SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST A Year of Shawnee Successes! Celebrating accomplishments Forest-wide for 2012! Allen Nicholas Celebrating a Year of Successes…. Forest Supervisor Tim Pohlman “Take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments.” District Ranger The above mentioned words are something that I try to remind myself and others of often. Amanda Patrick Yes, amongst the crazy, fast paced days of reports, field work, conference calls, meetings Public Affairs and more, it is something that I and others forget to do as it is so easy to focus on what still Officer needs to be done. But as 2012 has come to a close, and a new year begins, I realize the The U.S. Department importance of celebrating the good work done across the Forest in 2012 all the more as our of Agriculture (USDA) team has experienced a year quite like any other. Partnerships and volunteer related pro- prohibits discrimina- tion in all its programs grams and projects have continued to flourish thanks to those who dedicated their time and and activities on the economic support to improve the conditions and opportunities for everything from plants basis of race, color, to people. Public relations efforts have increased as we have sought to be as proactive as national origin, age, disability, and where possible in sharing our story with those we serve, the American people. Natural resource applicable, sex, mari- management work has garnered great results across many areas of flora, fauna and land. tal status, familiar Our Heritage Program continues to connect the past to the present via a myriad of endeav- status, parental status, religion, sexual orien- ors, and several personnel responded to fires across the country along with the devastation tation, genetic infor- caused by Hurricane Sandy during 2012. mation, political be- liefs, reprisal, or be- cause all or part of an The U.S. Forest Service motto is “Caring for the land and serving people,” During the pre- individual’s income is vious year, I’ve seen our team strive to meet that goal. For this, I wish to thank all of my derived from any employees for a year of great achievements and successes. Whether through partnerships, public assistance program. (Not all cost saving measures or simply thinking outside the box, each member of the Shawnee Na- prohibited bases apply tional Forest (SNF) team has gone above and beyond to meet needs and be good stewards to all programs.) Per- of the public land entrusted to us on behalf of the American people. We’ve also truly sons with disabilities who require alternative come together as a work family through the losses faced during the Leap Day 2012 storm. means for communi- From helping fellow members of the community in cleanup efforts to rallying to each oth- cation of program er’s sides to share and heal, we’ve grown stronger and closer as a group. information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact And so, as we begin the new year ahead, I wish you and yours a joyous and prosperous USDA’s TARGET start to the new year! We hope to see you on the Forest in the months ahead as well! Center at (202) 720- 2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of Allen Nicholas discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office Forest Supervisor of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave- nue, S.W., Washing- ton, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720- 6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employ- er. Working Together to Control Invasive Species Safety First! In Southern Illinois Safety on the Shawnee The River-to-River Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) is a partnership between 12 federal and Learn More About Safety Related state agencies, organizations and universities aimed at Accomplishments in 2012! addressing the threat of invasive plants in southern Illi- nois. Established in 2006, the CWMA targets terrestrial •The Shawnee National Forest Safety Plan has and aquatics invasive plant species with six areas of fo- been approved for 2013, helping to provide continued cus: education and public awareness; early detection and guidance for a greater level of overall safety. rapid response; prevention; control and management; •A Hearing Conservation Program has been ap- and research. proved for personnel. The CWMA also includes support from the Southern •The Forest’s Check-in/Check-out Plan has been Illinois Invasive Species Strike Team, a two-person updated, ensuring for greater accountability of all crew founded by The Nature Conservancy that focuses field going team members. on invasive species control and education year-round. •A new Safety Newsletter has been created, which Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Forest will be done in conjunction with the Midewin Nation- Service, Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry, al Tallgrass Prairie. Forest Health Protection Program and the Illinois De- •The Forest has reestablished a Safety Committee partment of Natural Resources. In the winter, the Strike with the group diligently at work to address safety Team concentrates on the control of woody invasive plants such as autumn olive and bush honeysuckle. related issues. Their focus switches to garlic mustard, Chinese yam and •Safety Grams continue to be created and shared Japanese stiltgrass in the warmer months. with all Forests within the Region. •Committees have been started to deal with issues Wilderness Program Accomplishments brought up from the second part of the Safety Jour- Abound in 2012! ney, an ongoing process designed to engage employ- ees in creating and fostering a safe work environment. Through the dedication of personnel and volunteers to “Keep Wilderness Wild,” the SNF continued its work to- Uncovering History at Illinois Iron Furnace wards completing the Ten Year Wilderness Stewardship During the summer of 2012, Passport in Time (PIT) Challenge. The challenge, volunteers arrived at the Shawnee which will be completed in National Forest to help locate ac- 2014, seeks to look at desig- tivity areas in the hills surround- nated Wilderness Areas to ing the finance related to the man- recognize them as being man- ufacture of iron. The volunteers, aged to a minimum standard in ten different elements. The Shawnee encompasses seven designated Wilderness Are- working alongside U.S. Forest as, and with a minimum score of 60 needed for recogni- Service (USFS) archaeologists tion, all seven of the Shawnee’s sites scored well above the and AmeriCorps VISTA needed minimum. (Volunteers in Service to America), In addition to the Wilderness Stewardship Challenge, were able to relocate houses founda- six Wilderness Areas were also monitored for recreation tions, iron ore slope mines, and a cem- impacts. These include Garden of the Gods, Burden Falls, etery; all of which were associated Bay Creek, Bald Knob, Clear Springs and Panther Den. with the furnace operations. The also 145.4 miles of trail were hiked as well. recorded prehistoric Native American New information signs designed to provide a consistent sites in the area, including one that wilderness message were installed at the Anvil Rock and dated to the Late Archaic/Early Hitching Post Trailheads, located at the boundary of the Woodland period (3000-1100 B.P.). Garden of the Gods Wilderness, along with Lusk Creek With the help of the volunteers, the Forest was able to Trailhead for the Lusk Creek Wilderness. Additionally, conduct a full archaeological inventory of about 100 portal signs were installed at Burden Falls Wilderness, Bay acres in the hills surrounding the furnace. Creek Wilderness and Lusk Creek Wilderness. Shawnee Outdoors Program Hits the Road! Youth group attends outdoor leadership summit on behalf of the Shawnee National Forest… During the weekend of November 2nd – 4th, 2012, a delegation of volunteers from the SNF, made up of Shawnee Volunteer Corps members and AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), traveled to Emory University in Atlanta for outdoor leadership training through the Outdoor Nation, a subsidiary of the Outdoor Foundation. The Atlanta Summit was designed to help youth leaders, ages 16 through 28, grow and sustain community action plans and projects while also providing attendees with an opportunity to network with other outdoor enthusiasts and professionals throughout the weekend. Through the event, 90 attendees were brought together to identify top outdoor issues, brainstorm ideas, and ultimately develop an action plan and resources to make it happen. As problems were identified amongst participants, the Shawnee delegates worked on defining projects that would help eliminate barriers that keep youth and their families from enjoying the great outdoors. The resulting project, tentatively titled the Shawnee Outdoor Family Fun Fest, was developed with team building and family bonding in mind. The Shawnee delegation was honored to be a part of the outdoor nation youth summit. During the event, they presented one of the top five projects and were thrilled to be able to return home with funds to engage the local community with recreation opportunities available in the SNF. Each project was presented and evaluat- ed by fellow attendees with the top five projects each receiving $1,000 to help with implementation. Focus wise, the group’s project aims to encourage kids and their families to spend time together outside, maybe even for the first time. In order to accomplish the goal, the group will be hosting an outdoor family fun fest and optional camp out with the hope of fostering positive family and community relationships through team building and educational outdoor activities. These include a guided hike through the Forest, focusing on southern Illinois ecology and environmental education, to increase participants’ knowledge and appreciation for the outdoors, knot tying exercises, and an introduction to camping and outdoor cooking. After participat- ing in the event, families will have the courage and the desire to spend more time recreating outdoors in south- ern Illinois.