Please Note: WEBINARS, WEBCASTS and TELECONFERENCE Section Is Now a Separate Section

Please note: WEBINARS, WEBCASTS and TELECONFERENCE section is now a separate section.

**Mark items that are new in this issue.

June 7, 2011

Compiled Weekly by Peg Tileston

On behalf of the Alaska Women’s Environmental Network (AWEN), Alaska Center for the Environment (ACE), and Alaska Conservation Alliance (ACA)

CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, TRAINING,

mailto:

June 8

ANCHORAGE - COMPOST & SOIL AT C STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN WORKSHOP Will be held from 7 to 9pm at the CStreetCommunityGarden. Don’t forget about the soil! It’s full of microbes, worms and nutrients necessary for excellent plant growth. How do you get a great soil? You add compost, for one thing. And you know what to look for in the soil. This workshop will be held at the C Street Community garden. We will prepare a compost pile and work with the soil to learn what to look for and how to improve the soil in your garden. For more registration go to . Cost: $25 includes all materials. For more information, contact Samarys with Alaska Community Action on Toxics at 222-7714 or email .

June 13

THE EVOLUTION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN ALASKA: FROM BUSH TELEPHONES TO BROADBAND will be held from 8:30am to 5pm in the UAA/APU Consortium Library. Learn from key people who helped bring telecommunication to rural Alaska from their first-hand accounts about: How telephone service first came to Alaska; What NASA satellite experiments meant for Alaska; How Alaska became a telemedicine and distance education pioneer; How all villages got phones and TV service; How the Internet came to rural Alaska; and What lessons we've learned for Alaska's broadband future. This event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. If you plan to join us for lunch, please RSVP to . More information and a final agenda will be posted on ISER’s

website at

June 17 - 19

DENALINATIONAL PARK- FAMILY FIELD COURSE - DENALI WILDFLOWERS will be offered by Alaska Geographic through the Murie Science and LearningCenter. June brings a rainbow of colors to Denali's landscape. Bring your children and discover the beautiful world of Denali's wildflowers. Through hiking and exploration, we'll learn about what grows where and why, and how these plants survive in the subarctic ecosystem. This course will include active learning, floral arts and crafts, and stops to smell the tundra roses! This seminar is specifically designed for families with children 8 years and younger. Participants will stay at a field camp located 29 miles inside DenaliNational Park along the TeklanikaRiver. The Field Camp includes rustic tent cabins and a common dining tent. All meals, accommodations, transportation, and instruction are included in the $235 course fee. Professional development credit is available through UAA. For more information or to register, go to email , or call 907-683-1269.

June 22 - August 12

HOMER - The KACHEMAK BAY RESEARCH RESERVE’S SUMMER EDUCATION PROGRAMS begin on June 21st and runs through Friday, August 12th. These free programs are offered for people all ages: Estuary Walks starting at the AK Islands & Ocean Visitor Center (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 – 2 pm), Beach Walks at Bishops Beach (Fridays from 11am – 12pm, with community partners also leading Beach Walks on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the same time and location), and Discovery Labs in the AK Islands & Ocean Visitor Center’s lab classroom (Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 1 – 3 pm, with topics changing weekly). There is no registration required. For more information, contact Carmen Field at 226-4659 or .

July 1-3

DENALI NATIONAL PARK - FAMILY FIELD COURSE - DENALI DINOSAURS will be offered by Alaska Geographic through the Murie Science and LearningCenter. Dinosaurs once roamed Denali's landscape! Join us on this family exploration into Denali's prehistoric past. By investigating the geologic history, we'll be learning about the plants, animals and climate of this area as it might have looked 65 million years ago. Perhaps we'll even find a fossil or two! This seminar is specifically designed for families with children 8 years and older. Participants will stay at a field camp located 29 miles inside DenaliNational Park along the TeklanikaRiver. The Field Camp includes rustic tent cabins and a common dining tent. All meals, accommodations, transportation, and instruction are included in the $235 course fee. Professional development credit is available through UAA. For more information or to register, go to email , or call 907-683-1269.

July 26 - 28

FAIRBANKS - ED F595 INVASIVE PLANTS OF ALASKA FOR EDUCATORS will be held on the UFA main campus. 1 Credit. Investigate the invasive plants of Alaska in this three day field course. The course covers the ecological and societal impacts of invasive species, identification of problematic invasive species of Alaska, and methods for invasive plant control. The course includes hands-on use of inquiry-based lessons from Alaska-based invasive plants curricula. Participants will travel to UAF’s long-term ecological research sites and engage in a current ecology experiment investigating invasive plants, pollinators and wild berries. The course will enable educators to incorporate real world data into classroom activities through a citizen science invasive plants and pollinators project. All K-12 formal and informal educators are welcome to enroll. FREE travel and lodging available for all remote participants in Alaska. To register go to For more information, contact .

August 2-4

PALMER - ALASKA AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM will offer its annual for-credit Educator Institute. Three-day course includes farm tours, guest speakers, fun activities and lots of materials. Emphasis is on Alaska Grown agriculture and how to bring it into your classroom, while meeting standards and making it memorable for students. Course fee is $100, plus cost of 1 or 2 UAF 500-level professional development credits, if desired. Fee includes materials, Alaska Grown food and snacks. Follow-up work (lesson plan authoring) required for credit. Early registration deadline for extra materials is June 15. Registration accepted until July 24. Space is limited. To pre-register, visit and follow link to Teachers page. For information, email or call Victoria at 982-2219.

WEBINARS, WEBCASTS & TELECONFERENCES

June 9 (TELECONFERENCE)

The LYNN CANAL/ICY STRAIT RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE will meet at 9:30am via teleconference. This meeting is open to members of the public, who may call 800-857-9656 to connect and use 55104 passcode and the leader’s name: Debra Robinson. Juneau and Hoonah residents also can attend the Forest Service-led teleconference at either Admiralty National Monument/Juneau Ranger District, 8510 Mendenhall Loop Road, Juneau or Hoonah Ranger District, 430A Airport Road, Hoonah. While committee discussion is limited to Forest Service staff and committee members, public input is encouraged during the comment period of the meeting. Written comments also are welcome. For more information or to submit comments, contact Debra Robinson, RAC Coordinator, at .

June 16 (WEBINAR) (CORRECTED DATE)

PACIFIC OCEAN EDUCATION TEAM OCEAN SCIENCE WEBINAR - "ARE STELLER SEA LIONS ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY?" will be held from 9 to 10:30am Alaska time. Join the Pacific Ocean Education Team (POET) and guest speaker JOHN MANISCALCO of the AlaskaSeaLifeCenter to learn more about Ocean Stewardship. After more than 2 decades of study, there is still much disagreement over what caused a major crash in Steller sea lion populations of the northern Pacific Ocean. Nevertheless, a significant growth in numbers has been observed in some regions during the past 15 years, although declines continue in parts of the Aleutian Islands. Past and current population trends, vital rates, diet, and behavior will be discussed with special emphasis on Alaska SeaLife Center studies in the vicinity of Kenai Fjords National Park. Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

June 21 (WEBCAST) (CORRECTED DATE)

Public and Stakeholder Session of the NATIONAL COASTAL AND MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING WORKSHOP will be held from 9am to 5pm in Washington, DC and will be available through a live webcast. The National Ocean Policy sets a vision for America that ensures our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes are healthy and resilient, safe and productive, and understood and treasured so as to promote the well-being, prosperity, and security of present and future generations. To achieve this vision the National Ocean Policy establishes a comprehensive, collaborative, regionally based planning process called coastal and marine spatial planning. This process involves cooperative planning among Federal, State, and tribal authorities, and solicits extensive input from the public and stakeholders to develop an approach tailored to the unique needs of each region. To see webcast, go to I. For more information, go to

**June 22 (TELECONFERENCE AVAILABLE)

FAIRBANKS - CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COMMISSION ON FEDERAL AREAS (CACFA) will be meeting on Wednesday from 1pm until 5pm.and Thursday from 8:30am until 5pm at the Fairbanks Legislative Information Office; 3rd Floor, Alaska USA Financial Center, 1292 Sadler Way, Suite 308. The meeting is open to the public. Periods of public comment are scheduled at 3pm on Wednesday and 11am and 3pm on Thursday. The toll free number to call to participate in public comment (outside Juneau) 1-855-463-5009; (in Juneau) 463-5009. For additional information and proposed agenda items please contact: Stan Leaphart, Executive Director, at (907) 374-3737, Fax (907) 451-2751 or email: .

GRANTS & AWARDS

June 10 (ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)

Deadline for applications for the FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM. The nationwide Farm to School (FTS) project educates our youth to understand where their food comes from and how their food choices affect their bodies, environment and community. Additionally, the program offers nutrition and agriculture education through taste tests, school gardens, composting programs, and farm tours. To promote this continuing education, the Division of Agriculture is soliciting proposals for the FTS projects that will promote activities connecting students, teachers, and school food service staff with product grown and produced in Alaska. State funded grants, with a maximum of $1,000 per project, will be awarded to the successful applicants. Information and instructions for the Grant Application process is available at For more information, contact Johanna Herron at or at (907) 374-3714.

July 1

Deadline for applications for the 2011 SNOWMOBILE TRAILS GRANTS. Snowmobile trail grants are competitive and reimbursable matching grants. Funds are available for developing and maintaining public snowmobile trails, trail-related facilities, and safety and education projects. In addition, the Alaska State Trails Program also provides funding for the Snowmobile Trails Grooming Pool. These funds are specifically used for grooming, marking and providing signage for snowmobile trails. Grant funds are generated from annual registration fees paid to the State by snowmobile owners statewide. Please note that returning Grooming Pool applicants are required to fill out an Established Trail Funding Request Form. New applicants to the Grooming Pool, or applicants for projects unrelated to the Grooming Pool, must fill out the appropriate application for their trail development or safety/education projects All forms can be found at the following link: For more information or to submit applications contact Bill Luck at (907) 269-8699 or email .

**September 16

Deadline for submission to the PICTURE THE HEART OF HOMER - BELUGA SLOUGH & BISHOP’S BEACH PHOTO CONTEST Sponsored by the Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges

and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge at Islands & Ocean. Who can enter? Amateur Photographers: For the purposes of this contest, a professional photographer is considered to be a photographer who has clients, depends on photography for their income, markets their services and/or writes off their expenses as a business owner. Photos must be taken in Beluga Slough or on Bishop’s Beach and owned by the entrant. Entries must be digital files, 3MB minimum size. Each entry must have: photographer’s name; age category (15 and under or adult); address; phone number; email; when and where the photo was taken. Photos will be displayed at the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center and online. Email entries to . For more information, contact Sharon Baur at 907-299-1132 or email or Marianne Aplin at 907-226-4619 or email .

DEADLINES

June 9

JUNEAU - Deadline for comments for proposed ALASKA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT, COEUR ALASKA, INC., KENSINGTON GOLD MINE, located 45 miles north of Juneau. The mine operates two wastewater treatment facilities, one located at the tailings treatment facility, and one located above Sherman Creek. The tailing treatment facility water treatment plant will receive water from slurry transport of settled tailings. The treated wastewater is discharged through outfall 002 into the Upper Slate Lake diversion pipe. The diversion pipe conducts the combined water to the head of East Fork Slate Creek. Mine drainage is treated at the mine water treatment plant and discharged to Sherman Creek through outfall 001. A Fact Sheet and associated documents are available at For more information or to submit comments, contact Kenwyn George at 907-465-5313 or email .

June 10

Deadline for comments on the WEST ANCHORAGE DISTRICT PLAN has been extended. This important planning document covers a large area of West Anchorage, including the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Key Issues: -The Plan's eastern boundary; -Land use changes in the Spenard Road Corridor; -Proposed comprehensive land exchange in the Plan that would eliminate dedicated parkland; Of key interest to Tony Knowles Coastal Trail users/advocates: ensure plan includes permanent protection of existing buffer/greenbelt areas on ALL Municipal Heritage Land Bank land and acquisition of a trail easement and buffer on private/airport land. Currently proposed in the plan, a proposed land exchange -Recommended property disclosures and potential effects on property values (determined by airport noise contours); -Development issues on the airport along Strawberry/South Airpark; -Protection of valuable natural open space, dedicated parkland and Coastal Trail buffering; and -Impacts of continued airport development and operations, including another North-South Runway. To view the plan, go to E-mail comments to or fax to 343-7927. For information, contact Turnagain Community Council President Cathy Gleason, at or 248-0442.

June 10

UNALASKA - Comments are due on the PROPOSED RUNWAY EXTENSION is needed to accommodate existing and forecast air service at Unalaska Airport. The proposed RSA improvements would enhance safety at Unalaska Airport by meeting the applicable design standards for the critical aircraft to the extent practicable. and hardcopies are available for review at the Unalaska Public Library. For more information, contact Wolfgang Junge, Project Manager at (907) 269-0608 or email or Bill Willkie, CH2M HILL Project Manager at (510) 587-7751 or email . Submit comments to

Brian Elliott, DOT&PF Environmental Manager, c/o Unalaska Airport EA, PO Box 196900, Anchorage AK 99519-6900

June 10

ANCHORAGE - Deadline for registration for be entered into drawings for Alaska Wildland Adventure float trips, Alaska Railroad excursions, and more for the JULY 9 1ST ANNUAL ANCHORAGE WEED SMACKDOWN to be will be held from 10am to 1pm at the Valley of the Moon Municipal Park, rain or shine. Last year, more than 80 people joined forces in a fun and family-friendly competition to help control invasive plants in Fairbanks. This year, Fairbanks has thrown down the gauntlet and challenged the rest of Alaska to try and compete. We will be targeting European bird cherry, which is toxic and potentially fatal to moose; and reed canarygrass, which degrades salmon habitat. By removing these invaders, we will allow native plants and healthy habitats to come back along Chester Creek. Form a team and send in a registration, or come alone and join a team. Come prepared to spend a few hours outside enjoying some exercise, fresh air, fun, and habitat clean-up. Refreshments & lunch will be provided. Register at to For more information contact 907-441-7366 or .

June 14

Deadline for comments on changes to the proposed SEWARD HIGHWAY MILEPOST 88 SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. The original proposal was to widen a 200 foot portion at the MP 88 curve to accommodate an 8 fto. Shoulder. The new proposal consists of the following: Widen the north side of Seward Highway up to 8 ft. through the curve for a length of approximately 1800 ft. to accommodate an 8-ft. median; Replace 1100 ft. of guardrail on north side of highway; Repair guardrail on south side of highway as needed; Place a 32-inch high, 200-ft. long crash worthy concrete barrier along the north side of the project where the roadway comes closest to the Alaska Railroad; Install rumble strips in the median; and Install warning signs within the existing embankment and improve the foreslope as previously proposed. Construction is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2012. For more information, contact Kevin Jaction, Project Manager, at 907-269-0641 or Holly Sanders, Environmental Team Leader at 907-269-0528. Submit comments to Brian Elliott, Regional Environmental Manager, at (907)269-0539 or email .