WILDLIFE TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What is a slider?
(a) A snake
(b) A turtle
(c) A salamander
(d) A lizard
(e) A fish
(f) A power tool used to gain access to animal burrows
(g) A cross between the fastball lizard and the curveball hare.
------> See answer near the end of this issue of News.bytes.

SPECIAL STATUS PLANT OF THE WEEK: Rawhide Hill Onion
Steep eroding serpentine slopes with sparse vegetation and little shrub or tree cover. Associates include buckbrush, foothill pine, California melic, squirreltail, Red Hills soaproot.
http://www.ca.blm.gov/pa/ssp/plants/allium_tuolumnense.html

HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS

"Surprise arrival at wild horse and burro adoption" (BLM California News.bytes Extra, 3/28/06)
The lure of America's wild horses and burros dragged San Joaquin Valley residents into the rain over the weekend of March 25, and after a two-day adoption event, 57 animals -- 48 horses and nine burros -- went to new homes. A surprise arrival went home with his mother and their adoptive family.
Read more, and see photos.

RELATED: "Need a horse? Go right to the source, of course" (Modest Bee, 3/26/06)
"It was the kind of day where wild horses couldn't drag people out of their beds and warm, dry homes. But it was precisely for wild horses and burros that people came to the Stanislaus County Fairground in Turlock on Saturday, hoping to adopt one of the animals or dream a little more about the day when that would be possible. "
(Free registration may be required.)
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/11979811p-12741715c.html

"BLM stewardship projects planned for coming months" (BLM California news release, 3/22/06)
Projects to improve wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire risks and reduce dense stands of juniper are planned for the coming months by the Bureau of Land Management's Alturas Field Office.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/2006/03/nr/NCNews37_alturas_stewardship_contracts.html

"Can't we all just get along?" (Monterey County Herald, 3/6/06)
"Living in Monterey County means living with raccoons, of course -- and geese and deer and skunks and possums and foxes and bears and wild pigs and mountain lions and so on... and on... and on. How should we feel about that? Good? Wary? Petrified?....'Most people support protection of plants and animals as long as it doesn't affect their use,' said Eric Morgan, Fort Ord project manager for the Bureau of Land Management." A writer's encounter between her three small dogs and a "gargantuan" raccoon inspires her to explore the topic.
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/14191272.htm

"BLM seeks public comment on big game articial water source" (BLM California news release, 3/24/06)
The proposed artificial water source -- in the BLM's Sheephole Valley Wilderness Area in southeastern San Bernardino County -- is needed to provide water for bighorn sheep and other wildlife according to the proposal by the California Department of Fish and Game.
News release.

"Weathering wildfires" (CNN.com, 3/24/06)
"Today, amid near-universal accord on the need to protect communities and preserve forests, many experts have developed a new appreciation for wildfires' historic and vital role in nature. But the preservative value of fire may be hard to explain to a family that built its dream home on a forest's edge or tourists who see their favorite hiking trail or campground under threat....When a large conflagration erupts....About 600 smoke jumpers, based at nine Bureau of Land Management and National Forest Service sites, can be over and at a fire within minutes of its being spotted."
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/24/wildfires/index.html?section=cnn_latest

"Leaders charge habitat plan would lead to city's demise" (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 3/28/06)
City officials say "a plan to protect everything from plants to pocket mice could make Desert Hot Springs an endangered species." BLM is involved with many local governments and agencies in developing the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. Story includes links to more than two dozen photos of the Coachella Valley area.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060328/NEWS07/603280332/1006

"Current job openings - BLM California" (USAJOBS website)
Current listings include petroleum engineering technician, administrative officer, and several fire-related jobs.
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/a9blm-ca.asp

RECREATION ON PUBLIC LANDS

"Bureau of Land Management announces opening of Creekside Terrace Trailhead at Fort Ord" (BLM California news release, 3/27/06)
March 31, 2006 marks the grand opening of the newly constructed Creekside Terrace Trailhead. This long-awaited parking area contains restrooms, interpretive exhibits, parking spaces for up to 25 passenger vehicles and 15 horse trailers -- and provides convenient access to several world-class trails on the Fort Ord public lands.
News release.

"BLM offers guided wildflower hikes" (BLM California news release, 3/22/06)
Spring wildflowers are blooming across Lake County, and the Bureau of Land Management is offering free, guided hikes in the Cache Creek area to view them. The outings are scheduled for Saturdays, April 1, April 8 and April 15. No reservations are required -- contact BLM's Ukiah Field Office for details:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/news/2006/03/nr/NCNews38_CacheCreek_flowerhikes_march06.html

Spring turkey season should be a good one" (Lake County Record-Bee, 3/24/06)
"Turkey hunting has become one of the most popular hunting sports in California even though most of the birds are located on private land. However, there is also a good population located on public lands, including the Mendocino National Forest, and on Bureau of Land Management holdings such as the Cache Creek Wildlife Area."
http://www.record-bee.com/Stories/0,1413,255%257E34623%257E3275179,00.html

"Norton names 12 to new Sporting Conservation Council; Will advise Interior on hunting, wildlife resource issues" (Department of the Interior news release, 3/23/06)
Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton announced the creation of a new Sporting Conservation Council that will advise the Department of the Interior on resource conservation issues of interest to the hunting community. Norton also named the initial members who will represent various parts of the community.
http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/060323b.htm

ENERGY

"BLM announces availability of the environmental assessment document for the June 14, 2006 oil and gas lease sale" (BLM California news release, 3/24/06)
A 30-day public review and comment period begins immediately and will end on April 22, 2006. The EA has been prepared to analyze the environmental impacts of leasing certain lands for oil and gas exploration and development. The lands considered for leasing are located in Western Kern County and Eastern San Luis Obispo County, and also Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
News release.

"Ramona power line reaction mixed" (North County Times, 3/22/06)
"Ramona residents were relieved Wednesday that the region's electric utility is planning to bury residential sections of its 120-mile power line, but said that San Diego Gas & Electric Co. should put more wires in the ground to avoid erecting eyesores in open spaces behind their backyards." (BLM would be involved with rights-of-way permits for the power line across sections of public land.)
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/23/news/inland/17_12_353_22_06.txt

RELATED: "Shared effort" (Riverside County Press-Enterprise, 3/25/06)
"Southern California Edison, the Imperial Irrigation District and a New York-based company are proposing to jointly build a power line between Blythe and the Palm Springs area to get access to cheaper energy and satisfy increased electricity demands." The BLM "is reviewing the proposal because the line would cross miles of federal land, including the habitat of the endangered desert tortoise and the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard."
(Free registration required.)
http://www.pe.com/localnews/desert/stories/PE_News_Local_D_dpower26.3b0d017.html

RELATED: "SDG&E adds players to Sunrise team" (North County Times, 3/23/06)
"San Diego Gas & Electric Co. is teaming up with the Imperial Irrigation District and Boston-based Citizens Energy Corp. on the proposed $1.4 billion, 120-mile Sunrise Powerlink transmission line that would run between Imperial County and Carmel Valley...."
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/24/news/sandiego/15_53_303_23_06.txt

RELATED: "SDG&E deal may delay PUC ruling on Sunrise line" (San Diego Union-Tribune, 3/24/06)
"San Diego Gas & Electric's effort to win regulatory approval for a new electric transmission line across Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the North County backcountry could be delayed by the utility's announcement of a deal with a competitor."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20060324-9999-1b24sempra.html

RELATED: "Battle is not over for foes of Peñasquitos power line" (San Diego Union-Tribune, 3/25/06)
"Members of a community action group in Rancho Peñasquitos, opposed to San Diego Gas & Electric Co.'s plans for a massive new power line, said yesterday the fact that the portion of the line through their community would be mostly underground isn't enough."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20060325-9999-1mi25link.html

RELATED: "Rancho Penasquitos group aligns against Powerlink" (North County Times, 3/24/06)
Group "wants the utility company to change its proposed route to take the line away from community's approximately 3,000 residences and have it run parallel to Highway 56 or Miramar Road."
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/25/news/top_stories/20_43_483_24_06.txt

MEET YOUR ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS: Dr. Frank Bayham...
...is a professor of anthropology and archaeology at California State University, Chico. He represents archaeology and historic interests on BLM's Northeast California Resource Advisory Council. Read more.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/news/rac/nerac/member_profiles/bayham.html

EMPLOYEE PROFILE: Johna Hurl...
...is the Acting Manager at the Carrizo Plains National Monument which operates out of the Bakersfield Field Office. She originally came to this position because she enjoyed working out of doors and has spent the whole of her 12 years with the Bureau of Land Management in the Carrizo. Read more in this week's News.bytes Employee Profile.

NATIONAL AND/OR DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ITEMS

"Interior Department Announces Guidelines to Implement Court Decision on R.S. 2477" (Department of the Interior news release, 3/22/06)
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced new guidelines to assist Interior land managers in implementing a recent court decision regarding roads across federally owned lands. The new guidelines implement the principles in a decision by the United States Court of Appeals. BLM clarified many legal issues related to Revised Statute 2477 (R.S. 2477), which granted rights of way for the construction of public roads across federal land.
http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/060322a.htm

RELATED: "U.S. loosens its policy on building road in parkland" (Los Angeles Times, 3/23/06)
"Guidelines issued by Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton on Wednesday will make it easier for counties to lay claim to old trails and closed roads they would like to open across federal lands in the West, including national parks in Southern California."
(Free registration required.)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-roads23mar23,1,1546690.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

RELATED: "Norton issues guidance on Western road claims" (Associated Press in San Diego Union-Tribune, 3/21/06)
"A Civil War-era law gives states and local governments the right to claim rights of way over federal land. But the law, known as Revised Statute 2477, has led to bitter disagreements as claims have been made to dirt paths and even stream beds through national parks and other federal lands. "
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20060321-1906-wst-roadfights-norton.html

RELATED: "Norton leaving office with controversial rule" (Associated Press at MSNBC, 3/24/06)
"A new federal policy addressing one of the toughest issues in the West -- who owns thousands of miles of roads crisscrossing public land -- is producing warnings of more conflicts, lawsuits, and trails in national parks and wilderness morphing into motorways."
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11993523/

"Guardian of the West" (San Francisco Chronicle, 3/22/06)
Editorial: "Interior secretaries invariably came from the wide-open West, where the federal government is the biggest landlord. But, as recent history has shown, Western origins don't necessarily translate into due respect for public land and our natural resources....To his credit, Kempthorne has stood up to Washington on the nuclear waste dispute, expanded his state's small parks budget and drawn praise from Democrats for his knowledge and open manner."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/22/EDGU9GJFPT1.DTL

RELATED: "Success story" (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 3/25/06)
Columnist tells a "a local-boy-makes-good story" -- Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, nominated to be the next Secretary of the Interior, "grew up in San Bernardino" and graduated from high school there.
(Free registration required.)
http://www.pe.com/columns/cassiemacduff/stories/PE_News_Local_P_cass0326.3b0ddd5.html

"Interior Department issues report on cooperative conservation accomplishments during tenure of Secretary Gale Norton" (Department of the Interior news release, 3/23/06)
The report, titled "Sustaining Land and Habitat for Wildlife through Cooperative Conservation," highlights the department's success in promoting cooperative conservation through record amounts of funding; improving habitat on millions of acres of public land; strengthening the relationship with the hunting and angling community; promoting best- management practices for managing multipurpose lands; and recovering wildlife populations through partnerships.
http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/060323a.htm

RELATED: "Interior's Norton cites legacy of cooperative conservation" (Associated Press in San Diego Union-Tribune, 3/24/06)
"Interior Secretary Gale Norton, criticized by environmentalists as pushing a pro-development agenda by the administration during her five-year tenure, said Friday that she remains proud of her efforts to build consensus on a range of issues."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20060324-1716-wst-nortoninterview.html

"New program will train and certify professional land surveyors: Special emphasis on providing cadastral services in Indian Country" (Department of the Interior news release, 3/27/06)
In the past, the BLM has offered similar training to the private sector on a very limited basis, but for the first time the training will be designed specifically for the professional surveyor executing boundary surveys of federal-interest lands, with an emphasis on trust lands.
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2006/pr060327_ls.htm

WILDLIFE TRIVIA answer
(b) A turtle. Sliders, also known as pond sliders, are an introduced species. They are native to New Mexico, Mexico, and the southeastern United States. They are common pet turtles, and were probably introduced into California as a result of pet owners releasing them into the wild. These turtles do not adapt well in California and few survive.

RELATED: "Trachemys scripta (common slider)" (University of Michigan Animal Diversity website)
Photos and much information. "Because of unsanitary conditions and a lack of knowledge on turtle care, few survive for long in captivity. U.S. government regulations now require turtles to be at least 4 inches in length before they can be sold as pets in the USA. However, because of the release of unwanted pets, sliders have established populations outside of their native range. They have been found in California, France, South Africa, Bahrain, Japan, South Korea, Guam, and Thailand."
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Trachemys_scripta.html