NRCS Alaska News

December 1, 2006

In This Issue

Finally Out of Harm’s Way-First Mat River Property Closes

USDA Agencies In Alignment on Definition of Indian Tribe in Alaska

State Conservationist Announces $6.5 Million Available for Conservation

Introducing Alaska NRCS’ Native Liaison

Soil Survey and Snow Survey Upgrade SNOTEL Sites in Alaska

Rotational Grazing for Reindeer Herders

Soil Program Reorganizes, Reports Productive Year

Mat-Su Residents Say Goodbye To A Water Warrior

Earth Team Volunteers Make Sizable Economic Impact

Groundwater Flow Model Available for Educational Use

Energy Calculators

Tech Tip: Resetting Your BlackBerry Signature

Finally Out of Harm’s Way-First Mat River Property Closes

Tina and David Pixley’s dream home sits perched above the winter-calmed waters of the Matanuska River. Its foundation is exposed and its septic system is gone – washed downstream as the river chewed its way right up to the house.

When the Pixley’s bought the eight acre tract in 1998, the river was about 150 feet away.  The river channel closest to the house could barely be seen through the brush, and was so shallow it could easily be crossed on foot. They said they were unaware of the potential threats from erosion.  Tina told an Anchorage Daily News reporter that “twin moose were born in the back yard, eagles flew overhead and they could hear bears splashing in the river channel chasing salmon.”

But the Pixley’s dream turned into a nightmare last year when 75 feet of their backyard disappeared into the river.  This year they were unsure if the structure would last until winter. 

The structure did last, but the Pixley’s don’t live there anymore. The home and surrounding property has been acquired through the NRCS-funded Matanuska River Terrace Erosion Area Acquisition Pilot Project.  The Pixley property was the first of three that are expected to be acquired through the program.

This pilot project was specifically intended to acquire a fee title interest by the Matanuska- Susitna Borough from the landowners threatened by erosion who choose to participate in the program.  Following the acquisition of the fee interest from the landowner, the Borough will attach and record stipulated covenants to the deed which will govern the land use and management of the acquired properties.

David and Tina’s dream home has been boarded up for winter. Next spring it will be demolished and NRCS will oversee restoration and planting work to return the floodplain functions of the property.

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USDA Agencies In Alignment on Definition of Indian Tribe in Alaska

The USDA Farm Service Agency has published a Final Rule update in the Federal Register (dated November 15, 2006) to bring Alaska Native villages or regional corporations under the definition of Indian Tribe as reflected in the American Indian Agricultural Resource Management Act and BIA, and which is; "Indian tribe means any Indian tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians." 

This rule brings NRCS and FSA programs into agreement as to how the Adjusted Gross Income Rule applies to Alaska Native corporations. 

“This will improve accessibility not only to NRCS but to all USDA programs in Alaska,” said Bob Jones in an email to staff.  “A lot of people worked hard to make this happen in Alaska and in Washington D.C., both within and outside of NRCS.  I truly appreciate all the efforts.”

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State Conservationist Announces $6.5 Million Available for Conservation

State Conservationist Bob Jones announced that nearly $6.5 million in cost-share assistance will be available in fiscal year 2007 to help Alaska landowners address natural resource concerns, promote environmental quality, and protect valuable wetland ecosystems and wildlife habitat on property they own or control.

While the exact amount of funds available will not be determined until a federal budget is signed into law, Jones says he estimates to make available nearly $6.5 million – about the same as last year.

WHIP helps landowners create, restore and enhance wildlife habitat on their land.  WHIP is expected to provide $1.5 million in cost share assistance in FY07.

EQIP assists landowners in improving soil, air and water quality and other related resources on private, working lands.  Working lands are those that are managed to produce food and/or fiber from eligible animal and plant sources.  In FY07, the EQIP program is expected to provide $5 million in available financial assistance.

Additional information on these conservation programs, including eligibility requirements, is available at http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/programs. 

Landowners who want specific information regarding program participation or who want to apply for cost share programs should contact their local NRCS Field Office. NRCS has field offices in Anchorage, Bethel, Copper Center, Delta Junction, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Kenai, Kodiak, Nome, Palmer and Wasilla. Contact information for the 13 field offices in Alaska is available at www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/fieldoffices.html, or by calling 907-761-7760.

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Introducing Alaska NRCS’ Native Liaison

I am Crystal Leonetti, an Alaska Native working for NRCS.  I’m honored to be your Alaska NRCS Native Liaison.  I’ll be spending 50 percent of my time as your Native Liaison and 50 percent as the Anchorage District Conservationist.

The mission of NRCS is to help landowners with renewable natural resource concerns and opportunities.  Although NRCS programs are tailored to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers in the Lower 48, Alaska NRCS strives to meet the needs of all producers.  Management practices have been implemented for thousands of years by the first people who have lived here.  These practices may not fit within the short list of NRCS conservation practices which have been verified to have conservation benefits through the scientific method.  Practices unknown in the scientific method, but well known through oral tradition and generations of people practicing them, provide benefits to the soil, water, air, plants and animals.  NRCS and Alaska Native landowners have the common goal of utilizing conservation methods on private land to ensure the continued sustainable production of the food and fiber we all rely on.  My objective as the Native Liaison is to be your cultural broker so that we can meet this common goal together.

My specific duties are:

• Increase program awareness

• Maintain open communication through all levels of NRCS

• Encourage NRCS presence in Alaska Native communities

• Facilitate meetings and workshops

• Attend and/or facilitate conferences

• Train and advise NRCS employees

• Protocol, consultation processes, communal decision making processes

• Recommend to State Conservationist appropriate strategies for providing services based upon feedback received from Alaska Native communities

• Strategic planning, workload analysis, program implementation, staffing plans

• Foster good working relationships

• Gather and maintain data pertinent to Alaska Native communities

• Analyze data to identify program delivery and program assistance and to recommend changes in strategy

• Work closely with field office personnel to provide necessary guidance

• Facilitate government-to-government communication through the consultative process

• Identify procedural impediments to effective outreach and planning assistance

• Ensure that tribes, corporations and villages are involved in communicating critical information regarding significant sites, planting or migration cycles, etc., to NRCS planners

• Assist in recruiting Alaska Native students

• Maintain contact with other Tribal Liaisons throughout the nation

I want to be open enough that you won’t be shy to ask questions.  There is a vast amount of information available on Alaska Native history and law, and I know where to look or who to call to get a good, strong answer. 

What I’m working on now is figuring out how to get Alaska Native landowners’ needs met through our programs.  Twelve percent of our state is owned by Alaska Native Corporations, Tribes, and allottees.  How can we do a better job of listening and acting upon these millions of acres with natural resource challenges?  Other states have implemented Tribal Advisory Councils or Tribal Farm Bill Committees.  If Alaska implemented one, what would the makeup be, how can it become cohesive to ensure longevity, and what would its primary responsibility involve? 

Piurra.  In Yupik that means, “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

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Soil Survey and Snow Survey Upgrade SNOTEL Sites in Alaska

Alaska’s 55 SNOTEL sites provide a variety of climatic information including snow depth, snow water equivalent, solar radiation, air temperature, and precipitation measurements.  Data from all SNOTEL sites are transmitted several times each hour utilizing meteor burst technology and is available in real time on the web through the Alaska Meteor Burst Communication System http://ambcs.org/SiteViewer.shtml .  Last summer NRCS Alaska Snow Survey and Soil Survey began a two-year program to upgrade 20 of these sites with additional sensors to collect soil moisture and temperature data.  The purpose for upgrading SNOTEL sites is to provide baseline soil temperature and moisture data for major soils and Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) in Alaska.    These data is useful to the soil survey program for the development of soil temperature and moisture models used by field soil scientist to populate critical soil moisture and temperature data in the National Soil Information System (NASIS) soil survey database.  The snow survey program will benefit from a more accurate water supply prediction since frozen ground is a condition that exists beneath the snow pack in some areas and not others and this is a critical variable in water supply prediction. Real time web access to these data provides the general public and educators with information on major soil types found in Alaska and provides scientists with a tool to monitor climate change.

Mark Clark and Snow Survey Technician Dan Kenney installed combination soil moisture/soil temperature probes and updated data logger programs at 12 SNOTEL sites this past summer. Another nine sites are slated for update next year. Upgrades include the installation of probes at depths of 5, 20, and 50 cm according to protocols established by the National Soil Survey Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Soils are described and soil samples collected to help calibrate soil probes and understand soil properties at each site.  A list of sites completed this summer and those proposed for next summer are listed below.

Sites installed during 2006                Sites to be installed in 2007

Coldfoot                                                  Atigun Pass     

Eagle Summit                                          Imnaviat Creek

Gobblers Knob                                         Jack Pot Bay

Granite Creek                                          Monahan Flats

Ikalukrok Creek                                       Monument Creek

Kenai Moose Pens                                     Naked Island

Point McKenzie                                          Prudhoe Bay

Port Graham                                             Rocky Point

Nuka Glacier                                             Upper Tsaina River

Tokositna        

Susitna Valley High

Upper Nome Creek

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Rotational Grazing for Reindeer Herders

After a week of range field work and time in the office assembling and compiling data, Heather Oleson and Karin Sonnen traveled to St. Lawrence Island, the northern-most and largest of the Bering Sea Islands, in late November to meet with the Savoonga Reindeer Council. 

The group was presented with utilization maps, a complete report of findings, and a preliminary five-year grazing plan.  Using these maps, the Reindeer Council members could see parts of the island that needed rest for the lichen resource to recover, and parts of the island that were in excellent condition where the deer could be moved to. 

Critical fawning areas that have been heavily used were discussed and some alternative fawning locations agreed upon. 

Through the use of Satellite Telemetry, reindeer herd locations can be monitored and managed more efficiently.

With cost share support from EQIP for use exclusion and prescribed grazing, the council will be able to keep animals off an overgrazed area for three to five years and see first-hand how rotational grazing (Alaska style), and complete rest from grazing for certain areas will help to make their island resources renewable.  

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Soil Program Reorganizes, Reports Productive Year

The soil survey program is being reorganized nation-wide.  The concept of county-based soil survey projects and staffing is being replaced with MLRA-based projects and staffing.  Also, all emphasis is now on completing the initial soil survey coverage of private and Alaska Native/Native American lands. 

The soil survey staff spent the week after Thanksgiving in Homer for their annual workshop which introduced staff to the reorganization and laid out procedures for future activities and staffing.  The workshop also provided training on proper and efficient field procedures, data collection, database development and data analysis, and product delivery. The overall goal was to have all staff members informed and up-to-date on the current standards and direction for soil survey. 

The Homer soil survey office comes closest to the new national model for a soil survey office. The office is responsible for multiple MLRA's encompassing a large area of the state.  It is under the leadership of an experienced soil scientist and is being staffed by several permanent and seasonal employees who will be working on multiple projects throughout the region.  The Palmer and Fairbanks-based soil survey offices will be building toward this same level.

The workshop started off by welcoming two new staff members: Chris Savastio, a new employee from Vermont is joining the Fairbanks-based soils staff; and Bethel District Conservationist Andy Oxford who is joining the Homer-based soil survey staff.

FY-2006 Accomplishments:

• Approximately 3.5 million acres of new soil survey coverage completed

• Delta River Area and Fort Wainwright Area products released to the public via WebSoilSurvey and SoilDataMart

• Fieldwork completed for the Greater Nenana Area

• Fieldwork continued for Greater Delta Area

• Fieldwork initiated for the Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed Area

• Database work completed for the Western Interior Rivers Area

FY-2007 Plans:

• Western Interior Rivers Area and Greater Nenana Area products released to the public

• Fieldwork completed for Greater Delta Area

• Fieldwork continued for Nushagak-Mulchatna Area

• Fieldwork initiated for the Kodiak Island Area

• Partnership formed for a new survey area (tentatively Yukon Flats)

• MLRA reorganization plan and staffing implemented

• National Park Service funded soil survey staff established

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Mat-Su Residents Say Goodbye To A Water Warrior

The Matanuska River was in the news a good deal in the last year. We read about homes being threatened along the river’s banks and the debate about how to fix this problem.  What (or who) we don’t read about are the individuals I refer to as the water warriors who dedicate their time and energy to keep houses from falling into the river; to keep water safe to drink; and to maintain wetlands for all to enjoy. These are individuals who value all our water resources. 

We lost a water warrior this last week, Steve Duncan.  Steve worked for EPA as the Aquatic Resources Coordinator and lived in Palmer.  His backyard was the Matanuska River. 

If there is a project involving water in the Matanuska –Susitna Valley, Steve Duncan was right there developing watershed plans, assuring fish-safe spur dikes, assisting in developing erosion zone ordinances, and ensuring water quality monitoring.  Steve was a champion in protecting our water resources.  Two months ago, just before he retired, he was working on the Hatcher Pass Ski Resort project in trying to ensure ground water and surface water not be impacted by the multi-home development.  He enlisted the help of our local soils expert Mark Clark for onsite assistance.  After a site visit with Steve, Mark asked me, “How can Steve still work so hard on this?”  I answered, “He cares.  It is his passion. And we are lucky.”

I had the opportunity to see Steve the day before he died and I showed him photos of two of the projects he worked on with NRCS.  And then we (Frankie Barker and John Harris of the Mat-Su Borough and I) had the pleasure to tell Steve that the projects were completed, thanks to his efforts.  We saw the twinkle in his eyes as he grabbed one of the pictures. 

Steve died on Wed. November 22, 2006 after a long battle with cancer. 

Luna Leopold wrote, “Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children’s lifetime.  The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land.”  Steve is the essence of that statement.

Steve has left us with a challenge: to continue his goal of having clean water for all to enjoy.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Wasilla Soil and Water Conservation, 1700 E. Bogard Road, Suite A203, Wasilla  99654. 

A memorial service will be at 8 p.m. tonight at Lazy Mountain Bible Church in Palmer.

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Earth Team Volunteers Make Sizable Economic Impact

Alaska ranked 5th in the nation for volunteerism, with 38.9 percent of Alaska residents aged 16 and over having volunteered during the last two-year period, according to the report "Volunteering in America: State Trends and Rankings" published by the Corporation for National and Community Service. 

Volunteerism with NRCS’ Earth Team has also seen growth in the past year with 601 hours donated in service to agency projects. 

Volunteer activity has a significant economic value.  Using the Independent Sector's estimate of $18.04 an hour, a standard measurement for the value of a volunteer's time, the hours donated to Earth Team in Alaska equates to more than $10,842, a very sizeable impact.

For information on using Earth Team volunteers in your field office, or on a district or RC&D project, please contact me at cassandra.stalzer@ak.usda.gov or by phone at 761-7749.

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Groundwater Flow Model Available for Educational Use

Public Affairs has acquired a groundwater flow model for use in the demonstration of groundwater movement principles. Constructed with clear plexiglass, the model allows viewers to watch how the water within a groundwater system travels. For example, the movement of water towards a pumping well can be easily observed.

Water is introduced at the ends of the model. A vacuum pump is used to "pump" water from the two wells; one well is in the unconfined aquifer, the other is in the confined aquifer. Observation wells show the ground water flow patterns as the wells are pumped. Colored water is used to easily demonstrate the water movement patterns. Colored water can also be used to show how contaminants might move within a ground water system. The "contaminants" can be introduced at the surface or injected at three points within the aquifer.

The model can be used in many different settings. It is especially effective with youth in school classrooms, for children's festivals, and with Boy and Girl Scout and 4-H groups. The model can also attract significant attention when used in conjunction with water educational displays. It is useful in presenting basic ground water information to adult audiences in various types of meeting and workshop formats. Because of the model's size, it must be used with relatively small groups.

The model was constructed and designed by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The model is 24 inches long, 12 inches tall, and approximately 2 inches wide. The weight of the model with case is about 40 pounds.

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Energy Calculators

NRCS announced last month the release of the Animal Housing Energy Estimator Tool, the fourth energy tool designed to increase energy awareness in agriculture and to help farmers and ranchers identify where they can reduce their energy costs. The Animal Housing tools enables producers to estimate potential energy savings associated with swine, poultry or dairy cows housing operations. This and the three energy tools previously released (Irrigation, Nitrogen, Tillage) are available at http://energytools.sc.egov.usda.gov/.

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Tech Tip: Resetting Your BlackBerry Signature

BlackBerries wireless units sent to most NRCS staff as part of the emergency preparedness plan come pre-programmed with an email signature “Sent from my BlackBerry,” that can be customized with more useful information – like your name and phone number.

Open your BlackBerry “Desktop Manager,” select “Redirector Settings” and customize the block titled “Auto signature.” Save – then thumb away!

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