Friday, October 17, 2014

Safety Tip of the Week

Don’t Spread Germs Hand washing is like a “do-it-yourself” vaccine. Five simple steps (think Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) can help you stay healthy and prevent the spread of germs to others. This simple action reduces respiratory illnesses in the general population by 21 percent.

Photo/Video of the Week “Next week, the Office of Personnel Management will release the results of the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. I’m pleased to report 60 percent of employees who received the survey completed it. Such a high response rate tells me that you care about using this survey as another way to help our agency to continue to improve our work environment. I encourage all employees to carefully read the results when they come out. Based on the results we will identify key areas where we can work together to implement actions to address your concerns. I hope you will all celebrate the progress we’ve made and personally commit to helping us get better where improvement is needed.” — Chief Tidwell Email us your ideas for Photo/Video of the Week. Region 1 employees embrace Montana Forest Products Week Healthy forests and a healthy forest products industry are vital to the Forest Service mission. As part of Montana Forest Products Week, Oct. 17-24, Region 1 will work with partners to celebrate the people and businesses that help to sustainably manage forests and produce those products upon which we all depend. Forest Service employees will participate in numerous events that highlight the benefits our forests provide to Montana’s citizens, including a Forest for Humanity Blitz Build, mill tours, National Bioenergy Day and educational seminars.

Region 1 premieres film Region 1 recently premiered “Brandy,” a film celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. The film documents the role local conservationist Stewart Brandborg played in developing grassroots support for wilderness. Brandborg, known as Brandy, is the last remaining founder of the 1964 Wilderness Act. In the film, Brandborg reflects on the times and the people who pursued this vision. He has lived in western Montana since the 1980s and continues to support successive gener- ations of wilderness advocates.

Regional Forester Team hosts telephone town hall More than 400 Rocky Mountain Region employees had an opportunity to hear from and ask ques- tions of the Regional Forester Team on an employee-wide telephone town hall. The hour-long call included an introductory welcome from the Regional Forester, followed by questions from employ- ees, as well as four quick poll questions. Questions ranged from succession planning to national branding efforts.

Popular Colorado Springs recreation area open The ’s Pikes Peak Ranger District is temporarily opening the Rampart Range Road, which closed after 2012’s Waldo Canyon Fire. The popular tourist road is now open between Garden of the Gods and Rampart Reservoir within the Waldo Canyon Burn Area. The area is only open during the day for safety reasons due to conditions that were changed by the wildfire. Sri Lankan officials visit Uinta-Wasatch- Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest recently hosted officials from Sri Lanka as part of the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy International Leadership Program. Ten people representing the Sri Lankan government met with Forest Supervisor Dave Whittekiend to learn about collaboration between various levels of government and outdoor industries. The Utah Council Citizen Diplomacy promotes global respect and understanding between the people of Utah and other nations.

Ukrainian leaders visit Bridger- The Bridger-Teton National Forest hosted visitors from the Ukraine, including members of Parlia- ment, through the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Pro- gram. Ukraine is reforming its land governance policies with a goal of highlighting U.S. best practices in land management, especially in rural areas. The Ukrainian visitors met with five employees to learn about forest plans, forest land administration, agency structure and funding.

Annual Escalante Canyons Art Festival celebrates Wilderness Act 50th The 11th Annual Escalante Canyons Art Festival honored the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Sponsors collaborated in planning several events, exhibits and workshops that took place during the 10-day celebration. also unveiled a short video made in cooper- ation with Dixie State University highlighting the four wilderness areas on the forest, which was shown in conjunction with “Green Fire.” For more information about Wilderness celebrations in southern Utah, visit the “50 for the 50th” website.

Volunteers clean up Lovell Canyon Over 100 volunteers recently participated in the Lovell Canyon cleanup. Members of Pahrump Valley 4-Wheelers, Las Vegas Free Trappers, MGM Resorts, Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino, Go Mt. Charleston and others participated. Republic Services donated a 30-yard dumpster, which was filled with almost 3,000 pounds of trash. The cleanup was organized by the Spring Mountains of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Friends of Nevada Wilderness and Southern Nevada Conservancy.

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument designated On Oct. 10, President Obama designated 346,177 acres of existing federal lands as the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, the eighth national monument under Forest Service management. The new monument encompasses portions of the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests and is just 90 miles outside Los Angeles. Chief Tid- well and Under Secretary Bonnie attended the event. Team assesses King Fire behavior and effects The Fire Behavior Assessment Team, with support from Region 5 and Northern and Southern Research Station personnel, conducted fire behavior and effects measurements on the King wildfire in the Sierra Nevadas. Measurements are collected to assess fuel treatment effectiveness, support inci- dent fire behavior analysis, calibrate remotely-sensed fire severity measurements, develop firefighter safety guidelines and evaluate fire emissions predictions. To ensure safe operations, the team works within the incident command system. For more information, read the article in “Wildfire Today.”

Managing wilderness across borders To celebrate of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, a 15-minute educational video for wilderness enthusiasts was developed to feature wilderness areas on the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forests and highlight the extraordinary balance of international and interagency coordination in wilderness stewardship. This area lies along an 85-mile-long unsecured stretch of international border in north central Washington State between the U.S. and Canada. It contains nearly 1.7 million acres of wilderness managed by the Forest Service, National Park Ser- vice and the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

Ozark-St. Francis employee receives award Rhea Whalen, a wildlife biologist on the Boston Ranger District, received the 2014 Outstanding Forestry Educator award from the Forestry Association for her activities in school and community programs. Whalen was recognized for participating in numerous events across the Ozark region including the More Kids in the Woods program, Wounded Warriors and Children of Deployed Soldiers.

Geologist certified in mine safety Andrew McCormick, Ouachita National Forest Geologist, received certification as a Qualified Minerals Safety Lead (QMSL). McCormick becomes the only such safety lead for Region 8 and 9. The certification authorizes him to conduct mine safety assessments and mineral surveys for aban- doned or inactive underground mines. A QMSL is required to be present whenever Forest Service personnel enter an abandoned or inactive underground mine, in accordance with the Forest Service Handbook.

Students visit Approximately 100 fourth graders from Eastside Elementary School visited the Osceola National Forest to learn about conservation, the Forest Service and potential career paths. They also learned about fire prevention and ecology from Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl. Kids learn about fire prevention To celebrate the culmination of Fire Prevention Week, Smokey Bear, Sparky the Fire Dog and White Mountain National Forest employee Jim Sacchetti made a surprise visit to Ashland Elemen- tary School in Ashland, New Hampshire. Smokey and Sparky shared information about fire preven- tion and what to do if someone discovers a fire. The morning was capped off by singing “Happy Birthday” to Smokey in recognition of his 70th birthday.

11th annual sturgeon release Recently, nearly 100 8-inch-long Nmé (sturgeon) were released into the Manistee River on the Huron-. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians operates a streamside rearing facility for lake sturgeon at the Rainbow Bend access site. The public was invited to tour the first-ever portable rearing facility for lake sturgeon and participate in the community celebration of the reintroduction of sturgeon to the watershed.

National Wilderness Conference held Admiralty Island National Monument Ranger Chad VanOrmer will participate in the National Wil- derness conference to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During the first national gathering of the wilderness community in 25 years, the confer- ence will be filled with diverse plenary sessions, presentations, panels, exhibits, field learning and skill development workshops, all culminating in the public, outdoor ‘Get Wild’ Festival. VanOrmer will present a poster/illustration, “Sharing the Tongass Wilderness Story,” highlighting wilderness activities on Admiralty Island National Monument.

TV series to film on Hoonah District Ranger Art Burbank and staff are working on another film permit for Out in the Woods Productions. The production company is shooting for the Discovery Channel’s “Alaskan Bush People” series. The permit is for the filming of the harvest of deer on the Tongass National Forest.

CIO realignment comes to a close The Chief Information Office has completed a major realignment of its organization and service delivery models. Chartered by the National Leadership Council in 2011, the three-year project focused on customer service, accountability and efficiency to create an organization more responsive to its customers’ needs, better aligned with the Forest Service mission and prepared for next-generation technologies. Key outcomes include the creation of Region/Station IR Management Teams, an enhanced CIO Service Request process and an improved Customer Help Desk. The Final Report is available on the website. Forest Service Technology and Development program receives Telly Awards Competing with 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents, the Forest Service National Technology and Development program was recognized with Telly Awards for excellence in the nature/wildlife and safety categories. Forest Service employees Lisa Outka-Perkins, Robert Wetherell, Sandra Jacobson and Steve Schlientz received Telly Awards for the video Avoiding Wildlife–Vehicle Collisions that gained international recognition. The closed captioned DVD helps Forest Service employees travel safely on rural roads. Requests for the video have come from as far away as Scan- dinavia and India.

Safety Journal material released The National Leadership Council has announced the availability of the third round of Safety Jour- ney material, the Leader-Employee Engagement Three, on the Safety Engagement SharePoint site. All employees will discuss personal and organizational resilience and the workload-safety balance in peer sessions between now and mid-February 2015. The field-tested material supports several agency objectives, including building resilience and problem-solving, and prioritization acumen, while transitioning the Forest Service to become a learning organization where safety is a core value. The October Safety Journey Newsletter summarizes the engagement design and content. Back to Top

Forest Service recognized at tree-planting ceremony On Oct. 6 nearly 200 federal, state, city and local private partners gathered in Worcester, Massa- chusetts, to celebrate the planting of 30,000 trees in the Asian long-horned beetle-devastated city. Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry was among the groups lauded for playing a critical role in the restoration project. Speeches were followed by the ceremonial planting of the 30,000th tree on the same property where the first tree was planted in 2008.

Winter moth study published Pathways Intern Michael Simmons and Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry Entomologist Kevin Dodds published a study documenting the impact of defoliation by the invasive winter moth related to oak mortality in Massachusetts. The study was funded through a Forest Health grant to the University of New Hampshire. Field Station coordinator joins “Canoemobile” Last week, Philadelphia Field Station coordinator Sarah Low joined hundreds of Camden, New Jersey, students in paddling 24-foot Voyageur canoes on the Delaware River. The trip was part of a two-week tour by the Wilderness Inquiry “Canoemobile,” one of a fleet of special vans towing handmade canoes to bring outdoor learning experiences to underserved urban youth. The tour, part of the Delaware River Urban Waters Federal Partnership, will reach as many as 2,400 urban students as they paddle area waterways, test the quality of the waters and learn about key water issues.

Publication provides comprehensive review of vegetation vulnerability Disturbance and Restoration Team members David W. Peterson, Becky K. Kerns and Erich K. Dodson recently authored a publication that synthesizes climate change effects on vegetation in the Pacific Northwest. The study reviews scientific knowledge and model projections on vegetation vulnerability to climatic and other environmental changes, with an emphasis on five major biome types: subalpine forests and alpine meadows, maritime coniferous forests, dry coniferous forests, savannas and woodlands (oak and juniper), and interior shrub-steppe.

Scientists share research at forestry conferences More than a dozen Pacific Southwest Research Station scientists presented their research at the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress and Society of American Foresters conference held jointly last week in Salt Lake City. The two events brought more than 3,000 scientists from around the world together to share forest-related research. Additionally, research ecologist Dr. Andrzej Bytnerowicz received the IUFRO Forest Health Award for his research on the effects of wildfires on air quality, and for developing methodologies for large-scale monitoring of air pollution in remote areas.

Coastal Plain Forests: the next 50 years What will our Southern coastal forests look like in 50 years? Find the answers in a new report by scientists for the Southern Forest Futures Project. The report is the third in a series of five sub- regional reports on the forests of the South in which forest researchers provide what they believe is a comprehensive answer to that question in the new general technical report Outlook for Coastal Plain Forests. The Futures Project is a multi-agency effort led by the Southern Research Station.

Back to Top Chief Tidwell will conduct a review of Region 8, the Southern Research Station and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry Oct. 20-24, in Charleston, South Carolina. He will be joined by State and Private Forestry Deputy Chief James Hubbard, Business Operations Deputy Chief Lenise Lago, Research and Development Deputy Chief Jim Reaves and Chief Financial OfficerThelma Strong. Back to Top

Thomas Montoya has accepted the position of forest supervisor on the Wallowa- in Baker City, Oregon. He is the deputy forest supervisor.

Marie-Louise Smith has accepted the position of regional director of Natural Resources in Portland, Oregon. She is the deputy forest supervisor on the in Boise, Idaho. Back to Top

Footprint Area of the Month: Energy Action Item of the Week: Participate in the 2014 Commuter Survey

Please complete the 2014 Bi-Annual Commuter Survey by Oct. 31, 2014. Your response will help us understand employee commuting preferences and identify opportunities for environmentally friendly commuting options. The Forest Service is required to report estimated greenhouse gas emissions from business operations each year. Your input is needed to understand our environmental impact. For more information on energy and Forest Service Sustainable Operations, visit the SusOps Demonstration website.

About People, Places and Things The Forest Service Office of Communication compiles input by field units andWashington Office staffs. Field units should submit items through their region, station or area Public Affairs Office, which approve and prioritize submissions. The deadline is 8 a.m. Eastern time, Wednesdays. Each submission must be 100 words or fewer in order to be considered. Send items to WO Weekly Report inbox. If you have any comments, please email the FS-PPT Comments inbox.

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