BLM reminds visitors to recreate responsibly, safely
Agency warns of heat and wild fire dangers
With the arrival of summer in the Golden State came extreme heat conditions, which means more people will be visiting public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management for cooler recreational opportunities like fishing, swimming, hiking or camping in shady areas, bicycling, paddleboarding and boating.
The BLM encourages everyone to recreate responsibly and safely, while enjoying public lands.
Visiting public lands is a great way to experience the outdoors and the natural environment. However, visiting public lands can be a risk for someone who ventures out to them unprepared. As such, the BLM would like to offer some summer safety tips for recreating on rivers and public lands during these hot days of summer:
Beat the summer heat
It is the time of year where temperatures can exceed 100 degrees, and the BLM wants you and your loved ones and pets to be prepared and have plenty of water when enjoying outdoor spaces.
The summer heat can quickly create a life-ordeath situation. Remember to bring water and drink plenty of it to stay hydrated, and never leave your child or your pet in a hot car. Children and animals can sustain brain injury or die from heat stroke within minutes.
Many BLM-managed public lands are pet friendly, so bring them on a hike with you or leave them at home. Check with your local BLM field office for more information on hiking and camping with pets.
Given the current state of California’s “megadrought,” many naturally occurring water sources, such as springs and creeks, are running dry for the season. While water caches sometimes exist near roads, they should never be relied upon as these water sources are unreliable. There have been serious incidents in
the past where hikers counted on water caches, found them dry, and had to call emergency services for survival.
Visitors venturing out on trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail, should bring extra water, sun protection, and communication devices with them during their outings. Trails and campgrounds on BLMmanaged lands remain open but please remain vigilant, many of these areas are very remote, without cell reception, and all visitors should stay within their own abilities.
Fire restrictions
By now, many BLMmanaged public lands in California are under fire and target shooting restrictions to reduce the risk of wildfires and protect the public. Often these preventative measures focus on humanrelated activities, such as campfires, setting off fireworks, off-roading, equipment uses and recreational target shooting, since human-related activities are the number one cause of wildfires. Before venturing outdoors, public land users are advised to go online to the BLM California Fire Restriction website ahead of their trip and research restrictions by field office.