News.bytes Extra, issue 344

Interior official honors firefighters, views areas needing restoration after fire

Stabilization and restoration needs in the wake of northern California wildfires were highlights when Deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett visited the Redding, California region Tuesday, Aug. 12.

The deputy secretary started her day with a pancake breakfast at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area west of Redding.  The event honored the work of firefighters who have battled hundreds of blazes across the state.  Unit Superintendent Jim Milestone and the deputy secretary made comments honoring the service of firefighters from federal, state and local agencies. (text continues below)

Above: Deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett speaks with Steven Anderson with the Bureau of Land Management and Jim Milestone of the National Park Service.

Newspaper and television reporters interview Lynn Scarlett at a stop on her tour:

Later, Scarlett joined Bureau of Land Management managers and staff to tour areas along the Sacramento River National Recreation Trail that were burned in the 28,000-acre Motion Fire last month.   Reporters from KRCR TV (ABC) and KNVN TV (NBC) covered the tour along with a reporter and photographer from the Record Searchlight, a Redding daily newspaper.
BLM Redding Field Manager Steve Anderson and his staff showed areas where immediate stabilization will be needed and where long-term restoration projects will be essential to restore areas damaged by the fire. 

Scarlett praised the cooperation of BLM and its many partners in protecting critical habitats and watersheds, and developing a region-wide recreational trail network, parts of which were damaged in the fire.  She expressed confidence that these partnerships would facilitate restoration of the area.

BLM-California News.bytes, issue 344