The U.S. Army on Friday released a heavily redacted incident report of a “Simple Assault” during former President Donald Trump‘s contentious August visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where an employee trying to stop Trump staffers from taking pictures and filming was “abruptly pushed aside.”

The document, published on the website of the watchdog group American Oversight, contains seven pages with three lines about the incident in an executive summary.

“On 26 August 2024 at 1030 hours, the Joint Base Myer – Henderson Hall (JBM-HH), Police Department was notified by [redacted] of the following incident: While working at the Arlington National Cemetery, [redacted] with both of [redacted] his hands while attempting to move past [redacted] did not require medical attention on scene and later refused when offered. [Redacted] rendered a sworn statement on a DA Form 2823 and stated [redacted] did not want to press charges. Investigation continues by JBMHH PD Investigations Branch.”

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), El Centro Field Office, in conjunction with United Desert Gateway and the Imperial County Film Commission, invite the public to a Star Wars – Discover the Desert Day at the Buttercup Ranger Station in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.

The event will be held on Sat., Jan. 23 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will conclude with a screening of Star Wars VI – Return of the Jedi starting at 4:30 p.m.  The event will commemorate the filming of Return of the Jedi in the Buttercup Sand Dunes in 1982.  The film site depicted the planet of Tatooine where a multi-tentacled alien beast with a gaping maw inhabits the Great Pit of Carkoon and consumes anything that falls in. 

Tours to the film site will be offered from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. along with an art show and family friendly activities from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

We are accepting Star Wars fan art and artwork celebrating the beauty of the desert. If you would like your artwork displayed during this event, please drop it off at the BLM El Centro Field Office at 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro CA, by 4:00 p.m. on Tues., Jan. 19. Artwork will be displayed on grid walls or with Velcro so please plan accordingly. There will be prizes given for best work in various categories.

All activities will be conducted from the Buttercup Ranger Station located at Interstate 8 at the Gray’s Well exit.  Please dress for the weather. Food will be available for purchase from on-site vendors.

For further information contact: El Centro Field Office, (760) 337-4400, or Charla Teeters, United Desert Gateway, (760) 337-4155.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Tracy Stone-Manning visited Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument this weekend to meet with federal, Tribal, state and local officials, and community members to learn about their vision for conserving the natural and cultural resources in the region.

During the visit, Secretary Haaland, Director Stone-Manning, Congressmen John Raymond Garamendi and Mike Thompson, and leaders from the BLM and U.S. Forest Service heard directly from the community on proposals to expand the existing National Monument to protect culturally important sites on adjacent BLM-managed public land. There is pending congressional legislation to expand the monument, rename the area commonly known as “Walker Ridge” to Condor Ridge, or Molok Luyuk in the Patwin language, and provide opportunities for the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service to further collaborate with Tribes in the management of the National Monument.

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation on July 10, 2015, in order to protect its rich biodiversity, including rare endemic species, unique serpentine outcrops, relic prairies, and riparian habitats. In addition to providing essential habitat for fish and wildlife, the area is important for scientific study, prehistoric and historic preservation, and exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities.

The lands within the Monument are some of the most scenic in northern California, ranging from rolling oak-studded hillsides to steep canyons and ridgelines with expansive views. These lands retain deep cultural significance for approximately two dozen federally recognized Tribes who inhabited them for at least the last 11,000 years.

Encompassing more than 330,000 acres of public land, the National Monument is jointly managed by the BLM (approximately 133,000 acres) and the U.S. Forest Service (approximately 197,000 acres). Since the establishment of the Monument, the two agencies have worked to carefully manage the objects and values identified in the proclamation. The agencies have held several community conversations to gather public input and build a shared vision for stewardship of the Monument. Additionally, the BLM has created and filled a new Tribal Liaison position in California to facilitate consultation and collaboration with Tribes.

ARCATA, Calif.  –  The Bureau of Land Management has completed restoration of the 114-year-old Punta Gorda Light Station overlooking the Pacific Coast along the Lost Coast Trail south of Eureka. The rehabilitation project was partially funded by $2.8 million received through the Great American Outdoors Act.

In addition to restoring the scenic quality of the two-story lighthouse and adjacent oil house, renovations included repairing railings and replacing a spiral stairway leading to the lighthouse lantern room and deck. The project was planned and supervised by a team of BLM Arcata Field Office staff members with expertise ranging from engineering to wildlife biology.

“A challenging aspect was completing the work without disturbing a colony of northern elephant seals and harbor seals protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act,” said Paul Sever, manager of the BLM King Range National Conservation Area. “We had a four-month window of work time and monitored the seals constantly for any sign of disturbance. We were happy to see that the seals tolerated our project well.”

The light station, a beacon for ship navigation, was built in 1910. Its light was fueled by oil stored in the nearby and now-restored oil house. The station also included housing and other wooden structures. The light station was deactivated in 1951 and the Fresnel lens used to cast the lighthouse beam far out to sea was removed. The station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.  

The light station is near the Mattole Trailhead at the north end of the King Range National Conservation Area, near the community of Petrolia. Hiking to the site requires planning and caution due to creek crossings, a trail section that is only passable at low tide, and the potential for unpredictably high waves. Information on day hiking to the site and backpacking the Lost Coast Trail safely is available from the BLM King Range Office at 707-986-5400.