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<title>OR/WA BLM News Releases</title>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 08:56:33 PDT</pubDate>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/</link>
<description>The most recent Oregon/Washington BLM news releases.</description>
<managingEditor>ORwaland@blm.gov (ORWA BLM)</managingEditor>
<webMaster>BLM_OR_SO_Web_Services@blm.gov (Oregon Washington BLM Web Team)</webMaster>
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<language>en-us</language><item>
<title>Memorial Day Weekend Events at Interpretive Center</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/files/OR-038-2012-08.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/files/OR-038-2012-08.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Each day from Friday May 25 through Sunday May 27, historical re-enactors will show authentic clothing, crafts, and demonstrations of &quot;frontier life&quot; between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. This will include activities such as quilting and other textile skills, black powder shooting, and pen and ink writing. Roving interpreters will portray pioneers and be available to answer questions in character about life on the Oregon Trail.]]></description><category>Vale</category><pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>BLM Director Bob Abbey to Retire After 34 Years of Public Service</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/Director_Abbey_Retirement_5-10.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/Director_Abbey_Retirement_5-10.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Bureau of Land Management Director Robert Abbey announced today that he will retire from public service at the end of May to rejoin his family full-time in Mississippi. Appointed by President Obama in 2009, Director Abbey's three-year tenure in leadership of the nation's largest land management agency marks the culmination of a 34 year career of state and federal service.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Federal Agencies Plan for Late-May Prescribed Fires North of Burns</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/BU_PrescribedFire_Spring12.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/BU_PrescribedFire_Spring12.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Fire crews from the Burns Interagency Fire Zone (BIFZ) expect to carry out at least two prescribed fires within Harney County this month.  Officials say, if weather permits, they will start the projects the week of May 13.  

Prescribed fire projects slated for late-May include 400 acres in the Rattlesnake Creek area, and 1,500 acres spread across two units in the Badger area, located near Rainbow Flat and Hay Creek off of U.S. Forest Service Road 37.]]></description><category>Burns</category><pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Wild Horse Adoption Set for June 1, 2</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/BU_WildHorseAdoption_Burns2012.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/BU_WildHorseAdoption_Burns2012.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Oregon's Wild Horse Corral Facility in Hines will be open Friday and Saturday, June 1 and 2 for a special adoption event featuring more than 500 mustangs of various ages and colors from Herd Management Areas in southeast Oregon.]]></description><category>Burns</category><pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>2012 Fee Free Days</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0015_2012_Fee_Free_Days.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0015_2012_Fee_Free_Days.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in conjunction with other agencies within the Department of the Interior, will waive recreation-related fees for visitors to the National System of Public Lands on June 9, 2012 (Get Outdoors Day), September 29, 2012 (National Public Lands Day), and November 10-12, 2012 (Veterans Day Weekend). These fee-free days also apply to areas managed within the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS).]]></description><category>Spokane</category><pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Special Exhibits at Interpretive Center</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/files/OR-038-2012-07.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/files/OR-038-2012-07.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is offering special exhibits through 2012 to commemorate significant anniversaries and promote awareness of Oregon Trail preservation.]]></description><category>Vale</category><pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Eastern Washington Advisory Council Meets May 23</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0014_EWRAC_Meeting_May_23.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0014_EWRAC_Meeting_May_23.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Eastern Washington Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will hold a meeting from 10:00am to 4:00pm on May 23, 2012. The meeting will be held in the Hardin Room of the ATEC Building at Big Bend Community College, 7662 N.E. Chanute St, Moses Lake, Washington, 98837.]]></description><category>Spokane</category><pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>BLM Issues Updated Guide for Cooperating Agencies</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/final_CA_Desk_Guide_press_release.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/final_CA_Desk_Guide_press_release.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[In keeping with its commitment to working with federal, state, local, and tribal government partners, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a newly updated Desk Guide to Cooperating Agency Relationships and Coordination with Intergovernmental Partners.    
Through offering cooperating agency status, the BLM invites state, local, and tribal governments, along with other federal agencies, who have jurisdiction or special expertise to share their insights so that we can cooperatively formulate land use planning documents that better reflect the needs and conditions of the American people.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Celatom Mine Expansion Final EIS Released</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/EPMinerals_FEIS_PressRelease_August2011tkmTD.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/EPMinerals_FEIS_PressRelease_August2011tkmTD.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Burns District announced the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed expansion of a Celatom mine, located approximately 50 miles east of Burns and 60 miles west of Vale, Oregon.  The Celatom Complex is a diatomaceous mine currently consisting of three open-pit mines called Beede Desert (on private land), Kelly Field (on BLM-administered land), and Section 36 (on State-administered land) in Harney and Malheur Counties.]]></description><category>Burns</category><pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>John Day Snake Resource Advisory Committee to Meet in Baker City</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/newsroom/files/OR-030-2012-007_JDS_Meeting_in_Baker_City.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/newsroom/files/OR-030-2012-007_JDS_Meeting_in_Baker_City.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The John Day/Snake Resource Advisory Council (JDSRAC) will meet May 17, 2012, in the conference room at the Geiser Grand Hotel located at 1996 Main Street, Baker City Oregon 97814.]]></description><category>Vale</category><pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Public Invited to Visit Historic Rhododendron Garden</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/coosbay/files/OR120-12-9_Hinsdalevent.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/coosbay/files/OR120-12-9_Hinsdalevent.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The public is invited to visit the O.H. Hinsdale Rhododendron Garden, east of Reedsport along Highway 38, on Saturday, May 12 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Coos Bay District staff and American Rhododendron Society members will be on hand to answer questions and give tours.]]></description><category>Coos Bay</category><pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Fee Season at Yakima River Canyon Begins May 15, 2012</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0012_Yakima_River_Canyon_Fees.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0012_Yakima_River_Canyon_Fees.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will begin charging fees at Umtanum, Lmuma Creek, Big Pines and Roza Recreation Sites on Sunday, May 15, 2012. Site use fees are charged from May 15 through September 15. The remainder of the year, there is no charge for use of BLM facilities in the Yakima River Canyon.]]></description><category>Spokane</category><pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 13:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Campground Hosts Needed in Harney County</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/BU_CampHosting_April2012.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/BU_CampHosting_April2012.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Burns District is seeking campground hosts for the 2012 summer season at Page Springs Campground near Steens Mountain in southeast Oregon. To inquire about or apply for a position, interested volunteers should call Tara Martinak at the Burns District BLM office at (541) 573-4519.  An in-person or phone interview, Federal background check, and electronic banking information are all required for this position.]]></description><category>Burns</category><pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Public Meetings on Plans for Western Oregon Forests</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-17_RMP_Public_Meetings_4-12.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-17_RMP_Public_Meetings_4-12.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oregon is initiating a resource management plan (RMP) revision which will provide goals, objectives, and direction for the management of approximately 2.6 million acres of BLM-administered lands in western Oregon. 

The BLM will be hosting public meetings throughout western Oregon to get feedback on the number of plan revisions that should be prepared, the geographic areas that the plan revisions should cover, the direction the plan revisions should take and the issues that they should address.  The BLM is interested in a diversity of viewpoints and welcomes suggestions for new and innovative approaches to managing western Oregon forests.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Secretaries Vilsack and Salazar Announce Readiness For Wildfire Season</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/april/nr_04_26_2012.html</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/april/nr_04_26_2012.html</guid><description><![CDATA[Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today outlined the federal government's readiness for the wildland fire season to ensure protection for communities and restoration of forests and public lands across the country. The Secretaries were joined by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell and National Predictive Services Program Manager of the National Interagency Fire Center Ed Delgado.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Public Events and New Websites Commemorate BLM's Historic Roots</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/Final_NR_GLO_Anniversary_042512.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/Final_NR_GLO_Anniversary_042512.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today celebrated the 200th anniversary of the General Land Office (GLO) with a public tour of the vaults where millions of land records are stored. The BLM also launched a new history website and BLM offices around the United States scheduled commemorative events through the year.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Eugene BLM Seeks Public Comment on Non-motorized Trails</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/eugene/files/EU_Carpenter_Bypass_04_2012.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/eugene/files/EU_Carpenter_Bypass_04_2012.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eugene District is seeking public comment on the Carpenter Bypass Non-Motorized Trail System and Parking Lot Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA outlines alternative management strategies relative to the management of non-motorized recreation opportunities on BLM-managed land along and proximal to Carpenter Bypass Road.]]></description><category>Eugene</category><pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>General Land Office 200 Year Anniversary</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/landsrealty/glo200/index.php</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/landsrealty/glo200/index.php</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management was officially established in 1946, but it has roots dating back two hundred years, since the foundation of the General Land Office (GLO) in 1812. The &quot;Gateway to Land Ownership&quot; as it was colloquially dubbed, helped millions of Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries acquire public lands for private and agricultural usage, while simultaneously generating income for the Federal Government.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Openings Available on Advisory Councils</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-16_RAC_2ndCall.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-16_RAC_2ndCall.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The BLM is extending the deadline for nominations for 16 positions on its three Resource Advisory Councils in Oregon and Washington. Nominations must be submitted by June 4, 2012.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>BLM Offers Webcast of National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/april/NR_4_23_2012.html</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/april/NR_4_23_2012.html</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management's National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting April 23-24 in Reno, Nevada, can be viewed via webcast at: http://www.blm.gov/live/. The day-and-a-half meeting will take place on Monday, April 23, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, April 24, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., local time, and can be viewed online during those times.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Recreation Sites on BLM Opening for 2012 Season</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/files/RB-OR-100-FY2012-009_Roseburg_Recreation_Opening_Dates.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/files/RB-OR-100-FY2012-009_Roseburg_Recreation_Opening_Dates.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Roseburg, Ore. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will begin opening recreation sites throughout the District in April and May, 2012.]]></description><category>Roseburg</category><pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>BLM Releases Proposed RMP and Final EIS for John Day Basin</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/prineville/files/PR-12-06_BLM_Releases_John_Day_Basin_PRMP_FEIS.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/prineville/files/PR-12-06_BLM_Releases_John_Day_Basin_PRMP_FEIS.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[CENTRAL OREGON - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Prineville District, has prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for management of BLM-administered lands in the John Day Basin. Resource Management Plans establish specific objectives and guidance for managing lands within a defined planning area. The PRMP was prepared by the BLM in consultation with cooperating agencies and the public and will provide future direction for managing 456,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands located in parts of Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow, Umatilla, Grant, Wheeler, Jefferson and Wasco counties in the State of Oregon.]]></description><category>Prineville</category><pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>BLM Selects Proposed Wild Horse Ecosanctuary</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/PublicPrivateLandEcosancPressRel_v8.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/PublicPrivateLandEcosancPressRel_v8.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it has selected for environmental analysis a public-private land wild horse ecosanctuary proposal submitted by Saving America's Mustangs (SAM), a non-profit organization formed by Madeleine Pickens.  The BLM will conduct an environmental analysis of the proposal under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 to assess the environmental, economic, social, and other effects of the proposed ecosanctuary.  The BLM expects its NEPA analysis - which will include extensive public input - to be completed in approximately two years, after which the agency will make a decision about whether to enter into a formal partnership with SAM.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>BLM Issues Final Soda Mtn Wilderness Stewardship Plan</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/sodaplannr.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/sodaplannr.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Medford, OR: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the release of the Final Soda Mountain Wilderness Stewardship Plan. The Soda Mountain Wilderness was created in March 2009 under the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009.]]></description><category>Medford</category><pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>BLM Announces Landscape Approach for Public Land Management</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/landscape-approach.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/landscape-approach.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today released an update on a bureauwide initiative that is helping the agency evaluate and respond to public land issues such as wildfire, energy development, and climate change while continuing to promote the smart use of the public lands.  The initiative, called the Landscape Approach for Managing the Public Lands, looks for ecological conditions, patterns, and management opportunities that may not be evident when managing smaller land areas.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>OR/WA BLM Earth Day Events</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/BLM_Earth_Day_Events.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/BLM_Earth_Day_Events.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Facebook readers asked where they could lend a hand during Earth Week. Our date book has several events that all are welcome to take part in, as shown on this flyer. Please remember to check your local community calendar for other avenues to get involved.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>BLM Approves Enhanced Geothermal Systems Demonstration Project</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/prineville/files/Media_Release_PR-12-05_BLM_Approves_EGS_Demo_Project_4_5_12.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/prineville/files/Media_Release_PR-12-05_BLM_Approves_EGS_Demo_Project_4_5_12.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[CENTRAL OREGON - USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is issuing a decision authorizing a demonstration project to evaluate the potential for producing energy through the use of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technology near Newberry Volcano. If successful, this project could advance EGS technology and facilitate the development of a domestic, renewable, clean energy option for the United States through the extraction of heat from engineered reservoirs of underground hot rock.]]></description><category>Prineville</category><pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Roseburg Pilot Project Available for Public Review</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/files/RB-OR-100-FY2012-006_Pilot_Project_EA_Available_for_Review.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/files/RB-OR-100-FY2012-006_Pilot_Project_EA_Available_for_Review.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) South River Field Office has completed the Roseburg Secretarial Demonstration Pilot Project Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact.]]></description><category>Roseburg</category><pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>North Bank Habitat Management Area Grazing to Continue</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/files/RB-OR-100-FY2012-007_NBHMA_Grazing_Continue.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/files/RB-OR-100-FY2012-007_NBHMA_Grazing_Continue.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Roseburg, Ore. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is continuing to utilize cattle to graze approximately 230 acres within the North Bank Habitat Management Area (NBHMA) beginning in late March 2012. The NBHMA is situated approximately six miles northwest of Glide, Oregon, along North Bank Road. The grazing project is an effort to assess grazing as a practical tool to improve forage for the Columbian white-tailed deer.]]></description><category>Roseburg</category><pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Rock Creek/Escure Ranch Re-Opened</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0013_Escure_Ranch_Opened.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0013_Escure_Ranch_Opened.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has re-opened the Rock Creek/Escure Ranch area near Revere, in Adams and Whitman Counties, WA which was closed to the public due to a recent vandalism incident.]]></description><category>Spokane</category><pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Public Tour Wild Horse Long-Term Holding Pastures Offered</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/LTPTour_KS_Fri30Mar2012.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/LTPTour_KS_Fri30Mar2012.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management is hosting in June an all-day public tour of two wild horse long-term holding pastures in El Dorado, Kansas, located about 30 miles east of Wichita.  The free tour will take place on Saturday, June 9 and give the public an opportunity to observe wild horses roaming across thousands of acres.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:25:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Table Rocks Hike Season  - Spring 2012 BLM and Nature Conservancy Offer Free, Guided Hikes on Weekends</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/trhikes12nr.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/trhikes12nr.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Wildflowers are beginning to show their color, vernal pools are buzzing with life, spring time is returning to Southern Oregon. It is once again time for the annual spring Table Rocks weekend hike series! The Nature Conservancy and the BLM are offering their annual guided, educational walks on the Table Rocks in April and May. This popular hike series promises a spectacular view of the valley, an abundance of wildflowers, and expert interpretation from specialists on the natural and cultural history of the area. Anyone from the community is welcome to sign up. There is no fee to participate, but reservations are required. To reserve a space on a hike call the BLM Medford District Office at (541) 618-2200. Participation is limited to 30 individuals per hike, unless otherwise noted. The weekend hike schedule can be viewed on the BLM's Table Rocks website and The Nature Conservancy website:]]></description><category>Medford</category><pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>BLM Seeks Bids for New Type of Bait Contracts</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/BLM_Seeks_Bids_for_Bait_Trapping_Contracts_forWHB.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/BLM_Seeks_Bids_for_Bait_Trapping_Contracts_forWHB.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[As part of its responsibility to manage and protect wild horses and burros, the Bureau of Land Management, in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service (FS), is soliciting bids for several contracts that will help manage wild horses and burros located across the western United States.  The contracts are for a new bait trapping method that is intended to relieve areas of excess wild horses and burros where helicopter drive trapping is not an effective method.  The bids are the first of their kind, in that they involve six zones across the West, with a potential for multiple contractors simultaneously bait trapping animals over an extended period of time.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Rock Creek/Escure Ranch Closure</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0010_Escure_Ranch_Closure.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0010_Escure_Ranch_Closure.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has closed the Rock Creek/Escure Ranch area near Revere, in Adams and Whitman Counties, WA due to a vandalism incident.  The BLM is currently investigating the incident and will issue another notification when it reopens the area to the public.]]></description><category>Spokane</category><pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting Set</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/WHBAdvisoryBdMtg_Reno_April2012_final.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/WHBAdvisoryBdMtg_Reno_April2012_final.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management's National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet in April in Reno, Nevada, to discuss issues relating to the management, protection, and control of wild horses and burros on Western public rangelands.  The day-and-a-half meeting will take place on Monday, April 23, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, April 24, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., local time.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:30:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>Intermittent Closure of Umtanum Footbridge</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0009_Umtanum_Footbridge_Closure.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0009_Umtanum_Footbridge_Closure.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Spokane, WA. - Ellensburg - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be replacing bridge decking on the Umtanum footbridge in the Yakima River Canyon from Tuesday, April 2 through Friday, April 6, 2012. The Umtanum footbridge is located at BLM's Umtanum recreation site, at milepost 16 on Canyon Road (Highway 821), between Ellensburg and Yakima, WA. The footbridge will be closed on an intermittent basis while the new decking is installed, but will be open for brief periods during the day to allow visitors to cross.]]></description><category>Spokane</category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>BLM Selects New Salem District Manager</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-13_SalemDistrictManager.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-13_SalemDistrictManager.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Oregon/Washington State Director Ed Shepard announced the selection of Kim Titus as the new the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Salem District Manager. Titus has been the Branch Chief for Planning, Science, and Resource Information in the Oregon State Office since 2006. Titus will likely report to the Salem District in early June 2012.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>BLM Selects New Lakeview District Manager</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-14_LKV_Mgr.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-14_LKV_Mgr.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Today Ed Shepard, the Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land Management (BLM) State Director, announced the selection of Ms. E. Lynn Burkett as the incoming Lakeview District Manager in Lakeview, Oregon.  Ms. Burkett is currently the Field Station Manager for the Lower Potomac Field Office, in BLM's Eastern States Office.  She has worked in several management assignments in the Washington Office and in Idaho and Arizona.  Burkett will be returning to the BLM Oregon/Washington, where she was the Roseburg District Public Affairs Officer for five years.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>SE Oregon Advisory Council Meets April 2, 3</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/BU_SEORAC_April2012.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/BU_SEORAC_April2012.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The next Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council (RAC) meeting is set for Monday and Tuesday, April 2-3, 2012 at The Gathering Place, 3 North &quot;F&quot; Street, in Lakeview, Oregon.  The two-day meeting schedule is: Monday, 12:00 noon to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon.]]></description><category>Burns</category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>Snowy Plover Nesting Season Begins March 15</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/coosbay/files/12_plover_season.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/coosbay/files/12_plover_season.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The nesting season for the western snowy plover, a small shorebird that lays its eggs and raises it young in the open dry sand, begins on area beaches March 15 and runs through September 15. Some area beaches have access restrictions in place during this time to help protect the nests, eggs and chicks of these threatened birds.]]></description><category>Coos Bay</category><pubDate>Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>BLM Solicits Public Comments for Sage-Grouse Habitat Improvement Proposal</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/prineville/files/PR-12-04_Sage_Grouse_Playa_Management.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/prineville/files/PR-12-04_Sage_Grouse_Playa_Management.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[PRINEVILLE, Ore. -- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Prineville District Office is asking for public comments on a proposed project to improve sage-grouse habitat south of Brothers and Hampton along the southern boundary of the BLM Prineville District. The BLM is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) to identify a range of alternatives to address restoring playas, which are considered important habitat for sage-grouse. Potential activities may include modifying dugouts, juniper thinning, altering water sources for livestock, removing or relocating roads, and modifying grazing seasons of use or removing grazing. The EA will also complete an analysis for any grazing permit renewals in the project area.]]></description><category>Prineville</category><pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>North Spit Docks Installed</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/coosbay/files/OR-120-12-6_nsdocks.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/coosbay/files/OR-120-12-6_nsdocks.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The docks at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) boat ramp on the North Spit were installed on March 8 and are now available for public use. The docks are removed from the bay each fall to prevent them from being damaged by winter storms.]]></description><category>Coos Bay</category><pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>BLM Initiates Planning Update for Western Oregon Forests</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-12_RMPS_FOR_WESTERN_OR_3-9-12.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/OR-12-12_RMPS_FOR_WESTERN_OR_3-9-12.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is beginning the process of revising Resource Management Plans (RMP) for 2.5 million acres of forested lands across six BLM Districts in western Oregon.  The BLM is seeking public input on the issues and alternatives the new RMPs should address.  This public scoping period begins today and will end June 7, 2012.  

BLM State Director Ed Shepard stated: &quot;The BLM welcomes new and innovative ideas that result from this scoping process. The planning process will recognize the importance of the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of natural resource management in western Oregon.  Integrating public values and perspectives into the planning process is critical to finding a sustainable path forward.&quot;]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>BLM Plans Controlled Burn on North Spit</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/coosbay/files/OR-120-12-5_nsburn.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/coosbay/files/OR-120-12-5_nsburn.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to burn beachgrass on Coos Bay's North Spit sometime between March 8 and March 13 to improve habitat for the threatened western snowy plover.]]></description><category>Coos Bay</category><pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>Spring Activities for Families at Interpretive Center</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/files/OR-038-2012-06_Spring_Activities_at_Trail_Center.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/files/OR-038-2012-06_Spring_Activities_at_Trail_Center.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Friday March 9 and Saturday March 10 there will be a workshop teaching how to make historic frontier style rag rugs. Cost is $10.00 which includes all supplies. This workshop is suitable for ages 12 and up, or for younger ages if skilled with handcrafts. 

Interpretive presentations are offered each Saturday through March including &quot;Under It All&quot; about pioneer era underwear on March 17, &quot;Campfire Conversations&quot; on March 24, and &quot;Women on the Oregon Trail&quot; on March 31.

During Oregon Spring Break week, activities will be offered daily with simple craft and nature based projects including making rag dolls, paper quilt blocks, casting animal tracks, geology, skulls and scat, and mapping the trail.]]></description><category>Vale</category><pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>Camp Crew Applications Available Through March</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/CampCrew_2012.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/files/CampCrew_2012.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Burns Interagency Fire Zone (BIFZ) is recruiting individuals during the month of March for emergency summer employment on the BIFZ Camp Crew.  Camp Crew is targeted to individuals 16-22 years old and is a great opportunity to find temporary work and great pay on a call-when-needed basis.]]></description><category>Burns</category><pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>Yaquina Head Lighthouse Closed for Annual Maintenance March 5-9, 2012</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/salem/files/Yaquina1.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/salem/files/Yaquina1.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Salem, Ore. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area will close the historic Yaquina Head Lighthouse to the public beginning Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 9 while the Lighthouse receives a new coat of paint on the staircase and interior walls.]]></description><category>Salem</category><pubDate>Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>Service Identifies Areas to Be Assessed for Potential Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/Critical_Habitat_Press_Release_2-28-2011.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/Critical_Habitat_Press_Release_2-28-2011.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[Today, in compliance with an order from a U.S. District Court, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a science-based critical habitat proposal for the northern spotted owl that begins a public review process to determine what forest lands should be designated as critical habitat in a final rule that will be published in November. This proposal recommends substantially increasing active management of forests, consistent with ecological forestry principles, in areas designated as critical habitat. Today's announcement, which identifies areas that may be considered for the final designation, also emphasizes significant benefits of excluding private lands, and that consideration along with the important economic assessment will help inform areas that will be excluded from the final designation.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
</item><item>
<title>Advisory Council to Meet on March 7</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0008_EWRAC_Meeting_March_7.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/files/FY12NR_0008_EWRAC_Meeting_March_7.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[The Eastern Washington Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will hold a meeting on March 7, 2012. The meeting will be held in the Hardin Room of the ATEC Building at Big Bend Community College, 7662 N.E. Chanute St, Moses Lake, Washington, 98837.]]></description><category>Spokane</category><pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
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<title>Environmental Review for Proposed Wild Horse Ecosanctuary</title>
<link>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/PrivateLandEcosanctuary.pdf</link>
<guid>http://www.blm.gov/or/news/files/PrivateLandEcosanctuary.pdf</guid><description><![CDATA[As part of an ongoing effort to reform its national Wild Horse and Burro Program, the Bureau of Land Management announced today that it has selected for environmental review a private land site proposed as the location for a wild horse ecosanctuary.  The selection of the to-be-reviewed site, a private ranch in southeastern Wyoming 30 miles west of Laramie, means that the BLM will conduct an environmental assessment of the site under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 to determine the proposed ecosanctuary's environmental viability.]]></description><category>State Office</category><pubDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:30:00 PDT</pubDate>
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