NRCS Alaska News

October 28, 2005

In this Issue:

New Orthophotography Acquired

NRCS has acquired satellite-based orthophotography for the following 19 communities: Aniak; Bethel; Chuathbaluk; Galena; Girdwood; Haines; Healy; Hooper Bay; Ketchikan; Klawock; McGrath; Nome; Petersburg; Pilot Station; Seward; Sitka; Unalakleet; Unalaska; and Yakutat. Most of the imagery was acquired in 2005 and is more detailed than any other land imagery currently available in the state. It has a ground resolution of one meter and will enable scientists and land-use planners to see both in natural color and in the false color infra-red spectrum which is useful for interpreting conditions related to water turbidity, and plant growth. Currently the orthophotography is available for NRCS use only. NRCS is in the process of upgrading the license that will allow the agency to distribute the imagery to other users.  

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Snow Staff Installs New Sites, Welcomes New Staff

The Snow, Water and Climate Services staff installed a new SNOTEL site at Mt. Eyak above Cordova the week of September 6 at the request of the Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC) and Oil Spill Recovery Institute.

Joe Stock, Carl Schoch (PWSSC) and I endured the first day of digging holes and mixing and pouring 1500 lbs of concrete by hand in 30 mph winds with 2 to 3 inches of rain.   Fortunately the next two days were clear for installing the sensors, doing the wiring, and hooking up the electronics.  The site is reporting hourly air temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, snow water equivalent, snow depth, and wind speed and direction.

The week of September 21, the Snow Survey staff completed installation of five 16-foot precipitation gauges at Esther Island, Port San Juan, Seal Island, Tatitlek and Nuchek, all in Prince William Sound.  Esther Island, Port San Juan, and Tatitlek are reporting hourly climate data (air temperature, barometric pressure, wind direction and speed, total precipitation and solar radiation) to ambcs.org with a webcam photo updated every 15 minutes.  The Seal Island precipitation gauge data will be transmitted by way of a National Weather Service platform 250 feet away from the gauge.

Joe Stock’s last day was October 28. The Snow Survey Staff thanks Joe for his good work in getting things done this past field season. 

Snow Survey Staff welcomes James Montesi who will be arriving in late November from Boise where he has been in the Snow Survey Program for about 18 months.  James is a hydrologist with many outdoor interests.  I think he will fit well in Alaska and will be able to hit the ground running with his previous experience.

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Up-Stream River Blues

During each of the 18 years I have lived in Sutton, erosion along Matanuska River has been in the news.  In fact, it is a rare event if the Matanuska is not causing havoc with residents who live near its banks. 

While most of the recent attention has been on Circle View residents and NRCS assistance in constructing a spur dike, on October 13 residents of Sutton asked for a meeting with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (MSB) and NRCS to discuss their most recent problems with erosion. More than 30 residents gathered in the Sutton school gym anxious to hear what help might be available.  Palmer Soil and Water Conservation District Watershed Coordinator Frankie Barker facilitated the meeting which included a question session followed by presentations from NRCS, MSB, and FEMA. 

I emphasized that the best solution to keeping your house out of the river is to not build there, and the need for zoning along the river's banks rather than gravel extraction and spur dike construction. Overall the meeting went well and I am hopeful we are making headway to a solid and pro-active Matanuska River Plan that can incorporate structural and non-structural methods to prevent future structure losses. 

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Quick Action Identifies, Protects Fairbanks Cultural Resources

The Fairbanks Field Office had a recent “discovery.” During construction of a stream bank restoration project, the contractor uncovered an area filled with what appeared to be some remnants of early Fairbanks life. District Conservationist Jim Helm took his cultural resources responsibilities to heart and notified me, the cultural resources coordinator.

Consultation with the State of Alaska Historic Preservation Office - Office of History and Archaeology staff determined that a field investigation was in order. Thanks to timely action by Assistant State Conservationist for Operations Phil Naegele and a quick response by the Contract Specialist John Ellis, a local Fairbanks archaeology consultant was employed to determine the nature and extent of the discovery. This was done without disruption to the construction process.

Some of the items found at the site were preliminarily dated to the 1920s. The Historic Preservation Office and NRCS anxiously await the results of the field investigation. The findings from the investigation will become a part of the Alaska Heritage Resources Survey and add to the understanding of early day Fairbanks life.

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After Significant State and National Accomplishments, Kautz Moves to National Position

Darrell Kautz first began working for the former Soil Conservation Service in Alaska during the summer of 1982.  For the next few summers, he worked as a biological technician on soil survey projects including the Haines Area, Copper River Area, Kantishna Area and various soil investigations.  He then began full-time work for the agency as a rangeland management specialist. Because of his strong background in vegetation studies and resource inventories, Darrell eventually assumed leadership of vegetation activities related to soil surveys.  He worked alongside the soil survey project leaders, in the field and the office, collecting data and recruiting and training seasonal employees to insure that vegetation data collection was coordinated with soil resource data.  The Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the Gulkana River surveys, with Darrell as co-author, were the first Alaska resource inventories to publish integrated soil survey and ecological site information.

Darrell’s expertise also included a strong interest in relational databases as used to store, analyze, and deliver products for resource inventories.  As NRCS moved into the electronic age and database world, Darrell assumed the role of database manager on the MLRA Region 17 staff.  In this role, Darrell soon placed MLRA Region 17 and Alaska NRCS at the forefront of database activities in NRCS.  When nationally developed data programs could not meet Alaska’s needs, Darrell developed ones that could.  He is the developer of the Soil Survey Field Data Database (SSFDD), the only functional field database within NRCS nationwide that integrates both soils and vegetation data collection. 

Darrell has worked through the years to assist all Alaska staff, providing day-to-day assistance and training, and the vision to look at ‘the big picture’ rather than the immediate solution. He has provided staff tools that really do help get the job done. Whether it be through E-FOTG, Soildatamart, or WebSoilSurvey, Darrell has worked hard to see that Alaska’s data is of top quality and readily available to all users.

Darrell’s expertise has brought him recognition at the national level and involvement on various national workgroups.  It is not surprising that he has now been selected to move into a national level position.  As of December 25, Darrell will assume the role of business analyst at the NRCS National Geospatial Development Center in Morgantown, West Virginia.  Darrell’s new role can only further assist the Alaska program as he brings his talents to assist all states.  Congratulations and Best Wishes, Darrell!

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The Historical Evolution of Veterans Day

Veterans Day as we know it today was initially known as Armistice Day when it was first proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 to recognize the heroism of the soldiers who had died in World War I.  November 11 was selected because in 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month hostilities ceased prior to the official ending of the war with the signing of Treaty of Versailles June 28, 1919.

On May 13, 1938, an act designating November 11 a legal holiday known as Armistice Day was approved.  Initially set aside to honor veterans of World War I, it became obvious following World War II and the Korean War that the veterans of all wars should be so honored.  The 83rd Congress amended the Act of 1938 by replacing the word Armistice with the word Veterans.  October 8th of that same year President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation.”

The Uniforms Holiday Bill signed June 28, 1968, moved Veterans Day to a Monday to accommodate an extended weekend. When first observed on a Monday (rather than Nov. 11) in October 1971, it became quite apparent that a great number of our citizens considered the day a matter of historic and patriotic significance. President Gerald R. Ford signed public law 94-97 on September 20, 1975, which returned Veterans Day to November 11 beginning in 1978.

Restoring Veterans Day observance to November 11th maintains the historical significance and helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day, “ To honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to not only serve, but to sacrifice for the common good.”

Today Veterans Day is not the celebration of America’s veterans it was intended to be. Most businesses and many academic institutions here in Alaska choose not to recognize it as a holiday and conduct business as usual. Most levels of government other then schools, however, do recognize it as a holiday.

The reduction of recognition has contributed to an overall ignorance of the contributions veterans have made to America. A complete understanding of the history of military action and the contributions and sacrifices of those conducting such actions are considered essential by the US Senate for the leaders of tomorrow.   

This issue is not Alaska specific and apparently has concerned a number of our political leaders prompting the United States Senate to designate the week of November 6-12 as National Veterans Awareness Week; (Senate Resolution 155) approved June 28, 2005.  Senate Resolution 155 was preceded by the November 9, 2004, proclamation by President George W. Bush urging people of the United States to observe National Veterans Awareness Week November 7 – 13, 2004.  The purpose of National Veterans Awareness Week is to encourage the people of the United States to recognize the contributions of veterans and utilize the appropriate educational activities to insure our children recognize them as well.

With November 6-12, 2005 being the first designated National Veterans Awareness Week, I would like to be first to wish you a happy “Vets Week” and extend a heartfelt thank you to all of America’s veterans for their selfless contributions to this great nation.

Combined Federal Campaign Provides Feds Opportunity to Improve Quality of Life for All

The mission of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), which runs October 3 through December 15, is to support and to promote philanthropy through a program that is employee-focused, cost-efficient and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.

Its tradition of commitment to the community through the selfless efforts of federal employees has its roots in the many charitable campaigns of the early 1960's. Seeing a need to bring the diversity of fundraising efforts under one umbrella, federal employees created the CFC -- one campaign, once a year. By allowing employees to select from a single guide making their contributions through payroll deductions, the CFC opened wide the door to more opportunities for generous giving to literally hundreds of worthy causes.

An Executive Order made the CFC a reality, and turned an innovative idea into a uniquely effective way for federal employees to help those in need across our community and throughout the world. The CFC is the only authorized solicitation of employees in the federal workplace on behalf of charitable organizations. It continues to be the largest and most successful workplace fundraising model in the world.

What Your Money Can Do

An Annual Gift Of $50 (less than $2 per pay period - the cost of one can of soda pop every week for a year).....

• Can provide an infant with formula for a week

• Can provide horseback riding lessons for an individual with disabilities
• Can provide toiletries for 25 military members and dependents in the hospital during visits

An Annual Gift Of $104 ($4 per pay period - the cost of one latte a week for a year).....

• Can provide a week of food for a family of four that has lost everything to a fire.
• Can provide 13 home-delivered meals to seniors.
• Can provide one month's supplemental food/nutrition for five clients with AIDS.

An Annual Gift Of $180 (less than $7 per pay period, the cost of one soda a day for a year).....

• Can provide three hours of activity training for a severely disturbed child.
• Can provide equipment and supplies for training search and rescue dogs.
• Can provide one full day of residential treatment for a disturbed adolescent.

An Annual Gift Of $240 (less than $10 per pay period - the cost of one fast food dinner a month for a year).....

• Can pay the phone bill for a month for a 24-hour crisis line for abused women and children.

An Annual Gift Of $360 (less than $14 per pay period - the cost of a six pack of beer per week for a year).....

• Can provide six support group sessions for victims of sexual assault and incest.

An Annual Gift Of $520 ($20 per pay period - the cost of cable TV for a year).....

• Can provide ten confidential family mediation sessions for youth and their families to negotiate and agree on solutions to crises in the home.
• Can provide the planning and supplies for one health fair held at an elementary school.

An Annual Gift Of $1040 ($40 per pay period - the cost of latte a day for a year for a year).....

• Can give a family of three a new set of clothing after all has been lost due to a devastating flood or fire.
• Can prevent the eviction of two families facing homelessness.
• Can provide 5 months of early intervention service to a child with special needs and his/her family.