For Immediate Release: March 7, 2006
Contact: Doran Sanchez (951) 697-5220; E-mail: Doran_Sanchez@ca.blm.gov
� � � � CA-CDD-06-47

Public Invited to Trail Dedication at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve cordially invite the public to attend a dedication March 25 for the new trail system at the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, located at 11055 East Drive in Morongo Valley.

Activities will begin at 8:00 a.m. with guided bird walks to view some of the more than 240 species of birds at the Preserve. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new and rebuilt boardwalk system will be at 10:00 a.m.

?The dedication will be part of National Trails Day celebrations and is particularly important as it marks the completion of repairs and rehabilitation of trails and visitor facilities damaged in the June 2005 Paradise Fire,? said Greg Hill, Preserve Manager-Planning and Environmental Coordinator for the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office.

Dedications festivities also will include a book signing by historian and author Dr. Cherry Good, presentations by on reptiles and other animals with the Preserve by Mike Smiley and Carolyn Mead, and appearances by Smokey Bear and Mother Nature. Ongoing activities throughout the day will include guided hikes, face painting for kids, GPS and compass instruction, backyard bird watching and feeding, and photography displays.

The Paradise Fire impacted over 2,000 acres of the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, including portions of San Bernardino County?s Big Morongo Canyon Regional Park. Big Morongo Canyon contains one of the largest cottonwood oases in the Mojave Desert and provides habitat for over 240 species of resident and migrant birds.

The Preserve protects more than 31,000 acres of habitat in both Mojave and Sonoran Desert ecosystems. Many of the trails and boardwalks that provided public access to the Preserve were damaged or destroyed in the fire.

Since June 2005, these trails have been repaired and reopened to the public through the combined efforts of the Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, BLM volunteers, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. As part of the celebration of National Trails Day, we will honor our volunteers and others that contributed to the restoration effort.

For more information on the Preserve and National Trails Day events, call the Preserve at (760) 363-7190 or the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office at (760) 251-4800.

-BLM-

�California Desert District Office ? 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California - (951) 697-5220