Six Rivers Celebrates 25 Years of Watershed Stewards

Press release from Six Rivers National Forest:

Six Rivers National Forest sign

 Six Rivers National Forest Supervisor Ted McArthur recently recognized two current Watershed Stewards Program (WSP) members for their accomplishments in fisheries work, environmental education and community involvement. The WSP program is a partnership with AmeriCorps.

“Over the past 10 months, Maya Williams and Nathan McCanne completed more than 400 miles of fish and habitat surveys on the forest’s Lower Trinity, Orleans and Ukonom ranger districts,” said McArthur. “They worked alongside our biologists and partners to conduct fish species counts, habitat assessments, water-quality-site monitoring and restoration planning.” The WSPs also developed an environmental education curriculum and helped organize multiple outreach events, including International Migratory Bird Day, Hoopa Valley Elementary School’s Fish Fair and the annual fishing derby at Fish Lake.

The program has been a huge success on the Six Rivers National Forest for 25 years—45 WSP members have been hosted on the Orleans/Ukonom Ranger District, 16 on the Lower Trinity Ranger District, and 36 working out of the Forest Supervisor’s office in Eureka.

According to LeRoy Cyr, a fisheries biologist on the Six Rivers, the Watershed Stewards program began on the Orleans Ranger District with a single enrollee. “The program came along at just the right time—there weren’t many people working in fisheries, but we had the need on our forest.” He added, “Without their hard work, passion and commitment, we wouldn’t have been able to complete the amount of surveys, monitoring, and watershed restoration needed to enhance our fisheries to productive and sustainable levels.”

The WSP has had a significant impact within the forest’s river communities. The Watershed Stewards, with grant funding from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA Fisheries and other sources, have helped forest staff to decommission 350 miles of roads, replace culverts, stabilize banks and slopes, improve riparian and in-stream habitat, and complete stream surveys in rigorous environmental conditions.

According to Carolyn Cook, the forest’s natural resources staff officer, these type of projects will continue especially with recently completed environmental analysis for the forest-wide Aquatic Restoration Project. “The Aquatic Restoration Project focuses on fish and watershed restoration on over 1,200 stream miles of fisheries spawning, rearing and over-wintering habitats of the Smith, Klamath, Trinity, Salmon, Mad, Eel and Van Duzen rivers and their tributaries.”

Greg Poulton, program coordinator for the WSP in Fortuna, echoed everyone in their thanks for all the “awesome work” the Watershed Stewards have done over the last 25 years, especially within the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

When asked about their plans for the future, McCanne said he wasn’t sure what his long-term goal was going to be, but he would like to remain a WSP for another year. “I have learned so much, and I want to continue serving our river community,” he said.

Williams added, “This position with WSP has been the perfect experience. I’ve been very lucky to be placed with my mentor in Orleans, where I’ve been able to grow personally and professionally. This field experience has gotten me excited about my upcoming field experience with the Peace Corps in Tanzania this winter.”

At a celebration in Washington, DC in 2011, the WSP received the prestigious U.S. Forest Service “Rise to the Future” award for their partnership with the Six Rivers National Forest. Watersheds Steward Program staff from Fortuna were recognized for the program’s accomplishments with stream, riparian and upslope inventories; environmental education; community outreach activities; and hands-on restoration throughout the forest.

Veteran Corps enrollee also recognized

Veteran Corps Fisheries Program member Ryan Shorrow was also recognized for his work on the forest. For the past six years, NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with the California Conservation Corps (CCC), has provided post-9/11 military veterans an opportunity to build their skills and work experience in fisheries research, monitoring and watershed restoration on the Six Rivers National Forest.

Ryan is the sixth veteran the Six Rivers National Forest has hosted. “Ryan has helped us immensely to improve and enhance our fisheries program. I am very happy that Ryan is getting the training and on-the-ground experience that he wants and will help him succeed,” said Cyr.

Bob Pagliuco, NOAA Fisheries marine habitat resource specialist, who helped spearhead the Veterans Corps Fisheries Program in partnership with the CCC, was very pleased with Ryan’s accomplishments as well. “Ryan is a true patriot who has served his country in the military, served his state through the Veteran Corps Fisheries Program and now wants to continue to serve as a new WSP member next year,” said Pagliuco. “He has developed several useful skills through this program, including habitat and snorkel surveys, PIT (passive integrated transponder) tagging, LWD (large woody debris) inventories, minnow trapping and seining. I strongly believe the WSP experience will provide Ryan with the next step in his career path. He’ll make a great addition to this amazing team!”