NRCS Alaska News

May 11, 2007

In This Issue

USDA Bestows Un-Sung Hero Award on Alaskan

Crystal Leonetti received the Organization of Professional Employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Unsung Hero award this week for her hard work and many accomplishments as Statewide Native Liaison, District Conservationist for the Anchorage field office, and American Indian/Alaska Native Special Emphasis Program Manager.  Highlights of her many accomplishments include developing a three-day course for Alaska NRCS employees to learn about Alaska Native land complexities, cultures, and history called Working Effectively with Alaska Natives.  She was responsible for working with Alaska’s first-ever Tribal Conservation District, expanding that field office area by 5,000 square miles.  She organized and facilitated the first NRCS meeting of Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Regional Corporations.  Crystal was elected President of the American Indian Alaska Native Employees Association in 2006, and co-chaired the first-ever joint NRCS Asian Pacific Islander Organization (APIO) and American Indian and Alaska Native Employee Association conference in 2006.

Crystal’s principal goals include raising a family with her husband, Ed; continuing a successful career with NRCS; and establishing rapport and good working relationships between NRCS and Alaska’s Native Corporations, Villages, and Tribes.

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NRCS, State Forestry Sign Agreement

Under a new agreement signed last week by NRCS and the Alaska Department of Forestry (DOF), DOF will provide technical assistance to NRCS in the planning, designing and installation and certification of approximately 25 EQIP applications. 

The areas of conservation technical assistance to be provided by DOF can include practice design, contract assistance to landowners, inventory and evaluation, practice application, customer assistance and general information, practice inspection and verification and program support for EQIP. 

Questions on the agreement should be directed to State Forester Mitch Michaud at 283-8732 ext. 105, or State Resource Conservationist Gene Schock at 761-7715.

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NRCS to Test Dust Palliatives in Alaska

NRCS is launching a research project in three Alaska communities to determine the applicability of chemical dust control methods on roads and trails used for resource management and production.

A team comprised of NRCS Air Quality Team member Roel Vining, State Agronomist Helen Denniston, State Design Engineer Aimee Rohner and Native Liaison Crystal Leonetti will travel to Tyonek, Togiak and Fort Yukon in June to select test sites and collect some baseline airborne particulate data with a handheld meter.

The West National Technology Support Center will assist in selecting a limited suite of chemical dust control products to include in the tests. Once the products are applied, data will be collected through next year to determine the effects on airborne particulates.

NRCS expects to conclude the tests by winter 2008.

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Upcoming Cultural Training in Kenai, Fairbanks

NRCS is set to host Cultural Resources training events in two Alaska locations in upcoming weeks. The training curriculum will include agency responsibilities under National Historic Preservation Act Sec. 106, the consultation process with the State Historic Preservation Officer, and tribal consultation protocols.

The Kenai training will take place on May 23, 24 and 25 at the Kenai Landing, the site of one of the first salmon canneries in Alaska and the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Properties. The Kenai training will include a site visit to Kalifornsky Village, an interpreted trip to the Kenai Visitors Center to view Kenaitze artifacts, and other cultural enrichment activities.

The Kenai instructor will be Holly Cusack McVeigh, a Professor of Anthropology at Kenai Peninsula College-UAA. She earned a Master’s degree in Anthropology from Michigan State University, with an emphasis in Cultural and Medical Anthropology, and received a Ph.D. in Social/Cultural Anthropology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her areas of specialization include Native American and Arctic Studies, Folklore, archival research and environmental issues.

The Fairbanks training will take place June 5, 6 and 7 at the SpringHill Suites, and will include a field trip to the Chena River and a guided viewing of the artifacts in the stores of the Museum of the North. The instructor for the Fairbanks training will be Matt Ganley, staff archeologist for Bering Straits Native Corporation.

Resource Conservationist Mike Odegard will demonstrate knapping at each of the trainings.

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Historic Preservation Learning Portal Open to Public This Month

In celebration of National Preservation Month, the complete resources of the Historic Preservation Learning Portal will be offered to the general public throughout the month of May. The website http://www.historicpreservation.gov  provides a single access point to acquire information from more than 3,000 sources on historic preservation records, news, training, laws, regulations, policies, case studies, and projects. It was originally designed to supply historic preservation information to 75 different federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.  NRCS is one of the many agencies who provided funding for the development of the portal.

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Record Snow Highs and Low Continues Through May 1

Snowpack levels vary considerably across Alaska as of May 1. Three snow courses have set new record highs and one snow course has set a record low, while many snow courses reported no snow.

All three record highs are for snow courses located in Southeast Alaska.  Petersburg Ridge exceeded the previous record again this month by 5.1 inches of water content. There is 132 inches of snow (11 feet) and 59.3 inches of water content at Petersburg Ridge; the previous record of 122 inches of snow and 54.2 inches of snow water content was set in 1985. Petersburg Reservoir also set a new record high with 39 inches of snow and 16.3 inches of snow water content.  Long Lake SNOTEL site is 221% of last year and 134% of average. This year tops the previous record set in 1975 with 132 inches of snow and 64.0 inches of water content. 

Another two record high snow course water contents were in Canada. In the headwaters of the Yukon River is Atlin (BC) snow course with 26 inches of snow and 6.1 inches of water content; the previous high was 17 inches of snow and 5.1 inches of snow water equivalent (swe) set in 1985. Morley Lake also set a new record high with 23 inches of snow and 7.7 inches of water content; the previous record set in 1992 had 20 inches of snow and 7.1 inches of swe.

The one record low snow course measurement was in the Peters Hills where Nugget Bench recorded no snow; the previous low was 13 inches recorded in 1996. The average at Nugget Bench is 46 inches of snow depth with 15.3 inches of water content. The snow course is at 2010 feet of elevation.

Snowpack measurements, where there was snow to measure, north of the Alaska Range to the Brooks Range and from the Alaska Range west to the Bering Sea were less than 50 percent of normal water content for May 1.  These sites had previously been without snow on May 1 so they are not record lows.  The Coldfoot SNOTEL site was snow-free the 23rd of April; the average date for the snow to be gone is May 15th.

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Alaskan to Lead NRCS Forestry Division

Andy Mason has been selected as the new National Forester for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). A Forest Service employee, Andy will be detailed for two years to the NRCS Ecological Sciences Division. He will assume the lead for policy and technology associated with forest management and agroforestry systems and practices through NRCS’ programs on the Nation’s private lands. His assignment will begin in early May.

Since June 2003, Andy has been the Director of State and Private Forestry in the Alaska Region where he has led the Cooperative Forestry, Cooperative and Wildland Fire Management, and Forest Health Protection programs. He has also worked in several USFS program areas and in various capacities at their regional, forest and district levels including district ranger, assistant forest supervisor, staff officer, and director of the forest health technology enterprise team.

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NRCS and S.K. Worm Team Up For Second Graders

NRCS Soil Scientist Dennis Moore teamed up with S.K. (Scientific Knowledge) Worm to educate 60 Pioneer Peak second graders classes why soil is too important to be treated like dirt.

First, students were challenged to give examples of things we use every day that come directly or indirectly from soil. The students were asked to give examples of the five food groups and types of clothing that humans get from plants and animals. The students also discussed the importance of trees for buildings, paper, windbreaks, and the cooling benefits of shade on a hot summer’s day.

Using the S.K. Worm module, children learned about the effects parent material, biota, climate, and time have on soil development. S.K. Worm demonstrated how air and water move through pores made by roots and animals that live in the soil. The students learned how plants get their food and water from the soil, and that plants don’t get to eat pizza and hot fudge banana splits like humans do. Finally, Dennis and S.K. Worm helped the students understand the difference between natural geologic erosion and human induced erosion.

Dennis and S.K. concluded by highlighting the exciting career opportunities available in natural resources with NRCS, and presented each student with a diploma making them “Honorary Worms.” A few students expressed concern about using worms as fishing bait after becoming an “Honorary Worms.” S.K. assured them that they can still use worms for fishing bait -- but it the worm is to big for the hook, they are obliged to bite it in half!

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Tech Tip

Currently our Blackberries are unlocked, so anyone can pick up another person's device and read the email or other information that is contained.  Here is how to set a password on the Blackberry:

• At the Main Menu select “Options” (the adjustable end wrench)
• Scroll down to "Security Options" and select
• Select "General Settings"
• Highlight "Password: Disabled" and select
• Select "Change Option"
• Highlight and select "Enabled"
• Change "Security Timeout" if you desire a shorter or longer period than the default
• Change "Lock Handheld Upon Holstering" if you desire an immediate lock
• Push the Escape Button below the scroll wheel
• Select Save
• Enter your Password
• Verify your Password

Congratulations, your Blackberry is now secured.

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Personnel Actions

Temporary Summer Employees:

• Conrad Field – Ecologist – Homer – May 13
• Bridget Paule – Bio Tech (Plants) – Homer – May 13
• Logan Sander – Bio Tech (Plants) – Homer – May 13

Job Announcements

• Regional Soil Scientist, GS-0470-13/13, US-AK-Palmer, closes 6/4/2007

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