lands.
http://www.redding.com/top_stories/local/20031007toplo054.shtml

"BLM plans prescribed fires near Madeline, Adin" (BLM California news release, 10/01/2003)
Crews from the U. S. Bureau of Land Management will ignite prescribed fires in early October and early November, in projects designed to improve habitat conditions for sensitive plants and wildlife.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/2003/10/nr/NCnews01_rxfire_alturas.html

"Energy levels high at SBC conference" (Mammoth Times, 10/02/2003)
Representatives from BLM were among more than 300 participants in the Sierra Business Council's ninth annual conference -- that focused on "gateway communities, balancing needs and growth, nature, and planning....Its statistics show that the Sierra is the third-fastest growing region in California, and receives more than 100 million visitors each year."
http://www.mammothtimes.com/times2003/SBC%20Conference.html