Announcements

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office is issuing an emergency closure of the Chimney Peak Campground, Long Valley Campground, and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail in Tulare County, due to wildland fire danger from the nearby SQF Lightning Fire. This temporary closure is effective immediately, until further notice. The emergency temporary closure order can also be found on the BLM website. The SQF Lightning Fire started Tuesday, July 13, and has burned more than 6,000 acres of short grass and brush near the Chimney Peak Recreation Area. Chimney Peak Recreation Area includes most of the Bakersfield Field Office's Southern Sierra Recreation sites and Wilderness areas, including Domelands Wilderness, Sacatar Trail Wilderness, Owens Peak Wilderness, Chimney Peak Wilderness, Long Valley Campground, Chimney Creek Campground, Walker Pass Campground, the Owens Peak segment of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Lamont Peak and other wilderness trails. Only Chimney Peak, Long Valley Campgrounds, and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail are affected by this order. The campgrounds are closed to all forms of public access to provide for public and firefighter safety in relation to the SQF Lightning Fire and management of that fire. The affected area includes all BLM lands south of Sherman Pass Road, west of Canebrake, north of Highway 178, and the boundary with Sequoia National Forest. The recreation areas are in Tulare County. For specific questions related to the closure, please contact the Bakersfield Field Office at 661-391-6000. For information about the SQF Lightning Fire, please email 2024.lightning@firenet.gov, or call 559-492-9967.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The BLM reminds claimants who wish to retain mining claims on public lands through the 2025 assessment year to pay a Maintenance Fee or file a Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification (Small Miner’s Waiver) on or before Tues., Sept. 3, to prevent the mining claim from being declared forfeit and void.

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The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public nominations for positions that are or will soon become vacant on its California Desert District Advisory Council (DAC), Central California Resource Advisory Council (RAC), and the Northern California District Resource Advisory Council. A notice was also published in the Federal Register.

The Peregrine Fund and the Bureau of Land Management Vermilion Cliffs National Monument are hosting a celebration on National Public Lands Day by releasing four captive-bred California condors.

Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and BLM Las Cruces District announce a call to artists to apply for the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument Artist-in-Residence Program to take place Sept. 1-30, 2024.

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public nominations for its Sierra Front-Northern Great Basin and Mojave-Southern Great Basin RACs for vacant positions and positions that will become vacant.

Comment period opens for draft Muddy Mountains travel management plan

The BLM has tentative plans to gather wild horses within and immediately adjacent to the Souths Steens Herd Management Area in southeast Oregon. The helicopter gather would begin around August 15.

The Bureau of Land Management seeks comments on a proposal from Arizona State Parks & Trails to lease approximately 17 acres of public lands for operation and expansion of the Havasu Riviera Marina.

The BLM is announcing protections for 276 acres of public lands in Tonto National Forest located entirely within corporate limits of the Town of Superior as requested by the U.S. Forest Service.