NRCS Alaska News

January 19, 2007

In This Issue

Toolkit SP-3 to Launch this Month

An Introduction to Fairbanks’ New Soil Scientist

Conservation Photo Contest Winners Announced

NRCS Staff to Participate in AFE Conference

Personnel Actions

Toolkit SP-3 to Launch this Month

A new version of Customer Service Toolkit has been developed and will be coming to your workstation January 21.

The new and improved features include:

• Support for multiple user file system encryption on laptops and desktops. The “Customer Files Toolkit” folder changed to “My Customer Files Toolkit” located in the user’s file system (see File System Encryption).
• The Toolkit eAuthentication Login Screen now includes standard eAuthentication features, such as Change My Password and Reset My Forgotten Password (see eAuthentication Login).
• A new option on the File menu allows users to delete unassigned customer folders, i.e., customer folders on the endpoint that are not currently associated with a record in the NCPDB (see Delete Unassigned Folders).
•  “Last Check In” date was added to Toolkit Check In/Out tab and Folders tab (see Last Check In, Open a Customer Folder).
• New Advanced Search capabilities in the Check In/Out tab, including searches by program or practice code, by planned and applied date, and/or by associated customer (see Advanced Search).
• The “Rename Folder” button on the Folders tab allows the user to rename the customer file on the service center server and in the National Conservation Planning Database (see Rename a Customer Folder).
• Assistance notes may be sorted by assistance date, assisted by, or program code within a given customer folder (see Sort Assistance Notes).
• State and County local programs are now supported (see Practice Schedule, Toolkit Preferences).
• Users may hide applied and recurring practices in Practice Schedule (see Hide Applied and Recurring Practices).
• Extended Narrative ID’s for modified narratives in Practice Schedule (see Extended Narrative ID).
• A new option is available in the Plan Wizard to not limit the practice acres to the total acres of the land unit (see Customize the Plan).
• The contract support forms in the Contract Wizard are based on the new NRCS-CPA-1155 and 1156 forms (see Contract Wizard Forms).
• Copy/Paste during digitizing now makes inclusions (see Common Tools on All Digitizing Toolbars).
• New center pivot irrigation digitizing tool (see Center Pivot Tool).
• Circle digitizing tool allows user to specify the radius in Toolkit Toolbar (see Practice Polygons Editor).
• Ability to set user preferences on Map Products map generation (see Map Products Tool).
• Soils Map tool has options to generate the map and/or the report (see Soils Map/Inventory Tool).
• Auto Save Symbology for a map document (see Save Symbology).

Each of the novel features listed above is described in this document.  For documentation on all Toolkit SP-3 features, see Toolkit Online Help for SP-3.

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An Introduction to Fairbanks’ New Soil Scientist

Hello to those of you I haven’t yet met. I am the new soil scientist in Fairbanks. I was born and raised in New England where, shortly after graduating from high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a jet mechanic for six years. I became interested in soil mapping while taking a soil classification course at the University of Vermont. At the Vermont NRCS state office, I worked on an automated nutrient management planning program as a soil conservation aide. After graduating with a bachelor’s in plant and soil science last May, I spent the summer working for the U.S. Forest Service in Hoonah as a biological science technician for soils.  My job involved describing soils to determine slope stability in proposed timber sale areas.  I decided I wanted to stay in Alaska, and accepting the soil scientist position in Fairbanks meant I could come back and start my career as an NRCS soil scientist.  Since arriving in Fairbanks in December, I have taken up cross-country skiing and ice fishing, and I’m very much enjoying the sub-zero temperatures.  In an effort to better understand the soils of Interior Alaska, I am taking the permafrost course offered at UAF this spring.

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Conservation Photo Contest Winners Announced

Thank you to everyone who submitted a photo in the 2006 NRCS Conservation Photo Contest. These photos are incredibly valuable in helping tell the story of NRCS’ conservation work in Alaska.  You will see several entries pop up in the FY2006 annual report that is soon to be released, on the cover of the employee directory, and featured on the NRCS website and educational publications.

The top three photos were recognized in eight categories are listed below.  Each first place winner will be awarded a spot award (a gift certificate will be awarded to our Earth Team volunteer); photos recognized in second and third place will be awarded a keepsake. Third place awards were not given in the animal and agriculture categories because five or more photos tied for third place.

	Animal	Agriculture	Water	Soil	Human	Conservation Practice	Plant
1rst Place	Daniel Fisher	Daniel Fisher	Mike Paschall	Karin Sonnen	Karin Sonnen	Charlene Buncic	Ronnie Maurer	Brant Dallas
2nd Place	Cassandra Stalzer	Trudy Pink	Jeff Rypka	Meg Mueller	Karin Sonnen	Ronnie Maurer	Karin Sonnen	Cassandra Stalzer
3rd Place			Karin Sonnen, Joe Moore (tie)	Karin Sonnen, Ronnie Maurer (tie)	Brant Dallas	Ronnie Maurer	Ronnie Maurer	Catherine Hadley, Joe White (tie)

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NRCS Staff to Participate in AFE Conference

NRCS will again be a participant in the annual Alaska Forum on the Environment that takes place in Anchorage February 12 - 16. The Forum will feature seven keynote events and over 80 breakout sessions featuring as many as 160 presenters to provide educational opportunities and research information on Alaska’s Environment.

NRCS has secured two booth spaces: one to increase awareness of the Emergency Watershed Protection Program and one to promote awareness of the Resource Conservation and Development Program.

Staff is also involved in two breakout sessions. State Agronomist Helen Denniston will moderate a session titled “Cultivating Wild Plants in Alaska” on Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m. featuring Dr. Pat Holloway, author of “Cultivating Wild Berries” published by NRCS and UAF last year. Stoney Wright from the Plant Materials Center and Bob Gorman from the Cooperative Extension Service will also be presenters.

Assistant State Conservationist (Program) Tom Hedt will moderate a discussion about “Minimizing Environmental Degradation Caused by All Terrrain Vehicles” on Feb. 12 at 10:30 a.m. that will feature NRCS State Engineer Brett Nelson and National Park Service Trails Specialist Kevin Meyer.

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Personnel Actions

Job Announcement

• Soil Conservationist, GS 07/09, Delta Junction Field Office, closes Feb. 19.

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