California ranches where cattle and wildlife coexist: A new land ethic is taking root on 31,900 acres north of Los Angeles managed by an alliance of environmentalists and cattlemen who want to preserve ranching as a way of life while also protecting mountain lion, black bear, golden eagles and other wildlife.
To balance the needs of cattle and wildlife above and below ground, selected slopes are grazed to keep grasses and shrubs low enough for hawks and eagles to spot gophers and other prey more easily. In other areas, grazing is controlled to prevent erosion and allow native plants and flowers to flourish. Fences are going up along waterways. Ranch hands are prohibited from harming non-game wildlife.
(Al Seib’s photos are almost too idyllic and pastoral for me to handle this weekend… brb, queuing up Bon Iver. —S.)
Photo: Blue oaks dot the 15,000-acre Tollhouse Ranch. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times
Since you guys seem to like Brian van der Brug’s gorgeous aerial photo of Dodger Stadium with downtown in the background, we’ve uploaded it here at 800 pixels wide. You’re welcome!
Environmentalists feeling burned by rush to build solar projects: Local activists say national groups, focused on renewable energy, ignore projects’ threat to the Mojave.
Her small California group, the Wildlands Conservancy, wanted to preserve 600,000 acres of the Mojave. The group raised $45 million, bought the land and deeded it to the federal government.
The conservancy intended that the land be protected forever. Instead, 12 years after accepting the largest land gift in American history, the federal government is on the verge of opening 50,000 acres of that bequest to solar development.
Even worse, in Sall’s view, the nation’s largest environmental organizations are scarcely voicing opposition. Their silence leaves the conservancy and a smattering of other small environmental organizations nearly alone in opposing energy development across 33,000 square miles of desert land.
Make sure to check out our other stories on solar energy.
Photo: The Ibex Dunes in Death Valley National Park. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times
Canyon de Chelly, within the Navajo Nation in Arizona, is one of the small number of national parks or national landmarks that recognize the cultural or historical contributions of Native Americans in the U.S.
There are thousands of national landmarks in the United States, but less than 3 percent of them are dedicated to members of minority groups, such as Native Americans, African-Americans and women. An effort is underway by the Obama administration to broaden that historical reach, and include more locations important to Americans from diverse backgrounds.
More.
(Photo: Canyon de Chelly in 1904 by Edward S. Curtis, Wikipedia)
test reblogged from publicradiointernational
So, what are you guys doing for Valentine’s Day?
Photo: Galesnjak Island. View more heart-shaped islands in the gallery. Credit: Google Maps
Feb. 7 — Senj, Croatia — Lampposts are covered in ice in this Adriatic coastal town as Europeans across the continent have been battling more than a week of extreme weather. Thousands are still trapped by snow in remote mountain villages in the Balkans, and hundreds — most of them homeless — are dead after temperatures dropped well below zero.
Photo credit: Darko Bandic / Associated Press
test reblogged from kateoplis
So, who else took a photo of tonight’s ridiculously amazing sunset? (We did!) Go ahead and photo-reply with your best shot.
Our Twitter/Tumblr feed blew up around 5 p.m. with cellphone sunset photos. Gorgeous.
test reblogged from tumblangeles
Jan. 28, 1940: The Huntington Beach coastline in 1940 was a forest of oil derricks. Oil discoveries in Huntington Beach, Long Beach and Santa Fe Springs in 1920 and 1921 drove massive drilling.
View 130 photos for The Times’ 130th birthday on Framework.
Photo credit: Ted Hurley / Los Angeles Times
“Field of Light,” an installation by lighting artist Bruce Munro, features over 5,000 bulbs that gradually change colors, creating an “Avatar”-like landscape. View more photos of the exhibit.
Photo credit: Matt Cardy / Getty Images
A Goodyear blimp floats across the sky in this Oct. 1 photo by Fred Castillo.
Visit the Southern California Moments homepage for more on our Southland photo series.
It’s that time of year again: Burning Man 2011. Check out the gallery on Framework — our photographers will be updating it all week.
And let us tune you in onto one of the best Tumblrs of all time: Dr. Dre Started Burning Man (unverified).
Are any of you going to Burning Man?
Photo credit: Jim Bourg / Reuters
