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Most Contaminants Lower in Boise River Than Other Northwest Rivers
USGS scientist Robert Grove will present preliminary information about the prevalence of contaminants along the lower Boise River at the Idaho Environmental Forum in Boise on November 18. The presentation will be repeated for the Boise City Environmental Division and other agencies. In 2008, a USGS pilot study evaluated the presence of persistent contaminants, such as pesticides, herbicides, and PCBs, in ospreys and fish along the river. These contaminants are known to accumulate in the aquatic food web, affecting animals that are associated with aquatic systems. Preliminary results suggest that most contaminant concentrations were lower in the Boise River than those found at other locations in the Pacific Northwest, except for flame retardants called PBDEs. PBDEs can accumulate to relatively high concentrations in animal tissues, which may disrupt thyroid function and neurological development.
Contact: Robert Grove, FRESC, 541-757-4840,
robert_a_grove@usgs.gov
FRESC Participates in Research and Monitoring Discussions with NPS
Several USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center staff are meeting with National Park Service biologists during the week of November 16. Research Manager Carrie Phillips, Outreach Coordinator Ruth Jacobs, and scientists Joan Hagar, Jason Dunham, and Robert Hoffman will discuss climate change and snowshoe hare research opportunities with biologists from Crater Lake National Park. In Redding, CA, they will participate in a science meeting organized by the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Coordinator of the Klamath Network to discuss climate change and other topics.
Contact: Carrie Phillips, FRESC, 541-750-1038,
carrie_phillips@usgs.gov
USGS Assists BLM with Focus Group about Fire and Fire Fuels
USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Outreach Coordinator Ruth Jacobs will assist BLM staff with a focus group discussion in Burns, OR on November 23. The objective is to gather information about scientific needs related to fire and fire fuels. The meeting is organized by the BLM, and participants will include field staff from federal management agencies. This meeting is part of an on-going project funded the Joint Fire Science Program and managed by the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and the University of Nevada at Reno.
Contact: Ruth Jacobs, FRESC, 541-750-1047,
ruth_jacobs@usgs.gov
Opportunities for Citizen Science in Idaho Monitoring Program
USGS ecologist David Pilliod has been invited to serve on a science panel at the Idaho Herpetological Society Meeting on November 14 in Nampa, ID. The panel will describe the current status of amphibians and reptiles in the state of Idaho and discuss opportunities for public involvement in monitoring population trends through citizen science. Involving volunteers can promote public awareness in a research project and help scientists achieve objectives.
Contact: David Pilliod, FRESC, 208-426-5202,
dpilliod@usgs.gov
Catching the Elusive Oystercatcher
USGS scientist Matthew Johnson and Caleb Spiegel, a recent Oregon State University graduate student who was advised and partially funded by the USGS, were mentioned in a article on oystercatchers in the fall edition of Defenders of Wildlife magazine. Oystercatchers are striking black shorebirds with bright orange bills that live along coastal shorelines and intertidal areas. They are listed as a species of high conservation concern with a rangewide population estimated at fewer than 11,000 birds.
Contact: J. Matthew Johnson, FRESC, 541-758-7797,
matthew_johnson@usgs.gov
USGS Provides Details about Osprey Banded in 1997
USGS emeritus zoologist Chuck Henny was mentioned in an article about an osprey with a federal leg band in the October 2009 edition of Warbler, the Audubon Society of Portland's newsletter. Henny provided details of an osprey he banded in 1997 that was part of a national study about fall migration. The osprey was found injured in Portland, OR in 2009.
Contact: Charles Henny, FRESC, 541-757-4840,
charles_j_henny@usgs.gov
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