IntermountainT Trails
USDA Forest Service—Intermountain Region March 2014 Volume 3, Issue 2
Regional Forester Awards Special Edition In this issue: Regional Forester’s 1 Message The Regional Forester Awards ceremony is an annual event
to honor exceptional individuals or groups and projects that Sustaining Forests 2 beautify the image of the Intermountain Region. and Grasslands Award These individuals work to improve the health and vigor of the public lands, the nature and presence of our public Multi Cultural 3 Organization Award persona, and the reputation and rapport maintained with the agencies and partners we work alongside. Promoting 4 The Regional Forester Awards recognizes individuals and Recreation and Engaging Urban Regional Forester Nora groups in the following categories: America Award
Sustaining Forests and Grasslands Administrative Meeting America’s Needs 5 Management Promoting Recreation and Engaging Urban America Awards Administration Management Multicultural Organizations Law Enforcement 7 and Investigation Safety and Occupational Health Award Law Enforcement and Investigations District Ranger of the Year, and Partnerships Award 8 Partnerships Chiefs Recognition These people and these projects, as well as many others, too numerous to list and Award honor in their entirety, is the work that moves the region and the agency forward. Meeting America’s 9 They fix perceived and expected problems, ensuring that forests will be around for Need generations to come. They work to instill in future generations a sense of civic duty
and love for the outdoors so they might continue where we leave off. Safety and 10 Occupational Health - Nora Award W
District Ranger of 11 the Year Award
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Sustaining Forests and Grasslands
The Sustaining Forests and Grasslands award recognizes Forest Service individuals, work units, partnerships, or groups that have demonstrated major achievements in restoring, sustaining, and/or enhancing the Region’s forests and grasslands. The recipients of the 2013 Sustaining Forests and Grasslands award are:
Paul Cowley, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF Resources Staff Officer, Loyal Clark, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF Public Affairs Staff Officer, Mike Slater, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Regional L-R: Mike Slater, Loyal Clark, Paul Cowley Fisheries Biologist. and Regional Forester Nora Rasure. Since 2010, the U.S. Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, PacifiCorp, Trout Unlimited, Utah Anglers Coalition, Boy Scouts of America and others are working cooperatively to explore the restoration of native Bonneville Cutthroat trout and other native non-game fish in the Mill Creek drainage of Salt Lake County.
In the beginning of September, the waters of Millcreek in the Salt Lake City watershed turned purple… and no one protested. The Millcreek Fish Restoration project has been successful and noncontroversial due to the efforts of Paul Cowley, Loyal Clark, and Mike Slater. This trio worked to develop and implement a public involvement strategy that resulted in no opposition to the restoration project. As part of the communication strategy, they hosted site visits and gave presentations to legislatures, congressional staff, county staff, community groups, and the press about the project and two public meetings were held to explain the project to the general public. The Forest and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources developed websites for the projects to enhance the public’s understanding of the project.
A biologist collecting fish being removed The nominees were also instrumental in their actions to request by the treatment and receive funding from partners; Trout Unlimited and PacifiCorp; to replace 3 culverts in the Church Fork Drainage that was causing flooding in the picnic area; removal of a bridge that was no longer needed near Elbow Fork; fish passage design analysis for the eight culverts identified as partial barriers in the drainage by the Forest Service design team. As a result of their efforts, in-stream conditions will be improved, Bonneville cutthroat trout will be restored, and the watershed condition rating will be improved in the Millcreek drainage, which is one of the most highly visible of Salt Lake City’s watersheds.
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Multicultural Organization Award
The Multicultural Organization Award recognizes an individual, group or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the improvement of Human Capital and their impact on creating a fair and inclusive workplace. The Multicultural Organization award was presented to the following group of individuals:
Brandon Everett, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Salt Lake Ranger District, Ryan McFarland, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Salt Lake Fire School students. Ranger District, Matt Nielson, Weber Basin Job Corps Center Director, Jason Talbot, Weber Basin Job Corps Center Director. The Weber Basin Job Corps and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest were able to field four crews of forest service employees and Job Corps students because of these individuals. These individuals coordinated and conducted firefighter training for thirty five students and eight staff members. The efforts of these individuals created a robust firefighter program and a long-term resource for the forest. Between assignments, their students spent over 3 thousand hours of work based learning on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and accomplished many projects for the forest. They built five miles of line in preparation for prescribed fire, 16 acres of shaded fuel breaks, and one and a half miles of trail, while also contributing to a reduction of invasive species. In 2013, the Weber Basin Job Corps Center exceeded any other Job Corps Center in the nation for accomplishments in fire assignments, project work, and student training.
L-R: Brandon Everett, Ryan McFarland, Matt Nielson, Jason Talbot and Regional Forester Nora Rasure.
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Promoting Recreation and Engaging Urban America
The Promoting Recreation and Engaging Urban America award recognizes an individual or group who has sustained, enhanced, or developed recreation opportunities and experiences, demonstrated outstanding success in promoting conservation education, community “greening” efforts, management of urban forests, and youth opportunities to volunteer in urban forestry activities for the American people. This year’s Promoting Recreation and Engaging Urban America Award goes to Joby Timm, Area Ranger of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
The Sawtooth National Recreation Area has a strong Becky Nourse and Regional Forester Nora Rasure mandate for providing diverse recreational opportunities to the public, and as the Ranger for this unit, Joby Timm works hard to do this. With declining budgets, this has become just about impossible to do without engaging partners and leading employees to think about doing things differently than they always have. Joby has given a huge amount of personal effort in 2013 to achieve measurable improvements associated with two different partner groups. These projects help to forward our goals related to the Sustainable Recreation Focus Area, as well as meeting the more broad resource area goals of the Integrated Resource Restoration Focus Area. Joby engaged with a partner, Blaine County Recreation District, who were proponents for a large expansion of summer trails near Galena Lodge to increase the amount of low to average skill level hiking and biking trails to meet the needs of the recreating public. Blaine County Recreation District has also agreed to maintain the trails into the future. Joby’s communication style and relationship-building skills has improved the relationship with the Sawtooth Society, which in turn helps the Forest Service to make better decisions and provide recreation opportunities for the public we serve. The Sawtooth Society’s Volunteer Program resulted in accomplishing about 13 different volunteer projects on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area during 2013. This included 121 volunteers taking part in 903 hours of work. More than half of the volunteers were youth; the kids had opportunities to interact Retired Smokejumpers volunteer with Forest Service employees on the projects, and to talk with them about future work and career opportunities.
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Administrative Management Awards
The Administrative Management award recognizes the individual or group that has shown outstanding leadership in ensuring the Forest Service maintains a skilled and capable workforce, reliable information systems, quality facilities, and land protection to respond to natural events, competing uses for forests and grasslands, and a variety of management practices. This year we will recognize both an individual and a group for the Administrative Management Award.
Individual Administrative Management Award
The Individual Award for Administrative Management was presented to Jo Roberts. Jo has been integral to successfully adopting, learning, and training her forest-wide peers in the operation of the new Point Of Sale System. Jo has been a strong supporter of a robust outreach and recruitment program that included training internal and external personnel how to successfully navigate USAJobs. She has also been responsible for training internal employees for utilizing the eRecruit and 52 Tracker for the onboarding of new and returning employees. Jo was instrumental in the Forest achieving its temporary hiring goals for 2013. She served as the single point of contact between hiring teams, forest leadership, and the Albuquerque Service Center. Her work was instrumental in making adjustments throughout the hiring season to alleviate issues. Jo Roberts epitomizes the idea of “leading from where you are”.
Regional Forester Nora Rasure and Jo Roberts.
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Group Award for Administrative Management
The Group Award for Administrative Management is presented to an interdisciplinary team including employees from the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the Regional Office, and Office of General Council who worked together to explore options for selling 10 acres of the Bridger-Teton National Forest administrative site located in Jackson, Wyoming. The Administrative Management group award was presented to the interdisciplinary team members: Brian Wharton, Kraig Frome, Dean Lutz, Pat Factor, Allan Tschida, Ken Paur, David Jeppsen, Richa Wilson, Jose Castro, Darren Knuteson, Seth Wallace, Keith Sunshine, Cheryl Probert, Dale Deiter, Michael Schrotz, Mary Cernicek, Andy Norman, Mark Edinger, Heidi Zardus, and Anita Lusty. The Jackson administrative site has the highest valued property in the region. The team explored all options for how to best convey the property. After comparing conveyance options, the technical committee recommended hiring a real estate broker, which would be in the best interest of the Agency and the public. The team looked at existing contracting methods and examples, then drafted a solicitation to obtain and compensate a broker through a negotiated contract. The team also developed a standard purchase contract that the broker will use with potential buyers. The interdisciplinary team developed an innovative model that other units can use when selling high value real estate and utilizing a broker to facilitate the conveyance.
L-R: Keith Sunshine, Mary Cernicek, Cheryl Probert, Seth Wallace, Dave Jeppsen, Dale Deiter, Dean Lutz, Brian Wharton, Pat Ford, Lori Blickfeldt, Allan Tschida, Richa Wilson and Regional Forester Nora Rasure Not in Photo: Kenneth Paur, Darren Knuteson, Mark Edinger, Anita Lusty, Kraig Frome, Jose' V. Castro, Michael Schrotz, Andy Norman, Heidi Zardus, and Darin Martens
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Law Enforcement and Investigation Award
The Law Enforcement and Investigation award recognizes an individual or group who through their own leadership efforts or collaboration with others, have made outstanding contributions to accomplishing the goals and objectives of the Forest Service through the law enforcement program. This year’s Law Enforcement and Investigations Award is presented to Law Enforcement Officer Dean Hickman. While heading home after working a long day at a fire scene, LEO Dean Hickman observed a parked vehicle with a sole female occupant was acting nervous. She had photos and other items displayed around her. He also observed plastic garbage sacks with a hose blocking a partially open window. Dan was able to obtain an admission from the female that she was preparing to commit suicide and recognized signs that the female was under the influence of Methamphetamines. Dean escorted the female to a local hospital where he convinced the suicidal woman to admit herself for a mental evaluation. Later, LEO Hickman learned that the woman was going to be discharged from the LEO Dean Hickman and Regional Forester Nora Rasure hospital. Knowing that she was still a danger to herself, LEO Hickman worked with the local police, and successfully placed her on a 24-hour mental hold, where she was able to be evaluated and treated. It is readily apparent that the LEO’s tenacity and interpersonal skills saved this young woman’s life. LEO Hickman was attentive, proactive, compassionate, and determined to take care of this citizen that needed assistance.
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Partnerships Award
The Partnerships Award recognizes efforts to build public/private relationships that improve the delivery of public goods and services. This year’s Partnerships Award was presented to Linda Merigliano. “I don’t pull these projects off without a lot of help!” said Linda Merigliano. Linda Merigliano was the team leader on the North Zone Motorized Summer Travel Management Plan, which addressed both unauthorized routes and areas with no restrictions to motorized cross-country travel. She was active in numerous road and trail decommissioning and restoration projects, and helped organize private citizen donations of time, money, and equipment to install rock barricades and improve route and trailhead signage. She assisted in the formation of a group called DIRT, which successfully pursued and was granted funds to pay for equipment and supplies to make several miles of single track motorcycle trails in Horsetail Creek Regional Forester Nora Rasure and Linda Merigliano more sustainable. The project helped the Wyoming State Parks Historic Sites, and Trails to contributions of more than 3,300 hours of labor and over $20,000 in materials and supplies to sign, repair, relocate and sustainably reconstruct many miles of trail. Linda works hard to include youth into volunteer and educational programs. Her program and partners hosted 5,000 to 12,000 volunteer hours on the Jackson Ranger District.
Chief ’s Award Recognition
Will Reed, Region 4 Heritage Program Manager was acknowledged as the recipient of the Chief’s Award for Meeting America’s Needs in Washington DC. He along with several other employees from around the agency were recognized for their efforts in writing the Sacred Sites Policy Report to the Secretary, USDA & Forest Service Policies and Procedures Review.
Will Reed and Regional Forester Nora Rasure
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Meeting America’s Needs Award
The Meeting America’s Needs award recognizes outstanding contributions of an individual, work unit, or group that ensure the Region’s forests and grasslands provide the American people with a reliable supply of forest and rangeland products and services, such as clean and ample water, energy, and wood products, on both Federal and non-Federal lands. For outstanding service and contributions to the Idaho AmeriCorps Program in 2013, the Meeting America’s Needs Award goes to Student Conservation Association (SCA) Idaho AmeriCorps Program, partnership with the Salmon-Challis National Forest. In 2013, they created 68 maps, surveyed forest areas, surveyed and reported erosion concerns. In addition to work including GIS, Engineering, Wildlife, Uroutes, vegetation, wilderness trails and other special uses issues, Crew Members also worked with the Salmon Office to map water L-R: Regional Forester Nora Rasure, Kimberly Nelson, diversions from forest streams to private land. And Angela Hurley and Elizabeth Townley crews maintained trails in the Frank Church-River Not in photo: Jackie Lucero, Student Conservation Association of No Return Wilderness Area with primary focus on logging out the corridor and rehabilitating the tread, they cleared 697 blow down trees. This public/private partnership expands the achievement of the Forest Service legacy and focus areas, demonstrates outstanding achievements in substantially leveraging funds and increasing accomplishments on the ground and shows how partnerships with youth programs are essential to our future. Congratulations to the Student Conservation Association Idaho AmeriCorps Program, partnership with the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
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Safety and Occupational Health Award
The Safety and Occupational Health Award was established to recognize outstanding contributions toward the advancement of Forest Service Safety and Occupational Health Program goals and objectives, to include the promotion of safe and healthful work environments, and work practices and procedures, by an individual or organizational unit at the field level. This year’s Regional Foresters Safety and Occupational Health Award is presented to the Boise National Forest Hospital Liaison Cadre, including:
Todd DeMasters, Boise National Forest Safety Officer, A hospital Emergency Room entrance. Jennifer Stephenson, Boise National Forest Administrative Operations Specialist, Marianna Bilbao, Boise National Forest Budget Officer, Carla Kamerdula, Region 4 HRM ER Specialist, Cheryl Axness, Region4 HRM Lead HR Specialist. The team is recognized for an exceptional proactive and innovative approach to employee protection in developing and implementing a hospital liaison program for Southwest Idaho as a particularly effective means for facilitating patient needs for on-and off- Forest employees that experience illness or injury in the line of duty. When notified by dispatch, liaisons meet each patient at the hospital and facilitate paperwork, interface with the Incident Command Post medical unit, home unit, or family as needed; and work with dispatch to coordinate patient needs after discharge.
L-R: Cheryl Axness, Carla Kamerdula, Marianna Bilbao, Jennifer Stephenson, Todd DeMasters and Regional Forester Nora Rasure
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District Ranger of the Year Award
The District Ranger of the year Award recognizes a District Ranger in the Intermountain Region who exemplifies management excellence. The award pays tribute to one District Ranger whose overall achievement is clearly extraordinary. This year’s District Ranger of the year is Dale Deiter. Dale Deiter’s stewardship of the Jackson Ranger District exemplifies the Forest Service’s mission, especially in regards to the Region’s strategic focus on creating and maintaining a positive workplace, protecting its water legacy, integrating resource Dale Deiter, District Ranger, Jackson Ranger District with restoration, and sustainable recreation. Regional Forester Nora Rasure. No matter his workload, Dale always makes time to listen to his employees, address their concerns, and demonstrate his support for them and their programs. His humorous and humble demeanor effectively creates an environment in which people can be open and honest. He leads by example, personally applying new doctrinal principles to himself, thereby fostering a regional atmosphere of mutual respect and learning. Dale strives to understand alternate points of view, making him a great listener and facilitator, and ultimately making him very adept at bridging gaps. These skills enabled him, over the last year, to effectively manage difficult situations involving, among other things, the Gros Ventre road, the Palisades Wilderness Study Area boundary, the north zone campground prospectus, and proposed outfitter-guide special use policies. His progressive nature ensured that fires on his district were allowed to play their natural role where appropriate, but he was still always quick to guarantee that the proper tactics and strategies were employed against dangerous and unwanted fires. He truly understands which tools should be used given the context of location and management. Over this last year, his leadership and interpersonal skills made him integral in the work to craft the largest and most complex wild and scenic planning effort ever accomplished nationally, the Snake River Headwaters Comprehensive River Management Plan. Dale, Congratulations, and thank you for your outstanding efforts.
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