NRCS Alaska News

July 30, 2007

In This Issue

EQIP to Protect Akun Island Dunes

A range survey was conducted on the remote Aleutian Island of Akun this July to document initial resource conditions to meet requirements for the Akutan Corporation’s participation in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Approximately 500 cows have grazed year-round on the 30,000 acre island for the past 40 years.  As is common with unmanaged cattle grazing on islands like this one, the sandy beach areas suffer the greatest grazing impacts. Ironically, these areas also have the potential for producing the highest amount of forage - 6,000 pounds per acre annually or more.  When well managed, Beach Wild Rye (Elymus mollis) and a few other grasses and forbs will dominate these sandy sites, stabilizing the erosive soil and providing excellent forage far into the fall and winter months.  However, when cattle numbers are high and grazing is unmanaged, the Wild Rye will disappear leaving yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and horsetail (Equisetum arvense) in its place with a much decreased annual biomass. 

Akun Island has some extensive sand dunes that stretch away from the coast for a significant distance, and these areas have been severely impacted by heavy, continuous grazing over many years.  Approximately 500 acres of sand dunes have been grazed to the extent of losing the vegetation cover completely.  EQIP will help this situation by providing cost share payments and incentive payments to build fences to entirely exclude these areas from cattle grazing, allowing the vegetation to recover and the dunes to stabilize. 

Photo monitoring points were established to map heavy and lightly impacted areas on the island giving land managers more information for better management practices and to support the grazing management plan. 

Photo: Homer Soil Conservationist Craig Sanders examines the rooting depth and rhizomes of this relict stand of Beach Wild Rye on Akun Island. Photo by Karin Sonnen.

(back to top) 

NRCS Inventories Two Million Acres of Reindeer Range

NRCS Conservationists completed field efforts in June to collect resource inventories for three EQIP contracts with reindeer herders on the Seward Peninsula.  The areas inventoried included approximately 750,000 acres in the Koyuk region, 650,000 acres in the Teller region, and 600,000 acres out on the western tip of the Seward Peninsula in the Wales area.  The terrain varied from steep, rugged mountains to flat coastal plains. 

Several parameters were studied and inventoried to support their conservation plans including Rangeland Health, Reindeer Utilization, Similarity Index, and Apparent Trend.  Maps for each of these measures will be developed and provided to the reindeer herder so they can better understand and carry out management on their arctic rangeland, and are necessary for the EQIP contract and conservation plan development. 

(back to top) 

Farm Bill Passes House, FY08 Ag Appropriation Mark-Ups Posted

Last Friday the House passed H.R. 2419, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007.  The measure authorizes about $286 billion over five years for farm subsidies, conservation, nutrition, rural development and energy programs.  The Farm Bill is expected to see action in the Senate after the August recess.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, both the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committees posted the final copies of their fiscal year 2008 markups.  Funding appropriated by the Senate for the Conservation Technical Assistance Program decreased by $675,000.  Other program appropriations remained the same for both chambers. 

The Senate version contains a few items of interest to the Alaska conservation partnership:

• Berry Research- $1,300,000 for research into best crop management techniques, basic biology and chemistry of berries, as well as basic berry processing information. The Committee encourages the University to partner with entities to train and educate rural areas on efforts to create a viable and sustainable berry industry. (University of Alaska)
• New Crop Opportunities - $443,000 for the development of new opportunities and uses for Alaska grown crops and livestock. (University of Alaska)
• Rodent Control - $150,000 for rodent control on the Aleutian Islands to restore seabird nesting habitats. (APHIS)
• U.S. Cold Regions Botanical Research Network- $184,000 for the purchase, storage, and evaluation of plant material and the seed of plants indigenous to cold regions. (NRCS)
• Native Plant Commercialization- $184,000 for native plant commercialization to produce and provide an adequate amount of native plant materials for construction development projects, as required by law. This program distributes plants to growers and contributes plant materials for many conservation projects. (NRCS)
• Alaska Association of Conservation Districts- $916,000 for conservation efforts in the State of Alaska. This project assists conservation district cooperators and other land users in the planning and application of conservation treatments. (Alaska Association of Conservation Districts)

The House is expected to take up the FY08 appropriation bill this week.  The Senate will take up the bill after the August recess. Nothing is final until signed by the President.

(back to top) 

Wood Energy Conference Scheduled for Fairbanks

Mark your calendars for the Alaska Wood Energy Conference taking place November 14 & 15 at the Chena River Convention Center in Fairbanks. The main session topics will be the role of wood in Alaska renewable energy; field-proven wood energy; sustainable fuel supplies;  and new wood energy topics. For more information contact USDA Forest Service at 907-747-4312, or surf to the Sitka Wood Utilization Center web site www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sitka .

(back to top)

Personnel Actions

New Hire

• Julie Hopkins, State Administrative Officer, Reports August 5
  From National Park Service, Alaska Regional Office

Vacancy

•  District Conservationist – Mat-Su Field Office – GS0457 11/12

(back to top)