Hi there, stranger. In my first blog post, I described an allotment called Little Island, where Taters and I proudly scrambled up and down canyon walls in the name of Sage-Grouse habitat assessment. Well I returned there today with a BLM employee, Peter, to inspect some fences, and check for signs of livestock grazing along the riparian section of the allotment. Returning to the area brought up good memories from the beginning of my term, and helped me realize how much I have learned since then.
In addition to assessing Sage-Grouse habitat and checking for signs of livestock grazing, the crew and I have been inventorying wetlands, downloading stream temperature data from thermographs, and searching for sensitive frog populations. Soon we will conduct transect inventories for the proposed endangered Slickspot peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum) and its critical habitat.
While I will continue to use the land management skills that I have learned during this internship for years to come, the experiences that I have had only happen once in a lifetime. Please find a brief description and pictures below of two recent adventures I have had here in the stunning Jarbidge Field Office.
On August 4th, we, the monitoring crew, went into the Bruneau Canyon to download some stream temperature data. After wading through the river to access the thermographs, we made a quick stop to enjoy the Indian Hot Springs.
Indian Hot Springs
A very hot spring indeed
On August 2nd, I climbed to the top of the Jarbdidge Mountains with a fellow CLM intern, Alexi, from the Shoshone Field Office, and thought, “Hey, I can see my field office from up here!”
View from the field office
View from the top!
Jonathan Kleinman
Jarbidge Field Office
Bureau of Land Management