Sourdough Notes USDA Forest Service Employee Newsletter Alaska Region Issue 490 Late Summer 2004
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USDA FOREST SERVICE ALASKA REGION P. O. Box 21628 Juneau, AK 99802 SourDough Notes USDA Forest Service Employee Newsletter Alaska Region Issue 490 Late Summer 2004 The U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Please send your suggestions and comments to Teresa Haugh, Editor (see page 2). Where in the World Are They? n the last issue of SourDough Notes, we started a new column to Ibring you updates on Alaska Re- gion retirees—your former friends and colleagues. In this issue, we are featur- ing Tom Donovan, Mel Dittmer, and Charles Low. If you look at the photo on the right, you will get a good idea of how Don- ovan has been spending his time! Be- fore he retired, Donovan worked for ten years in the Alaska Region as a Contracting Officer, first at the Su- pervisor’s Office in Sitka and later in the Regional Office. He left Alaska in 1992 and worked as a Contracting Of- ficer in Region 6 for several years be- fore retiring about eight years ago. His friend Mel Dittmer said since retirement, Donovan has spent sum- mers in Wisconsin and winters in Ar- Retiree Tom Donovan and his dog Scruffy enjoy their highway scooter. cont’d inside back cover SourDough Notes Late Summer 2004 SourDough Notes Late Summer 2004 ON THE COVER: INSIDE: Transfers Out FS Centennial .................................... 2 A Taste of the Stikine ........................15 Pack Creek sow and her three cubs The Bears of Admiralty ...................... 3 Forests of Armenia ...........................16 Regional Office Susan Oliva cavort on Admiralty Island. Rising to the Challenge ..................... 4 Backcountry Ranger .........................17 Photo by April Carpenter. Award Winning Hosts ........................ 5 Nature Condos .................................18 Thoughts from the RF ....................... 6 Sitka Celebrates Summer ................19 Resignations Anglers, Oh My! ................................. 7 Leave No Trace ................................20 Remembering Payne ......................... 8 Forty Years in the Wilderness ...........21 Chugach Lessons in Leadership ...................... 8 Castillo New Director ........................22 Charles B. Davis Chad Praetorius James Salzman Michael T. Shugrue Brent Touchstone Students Take Flight ......................... 9 Tuesday for Tots ...............................22 Keith Friel Rebecca L. Rauwald Wilderness Paddling .........................10 Continuing Saga ...............................23 SourDough Notes Handicapped Access ...................... 11 Junior Ranger ...................................24 Tongass Hoonah Assists .................................12 Art Greeley .......................................24 Cody Angerman Andrew Dupre Kaelene M. Harrison Adam S.Thompson Terri Walker Recycling News ................................12 Awards ..............................................25 Daniel W. Candelaria Michael Farago Matthew McCluggage Bryce A. Timm Kathy Wills Quarterly newsletter for the Last Great Viking ..............................13 Personnel Actions .............................26 Jon Drimel William C. Green Ryan Rooks Jill Walker David E Wilson employees and retirees of the Oja Recognized ................................13 Retirees .............................. back cover USDA Forest Service Yakutat Weeds .................................14 Regional Office Alaska Region Justin Salazar John Wooton P. O. Box 21628 Juneau, AK 99802-1628 http://www.fs.fed.us/r10 Where in the World Are They? (cont’d from back page) he Forest Service will cele- izona. In Wisconsin, Donovan visits 93-year-old man (and sometimes lost and his wife Ginger now live in near brate its centennial in 2005 his four brothers. In Arizona, he lives to him!) McMinnville, Ore. Dittmer spends Tand launch its New Century of in a camper with a dog that “only Tom His friend Mel Dittmer worked in much of his summers farming his ten Late Summer 2004 Service to the American people and could love.” He rides his highway the Alaska Region as Assistant Direc- acres of hazelnuts and 30 acres of tim- the extraordinary landscape under its scooter, and according to Dittmer, is tor of Engineering for over seven years, ber. Ginger volunteers part time at the management. But what of its past cen- “totally dedicated to living a life of lei- until he retired in December 1988. He hospital. tury of service? What is the relation- sure.” handled all the engineering training Would you like to see him and catch Submissions: ship between the Forest Service’s land Donovan took up golf shortly be- and certification, and frequently used up on old times? Dittmer said he plans SourDough Notes is written for management practices, then and now? fore he retired. He plays with his friend his friend Tom Donovan for teaching, on attending the Retiree’s Reunion in the employees and retirees of the And how might a dis- Dittmer, and in spite of buying every and as a panel member when doing Portland, Ore. in September 2005. For Alaska Region. Your suggestions, cussion of its historic hi-tech golf club he can find to help oral certification exams. more information on the reunion, visit: articles, and photographs are challenges help us bet- him improve his game, the only person Since retiring, Dittmer has built a http://oldsmokeys.org., or welcome. Please contact: ter understand its con- he could beat in their foursome was a couple houses, including the house he http://www.fsx.org/schedule.html. temporary dilemmas and future prospects? harles Low recently sent us a Low has been a faithful reader of Teresa Haugh Dr. Char Miller— photograph and a report on his SourDough Notes. He said, “Thank Public Affairs Office historian, author, pro- life after lands (the regional you for continuing to send me news of P. O. Box 21628 fessor and Forest Ser- C lands staff, that is). Alaska Region. I am always amazed Juneau, AK 99802 vice history expert— author of Gifford Pinchot and Unlike Nita Nettleton, who was that through the decades, the real is- (907) 586-9337 will deliver lectures The Making of Modern Envi- shown in our last issue lounging at her sues never change.” [email protected] throughout the coun- try about the environ- ronmentalism (Island Press, home on the beach, Low took a dif- Low sends advice back to his friends mental and political 2001). ferent direction after retiring from the in Alaska. He said, “If there is some- Dr. Miller will be in Alaska in Forest Service. He started another ca- thing else out there you are consider- Articles should be no more than history that developed and shaped the October, and everyone in the com- reer! Low said, “I am easy proof there ing—then do it! 800 words and may be edited. Forest Service. The talks illustrate the munity is invited to participate. can be a second, different career after Charles Low, former Alaska Region Submitted articles may not all be agency’s past and speak directly to the Here are the dates. Please watch the Forest Service.” employee, is just one of the many rea- printed. Photos should be present. Using photographs, cartoons, for more information in your town. After retiring from the Forest Ser- sons the Forest Service will be com- submitted as gray-scale TIF and other illustrative material, he vice in 1991, Low attended law school memorating its history and heritage in graphics, 5”x7” and 300 dpi. weaves an exciting tale about the For- 10/06/04 .....Anchorage at the University of Tulsa. He has been 2005. est Service’s contributions to the na- 10/07/04 .....Girdwood, Cordova a practicing attorney in Tulsa for more tion and the controversies that swirled 10/09/04 .....Juneau around its actions. than 10 years. He focuses on the petro- 10/10/04 .....Sitka Dr. Miller is chair of the History leum transportation business, and most Editor Department and the director of the Ur- 10/12/04 ....Craig Alaska Region retiree Charles Low of his practice involves real estate mat- ban Studies program at Trinity Univer- 10/13/04 ...Ketchikan worked on the lands staff until 1991. ters. sity in San Antonio, Texas. He is the 2 SourDough Notes Late Summer 2004 SourDough Notes Late Summer 2004 27 Personnel Actions The Bears of Admiralty Island By: April Carpenter, Tongass National Forest/Admiralty National Monument Promotions Chugach ’ve decided that I am, beyond a buried on the beach. There is one man- One Saturday I packed up my rain Corinne A. Marzullo Carl J. Skustad shadow of a doubt, blessed. I live made building on the site, a small tow- gear, bug repellent and rain boots. I Tongass Iand work in the Tongass National er you can climb into and look across took candy, a peanut butter sandwich, Kent Cummins Jeff Garnette Joni Johnson Lance Lerum Kristen Thweatt Forest in Southeast Alaska. The Ton- the estuary to see the bears and other and water for lunch (which gets stored Jacqueline Foss Robert Gubernick Joshua Latham Kerri Roepke Lance M. Watkins gass is the nation’s largest national for- wildlife. I didn’t make it to the tower, in a bear proof box). I met Pack Creek Karen Hopfer est, and the world’s largest temperate because I saw the show of my life right Ranger Don MacDougall and helped Regional Office rainforest. It has 17 million acres of on the ground. him load the truck with supplies for the Macky McClung Ray Massey Priscilla White forest and more than one hundred inch- camp. We carried gasoline, groceries, es of rain a year. Almost every day propane, and camping gear for the I see old growth, moss, infinite rangers at Pack Creek. We drove to Time-Limited Promotions wildflowers, glaciers, waterfalls, the float pond, and boarded a De- Chugach bald eagles, marine mammals and Haviland Beaver float plane. We Glenn Stubbs the aurora borealis. had smooth flying. Tongass With 11,000 miles of coast- After 25 minutes, we landed on Kerri Mills Irene Powell Michael Shira line, two national monuments, 17 Windfall Island and unloaded the Regional Office wilderness areas and close to 150 supplies. Then, we got in a little Renee Flanagan Raymond Thompson Michael Wilcox Rebecca Wright maintained hiking trails, there are skiff and headed for the mouth of unlimited combinations of things the estuary.