(date: 2023-12-17 10:02:31)
date: 2023-12-15, from: Bureau of Land Management, California
<div class="field contact-block -body"><div data-embed-button="embed_image" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.wysiwyg_embed" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="5ac09b86-28c5-4dfb-b14e-cf0a216f9c12" data-langcode="en" class="align-left embedded-entity" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]"><div>
<div class="field contact-block -media-image"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/styles/bio_photo/public/images/2023-12/53055090679_1919180ffe_w.jpg?itok=p4Scnhh3" width="400" height="300" alt="View from a desert peak overlooking the Cadiz Valley." typeof="foaf:Image" /></div>
NEEDLES, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management today approved the assignment of an existing Mineral Leasing Act right-of-way grant held for a natural gas pipeline by El Paso Natural Gas Company (EPNG) to Cadiz Real Estate, LLC (Cadiz) as part of a change of ownership. The assignment involves a 71-mile portion of an existing 30-inch diameter, buried gas pipeline extending 217 miles between Cadiz Valley in San Bernardino County and Wheeler Ridge, near Bakersfield, in Kern County.
“The BLM carefully reviewed public comments and used that input to shape the decision,” said BLM Needles Field Manager Mike Ahrens. “The BLM added terms and conditions to make clear this decision is limited to the assignment of EPNG’s existing rights and may not be used for transporting anything other than natural gas.”
Approval of the assignment follows a 15-day public comment period and formalizes the change in ownership, authorizing ongoing pipeline maintenance and the transport of natural gas consistent with the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 without conveying any additional rights.
The segment of the existing oil and gas pipeline has not been used for more than 10 years. Although Cadiz previously expressed an interest in converting the pipeline to convey water, this assignment would not give Cadiz any future right or guarantee to utilize the right-of-way for such a purpose. Any future proposal to convert the pipeline for other uses would need to be considered under the National Environmental Policy Act and other environmental laws and would include opportunities for public comment and community outreach.
The map and other planning documents are available on the BLM National NEPA Register. For additional information about this project, contact BLM Realty Specialist Russell Hansen at jhansen@blm.gov.
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-approves-oil-and-gas-pipeline-right-way-assignment-kern-and-san-bernardino Save to Pocket
date: 2023-12-15, from: California State Parks blog
It happens to the best of us: you have one person or a family you think is impossible to shop for and the holiday clock is ticking! Fortunately, California State Parks has the perfect last-minute gift: A variety of State Parks Annual Passes and gift items available for purchase at select state parks and through the department’s […]
https://castateparks.wordpress.com/2023/12/15/holiday-gifts-that-truly-keep-on-giving-annual-passes-from-california-state-parks/ Save to Pocket
date: 2023-12-13, from: Bureau of Land Management, blog
<div class="field contact-block -body"><h2 class="text-align-center">“The first step to making things happen is to believe they are possible.”</h2>Finley, and his adventurous rider, Gin, recently completed a several-months long journey across America.
First, meet Gin: the most endearing, gentle, wise, full of try, animal-lover you’ll ever find. She grew up with her mother and two sisters in eastern Pennsylvania, fangirling over Young Adult books, lip-syncing indie-folk songs, and harboring small animals.
“I could never fit a horse into my family’s apartment, so riding and owning one felt like a fantasy,” Gin said. “To overcome these thoughts, I acknowledged that I don’t have to believe in my success as much as I have to believe in my ability to try.”
She’s a thinking girl, Gin. Always imagining, searching, and scheming with the confidence of a toddler in swimwear. A few years ago, she randomly wondered how she would survive being homeless. Those thoughts morphed into a solo walk across America, which she completed in 2019. She was barely out of high school at that time – only 18, shy, awkward, and away from home for the first time.
“It was incredible,” she said. “I grew in such unimaginable, wondrous ways.”
Then came a second trip from coast to coast, this time on a bicycle-trailer combo named Sal and Faith. What’s a girl to do when she’s already walked and cycled from the Atlantic to the Pacific? Do it a third time on horseback, of course!
Meet Finley: a six-year-old, $125 gelding, “all-American wonder of a horse,” as Gin calls him. Finley was gathered from the Palomino Buttes HMA in Oregon in 2021. He is Gin’s first horse and first ever mustang! The two came together by nothing short of fate.
With a ride in mind and a passion for mustangs, she hopped in with a friend and casually attended a wild horse adoption event in Tennessee. Interested adopters had three days to view available horses ahead of time, but Gin could only attend at the last minute. She made it with enough time to only glance at single photos of each animal. Finley caught her heart with his beautiful, well-defined conformation, flowing forelock and smooth gait. But there were 17 other adopters ahead of her, and each could choose up to three animals.
She briefly considered finding an already trained horse, but in true Gin fashion, she questioned herself: “What have I done to deserve this horse, to reap the benefits of someone else’s years of hard work?” It just had to be a mustang. “I really wanted the challenge and the immense honor of having a horse that I could learn from and grow with from the ground up,” Gin said. “It’s not for everyone, but it was right for me.”
And with a stroke of good fortune, every other adopter chose a different animal, leaving Finley available for Gin. “I love Oregon mustangs in particular, with my favorite HMA’s being Palomino Butte and Stinkingwater,” she said. “Palomino Butte horses have stunning, sleek faces with some of the best conformations I’ve ever seen, akin to a foundation quarter horse.”
The first few weeks with Finley tested her to the max. A month in and he was still barely touchable. “We were both in this strange new world and I was grateful for the absolute humbling. I felt a greater comradery with my horse because of it,” she said.
A change in stabling locations and a new opportunity to grow with an experienced instructor changed their course for the better. Gin connected with mentor Sea G. Rhydr through the Long Riders Guild – the world’s only international organization for equestrian explorers – and spent four months with her, preparing for the cross-country adventure. “I owe a lot of my success to Sea,” said Gin.
The horse and human duo started their journey in New Jersey when Finley was only 120 days out of holding. At the time, he wasn’t comfortable being touched by strangers, so Gin led him across the entire state. But after a week, he was resting his head affectionately on her shoulder, and by central Pennsylvania, Gin was riding with just a rope and halter. “One of the best things about Finley is that he has a lot of try,” Gin said. “And he’s noble and stoic, with a raptor-sharp eye and maturity beyond his years.”
Together they traveled over 3,600 miles, visited 10 states, crossed 3 rivers and several mountains, and made dozens of new friends.
Gin describes a favorite memory of their trip like this:
“I got to take Finley back home to Palomino Buttes, where he was born in the wild just south of Burns, Oregon. Up to that point, he had spent two-thirds of his life there. We arrived back exactly two years after he had been gathered, on the dot! While I kept his reins in hand, I did not direct him while we were in the Herd Management Area. I wanted to let him choose our way.
He brought us to the base of a small canyon where there was a natural spring with green grass, something I never could have known existed by looking at my maps. It was so unlike the rest of the sagebrush country that surrounded us. More than anything, what warmed my heart was seeing that, when we needed to leave, he didn’t resist. I was so worried he wouldn’t want to go with me. But he left with his ears forward, not looking back.”
So, what’s next for these two? Gin will be on the east coast for the foreseeable future, going to college and contemplating her latest adventure idea: kayaking the Yukon River across the span of Alaska. Fin is resting easy on Lopez Island in Washington with Sea, free-roaming acres of property and enjoying an occasional ride to town or into the backcountry.
“While we may be apart now, on opposite ends of the country like before we met, I’ll see him again soon. I could never leave Finley forever,” Gin said. “He’s my equine soulmate and we have an unbreakable connection.”
For more stories, photos and antics from Gin and Finley’s ride across America (and Gin’s walk and cycle adventures), go to www.ginandfaith.com. Find more information on Oregon’s wild horses.
Make plans to adopt a wild horse of your own!
<div><strong>Region:</strong> </div>
<div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/region/national-office" hreflang="en">National Office</a></div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/region/oregon-washington" hreflang="en">Oregon-Washington</a></div>
</div>
</div><div class="field contact-block -blog-topic">
<div><strong>Blog Topic:</strong> </div>
<div class="blog-topic"><a href="https://www.blm.gov/blog-topic/wild-horse-and-burro" hreflang="en">Wild Horse and Burro</a></div>
</div><div><strong>Release Date:</strong> </div>
<div><time datetime="2023-12-13T12:00:00Z">Wed, 12/13/2023 - 12:00 pm UTC</time></div>
</div><div><strong>Thumbnail Image:</strong> </div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/media/46168/edit" hreflang="en">wildhorse_2023blog_FinleyAtGrandTetons</a></div>
</div><div><strong>Featured:</strong> </div>
<div>On</div>
</div> </div>
</div><div><strong>Editorial Access:</strong> </div>
<div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/editorial-access/260-wild-horse-and-burros" hreflang="en">260 - Wild Horse and Burros</a></div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/editorial-access/oregon-washington" hreflang="en">Oregon-Washington</a></div>
</div>
</div>https://www.blm.gov/blog/2023-12-13/gin-and-finley-ride-across-america Save to Pocket
date: 2023-12-12, from: Bureau of Land Management, California
<div class="field contact-block -body"><div data-embed-button="embed_image" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.wysiwyg_embed" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="d9273230-a982-48a5-ac14-4499a3d54898" data-langcode="en" class="align-left embedded-entity" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]"><div>
<div class="field contact-block -media-image"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/styles/bio_photo/public/images/2023-12/49782256696_df7092de36_c.jpg?itok=rkcpJvIs" width="640" height="370" alt="Cactus with mountains in the background" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div>
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - The Bureau of Land Management announced today that $2.5 million from the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act will be invested in a cultural landscape study and predictive model to identify and better understand the impacts of renewable energy development on Tribal ancestral lands and other significant landscapes in the California Desert Conservation Area with an aim to better site and process renewable energy development applications in the area.
“These historic investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will support our ability to deploy clean energy, while protecting vital cultural resources in the California desert,” said BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen. “The BLM is proud to support locally led and locally designed efforts to better understand the impacts on Tribal and cultural resources.”
The California Desert Conservation Area was designated by Congress in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, recognizing the importance of this area’s resources and the need for a comprehensive long-range plan. The California Desert Conservation Area Plan was amended in 2016 by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. This landscape-level conservation plan for 10.8 million acres of public lands in the desert regions of seven California counties – Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego – is a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Land Management, California Energy Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to effectively manage renewable energy development, preserves unique cultural sites and valuable desert ecosystems, and provides outdoor recreation opportunities.
The cultural landscape study and predictive model is being developed in consultation with California Tribes, Tribal organizations, and the California State Historic Preservation Office to fulfill the requirements outlined in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan - Section 106 Programmatic Agreement. Both efforts will identify resources of religious and cultural significance in a way that enhances renewable energy project siting and avoids resource conflicts. The result will be a more efficient and predictable Section 106 process that will significantly improve project planning and timelines, while minimizing impacts to cultural resources across a broad geographic area.
Since 2009, State and Federal agencies have approved dozens of renewable energy projects in the southern California desert. These projects have established California as a leader in utility-scale energy development and have put California on track to achieve its short-term renewable energy goals.
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-invests-25-million-cultural-landscape-study-and-predictive-modeling-california Save to Pocket
date: 2023-12-12, from: Bureau of Land Management, blog
<div class="field contact-block -body"><p> </p>Thanks to the collaborated efforts of BLM’s Central California District and educators, every fourth grader in Monterey County, Calif., now has access to Every Kid Outdoors passes to visit 2,000 federal recreation sites on about 400 million acres of public lands throughout the country, which includes national parks, wildlife refuges, forests and BLM-managed public lands. That’s a record-breaking 5,000 passes!
In October, BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen and BLM’s mascot Seymour Antelope presented Every Kid Outdoors passes to Superintendents at the Monterey County Office of Education, Salinas City Elementary School District, alongside Monterey County Supervisors in a ceremony at El Gabilan Elementary School in Salinas.
“We are always thrilled when organizations that can positively impact the lives of our students show up and do just that,” stated Director of Communications and Community Outreach Mary Duan for Salinas City Elementary School District. “With park passes being given to all of our fourth-grade students through the Every Kid Outdoors program, our students have more opportunity to be with their families in nature and learn about the outdoors and the world around them.”
With more than 80 percent of American families living in urban areas and kids spending less time outside, the Every Kid Outdoors program, supported by seven federal government agencies, provides an opportunity to explore, learn, and connect with our country’s landscapes, vibrant waterways, and historic treasures.
“The BLM will expand this effort to other field offices throughout California,” Mouritsen said. “Our goal is to get passes into every fourth grader’s hand throughout the state to increase equitable access to our incredible public lands.”
Through the efforts of dedicated staff, including Administrative Support Assistant Alexander Mairs and Interpretive Park Ranger Tammy Jakl from the Central Coast Field Office, 2023 will be a record year for the large number of passes distributed by BLM California.
The Every Kid Outdoors pass provides fourth graders free entrance to federal recreation sites for the student, all kids under age 16, and three adults. The pass is good for the fourth grader’s entire academic year and most of the following summer. Fourth graders receive the pass because research shows that kids ages nine to 11 years old are beginning to learn about the world around them. They are open to new ideas, and they are likely to connect to nature and history.
To get a fourth grader one of these passes, go online or visit your nearest BLM California Field Office for details. The Every Kid Outdoors program brochure is also available in English (PDF, 574 KB) or Spanish (PDF, 1 MB).
<div><strong>Region:</strong> </div>
<div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/region/california" hreflang="en">California</a></div>
</div>
</div><div class="field contact-block -blog-topic">
<div><strong>Blog Topic:</strong> </div>
<div class="blog-topic"><a href="https://www.blm.gov/blog-topic/youth-and-educators" hreflang="en">Youth and Educators</a></div>
</div><div><strong>Release Date:</strong> </div>
<div><time datetime="2023-12-12T12:00:00Z">Tue, 12/12/2023 - 12:00 pm UTC</time></div>
</div><div><strong>Office:</strong> </div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/office/central-coast-field-office" hreflang="en">Central Coast Field Office</a></div>
</div><div><strong>Thumbnail Image:</strong> </div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/media/46144/edit" hreflang="en">Every Kid Outdoors </a></div>
</div><div><strong>Featured:</strong> </div>
<div>On</div>
</div><div><strong>Editorial Access:</strong> </div>
<div>
<div><a href="https://www.blm.gov/editorial-access/california" hreflang="en">California</a></div>
</div>
</div>