The Trailblazer - kodiaksoilandwater.orgThere’s re-Cattle on Chirikof Island Public Meeting at the...
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source damage happening.” Many locals see the cattle as a valuable genetic re- serve. They have never been exposed to animal diseases such as mad cow which have affected cattle world- wide. Cattle were first brought to Chirikof in the late 1880’s to provide beef for whaling crews and fox traders. They arrived on Wosnesen- ski in the late 1930’s brought by a family. Over the years, adventuresome ranchers added a variety of beef and dairy breeds, re- sulting in the sturdy hy- brids found there today. From The Kodiak Daily Mirror: Cattle that have long gone without caretakers on an uninhabited Alaska island should be spared rather than removed, most people told federal officials at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center January 8, 2014. A few dozen Kodiak resi- dents attended the meet- ing to talk about the cat- tle living on remote Chiri- kof Island. The Alaska Maritime Na- tional Wildlife Refuge sponsored the meeting to gather public comments. They would like to re- move nearly 1,000 cattle from Chirikof and Wosnesenski Islands. “There’s no grazing permits, there’s no management,” said refuge manager Steve Delehanty. “To me, the status quo is wrong. There’s re- Cattle on Chirikof Island Public Meeting at the Visitor’s Center Photo by Blythe Brown Kodiak Soil and Water Conservation District February 2014 Winter Newsletter The Trailblazer Calendar of events Garden Club Fair To be Announced Envirothon April 8 ComFish April 17-19 Alaska Ag Day April 27 Inside this issue: NRCS Report 2 Invasive Waterweeds 2 Lake Orbin Fish Passage Project 2 2014 Poster Contest 3 UAF Cooperative Extension Service 3 Community Garden Plans 3 Bull on Chirikof Photo by Patrick Saltonstall
Transcript of The Trailblazer - kodiaksoilandwater.orgThere’s re-Cattle on Chirikof Island Public Meeting at the...
source damage happening.”
Many locals see the cattle as a valuable genetic re-serve. They have never been exposed to animal diseases such as mad cow which have affected cattle world-wide.
Cattle were first brought to Chirikof in the late 1880’s to provide beef for whaling crews and fox traders.
They arrived on Wosnesen-ski in the late 1930’s brought by a family. Over the years, adventuresome ranchers added a variety of beef and dairy breeds, re-sulting in the sturdy hy-brids found there today.
From The Kodiak Daily Mirror:
Cattle that have long gone without caretakers on an uninhabited Alaska island should be spared rather than removed, most people told federal officials at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center January 8, 2014.
A few dozen Kodiak resi-dents attended the meet-ing to talk about the cat-tle living on remote Chiri-kof Island.
The Alaska Maritime Na-tional Wildlife Refuge sponsored the meeting to gather public comments.
They would like to re-move nearly 1,000 cattle
from Chirikof and Wosnesenski Islands.
“There’s no grazing permits, there’s no management,” said refuge manager Steve Delehanty. “To me, the status quo is wrong. There’s re-
Cattle on Chirikof Island
Public Meeting at the Visitor’s Center
Photo by Blythe Brown
Kodiak Soil and Water
Conservation District February 2014 Winter Newsletter
The Trailblazer
Calendar of events
Garden Club Fair To be Announced
Envirothon April 8
ComFish April 17-19
Alaska Ag Day April 27
Inside this issue:
NRCS Report 2
Invasive Waterweeds 2
Lake Orbin Fish Passage Project 2
2014 Poster Contest 3
UAF Cooperative Extension Service
3
Community Garden Plans 3
Bull on Chirikof Photo by Patrick Saltonstall
All unfunded (already received) appli-cations for EQIP hoophouse are on hold until June 2014.
All funding of new contracts is sched-uled to be completed by the end of July 2014.
NRCS will be contacting all appli-cants in the next two months. There is an open application period right now.
On February 4, 2014 Con-gress passed the almost $1 trillion dollar Farm Bill of 2014.
It will enable the USDA to further expand markets and research for agricultural products, strengthen conser-vation efforts, create new opportunities for local and regional food systems and ensure safe and nutritious foods.
KSWCD’s David Kaplan is currently training in the field of Nutrient Manage-ment and Water Quality. He will soon able to advise the public on these sub-jects.
but significant amount of spawning and rearing habitat for Coho, chum and possibly sockeye salmon.
KSWCD is pursuing additional funding to replace the other two culverts so as to eventu-ally provide complete access to Lake Orbin from the Russian River.
The Kodiak Soil and Water Conservation Dis-trict in collaboration with the Kodiak Island Borough and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will replace one of three culverts that are on the outlet stream of Lake Orbin, which drains into the Russian River.
Lake Orbin has a small
NRCS Report
Lake Orbin Fish Passage Project
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
boat travel difficult, en-dangers float plane oper-ations, alters freshwater flow, sedimentation and reduces property values.
So far Kodiak has been free of this aquatic inva-sive. But you can help by removing mud and plants from boat trailers, float plane rudders and equipment before trans-porting. Never release
plants, water, fish or animals into water unless they are from that body of water.
Attention Lodge Owners, Guides, Lake and River Users: Call KSWCD at 907-486-5574 for your free “Stop Aquatic Hitch-hikers Kit.” Learn more www.wildlifeforever.org/invasive species.
In recent years an invasive plant was found growing in the Chena Slough near North Pole, Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula.
This plant, Elodea, may have been introduced from discarded aquarium contents.
Elodea impacts lakes and rivers. It degrades fish habitat, displaces native flora and fauna, makes
“Don’t let this
happen in Alaska!”
Page 2 The Trailblazer
Alaska Sealife Center sample
Unloading Lake Orbin Creek Culvert
Photo by Blythe Brown
Float plane in Ouzinkie
Photo by David Kaplan
David Kaplan discusses project with Representative Alan Austerman.
Photo by Astrid Rose
The theme for the 2014 Poster contest is DIG DEEPER: Mysteries in the soil.
Soil is an amazing substance. A complex mix of
minerals, air and water, soil also teems with countless micro-organisms and the decaying re-mains of living things. Soil is made of life and soil makes life.
To the farmer, soil is where crops grow
To the engineer, soil is a foundation on which to build
To the ecologist, soil sup-ports communities of living things
To the archaeologist, soil
holds clues to past cultures
To the city dweller, soil nur-tures grass and gardens.
Brochures/applications are availa-ble at the Kodiak Soil and Water Conservation District office.
The Poster contest is open to grades K-12. Winners in each age group can earn $20.00 and their poster may go on to state competi-tion and perhaps the nationals.
C a l l 4 8 6 - 5 5 7 4 o r e m a i l [email protected]. Or www.nacdnet.org/education/contest/poster/2014.
It would be to provide gar-dening opportunities for those citizens who may not own suitable land of their own.
This proposed project would also promote the health and well-being of Kodiak residents, encour-age the consumption of
The Kodiak Soil and Water Conservation District pro-poses to develop and man-age a community garden.
This may be on land owned by the City of Kodiak and the Kodiak Island Borough on the 1000 block of Larch Street.
locally grown foods and contribute to the sustain-ability and food security of Kodiak.
Please call 486-5574 if you are interested and would like to become involved.
Any and all suggestions are welcome!
2014 Poster Contest
KSWCD Community Garden Plans
A Cooperative Extension Agent in Kodiak
diak could meet the grow-ing educational needs of the agricultural communi-ty.
A petition has been circu-lating urging the state legis-lature to take action.
Please come to the KSWCD office and sign the petition to continue support for a cooperative
The Kodiak Farm Bureau and KSWCD have been coordinating an effort to get funding for a fulltime cooperative extension agent in Kodiak.
Both the Kodiak City Council and the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly have adopted resolutions supporting the effort.
An agent stationed in Ko-
Fewer than 2% of
Americans farm
today but the
extension service
plays an
important role in
rural, suburban
and urban life.
Page 3
Farmers Market 2011
Photo by Blythe Brown
Wanda Scholze Hoophouse
Photo by David Kaplan
518 West Marine Way Suite 206 Kodiak, AK 99615
Would you like to advertise on our newsletter? Please call
Phone: 907-486-5574 Fax: 907-486-5586 or
email: [email protected]
Staff
Joe Dinnocenzo, District Manager
Blythe Brown, Program Coordinator
David Kaplan, Project Coordinator
Stephan Bodnar, GIS Technician
Corinne Estelle Ferre,` Administrative Assistant
NRCS Field Office, Craig Sanders,
Resource Conservationist
Kodiak Soil and Water Conservation District
Kodiak soil and water conservation district
We’re on the web!
kodiaksoilandwater.org
District Board Members
Chris Flickinger, Board Chairman
Charlie Dorman, Vice-Chairman
Marie Rice, Supervisor
Craig Stratman, Supervisor
Todd Dorman, Supervisor
Alternate Supervisor, Bob Mudd
Alternate Supervisor, Rick Ellingson
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer
Kodiak Archipelago Cooperative Weed Management Area
The Mission of the Kodiak Soil and Water Conser-vation District is to provide education and leader-ship by coordinating and implementing programs for the conservation, use and sustainable develop-ment of soil, water and related resources.
