Tsunami Relief: Are We Ready?

Sen. Mark Begich today requested $15M for tsunami debris relief be rolled into the Hurricane Sandy  relief package.  This is a well-meaning and important request.  But is Alaska ready to act on those funds?

Marine debris clean-up in western Kodiak. Tsunami debris
visible in foreground.  Brook Kourmetis photo.

A recent paper published by Washington Sea Grant suggests 15,000 to 187,500 tons of MD will make landfall not in Washington at all, but in Alaska.  This accounts for approximately half the tsunami debris estimated to make landfall in the United States.  This shouldn't surprise anyone, since according to the National Ocean Service, Alaska accounts for 65% of the "general seacoast" of the pacific U.S.  

The cost of cleaning up this coastline is massive, with costs per pound of marine debris from remote Alaska ranges from $1.00 to $2.50 per pound, even with volunteer labor.  

Still there are early indications that the existing relief fund, $5M provided by the government of Japan, will be divided equally among the five pacific U.S. States (California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and Alaska).  We feel that receiving only 20% of the funding would shortchange Alaska, who is saddled with half of the tonnage of marine debris and costlier clean-ups.  

But the state of Alaska has not done much to recognize the environmental threats caused by tsunami debris.  They have commissioned an aerial survey of the Gulf coast and are currently crunching the data.  But there is no agency with a mandate to respond to the findings.  The natural choice, the Department of Environmental Conservation, has no money in their budget to address marine debris issues and has not requested it for 2013.  Is Senator Begich asking for funding for a state that does not want it?

We feel this issue deserves the Governor's swift attention.  At a minimum, a mandate must be given to ADEC to prepare to organize a statewide response.  A much stronger message could be sent by declaring a  state of emergency.

Alaska's  should not send mixed messages to Washington D.C. about our coastlines.  The threat caused by marine debris is real,  it is imminent...and it affects us all. 

Thanksgiving Musings

ITN has much to be thankful for, and as another successful season winds down, we feel the love coming in from the community as well.  Thanks in large part to the support of our membership, we have measurably improved the health and well-being of the people of Kodiak by providing them with a low-impact way to experience the outdoors.  We have also improved the environmental health of the island by providing bridges at important salmon stream crossings, reduced the erosive impact of a 350-mile trail system on Kodiak's fragile soils, and removed over 40 tons of marine debris from our otherwise pristine shores.

We continue to mature as an organization by developing technical expertise among our staff and volunteers and by building capacity for trail construction and coastal stewardship. Our full-time staff has grown to three and as we enter our seventh year, I feel we are no longer a young organization, but rather are just beginning to hit our stride. As it happens, the rapid growth we have experienced since our inception has, for the first time, leveled off. As I draft the the 2013 operations plan, I am forecasting a slight to moderate decrease in our project budget.  We may not always be able to do more, but we will strive to always do better.

The work we are doing is perhaps more important than ever.  The impacts of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami are just starting to be felt here.  In sharp contrast to the terrible devastation that hit the east coast during Hurricane Sandy, the total impact of this event may take decades to fully comprehend.  The tsunami wreckage is spread across tens of thousands of miles of uninhabited shores, and even the most conservative estimates of the debris expected to make landfall in Alaska are in the tens of thousands of tons.  The impact of all these synthetic materials  into the food web is still unknown, but the body of science is growing.  We do know that we need to respond to this environmental crisis, and hope to boost our efforts in marine debris removal while maintaining the other services we provide to this community.

Bike Path in Jeopardy

After two work sessions this the city has balked at entering an agreement  with Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) to design and construct the first phase of a multi-use path from downtown to Bell’s Flats. 

The project would connect Pier 2 to Deadman's curve, with subsequent phases extending to Bell's Flats. Such a path would make travel safer for pedestrians and cyclists, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and the associated air, water, and noise pollution that goes with it, provide a measurable boost to our economy and provide exercise and recreational opportunities for an overweight population. The route is used for transportation by an  increasing number of non-motorized commuters, and for recreation by local events including the city-sponsored Crab Festival races.

Originally estimated at $3.1M, a 50% contingency fund  placed on Phase I of the project brings the estimated cost of the project to $4.65M. Before the contingency requirements were added the city had obtained the required 10% matching funds through a legislative grant. With the new, higher price tag  the city finds itself $81k short of their match requirement. Through a private donation and reallocating other trail funds we have been able to donate $25k to the shortfall. The Borough Assembly has the option of kicking in another $25k from cruise ship head tax funds, leaving the city with an out-of-pocket expense of only $31k. This sum is less than 1% of the total funds raised to date, a token gesture to a hard-won  public project.

Though the price seems excessive to some, the majority of expense in Phase I is centered around engineering difficulties involved with the short segment of road at the foot of the rock slide between Pier 2 and Pier 3. Subsequent phases of the path would likely not need the same level of engineering. In fact the recent passage of the Transportation Bond, which contains a project to renovate Pier III, may resolve some of these engineering issues and drive the cost down to something closer to the $3.1M original estimate.

But the fact that we don't know the total cost is part of the problem, as is the sinking feeling among council members that once they enter this agreement, they are writing a blank check. It is apparent that communication is poor between the city and DOT, and so far the questions have not been as probing and the answers not as definitive as we need them to be. DOT needs to reassure the city that the project can  be kept within budget or be re-scoped to do so before requiring full commitment of all these public resources. If we find out we can't afford the path, or the cost is simply beyond the limits of taste and decency, we don't build it. That's just good business.   

Maintenance has also been an ongoing concern of the project. Seeing this coming, we obtained a resolution from  the borough assembly to authorizing the borough to assume maintenance of all  future phases of bike path in perpetuity. So far this hasn't done much good because it conflicts with some boilerplate language of the contract, and  the three entities aren't communicating well enough to figure out if the borough can legally assume maintenance or whether snow removal is required.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on this contract and DOT may take steps to re-program the funds if an agreement cannot be reached within the next few weeks. If the council does not act quickly, there are 14 lower-ranking pedestrian projects in Juneau, Fairbanks, Talkeetna, Kotzebue, Cooper Landing, Naknek and Sitka which will gladly snatch them  up.   

For Kodiak, there may never be a better time to build the path-- the cost of building a healthier infrastructure is only outpaced by the rising costs of fuel and the cost of caring for a sedentary society. 

If the Kodiak multi-use path is viewed as boon to public health, what kind of return on our investment? Consider it in the context of the cost in dollars of an unhealthy country; last year our taxpayers footed the bill for a $500,000 increase in medical insurance premiums for city employees, and collectively we paid millions if not tens of millions out-of-pocket more for our own health insurance as well. To put it another way, the $56k funding gap is less than the medical costs of one heart attack in Kodiak.  Perhaps that should be the benchmark--one life saved.

Ajango earns Prestigious Reb Gregg Award

This week while attending the my first Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC) in Portland Oregon, I was lucky to be one of a handful of Alaskans to see our friend and mentor Deb Ajango receive the ever Charles (Reb) Gregg Wilderness Risk Management Award.  

Deb has made outstanding contributions to the field of risk management, mentoring organizations like ours and authoring two books on the subject, which are now required reading for our staff.  Each of our full-time staff members--myself, Tom and Nick--have taken the 80-hour Wilderness First Responder from Deb, which are widely considered to be some of the most diverse, practical, and challenging WFR classes you can find.  Deb's wilderness medicine classes and in fact her entire risk philosophy are rooted in her experience as a guide on Mt. McKinley, as a one-time director of a large outdoor program which experienced a multiple casualty incident, and as a bear attack survivor where her husband was seriously mauled.  Deb has dealt with more adversity, tragedy, and the painful healing process than anyone I know in the outdoors profession.  It is thrilling and inspiring to see her not just remain in the outdoors profession, but to witness her rise to a level of national prominence in risk management and to receive this prestigious award.

Deb has a visit to Kodiak planned for December of 2012 to teach another Wilderness First Aid course.  I highly recommend this course for anyone spending a lot of time outdoors or at sea. 

http://www.safetyed.net/

Alaska Kayak School offers 10% discount to ITN Members

Catch the new wave of modern sea kayaking skills development. Following a hiatus since the sea kayaking skills festivals in July and September of 2009, the Alaska Kayak School returns to Kodiak for a 4 day skills and safety festival. If you’re a beginner or have never had formal training from certified instructors and sea kayak coaches, you will benefit from the introductory courses and trips: skills, rescues, navigation and journeying. If you’re an old hand and have trained with certified instructors, have dome paddling assessments and have practiced your skills over the years, you will benefit from the Open Water Program: skills tuning, intro to open water, open water rescues and towing and open water journey. All equipment can be provided, but if you have a sea worthy sea kayak, dry suit, and all the safety tools, you can use your own gear (and get a small discount). Hope you can join us the 5-8 July for 4 days of fun and learning.

For a limited time, AKS is offering a 10% discount to ITN members in good standing. 

For details and pre-registration go to http://www.alaskakayakschool.com/2012/Kodiak%202012%20Skills%20and%20Safety%20Festivalaa.htm

June Executive Director's Report

Our marine debris Octopus "Ophelia" was completed by Bonnie Dillard, Eva Holm and a few volunteers from Kodiak High School just in time for Crab Festival  this year.  Instead of entering her into the parade we were allowed to showcase her right downtown near the fisherman's memorial outside the harbor office.   There, she drew thousands of admirers and hundreds of photo-takers, and brought attention to the kinds of things washing up on our beaches and their potential impacts on the marine environment.

"Ophelia" guards the fishermens' memorial outside Kodiak Harbor Office. Merrick Burden photo.

We received word this month that NOAA reconsidered our grant request for a clean-up of Tugidak Island, and increased the funding from $90k to $120k.  This will expand our clean-up from seven back to our original proposal of ten weeks on the ground.  Half of these will occur in 2013, the other half in 2014, leaving us plenty of time to  recruit volunteers, to arrange logistics, and to avoid sensitive times at Tugidak around migratory bird nesting and seal pupping seasons.

 

On May 22 we began our first trail crew of the season, a six-week hitch for Kodiak High School students and grads called the "Frontcountry Crew".  True to their name, this professional conservation crew consists of seven young individuals and two crew leaders working on trails and public lands near Kodiak.  Beneficiaries of their work include state, local and federal agencies including State Parks, the City of Kodiak, Alaska DOT and the Fish & Wildlife Service. The crew blog provides a project-by-project account of their work, which is co-authored by crew leaders Nick Kesling and Lesley Seale.  You can see short bios and photos of Nick, Lesley, and all ITN seasonal crew leaders here.

(From left) Joey Mauer, Andrew Caballa, Marina Reckner and Jon Richard lift a retaining log into place on a new section of trail at Ft. Abercrombie State Park while Jaymi Bethea looks on.  

The first project for the Frontcountry Crew (FCC) was to complete the boardwalk on the mist net trail for FWS, a project we had intended to complete last year.  This trail serves a citizen science program where refuge volunteers capture, band, and monitor migratory songbirds throughout the summer and the mist net operations began June 6th.  We were eager to complete trail work in time to leave the habitat untouched during the study, and are glad to have wrapped up one of the few outstanding projects left over from last year. 

Next up for the Frontcountry Crew was to provide a path in Fort Abercrombie between the new Camp Host site (located near the newly constructed pole barn) to the new tent sites to be constructed later this summer.  The completed project left a 4' tread of full-bench construction, with a critical edge on steeper sideslopes composed of  native logs.  The bench will receive a gravel lift during Ft. Abercrombie Trails Day in late July and until that time park users are asked to please stay off this vulnerable section of new trail as the ash layer sets up. 

Here and there, the crew has also been performing maintenance and small trail improvements that you may enjoy--stump removal from Rotary Park trail corridors, a trailhead overhaul and litter removal  from Island Lake Creek Trail, even cleaning out the pedestrian access over the Buskin River bridge (did you know it was paved under all that gravel?).  This crew knows that it's the little things that count, and they've set out to beautify Kodiak in this way.

On June 9th and 10th we welcomed four seasonal crew leaders.  Maya Edgerly, Andrew Martone, Alex Maros and Ethan Zubkoff will lead the Backcountry Crew (BCC) comprised of volunteer interns from Columbia Preparatory & Grammar School.  Longtime ITN fans will remember CGPS from previous years.  This high school has furnished an ITN trail crew each year since 2009, and provided countless hours of volunteer service for us.  They conducted two of the three marine debris clean-ups we've done at Shuyak Island, installed over a mile of geoblock at Spruce Island and Anton Larsen Bay, built several bridges and played a large role in the construction of Rotary Park trails.  This year, Columbia Prep is sending fourteen students--the largest crew ever.  Add to that two chaperones and four crew leaders and you've got a small army of do-gooders.  This year CGPS's focus will be continuation of the marine debris clean-up begun at Halibut Bay last year, and construction of bridges on the Ouzinkie to Sunny Cove easement trail.   Between June 14 and July 4 you can catch updates on this crew several times a week on their blog.

But before Columbia Prep's arrival on June 14th, we're training our crew leaders on sustainable trail construction and maintenance, provided this year by Christine Byl.  Together with her husband and partner Gabe Travis, Christine owns and runs Interior Trails out of Healy, Alaska, just outside of Denali National Park.  Christine has been working on trail crews from Montana to Alaska for sixteen years and brings a wealth of experience to our training classroom.  She is providing this training with the help of Alaska Trails, a statewide non-profit that supports community organizations like our through training, consulting and technical assistance.  We have based our training out of the FITC (Fish Tech) center on Near Island, a great classroom facility with trails nearby.  This week we've covered topics such as tool safety,  trail sustainability, new trail construction, trail maintenance, design and layout, tread structures, retaining walls, climbing turns and switchbacks, and rigging.  We are grateful for our partnership with Alaska Trails and Interior Trails, who impart their hard-earned wisdom to me, our six crew leaders and seven members of the Frontcountry Crew. 

After the trails-specific training ends on Wednesday June 13th, we will conduct in-house training on items specific to crew leaders and spend a few days on logistics.  Beginning June 15th we will conduct training on Wilderness Survival and Bear Safety training before mobilizing to Halibut Bay and Spruce Island to embark on our backcountry projects for the year.

Wilderness survival training is a much-expanded topic for ITN crews this year, thanks in part to guest instructor Jim Dillard.  Jim covers topics such as how to dress for the outdoors, what to put in your day pack, how to build a shelter or start a fire in difficult conditions, and the many uses of a knife, saw or axe.  These are critical skills for anyone growing up in or moving to Alaska, and the woodwork he teaches has numerous crossovers to trail building techniques.  I'm thrilled that Jim's been willing to share his expertise with our crews. 

With that training under our belt, we'll be ready to undertake the season's work.  I look forward to reporting on our progress throughout the summer.

May Executive Director's Report

As usual, spring has turned out to be our busiest time of year.  There's a lot going on and I didn't report last month (too busy), so let's get started:


Our second annual Kodiak Outdoor Film Festival was a success, drawing over 265 people for an evening of great entertainment.  Local filmmakers Shane Onders and Kathryn Symmes took home top honors, and all the videos had the standing-room only crowd cheering, laughing, and yelling for more.   For ITN staff and board members, the best part of the night is meeting and greeting all of our loyal supporters (But we can say that partly because we get to see all the films in advance during the selection process).  ITN thanks our members, volunteers, and many sponsors for making the Outdoor Film Fest a Kodiak institution. 

We have a full slate of activities and events scheduled for this summer.   Something is going on nearly every weekend this month.  In the interests of space, we have not listed them all here, but you can check out all ITN happenings on our website calendar.

This month saw a host of grant applications come back--all approved!  Here is a taste of what ITN will be doing in the new few years.

We received a legislative grant to construct 2600' of hiking trail on municipal land located on Near Island in the city of Kodiak, Alaska. This one will go right alongside the channel, teeing off an existing trail in North End park and contouring the hillside to the city parking lot near the St. Herman harbor launch ramp.  We believe (and often say) that a robust system of trails on Near Island serves the recreational needs and provides healthy alternatives to automobile travel for all members of the community. By providing hiking experiences easily accessible from downtown this trail in particular will add to the visitor experience and provide an economic return to the city of Kodiak. We can't take credit for the idea though.  This trail was first proposed in a 1987 Near Island Comprehensive Development plan adopted by the City of Kodiak and the Kodiak Island Borough. In 2011 City of Kodiak renewed their commitment by passing a resolution (2011-34) specifically supporting Near Island Phase III.

We've also received a small grant to "clear the way" for the coming bike path.  As you may know, $3.1M has been allotted for the design and construction of Phase 1A which will span from Kodiak Pier 2 to Deadman's Curve. Phase 1B of the bike path will span from Deadman's Curve to the USCG base and will closely parallel Rezanof Drive but may depart from the D.O.T. right-of-way (ROW) where (1) the trail can service nearby population centers, business and recreational areas or (2) natural terrain features and drainages render ten-foot trail corridor impractical. A paved bike path is a large public works project, and something beyond our means to construct.  But as the project is likely to take years to complete, we have offered to punch through and make some soft-surface trail improvements to make the half-finished trail usable in the intervening years. 

We received a legislative grant to resurface an existing 800' trail linking residents and businesses of Marine Way to Mission Road via Father Herman St. The trail resides entirely on City of Kodiak land and enjoys frequent use by downtown residents, dog-walkers, hikers and those seeking a nearby refuge from nearby industrial zones.  This 6-foot widened tread will allow for comfortable two way foot traffic and slow two-way bicycle traffic. Increased use and lack of proper drainage has caused incising along the tread and led to ponding and muddy conditions along the trail. The resurfacing project will incorporate natural and artificial drainage features such as outslope, crowning and grade dips to ensure adequate drainage.

To round out the list of "terra trail" grants, we received funding to make improvements to a short  trail that links residents of Sharatin Drive and adjacent subdivisions to the Trinity Islands subdivision via the Perenosa Drive right-of-way. Parts of Perenosa were platted decades ago but never fully developed as a street (that's why you never hear of Perenosa Drive except through ITN). In the ensuing years, some forgot about the right-of-way and thought of it as their backyard, while others used it to shortcut to nearby neighborhoods.  The construction of a backyard fence in the Perenosa right-of-way in 2010 brought the purpose of ROWs into sharp focus.  Were they intended for streets and public utilities only, reverting back to the adjacent landowners if utilities and streets weren't needed?  Or did they retain their public value as conduits for moving people on bikes, on foot and in strollers through a maze of dead-end streets built for automobiles?  After public review, the KIB Planning and Zoning commission and KIB Parks & Recreation committee chose the latter, and we are following up by improving the trail to meet the current use patterns.

We continue to make conservation of our coastlines and watersheds, and have had some recent fundraising successes here as well.

ITN was awarded a grant this month from the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation for marine debris clean-ups at Halibut Bay, Long Island, continuation of our incentive program for set net fisherman, and project to remove derelict crab pots from Womens Bay.  We also received a grant from NOAA to conduct seven weeks of marine debris clean-up at Tugidak island in 2013.  This will be our largest single clean-up yet, and is focused on the heaviest concentration of debris we’ve found on the Kodiak archipelago.  Together, these grants account for a significant increase in our efforts at coastal conservation over the next two years, which seems like good timing—the impact of marine debris from the 2011 Japan tsunami is just beginning to be felt here.

There has been extensive media coverage of marine debris caused by the tsunami, mostly as a human-interest piece.  The autographed soccer ball on Middleton Island which was traced and returned to a Japanese youth and the Harley Davidson motorcycle that washed up in British Columbia both made national headlines.  An anchorage network affiliate picked upon a local effort to map the appearances of team-logo fly swatters from Kodiak to Montague island near Prince William Sound.  These flyswatters, novel are they are, are most likely not related to the tsunami.  Rather, they along with the hundreds of customized water bottles, and miniature foam basketballs are the contents of a container spill from a passing freighter.  ITN President Patrick Saltonstall first blogged about them after a deer carcass survey on the west side of Kodiak, only later discovering that the phenomenon has spread over hundreds of miles of coastline.The curious absence of any of these sports novelty items from locations east of PWS or in southeast Alaska suggests they arrived by different means than the large plastic oyster floats and polystyrene cylinders that have impacted the entire state. 

Regarding these larger, latter types of debris, they started showing up by ones and twos in Alaska in late 2011.  Kodiak first reported finding these large, apparently foreign objects in a late December KMXT article, but the majority of reports on the SeaAlliance facebook page, which was launched by MCAF to monitor tsunami debris findings, were coming from Yakutat. 

Around April 20, Kodiak pilot Dave Hilty flew his personal plane from Sitka to Kodiak after working as a herring spotter.  He passed Cape Fairweather, Icy Strait, Middleton and Montague Islands and finally Shuyak, Afognak and Kodiak island for his return home.  Hilty told me that he’d flown this route for many years, and always seen one or two oyster floats per year along the way.  This year he began counting soon after taking off from Southeast Alaska, noticing right away an increase in debris levels.  Then he began counting by twenties.  In all he estimates he saw 4000 floats along his flight path.  

On April 26 Nick flew with Hilty to look more closely at the Kodiak archipelago and found dozens of oyster floats scattered around Shuyak and north Afognak islands.  The numbers were lesser in quantity than HIlty observed around Montague island and the north gulf coast but far more than we would normally see here.  On May 3^rdNick and I traveled by kayak from Monaskha Bay to Anton Larsen Bay to inspect our work sites and counted two tsunami debris pieces--one rigid black one at Termination Point and one polystyrene white one near Kizhuyak Point.  Passing Ouzinkie we saw Herman Squartsoff, who first reported the flyswatters to me back in March, and he told us he’d found 28 more. 

The flyswatter epidemic and the tsunami-generated Oyster floats may be from different sources, but they all signify an increasing amount of marine debris washing up.  ITN will continue to monitor and document these sightings to target future clean-ups and to make the case, if needed, for additional funding to protect our shores.

Fly swatters hit Kodiak shores

Recently, an epidemic of sports-logo fly swatters have been hitting Kodiak beaches, presumably lost from a shipping container (foam basketballs too). Todd Anderson decided to start mapping them. Check out this link to see if your favorite team has washed up, and where.

Found a flyswatter? Email location, team name and your contact info (optional) to toddanderson907@gmail.com.

Trail enthusiasts:  the future of the Russian Ridge trail system will be re-shaped tonight.  Come to the KIB Parks & Recreation trails summit and make your voice heard!


Tonight at 7:00 PM Kodiak High School Commons, the Kodiak Island Borough Parks and Recreation Committee will be holding the first public “TRAILS SUMMIT” This meeting is an opportunity for residents to share ideas, discuss issues and talk about the conditions found on our trails in an effort to improve their enjoyment. During the meeting, special emphasis will center on the Russian Ridge Trail System.


Items to be discussed include: Introduction of the newly adopted Road System Trails Master Plan to the community. Opportunity to comment on trails along the road system. Share concerns; suggest improvements (bridges, trail hardening etc.). Information gathered at this Trails Summit will be the topic of future Parks and Recreation meetings. The second part of the meeting will be a focused on a discussion about Russian Ridge Trail System. The P&R Committee is looking for public input in the development of a Trail Management Objective (TMO) for this area located between Selief Lane and Monashka Bay Road. This trail system is a multi-use area popular with motorized and non-motorized users. This trail was identified through the Trails Plan process as an important community trail. Part of this area has also been considered for residential disposal at a future Borough land sale.
Please come share your ideas.


For more information, please contact the Community Development Department at 486-9363

Help us complete this Marine Debris Masterpiece!

This Saturday, join dozens of other students and volunteers who have worked on creating "Ophelia", a giant Octopus created entirely of marine debris! This is part of an outreach effort by ITN and Kodiak High School art program to teach more people about the marine debris phenomenon and the impacts of the plastic and derelict fishing gear washing up on our shores. Volunteers will be cutting, sorting and washing marine debris and placing individual pieces on the Octopus. The completed sculpture will then be placed on display in the KHS foyer. Volunteer should use the front entrance to the high school (near the office). What:  Marine Debris art workshop Where:  Kodiak High School art room (use front entrance near office, follow signs) When:  Saturday, April 14 12-5 PM, or any portion thereof! Who:  KHS Art Program and Island Trails Network See you there!

ITN receives USFWS Alaska Region Outstanding Partner award for 2011

Whether it concerns trail-building techniques, causes of erosion, or impacts from marine debris, the ITN has a lot to teach to the youth of Kodiak.  Since 2009 we partnered with the Kodiak Refuge Youth Conservation Corps to assist in conservation projects. In 2011, a two week ITN effort removed 3,000 lbs of marine debris from the Kodiak Refuge. In addition to those in the YCC, students were brought in from across the country to experience and improve the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.

At the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Regional Director’s Awards ceremony yesterday, the Service recognized ITN for their efforts on behalf of the wild resources that belong to all Alaskans. Geoff Haskett, the Service’s Alaska Regional Director, said, “Partnerships are at the heart of meaningful conservation, and they are essential if we are to be truly effective in conserving Alaska’s fish, wildlife, and habitats. The organizations recognized today demonstrate this, and I’m grateful to have had an opportunity to celebrate their contributions.”

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Manager Gary Wheeler presents ITN President Patrick Saltonstall and Executive Director Andy Schroeder with the Regional Director's "Outstanding Partner" award for excellence.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. They are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. 

Fun in the Snow

This week ITN used a Polaris Ranger fitted with tracks and a custom-built sled from Northern Sled Works to haul bridge materials down the Sunny Cove trail on Spruce Island, Alaska. 

Using this method we can haul up to 1000 lbs per load (more on flat surfaces) with practically zero impact on the soil.  We will return to Spruce Island this week to try the same thing with gravel.  


This is a 3-4 year project begun in 2011 and involves the hardening of 2.25 miles of tread and rebuilding of 14 bridges on an historic trail connecting the settlement of Sunny Cove on Spruce Island with the village of Ouzinkie.  Although most of Spruce Island is privately owned, this is a public trail  and is protected the a 17(b) federal easement administered by the BLM.

Executive Director's Report, March 2012

Even though our board of director's meets monthly, it still sometimes seems like eons between meetings.  It's been five weeks since our last meeting, and a lot has happened!

We are seeking applicants for a new position at ITN:  Director of Outreach, Education, and Marine Programs.  The position entails full-time, work-from-home employment with benefits, flexible hours, and rewarding field work and travel opportunities.  See Alaska Jobs Job Order #193444 or email info@islandtrails.org for application instructions. 

Completing Safe Routes surveys.  N. Kesling photo.

Our Safe routes to Schools  (SR2S) program continues to build momentum.  We are in the data collection phase a  year-long effort to identify ways to increase the safety and occurrences of elementary and middle school students walking or biking to school.  At last week's parent-teacher conferences we set up banks of laptops in the school hallways to enable parents to complete the surveys on-site, and to answer questions about the SR2S programs.   We are asking everyone, whether a parent or not, to complete the appropriate survey at our website www.islandtrails.org/saferoutes.  While you're at it, you can register to win a bike helmet from Island Trails Network.

We've been asked if we plan to eliminate safe routes planning for Main Elementary. Quite the contrary; Our planning efforts are for the students, not schools, and closing one school will not reduce the number of students in the school district.  Students who formerly attended Main Elementary will be attending a new school and may be traveling a longer and less familiar route, making Safe Routes planning even more important.   

The Kodiak Public Library Association has almost achieved its fundraising goal of $13M for a new community library to be built atop borough hill, and have been consulting ITN to ensure adequate pedestrian and bicycle access to the facility.  This month I met with Paul Converse of KPLA and we walked the area  and identified several potential trail connections in the area.  ITN believes the trails associated with the library development could serve not just the library, but could provide greater connectivity and fluidity between the downtown, borough hill, and midtown and further encourage walking and biking as a healthy, safe, and practical way to navigate our neighborhoods.

I was a guest at the USCG Auxiliary meeting this month, where I spoke to over thirty Auxiliary members about marine debris in Kodiak, our efforts to remove it and  educate folks about it, and the emerging threats caused by the 2011 Japan tsunami  and the increasing number of ghost pots occupying Womens Bay.  You can learn more about these issues by reading our blog.  ITN has a longstanding partnership with this organization, beginning with the Pillar Creek marine debris clean-up in 2007.  ITN was awarded the 2010 Safe Boating Award by the Kodiak flotilla of the USCG Auxiliary for our efforts in improving kayaking safety.  We hope to continue and strengthen our partnership with this energetic and proactive group of volunteers.

ITN, like the Coast Guard Auxiliary is a volunteer-driven organization.  But as a state and federally-recognized non-profit entity, we are perhaps even more so.  At ITN, we rely on our members to fund our day-to-day operations, we furnish volunteer labor as a match for grant-funded projects and we derive our strategic goals in part from the desires of our membership.  We are in the midst of our largest volunteer recruitment effort of the year--the run-up to the Kodiak Outdoor Film Festival.  This event, to be held April 6th at the Kodiak Harbor Convention Center, is our biggest gathering of Island Trails Network members all year.  But there is more to membership than just an evening of pizza and entertainment.  Your membership demonstrates your commitment to healthy trails, waterways and coastline throughout the archipelago.  It represents your belief in the importance of trail safety, ethics, and etiquette.  It shows your support for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure throughout our populated areas.  Whether you plan on attending the film festival or not, please take this opportunity to renew your membership to Island Trails Network.  www.islandtrails.org/join

For those planning to submit a film to the KOFF, don't forget next weekend is Philip Tschersich’s free iMovie workshop. Philip teaches the basics of iMovie in one evening including importing video, understanding the iMovie environment, marking clips as favorites or rejects, adding clips to a storyboard, addition transitions, titles, beat markers and lyrics, adjusting stabilization, color, cropping, rotation, and clip speed, and exporting movies. The workshop will be held at the KNWR visitor’s center from 7-9 PM March 20th. Come one, come many.  Admission is free!

Grooming winter trails near Nemetz Gazebo.  N. Kesling Photo.

Our grooming of a 5k multi-use winter trail at Swampy Acres has been well-received.   We obtained permission from Natives of Kodiak and the USCG to use a loop beginning and ending near Nemetz Gazebo as a demonstration project to see how a groomed winter trail would fare in that area.  The trail is approximately 4-6 feet wide, with a classic track on one side and a smooth corduroy surface on the other.  The terrain is suitable for beginning skiers and snowshoers, with most grades at or below 5% and only one section exceeding  10%.  Although there are no signs, the trail has separate lanes for shoe and ski traffic along most of its length, and user groups have so far respected each other's terrain.  From my observations, it looks like the trail receives at least some use every day, and dozens of users on the weekends.  This week, we will groom the trail for a third time and continue to monitor use.  We appreciate the Coast Guard's cooperation in lending us their tow-behind groomer and granting us gate access.  

ITN seeks to remove Ghost Pots from Womens Bay

ITN is raising funds for a new type of marine debris project--removal of derelict crab pots from the sea floor of Womens Bay.  

Scientists from the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Kodiak presented a talk at the Kodiak Marine Science Symposium last spring with estimates that 6 - 12% of all king crab reared in Women's Bay are killed in "ghost-fishing" lost crab pots.  Further analysis of the data for a peer-reviewed journal article (in

preparation) indicates that the percentage may be up to 15% mortality.  This is a substantial number of king crabs and represents a severe environmental impact to the ecosystems of the bay and substantial subsistence and commercial loss to the human population of Kodiak.

This video clip provided by NOAA shows a lost dungeness crab pot containing 19 mature king crab in Womens Bay.  The pot had no biodegradable release, so the crab were doomed.  King crab are a depressed stock around Kodiak, and preservation of the broodstock is important to recovery of the crab population.  The presentation indicated that 65% of the lost pots in Women's Bay are capable of ghost fishing, so removal of those pots will likely have an immediate and long term positive effect.

Project partner Mark Blakeslee has been utilizing underwater technology work over the past 12 years or so, and  has 4 ROVs (remotely operated underwater vehicles), sonars, acoustic tracking capabilities, and a workboat from which to deploy this equipment (photos attached).  Having completed recovery operations for NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Lab (PMEL) and others to retrieve equipment off the ocean bottom in the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean he now turns his eye towards the waters of Kodiak to locate and retrieve the harmful ghost fishing crab pots.

Dr. Robert Foy, director of the NMFS Kodiak lab, has expressed support for the project and his staff is providing guidance on where the concentrations of derelict crab pots may be found.  We have also requested the NOAA survey ship Fairweather, while on patrol break in Kodiak this summer, to provide multibeam sonar and/or sidescan sonar mapping of Women's Bay to locate the pots.

ITN is request funding from the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation, Ocean Foundation, Alaska Brewing Company and NOAA for the project.  

Executive Director's Report, February 2012

This month the House of Representatives puts forward a new transportation bill that will heavily impact trails funding over the next few years.  ITN has been active in advocating for the Transportation Enhancements (TE), Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) elements of the transportation budget. Just a lot of  lousy acronyms?  Here are some real-life, if somewhat simplified examples of what these programs do:

TE results in improved sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure during paving projects. TE funds projects like the Kodiak Bike Path, and ensures future paving projects done in a holistic way, with sidewalks and appropriate lighting to serve all users of the street.

SRTS results in programs such as the crossing guard program, infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists near schools, and planning grants to identify the appropriate programs and infrastructure for each school.  ITN is operating on such a planning grant right now.  Once our planning is complete at the end of 2012, we will be one of only a handful of Alaska communities eligible for $3M in infrastructure funds allocated for Safe Routes to Schools. 

RTP is commonly referred to as ORTAB in Alaska (Outdoor Recreational Trails Advisory Board—some of you may know trails advocate Shelly Lawson, who sits on this statewide board).  RTP is responsible for many of the trail improvements you see in Ft. Abercrombie State Park, and was originally the funding source identified for future development Near Island Phase III, a trail connecting North End park to St. Herman harbor via the channel-side greenbelt. 

Now for some bad news—as of the writing of this report, RTP is the only program that has not been cut from the current transportation bill.  TE and SRTS were slashed from the bill in favor of more money for car-centric programs.  ITN has been strongly advocating for a return of these programs to the bill, and this week an amendment was introduced to do so.  Don Young, Alaska’s only congressman, is an influential member of the transportation committee.  It is unclear at this point whether he will support the amendment, but we have sent repeated letters and emails urging him to do so, and our email alerts have inspired some of you to do the same.  We will continue to advocate for recreational trails, pedestrian and bicycle enhancements at every level of government.

One more blow for RTP, it’s currently unavailable to Alaska due to an accounting oversight at the Federal Highway Administration.  Apparently Alaska has been overpaid in this program and the feds are deducting the amount of the overpayment from the current fiscal year budget.   Thus Near Island Phase III is on hold until we find another funding source (we will try the Alaska legislature). 

Dates have been set for the Kodiak Outdoor Film Festival.  It will be held April 6^th at the Harbor Convention Center downtown.  From now until March 25 we’re accepting submissions of any and all Kodiak outdoor films.  Send us your best, and if it makes the cut it will hit the big screen, in from of a few hundred people at our annual fundraiser!  You can download submission guidelines at www.islandtrails.org/film.  

Okay, so you know all about the film festival, but you’re on the fence about whether you’re up to submitting a film yourself.  You want to submit a film, have lots of good raw material and have a Mac, but don’t fully understand iMovie?  So did we, until we took Philip Tschersich’s free iMovie workshop.  Philip teaches the basics of iMovie in one evening including importing video, understanding the iMovie environment, marking clips as favorites or rejects, adding clips to a storyboard, addition transitions, titles, beatmarkers and lyrics, adjusting stabilization, color, cropping, rotation, and clip speed, and exporting movies.  The 2012 workshop will be held at the KNWR visitor’s center from 7-9 PM March 20^th.  Admission is free!

ITN is proud to announce a re-release of our website, www.islandtrails.org.  In it, you’ll find detailed descriptions of ITN’s past and current projects with video, maps, and slideshows, a new weekly blog, links to social media sites and the continued convenience of online membership.  The site also reflects our updated strategic goals, a re-tooled mission statement, and a structural re-organization into departments that take their name from the way we get things done—through Action, Advocacy and Education.

As you will see from the site, ITN has an ambitious agenda for the next few years.  Now more than ever we need your support.  This year, please consider helping Island Trails Network and other local non-profits through a tax-deductible donation from your Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD).  The Pick.Click.Give program makes this easier than ever.  www.pickclickgive.org

Please also take a moment to renew your membership for 2012 and renew your commitment to Island Trails Network.  Don’t forget that a Barometer membership earns admission for one and Pyramid membership earns admission for two to the 2012 Kodiak Outdoor Film Festival.

That’s all for this month.  Thanks for tuning in.  Happy Trails!

Take Action Kodiak: Stand up for Walking and Bicycling!

Today the U.S. House of Representatives released a transportation bill entitled the American Energy and Infrastructure Act.  According to the League of American Bicyclists the new bill completely cut every reference to bicycling and walking out of the federal transportation policy.  They also report that the bill:

• Destroys Transportation Enhancements by making the program optional
• Repeals the Safe Routes to School program, reversing years of progress in creating safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school
• Allows states to build bridges without safe access for pedestrians and bicycles
• Eliminates bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in state DOTs
• Eliminates language that insures that rumble strips “do not adversely affect the safety or mobility of bicyclists, pedestrians or the disabled”

If you've followed ITN's efforts over the past year you know that Kodiak benefits considerably from these programs and cutting them would be a critical blow to the neighborhood connectivity our community is striving for.  Here are some examples:

• Last week the Kodiak Island Borough voted unanimously to adopt a comprehensive trails plan which emphasizes neighborhood connectivity and recommends improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.  Dismantling TE will remove a major funding mechanism to implement these recommendations.

• Last month ITN teamed up with the Kodiak Island Borough School district to begin a year-long Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) planning process, aiming to reduce hazardous traffic congestion around schools while simultaneously addressing our childhood obesity problem by encouraging students to walk or bike to school.  Cutting SRTS will remove the funding mechanism to implement these plans.

• Last year, thanks to heroic efforts by local citizens Phase I of the Kodiak to Bells Flats bike path has been funded and engineering and design will be beginning soon.  Cutting TE could jeopardize the eventual completion of the project.  

In short, if TE and SRTS programs are cut, many of the proposed improvements from the Kodiak Trails Plan and the forthcoming Safe Routes to School plan may never see the light of day.  We have written letters on behalf of these programs already, but today we're asking you to help make our voice louder.  We're encouraging Kodiak (and all Alaskan) proponents of walking and bicyling in Kodiak to contact Rep. Young.  Cut and paste from this text if you wish, or write you own letter, but please be heard!

Read ITN's letter of January 31 to Rep. Young.

Kodiak Island Borough adopts trails plan

The borough took a major step toward implementation of a world-class trail system this week by unanimously adopting a comprehensive trails plan. Listen to the web article by KMXT.  

Trail users debate the merits of various trails at a public meeting, 2011.

Fueled by much public input and popular support, this document will help steer ITN's trail development efforts in future years. Read the plan as adopted at www.kodiaktrailsplan.com.

People for Bikes

While visiting Amsterdam I'm struck by how ubiquitous bikes are, and how the network of bike paths extends across the entire country.  It seems there is nowhere in Holland you can't reach via bike path!  

By advocating for bicycle infrastructure in Kodiak to include a continuous separated paved trail from White Sands to Bells Flats, ITN is trying to make Kodiak more bike-friendly.  We'll be asking for your support over the next few years as we take on later phases of the project

In the meantime, you can help by taking a moment to visit People for Bikes and sign this pledge and show congress that you support the use of transportation funds for cyclists.  Tell them Bikes Belong!

visit People for Bikes

Tsunami-generated marine debris threatens Kodiak with marine invasives

Marine debris discovered  December 2011 in Chiniak, AK
thought to be from the Japan Tsunami. ITN photo.

Marine debris from the Japan tsunami of March 11, 2011 has been reported to be washing up on Kodiak's shores by several sources in Kodiak according to this KMXT article.  The  reports indicate that large floats from commercial oyster farms are the most common discovery here.  NOAA recently acknowledged that their initial estimates of marine debris arrival to Alaska sometime in 2013 underestimated the ability of large, lightweight items with high windage profiles (or sail area) to be effectively blown across the sea. NOAA has set up this page on their website focused on the Japan tsunami marine debris with updated information.

Additionally, floats from Oyster farms may be a vector for introducing a new invasive species to Kodiak, didemnum vexillum, or rock vomit.  This species was first discovered in Alaska in 2010 in Sitka's Whiting harbor, has destroyed a subsistence herring fishery there and poses similar significant threats to Kodiak's fisheries resources and the habitats that sustain them.  read more. The species is native to Japan and routinely fouls aquatic farm gear such as the oyster floats believed to be washing up on Kodiak.   

Didemnum vexillum, or rock vomit.  NOAA photo.

In response, Island Trails Network has established a weekly monitoring program of five sites along the Kodiak road system to identify marine debris that may have been generated by the tsunami..  This is part of statewide effort coordinated by the MCA Foundation. Identical monitoring sites have been established at Sitka, Craig, and Yakutat Alaska.  


We are in the process of selecting shoreline areas along the Kodiak island road system for weekly standing-stock surveys of marine debris and will be conducting weekly site visits beginning the week of January 16th.  However, these sampling sites will not cover the entire shoreline and may overlook potentially harmful deposits of marine debris. 


If you see any marine debris along the road system that you believe to be related to the Japan tsunami or any marine debris carrying rock vomit, please email a photograph to info@islandtrails.org.  Please include with the photo the date and location of the discovery, and how we may contact you.