Fieldnotes Blog

22Jul 2013 by Angie Eldred
Yakutat Salmon Paleontology Project

Yakutat Salmon Paleontology Project

Community Watershed Stewardship
    The City and Borough of Yakutat is working on a paleontology project to get a glimpse at historic salmon runs of the past on the Situk River.   In partnership with the University of Idaho, University of Alaska, and the Army Corps of Engineers, the project will combine paleontology and genetics work to gain a better understanding of what sockeye runs on the Situk River looked like years ago.   The Nunatak and Hubbard glaciers are part of one of the largest ice fields on earth and are melting rapidly, which is causing the glaciers to surge.  Flooding of the Situk River occurred in the nineteenth century and it is likely that a flooding event will occur again, which may severely impact many of the species on which…
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19Jul 2013 by Angie Eldred
Sitka Conservation Society: Second Growth Structures in the Tongass NF

Sitka Conservation Society: Second Growth Structures in the Tongass NF

Community Watershed Stewardship
  Video and narrative courtesy of Sitka Conservation Society  Second Growth Structures in the Tongass National Forest from Sitka Conservation Society on Vimeo.   On July 3rd, 2013, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced a commitment to conserving the remaining old growth temperate rainforests on the Tongass National Forest. He stated that this will be accomplished by transitioning timber harvest out of old growth harvest towards using 2nd growth forest resources. This announcement comes on the heels of announcements by President Obama regarding the need to take action on climate change and to conserve, restore, and protect forest resources as a carbon bank to mitigate climate change. The Sitka Conservation Society applauds this announcement and feels that the time is past due for conserving what remains of our globally rare temperate rainforest old…
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03Jul 2013 by Angie Eldred
Kake Oyster Farm Apprenticeship Program

Kake Oyster Farm Apprenticeship Program

Community Watershed Stewardship
Kake Oyster Farm Apprenticeship Program   Shellfish farming has proven to be a viable, sustainable business opportunity for many communities in Southeast Alaska. Rodger Painter, President of the Alaska Shellfish Growers Association, has been in the regional shellfish farming industry for years and has teamed up with the Organized Village of Kake to bring an oyster farm management apprenticeship program to the community of Kake.   [caption id="attachment_1279" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Rocky Pass Oysters. Photo from Pearl of Alaska[/caption]   The program, funded through a grant with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, creates business opportunities for local entrepreneurs looking to go into the shellfish farming industry.   Over the course of the three year program (which follows the three year cycle to produce mature oysters), a group of four…
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01Jul 2013 by Angie Eldred
Wrangell Community Workshop – Forest Stewardship Contracting and Resource Mapping

Wrangell Community Workshop – Forest Stewardship Contracting and Resource Mapping

Events, Trainings & Opportunities
Community Workshop - Forest Stewardship Contracting and Resource Mapping Wrangell, AK July 10th 2013, 1-4 PM and 6-8 PM Nolan Center Classroom Are you interested in Wrangell’s natural resources and forest assets? Do you want to participate in conservation work and resource enhancement projects? Come and participate in forest management planning. Understand how timber receipts are retained through community collaboration, and stewardship contracts can provide opportunity for economic development.  Widespread, diverse community input is the key to a viable timber industry and healthy forests. Results from the values mapping survey will be presented.   This is an open community event. Meeting agenda to follow. If you have questions about this event, please contact: Erik Wortman Wrangell Community Catalyst Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Mobile: (907) 305-0341 Main: (907) 586-6942 erik@seacc.org  
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01Jul 2013 by Angie Eldred
Oyster Farming, Alternative Energy, & Cultural Heritage: The TBL Team Visits Kake

Oyster Farming, Alternative Energy, & Cultural Heritage: The TBL Team Visits Kake

Uncategorized
  Earlier this June the TBL team (Bob Christensen, Mike Skinner, and I) spent a few days visiting the community of Kake and speaking with many of the warm, friendly people that call that beautiful place home. Written by: Angie Eldred, SAWC Communications Coordinator [caption id="attachment_1336" align="aligncenter" width="491"] Tidal flats in Kake[/caption] We embarked on this trip with the purpose of getting to know the community a bit better; striving to get a snapshot Kake’s capacity for sustainable development through residents’ perceptions of the community’s opportunities, challenges, needs, and available resources.   Our stay in this small coastal community was filled with warm sunshine and warm people, always willing to graciously spend a few minutes with us and share their story. We met with Gary Williams, Executive Director of the…
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28Jun 2013 by Angie Eldred
Cultural Revitalization and Economic Development in Wrangell

Cultural Revitalization and Economic Development in Wrangell

Community Watershed Stewardship
  Wrangell Cooperative Association (WCA), the federally recognized tribe for Wrangell is undertaking a cultural revitalization and economic development project to strengthen the community’s cultural identity and create opportunities for local economic growth.   A small island town with economic roots in the fishing and logging industries, Wrangell is nestled in the heart of the Inside Passage at the mouth of the mighty Stikine River. Wrangell’s cultural heritage is rooted in the traditions of the Stikine Tlingit and Haida tribes, a cultural connection that the Wrangell Cooperative Association has been working to revitalize and reestablish in the close-knit community of 2,300 residents.     [caption id="attachment_1270" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Construction of the Cultural Center in Downtown Wrangell, June 2013[/caption]   WCA is currently constructing a 40’x 90’ cultural center.  This center…
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27Jun 2013 by Angie Eldred
USFS Conservation Strategy Summit Meeting Summary & Notes Available

USFS Conservation Strategy Summit Meeting Summary & Notes Available

Resources
  The Meeting Summary for the June 2013 Conservation Strategy Summits in Juneau and Ketchikan is now available. In addition, the PowerPoint Presentations given at the events are also available to download. To review any of these documents, click the links below (or go to the  US Forest Service's Five-Year Review Documents page.) [styledbox type="general" ] Conservation Strategy Summit Meeting Summary    •2008 Old Growth Conservation Strategy - USFS  •Socioeconomics Triple Bottom Line Approach - The Forest Working Group  •Conservation Assessment -  The Nature Conservancy •Background - Preventing Endangered Species Listings through the Tongass Conservation Strategy - USFWS  •Background - Agency Mission and Habitat Management - USFS  •Alternative Conservation Strategy  - Southeast Conference   [/styledbox]   Finally, remember that the Public Comment Period on the 5-year Tongass Forest Plan review closes…
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25Jun 2013 by Angie Eldred
Sitka Conservation Society Facilitates Use of Local Young Growth Timber

Sitka Conservation Society Facilitates Use of Local Young Growth Timber

Community Watershed Stewardship
  This story was written by Marjorie Hennessey and has been shared courtesy of the Sitka Conservation Society. Read the original post here.   SCS was recently awarded another Community Capacity and Land Stewardship (CCLS) Grant from the National Forest Foundation.  The CCLS grant focuses on the use of local, young growth timber and habitat restoration. This grant will sustain and further develop the capacity-building momentum generated from last year’s grant.    One of the components of the previous grant was to provide local, young growth timber to the Sitka High School industrial arts classes.  Students were provided with red alder for building bed side tables, as well as Sitka spruce to construct a bike shelter.  The bike shelter will be finalized this summer and placed at the Sitka Sound Science Center.…
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24Jun 2013 by Angie Eldred
Funding Opportunity: NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program

Funding Opportunity: NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program

Uncategorized
[caption id="attachment_1229" align="aligncenter" width="640"] An NPS funded Mat-Su Borough trails project[/caption] The Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program (RTCA) is a community assistance branch of the National Park Service. RTCA supports community-led natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation projects. In Alaska, RTCA staff provide technical assistance to communities so they can conserve rivers, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways.   Applications for assistance are due by August 1 annually. Assistance is provided for one year, beginning on October 1, and may be renewed for a second year upon request. Project selection is announced in early November.     Visit the NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program website for more info!    
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