Mojave Max contest is open for entries

California’s Mojave Max is a female tortoise approximately 30 years old who lives at The Living Desert in Palm Desert, Calif. The object of the contest sponsored by the DMG is to guess when Mojave Max will emerge from her burrow for the first time after a long winter sleep (brumation). Each fall, when the weather turns cold, desert tortoises brumate, a reptilian form of hibernation.

This year Mojave Max went into her burrow sometime during Thanksgiving weekend. Last Feb. 24, she had emerged at 1:52 p.m., while the previous year she emerged on Feb. 10.

California students in grades K-12, as well as youth groups, from Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties may enter the contest. Contestants should go on-line to register their guesses for when Mojave Max will emerge from her burrow for the first time in 2010. Winners and their classes or groups will receive prizes.

Enter the Contest

Navy Requests Partial Cancellation for Marine Corps Land Withdrawal

The U.S. Department of the Navy has requested the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) remove approximately 33,488 acres of public lands from its application to withdraw the lands for the proposed expansion of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms.

The partial cancellation, published in the January 25, 2010 Federal Register, is available on line at www.blm.gov/ca and includes the legal descriptions of the areas affected. The cancellation is effective Feb. 24, 2010.

Read the Press Release
Read the Federal Register Notice

BLM to Hold Open House in Needles on Proposed Ivanpah Solar Project

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces an open house to facilitate understanding of the proposed Ivanpah Solar Electric Generation Project on public lands in San Bernardino County, Calif., will be held Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the BLM Needles Field Office, 1303 South Highway 95, in Needles, Calif.

Bright Source Energy of Oakland, Calif. applied to the BLM for four right-of-way authorizations to construct solar power plants on approximately 4,000 acres of public land in California about 4.5 miles southwest of Primm, Nev. The project could be one of the first commercial-scale thermal-solar power project constructed on public land in the United States. It would be constructed in three phases over a three year-period.

Read the Press Release

State Park Camping & Day-Use Fees to Increase, Partners Sought to Help Keep More Parks Open

California State Parks day-use and camping fees will increase and begin to help offset recent budget reductions and help keep more parks open. Partners in the public and private sectors are still being sought, as the fee increase will help keep some parks open, but not all.

Beginning Aug. 17, day-use parking fees will increase by $2 to $5, and camping fees will increase by $10 - $21 a night. Camping reservations made prior to that date will be honored at the lower price.

Read the Press Release

BLM proposes to increase fees at Imperial Sand Dunes.

The ISDRA is proposing the following changes to the Two Tier Fee Program. Off site sales will increase to $40 / Week and $140 / Season.(The off site rates have not changed since Oct. 1, 2003.) On site sales will increase to $60 / Week and $180 / Season. Contact information for fee increase at ISDRA: Neil Hamada, Outdoor Recreation Planner, 760-337-4451.

Visit the updated Imperial Sand Dunes web page

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