Seminar for CEMML Director Candidates Announced(11/20/07)

The Search Committee for the new CEMML Director has narrowed down the candidates to two, Dr. Steve Warren and Dr. William Doe, who will be interviewed on November 27th and 28th. The interview process will include a seminar open to the entire campus. The subject of the campus-wide seminar will be their vision for CEMML and for increasing interaction with the College.

A coin toss determined the candidate interview order. Dr. Warren will present on November the 27th and Dr. Doe will present on November 28th. The presentations will take place in the Senate Chambers in Lory Student Center. The seminars will be from 9:30 to 10:30 both days.

 

Fort Drum and CEMML CRM Programs Win Prestigious Historic Preservation Award (11/2/07)

Dr. Laurie Rush, Cultural Resources Program Manager at Fort Drum, NY, was awarded the Chairman’s Award for Federal Achievement in Historic Preservation by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) for her project entitled “Development of Training Materials for In-Theatre Cultural Heritage Preservation“, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy Resource Management Program. The award was conferred by ACHP Chairman John L. Nau, III, in a ceremony celebrated in Washington DC, on Wednesday, 7 November 2007. Dr. James A. Zeidler, CEMML Associate Director for Cultural Resources, and Tracy Wager, CEMML graphic designer, were also recognized as co-recipients and partners in the award for providing technical support to Dr. Rush. The project is aimed at raising U.S soldier awareness of cultural heritage preservation issues in Iraq and Afghanistan through various training materials ranging from educational decks of playing cards, to a ready-reference Soldier Pocket Card on heritage preservation, to a cultural heritage preservation website on Iraq and Afghanistan that is now available to all DoD personnel. Dr. Rush also created mock Middle Eastern archaeological sites and Moslem cemeteries at Fort Drum as a means of developing realistic soldier training scenarios involving cultural heritage resources. The overall goal is to educate solders in avoiding inadvertent damage to sensitive archaeological and religious sites and in helping curb unauthorized looting and antiquities trafficking in the war zone.

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

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

 

Fort Drum Wins Award for Cultural Resources (5/11/2007)

CEMML is pleased to announce that the Cultural Resources Program at Fort Drum, NY, has recently won the 2007 Secretary of Defense Installation Management Award for Cultural Resources, having previously garnered the 2007 Secretary of the Army’s Environmental Award for “Best Cultural Resources Program, Installation.” The program is managed by former CEMML Research Associate, Dr. Laurie Rush, now an Army civilian, with technical support and research involvement of the CEMML CR Program. This includes substantial in-house support on several Legacy projects, as well as employment of on-site CEMML professional staff. The latter include CEMML Research Associates Meg Schulz, Heather Wagner, and Chad Rhinewald.

Competition for this prestigious DoD award also included the Eglin Air Force Base, FL, Cultural Resources Management Program, winners of the 2007 Thomas D. White Award for Best Cultural Resources Program awarded by the United States Air Force. The program is managed by Ms. Maria Rodriguez, a small staff of Air Force civilian personnel, and on-site technical support provided by four CEMML Research Associates: George Cole, Joe Meyer, Sandy Nelson, and Lynn Shreve.

 

Fort Campbell Named Tree City USA (4/24/2007)

Fort Campbell has been named a Tree City USA community by the National Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to community forestry. It is the second year the installation has received this national recognition. This is a rare honor to be bestowed on a military installation. Though many installations have tremendous urban forest assets, few are able to devote the resources necessary to maintain and enhance this critical resource.

Fort Campbell has met the four standards to become a Tree City USA community: A tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance.

Bruce Franklin, a CEMML urban forester staffed in the Ft. Campbell forestry office, was instrumental in obtaining this recognition. Over the past two and a half years Bruce has established an urban forestry program there under the capable guidance of the installation forester, Linda Alderdice.

 

Classified Personnel Council 'Everyday Hero' - David Tweedale (3/05/2007)

David consistently gives the extra effort necessary to make something happen or help the task go smoothly. (read more)

 

Pohakuloa Training Area Earns Award from US Fish and Wildlife Service (3/05/2007)

The US Army Garrison Pohakuloa was notified in a letter dated 17 February 2007 that it has been selected by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for the Military Installation Conservation Partner Award for 2006. This award recognizes installations that have made significant natural resource conservation achievements through cooperative work with the Service and others. The letter, from the USFWS Director H. Dale Hall, cites “the creative and diligent efforts of the Natural Resources Staff at Pohakuloa to benefit listed species, the military, and the island of Hawaii.”

A Biological Assessment completed by the Center nearly four years ago analyzed potential training impacts to 21 species listed under the Endangered Species Act (15 plants, 5 birds, and 1 mammal) that are found on or are transient at PTA. CEMML’s role in conserving these species was in large measure responsible for the recognition by the USFWS of PTA as the 2006 Military Installation Conservation Partner Award recipient.

The entire natural resources staff at Pohakuloa Training Area, with the exception of the environmental office director, Darryl York, is composed of CEMML employees. The Center currently has ten Research Associate biologists working on all aspects of rare species conservation at PTA, led by Steve Evans and Lena Schnell; and a weed control crew headed by Mike Bressel, a Research Associate, staffed with three State Classified Technicians.

USFWS Director Hall specifically mentioned in his letter, “The Service is also impressed with the pioneering development of propagation and outplanting techniques for listed plant species and the cooperative work with the State Division of Fish and Wildlife to establish new populations of listed plant species on State preserve lands.” Most of the credit for this aspect of the program goes to Kathy Kawakami, another CEMML Research Associate.

In addition, the Center has undertaken a project mandated by the USFWS Biological Opinion to fence over 30,000 acres at PTA to exclude feral ungulates, which pose a direct threat to more than a dozen threatened and endangered plants. Ken Spencer, Baylen Paiva, and Joel Brunger are three Research Associates heading a crew of State Classified Technicians building nearly 70 miles of 6-foot fence on the rugged lava of PTA.

The Center is also responsible for the Integrated Training Area Management Program at PTA, currently with three Research Associates. The ITAM program works cooperatively with the Environmental Office and military trainers to optimize training opportunities without compromising the conservation of the many rare species on the installation.

 

CEMML Employee Receives the National Park Service Search and Rescue Award (1/04/2007)

Dr. Shaw, CEMML’s “Founding Father,” announces retirement (4/10/2007)

Dr. Robert B. Shaw, CEMML’s Director, has announced his retirement from Colorado State University effective 1 May 2007. Dr. Shaw departs after 25 years of research, teaching and service to CSU as a faculty member (Professor in the Departments of Range Science; Forest Science; and Forest, Range and Watershed Stewardship) in the Warner College of Natural Resources and as CEMML’s first Director. In 1985, Dr. Shaw planted the seeds for CEMML’s growth and international recognition as a University-based center of excellence to support military lands management. He collaborated with Army researchers to conduct the first inventories on the condition of grasslands associated with the Army’s acquisition of the 245,000 acre Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeastern Colorado. (Read More)

 

Legacy Project Highlight of the Month for March 2007 (4/06/2007)

Early this year Andy Beavers and co-authors Tom Ruzycki and Matt Kunze of CEMML submitted the final report on their Legacy Resource Management Project, Wildland Fire Risk Assessment of Western Military Installations. The Legacy Resource Management Program publishes a monthly newsletter, Natural Selections. In the March issue Andy's project is featured as the "Legacy Project Highlight of the Month". The Legacy Program funds hundreds of projects a year, so this recognition is an indication of the significance of their work. (Click here to view the newsletter)