4x4Wire

Zinke Signs Secretarial Orders to Increase Recreational Opportunities on Public Lands and Waters

Establishes Position of Senior National Advisor for Recreation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today signed two secretarial orders continuing his efforts to prioritize the Department of Interior’s recreation mission and increase access to public lands.

Secretarial Order 3366 directs certain Interior bureaus to create and deliver plans to the Department within 90 days that focus on developing or expanding recreational opportunities on public lands and waterways. This order also directs bureau heads to designate one full-time employee charged to oversee recreational opportunities.

Boater’s group asks boat owners to speak up now

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 17, 2018 – A proposal by President Trump to allow the sale of E15 (15 percent ethanol) gasoline year-round has set off alarm bells at the nation’s largest boating advocacy group, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS).

E15 is prohibited by federal law for use in recreational boat engines, voids many marine engine warranties, and is currently banned for sale by the Environmental Protection Agency during summer months over concerns that it contributes to smog on hot days. Under the President’s April 12 proposal, however, a waiver to the Clean Air Act would permit the sale of E15 in the summertime at the same roadside gas stations where most recreational boaters refuel their trailered vessels.

You’d probably never guess that something you can pick up for your kid from Toys ‘R’ Us on your way home could be the center of a swarm of complex legal issues and a growing regulatory scheme. Welcome to the new world of drones, a world where everyone from the FAA to the local police is struggling to adapt to the challenges posed by the ability of anyone and everyone to purchase what is essentially a flying robot capable of doing everything from spying on the neighbor’s kids to interfering with commercial air traffic. Those challenges are being met with cold, hard law and regulation, so drone operators must understand the growing and serious set of legal rules that come with buying that new drone.

While nature does its best to keep things in balance, there are times when a little help from land and resource managers is necessary. One of those helping hands comes from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and includes prescribed burns on public land to maintain and enhance the health and productivity of some incredible resources. 

As stewards of 5.4 million acres of public land in six counties – Doña Ana, Luna, Hidalgo, Grant, Sierra and Otero, the BLM Las Cruces District employs a team of specialists to accomplish some important objectives through prescribed burns.

The BLM Fire Management Program has two objectives, including the protection of life, property and public land and resources from wildland fire; and the maintenance and enhancement of resources through prescribed burning for the benefit of wildlife habitat and rangeland resources. To meet both objectives, the BLM Las Cruces District specialists work together to monitor the resources and plan their strategies.

2 Feet, 4 Paws: How to Stay Wagging During Your Outdoor Exercise

As you may have already noticed, man’s best friend is up for anything, whether that is a game of fetch, a jog in your local park, or a day of being lazy and watching movies on the couch. Exercise is imperative for your health, and having a workout companion who is consistently excited might just be the motivation you need to get your steps in everyday. Whether you are looking to start or have already begun, exercising with Fido requires a little prep.