February was generally characterized by above normal temperatures and just slightly below normal precipitation. Although there was less monthly precipitation than the 30-year average, a trace or more of precipitation was recorded at the Seward airport 79% of days (22 out of 28 days). Winds were relatively calm with a monthly average wind speed of 7.3 mph. Over the course of the month, snowpack at Exit Glacier increased 20.1 inches; length of day increased by 2 hours and 16 minutes.

As recorded at the Seward airport, total precipitation for the month was 5.67 inches (94% of normal), .38 inches below the 30-year average (1981-2010) for the month. The monthly average temperature for February was 31.4 degrees F; 3.1 degrees F above the 30-year average. February 18^th was the windiest day of the month reported at the Seward airport with sustained winds of 20.7 mph and a 5-second wind gust of 46 mph.

Also of note:

• The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s  three month weather outlook (March-April-May)favors below normal temperatures and normal precipitation for the Kenai Fjords area.
• The NWS Climate Prediction Center has a new interactive map that displays the 8-14 day outlook for Alaska and the continental U.S.
• An international team of scientists report that, between 2003 and 2012, arctic sea ice volume has declined by 36% in the autumn and 9% in the winter.
• New research published in Nature Climate Change discusses the impacts of lower sea-ice extent onmarine-atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange.
• NASA published a photograph of a research rocket shooting into the aurora in Fairbanks in February. Click here to see the photo and read more about aurora research being conducted through the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska.
• The Guardian provides a simple explanation about permafrost and the implications of climate change.
• Climate Central reports on research published in the journal Science that indicates that permafrost melting could begin sooner and be more widespread than previously believed.
• New research indicates that permafrost exposed to sunlight releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere much faster than previously thought.
• Nature Geoscience published research announcing the discovery of a long-searched for source of deep-ocean streams of cold water that help to regulate the Earth’s climate; their methods involved tracking elephant seals off Antarctica.
• Is there still hope that we can limit climate change? The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis says “yes”.
• The Federal Advisory Committee has released a Draft Climate Assessment Report for public review through April 12^th and includes a chapter specifically addressing climate change in Alaska and the Arctic.
• The public comment period is also open for the EPA’s Draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan.
• NOAA climate services portal serves as a single point-of-entry for NOAA’s extensive climate information, data, products, services, and the climate science magazine ClimateWatch.

Read more to find out about the local climate for February 2013

WeatherSummary_KEFJ201302

The New Year brought a change in winter weather as the cold, dry conditions experienced in early winter shifted to warmer, wetter conditions at the end of December and lasted throughout most of January. January’s slightly warmer than normal temperatures and precipitation combined to result in wet snow, sleet, and rain for most of the month. A short respite arrived with high pressure during the last week of the month when temperatures plummeted and precipitation ceased. Despite above average monthly precipitation, the warmer conditions in January prevented the accumulation of any fluffy snow and the month ended with Kenai Fjords blanketed in an average depth, wet snowpack. Snow Course measurements conducted at Exit Glacier at the end of January confirm this: the January 2013 snowpack was about average for the last four years although it was 22.5 inches shallower than the January 2012 snowpack (38.5 in and 61 in, respectively). The ratio of snow depth to water content resulted in an 8% denser snowpack this year than last (33% density on February 1, 2013 vs. 25% density on February 1, 2012). To learn more about how this winter’s snow depth and snow water equivalent at Exit Glacier compare to previous winters, see the charts at the end of this summary.

As recorded at the Seward airport, total precipitation for the month was 8.88 inches (110% of normal), .81 inches above the 30-year average (1981-2010) for the month. The monthly average temperature for January was 30.0 degrees F; 2.9 degrees F above the 30-year average. January 26^th was the windiest day of the month reported at the Seward airport with sustained winds of 22.4 mph and a 5-second wind gust of 53 mph.

Also of note:

• The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s  three month weather outlook (February-March-April) favors below normal temperatures and normal precipitation for the Kenai Fjords area.
• A recent National Park Service study of vegetation patterns published in Ecological Monographs indicates that climate change may lead to an increase in abundance and distribution of white spruce in interior Alaska as the tree species expands into areas that are newly thawed.
• To find out which Alaska town has the most snow so far this year, check out the current edition of the Alaska Snow Survey Report and learn more about the 2012-2013 winter snowpack and how it compares to past winters.
• The variability of weather conditions in Alaska can make travel and outdoor recreation tricky to plan. Before you set out, you can see for yourself what the weather is doing by checking out one of the FAA Weather Cameras, distributed around the state and updated every ten minutes.
• NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory has a cool (or maybe it’s hot) running 30-day temperature anomaly map to show how current temperatures compare to the average.
• Speaking of anomalies, the Economist reports on the hottest places on Earth.
• The winter 2012-2013 issue of the Alaska Climate Dispatch provides a recap of “notable weather systems” of 2012 including the early-fall storms of September and the late-fall cold, dry spell experienced on the Kenai Peninsula and across Alaska.
• The Arctic Oscillation (AO) has switched to a negative state. Read more at the National Snow & Ice Data Center to learn about the AO and how it affects sea ice extent and weather.
• NOAA climate services portal serves as a single point-of-entry for NOAA’s extensive climate information, data, products, services, and the climate science magazine ClimateWatch.

Read more to find out about the local climate for January 2013

WeatherSummary_KEFJ201301

Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands Landscape Conservation Cooperative:  Strategic Science Plan

The Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands Landscape Conservation Cooperative (ABSI LCC) is
a self-directed partnership with a focus on applied science products. The ABSI LCC is in
the process of developing a Strategic Science Plan to help guide its activities in the coming
years.  The presentation will also provide an opportunity to share your perspectives on the
pressing management issues and applied science needs for the Aleutian and Bering Sea
Islands region.

Join Douglas Burn and Aaron Poe on:

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Time:  3:00-4:00 pm

Bear Mountain Conference Room, Alaska SeaLife Center

Free Seminar

“Don’t Say No to Coho” team presents oral research project at NOSB 2013. Carol Griswold photo.

By Heidi Zemach for Seward City News

Seward High School’s National Ocean Sciences Bowl team, “Don’t Say No to Coho,” produced an interesting original research paper and oral report for the competition that explores some ideas about coho, and the health of Resurrection Bay that not many people in the area are thinking or talking about. They looked into Seward’s possible overreliance on artificial, hatchery-produced silver salmon, and weighed whether doing so is wise, and whether it wouldn’t be better for the environment of Resurrection Bay if greater efforts were focused more on improving the habitat, and growing back our wild coho population.  Team members included Team Captain Alex Ashford, Isabel Barnwell, Josephine Braun, Maranda Clark and Kara Knotek. They were coached by SHS science teacher Carlyn Nichols.

Team members said they decided to focus on coho (silver) salmon due to the lack of public concern that the salmon we have, and make tourism dollars off of, are so dependent on hatcheries. Nor are most citizens or researchers concerned enough about the overall health of the estuary, they said, because the hatchery-produced salmon keep returning each year in relatively good numbers and size.

The students relied on research papers, newspaper articles, and interviews with a variety of sources including Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, Cindy Clock, of the Seward Chamber of Commerce, and also owner of a charter boat; Alaska fisheries writer Laine Welch, Anchorage Daily News articles, studies by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska SeaLife Center, Native Fish Society, Native Fish Society, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Company, Usibelli Coal Mine, and more.

The Seward Silver Salmon Derby brings in thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars for Seward every year, Barnwell said. “We are paying 50 cents per smolt in order to keep the estuary coho numbers healthy instead of trying to help restore the natural salmon populations.” In 2012 Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association stocked Bear Creek Weir with 40 thousand coho salmon. This summer, the City of Seward and Seward Chamber of Commerce plans to pay to stock the river system with 50,000 salmon fry, reared in the state’s new warm-water hatchery. They will be partnering with the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association to meet stocking goals not met since 2002 (Seward Chamber of Commerce, 2012).   That would be a total of 365,000 coho salmon released instead of the regular 315,000.

While artificial hatchery salmon are extremely important for the economy, they are not necessarily healthy for the estuary, Barnwell said.

NOSB Seward team during quiz bowl. Carol Griswold photo

The importance of protecting and restoring the wild coho salmon instead of using hatchery salmon is because of natural selection, according to their report. Not allowing salmon to evolve along with their environment, instead of remaining static, creates a weaker and less adaptable fish population. Research shows that wild coho eggs do not survive very well in the estuary under current conditions, perhaps because they hatch earlier than normal, or due to interbreeding with hatchery-fish, making them less adaptable to changing environment, said Maranda Clark.

Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association (CIAA) releases around 450,000 silver salmon into Bear Lake, and around 2.4 million sockeye fry into Bear Lake every Spring. A 2012 study conducted by Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, which manages the hatchery operation on the Kenai Peninsula, sampled 316 coho salmon as they exited Bear Lake. It discovered that only 1.6% of the population was from natural stock.

Another assumption for their small numbers is a lack of natural spawning grounds within the river and lakes for wild coho salmon because of poor stewardship. Bear Lake is “fertilized” each year, stimulating phytoplankton growth, and thereby increasing zooplankton population, which is the main source of food for the salmon fry. Meanwhile, they said, “The city assumes that purchasing more fry and smolt, with little regard for the fish habitat, easily controls the population of salmon.  This is a problem,” the report said. Because if the estuary is not tended to, eventually any fry or smolt, wild or hatchery bred, will not thrive if there is pollution and a lack of food.

Alex Ashford compares the situation here in Resurrection Bay with Eel River estuary, near Humboldt County, California, which has a similar environment and experienced a rapid decline in its wild coho salmon population in the late 1970’s. Coho were listed as an endangered species there. Their decline has been attributed to a variety of factors including alteration of sediments, but possibly also interbreeding with hatchery salmon, overfishing, development, logging, fires, pollution and climate change, he said.

The Seward students could find little data other than anecdotal evidence to support the idea that the local system once supported a larger wild coho population. But they believe the stories people tell that many of the local creeks and the town’s lagoon used to have much larger wild salmon populations.

“Options do exist that can help the natural coho salmon population,” their research states. “The city can start to invest time and money into estuarine management, including improving riparian zones, cleaning streambeds, controlling flood zones, and creating thoughtful zoning laws.”

Culverts can harm and potentially kill salmon in times of floods, droughts, and where strong currents occur. The culverts in important salmon migration areas also would have to be replaced, or placed in a way that would optimize, rather than hinder fish migration.

“There have been a few examples of this type of stewardship locally in the last two years, including Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance’s work restoring Scheffler Creek habitat, and CIAA’s work on culvert(s) at Exit Glacier, but this effort must expand beyond its little scope,” the students concluded.

More careful zoning regulations also would be advisable for new industrial or construction sites that could add to bay pollution through runoff, they said.

The team’s solution also includes a “phased approach” to reducing the amount of stocked fish while promoting and providing healthier spawning grounds for wild coho. With this plan, the natural wild coho salmon population will be restored, the Resurrection Bay estuary will be restored to its peak, and the fishery will be restored to its naturally healthy state, they said.

The Seward NOSB team did not research, nor did they find evidence to support the idea that the annual flooding cycle whereby glacial silt and sediments, and also human flood-control dredging activities scours certain creeks and river beds where salmon spawn, also may be affecting salmon survival, but they told the judges it seems likely. They also were surprised by the lack of research overall on their subject matter.

They barely mentioned the potential detrimental effects of pollution and runoff via the coal transfer facility, barges, ship repair yards, cruise ships, and treated Spring Creek sewage, all of which feed into Resurrection Bay.* This reporter hopes however that their findings will nevertheless give Seward pause to consider the effects of our salmon management practices and future actions on the health of bay.

Some 24 teams from across Alaska participated in NOSB last weekend at Seward High School. Through their interaction with university professors and marine science professionals, the event provided team members networking opportunities for those interested in continuing with higher education, and possible careers in the field. In turn, the student’s independent research projects provided fresh, idealistic ideas about resource management in their region, unclouded by financial or political considerations.

(Correction: I had wrongly said there was “untreated Spring Creek sewage” feeding into Resurrection Bay. But, according to Assistant City  Manager Ron Long, the sewage from Spring  Creek, and the area, goes through primary and secondary  treatment, the same as at Lowell Point, before being discharged onto the Bay. “The system is better than Anchorage’s
primary treatment system discharging a much larger volume into Cook Inlet under a waiver issued by the state,” Long states.)

Lulu, a giant Pacific octopus living at the Alaska SeaLife Center since July, 2009, dutifully tends her many thousands of eggs first laid last spring.(ASLC staff photo credit)

The Alaska Tsunami National Ocean Sciences Bowl is happening right now, and over the weekend at Seward High School. In honor of science nerds everywhere, I wanted you to know that another fascinating phenomenon is occurring right now at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Their Giant Pacific Octopus “Lulu” is pregnant; or rather this Octo-Mom is caring for hundreds, possibly thousands of eggs she laid after mating with the old ASLC octopus male Felix, from the Denizens of the Deep Exhibit way back on Sept 15, 2011.

It’s the only time either of them got to mate in their whole life. Felix has since died, as males do after mating. Lulu also will die-but hopefully after her eggs have hatched. For the past 10 months, since she actually decided to begin laying those fertile eggs—after a six month retention period—she has been an attentive mother, fanning the eggs, protecting them from predators like star fish or aquarium attendants, and trying to build a barricade to hide behind. She doesn’t even leave them to get food to eat very often anymore, and has lost weight as a result.
The SeaLife Center staff are carefully watching her progress and learning things from observing her reproductive cycle and her behavior. They are hoping to learn even more about the process of feeding and caring for the hatchlings successfully when they hatch from their eggs this spring.
And now here are Giant Pacific Octopus eggs seen close-up:

Clearly visible in the embryos by mid-December were eyes, numerous pigment spots forming on the skin, and a supply of yolk at the round end of the egg to sustain them until they hatch. (ASLC staff photo)

Here’s a You Tube videotape of LuLu mating with Felix.    Happy early Valentines Day!

You can read more from Heidi Zemach’s Phoenix-Log article: Due date narrows for octopus mom.

The ASLC is open daily in Seward. Alaska residents can get in for free on Wednesday’s through the end of the month.

By Heidi Zemach for SCN

Seward High School and the town generally will be extremely busy over the next few days and this weekend, even if those sturdy yellow school busses have to drive through snow blizzards to get here.

The Seward Seahawk Classic basketball tournament is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 7-9 at Seward High School. Meanwhile, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl will use the other half of the school February 8, 9, and 10. The visiting basketball teams are expected to bring an additional 72 student athletes into the school, not including fans and coaches. NOSB will bring another150 students, plus many more coaches, timers and other local volunteers.

The SHS Winter Formal is on Saturday, February 9th, at Seward Elementary.

If you have not seen it before, NOSB is a great event, where you can sit in as student contestants answer rapid-fire questions related to our marine environment. Test your own knowledge against theirs, privately of course, and learn from the correct answers. There are also oral scientific presentations by each team, who come here from across Alaska. They are accompanied by Power-Points, often with interesting photos, graphics, and sometimes even video. Sit in and learn about some cutting-edge research being done on important issues such as Ocean Acidification, Global Climate Change, over-fishing, who knows? Here’s your chance to learn from these enthusiastic budding marine scientists.

There are also parent/teacher conferences. With the co-curricular events occurring in the evening, Seward High will host Parent/Teacher Conferences on a more traditional schedule. The morning sessions will run from 8:00am-11:00am and the afternoon sessions will run from 12:00pm-3:00pm on both Thursday, February 7th and Friday, February 8th. Feel free to contact your teacher directly and schedule an appointment (even if it is outside of our Parent/Teacher schedule). You can do this by calling the schools’ main number at 224-3351, or by emailing your child’s teacher directly. Their email address is their first initial and last name @kpbsd.k12.ak.us.

Seward High is now web streaming all of its sports events. To access Seward High co-curricular events online, simply go to our homepage  The Seward High Webcast (live stream) can be found under “Important Links” on the right side of our homepage (near the bottom). The school also is looking for broadcasters so that they can add audio commentary during events. If there are latent sports broadcasters out there, contact SHS Principal Trevan Walker at 224-9077 or twalker@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Wednesday, February 13, 9:00 am – 10:00 am

Free one-hour teleconference sponsored by the Alaska Collaborative on Health and the Environment.

About the Call:

A recent peer-reviewed study by Duke University tested over 100 polyurethane foam samples from couches across the U.S. and found that 85% contained potentially toxic or untested flame retardants. As these chemicals are released from our furniture in the form of microscopic dust, we inhale and ingest them constantly. Many flame retardants raise health concerns, including cancer, hormone disruption, and harmful effects on brain development. The study found an increase in the use of flame retardants in newer couches, despite no data demonstrating fire safety benefit from their use. Join lead author of the study, Dr. Heather M. Stapleton, for a discussion of the study’s findings and health effects of toxic flame retardants, and Pamela K. Miller, executive director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics for an update on what’s happening at the state, federal, and international levels to halt exposure to toxic flame retardants. We will also discuss how these chemicals are accumulating in the Arctic and how they might affect human and environmental health.

To learn more, or sign-up and receive dial-up instructions: http://bit.ly/Feb13Call

Wednesday, February 6,  9:00 am – 10:00 am

Free one-hour teleconference sponsored by the Alaska Collaborative on Health and the Environment.

About the Call:

Nurses are becoming increasingly engaged in environmental health issues including chemical policy reform. They are concerned about preventing diseases of environmental origin, but may lack the expertise to effectively advocate for change. Nurses that are both informed about environmental and public health problems, and empowered to effectively influence policy, can be a powerful force to vastly improve public health.

Presenters Katie Huffling, RN, MS, CNM, Director of Programs at the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments and  Kathy Curtis, executive director of Clean and Healthy New York will provide a brief overview of market and government chemical policies currently being considered, and explore how nurses can utilize advocacy tools to advance public health protections.

Learn more, or sign-up to receive the dial-up instructions at: http://bit.ly/Feb6Call

Wednesday, January 23, 9:00 am to 10:00 am

At every stage – from mining, transportation, combustion, and disposal – coal  development threatens human health, air quality, and water quality. Learn more

Presenters will discuss:

• Current coal mining proposals in Alaska;
• The adverse health effects of inhaling diesel particulate matter and coal dust – a significant risk for those communities along truck and train transportation routes; and
• How toxic emissions (including mercury and other heavy metals) from coal-fired power plants in Asia travel back to Alaska, polluting our air, water, and fish.

Presenters:

• Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, Director and Founder of the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders (INND), Affiliate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington and author of A Small Dose of Toxicology- The Health Effects of Common Chemicals.
• Regna Merritt, Campaign Director: Prevent Coal Exports, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility. Regna is a retired physician assistant who works with health professionals and the Power Past Coal Coalition to identify and prevent negative health impacts of proposed coal export projects in the Pacific Northwest.
• Heidi Zimmer, Environmental Health and Justice Coordinator, Alaska Community Action on Toxics.

To join this call: Sign up or call ACAT at 222-7714 to receive the dial-up instructions.

Workers install the City viewing platform (Heidi Zemach photo)

By Heidi Zemach (with assistance from a SCN article by Carol Griswold)

Two viewing decks were installed Tuesday afternoon along the banks of Scheffler Creek, near the Small Boat Harbor. They represent the culmination of a two-year multi-agency project coordinated by the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance to protect the creek, its banks, and fish habitat. The viewing decks are meant to encourage people to view the spawning salmon and creek safely, without damaging and undermining the banks and their protective vegetation, and also to provide public education.

Tougas viewing platform installed

The first 6 x 20′ aluminum light-penetrating “City” viewing platform is about 100 yards upstream of the new foot bridge, downstream of the Third Avenue culverts, along the paved trail. It will have two educational signs installed on it. The “Tougas” deck is on Seward Wildlife Cruises LCC property, below the RV parking lot just west of 4th Avenue. Both were built and installed by Mike’s Welding, of Soldotna.  Funding for the multi-faceted project was provided by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Seward Community Foundation, Seward Chamber of Commerce, City of Seward, and Seward Wildlife Cruises, LLC.

Last year, the Kenai Watershed Forum partnered with the City to design, contract and install a pedestrian bridge to replace two damaged culverts at the stream outlet. The new bridge and stream design allows improved fish passage and spawning habitat. Adjacent stream banks were reseeded with native grasses and covered with matting to improve that habitat and to help restore the vegetation. Overhanging branches and vegetation are essential for good salmon habitat as they provide shade, places to hide from predators, and insects and other invertebrates for food. The vegetation also reduces erosion and that improves water quality.

This year, two badly eroded sites along the lower creek were selected for more intensive stream bank restoration by Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance (RBCA) and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Habitat Division (ADFG). Site One was near the culverts on Third Avenue where countless footsteps wore the bank down to bare ground. Site Two was a few hundred yards farther south on the Waterfront Pathway (bike path) where seasonal flooding washed away all the stream bank vegetation leaving nothing but gravel.

On June 26, 2012, twenty-two volunteers helped with the bank restoration of those sites. Volunteers included AmeriCorps interns from the Alaska Sealife Center, Kenai Fjords National Park staff and their Student Conservation Association (SCA) interns, and local citizens. The City of Seward Public Works Department provided topsoil, a backhoe, and skilled operator Jason. The Department of Transportation (DOT) provided beach ryegrass from their Seward Airport project and a generous pile of dirt.

At the end of the day, volunteers had completed the intensive layering and anchoring of the willow and alder brush mat. The next day, RBCA watered the new plantings, added more beach rye grass clumps to the top layer, and installed a temporary fence to keep pedestrians from trampling the new vegetation. A black mat and coarse rocks were added to Site Two to guide future floodwater over the bank with minimal erosion.

Scheffler Creek is a salmon stream that flows right through the heart of town. It starts high in the Mt Marathon Bowl where ice-cold water from melting snow shoots over the cliffs in a spectacular waterfall. The mountain stream then follows Phoenix Road, though wetlands, and into the Lagoon. Other small artesian-fed creeks join at the Lagoon and all flow through culverts under Third Avenue to Lower Scheffler Creek and then out to the bay south of the harbor uplands.

Pink, Red, and Silver salmon use the stream and its tributaries for spawning, rearing and passage. King salmon are stocked annually in the Lagoon. Salmon are in the stream all year round, either as spawners, eggs, alevin, fry, or smolt.

By Heidi Zemach for SCN

Seward residents will have the opportunity to play a part in an oil spill prevention and cleanup planning process, and to meet the citizens from Alaska’s coastal communities who were also impacted by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, and who are still working to see that it doesn’t happen again.
The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council holds its annual Board of Directors Meeting & annual planning process meeting in Seward September 20-21, on the third floor of the AVTEC Culinary Institute at Third Avenue and Monroe.
John French, the City of Seward representative to PWCRCAC encouraged city leaders to welcome the gathering. He’d also like to see interested residents, ( fishermen, and maritime and marine experts) attend, and invites them to speak during the citizen’s comment periods, or just learn what they can about the issues being discussed that could impact our waters and our livelihoods.
The council, which was set up in 1990 following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, only meets in Seward every seven years. So this is Seward’s chance to express the importance of Seward in oil spill response planning, and, should the need arise, actual incident response, French said. With the new harbor development at Seward Marine Industrial Center, new developments in the shipping industry that may affect Seward, and several related institutes in our midst, including the the Alaska SeaLife Center, maritime training center at AVTEC, and UAF Marine Center, many here in Seward already are, or may one day be involved in some way in spill prevention and cleanup.
The name Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) can be somewhat misleading, because its area of responsibility covers the whole region adversely impacted by the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), French said. Yet the only major oil spill incident in Prince William Sound (EVOS) resulted in oil being carried across the southern Kenai Peninsula coast, including Resurrection Bay, and down past Kodiak. Currently Alaska North Slope crude oil is carried by Tesoro tankers crossing in front of Resurrection Bay en-route from the Valdez terminal to Tesoro’s refinery at Nikiski, and sometimes residuals back to the Valdez terminal.
PWSRCAC was mandated under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to enhance citizen input to help assure the environmentally safe transport of crude oil through the Valdez marine terminal.

There is a public comment period starting at 8:35 a.m. on Thursday 20 September. Comments will be limited to five minutes.
Also, there is a community reception at the Alaska SeaLife Center starting at 5:30 also on Thursday 20 September.
Click here for the meeting agenda
The council’s annual planning process and five-year plan revision started in earnest this month. A public request for project ideas and concepts has been issued to regulatory agencies, industry members, and other Stakeholders. See the council website to find This letter 

After an intense eight days of physical and emotional challenges, four Civil Air Patrol cadets from the Seward Composite Squadron graduated from the 2012 Arctic Challenge. The encampment, held at Fort Richardson, was very similar to a military boot camp. Cadets were awakened at 5:00am to the sounds of whistles and screaming flight commanders, and they endured challenging physical training exercises every morning. They participated in military drilling, ate at the base dining hall, and ensured that their beds and lockers were in pristine condition for any unexpected inspections. Cadets even pushed through an extremely demanding obstacle course that the military uses in training; once with their flight’s own flag, and twice with a 200 pound log.

Cadet Airman First Class Ryan Maxwell said, “You learn extremely rapidly to work as a team, in every task, from making beds, to organizing lockers, to shining boots, and definitely for carrying those logs! The first day, I wanted to be more independent, but I learned that it is WAY easier and more time efficient to work as a single unit, instead of as a group of individuals.”

However, the encampment wasn’t all hard work and stress. The cadets did enjoy several outstanding demonstrations and other special activities. Some of these included meeting an Explosive Ordinance Disposal team and admiring the devices or robots they use to disarm roadside bombs. They had the opportunity to observe a Canine Search Team in action, and enjoyed attending the Alaska Airshow.  They made new friends and met other cadets from around Alaska and the lower 48.

Even though the encampment was difficult, graduating was a proud moment for the youth and their parents.  Rachel Banse was especially proud of her son, Isaac Osborn, who distinguished himself throughout the week and was awarded Honor Cadet for Echo Flight.

Cadet Airmen First Class Alden Hamilton, Ryan Maxwell, Isaac Osborn and Nicolas Woodard worked hard this year to earn the privilege of attending this unique experience.  They had to pass physical fitness tests, military drill tests, as well as self-study to pass online Leadership and Aerospace Education exams.  “The CAP cadet program is meant to be challenging,” says Stephanie Presley, Deputy Commander of Cadets.  “We provide opportunities for youth to develop self-discipline, leadership skills and the character needed to help them be successful in whatever they choose to do.  Whether they are interested in the military, becoming a pilot, or entering into a career in emergency services or aviation, youth will take away what they are willing to put into the program.  I’m very proud of what the Seward cadets have been able to accomplish this year and I’m excited to see what these young people will accomplish in the future.”

Graduation from the encampment is a requirement for cadets wanting to participate in other Civil Air Patrol sponsored activities.  With generous support from community members and organizations, the Seward Squadron was able to provide scholarships for the encampment and for two cadets to attend the 2012 Glider Academy.  Cadets Osborn and Maxwell attended the ten day academy earlier this summer at Clear Air Force Station.  At this academy, primary cadets, with their instructor, pilot thirty or more glider flights; enough to earn a glider’s rating. Other activities which require completion of the encampment include a powered flight academy, allowing youth to fly at least one-third of the hours needed to earn their pilot’s license, the physically demanding Pararescue Orientation and Hawk Mountain Search and Rescue Courses, and the International Air Cadet Exchange, in which cadets travel to different places around the world to broaden their understanding of aviation and foreign cultures.

Seward CAP will hold an open house for prospective cadets, age 12-18, and parents on September 10^th at 6pm, followed by a BBQ at 6:30, free for all community members.  The recently completed operations center, the silver hanger on Airport Road, will be open for tours. For more information, visit gocivilairpatrol.com or call Commander Brandon Anderson at 491-0385, or Deputy Commander of Cadets, Stephanie Presley at 980-8386.

The follow seminar will be re-scheduled for a later date.  We are sorry for the inconvenience!

Monitoring Wildlife:  Walruses and Beluga

When:  Thursday, August 9th

Time:  12-1pm (Brown Bag Lunch)

Where:  Bear Mountain Conference Room, Alaska SeaLife Center

Seminar Speaker:   Lori Polasek, Ph.D.

Monitoring Wildlife:  Walruses and Beluga

When:  Thursday, August 9th

Time:  12-1pm (Brown Bag Lunch)

Where:  Bear Mountain Conference Room, Alaska SeaLife Center  

Seminar Speaker:   Lori Polasek, Ph.D.

Lori will give and overview of two of the Alaska SeaLife Center’s monitoring projects.  Learn about Cook Inlet beluga whale activity in the Little Susitna River using live feed video, and Pacific walrus land use monitored by still photography.

 (Free Seminar, Everyone Welcome!)

On July 5th and 6th Metco Inc. completed the installation of a special “fish passage” culvert on Timber Drive at the south end of the Questa Wood subdivision. Metco Inc. and Tom Gillespie’s crew did a great job of installing the new culvert and minimizing the disturbance to the creek.

About 7 years ago the Kenai Watershed Forum (KWF) surveyed several Seward area creeks to add them to the Anadromous Waters Catalog and to look for culverts that prevent fish passage. The Timber Drive culvert was found to inhibit fish passage. Recently the KWF secured funding from Federal, Borough and non-federal sources and asked RBCA to handle all the logistics involved with design, private property approval, obtaining permits, bidding and construction.

Last week, years of work came to fruition and a 72 inch arched metal culvert was installed adjacent to the old 24 inch culvert. Leaving the old culvert in place made the construction work easier and it allowed reduced impacts to the creek (a small groundwater fed tributary to Salmon Creek).  Metco employed a few special techniques to install several inches of clean gravel and rock inside the new culvert so that it closely mimics a natural river channel.

By late Friday afternoon small salmon fry were seen swimming into the new culvert. Success!  We expect that upstream property owners will also benefit by the huge increase in stormwater flow that the new culvert will allow to pass. This should result in a reduction of flooded crawl spaces, which has been a problem in this area.

Matt Gray
Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance
Watershed Program Coordinator