Tag: Natural Resources Management
On Travis Air Force Base, a rare salamander gets a helping hand
Twice a year, federally protected California tiger salamanders make their pilgrimage between breeding pond and burrow. At Travis Air Force Base, that bi-annual journey includes obstacles like runways and streets. CEMML biologists in partnership with Travis’ natural resources program is helping the species navigate those obstacles. Their efforts ensure the species’ survival, while also allowing the Air Force to continue to carry out its mission.
July 11, 2024
Reaching zero: 26 years of eradicating non-native ungulates from conservation areas in Hawai’i
CEMML Hawai’i staff members Rogelio Doratt, Dan Jensen, and Lena Schnell contributed an article to the Department of Defense Natural Resource Program’s Natural Selections Summer 2024 Newsletter. The article details CEMML’s management action plan to keep 37,300 acres of native dryland habitat free of non-native ungulates. The article starts on page 6 of the linked newsletter.
July 5, 2024
Sharing the beach: CEMML supports snowy plovers and communities in California
In 2020, Vandenberg Space Force Station and CEMML began providing educational programs at local elementary schools to spread awareness about the snowy plover, a rare migratory shorebird currently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Over 600 students have participated in the program since the program began.
May 6, 2024
CEMML conducts surveys to aid fisheries management at Fort McCoy
Every year, watershed management biologists and specialists with CEMML, in partnership with Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch (NRB), hold fish surveys at Fort McCoy’s 10 lakes and ponds. Surveys are conducted using various methods to understand fish populations and the overall health of the waterways.
May 2, 2024
CEMML supports conservation efforts at Fort Hunter Liggett
CEMML biologists are key contributors to conservation efforts at Fort Hunter Liggett, a U.S. Army installation in west central California. Among FHL’s conservation efforts is improving the San Antonio River habitat of the endangered arroyo toad. The toad was listed as endangered in 1994 and faces a variety of threats to its survival, reproduction and persistence. CEMML aids the installation in the removal of non-native predators like the American bullfrog.
April 24, 2024
CEMML partnership helps ensure Native American voices are heard in military planning
Much of the roughly 26 million acres that the Department of Defense oversees nationwide was once occupied by Native American tribes. Military installations are legally required to consult with interested tribes when carrying out projects that affect natural and cultural resources. A tool developed by CEMML and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center helps determine which tribes may have an interest in an installation’s land or airspace.
January 4, 2024
CEMML botanists help gain recognition for new Hawaiian plant species
After 35 years since its initial discovery, Hawai’i has a newly recognized species of pamakani, thanks to the persistance of CEMML biologists. Dubbed Tetramolopium stemmermanniae, the daisy-like plant joins 47 other species of rare plants found within Hawaiʻi’s U.S. Army Garrison Pōhakuloa Training Area.
December 4, 2023
Spreading the love of monarchs: CEMML intern works with Midwestern pollinators
As part of his CEMML internship, Alexx Uecker’s work for the Midwest Natural Resources Program of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center gave him the opportunity to study bats and support important pollinators like the monarch butterfly. During his six-month experience, Uecker supported monitoring and survey efforts at Air Force bases across the Midwest.
November 29, 2023
Ecology expert joins CEMML Executive Committee
After 7 years as a principal investigator, Dr. Mindy Clarke joins CEMML’s executive committee as an assistant director. Clarke brings 25 years of environmental management experience to CEMML’s leadership team and a passion for bridging the gap between science and management.
November 2, 2023
CEMML wildlife and ecology technician wins Alaska license plate design contest
CEMML wildlife and ecology technician, Sabrina Kessakorn, recently won the Alaska state license plate design contest. She spoke to Alaska Public Media, as part of their State of Art program, about her work in wildlife and ecology and what inspires her art work.
November 1, 2023
CEMML accounts for nearly a quarter of record-breaking CSU sponsored program expenditure
Colorado State University continues to see record-breaking numbers in sponsored project expenditures, edging close to a half-billion dollars with a total of $498.1 million in fiscal year 2023. CEMML contributed nearly a quarter of that total (21%) by bringing in $104.3 million as a key provider of environmental management services to the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.
October 3, 2023
One of North America’s rarest snakes gets a boost from military conservation efforts
CEMML biologists at Fort Johnson, located in west-central Louisiana, are working to change the negative perception that people have about snakes. Education and outreach to both soldiers and the broader community is a key effort in helping to ensure the survival of one of North America’s rarest snake species, the Louisiana pinesnake.
September 7, 2023