Bruce McCammon was promoted to Regional Hydrologist for the USDA Forest Service's Region 6 (Oregon and Washington), effective 11-18-90. Bruce steps into the shoes of Jerry Swank, who retired 10-31-90. Bruce is extremely well qualified for his new job, having long and successful experience as a Forest Hydrologist on the Sequoia National Forest, the Deschuttes NF, and most recently on the Bull Run Watershed of the Mt. Hood NF. The Bull Run Watershed is a source of domestic water for Portland, OR. Consequently, protecting water quality there is a must. Public scrutiny of forest management practices is intense. It's gratifying to see Bruce's hard work and success recognized and rewarded by this promotion.
Pete Cafferata is moving to the Sacramento Headquarters of the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CDF) to assume statewide forest hydrologist duties. Pete is a hydrologist by education and training, and has been working as a forester on the Jackson Demonstration State Forest where he is involved in timber harvesting plan administration and several aspects of the Caspar Creek Watershed Study. Pete's new duties will include water quality and stream hydrology questions in the Forest Practices Program, development and delivery of forest hydrology guidelines and training programs, and development and administration of contracts to identify, monitor, and mitigate water quality problems associated with forest management activities.
Bob Faust, veteran Forest Hydrologist of the Mendocino National Forest, just finished a 120-day detail at Region 5 HQ in San Francisco. Bob is coordinating the riparian and watershed improvement programs/activities and "other duties as assigned." Also at the US Forest Service in San Francisco, Mary Elizabeth (Polly) Hays joined the Regional Watershed Team. Polly comes to Region 5 from the National Park Service, Grand Canyon, Arizona. She brings with her experience in NEPA document preparation and review, public coordination, ID Team membership/leadership, program development and implementation, as well as new ideas and energy. This brings the R-5 USFS Water/Planning Group up to full staffing, R-5 Regional Hydrologist John Rector is pleased to announce.
USDA Forest Service, Alaska (R-10) Regional Hydrologist, Mike Kuehn, reports in the November issue of R-10 RUNOFF that Jenny Fryxell, hydrologist - Stikine Area, is working on temporary, part time assignment in the Regional Office, Juneau, AK. Her primary job is to help put together a water quality and watershed monitoring handbook. This handbook will be a chapter in FSH (Forest Service Handbook) 2509.22. Mike writes: "As a primary leader in the 1990 grass roots monitoring effort, we are looking forward to her (Jenny's) help and plan to have a review draft of the Monitoring Chapter of the Handbook out by April 1991."
That review copy should be out just in time the "Watershed '91 Conference" sponsored by the Alaska Region of the USDA Forest Service in Juneau, AK., April 16-17, 1991. Max Copenhagen of the R-10 watershed staff writes that: "The Conference will emphasize a riparian theme, but all relevant papers will be considered." And, how is this for a two-for-one offer? The Western Snow Conference will be holding their annual meeting aboard the M\V Matanuska in route to Juneau, AK. The ship leaves Bellingham, Washington on April 12 and arrives at Juneau, AK, on April 15th at the conclusion of the Western Snow Conference meeting. The Watershed Management Council has a small but growing number of members in Alaska; what a great opportunity to meet and chat with some of them.
Scott Staggs, hydrologist with NOAA-National Weather Service (NWS) at the California/Nevada River Forecast Center, Sacramento, CA, has accepted a promotion. Scott will be hydrologist with NWS's Office of Hydrology in Boulder, CO. The Office Hydrology is a research and development branch of the NWS, headquartered in Silver Springs, Maryland. Scott will oversee the development work being done by contractors on NWS's Automated Weather Information Processing System (AWIPS)-among other duties-which is part of NWS's Modernization and Restructuring (MAR) Program. Scott likes cross-country skiing and other forms of mountaineering, so he should have a good time in Boulder. He starts in March. Good luck, Scott.
Yours truly, Clay Brandow, is also headed for the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CDF), after a successful and technically challenging year as a hydrologist with the National Weather Service's California/Nevada River Forecast Center. Starting in February, I will be watershed research program specialist with CDF's Forest & Rangeland Resources Assessment Program (FRRAP). Getting back to watershed hydrology is very appealing to me. I'm looking forward to working with the folks at CDF and having more professional contact with my old friends at the USDA Forest Service. I plan to use this opportunity to advance cooperation between the many entities -governmental, public & private- working together to achieve better watershed management in California. With a growing family, the increase in pay is also welcome.
Oh, and here's another great moment in bureaucracy. The President just approved a locality pay increase (8%) for federal workers in New York, Los Angeles and the San Francisco areas. The San Francisco area includes Solano County. The Solano County line runs right through the 5,000 acre campus of the University of California at Davis. Conceivably, federal workers with offices on the northern portion of the campus (Yolo County) won't get the raise, while federal workers on the southern end on the campus (Solano County) will. Of course, there are just a handful of federal employees on campus (USDA, DOD, NIH and so on), and they are mostly on the Yolo County side of the line. But the USDA-Soil Conservation Service's California State Headquarters in Davis, CA, would have to move less then five miles to the southwest to qualify everyone for an eight percent locality pay increase under the current rules. Caution, thinking about this too long may result in brain damage. Veteran federal employees know this and would sooner stare at the sun than attempt to find the logic in such things.
Many new folks joined the Watershed Management Council in 1990. Welcome aboard one and all. Remember, editor Mike Furniss always appreciates receiving items for the WMC Newsletter, particularly from new members.
And remember, if you have reached a watershed in your career, let your colleagues know about it. Drop a line to Name Stream & Tributaries, c/o Clay Brandow, 1528 Brown Drive, Davis, CA. 95616 or call (916) 753-1303, please leave a message.
