The Bureau of Land Management Central Coast Field Office is taking measures to protect habitat for the endangered blunt-nose leopard lizard by temporarily limiting vehicle access to the Panoche Hills Recreation Area in Fresno and San Benito counties. Effective at 6 a.m. on Monday, April 4, this temporary road restriction is needed to prevent destruction of plant and wildlife habitat in advance of the annual seasonal closure regularly occurring from April 15 to Oct. 15.
The Tumey Hills Recreation Area, also in Fresno and San Benito counties, will remain open to vehicle access until April 15. Recreationists can continue to access the Panoche and Tumey hills by hiking, biking or horseback riding year-round.
This year’s warmer, drier conditions have triggered the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard to emerge from hibernation earlier than previous years. The lizards that live on the Panoche Hills Plateau are part of a captive breeding program with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and partners to recover the species that is in danger of extinction. Limiting motorized vehicles in the area will protect this species’ natural environment, found only in central California, by preventing disturbance during the critical breeding season.
The BLM has made facility improvements at the Tumey Hills Recreation Area to provide a more enjoyable outdoor experience with safer parking options and to help reduce impacts to private property. Please remain respectful to the locals and do not block private driveways or park on private property. Please stay on designated routes to avoid shrubs that are critical to wildlife survival.
Pack It In – Pack It Out: The Bureau of Land Management encourages all recreationists to practice Leave No Trace ethics while recreating on public lands. Help the BLM be good stewards and preserve public lands for future generations.
A copy of the closure order is available here. For more information, please visit the Panoche Hills Visit Us webpage at https://www.blm.gov/visit/panoche-hills, or the Tumey Hills Visit Us webpage at https://www.blm.gov/visit/tumey-hills. For specific questions, contact the Central Coast Field Office at 831-582-2200 or BLM_CA_Web_CC@blm.gov.
Original source can be found here.
