The Bureau of Land Management has announced the 30th annual California Condor release at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, scheduled for Saturday, September 26. As part of the Freedom 250 initiative, the Peregrine Fund will release four captive-bred condors at noon MDT/Utah time.
The in-person event at the Condor Viewing Site will feature activities starting at 10:30 a.m. MDT/9:30 a.m. MST. Attendees can interact with ecosystem managers and condor biologists, learn about bird habitats, and meet the BLM mascot, Seymore Antelope.
For those unable to attend in person, the release will be livestreamed via The Peregrine Fund’s YouTube channel. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin Bird ID app team will also provide information on how to participate in the release both online and in person.
The event will also host the Department of the Interior’s Great American Flag Expedition initiative. This traveling flag aims to reach 250 events by highlighting stories and places that define the heritage of America’s public lands. Guests are invited to visit the flag and share stories regarding the legacy of stewardship at Vermilion Cliffs.
Robert Bate, the BLM Vermilion Cliffs National Monument manager, stated that the BLM is happy to work with The Peregrine Fund and other agencies to support the recovery of the species. Bate noted that public lands provide the landscapes and habitat that allow the condors to thrive.
The California Condor conservation effort in the Arizona-Utah region involves various federal, state, and private organizations. Supporting groups include the Bureau of Land Management in Utah, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Other participants include Grand Canyon and Zion national parks, Kaibab and Dixie national forests, and the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians and Navajo Nation.
