Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture WATERSHED - FISH - WILDLIFE - AIR - RARE PLANTS ::: WFW MONTHLY WFW STAFF NEWSLETTER MARCH 2008 CONTENTS News Coming Events Technical Information & Publications Training & Tools Sharing Success Vacancies/ Employment Opportunities General/Cross Area * * Air Resource Appeals & Litigation Aquatic/Fish * * Continuing Education/WFW * NatureWatch Planning Soil * TES * Watershed * Weather Wildlife * Other Staffs or Partners * Click on the header to take you to this section of the newsletter. Federal job announcements can be found at: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/agency_search.asp Submit your information Disclaimer & Non-Discrimination Statement News: GENERAL/CROSS AREAS Nominations for the 2007 Rise to the Future, Hydrologist, and Soil Scientist Awards Optional Reply Due: June 2, 2008 Each year, along with our partners, we are honoring those who are leaders in the implementation of our fish, hydrology, and soil science programs across the country. Once again, we ask your assistance in identifying top performers making significant contributions in fish and watershed resource management within the National Forest System. Call Letter 48 KB Categories 26.5 KB Form 25.0 KB Al Todd's Acting Deputy Director Detail Ends Well, its time to send Al back home. After three months as acting deputy director, Al will be heading back to his real job with State and Private on March 31st . In talking with Al, it seems to have been a good experience and an eye opener -- getting a taste of the variety of issues and rapid pace WFWARP runs through on a daily basis. Al helped out with a variety of topics ranging from Anne's performance measures to aerial use of retardant, and many things in between, such as the water strategy, a wildlife related closure on the Cleveland National Forest, FLAG, and a variety of others tasks. Thanks to Al for his help the last three months. Submitted By: Steve Segovia, USFS/WO/WFW SOIL FY2008 Soil Management Plan of Work Available In an effort to keep the field informed of my plans to advance the national program, I have developed a FY2008 Soil Management Plan of Work outlined by Data Stewardship, Inventory, Monitoring, Research and Development, Ecosystem Services, Program Management, and Climate Change. If you have any questions, please contact me at rdavis@fs.fed.us. 2008 Soil Management Program Overview 16 KB PDF Submitted By: Randy Davis, USFS/WO/WFW TES - Threatened and Endangered Species LandScope America Released in late 2008 "NatureServe and the National Geographic Society will develop and deploy the first release of LandScope America in late 2008. Five pilot states [CO, FL, ME, VA, WA] are participating by contributing their data for real-time mapping and analysis, assisting in the creation of editorial content, and integrating their own web resources with LandScope America. Beginning in 2009, the project's second phase will extend its coverage to the rest of the nation, expanding the depth and range of the site's content while supporting the development of additional science-based methods and technologies." http://www.landscope.org/preview/ Submitted By: Marc Bosch, USFS/WO/WFW WATERSHED BAER Detail comes to an end. Tommy John, Region 2 Assistant Regional Soil Scientist, spent February and March in the Washington Office as Acting Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation coordinator. Tommy has been focusing energy on revision of the BAER manual and other BAER issues as they arise. "It has been a very easy transition having Tommy here. When an issue comes up he can step forward and respond quickly and effectively," Ron Dunlap said. The WFW staff appreciates his quality assistance. Submitted By: Jean A Thomas, USFS/WO/WFW WILDLIFE 6th Annual Mule Deer Conservation Award Recipient Steve Blatt, Wasatch-Cache National Forest wildlife biologist, received the 6th annual Mule Deer Conservation Award! This award was presented at the Mule Deer Foundation annual convention, February 8, 2008, in Salt Lake City, as part of the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo. Steve was recognized for the Wellsville Wildlife Habitat Restoration/Enhancement Project, which included the acquisition of 603 acres of private property in the Wellsville Mountain range and restoration of critical deer summer and winter range. The project area overlapped the Cache Harvest Unit, which has a population objective for deer of 25,000, but a population estimated at only 13,200 deer. One of the factors contributing to the decline is the increasing encroachment of urban development into mule deer habitat. Through a partnership with the Forest Service, Mule Deer Foundation, and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 107 acres of plowed, barren fields were restored and enhanced for wildlife habitat, in particular mule deer summer and winter habitat. The total planned area consisted of approximately 107 acres, but the fields are dispersed throughout the acquired property (603 acres) and many are adjacent to existing federal land, thus the affected area encompasses nearly 1000 acres. Submitted By: Danielle Chi, USFS/R4/Wildlife Elk Country Award (2007) Recipient - Land Protection Congratulations to the Dakota Prairie Grasslands on their Elkhorn Ranch Project! To the average American eye, it's a forgotten scrap of windswept prairie with horizons broken only by weathered fencerows. But to the American spirit of conservation, it's sacred ground. Today this North Dakota landscape-Theodore Roosevelt's historic Elkhorn Ranch-is permanently protected, now held by the U.S. Forest Service, following a long, collaborative effort by reverent conservationists. To celebrate the project, the Forest Service and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation recently presented an Elk Country Award to dedicated federal employees who were instrumental in the success. The award, a bronze elk sculpture, was given during the Elk Foundation's annual convention, which concluded Feb. 24 in Reno, Nevada. Ron Erickson of Forest Service Region 1 and Dave Pieper, Dakota Prairie Grasslands supervisor, accepted the award on behalf of their staffs. (Text Courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation). Submitted By: Sandy Kratville, USFS/R1/RMEF Liaison Elk Country Award (2007) Recipient - Individual Achievement Congratulations to Jeff Bohler of the Umpqua National Forest! The award recognizes Bohler for his hard work and leadership in enhancing forage conditions for elk and other wildlife in Douglas County. Since 2001, Diamond Lake Ranger District has completed prescribed burning, forage seeding, fertilizing, forest thinning and mowing projects across more than 2,500 acres of public land. Most of this work has occurred within priority winter range for elk. (Text Courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation). Submitted By: Sandy Kratville, USFS/R1/RMEF Liaison Coming Events - Conferences & Meetings: GENERAL/CROSS AREAS FLOW 2008 Conference DATE: October 7 - 9, 2008 The Instream Flow Council, its sponsors, and collaborators are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the FLOW 2008 - Interdisciplinary Solutions to Instream Flow Problems Conference set for San Antonio in October. We look forward to broad participation and encourage you to register early to ensure your participation. Feel free to forward this message to your colleagues and networks, and to print out copies of the attachment for distribution at relevant meetings, workshops, conferences, or to post on your organization's bulletin board. Thanks for helping get the word out, and we look forward to seeing you in San Antonio! Kathleen Williams, Executive Director Instream Flow Council (406) 586-6879 Eloise Kendy (advisory committee member), Director Environmental Flows Program http://www.instreamflowcouncil.org http://www.nature.org/initiatives/freshwater/ Flyer Training & Tools: CONTINUING EDUCATION Endangered Species Act for Line Date: May 5 - 8, 2008 Location: Key West, FL Designed for Line Officers and Decision Makers. Focus on provisions of ESA and other laws governing species management, agency policies, procedures, and taking action to prevent listings. Review of law and agency policy relating to the management of threatened, endangered, and sensitive species. Particular attention will be paid to building appropriate administrative records of decisions, and the roles of all the players. Discuss Agency and Line Officer obligations for consultation and recovery under the ESA. Interactive lectures, roundtable discussions, exercises, a field trip, and panels are used to facilitate learning. Challenging case studies are used to explore managing TES species across landscapes and jurisdictions in an effort to develop best management practices. Contact: Shelly Witt (switt01@fs.fed.us) More Information... Submitted by: Shelly Witt, USFS/WO/WFW Natural Resource Policy, Values & Economics Date: May 5 - 9, 2008 Location: Portland, OR How do you 'value' the soil under a building...before and after it is washed away? How do you 'value' a potential landslide and human life ... or closing a road? Purification of air and water - what is the value? How do we adapt our management for global warming? Questions posed more frequently today by our agency, litigants and landholding neighbors. You will learn how to determine 'value' and ask good economic/policy/value questions -- to yourself and to people with their set 'values'. Humans try and substitute these 'ecosystem services' at high expense and not doing it nearly as well as nature. Join the discussion - delve into other areas you may not have previously considered - explore some options and actions. Highly recommended for Line Officers and decision makers. Contact: Shelly Witt (switt01@fs.fed.us) More Information... Submitted by: Shelly Witt, USFS/WO/WFW Sharing Success: AQUATIC/FISH Lone Pine Project helps Hiawatha Achieve Aquatic Passages Goals Forest Service Improves crossing over Pine River Top: Before & After; Middle: Construction; Bottom: Road view After -- story submitted by Ken Guillard, Civil Engineering Technician The Lone Pine Road crossing of the Pine River was reconstructed in the summer and fall of 2007. The road is a national forest system collector road maintained for passenger car travel. The original river crossing structure, installed in 1950, was a 7'6" X 11'10" X 42' structural steel plate pipe arch. It was in poor condition overall. The steel was deteriorating, and the culvert was undersized for the river bankfull width, not long enough for the road width, and set too high in elevation impeding fish passage. In a nutshell, the culvert was having adverse effects on the river and the road crossing had safety issues. As a result of these concerns, Forest fisheries/hydrology/engineering staff developed a plan for reconstruction of the road crossing and sought funding through the agency's road and trail restoration fund as a stream restoration and aquatic organism passage improvement project. Design for construction of the crossing included a number of features including spanning the bank full width; setting the new culvert below the stream profile to allow for a natural bottom; constructing the road to double lane width with slope and ditch work, gravel, asphalt, and guardrail; and erosion control including cleaning out an existing sediment basin in the river 0.25 mile downstream. The site was surveyed, designed and drawn by Hiawatha National Forest Engineering personnel. The contract was awarded in April, 2007, to Burton Excavating of Sault Ste. Marie. The contractor began work at the site in June and completed the project by October. For more information contact Janel Crooks at 906-789-3329 Vacancies/Employment Opportunities: Federal job announcements can be found at: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/agency_search.asp AQUATIC/FISH Zone Fishery Biologist/Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests GS-0482-9/11 Alpine Ranger District, Alpine, Arizona Or Clifton Ranger District, Duncan, Arizona The Alpine/Clifton RD Zone Fisheries position is being re-advertised under an open, continuous advertisement. The announcement numbers: ADS08-FSJOBS(FishBio)-0044DP (for DEMO) ADS08-FSJOBS(FishBio)-0044G for (Govt-wide) The job can be found on USAJOBS (http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/) and in AVUE (http://www.avuedigitalservices.com/usfs/applicant.html). The application will be submitted through AVUE (you will be re-routed to this location as you start your application process). On the "Applicant Information" screen, you will be asked to choose a location for the job you are considering - choose either Alpine or Duncan, Arizona. The duty location will be choice of the incumbent. Contact: Deb Bumpus, Ecosystem Staff Officer, 928-333-6302 WFW Newsletter Contact Information: Disclaimer - Non Discrimination Statement WFW Newsletter is a monthly newsletter without a clever name and is provided by the National Forest System Watershed-Fish-Wildlife-Air-Rare Plants staff (including Soils and Meteorology) of the USDA Forest Service. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted to Netta Grant at agrant@fs.fed.us or your favorite Program Leader no later than the 20th of each month. We reserve the right to edit contributions for clarity and brevity. Emphasis on brevity. Links to detailed URLs or documents are great - include them in your information contribution. If photos are included in your submission please provide alternative text with each photo. Alternative text should not repeat captions but describe the scene shown in the photo. If brevity and clarity are a struggle for you, we recommend the "Plain & Simple! Document Writing" workshop instructed by Dr. Jud Monroe. Vacancy Positions listed are for outreach purposes only and are not full announcements. Interested individuals should contact the units referenced or consult the USAJOBS website. "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."