November2007.html

As busy as you all are, I want to be sure the important things are not forgotten. As we come to the end of the semester and the end of a calendar year, I want to THANK all of you for the many things you continue to do in moving the College and University forward. We have wonderful faculty, staff and students in the College and I am proud to be part of the WCNR College family. I have also learned much more about the committed friends and alumni connected to the College and I THANK all of you as well for all of your support. Please accept my best wishes for a Happy and Successful New Year!

Six months into this job is a good time to be reflective and for some reason the past several days have really brought it on. Having to sit passively for at least a few minutes to let the turkey, dressing and pie settle may have contributed.

There were a number of things that we were able to do fairly quickly after I got here early in the summer. But I have also learned that some things here take a longer time to accomplish. I’m not sure if I am inefficient or if we have so many balls in the air, tracking is a challenge. I finally have an Assistant, Mary Dolce, and that seems to be helping me get more stuff out the door. But skeletons still emerge from the closet each day and I am still hiring people to move away from interim management. Building new stuff often with old pieces is challenging and maybe not the way to do business in the end. We shall see.

We are planning an all College meeting for January 15, 2008 where all members of the College are invited to attend. This is required by the College Code as a chance to get feedback from the Standing Committees in the College. But I also see it as a chance to bring you all up to date on things that are happening and provide a forum for Q&A.

Upcoming Warner CNR Events

The Warner College of Natural Resources at CSU has named Robin Reid as the director of the new Center for Collaborative Conservation. The Center for Collaborative Conservation is a new Colorado State University center dedicated to improving education and outreach about conservation and sustainability. The CCC works to improve collaboration and action about the sustainability of natural resources by linking human and environmental welfare in teaching, research and outreach in Fort Collins, the state, the western United States and around the globe. Reid is currently a principal ecosystem scientist and global project leader at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. She leads research, education and outreach on conservation and development issues in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the western United States. In 2006, her team received the Consultative Group in International Agricultural Research top prize for the best innovative partnership in international research for their work with Maasai communities on improving livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in East Africa. Robin will start January 1st.

Five academic departments at Colorado State University have been named among the top 10 most productive in their disciplines in the national 2006-2007 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index. The rankings, produced by Academic Analytics with support from State University of New York-Stony Brook, provide a scale of faculty productivity using certain measures. The index, which ranked 7,400 programs in 172 disciplines at 375 institutions, encompassed a total of 217,254 faculty members. The index examined faculty members of each department on publications (including published books and journal articles and citations of journal articles), federal grant dollars awarded, and honors and awards. The department of Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship is ranked number 6 in the forestry category. The department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology is ranked 8 in the fisheries science category

James Frantz (WCNR Budget Office) completed ten years of service to Colorado State University during November 2007. We would like to thank James for his hard work and dedication.

Department and Program Updates

James A. Zeidler, CEMML Associate Director for Cultural Resources, and Tracy Wager, CEMML graphic designer, were recognized as co-recipients and partners in the Chairman’s Award for Federal Achievement in Historic Preservation by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), for a joint project with Fort Drum, NY entitled “Development of Training Materials for In-Theatre Cultural Heritage Preservation“, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy Resource Management Program. An awards ceremony was conducted in Washington, D.C. on 7 November. The project is aimed at raising U.S soldier awareness of cultural heritage preservation issues in Iraq and Afghanistan through various training materials ranging from educational decks of playing cards, to a ready-reference Soldier Pocket Card on heritage preservation, to a cultural heritage preservation website on Iraq and Afghanistan that is now available to all DoD personnel. The overall goal is to educate solders in avoiding inadvertent damage to sensitive archaeological and religious sites and in helping curb unauthorized looting and antiquities trafficking in the war zone.

The Chairman’s Award for Federal Achievement in Historic Preservation recognizes Federal projects, programs, initiatives, and policy leaders or career staff that make significant contributions to historic preservation in the Federal Government. Formal recognition by ACHP’s Chairman celebrates Federal preservation successes and provides a means for the ACHP to honor and showcase Federal accomplishment and best practices.

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Award Ceremony, 7 November 2007, Old Post Office Building, Washington, DC. Standing from left to right: ACHP Chairman John L. Nau, III, Dr. Laurie Rush, Cultural Resources Program Manager, Fort Drum, NY, Mr. Philip Grone, DoD Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, Mr. James W. Corriveau, Public Works Director, Fort Drum, NY, Mr. Addison Davis, Assistant Secretary of the Army, and Dr. James A. Zeidler, Associate Director for Cultural Resources, CEMML, CSU.

The CEMML GIS staff, under the direction of Gary Senseman, has been assisting Fugro EarthData with advanced vegetation mapping on Army installations. "Fugro EarthData works on more than a hundred projects each year," said Mary Hiatt, senior vice president in charge of sales and marketing. "And while we have a clear understanding going into a project about the intended data use, there is an increasing trend among clients to share resources to meet common goals. More than once we've been surprised—and pleased—to learn at a professional conference or in a trade journal that the application being presented used data we created."

That's just what happened while attending the National Environmental Workshop this May. There, Gary Senseman of Colorado State University's Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) discussed a pilot study now underway for the Army National Guard. With a goal of providing standardized methods for measuring the impact of training missions on the natural environment, the pilot incorporates high-resolution airborne imagery previously provided to the National Guard Bureau by Fugro EarthData to support their Digital Land Base Mapping Program.

"Our work with the Guard has spanned 6 years and hundreds of sites," said Raquel Charrois, project manager for Fugro EarthData. Since 2003, sites have been mapped using the Leica ADS40 digital sensor. "The image quality and speed inherent in the ADS40 make it ideal for developing datasets that support the Guard's environmental program management goals," she explained. Senseman agrees. "Field work, though labor intensive and expensive, is critical to completing the detailed vegetation surveys required under the Guard's Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan," he said. "By incorporating ADS40 imagery into the workflow, we aim to strike a balance for more efficient and cost-effective surveys." That many Guard sites already have the requisite imagery under the Digital Land Base Mapping Program makes the approach all the more appealing.

Using a mixture of color and color-infrared imagery, the CEMML pilot examines several types of land cover over Guard sites in California, Arizona, North Dakota, and Florida. The combination of aerial surveys using standard photo-interpretation techniques (including some automated image segmentation and enhancements) and baseline surveys has proven successful. "There was even an instance when the ADS40 imagery showed greater complexity in a mixed grasslands area than was possible to determine on the ground," Senseman noted. The CEMML pilot will conclude later this month and will propose guidelines for incorporating airborne digital imagery specifications for mapping plant alliances. Once finalized, Senseman plans to share the knowledge. "My hope is that other military clients, specifically the Army, would adopt these standards. Army installations have the same requirements as the National Guard and their significant land holdings also could benefit from this work."

William Doe was invited to participate, along with seventy other researchers and land managers from federal and state agencies, in a Department of Defense sponsored workshop on Threatened, Endangered, and At-Risk Species (TER-S) in the Desert Southwest in Tucson, AZ. The participants gathered to discuss collaborative data sharing and resolution of issues on military installations throughout the Southwestern U.S.The specific objectives for theSouthwest Region TER-S Workshop were to: 1)assess TER-S management needs within a regional context with an emphasis on system-level and cross-boundary approaches; 2)assess these approaches for their potential to keep common species common while recovering or enhancing TER-S populations; 3)examine the current state of practice within DoDfor such holistic approaches;4)identify the gaps in knowledge, technology, management, and partnerships that are hindering progress toward implementing system-level and cross-boundary approaches; and 5) prioritize investment opportunities to addressthese gaps. Dr. Doe co-authored, with several researchers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering & Research Development Center, a white paper for the Workshop entitled “Military Land Use: Overview of DoD Land Use in the Desert Southwest, including Major Natural Resource Management Challenges.”

Steven Warren, recently returned from a brief trip to the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The purpose of the trip was to collect soil samples as a precursor to resubmittal of a proposal to the National Science Foundation. Dr. Warren and colleagues at Brigham Young University and John Carroll University are seeking to discover life in the driest desert on the planet (average annual precipitation is approximately 1 mm). Due to the hyperaridity, NASA frequently uses the Atacama Desert to develop projects related to the exploration of Mars. Many NASA-funded scientists have concluded that the Atacama is lifeless. Dr. Warren, who once lived in the Atacama Desert, believes they have been looking in the wrong places. He and his colleagues believe life is present in the form of cyanobacteria in the surface few centimeters of the soil.

The Colorado State Forest Service has named Katherine Timm as supervisor of its newly created Outreach Division. The Outreach Division has responsibility for leading conservation education, policy and legislative affairs, and public and media relations programs and activities for CSFS. Katherine has worked for CSFS since 2001, when she joined the agency as Administrative Services Supervisor. From there, she moved into the role of Interagency Fire Prevention Coordinator and then Communications and Media Relations Coordinator, focusing mainly on the Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership and, more recently, the Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative. Katherine has been with Colorado State University since 1985. She started her career as an Information Specialist, and served as a Community Relations Specialist and Editor before moving into the position of Manager of Outreach Communications and Technology for CSU Extension.

CSFS Outstanding Performer Award:
Jon Stocking – for his outstanding leadership and strong commitment to CSFS

CSFS Exceptional Achievement Awards:
Dave Root – for his dedication and commitment to the Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership and his leadership in Community Wildfire Protection Planning
Vaughn Jones – for his leadership and innovation in developing the CSFS Interface Engine Crew Program and for his commitment to the CSFS Fire Program

CSFS Program Excellence Awards:
Bob Bundy – for his leadership as the CSFS Boulder District Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership Program Manager.
Brook Lee, Mark Loveall, Meg Halford, and Laura Stahl (Colorado State Forest Staff) - for their teamwork and commitment to forest management on the Colorado State Forest.
Joyce Denham – for her initiative, innovation and long-time commitment to the CSFS Nursery operations.
Meaghen Mathews – for her exceptional commitment to and support of the CSFS Shop operations.

CSFS Unique Awards:
Bart Brown – for 15 years of dedicated seasonal service to the Steamboat Springs District and his initiative in developing the “Our Future Forests” newspaper insert.
Skip Edel – for his IT support, expertise, availability and helpful attitude.
Mike Hughes – for his leadership and commitment to the Tree Farmers of Colorado, planting trees, and making them grow.
Shelly Van Landingham – for her personal compassion and professional support to the Town of Holly.
Lorry Schmitz – for her great attitude and her role in organizing fire reimbursements.
Meg Halford – for her leadership and commitment to interagency forest management projects on the Colorado State Forest.

Community Service Award:
Kathryn Hardgrave – for her volunteer efforts to support the communities and citizens of Mississippi devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

CSFS Hourly Awards:
Rachel Lund – for her dedication to excellence, her organizational skills and her positive attitude.
Katie Strobel – for her commitment to CSFS and her willingness to help others.

Thanks to the efforts of Mike Eckhoff, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship; Kurt Mackes, assistant professor in the department; and Tim Reader, utilization and marketing forester with the Colorado State Forest Service, the Rocky Mountain Section of the Forest Products Society received the Society’s 2007 Outstanding Section/Chapter Award. The Forest Products Society is an international professional association of wood products researchers, educational and extension professionals, industry representatives and students. The Rocky Mountain Section includes Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The award is the highest recognition a Section or Chapter can receive, and recognizes achievements in membership recruitment, student participation, and Section events. Mike, Kurt, and Tim, who all currently hold offices within the Rocky Mountain Section, were recognized for their contributions toward the establishment of a new Forest Products Society student chapter at Colorado State University. This achievement provides a direct link between practicing forestry and wood products professionals, and undergraduate students within the Warner College of Natural Resources. Appreciation is also extended to Forest Management Assistant Professor Yu Wei for serving as faculty advisor to the new student chapter. The award will be on display across from the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship offices in the Forestry Building on the campus of Colorado State University.

Two students in the Warner College of Natural Resources have been awarded scholarships from the Interior West Fire Council (IWFC). Michael Frank, a senior majoring in Forestry with a concentration in Fire Science and Forest Management, and Brian Schroeder, a junior majoring in Forestry with a concentration in Wildfire Ecology, each received a $750 scholarship from the IWFC. By awarding scholarships to students pursuing careers in natural resource management, the council believes it can promote new and improved methods of fire prevention control, and beneficial use of fire. The 2007 Scholarship Selection Committee was comprised of Rich Homan, Fire Division Supervisor, Colorado State Forest Service, and a member of the Interior West Fire Council; Monique Rocca, Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship; Pete Barry, CSU Student Firefighter Association; and Bob Sturtevant, Extension Forester and Senior Research Associate, Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship.

Ryan Staychock, CSFS Volunteer Coordinator, has been accepted in the 2008 Colorado Institute for Leadership Training (CILT) class. The class is comprised of 40 individuals from around Colorado with diverse life experiences and perspectives. The Class of 2008 represents the 18th year of the program. CILT was created to provide emerging leaders with the information and skills they need to make a difference in today’s society. The Institute is a non-profit organization committed to the principles of creative problem-solving, consensus-based decision-making, and the celebration of diversity. The CILT course takes place over 10 weekends and covers such pressing topics as education, rural and agricultural issues, water, politics, and the economy.

Four papers in the current issue, Sept 2007, of Transactions of the American Fisheries Society include Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology authors: Carl Saunder, Kurt Fausch, Mark Coleman, Kevin Bestgen, John Hawkins, Gary White, and Brett Johnson. Improved Grazing Management Increases Terrestrial Invertebrate Inputs that Feed Trout in Wyoming Rangeland Stream by W. Carl Saunders and Kurt D. Fausch, Cold Summer Temperature Limits Recruitment of Age-0 Cutthroat Trout in High-Elevation Colorado Streams by Mark A. Coleman and Kurt D. Fausch, Population Status of Colorado Pikeminnow in the Green River Basin, Utah and Colorado by Kevin R. Bestgen, John A. Hawkins, Gary C. White, Kevin D. Christopherson, J. Michael Hudson, Mark H. Fuller, D. Chris Kitcheyan, Ronald Brunson, Paul Badame, G. Bruce Haines, Julie A. Jackson, Cameron D. Walford, and Tasha A. Sorensen and Sources of Nonnative Centrarchids in the Upper Colorado River Revealed by Stable Isotope and Microchemical Analyses of Otoliths by Gregory W. Whitledge, Brett M. Johnson, Patrick J. Martinez, and Anita M. Martinez. The papers are listed below and can be accessed for free at: http://afs.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-toc&issn=1548-8659 .

Watershed Science 50th Anniversary - March 2008
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Watershed Science Program at Colorado State University, there will be a celebration from March 27-29, 2008 with three days of science, reflection, fun, and looking to our future. For up to date information, please see the website: <http://watershed50th.colostate.edu/> or contact one of the watershed faculty.

Antony Cheng was one of 26 individuals from across the U.S. invited to Greenville, S.C. Nov. 1-3 to advise the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (USEFC) on their Focal Strategies Initiative which will allocate $10 million a year to community-based forestry initiatives around the U.S. The USEFC has an endowment of $200 million resulting from the U.S. - Canada Softwood Lumber Trade Agreement to "advance systemic, transformative and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities" (http://www.usendowment.org/home.html).

Antony Cheng was invited Nov. 7-8 to assist the Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative in a strategic planning effort to move from an interagency cooperative to a multi-stakeholder collaborative that addresses long-term resilience of forest-reliant ecosystems and communities.

Antony Cheng was also recently selected as a project coordinator for the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group (QLG) Science Team and will be traveling to Quincy, CA Nov. 14-16 to develop collaborative work plans between the Science Team, the US Forest Service, and the QLG. The QLG was one of the first high-profile community-based, collaborative forest stewardship initiatives that attempted to find a different way to address forestry conflicts on public lands (http://www.qlg.org/).

Rick Knight gave the keynote address "Ranchers as a Keystone Species" to the Oregon Cattleman's Association winter meeting in Redmond, Oregon and also gave an invited lecture "The Wisdom of the Sierra Madre: Leopold, Apaches, and the Land Ethic" to the annual meeting of The Wildlife Society in Tucson, AZ in September.

John Graham traveled to Chickasaw National Recreation Area in central Oklahoma to participate in a workshop regarding the geologic resources of this National Park Service unit. The workshop is part of the National Park Service's Geologic Resource Evaluation (GRE) Program. The purpose of the meeting was to identify geologic mapping coverage and needs, distinctive geologic processes and features, resource menagement issues, and potential monitoring and research needs relative to Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

Students in the Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism major are required to do an internship as part of their program of students. Every year approximately 100 students intern at various locations around the world. Here is a sampling of student internships from this past summer.

Alida Bus worked at Gastineau Guiding Company in Juneau, AK. Alida’s duties consisted of guiding land and boat tours and driving the shuttle bus for tours. Alida says the “best part of my internship was the moments when I could sense that I had successfully connected a visitor emotionally and intellectually to the resource (successful interpretation!).”

Brittany Goble recently interned with the United States Forest Service in Creede, CO. Brittany’s duties included trail maintenance, saw work, tread work, campsite density monitoring, visitor contracts, and water sampling and monitoring in high mountain lakes. Brittany says the best part of her internship was “being able to have a voice in projects, plans, and overall duties throughout the entire season." She adds "my supervisors were very open and flexible plus they trusted me to make wise and efficient decisions.”

Chris Lovely interned for the Fort Collins Downtown Business Association. Chris’ responsibilities included general office duties, vender coordination, event management and logistics, and volunteer management. Chris says the best part of his internship was “during the actual events when I got to see all the planning unfold...people were having fun.”

Laura Olin interned at the Lookout Mountain Nature Center in Golden, CO. Laura’s duties consisted of programming group, public, and special events, special projects, and assisting with the visitor center information desk. The highlights of her experience were “Being able to work with some amazing people, and being able to lead programs and see the wonder and excitement in the kids' eyes.”

Robbie Popp interned with Educo School of Colorado in Fort Collins, CO. His duties included trip logistics, office and administrative duties, and field and program duties. The best part of Robbie's internship was “By far, the field experience that I received throughout the course of the summer and all of the trips that I was able to be a part of.”

Ben Yellin interned at Expose Alaska, Ltd. in Chickaloon, AK. Ben’s duties included guiding, logistic support, and administrative tasks. He says “The best part of my internship was being able to be in charge of a couple of exposure trips. I got to travel all over Alaska doing what I like to do.”

Pete Whiting interned with Larimer County Parks and Open Lands out of Loveland, CO. Pete's duties consisted of public relations, law enforcement, minor maintenance, and medical assistance to visitors. The best part of Pete's internship was “Being able to work as a park ranger and responding to emergencies. As an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) I love to get as much experience and training as possible. The internship gave me a large amount of experience both as an EMT and a future parks professional.”

Nick Uhler interned at Gateway Canyons Resort out of Grand Junction, CO. Nick’s duties included assisting with promotions, corresponding with guests, assisting with site tours, retail sales, and front desk. The best part of Nick's internship was “Guiding off-road and ATV tours. I had a blast taking people into the surrounding area and teaching them about the flora and fauna.”

Click here [http://welcome.warnercnr.colostate.edu/internship.html] for more information on the department's Partners With Professionals internship program or contact Paul Layden, internship coordinator at paul.layden@colostate.edu or (970) 491-7393.

Several NREL Research Scientists were amongst the thousands of scientists from across the globe involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which has been awarded the highly esteemed Nobel Peace Prize. Keith Paustian (Soil & Crop/NREL) and Steve Ogle served as Coordinating Lead Author and Lead Author, respectively, on the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines and Ogle was the Lead Author on a chapter dealing with greenhouse gas mitigation options in agriculture in the 4th Assessment Report. Drs. Rich Conant and Paustian served as Lead Authors for a carbon cycle report, commissioned to review the status of carbon cycle science. Other NREL scientists engaged in the IPCC process from the beginning include Drs. Dennis Ojima (Heinz Center/NREL), Jill Baron (USGS/NREL), and Kathy Galvin (Anthropology/NREL).

Tom Stohlgren (USGS/NREL) was one of only 20 national and international scientists chosen to serve on the Preliminary Design Review of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) http://www.neoninc.org/, that contributes to the long-term vision of a continental-scale research platform for discovering and understanding the impacts of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on ecology.

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/ invited Tom Stohlgren, as one of five ecological scientists and five economists from around the country, to lead task groups to synthesize information on the current and potential distributions of invasive forest pests and pathogens. He is developing a new USDA Forest Service-USGS partnership investigating Invasive Forest Pests and Pathogens of the United States (2006 to 2008).

NREL and CSMATE hosted three K-12 teacher professional development workshops this semester that were funded by the WCNR mini-grants.The workshops held were: 1) Ecological Survey & Monitoring, 2) Water Science at the GetWET facility, and 3) Soil Ecology.

Thomas Peterson was selected to be a Research Mentor for the Native American and Pacific Islander Research Experience Program (NAPIRE) at the Organization for Tropical Studies Las Cruces Biological Station in Costa Rica this summer. The NAPIRE is an eight-week program that introduces Native American and Pacific Islander undergraduate students to the Central American tropics. As part of the program, students complete a field research project in collaboration with fellow students and a research mentor. Dr. Peterson will mentor two or three students for investigating and modeling stream water quality response to rainfall events in forest patches at varying levels of regeneration. If funding and permitting allow, they will also sample and quantify Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in water and sediment at several sites in both Costa Rica and Panama. Bd is a fungus believed to be responsible for major amphibian declinations and extinctions. The potential sampling sites are those where amphibian populations are thriving or declining.

Greg Newman, Alycia Crall, Rick Shory, and Jim Graham (NREL/National Institute of Invasive Species Science) conducted an invasive species mapping training workshop for kids participating in a Denver based non-profit organization “Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK)” at the Running Deer Natural Area in Fort Collins. Participants were trained on the importance of invasive species, and the use of GPS devices, field Personal Data Assistant (PDA) devices, field mapping software, and software applications to upload data directly to the NIISS online data commons. Students collected point occurrence data for invasive plant species. The workshop concluded with students contributing the field data to their new online project, and then viewing their data using the Google-earth like map application that is integrated with the NIISS website www.niiss.org.

Bill Parton gave a presentation at the 23rd Annual Clean Air Conference "Global Air Quality: Solutions Begin at the Local Level," hosted by the CSU National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety. Bill spoke on the "Net Greenhouse Gas Balance for BioFuel Cropping Systems."

Tom Hobbs visited CSIRO Laboratories in Australia Oct. 28-Nov. 10, giving seminars on the role of herbivory and hydrology in forming alternative steady states on the northern range of Yellowstone National Park. Dr. Hobbs also participated in an NSF workshop on data assimilation in ecology at the University of Oklahoma.

Tom Stohlgren (USGS/NREL) delivered a keynote presentation "How effectively are we slowing the spread of harmful invasive species in conservation areas?" for the international conference on Monitoring the Effectiveness of Nature Conservation," held at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Switzerland in Sept.

Stohlgren also delivered a keynote presentation "A Decision Support System for Invasive Species Forecasting: The Global Organism Detection and Monitoring System," for the Spotlight on Science conference for Department of Interior land managers in Portland, Oregon, A webcast of Dr. Stohlgren's presentation on the topic can be found at http://www.fsl.orst.edu/cfer/Spotlight/SpotlightPresentations.html.

Jim Graham participated in the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Annual Conference 2007, held in Bratislava, Slovakia, in Sept. Jim incorporated advanced information management tools in his seminar “Get Control of Your Data.”

Chuluun Togtokh (Univ. of Mongolia/NREL) gave an invited talk on "The Vulnerability of the Mongolian Steppe and Nomadic Culture to Climate Change: Adaptation or Catastrophe" at the APN International Seminar on "Global Warming and Ecosystem/Biodiversity Changes: Facing the Challenge and Changing Ecosystems," on Dec. 2 in Kobe, Japan. This is one of the pre-events for the G-8 Environment Ministers Meeting to be held in May 2008, in Kobe.

Tom Stohlgren's team at the NIISS and the NREL welcomes professor and scientist Mingyang Li ("Mark") from the Nanjing Forestry University in China in his year-long visit to share his expertise and training in modeling the economic impacts of invasive species – a high research priority in both countries.

Shauna BurnSilver, a PhD GDPE student won the Lourdes Arizpe Award, given biennially by the Environment and Anthropology section of the American Anthropological Association for her dissertation research that shows outstanding achievement in the application of anthropology to environmental and policy issues. She will receive the award at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Washington, DC, in November. Shauna successfully defended her PhD dissertation, “Pathways of Continuity and Change: Diversification, Intensification and Mobility in Maasailand” in October. Congratulations Dr. BurnSilver!

David Barnett was lead author with NREL co-authors Tom Stohlgren, Cathy Jarnevich, Geneva Chong, Jennifer Ericson, Tracy Davern, and Sara Simonson on a key reference for land managers concerned with effective approaches for monitoring invasive plant species problems, entitled “The Art and Science of Weed Mapping,” Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 132:235–252.

Jon Freeman (NREL) was lead author on “Rapid assessment of post-fire plant invasions in coniferous forests of the western United States,” with co-authors T. Stohlgren, M. Hunter, P. Omi, E. Martinson, G. Chong, and C. Brown published in Ecological Applications 17(6):1656-65.

Jim Graham was lead author, with NREL co-authors Greg Newman, Catherine Jarnevich, Rick Shory, and Tom Stohlgren for “A global organism detection and monitoring system for non-native species,” published in Ecological Informatics 2:177-183.

Graham, J. (Geoscience) 2007. Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Geologic Resource Evaluation Report. Department of the Interior, Geologic Resource Division, Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR-2007/003.

Graham, J. (Geoscience) 2007. Navajo National Monument: Geologic Resource Evaluation Report. Department of the Interior, Geologic Resources Division, Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR-2007/005.

Graham, J. (Geoscience) 2007. Voyageurs National Park: Geologic Resource Evaluation Report. Department of the Interior, Geologic Resources Division, Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR-2007/007.

A study conducted by Bill Parton (NREL), Myron Gutmann (Univ. of Michigan), and Dennis Ojima (Heinz Center/NREL) reveals that, although Great Plains agricultural production, population, and income trends have been surprisingly stable during the past 100 years, the recent rise of energy prices offers challenges and opportunities for the future of this region. Published in the October 2007 issue of BioScience, the study examines whether it is possible, in the long term, to maintain agriculturally-orientated populations in the Great Plains region as well as in similar regions around the world. For more information, visit www.icpsr.umich.edu/PLAINS/.

With support of the Warner College of Natural Resources, CEMML was recently awarded a 2-year, $3-million contract to provide technical support in Natural Resource Information Technology, to include GIS and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), to the Natural Resource Program Center of the National Park Service (NPS) in Fort Collins, CO. Approximately twenty full-time CSU personnel will transition to CEMML this Fall as part of the contract award. These employees will support the Park Service’s transition to their Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) program. The successful CEMML proposal was submitted by Dr. Mark Prieksat (PI), Bill Sprouse (Co-PI) and Cal Bagley.

Kevin Crooks and Sue Vandewoude received the NSF grant to study feline cross-species disease transmission as result of habitat fragmentation. The National Science Foundation awarded these scientists a $2.3 million grant to study how habitat fragmentation in parts of the United States influences the transmission of diseases among bobcats, pumas and domestic cats. This work will ultimately help scientists in the future to identify how urbanization influences the dynamics of infectious disease between wildlife populations and domestic pets.

During the 4th International Polar Year of 2007-2009 - a phenomenon that occurs approximately every 50 years, thousands of scientists from more than 60 countries will conduct more than 200 expeditions or projects on physical, biological, and social issues in the Arctic and Antarctic which appear to be experiencing effects of rapid climate change.

"CSU is a leader in polar research and now in the International Polar Year, we are collaborating with colleagues from around the world on scientific research in the Arctic and Antarctic," said Wall. "The research being done at the poles will advance our understanding as to how these frigid ecosystems are tied to our lives and how their climate and hydrology affect the world."

Diana Wall (Biology/NREL) is a 16-year veteran of research in Antarctica where she has gained international acclaim studying how global climate change is affecting soil ecosystems and describes Antarctica as no other place on the earth.

John Moore, NREL Director, is a principal investigator on the NSF funded Arctic Long Term Ecological Research site at Toolik Lake in Alaska. Since 1998, he has studied the impact of climate change on the structure and function of soil microbial and invertebrate communities and their interactions with plants and vertebrate herbivores such as caribou and voles.
Diana Wall and Edward Ayres' current research involves examining global-scale distribution of soil invertebrates. Thanks to a $1.2 million NSF-funded project, Wall and Ayres are sampling soils from around the globe including Antarctica, North and South America, Africa, Europe, and Australasia. Dr. Ayres and Karl Wyant (NREL) recently collected soil samples in Patagonia, Argentina, for the project.
Breana Simmons, is currently involved in research examining soil biodiversity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. She is working to understand soil biodiversity and linkages between above- and belowground systems in a polar desert.
Heidi Steltzer has been conducting research for eight years on how climate change affects Arctic plants and the ecosystem services they provide for human well-being.Her research in Greenland in collaboration with Dr. Ruth Hufbauer (BSPM) characterizes frequent sexual reproduction in high arctic willows and the implications for ecosystem function as climate changes.

Matt Wallenstein received sub-contract funding from the Univ. of Calif., Santa Barbara on an NSF IPY research grant to study Arctic microorganisms. Drs. Wallenstein and Ken Reardon (College of Engineering) are working with Dr. Josh Schimel (UCSB) and Michael Weintraub (Univ. of Toledo) on the research to study proteins in the cells of the soil's microorganisms — a brand-new field of research known as soil proteomics. Wallenstein and fellow NREL Research Scientist Dr. Heidi Steltzer, accompanied by Wallenstein’s graduate student Jessica Ernakovich, traveled to the U.S. Air Force base in Thule, Greenland to collect frozen soils for genomic and proteomic analyses.

Staff Updates

Crystal Lancaster was named the new Warner College of Natural Resources Director of Student Advising and Recruitment. Previously, she was the Department Coordinator for the Department of Forest, Rangeland & Watershed Stewardship within WCNR. Crystal has a B.S. in Agriculture with a concentration in Animal Science and an M.S. in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL. Her professional background includes academic advising, admissions, and working with student organizations, and her new responsibilities include working with incoming and prospective undergraduate students in WCNR and developing new programs to assist our students in exploring majors within WCNR.

Fourteen members of the Student Chapter of Society of American Forestersattended the National Convention in Portland, Oregon, October 23-28. The students participated in the quiz bowl, and student national assembly, besides attending numerous general and technical sessions. The final day consisted of a technical tour in the Washington and Oregon forests. The students hosted the Colorado State Alumni gathering during the convention which attracted over 50 participants. Alpha Student Chapter thanks all those who helped with funding for the trip including everyone who has purchased firewood from the chapter during the past year.

A major funding source for the convention expenses of the Society of American Foresters has been the chapter’s firewood sales. The chapter collects wood from the ongoing restoration work at the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch near Red Feather Lakes – work accomplished by many of the same students during the F-430 (Forestry Field Practices) class. Wood is sold in any form from 8-foot log to split and stacked material. Several weekends have been devoted to the cutting and hauling of firewood since the beginning of the semester.

Graduate Leadership Course. The Warner College is renewing our objective to help graduate students and agency middle managers understand and to act on their roles as communicators and leaders in the Natural Resources professions in addition to their basic training in the Natural Resources disciplines. The Graduate Leadership Course, sponsored in part by Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, provides for personal and professional growth through a hands-on, interactive and personalized program using 2 courses already offered through CSU that you sign up for concurrently. Register at CSU for NR600 “Advanced Public Relations in Natural Resources” for 2 credits of lecture (CRN#15633) and recitation (CRN#15634) covering: leadership and communications theory and practices; and research, writing, presentations, and discussions about effective leadership from multiple disciplines. In addition, add one credit of FW696 A (CRN#10611) or B (CRN#10612) “Group Studies” that applies for work on the leadership and communications plan and seminar report about your personal research or management initiatives. The course is limited to 20 participants, so sign up early. If the FW696 A or B section fills to its 10 number limit, then please sign up for the other section. Agency persons can sign up for these courses through CSU Continuing Education for a fee of $897 resident and $2841non-resident. Enroll at the following Internet address:http://www.learn.colostate.edu/Course will the taught by Professor Del Benson. Contact information: 114A Wagar, 491-6411, delben@warnercnr.colostate.edu

Eugene Decker, Emeritus Professor, Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Department, served on the external evaluation team for the Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in September. During his visit, Gene also gave a lecture at the school of Veterinary Sciences and conducted a planning/communications workshop at the Center for Wildlife Management.

WCNR has selected our College Alumnus of the year. Come join us on Saturday, February 9 at 6:00 pm to find out who this alumnus is and to celebrate his/her life, career and contributions to society, CSU and WCNR.

On Sept. 13, Roger Hoffer (Watershed Management '61 & '62) received a "Lifetime Career Achievement Award" during the 20th Annual "GIS in the Rockies Symposium". He was the recipient nominated by the Rocky Mountain Region of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, one of the six organizing societies. This was the first time they had made such awards.

Jeremy Maestas who graduated with a B.S and M.S. from the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and is currently the State Habitat Biologist for Oregon Natural Resoruce Conservation Service was recently awarded a 2007 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Award.

We are excited to be out on the road talking with our alumni and friends about the college and our upcoming capital campaign. Soon, we will be launching a new alumni and friends web site which highlights the accomplishments and interesting activities our alumni and friends are engaged in around the globe. Feel free to send us your story ideas at scott@cnr.colostate.edu.

Since our last communication, we have honored Jim and Kay LaBau, Bob Behnke and Sallie Behnke and Encana for their significant contrib

utions at our annual “1870” donor recognition dinner. In addition Jim LaBau hosted the Class of ‘57 reunion for forestry majors over homecoming weekend. We would like to thank Jim for his efforts which were numerous in planning, facilitating and putting together a class reunion book filled with pictures and stories of the class of ’57 alumni pertaining to “good times” at CSU and life beyond.

We also had our annual scholarship dinner where over 200 students, faculty and staff, and alumni and friends joined us to honor the 115 scholarships that we awarded last spring. As a side note, the college now has 71 endowed scholarships and a total endowment of $11.6 million. Thank you to those who attended and we look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

The Colorado State University Alumni Association Board of Directors is looking for new members. If you are interested, or would like to nominate someone, please review this link for more information. www.CSUAlum.com/boardnomination

Paul Layden’s (HDNR Instructor) daughter, Annie, received the Foothills Rotary Club Student of the Year award for the 7th-grade at Preston Junior High School. Staff selected one student from each grade based on future leaders with outstanding achievement, extracurricular activities, ambitions, and good citizenship. Students were honored at a luncheon in October.

Chuluun Togtokh (Univ. of Mongolia/NREL), and his wife Batkhishig Baldorj, welcomed a beautiful baby boy - Jim Chuluun - into their lives on September 7. The name Jim was given to their son in memory of NREL Research Scientist Dr. Jim Ellis. Jim also has the meaning in Mongolian as "Road less traveled."

Lindsey Christensen was married on October 6th, in Salt Lake City to Shawn Nesbitt! Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor officiated!!!

Warner CNR e-Resource Archives

For back issues of Warner CNR e-Resource, visit: http://welcome.warnercnr.colostate.edu/e-resource.html

12/14/07	Fall Commencement Dean's Reception 5:00 p.m. Natural Resource Building Atrium Open to all Graduates, Families and Friends
12/14/07	Fall Commencement Line-up: 6:00 p.m. North Ballroom, 2nd Floor, Lory Student Center Ceremony: 7:00 p.m. Mail Ballroom, 2nd Floor, Lory Student Center