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Forest Update |
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Thursday, 14 February 2008 |
Missing snowboarders rescued in Yosemite National Park
At approximately 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, near the South Fork of the Merced River helicopter spotters located three snowboarders missing since Monday, Feb. 4. All three were responsive and walked to the helicopter on their own.
The snowboarders were reported missing at approximately 4:30 p.m. Monday, when they failed to meet their ride near the community of Yosemite West, close to the park's western boundary. Their planned route was reportedly from two-tenths of a mile south of the Yosemite West junction on the Wawona Road to the community of Yosemite West.
The search was initiated at that point, with ground searchers in the area until midnight. More than 65 Search and Rescue personnel from Yosemite National Park and Mariposa County were involved in the search effort.
Precautionary medical evaluations were performed on all three following extraction from the site. -NPS
Bishop archaeologist among National Public Lands Foundation honorees
Bureau of Land Management Director Jim Caswell recognized two BLM employees, including one from the Bishop Field Office, last week during a Washington, D.C., reception held by the Public Lands Foundation, which presented national awards to the recipients for their dedication and professionalism in public lands management.
The Public Lands Foundation honored Kirk Halford, lead archaeologist in the BLM’s Bishop, Calif., Field Office since 1994, as its Outstanding Public Lands Professional Technician for 2007. The award acknowledges his tremendous initiative and leadership in the preservation of cultural and heritage resources.
Dennis Stenger, recently retired from the BLM in Wyoming, was also named Outstanding Public Lands Professional Manager for 2007 for his work in overseeing responsible development of energy resources from the public lands in Buffalo and Pinedale, Wyoming, two of the BLM’s busiest field offices
"Dennis and Kirk exemplify the fine professionalism practiced by the career men and women of the BLM," Caswell said. My warmest congratulations to Dennis and Kirk as they receive these well deserved awards."
Public Lands Foundation President George Lea described the national awards, now in their 19th year, as recognition for actions by professional public land technicians and managers that "constitute special professional achievement, courage, and not simply good performance."
The two men’s achievement will be permanently inscribed on the "Hall of Fame Award" plaque at the BLM headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"This is another example of professional career employees’ willingness to chart new direction in protecting and enhancing natural resources," Lea said.
The Public Lands Foundation is the only national membership organization dedicated solely to the protection and perpetuation of the National Public Lands System under the administration of the BLM. It is a national nonprofit conservation organization whose members are primarily retired and active BLM employees. Text and photos of this, and other professional awards, and information on all Public Lands Foundation programs and concepts can be found at www.publicland.org.
The BLM manages 258 million surface acres, more than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. With a budget of about $1 billion, the Bureau also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. -BLM
BLM, Forest Service: no change to grazing fee in 2008
According to a recent statement, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have determined that the federal grazing fee for western public lands managed by the two agencies will be $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM) in 2008, the same level as it was in 2007. The fee, determined by a congressional formula and effective on March 1, applies to nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases administered by the BLM and more than 8,000 permits administered by the Forest Service.
The formula used for calculating the grazing fee, established by Congress in the 1978 Public Rangelands Improvement Act, has continued under a presidential executive order issued in 1986. Under that order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM, and any increase or decrease cannot exceed 25 percent of the previous year’s level. An AUM is the amount of forage needed to sustain one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month.
The annually adjusted grazing fee is computed by using a 1966 base value of $1.23 per AUM for livestock grazing on public lands in western states. The figure is then adjusted according to three factors—current private grazing land lease rates, beef cattle prices and the cost of livestock production. In effect, the fee rises, falls or stays the same based on market conditions, with livestock operators paying more when conditions are better and less when conditions have declined. Without the requirement that the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM, this year’s fee would have dropped below one dollar per AUM because of declining beef cattle prices and increased production costs from the previous year.
The $1.35 per AUM grazing fee applies to 16 western states on public lands administered by the BLM and USFS, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The Forest Service applies different grazing fees to national grasslands and to lands under its management in the eastern and midwestern states and parts of Texas. The national grassland fee will be $1.35 per AUM, down from $1.37 in 2007, and also take effect March 1. The fee for the eastern and midwestern states and parts of Texas are scheduled for release later this month. –BLM
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 21 February 2008 )
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