WERC Highlights -- November 2007

USGS Scientists to Participate in California Riparian Habitat Joint Venture Conference: USGS scientists will be presenting papers and participating in panel discussion at the Riparian Habitat Joint Venture (RHJV) conference in Sacramento, California, December 3-6, 2007. The theme of this year’s conference is integrating riparian habitat conservation and flood management in California. USGS scientist Barbara Kus is a co-chair and presenter in a session on Flood Control and Terrestrial Wildlife. She will present a paper on “Response of Least Bell's Vireos to flood control channel maintenance along the San Luis Rey River, California.” In the same session, USGS scientist Cheryl Brehme will present a talk on “Water management considerations for conserving native herpetofauna in southern California.” The RHJV is a collaborative forum of 18 private, state, and federal partners, including USGS, working to develop integrated opportunities for planning, funding and implementing riparian conservation. For more information: http://www.prbo.org/calpif/rhjvconference/. (Gloria Maender, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-5596, gloria_maender@usgs.gov)

Migratory Birds: On November 21, 2007, USGS scientist John Takekawa was interviewed by National Geographic for a documentary on National Geographic Television on bird migration including swans. He was also interviewed for a November 23, 2007, Associated Press story on the San Francisco Bay oil spill and surf scoters that winter in the Bay. (John Takekawa, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-2000, john_takekawa@usgs.gov)

Wildlife After the Fires: On November 26, 2007, USGS scientist Robert Fisher was interviewed by the San Diego Union-Tribune about species that potentially might be salvaged from burned areas to breed in captivity for repatriation in the wild when their habitat has recovered sufficiently to support them. A photo in the Orange County Register on November 22, 2007, showed USGS biologists assessing effects of the Santiago Fire on wildlife and habitat. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)

Wildfire: USGS scientist Jon Keeley was interviewed for a November 25, 2007, story in the Los Angeles Times on this autumn’s second large Malibu wildfire. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Declining Amphibians: USGS scientist Adam Backlin was interviewed by the Press-Enterprise about mountain yellow-legged frogs for a November 9, 2007, story on the global amphibian crisis and roles that zoos and aquariums can play by providing shelter for amphibians and sustain species that are disappearing from the wild. A follow-up story next spring is expected to focus on the status of a conservation effort in southern California where a multi-agency and zoo collaboration is underway for the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. (Adam Backlin, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4702, abacklin@usgs.gov)

Potential Ecological Effects of San Francisco Bay Oil Spill: On November 12, 2007, USGS scientist John Takekawa was interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle for a story on ecological effects of the recent oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Takekawa provided information on migratory bird populations in the San Francisco Bay area, as well as discussed potential harmful effects of the oil. On November 8, USGS scientist Susan Wainwright-De La Cruz was interviewed by the Sacramento Bee regarding diving duck wintering ecology in San Francisco Bay and potential oil spill effects. On November 9, USGS scientists Sam Iverson and Eric Palm were filmed by KPIX-TV (San Francisco, Channel 5, CBS affiliate) for a story that aired on the 6 o'clock news. (John Takekawa, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-2000, john_takekawa@usgs.gov)

Wildfire Impact Workshop: On November 13, USGS in San Diego is hosting a wildfire impact workshop, “Status and Stories: Update on 2007 Wildfire Impacts on San Diego’s Habitats,” as part of the efforts of the San Diego Fire Recovery Network. Objectives are to learn about wildfire impacts to species, habitats, and places; to learn about ongoing recovery efforts; and to gather information about monitoring and education needs. This meeting is a follow-on to the October 29 meeting, which USGS also hosted. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)

Post-fire Briefing: On November 2, 2007, Dr. Robert Fisher and Carlton Rochester, biologists with the USGS Western Ecological Research Center in San Diego, met with Congressmen Darrel Issa, representative of California’s 49th District, and Brian Bilbray, representative of California’s 50th District, as the USGS representatives at the joint federal agencies briefing. The USGS discussed the various actions taken during the fires, post-fire operations, and potential fire recovery activities. Bilbray expressed concern about the Tijuana watershed and downstream impacts to the city of Tijuana and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Drinking water impacts were also discussed. A large concern is replacing mobile homes on tribal lands without better understanding the debris flow risk. Issa is concerned about fire impacts on Camp Pendleton and expressed interest that the USGS have access to the military’s classified imagery to reduce redundant data collection efforts. Gerald Bawden and Carol Ostergren will work through Robert Fisher to coordinate with Issa’s staff. The Congressmen are planning to have another briefing with federal agencies and hope to have the other regional representatives present at this next venue. Congressman Issa's staff will coordinate with Robert Fisher to conduct a tour of the San Diego USGS offices and laboratories. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)

USGS Cameras Capture Wildfire-Wildlife Images: Scientific American (Nov. 7) and New Scientist (Nov. 8) ran stories on their websites with images from a motion-triggered wildlife camera used in USGS carnivore research. Photos the camera captured before, during, and after the Santiago Fire were featured in a USGS news release. (Erin Boydston, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4704, eboydston@usgs.gov)

Warming Forests: USGS scientist Nate Stephenson and field crew were interviewed in June by National Public Radio for a California Report series on climatic change. Their interview will air in the second segment of the series, on Tuesday, November 13 (6:50 a.m. and again at 8:50 a.m. PST). (The first segment in the series airs Monday at same times.) Their interview focused on observed and potential climatic change effects on forests of the Sierra Nevada, and particularly on potential effects of climatic changes on giant sequoias. Story archive and photos showing Stephenson and field crew at their long-term monitoring plots should appear later in the day online. For more information: http://www.kqed.org/ or http://www.californiareport.org/domains/californiareport/. (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3176, nstephenson@usgs.gov)

California Wildfires: USGS scientist Jon Keeley was interviewed for a radio story by the Public News Service (expected to run on selected radio stations November 5). He was also interviewed for a Nov. 5 news story by VoiceofSanDiego.org (http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2007/11/05/news/03fire110507.txt). On November 7, he was interviewed for an upcoming story in the Los Angeles Times. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Mountain Yellow-Legged Frogs: USGS scientists Robert Fisher and Adam Backlin had discussions with National Geographic Magazine about a collaborative multi-agency conservation effort to restore populations of southern California’s endangered mountain yellow legged frogs. A National Geographic team will accompany the scientists next spring to see mountain yellow-legged frogs in the field; they have already photographed frogs that are being maintained at the San Diego Zoo’s Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES) center. The story is slated for late next year during the “Year of the Frogs.” Fisher also spoke with one of the reporters from National Geographic about the recent California wildfires. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov; Adam Backlin, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4702, abacklin@usgs.gov)