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The Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (PNW CESU) is a partnership for research, technical assistance, and education to enhance understanding and management of natural and cultural resources.
January 2015 Issue:
- News from the Host
- Recent Events
- Funding Opportunities
- New Partners
- PNW CESU Funding
- Project Highlights
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News from the Host
Co-Leader Change
Dr. Gordon Bradley, Co-Leader of the PNW CESU and Professor within the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, retired in December. Dr Bradley served as Co-Leader of the PNW CESU since its inception in 2000. His efforts enabled the UW to become the Host University and under his supervision the PNW CESU has undergone three Renewal terms.
Dr. Tom DeLuca, inaugural director of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, is currently the University of Washington's Technical Representative for PNW CESU. We are excited that Dr. DeLuca has agreed to serve as the new PNW CESU Co-Leader beginning January 1, 2015. Dr DeLuca, whose interests include forest soils and sustainable resource management, was a natural fit for the Co-Leader position, with two decades of research experience in a variety of topics across temperate, boreal, maritime and polar settings, as well as strong leadership experience.
PNW CESU Renewal
The PNW CESU's second renewal expires in October of 2015. We are preparing for our third renewal in order to continue as a CESU for 2015 - 2020. As part of the renewal process, the University of Washington, as the Host of the PNW CESU, will be completing a Self-Assessment and a Letter of Intent to submit to the National CESU.
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Recent Events
PNW CESU Fall 2014 Annual Meeting
The PNW CESU 2014 Annual Meeting of the Managers and Executive Committee was held the morning of Thursday, November 6th, at the University of Washington. The focus was on the upcoming renewal process, along with a review of the current Strategic Plan and Goals.
The National CESU office shared the latest information regarding the Federal Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) new Uniform Guidance for grants and agreements, along with updates from working committees discussing topics such as the Indirect Cost rate and Host Support. For more information, please see our Meeting Minutes.
5th Annual Pacific Northwest Climate Science Conference
The PNW Climate Science Conference held its fifth meeting, located at the University of Washington on September 9-10, 2014. Dr Chris Lauver, Co-Leader of PNW CESU and NPS Senior Science Advisor, Pacific West Region of the National Park Service, presented the poster, Meeting Federal Managers Needs in Addressing Climate Change by Using the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (PNW CESU). To view the other posters and presentations from the conference, please go to their website at: http://pnwclimateconference.org/
PNW CESU Spring 2014 Webinar Meeting
The PNW CESU held a Spring 2014 Webinar Meeting on April 17, 2014. This meeting included discussion regarding the 2015-2020 renewal, member updates, planning for the annual meeting, and other business items. Meeting Minutes are available here.
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Funding Opportunities
National Park Service Climate Change Youth Leadership Opportunities
The NPS Climate Change Response Program and the University of Washington are pleased to announce paid summer internship positions related to climate change in national parks. Eligible students are highly accomplished graduate students and upper-level undergraduates (juniors and seniors). Interns must be US citizens or nationals, and be enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate degree program. Twelve positions are offered in parks and program offices around the country for the summer of 2015. For further information visit the program website: parksclimateinterns.org. Deadline: late January 2015.
Columbia River Basin Fish Monitoring and Evaluation Studies
(USACE) Studies to be sponsored by the Portland District and the Engineer Research and Development Center to provide research monitoring and evaluation services in the Columbia River Basin (CRB). The estimated level of funding for FY15 is approximately $475,931. Additional funds of $750,000/yr for 4 additional years may be available for follow on work providing the potential funding of $3.48M over 5 years .More information is available here. Deadline: 1/21/2015.
Dexter Reservoir Water Quality Research and Evaluation Studies
(USACE) Studies to be sponsored by the Portland District and the Engineer Research and Development Center to provide research and evaluation services in Dexter Reservoir. The estimated level of funding for the base period is $28,389 - to complete Objective 1 / Literature Search. However, additional funding maybe available in base year up to a total of $90,000. Additional funds of $90,000/yr for 4 additional years may be available for follow on work providing the potential funding of $450,000 over 5 years to the successful Recipient/Awardee. Depending on findings in the early years of this effort, funding needs may increase above the anticipated $90,000/year in subsequent years of this project; however, total funding will not exceed $450,000 over the life of this cooperative agreement. More information is available here. Deadline: 1/19/2015.
Alaska National Park 2015 Research Fellowships
The National Park Service and the Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) are seeking applicants for two research fellowships that are available to individuals wishing to conduct research in Denali National Park and Preserve and other arctic and subarctic Alaska national parks. The Discover Denali Research Fellowship is for research in or near Denali, and the Alaska Geographic Fellowship is for research taking place in Denali or other arctic or subarctic Alaska national parks. Applications for 2015 fellowships will be considered for funding requests up to $8000, to be used over one or two years. However, typically awarded funds for fellowships have been $6,000 or less. More information is available here. Deadline: 2/16/2015.
Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship
The Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship, sponsored by the Grand Teton Association, for natural and social science research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, is a remarkable opportunity for those interested in working on lesser-known ecosystem elements such as air and water; geologic or other processes; plants, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fungi; natural soundscapes; and social science related to public understanding of natural resources use or management. More information is available here. Deadline: 2/13/2015.
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Climate Change Video Contest
The University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences has launched an exciting video contest for high school and undergraduate students in the state of Washington. Our goal is to recognize and promote the creative voices of future environmental leaders, so we are asking students: What does climate change mean to you? Check out the contest guidelines.
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New Partner
Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment)
The Department of Defense (DOD) was admitted to the PNW CESU under Amendment I of the 2010-2015 master cooperative Agreement. The DOD manages nearly 30 million acres of land, and the natural and cultural resources found there. Their primary mission is national defense, and their conservation program supports this mission by ensuring realistic training areas, and managing its resources in ways that maximize available land, air, and water training opportunities. For more information see the DOD page.
DOD Projects through the PNW CESU
Provide architectural expertise, conservation work, and oversight for the continued restoration of the Las Flores Adobe Ranch House and Santa Margarita Ranch Complex
Partnering with University of Vermont, $653,179
Project Goals:
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Develop and prepare a Site-Specific Interpretive Plan, interpretive material, and create a volunteer training program for Las Flores Adobe Ranch House and Estancia.
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Produce an updated NRHP nomination for the Last Flores Adobe and the Santa Margarita Ranch House Complex.
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Produce a Historic Structure Report for the Santa Margarita Ranch Bunkhouse and the Santa Margarita Ranch Chapel.
Historic Ranch Stabilization, White Sands Missile Range
Partnering with University of Vermont, $40,000
Project Goals:
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Provide environmental program support for White Sands Missile range in complying with its environmental laws and regulations.
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Meet installation compliance requirements through coordination with the Cultural Resources Manager on White Sands Missile Range.
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Conduct historic structures stabilization evaluation of up to 13 standing historic ranch houses.
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Conduct stabilization studies of up to two fallen historic ranch house structures.
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Carry out evaluation of the recovered data including mapping each structure or site, and provide photographic documentation of each structure.
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PNW CESU Funding
Since inception (2001), the PNW CESU has facilitated the collaboration of our university partners with our federal agency members to produce nearly 700 projects with almost $82 million of funding. The chart below demonstrates the steady growth of the PNW CESU.
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Fiscal Year 2014
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11 million in funding (largest amount in PNW CESU history)
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9 Federal Agencies participated
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14 University or State Partners received project funding
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58 New projects were created
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78 Existing projects received additional funding
The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was the largest contributor, followed closely by the National Park Service (NPS). The chart below displays the amount of funding per federal agency.
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PNW CESU Project Highlights
Please visit our online Project Library for more project reports.
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Dietary Ecology of Alaskan Gray Wolves: Variation in Seasonal Foraging Strategies in a Salmon Subsidized Ecosystem
Ashley E. Stanek, University of Alaska Anchorage, M.S. Thesis
Jeffery Welker, Professor, University of Alaska Anchorage
Jeff Shearer and Michael Shephard, National Park Service
Over the course of four years, we examined whether, and how extensively, wolves in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (LACL) in southwestern Alaska used salmon as a food resource on a seasonal basis using stable isotope analysis 13C and 15N of wolf guard hair and blood components. LACL is an ideal location for such an examination as it provides wolves with multiple ungulate species and salmon as potential prey resources. The results demonstrate that wolves in the Lake Clark region differ in their use of marine resources (salmon) both spatially and temporally. The use of salmon exhibited by wolves in Lake Clark is likely widespread in regions where salmon are abundant and should be taken into consideration in the management of wolves and their prey.
For the full report, please visit our Project Library and enter J8W07100010.
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Assessment of Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds in Fish from a High Elevation Lake in Yosemite National Park
Jill Schrlau, Research Assistant, Oregon State University
Staci L. Massey Simonich, Professor, Oregon State University
Lee Tarnay, National Park Service
This scientific investigation was prompted by the discovery of high levels of mercury in fish from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which prompted park management to ask if fish in the watershed above Hetch Hetchy Reservoir also had high levels of mercury, as well as other airborne contaminants. The objective of this project is to analyze fish samples from one high elevation YOSE lake and to compare levels of semi-volatile organic compounds found in the SEKI Kings and Kern watersheds to levels farther north in YOSE, and to assess the threat that environmental contaminants pose to human consumption of fish. This knowledge is important for the health of sport fishers and others who consume fish in these parks, providing information regarding possible contaminant health threshold exceedances established for wildlife and/or humans.
For the full project report, please visit our Project Library and enter P13AC01175.
Figure below: Fish from national parks analyzed for SOC concentrations by the Simonich Lab: WACAP and additional CA parks. WACAP fish samples were collected in 2003–2006. Fish samples analyzed in the current study were collected in 2009 and 2012.
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