Summer/Fall 2009
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SourDough Notes U.S. Forest Service Alaska Region Newsletter Volume 5 Issue 3 Summer/Fall 2009 SourDough Notes f Summer/Fall 2009 SourDough Notes on the web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ ON THE COVER: INSIDE : Photo: Ella Goldstein ........................................................................2 Alaska Yellow-Cedar Moves North ...................................................3 An Alaska yellow-cedar seedling Letter to Alaska Region Employees..................................................4 is marked and measured for future Two Perspectives on the 3C’s Group Use Site .................................6 monitoring as part of a “facilitated Black Bears and Blue Ice .................................................................8 migration.” Photo by Sheila Spores. Dedication of Héen Latinee Experimental Forest .............................9 Story begins on page 3. Where We Work, Radios Are Crucial ............................................10 Working Together to Trap Exotic Species ....................................... 11 Brazilians Visit the Tongass National Forest ..................................12 Controlling the Amber-marked Birch Leaf Miner.............................13 SourDough Notes Prince of Wales Deer: A Subsistence Management Story ..............14 A Record Year for Owls ..................................................................15 Wet Hikers Find a Welcome Site ....................................................16 LEOs Participate in Night Out Against Crime .................................17 Quarterly newsletter for the Vantastic Stories: I & II ...................................................................18 U.S. Forest Service Photos: Chief Tom Tidwell Visits Alaska ........................................19 Alaska Region Training for Forest Protection Officer Duties ..................................20 P. O. Box 21628 Interpreting the Chugach National Forest from a Blue Canoe........21 Juneau, AK 99802-1628 Reducing Overhead Using Existing Solutions ................................22 http://www.fs.fed.us/r10 National Trails Day 2009 Kids’ Event .............................................23 Fishy Fun In Hoonah ......................................................................23 Youth Media Explorers Blog Their Course......................................24 Continuing the First Alaskan Tradition ............................................25 Summer/Fall 2009 Alaska/Wisconsin: What’s the Connection? ...................................26 Go for the Red ................................................................................27 Gold Rush Days 2009 ....................................................................28 Kids Go Fishing on the Chugach ....................................................29 Produced by: New Staff for Forest Health Protection ...........................................30 Regional Public Affairs Office Family Fishing Day in Yakutat ........................................................31 Teresa Haugh, Editor Forest Service History Quiz .............................................. back cover Submissions: SourDough Notes is written for people interested in the Alaska Region. Your suggestions, articles, and photographs are welcome. Please contact: Public Affairs Office U.S. Forest Service P. O. Box 21628 Juneau, AK 99802 (907) 586-9337 [email protected] Articles should be no more than 800 words and may be edited. Submitted articles may not all be printed. Submitted digital photos should be sent as high resolution TIF or JPG. Please Michael Goldstein’s daughter Ella, age 5, enjoys the summer program offered by contact the Public Affairs Tongass National Forest Interpreter Amy Nye on the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry Office if you have questions. M/V Columbia. Goldstein is the Regional Wildlife & Terrestrial Ecology Program Leader. 2 SourDough Notes on the web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ SourDough Notes Summer/Fall 2009 Alaska Yellow-Cedar Moves North By Sheila Spores, Silviculturist, Tongass National Forest limate change has become an increasingly prevalent Ctopic in the news and in how the Forest Service will manage na- tional forest lands for long term di- versity and sustainability. The For- est Service has developed a strategic framework to guide management actions that address the challenges of climate change. One of the goals of this framework is “adaptation.” This means enhancing the capacity of forests to adapt to climate change in order to maintain ecosystem ser- vices. One of the methods that has been increasingly discussed is the idea of “facilitated migration,” or the moving of a species into an area where it doesn’t currently grow, but is anticipated to expand its range to The Tongass planting crew—Chuck Ressler, R.D. Parks, Mike Sheets, Sheila Spores, that area in a warming climate. This Craig Buehler, and Chris Scott—traveled to Yakutat to implement a facilitated mi- kind of planting may be necessary gration project involving Alaska yellow-cedar. Photo by Sheila Spores. because trees cannot migrate quick- ly enough keep up with the pace of National Forest traveled to Yakutat yellow-cedar seedlings in three re- anticipated climate change. to implement a facilitated migration cently harvested areas. These areas, This past June, a group of silvi- project involving Alaska yellow- part of the Situk Blowdown Reoffer culturists from across the Tongass cedar. While yellow-cedar is found Timber Sale, contained primarily throughout most of the Tongass Sitka spruce prior to harvest. It is and west to Prince William expected that the stands will regen- Sound on the Chugach, its erate predominantly to Sitka spruce, range appears to skip the Ya- but with an experimental population kutat area. This tree species of Alaska yellow-cedar along with has been experiencing a wide- the spruce. The trees were grown spread decline for the past from seeds collected on the Hoonah century that is causing consid- Ranger District. They were planted erable mortality in Southeast at an approximate spacing of every Alaska. Research has indicated 20 feet and will be monitored in the that a warming climate with re- following years to assess how these duced snow may be contribut- trees will respond to an area where ing to this decline. In the long they do not currently grow. If the term, this may mean a shift plantations are successful, this may in the range of the species to lead to further experimental planta- higher elevations and exten- tions of Alaska yellow-cedar in the sions around the Gulf of Alas- future, which may help this long- ka. The Yakutat cedar project lived, culturally important species involved planting 3,300 Alaska adapt to a changing climate. Dying yellow-cedar SourDough Notes f Summer/Fall 2009 SourDough Notes on the web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ 3 Letter to Alaska Region Employees From Regional Forester Denny Bschor and Deputy Regional Forester Paul Brewster e would like to take this opportunity to rec- ognize that many of ourW Forest Service employees have been affected in recent months by low employee morale. The morale problem was highlighted in a testi- mony to the House Committee on National Resources last March by the Partnership for Public Service. In their 2008 poll, Best Places to Work in the Federal Government, the Forest Service ranked 206 out of the 216 federal agencies surveyed. The report showed that 56% of employees surveyed say they would recommend the Forest Service as a good place to work (down from 61% in 2006), and 62% say they are satisfied with their job (down from 70% in 2006). (http://data. Regional foresters gather at the national Forest Service reunion in Missoula, Mont. bestplacestowork.org/bptw/index) in September. Left to right: Harv Forsgren (R4), Liz Agpoao (R8), Jane Cottrell We have heard your stories (acting R1), Mary Wagner (R6), Kent Connaughton (R9), Rick Cables (R2), Denny ofs what’ not working well. We Bschor (R10), Randy Moore (R5), and Corbin Newman (R3). recognize there areas that need attention: having effective leadership believe their supervisor supports a dealing with LincPass, AgLearn and in place; having sufficient resources healthy work/life balance. GovTrip (the nemesis of the RF’s to accomplish the job; recruiting Your well-being is our highest office, too). We certainly agree with people with the right skills; providing priority, even above our stewardship you that there has been too much too adequate training; and creating of the land. We cannot fulfill the fast, without adequate training and workable business processes and mission of taking care of our natu- resources. systems. Do any of these complaints ral resources without taking care of If it is any consolation, leader- sound familiar? our employees first. We are commit- ship on a regional and national lev- We have also heard that you ted to making the Forest Service the el has come to recognize that we love what you do and wish more best agency to work in, especially in must become very deliberate about people understood the importance Alaska. implementing new processes, pro- of our mission. We agree. We are We are living in a time of tre- grams, and systems, or even mov- encouraged that the report says our mendous change. Some people can ing offices. We need to have much employees are highly committed easily adapt to change, and others stronger confidence that the plans to their mission and believe their find it difficult. We recognize that for change include items that have jobs are a good match for their in the past two years, we