2012 Biennial National Meeting 2012 BIENNIAL NATIONAL MEETING COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNITS NETWORK

Transcription

1 2012 Biennial National Meeting 2012 BIENNIAL NATIONAL MEETING CESU COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNITS NETWORK

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3 2012 Biennial National Meeting 1 Program Contents Welcome 2 Host 3 Organizers 4 Agenda 5 Abstracts Wednesday Morning Plenary 10 Wednesday Afternoon: Concurrent Sessions I & II 11 Thursday Morning Plenary 13 Thursday Afternoon: Concurrent Sessions III & IV 15 Posters 17 on the cover left to right: Professor Jason Janke and a student install temperature data loggers to locate and monitor permafrost along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park (photo courtesy Jason Janke, Metropolitan State University of Denver) Ira Matt, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal member and University of Montana anthropology graduate student, surveys an ice patch in Glacier National Park for paleo-biological items (photo courtesy Pei-Lin Yu, Rocky Mountains CESU) Students observe a California Tiger Salamander at the Jepson Prairie Reserve, managed by University of California - Davis (photo courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) A graduate student conducts field research to understand the site-specific species richness for grassland obligate birds on the Great Plains (photo courtesy Larkin Powell, University of Nebraska - Lincoln)

4 2 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network Welcome Greetings CESU Network partners and friends, On behalf of the CESU Network Council and the Conference Organizing Committee, I would like to officially welcome you to Washington, DC and thank you for joining us for the 7th Biennial Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Network National Meeting. The network continues to flourish, with the addition of over 40 new nonfederal partners and increased enrollment by federal agencies since we convened in There are many new leaders, across the partner federal agencies, nonfederal institutions, and at the helms of the CESUs, and invigorated interest in landscape scale conservation throughout the network. While at the meeting, take advantage of the opportunity to introduce yourself, share your information, and find out something about your fellow participants. The collective expertise in attendance at this meeting is remarkable and poised to answer the most critical and pressing issues facing public trust resource science and stewardship today. This is truly a special time for science, and the need for partnerships and collaboration has never been more evident. As we observe change around us whether slow, steady, and predictable, or stochastic, rapid, and catastrophic the latest science and technical information is needed to inform next steps and long-term solutions. The CESU Network is well-positioned as a platform to support research, technical assistance, and educational activities that are responsive to national, regional, and local needs, promote high-quality scholarship and problem solving, support development of future conservation leaders, and demonstrate good government. Demand continues to grow for usable knowledge to inform decisions surrounding climate change, ecosystem services, alternative energy development, water management, air quality, cultural heritage preservation, and myriad human dimensions across the wildland-urban continuum. Yet persistent budget limitations at state, federal, and institutional levels challenge us to do more with less. Supporting innovative approaches that transcend disciplinary and institutional boundaries will be critical to solving the complex problems facing the sustainability of our natural and cultural heritage in years to come. The CESU Network does really represent A to Z anthropology to zoology, and everything in between. Network partners are engaged in hundreds of projects annually to address multiple-scale questions and management problems all around the country. We have tried to include a balance of topics that cut across the diverse palette of resources, subjects, disciplines, and issues to provide something of interest for a everyone. There will be numerous opportunities this week to hear from new and old partners and other national leaders about managing federal lands, waters, and public trust resources, and associated needs and priorities. We hope that you will enjoy this meeting, Howard University School of Law, and your time spent in our Nation s capitol and surrounding areas. Once again, welcome to Washington DC and best wishes for a productive and enjoyable week. Sincerely, ~Tom Fish National Coordinator

5 2012 Biennial National Meeting 3 Meeting Host In 1867, the U.S. Congress chartered Howard University. Two years later in January 1869, the Law Department opened with six students attending classes three nights a week in the homes and offices of the four part-time faculty members. By June, enrollment had increased to twenty-two students. The school provided education to those traditionally excluded from the legal profession. The first graduating class included ten African American men; the first black woman lawyer, Charlotte E. Ray, graduated in These early graduates had a strong commitment to helping black Americans secure and protect their newly established rights. The school held classes at several locations in the city until 1936, when it moved to the main Howard University campus. In 1974, Howard School of Law moved to this campus, once occupied by Dunbarton College, a Catholic women s school that operated from 1935 to Houston Hall was named for Charles Hamilton Houston, the famous civil rights lawyer and strategist. He started teaching English at Howard University in 1915, then joined the Army during World War I, serving as First Lieutenant. His military experience was filled with, as he describes it hate and scorn. After the war, he attended law school at Harvard and started practicing law and teaching in He served as Dean of the Howard School of Law, spearheading its accreditation in From the 1930s to his death in 1950, he brilliantly fought Jim Crow segregation and its separate but equal doctrine and trained hundreds of social engineers: a highly skilled, perceptive, sensitive lawyer who [understands] the Constitution of the United States and [knows] how to explore its uses in the solving of problems of local communities and in bettering conditions of the underprivileged citizens. Today, Howard School of Law confers an average of 185 Jurist Doctorate and Master of Law degrees and has 50 full-time and adjunct professors. Howard University is a partner in both the Chesapeake Watershed and Desert Southwest CESUs. We would like to thank Acting Dean Jo Ann Fax for hosting us. We are also indebted to Joanne Kess, Special Assistant to the Dean, Frank King, IT Specialist, and Chef Jackie Craig for their time and assistance. Sources:

6 4 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network Organizers Thomas E. Fish, CESU Network National Coordinator Cheri Yost, CESU Network National Office Assistant Ashley Jordan, CESU Network National Office Fellow Thank you to the CESU Network Council for their guidance and support of this meeting.

7 2012 Biennial National Meeting 5 Agenda Tuesday June 12 8:00 to Noon NPS CESU Research Coordinators Meeting off site Tim Watkins, National Park Service, CESU Coordinator invitation only 1:00 to 2:30 Chesapeake Watershed CESU Annual Meeting Classroom 2 Robert Gardner, Director invitation only 1:00 to 2:30 North Atlantic Coast CESU Annual Meeting Classroom 4 Judith Swift, Director invitation only 2:00 to 3:00 Orientation Session for New Partners Moot Court Room 3:00 Break Thomas Fish and Cheri Yost, CESU Network National Office open to new and existing partners 3:15 to 4:15 CESU Host University Directors Meeting Classroom 2 Leaders: Mike Collopy, Great Basin CESU, and Judith Swift, North Atlantic Coast CESU invitation only 3:15 to 4:15 Federal Managers Meeting Classroom 4 Leader: Jennifer Ewald, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management open to CESU Network Council Members and CESU Federal Technical Representatives 4:15 to 5:00 Joint Federal Nonfederal Business Meeting Moot Court Room Thomas Fish, CESU Network, National Coordinator open to all partners 6:00 Walking Tour: Martin Luther King, Jr. National WWII Memorial Memorial to the Washington Monument contact station Jennifer Talken-Spaulding, National Mall and Memorial Parks, Cultural Resources Program Manager registered participants only (limited to 20)

8 6 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network Agenda Wednesday June 13, morning 8:30 Welcome Moot Court Room State of the Network Thomas Fish, CESU Network, National Coordinator 9:15 Keynote Address Moot Court Room 10:15 Break Sustaining Heritage through Partnerships and Collaborative Conservation Eileen Sobeck, U.S. Department of the Interior, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks 10:30 Plenary Presentations and Panel Moot Court Room Integrating Cultural Resource Management in Ecosystem Studies: Past Projects and Future Directions Moderator: Ann Hitchcock, National Park Service Panelists: Christian E. Downum, Northern Arizona University Ted Neff, Museum of Northern Arizona Lori Collins and Travis Doering, University of South Florida Noon Lunch (on your own)

9 2012 Biennial National Meeting 7 Agenda Wednesday June 13, afternoon 1:30 Concurrent Sessions I Growth and New Directions for Cultural Resources in CESUs Daniel Odess, National Park Service Stanley Bond, National Park Service Marcy Rockman, National Park Service Partnering to Achieve Climate-Smart Conservation Bruce Stein, National Wildlife Federation Chris Lauver, University of Washington Doug Parsons, National Park Service Developing a Framework for Gauging Program Effectiveness Neil Moisey, University of Montana Brian Gates, Colorado State University Ashley Jordan, Howard University Thomas Fish, CESU Network National Office Classroom 2 Classroom 4 Classroom 3 3:00 Break 3:15 Concurrent Sessions II Inreach and Outreach: Increasing CESU Visibility within Federal Agencies Doris Washington, Natural Resources Conservation Service Christopher Watkins, Natural Resources Conservation Service Jeff Lucero, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Seth Mott, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mary Anne Schrade, National Park Service Partner to Partner! Dialog Session An opportunity for partners to meet in small groups to discuss shared priorities and needs. Topics determined by registration. Classroom 2 Dining Hall 5:30 Poster Session, Reception, and Awards Dining Hall Join us for food, reviewing posters, networking, and celebrating CESU leaders.

10 8 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network Agenda Thursday June 14, morning 8:30 Plenary Presentations and Panel Moot Court Room 10:30 Break Engaging Youth in Natural and Cultural Resource Stewardship and Science through STEM Programs Moderator: John Burden, U.S. Department of the Interior Panelists: Maria Arnold, U.S. Department of the Interior Jason Janke, Metropolitan State University of Denver Arthur Butch Blazer, U.S. Department of Agriculture Flip Hagood, Student Conservation Association 10:45 Meet the CESU Council: Mission Alignment, Management and Moot Court Room Science Priorities, History, and Lessons Learned CESU Network Council Members Noon Lunch (on your own)

11 2012 Biennial National Meeting 9 Agenda Thursday June 14, afternoon 1:30 Concurrent Sessions III CESU Internships as a Diversity Recruitment Tool for Developing the Future Workforce for the National Park Service and the Department of Interior John Burden, U.S. Department of the Interior Walter Zachritz, National Park Service Curt Gaul, National Park Service Natural Resource Condition Assessments: Building a Collaboration Network I Simon Costanzo, University of Maryland Bill Dennison, University of Maryland Barry Drazkowski, Saint Mary s University of Minnesota Two working sessions to share experiences, learn about process, and build a collaboration network. All invited to provide input. Going Abroad: Global Challenges and International Collaborative Networks Eick von Ruschkowski, Leibniz University Hannover Robert Burns, West Virginia University Anne Walton, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Thomas Fish, CESU Network National Office Classroom 2 Classroom 4 Classroom 3 3:00 Break 3:15 Concurrent Sessions IV Natural Resource Condition Assessments: Building a Collaboration Network II Simon Costanzo, University of Maryland Bill Dennison, University of Maryland Barry Drazkowski, Saint Mary s University of Minnesota Coordination Across LCCs and CESUs Doug Austen, Landscape Conservation Cooperatives National Office Thomas Fish, CESU Network National Office Classroom 4 Classroom 2 4:45 Adjourn

12 10 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network Abstracts (in chronological order) Wednesday Morning Plenary Twenty Years of Collaboration on Cultural Resource Management Projects Christian E. Downum, Professor and Director of Anthropology Labs, Northern Arizona University, This presentation summarizes two decades of productive collaboration between the Northern Arizona University Anthropology Department and the National Park Service (NPS) in the field of cultural resource management (CRM), most of which have been facilitated by the Colorado Plateau CESU. This program represents one of the nation s longest uninterrupted collaborative relationships in CRM between an academic department and NPS. The presentation focuses on mutual benefits to the University and NPS, including student academic achievements, research and management contributions, and federal career employment. Colorado Plateau CESU and the Museum of Northern Arizona : Entering a Second Decade of Successful Collaboration Ted Neff, Archaeological Projects Principal Investigator, Anthropology Department, Museum of Northern Arizona, tneff@mna.mus.az.us Judy Bischoff, Research Coordinator, Colorado Plateau CESU, National Park Service, judy_bischoff@nps.gov Robert Breunig, Director, Museum of Northern Arizona, rbreunig@mna.mus.az.us The Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) is entering its second decade as a CESU Network partner. MNA s CESU partnership and the many diverse collaborative agreements it has engendered have been successful as evidenced by funding amounts and the resulting research, technical assistance, and education projects that have been completed and are ongoing. This presentation summarizes MNA s CESU partnership activity to date from a number of perspectives including project funding, federal partners, project discipline and research results, and project type. The close alignment of the CESU Network mission with that of MNA, along with active MNA Principal Investigators, has resulted in the successes to date and bodes well for the future of the relationship. New Directions for Cultural Resources in the CESU: Improving Management, Interpretation, and Research Using Terrestrial and Aerial LiDAR, GPS, and Other Spatial and Imaging Survey Technologies Lori D. Collins and Travis Doering, Directors, Alliance for Integrated Spatial Technologies, University of South Florida, lcollins@usf.edu and tdoering@usf.edu Often, resource managers are called upon to do more with less, and the University of South Florida in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) is demonstrating how advanced documentation technologies can be applied to cultural resource management issues to provide cost-effective solutions to organizational concerns. New methods and workflows for resource documentation involving aerial and terrestrial

13 2012 Biennial National Meeting 11 laser scanning (LiDAR), Global Positioning System and Geographic Information Systems, and forms of high resolution imagery are being utilized to record resources such as fragile petroglyphs, NAGPRA repatriation sites, historic ruins and standing structures, and ancient shell mounds and middens. Data derived is freely shareable and used to improve management and understanding. The CESU partnerships with the NPS are also proving a success in terms of internship and learning opportunities and has public benefits such as enhancements in potential for interpretive and outreach designs. We will share these successes and show how the CESU has provided a working platform for technology and idea exchange to the benefit of cultural resource management. Wednesday Afternoon: Concurrent Sessions I & II Growth and New Directions for Cultural Resources Projects in CESUs Daniel Odess, Assistant Associate Director, Park Cultural Resources, National Park Service Stanley Bond, Chief Archeologist, National Park Service Marcy Rockman, Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator for Cultural Resources, National Park Service Session Organizers: Pat O Brien, Cultural Specialist, Desert Southwest CESU, National Park Service, pat_o brien@nps.gov Judy Bischoff, Research Coordinator, Colorado Plateau CESU, National Park Service, judy_bischoff@nps.gov Pei-Lin Yu, Cultural Specialist, Rocky Mountains CESU, National Park Service, peilin_yu@nps.gov Since the founding of the CESU s, National Park Service cultural resources projects have been growing steadily in numbers, diversity, and complexity. Cultural resources can stand alone or integrate with natural resources projects. From climate change to oil spill clean-up, from the Ice Age to Mission 66 era, NPS CESU cultural resources projects are providing the best available science, scholarship, and stewardship to park managers and the American public and educating and training tomorrow s professionals. Join us for highlights of accomplishments, trends, future directions and opportunities, and open discussion. Other agencies who would like to explore the potential for cultural resources work through CESUs are especially welcome. Partnering to Achieve Climate-Smart Conservation Bruce Stein, Director, Climate Change Adaptation, National Wildlife Federation, steinb@nwf.org Chris Lauver, Research Coordinator, Pacific Northwest CESU, National Park Service and University of Washington, chris_lauver@nps.gov Doug Parsons, Climate Change Liaison, National Park Service, douglas_parsons@nps.gov This session will focus on the emerging field of climate change adaptation preparing for and coping with the impacts of climate change and the role of partnerships

14 12 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network among agencies and non-governmental organizations in accomplishing climate-smart conservation. In particular, the session will highlight efforts to make the often abstract concepts of climate adaptation more concrete for application by on-the-ground resource managers and other conservation practitioners. Presentations will highlight ongoing adaptation work within the CESU network, followed by a facilitated discussion about the current status of climate adaptation and challenges and opportunities for promoting adaptation planning and implementation more broadly through the CESU Network. The session will include an update on the National Wildlife Federation s work in convening a multi-agency workgroup to develop and publish guidance on climatesmart conservation as a follow-on to the recently published vulnerability assessment guidance (Scanning the Conservation Horizon). Additional presentations will highlight the range of adaptation work being carried out across the CESU network. Developing a Framework for Gauging Program Effectiveness Neil Moisey, University of Montana, moisey@forestry.umt.edu Brian Gates, Colorado State University, bgates06@gmail.com Ashley Jordan, Howard University, sheila_jordan@nps.gov Thomas Fish, CESU Network National Office, tom_fish@nps.gov To gain a better understanding of the reach and effectiveness of the CESU Network program, the CESU Network Council proposed the implementation of a network-wide program evaluation and project inventory. Council members wanted a mechanism by which to measure federal and nonfederal partner engagement, track the distribution of projects, characterize the typology of projects, and determine success of the CESU Network toward achieving stated goals and objectives related to collaborative research, technical assistance, and education and delivery of usable knowledge to support public trust resource management and related mission activities. Beyond the chronicling of efforts supported through the CESU Network since its first projects in 1999, the program evaluation was also intended to (1) guide present and future project reporting and capture of vital program statistics at different organizational scales and (2) inform strategic and programmatic planning at the national and unit levels. The program evaluation team has sought broad input from partners across the CESU Network and included discrete contributions by advanced graduate students participating in the CESU Network national fellowship program. This presentation will highlight results from retrospective evaluative activities - looking back over the first 13 years, discuss short-range project plans, and invite input from CESU partners and session participants toward development of a dynamic evaluation framework that can be employed for periodic program effectiveness monitoring over the next ten years.

15 2012 Biennial National Meeting 13 Inreach and Outreach: Increasing CESU Visibility within Federal Agencies Doris Washington, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National CESU/Centers of Excellence Coordinator, Christopher Watkins, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Grant and Agreement Specialist, Jeff Lucero, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Seth Mott, Deputy Science Advisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mary Anne Schrade, NPS Program Assistant, National Park Service, session organizer: Cheri Yost, CESU Network National Office, Though partnerships between federal agencies and nonfederal entities is a hallmark of the CESUs, collaboration within agencies is needed to make projects a success. Key to these is the relationships among agency personnel in the field, in grants and agreements offices, and in state and regional offices. To keep up with federal regulations, evolving agency guidance, and new faces, agencies must constantly communicate and educate personnel about the CESUs. This session presents how three agencies tackle this ongoing challenge, sharing lessons learned. Thursday Morning Plenary STEM Education What s Happening at DOI and on the Federal Level? Maria Arnold, Youth Program Analyst, Office of Youth, Partnerships, and Service, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, maria_arnold@ios.doi.gov This session begins with an overview of the Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM), including the annual inventory and the forthcoming 5-Year Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Strategic Plan. The Department of the Interior is offering all sorts of STEM Education opportunities; four programs met the criteria for inclusion in the FY11 inventory. Ms. Arnold will share what is in and what is out and what DOI is doing to be intentional and strategic about developing the pipeline for a science literate and STEM-skilled workforce. Connecting Students to Applied Science, STEM, and Fieldwork Jason Janke, Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Metropolitan State University of Denver, jjanke1@mscd.edu According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are expected to add 2.7 million new jobs by 2018; however, fewer Americans are being educated in these disciplines. Of science and engineering jobs held by college educated Americans, only 9% of these were held by

16 14 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network ethnic minorities in Undergraduate research in the STEM fields has been shown to enhance the educational experiences by not only developing skills, knowledge, and confidence, but also by shaping science identities, acclimating students to the profession, and increasing student retention. An excellent opportunity exists for the CESU to affect contemporary STEM and resource management issues by recruiting, retaining, and involving minority groups in applied research. Student involvement in applied research projects is critical for active learning and learning-centered teaching paradigms where instructors act as a classroom facilitator. Faculty researchers who receive funding for their projects are more likely to involve undergraduates in their research projects. A CESU-funded project can provide the materials, supplies, equipment, and salary necessary to motivate faculty. This presentation addresses the impact that even modest CESU funding for an applied resource management project at Rocky Mountain National Park can have on an undergraduate research program at Metropolitan State University of Denver (Metro State), a traditionally teaching oriented institution where faculty are required to teach 12 credit hours per semester. Metro State consists of nearly 24,000 students of which ethnic populations make up about 32% of the student body. Compared to other four-year colleges and universities in Colorado, Metro State educates more undergraduate students of color in the STEM disciplines. Initially, the project began to determine the extent of permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, along Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved road in the United States. Undergraduate STEM students were involved in fieldwork, laboratory work as part of courses, and data analysis as part of a Senior Experience course. After having participated in the project, student-learning outcomes of the Environmental Science program were addressed by both quantitative and qualitative measures by participating in the research project. Students were able to better identify and explain environmental processes and human-environment interactions; to apply interdisciplinary perspectives and approaches to environmental problems; to critically assess and evaluate environmental problems at a local and global scale; and to monitor and sample environmental conditions. Qualitative data from student surveys indicated increased job marketability as well as greater confidence in technical writing, presentation skills, and critical thinking. Meet the CESU Council: Mission Alignment, Management and Science Priorities, History, and Lessons Learned CESU Network Council Members session organizer: Cheri Yost, CESU Network National Office, cheri_yost@nps.gov Representatives from thirteen federal agencies sit on the CESU Network Council. They provide guidance to the CESU Network as a whole and set direction for participation in the CESUs within their individual agencies. This session will introduce each of the agencies, how they are involved in the CESU Network, and discuss agency priorities for future collaborative projects.

17 2012 Biennial National Meeting 15 Thursday Afternoon: Concurrent Sessions III & IV CESU Internships as a Diversity Recruitment Tool for Developing the Future Workforce for the National Park Service and the Department of Interior John Burden, Chief Diversity Officer, U.S. Department of the Interior, john_burden@ios. doi.gov Walter Zachritz, Chesapeake Watershed CESU Coordinator, National Park Service, walter_zachritz@nps.gov Curt Gaul, West District Ranger, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, curt_gaul@nps.gov The demographics of the U.S. are changing with minority populations occupying a higher percentage of the overall population. This means that agencies like the National Park Service and others are experiencing much more diverse visitation than might have been seen as little as 20 years ago. Relating to these visitors demands a shift in our thought processes and the integration of differing cultural background and language into our activities as a whole. Interpretative exhibits, web materials, presentations, technical briefs for cultural and natural resources, maintenance, operations, and many other aspects of operations will require us to take a new look. Recently Assistant Secretary Rhea Such said: When we contemplate inclusion and diversity in the 21st Century, we should be talking about using multiple cultural backgrounds as competitive tools...we need to recognize that differences of thought, background, education, marital status, experience, socio-economic status, occupation, language, and geographic location, in addition to other differences, contribute to employees viewpoints. These varied perspectives are a key to creative thinking, problem solving, and decision-making. We must start seeing inclusivity as an advantage. Clearly diversity and inclusion is a two way partnership of knowledge exchange. Part of this concept is the recruitment of the future workforce and the role the CESU can play in this by using its unique partnership network to seek out interns with interest in the wide range of activities within the National Park Service. As an example, there has been an increasing interest among the Chesapeake Watershed CESU partners in both paid and unpaid interns. How can we effectively take advantage of this opportunity to recruit qualified, interested, and diverse candidates to fill these roles? Walter Zachritz, John Burden, and Curt Gaul will provide their perspectives on this important topic and open the session to questions and answers. Natural Resource Condition Assessments: Building a Collaboration Network I and II Simon Costanzo, Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, scostanzo@umces.edu Bill Dennison, University of Maryland, dennison@ca.umces.edu Barry Drazkowski, Saint Mary s University of Minnesota, bdrazkow@smumn.edu The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) currently manages more than 84 million acres of

18 16 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network land including historical parks, monuments, national parks, battlefields, preserves, recreation areas, seashores, parkways, lakeshores, and reserves. The natural resources in these parks are currently being assessed through Natural Resource Condition Assessments (NRCAs) aimed at answering the following questions: What are current conditions for important park natural resources? What are the critical data and knowledge gaps? What are some of the factors that are influencing park resource condition? With a number of assessments completed and underway, this double session provides an opportunity for National Park Service staff and external scientists involved in preparing NRCAs to share approaches, lessons learned, skill sets available, and options for working together in the future. Going Abroad: Global Challenges and International Collaborative Networks Eick von Ruschkowski, Leibniz University Hannover, ruschkowski@umwelt.uni-hannover.de Robert Burns, West Virginia University, robert.burns@mail.wvu.edu Anne Walton, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, anne.walton@noaa.gov Thomas Fish, National Coordinator, CESU Network, tom_fish@nps.gov Myriad issues and changes at the landscape scale climate change, ecosystem services, biodiversity, habitat fragmentation, all-hazards events, renewable energy, green design and sustainability present challenges for effective natural and cultural heritage resource management and conservation. Many of these problems transcend national boundaries and are informed by sharing knowledge and best practices, emphasizing the growing need for international collaborative networks and interdisciplinary cooperation. This session will address these current issues by highlighting successful examples of international collaboration in the fields of teaching, research, management, and training. It will kick-off with brief presentations that exemplify successful cooperative efforts, followed by a moderated discussion with the audience. Session participants are expected to actively join the discussion on questions such as the basic requirements for successful collaboration, challenges and barriers, and future strategies to further improve the level of international cooperation. The objective is to summarize the main findings of the session in a post-conference paper. Coordination Across LCCs and CESUs Doug Austen, National Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, doug_austen@fws.gov Thomas Fish, National Coordinator, CESU Network, tom_fish@nps.gov Since 1999, CESU partners have participated in more than 7000 projects worth more than $600 million. More recently, the Department of the Interior established Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. Both are public-private partnerships composed of states,

19 2012 Biennial National Meeting 17 tribes, federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities and others. This session will present the status of the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network, address frequently asked questions, and listen to your ideas for future collaboration opportunities. Poster Abstracts Wetland Object Oriented Classification at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Zac Arcaro, Research Associate, GeoSpatial Information Science & Technology, North Carolina State University, Justin Shedd, North Carolina State University, Research Associate Hugh Devine, Professor, North Carolina State University, Director of GIS Object Oriented classification techniques were investigated and deployed with the result being a repeatable and semi-automated mapping methodology. Ten different wetland types were mapped as well as four general classifications. This poster will document and present the method developed, results, and pitfalls encountered. Exploring Climate-Fire Relationships in the Great Basin and Upper Colorado River Basin James Arnold, Masters Student, Department of Geography, University of Utah, james. arnold@geog.utah.edu Simon Brewer, Department of Geography, University of Utah Philip Dennison, Department of Geography, University of Utah The relationship between climate and fire within the Great Basin and Upper Colorado River watersheds is nuanced and not well understood. These preliminary results showcase findings from an investigation into the nature of this complex relationship. The PRISM and MTBS datasets were utilized to explore the temporal and spatial patterns within the study area. A suite of statistical tools were used to identify any potential patterns which may be useful in the development of a climate-driven fire model for the region. The results reveal some intriguing patterns and suggest the relationship between climate and fire in the Interior West is strong, but variable both across time and space. Geophysical Surveys in the Gila Archaeological Project: Student Training in the Desert Southwest Beverly Chiarulli, Associate Professor, Anthropology Department, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, bevc@iup.edu Eleanor M. King, Howard University Since 2008 the Gila Archaeological Project (GAP) examined the interaction between Buffalo Soldiers, different Apache nations, and miners in the Black Range of the Gila National Forest (GNF), New Mexico, during the late 1800s. Investigations have focused

20 18 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network on the mining ghost town of Hermosa and its vicinity, as well as selected areas in the Black Range that either witnessed Buffalo Soldier/Apache occupation or battles primarily between the military and Warm Springs band, led by Victorio. The project includes faculty, staff and students from Howard University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), the Mescalero Apache Reservation, the University of Arizona, the National Park Service, and the Gila National Forest who conducted archaeological surveys using metal detecting as well as advanced geospatial and geophysical technologies. The project has documented the town, a nearby battle site, and an early fort using archaeological, historical, geophysical, and forensic techniques. Introducing students to the use of geophysical and geospatial technologies including ground penetrating radar, magnetic susceptibility, electrical conductivity, and global satellite positioning (gps) data collection for archaeological investigations has provided them with the opportunity to use technologies that are not generally available to undergraduate or most graduate students. IUP has been able to acquire multiple instruments through funding from the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation Program and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. We have been able to train students to conduct research using state of the art technologies. Students have presented the results of their research at local, state and national conferences. A Framework for Augmenting Long-Term Monitoring with Short-Term Research Sarah E. Rehme, Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska - Lincoln Craig R. Allen, U.S. Geological Survey, Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lillian L. Wolfenbarger, Deparment of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha Larkin A. Powell, Professor and Director, Great Plains CESU, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, lpowell3@unl.edu The management of remnant grasslands for declining grassland birds is increasingly important because their habitat continues to decline. Management must be tailored to a given location due to variation in grassland bird responses to landscape and habitat structure among sites. Long-term monitoring provides information about temporal trends and complex ecosystems but is limited by logistical constraints. Short-term intensive research can fill in gaps in information that is not available through long-term monitoring. We used survey data and nesting information at three National Park Service areas on the Great Plains to determine the utility of combining long-term monitoring with intensive field studies. In 2008 and 2009, we determined site-specific species richness for grassland obligate birds at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (Kansas), Pipestone National Monument (Minnesota), and Homestead National Monument (Nebraska), and compared the community of birds to species lists from two secondary sources. Bird species richness was greater at the two smaller sites, but the largest site was utilized for nesting by the highest number of obligate species. Tallgrass and Homestead contain enough grassland to attract a large portion of the expected

21 2012 Biennial National Meeting 19 grassland obligate species. Pipestone, however, is too small to develop a management plan that can benefit all grassland birds of concern. However, targeted management for key species at small sites should not be discounted. Long-term monitoring provides a context for intensive research, which should be targeted at gaps in information needed for management. We propose that both are most useful when incorporated into an adaptive management framework. Climate Change Communication Internship Program: Linking Climate Change Communication Research and Education Justin Rolfe-Redding, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University, jrolfere@gmu.edu Edward Maibach, Director of Center for Climate Change Communication and Distinguished Professor, Department of Communication, George Mason University Giselle Mora-Bourgeois, Science Education Coordinator, Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance, National Capital Region, Center for Urban Ecology, giselle_morabourgeois@nps.gov The Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance (UERLA) in partnership with the Center for Climate Change Communication (4C), George Mason University, is initiating a Climate Change Communication Internship program to support the National Park Service, National Capital Region (NCR) parks efforts in facing the challenges posed by climate change. UERLA is one of 21 Research Learning Centers (RLCs) at National Parks across the country, working to increase the effectiveness and communication of research and science. The 4C at George Mason University conducts public engagement and behavior change research that can be used to improve climate change communication programs. The focus of this Chesapeake Watershed CESU partnership is to develop outreach and education messages and products for the NCR parks while providing mentoring, training, and skills development to the student-interns. This internship program will provide an opportunity for faculty and students to apply and test communication approaches based on current research and will provide real-life opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and hone skills. The internship program will also allow 4C the opportunity to design and test models for teaching and learning about climate change communication.