Transcript North and West Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

North and West Alaska
Cooperative Ecosystem
Studies Unit
Peter Fix
Assistant Professor, SNRAS
Lois Dalle-Molle
Research Coordinator, NPS
o CESU
What is it?
 Why is it?
o National Network
Regions, Universities, Agencies
o NWA CESU
Agencies
University and Partners
o Benefits – (what’s in it for you?)
o How does it work?
Cooperative Ecosystem Studies
Units
Government/university partnerships based
on university campuses, organized into a
national network
Legislative Direction
o In 1998 P.L. 105-391 (§203) authorized and
directed the Secretary of the Interior “to enter
into cooperative agreements with colleges
and universities, including but not limited to
land grant schools, in partnership with other
federal and state agencies, to establish
cooperative study units to conduct multidisciplinary research…”.
o Thus, a network of Cooperative Ecosystem
Studies Units was developed.
CESU Mission
A network of cooperative research units
established to provide
research
technical assistance
education
To resource and environmental managers
federal land management
environmental and research agencies
potential partners
cooperative
• Multiple Federal agencies and universities are among the
partners in this program. Each CESU involves several
agencies and several universities and partners.
ecosystem studies involves disciplines needed
to address resource issues and interdisciplinary
problem solving at multiple scales and in an ecosystem
context
• biological sciences
• physical sciences
• social sciences
• cultural sciences
 resources encompass natural and cultural
resources.
Participating Agencies
 US Fish & Wildlife
Service
 US Geological Survey
 Bureau of Land
Management
 Bureau of Reclamation
 National Park Service
 Agricultural Research
Service
 USDA Forest Service
 Natural Resources
Conservation Service
 National Marine Fisheries
Service
 Department of Defense
 Department of Energy
 Environmental Protection
Agency
 National Aeronautics &
Space Administration
 other agencies to be added
in the future
First Inventory of CESU
Projects
Figure 2. Number of Projects by Project Discipline,
CESU National Network, CYs 99-01
(N=508 Projects)
Biological
209
Physical
Project
Discipline
81
45
Social
51
Cultural
122
Interdisciplinary
0
50
100
150
Number of Projects
200
250
Key Elements of Each CESU
 host university
 multiple federal agencies
 partner institutions (at least 1 minority institution)
 role and mission statement
 managers committee
 strategic plan and annual work plans
 agencies provides research needs
 university provides research expertise
Basic Strategy for CESUs
 universities provide space, faculty expertise,
students and educational services
 agencies provide scientists, project funds
 individual scientists supervised by their
participating agency
 oversight of support, project funds by participating
agency
 agencies and universities collaborate on projects
 network led by national CESU Council
Federal Agency
CESU
Universities
Facilitates
• research needs
• research expertise
collaborative projects
Benefits to Agencies
 broadened scope of scientific services
 multidisciplinary problem-solving at several
ecological scales
 increased collaboration among federal agencies,
universities and scientists
 increased research, technical assistance and
education for resource managers
 access to new technology
Benefits to Agencies
(continued)
 increased diversity of scientists, disciplines and
institutions
 professional development opportunities for agency
scientists and employees
 improved collaboration between natural and
cultural resource managers
 reduced costs through collaborative research,
technical assistance and education
 expanded constituency for federal science
The “real deal”
Bureaucracy 101…
Benefits to
Universities
 increased collaboration among faculty,
students and agency scientists
 augmented faculty for teaching and
graduate student supervision
 increased opportunity for multi-agency
research projects and continuing education
 increased opportunity for faculty to provide
technical assistance to agencies
Benefits to Universities
(continued)
 increased opportunities for graduate
student research, participation in federal
projects, internships and employment
 consistent and comprehensive cooperative
agreements that maximize opportunities for
federally-sponsored research
 increased role in establishing research
agendas of participating agencies
The “real deal”
from the university perspective
Where do we fit?
A blanket Interagency Memorandum of Understanding
was created by the national CESU Council.
Based on biogeographic regions, 12 CESU units were
established in first “round”.
The North and West Alaska CESU added in second
round of competition.
Where do we fit?
We competed to host the NWACESU.
Joint venture agreement is in now in place.
Individual projects, that meet the NWACESU criteria, are
modifications to the joint venture agreement.
North and West Alaska
CESU
Mission statement
The North and West Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem
Studies Unit (NWACESU) seeks to provide cooperative
technical assistance related to natural and cultural
resource decision making focused on north and west
Alaska through partnerships, education, research and
knowledge of biological, physical, social and cultural
aspects of relevant ecosystems among NWACESU
members and the national CESU network.
North and West Alaska
CESU
o University Partners
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University of Alaska Fairbanks – host
University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Southeast
University of New Hampshire
Alaska Sealife Center
University of Alaska
Anchorage
o Agency Partners
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National Park Service
Bureau of Land Management
US Forest Service
USGS – Biological Resources Division
What does it all mean?
o These four agencies, in this CESU, will be
better able to work with the University
partners of the CESU to accomplish research
on their lands.
o Remember what you learned in Bureaucracy
101…
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Ecosystem emphasis
Cooperative planning of projects
More responsive collaboration
Better science for managers
Who are the Agencies –
and where are the lands?
NWA
CESU
National Park Service
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Denali National Park
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Yukon Charley National
Cape Krusenstern national Monument
Noatak National Preserve
Kobuk Valley National Park
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Aleutian World War II National Historic Site
Denali National Park
wildlife – natural resources
scenery
wilderness
visitors
subsistence
Access
I&M
Gates of the Arctic National
Park and Preserve
wilderness
natural, cultural resources
subsistence
access
Yukon Charley National
Preserve
subsistence
natural resources
historical resources
recreation
Kobuk Valley National Park
natural resources
cultural resources
recreation
subsistence
Noatak National
Preserve
natural and cultural
resources
subsistence and sport
hunting
access for nearby
development
Cape Krusenstern National
Monument
cultural resources
coastal threats
nearby mineral development
Bering Land Bridge National
Preserve
limited access
cultural uses, hot springs
subsistence
beach erosion
Aleutian World War II
Historic Area
Japanese Attack on Dutch Harbor!
June 3, 1942
Affiliated Area – NPS and
Onalashka Corporation
•Historical resources
•Tourism
•Cultural affiliation
Bureau of Land Management
• 86 million acres
•Cadastral survey
•Wildland Fire management
•Conveyance management
•Energy and solid minerals
•Resources, lands, planning
Bureau of Land Management
US Forest Service
• Watershed Health and Restoration
• Sustainable Forest Management
• National Forest Road System
• Recreation
USGS - BRD
Provide biological information and research
findings to resource managers, policymakers,
and the public to support sound management
of biological resources and ecosystems in
Alaska.
Where are we now?
We’re OPEN for business…
o Implementing specific procedures
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Agency work/task orders
Accounting procedures (somebody needs to get paid)
Criteria for projects
o Great new web pages (thanks to Steve)
o Looking for input and comments