SAN JUAN PUBLIC LANDS PEOPLE 1 San Juan Public Lands People News for San Juan Public Lands employees, retirees & partners Fall 2009 Issue San Juan National Forest San Juan BLM Field Office Veterans Find Green Jobs PAGOSA SPRINGS - The Veterans Green Corps (VGC) is up and running in Southwestern Colorado, putting re- turning veterans back to work reducing wildfire hazards, improving forest health and providing trail maintenance on San Juan Public Lands. The effort is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to offer veterans employment in emerging conservation careers, while stimulating the economies of rural communities. Crews are trained by the local nonprofit Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC), in coordination with Veterans Green Jobs, a national nonprofit offering education and career development. The veterans receive nine weeks of training at the Veterans Green Corps (VGC) crew member Steven Parker of Pagosa Colorado Fire Camp in Salida to become certified as Class Springs, who served in the Marines, takes a break from a thinning project A fellers. They also go through firefighter training and north of Pagosa Springs with crew leader Josh Sherrock, a Marine who are Red-Card qualified, which makes them eligible for served in Iraq and Kuwait, and VGC Coordinator Jason Lawrence, an Air work on a U.S. Forest Service fire crew. Force veteran. “We’re currently overseeing three crews of eight mem- bers each,” says VGC Coordinator Jason Lawrence, an Air Force veteran. “Two are working as sawyer crews on the San Juan National Forest; the other as a trail crew on the Rio Grande National Forest.” The sawyer crews are hand-thinning dense forests adjacent to private property and recreational sites this fall near Pagosa Springs. SCC is providing equipment and supplies, while the USFS administers the projects. “Several have inquired about jobs in the Forest Service, and this is good experience if they do have an interest in a government career or similar type of work,” says Pagosa RD Fuels Forester Scott Wagner. “They’re very safety conscious and have a positive attitude.” Scott says the crews have been invaluable in areas where he can’t use prescribed fire or mechanical equipment to reduce fire danger because of proximity to recreational use, homes, or archaeological sites. In other areas, steep topog- raphy and rocky terrain make hand thinning a necessity. Over the next two years, plans are to train up to 50 veterans in Colorado. Amy Foss, SCC Director of Operations, saysfederal ARRA dollars are funding 60 weeks of work for sawyer crews on the San Juan and 60 weeks of work for trail crews on the Rio Grande this year. “In 2010, ARRA funding will allow us to hire four sawyer crews and four trail crews, with each assignment lasting 12 weeks,” Amy says. “We expect funding for the Veterans Green Corps crews to continue until 2011.” - Ann Bond 2 SAN JUAN PUBLIC LANDS PEOPLE PUBLIC LANDS CENTER NEWS Kristie Retires DURANGO - Kristie Arrington retired this fall after 32 years with the BLM. She spent the last nine years as BLM archae- ologist for the Southwest Colorado Fuels Team. Prior to that, she served as BLM San Juan Resource Area Archaeologist. “I’m most proud of communicating enthusiasm for cul- tural resources and the landscape in such a manner as to inspire understanding and appreciation,” Kristie says of her career. She holds a Bachelors degree in Archaeology and Geology. Kristie and partner Shirley Nolan enjoy exploring, archaeol- ogy, woodworking, and music. Retirement plans include working around the house and exploring public lands. “I’ve learned so much from the people I’ve worked with about trust and communication and resources and outdoor skills,” Kristie says. “I have many great friends and colleagues with an abundant amount of patience and tolerance. I just want to say thank you!” - Ann Bond Randy Retires DURANGO - Randy Lewis retired this fall after 35 years with the BLM. He worked on the San Juan since 1987 as Petroleum Engineering Technician, En- vironmental Protection Specialist and Hazardous Fuels Specialist. Randy started with the BLM in 1974 as Engineering Technician in Burley, Idaho, transferring to Shoshone, Idaho, in 1976. He moved to Montrose, Colo- rado in 1977 for a permanent position in Engineering, working there for a decade before moving to Durango. Randy holds an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Idaho State University. Hobbies include hunting, shooting and fishing. He and wife, Dee, have two married daughters, one grandson and one granddaughter. “I intend to relax, go fishing on weekdays when it’s not crowded, do some home-repair projects and visit my grandkids,” he says. - Ann Bond Fall Retiree Potluck Planned DURANGO - The Leadership Team for the San Juan would like to thank all of the retirees who attended the Regional Leadership Team BBQ on July 14th. We received comments from retirees and San Juan employees that they want another opportunity to “party” together this year. So we’ve scheduled a San Juan Employee/Retiree Potluck at the Public Lands Center for Thursday, October 22 at 11:45 am. This is to be a potluck-only event, so every attendee should bring a dish offering at least four servings. We’ll also use this event to kick off the holiday season and would like for everyone to bring a canned item of human or pet food to be donated to the local food pantry. No RSVPs needed. We hope to see you there! - Liz Haydon, San Juan Executive Assistant/FOIA Coordinator SAN JUAN PUBLIC LANDS PEOPLE 3 PUBLIC LANDS CENTER NEWS Chris Retires DURANGO - Chris Buckman, Durango Inter- agency Dispatch Center Manager since 2001, re- tired this fall after 32 years of federal service. Prior to coming to the San Juan, Chris was As- sistant Area Coordinator at the multi-agency Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center in Denver for more than a decade. In the 1980s, she worked in timber, fire and recreation on the Pikes Peak RD of the Pike/San Isabel NF. Chris enjoys renovating houses, gardening, and landscaping. Her retirement plans include “en- joying every moment,” and spending time with family, friends, and husband Bob Dettmann, also retired from the USFS and a San Juan alum. “Remember, life is short, and there is more to “Family photo” on the beach in San Pedrito, Baja, Mexico: Bob and Chris with their “kids,” Katie (white) and Maggie (black). life than just work,” she says. “Work hard, play hard, and enjoy every moment.” Chris says she’s proud of helping to create one of the best interagency dispatch centers in the nation. “All the interagency cooperators are like a family and continuously are there to help one another,” she says. - Ann Bond Mark Receives Wilderness Award DURANGO - San Juan Public Land Center Manager Mark Stiles travels to Washington, D.C. this fall to receive the Line Officer Wilderness Leadership Award at the 2009 National Wilderness Awards Ceremony. Stiles leads the management of almost two million acres of National For- est lands in southwestern Colorado, of which more than 400,000 acres are protected under the Wilderness Bill, including Colorado’s largest Wilderness area, the Weminuche. San Juan National Forest Wilderness staff submitted Stiles for the prestigious award. In their nomination, they wrote: “Mark makes wilderness management a priority among the many mul- tiple uses that demand his attention. He understands the value of wilder- ness for watershed protection, connectivity of wildlife migration corri- dors, and as tool for mitigating climate change. Mark is an avid user of the wilderness and reports back to his staff about his personal observations and experiences. He knows what trails are in need of repair and fully engages his staff in active discussions about wilderness stewardship issues. Mark also makes a point of reaching out to community members to help them understand the concept of wilderness, even if they believe their views run counter to wilderness values. In fact, he sees this as an opportunity to share his belief that unmodified landscapes can and do offer many social benefits to current and future generations.” GREEN TEAM TIPS Did you know? America could save more than 400,000 trees if each family bought a roll of recycled toilet paper - just once. Recycled tissue products help protect ancient forests, clean water, and wildlife habitat. It’s easier on the Earth to make tissues from paper instead of trees. 4 SAN JUAN PUBLIC LANDS PEOPLE PUBLIC LANDS CENTER NEWS San Juan Contractor Recognized for Work DURANGO - The Winer family of Durango, who own and operate local KW Enterprises, traveled to Washington, D.C., this summer to accept a national award from both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and USFS as 2009 Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year for their contracting work on the San Juan NF. KW Enterprises, which was started by Kathy Winer in 1993, specializes in excavation, road building and other services. Since 1996, KW has successfully completed several projects for the San Juan, including road reconstruction, gravel hauling, campground renovation, fire suppression and construction of retaining walls, trailhead facilities, bridges, fish barriers and culverts. Last year, the company worked on nine San Juan NF projects, including reconstruction of Cayton Campground north of Rico and the repair of seven roads damaged by landslides. KW Enterprises was honored for completing their projects on schedule and exceeding contract specifications, and also cited for completing projects correctly and often ahead of schedule, resulting in lower costs. The company was recognized for its safety record during complex and potentially dangerous operations, for helping WASHINGTON, D.C. – (From left) Steve, Kathy, Mike, and Myrna Winer of KW Enterprises accept a national award from Ron Hooper, to educate the public onsite, and safely allowing public USFS Acquisition Director.