The Benchmark
MOUNTAIN STUDIES INSTITUTE RESEARCHES CLIMATE
CHANGE IMPACTS IN FRAGILE ALPINE ECOSYSTEMS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Mission and Leadership...............................2
Mountain Research Program.......................4
Facilitated Research; Mini-Grant Program...6
Community-Based Planning, Science,
and Training; San Juan Climate Change......8
Collaboration with Fort Lewis College......10
Progress Through Partnerships...................12
New Staff, Board Members, Supporters.....14
Become a Member; MSI Merchandise.......16
In August 2006, Koren Nydick (right), MSI director of research and education, and Michael
Kelrick (left), professor at Truman State University, collected vegetation data in one of 64 grids
spread across four peaks above Lake City, in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado.
Botanists Peggy Lyon and Julie Crawford examine
plants in a GLORIA study plot as part of an
international effort to monitor whether plants
are migrating to higher elevations as a result of
global warming. The San Juan GLORIA project
will be showcased in an exhibit on “Mountain
Environments: Global Resources” in the new
Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering
Museum, founded by the American Alpine and
Colorado Mountain Clubs. The Museum, the
first of its kind in the United States, is scheduled
to open in Golden, Colorado, in late 2007 or
early 2008.
The Mountain Studies Institute has joined research teams around the globe in a longterm study of climate change impacts in fragile alpine ecosystems with the installation this
summer of a GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments)
site high in the San Juan Mountains. The GLORIA network, conceived by an international
group of ecologists in 1996, is composed of over 30 sites in the world’s highest mountain
ranges, including the Alps (Switzerland and France), Urals (Russia), Southern Andes
(Chile), Mt. Burns (New Zealand), and Caucasus (Georgia). MSI’s site is one of only a
handful in the United States – others are located in Glacier National Park (Montana), the
Sierra Nevada (California), and the White/Inyo Mountains (California).
The strength of GLORlA is an eloquent, yet simple, design which enables the establishment
of a large number of sites within and across continents. MSI’s Koren Nydick began planning
the project more than a year prior to field work and considered several locations before
choosing a site near Lake City in Hinsdale County. The methods require four summits
along an elevation gradient beginning just above treeline – the summits in the San Juan
study range from 12,200 to 13,800 feet in elevation. The mountain tops must be conicallyshaped so that plots can be located on all four aspects – north, south, east, and west.
Geology and climate must be similar and impacts from recreation and mining minimal.
The MSI team set up the study plots, collected detailed vegetation data, and installed
sensors to monitor soil temperature. The plots will be revisited for new data collection
every two to five years. The research team was composed of botanist Peggy Lyon of the
Colorado Natural Heritage Program; Julie Crawford, plant ecologist with Grand Canyon
National Park and doctoral student from the University of Pavia, Italy; professor Michael
Kelrick and students from Truman State University, Missouri; MSI field technician Kyle
Skaggs; Fort Lewis College biology major Lindsey Lennek; and MSI staff members Koren
Nydick and Ellen Stein. The project has benefited from generous financial support from
the San Juan Public Lands/US Forest Service/BLM, Colorado Native Plant Society, The
Nature Conservancy, Colorado Mountain Club, and the American Alpine Club.
Summary Report of Accomplishments
Mountain
Institute
2005-2006
MountainStudies
Studies Institute
+ Winter
2006
The Benchmark
mission
The Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) is an independent, non-advocacy,
not-for-profit 501(c)(3) mountain research and education institution and
high-altitute field station. MSI’s mission is to enhance understanding and
sustainable use of the San Juan Mountains through research and education.
Silverton Field Station
Mountain Studies Institute
at the Historic Avon Hotel
144 East 10th Street
Post Office Box 426
Silverton, Colorado 81433
Phone: 970.387.5161
Facsimile: 970.387.5226
board of directors
Executive Officers
Robert H. Delves, President – Executive Director, San Miguel
Watershed Coalition; Mountain Village Town Council Member;
Telluride Mountain Village, CO
Jonathan Overpeck, PhD, Vice-President – Director, Institute for
the Study of Planet Earth; Professor of Geosciences and Atmospheric
Sciences, University of Arizona; Tucson, AZ
Charles Burnham, PhD, Secretary – Professor of Mineralogy,
emeritus, Harvard University; Adjunct Professor of Geology, Fort
Lewis College; Durango, CO
Members
Jill Baron, PhD – Research Ecologist, USGS; Fort Collins, CO
Rob Blair, PhD – Consulting Geologist, Professor emeritus, Fort
Lewis College; Durango, CO
George Bracksieck – Founder/Publisher, Rock and Ice Magazine;
Durango, CO
Bill Dodge – Principal, Regional Excellence Consulting; Silverton, CO
Gary Gianniny, PhD – Associate Professor of Geology, Fort Lewis
College; Durango, CO
Janet Potter, PhD, MD – Member Lake Fork Watershed Stakeholders
Group; Chairman, Hinsdale Trail Workgroup; Lake City, CO
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Don Bachman, Consultant – Member Board of Directors, Center
for Snow and Avalanche Studies; Public Land-use Policy and Snow
Safety Specialist; Bozeman, MT
Jeffrey Brame – Owner and Chief Geoscientist, Brame Geoscience;
Durango, CO
Alton Byers, PhD – Director of Research and Education, The
Mountain Institute; Washington, DC
Tom Casadevall, PhD – Central Regional Director, US Geological
Survey; Denver, CO
Daniel Dawson, PhD – Director, Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research
Lab; Mammoth Lakes, CA
Lee Dexter, PhD – Member Board of Directors, Center for Snow
and Avalanche Studies; Associate Professor of Geography, Northern
Arizona University; Flagstaff, AZ
Daniel B. Fagre, PhD – Ecologist/Global Change Research
Coordinator, USGS-NRMSC; West Glacier, MT
Brian K. Fowler – Engineering Geologist and President, North
American Reserve; Past President, Mt. Washington Observatory;
Laconia, NH
Ken Francis – Director, Office of Community Services, Fort Lewis
College; Durango, CO
Fort Lewis College campus
Mountain Studies Institute
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado 81301-3999
Phone: 970.247.7071
Facsimile: 970.247.6053
info@mountainstudies.org
www.mountainstudies.org
Donald Friend, PhD – Associate Professor of Geography, Minnesota
State University; Director, Earth Sciences Program; Mankato, MN
Andy Gleason, PhD – Geologist, Colorado Geologic Survey;
Durango, CO
Andy Gulliford, PhD – Fort Lewis College; Durango, CO
Jack Ives, PhD – Honorary Research Professor, Department of
Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University,
Ottawa, Canada; Professor emeritus, UC-Davis; Senior Advisor,
Mountain Ecology and Sustainable Development, United Nations
University; Tokyo, Japan
Richard Marston, PhD – President, Association of American
Geographers; Professor and Head of Department of Geography,
Kansas State University; Manhattan, KS
David McGinnis, PhD – Adjunct Professor of Environmental
Studies, Montana State University; Adjunct Faculty, University
of Iowa (Geography), Idaho State University (Geosciences), and
University of Arizona (Institute for the Study of Planet Earth);
Billings, MT
Art McKee, PhD – Research Scientist, Forest Ecology, Flathead Lake
Biological Station, University of Montana; Polson, MT
John Ninnemann, PhD – Dean of Arts and Sciences, Professor of
Biology, Fort Lewis College; Durango, CO
Catherine Ortega, PhD – Associate Professor of Biology, Fort Lewis
College; Coordinator Southwest Wetlands Focus Area Working
Group; Durango, CO
Steve Schwartz – Vice-President, Business and Finance, Fort Lewis
College; Durango, CO
Mark Williams, PhD – Fellow of INSTAAR; Associate Professor of
Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder, CO
Thurman Wilson – Assistant Center Manager, Planning and Public
Services, San Juan Public Lands/USFS/BLM; MSI founding Board
Member, emeritus; Durango, CO
Mike Wireman, PhD – Hydrologist, US EPA Region VIII; Denver, CO
Advisor affiliations are listed for identification only, not for representative purposes.
staff
Koren Nydick – Executive Director, koren@mountainstudies.org
Bill Ball – Data and GIS Services Director, bill@mountainstudies.org
Debra Childers – Finance Director, finance@mountainstudies.org
Blake Meneken – Operations and Special Projects Manager,
operations@mountainstudies.org
Ellen R. Stein – Former Executive Director 2002-06
Printed by Basin Printing and Imaging, Durango.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
The Benchmark
FROM THE PRESIDENT
It has been my pleasure to serve as MSI board president for 2006, an exciting year for MSI. As you
will see in the articles in this Benchmark, we are successfully bringing science to the San Juan Mountains,
and the communities of the region are benefiting. MSI is advancing science and related education on our
own and through extensive collaboration with others. Our relationships with key research and education
organizations, most notably Fort Lewis College and the University of Colorado, have solidified. Similarly,
our relationship with the local stakeholders of the San Juan Mountain region continue to mature and grow.
We are in an excellent position to deliver on our promise of stakeholder science – science that is conducted by
the world’s best researchers, in the San Juans, producing tangible, actionable results for local stakeholders.
In addition to providing an update on accomplishments, the Benchmark also launches our 2007
membership drive. If you care about mountain communities and environments, please consider joining
MSI as a contributing member. As you will read in the following pages, MSI is doing important work in a
very special setting. Strong support from our members helps us greatly to be more viable and sustainable. As
an MSI member, you will be kept current via email and our web site of progress on existing, new, and proposed projects and programs.
You are also always welcome to volunteer. I thank you for your support.
Finally, let me offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to departing executive director, Ellen Stein. Ellen has provided passionate and
dedicated leadership to MSI for over four years. As Koren Nydick takes over the leadership reins, we recognize that apart from Ellen
there would be no MSI, and it is by her hard work that this transition is possible. Thank you, Ellen!
I look forward to another successful year at MSI.
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2002-06
Welcome to the second edition of the Benchmark, a periodic report to MSI’s community of
friends, supporters, collaborators, and partners, that serves as a true benchmark – a reference from
which measurements may be made – of MSI progress towards fulfilling its mission. This report
picks up where the September 2004 Benchmark left off (available at www.mountainstudies.org in
the News section) and chronicles MSI’s growing research, education, and outreach activities that
bring “science people can use” to the San Juan Mountain region.
As you’re about to read, MSI staff keep busy. We’ve accomplished a lot in all areas of our
mission and laid a strong foundation. Our cover story highlights the hard work this past summer
of MSI’s Dr. Koren Nydick and research team to establish a GLORIA site near Lake City. You’ll
read about our key accomplishments, and find stories and profiles on the staff, board, advisors,
and visiting scientists who make it all happen. In support of these activities we’ve raised over $1.2 million since 2002 and established
diverse funding sources for MSI.
You are receiving this Benchmark because we know you care about our mountain home here in the San Juans, about education and
our shared future. It is all of you, our mountain friends and colleagues – student, educator, scientist, land manager, elected official,
conservationist, citizen – who have made my work so rewarding. From you, I have divined inspiration and ideas and turned them into
reality. I thank you for that opportunity.
After four and a half years, I am turning the reins of the organization over to the capable leadership and direction of MSI’s board
of directors and advisors; Koren Nydick, who will serve as MSI’s new executive director; staff members Debbie, Blake, and Bill; and
to you. I wish to ask for your continued help.
It is your belief and investment in MSI and what it can do for the people
and mountains in this region that will sustain this organization. Your financial
support can ensure MSI’s future as it grows and serves the region, bringing
science to people who can use it for informed environmental and community
decision-making while training the next generation of mountain scientists.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Dr. Jack Ives, MSI advisor and 2006
recipient of the Royal Geographical Society Patron’s Medal. In the 1970s, Dr.
Ives ran the San Juan Ecology and Avalanche Projects on Red Mountain Pass
near Silverton for the University of Colorado’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine
Research. Although this project ended decades ago, it sparked the vision of an
alpine research center in the San Juan Mountains. With your support, we are
implementing the vision and legacy of Dr. Ives, the Silverton community, and
others who share it. The future of this region as a hub of mountain research
and education is bright. For the benefit of mountains and people in the San
Juans, please consider a donation today.
Working for MSI and with all of you has been an immensely rewarding
experience. Best wishes for a peaceful and fulfilling 2007.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
The Benchmark
dr. koren nydick
RUSTLING UP RESEARCH AND
EDUCATION IN THE SAN JUANS
“The summer was busy; MSI started five
projects!” says Dr. Koren Nydick, who joined
MSI as its full-time research and education
director in November 2004. “I also taught
programs for visiting classes, like ‘Sense of
Place’ and ‘Wilderness Conservation Biology.’”
While most of the research projects focused
on her specialty, aquatic ecosystems, Koren
also spent time setting up the GLORIA site,
contributing input to the Animas River Corridor
Revitalization Project, and planning MSI’s
Climate Variability and Change Conference.
“MSI programs span a variety of ecosystems and
issues that are important to people in the San
Juan Mountains,” she explains.
Koren received her doctorate in ecology
from Colorado State University in 2002 and
then served as a postdoctoral associate at Utah
State University until joining MSI. Her research
focused on how excess nitrogen deposition from
air pollution alters mountain lake ecology and the
resulting effects on water quality and productivity
in downstream ecosystems. She was the recipient
of a prestigious $75,000 Canon National Parks
Science Scholarship to fund her graduate work.
Koren is also an experienced educator. She
has taught at the high school, undergraduate,
and graduate levels and has mentored students
conducting independent study projects.
As a scientist and educator with MSI,
Koren interacts with a variety of people, such
as researchers, agency scientists, members of
watershed and conservation groups, students, and
industry representatives. “I’m really excited about
our new air quality grant from the EPA to study
mercury in 2007,” she says. The project stems
directly from needs identified by stakeholders in
the Four Corners Air Quality Taskforce, of which
she is a member, and allows Koren to continue
her emphasis on understanding how air pollution
affects mountain ecosystems.
“It’s a lot of work,” she says, “but on days
spent outside doing field work, the view from ‘the
office’ is great.” Koren is an avid mountaineer,
telemark skier, and cyclist, and lives with her
husband Brad in Durango.
research addresses global mountain issues
Mountains are fragile environments that provide vital resources, yet they are
facing increasing natural and human disturbances worldwide. Information needed to
understand and quantify these impacts is lacking. The Mountain Studies Institute works
with regional stakeholders to identify information needs, and directs and facilitates
interdisciplinary research and outreach activities to fill knowledge gaps.
Through a series of retreats with scientists in 2005 and stakeholder outreach events,
including the 2004 and 2006 “State of the San Juans” conferences, MSI focused its
research program to respond to emergent issues – important both regionally and globally
– to fill local information needs. Five interconnected “themes” form the program
framework and address essential components of mountain systems:
C L I MAT E VAR I A B I L I T Y AN D
CHANGE
Mountain environments around the
world are showing impacts of climate
change. Average annual temperatures in
Silverton have risen almost 2ºC in only three
decades. MSI studies climate variability and
effects of both natural and human-caused
climate change on ecosystems, and provides
and interprets scientific information for
stakeholders.
AIR QUALITY
Historically, air quality in the San Juan
Mountains has been some of the best in the
country. However, concerns about air pollutants are growing. Recently, several water
bodies in the region have issued mercury fish consumption advisories. Ozone levels
are approaching the limit for public health considerations, and nitrogen and mercury
concentrations in precipitation are increasing. MSI monitors air, rain, and snow for
pollutants and works to understand the effects on human and ecosystem health.
LAND AND COMMUNITIES IN TRANSITION
San Juan Mountain economies are in various stages of transition from mining,
agriculture, and forestry to those based on tourism, recreation, and growth led by natural
amenities found in rural areas. As the population in the region continues to increase,
community leaders and land managers will face increasingly complex planning and
development decisions. MSI studies land use change and provides expertise to community
projects that combine ecological, cultural, and economic sustainability goals.
WATER AND SNOW
In the western US, 50 to 80 percent of the water supply originates in seasonal
mountain snowpack. A growing challenge is to maintain watershed health while meeting
human demand for water resources and flood protection. MSI studies natural and
human-caused changes in water supply, water quality, and aquatic ecosystem health.
In partnership with the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies, MSI supports snow
science and avalanche field studies.
ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY
The complexity of the San Juan Mountains results in a diversity of ecosystems in
a small geographical area. From tiny microbes to towering trees, ecological systems
provide products (timber, medicinal plants, and recreation opportunities) and services
(pollutant filtration from air and water, soil stabilization, and nutrient retention). MSI
studies ecosystem processes and biodiversity and the factors that regulate them. The
Institute identifies links between ecosystems and delivery of ecological services to society
and develops tools that allow stakeholders to incorporate scientific information into
planning and decision-making processes.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
The Benchmark
RESPONDING TO REGIONAL NEEDS
In 2002 and 2003, MSI was involved in regional research as
a facilitator convening university and agency scientists and local
stakeholders, preparing grant proposals, providing scientists logistical
and facilities support, and administering awarded grants. MSI was
able to develop its own research goals starting in late 2004 with the
addition of research scientists to MSI’s board of directors and the hiring
of a full-time research and education director. MSI’s directed research
program is born out of the scientific needs and gaps identified by
MSI staff or brought to the Institute’s attention by scientists, natural
resource managers, elected officials, community groups, citizens,
and others. This work is funded through contributions or grants and
often involves local partnerships. In 2006, MSI’s directed research
projects included:
How does acid mine drainage affect
hydrology and nitrogen cycling?
During the summer 2006 field season, pilot work tested the
hypothesis that metal oxide deposition from acid mine drainage
(AMD) impairs the exchange of water between the stream channel
and groundwater. This ecotone is termed the hyporheic zone and is
important for many geochemical and ecological processes including
nutrient cycling. The application of this work includes understanding
the interaction of AMD and excess nitrogen input from air pollution.
MSI’s Koren Nydick and technician Kyle Skaggs worked with
collaborator Chris Arp (USGS Alaska Science Center) to complete
dye tracer studies in 11 stream reaches to measure transient storage
associated with the hyporheic zone. The group also collected data on
physical and biological parameters including metal oxide accumulation
rate, substrate size, channel gradient, stream discharge, water chemistry,
algal biomass, and nutrient limitation of algal growth. Results from
this pilot study will be documented in a peer-reviewed journal article
and will be incorporated into a proposal for future funding.
Lower Animas River Nutrient Source
Identification Study
MSI is collaborating with BUGS Consulting of Ignacio, Colorado,
and the San Juan Watershed Association to identify sources of nutrient
loading in the Lower Animas River from the Colorado/New Mexico
state line to Farmington. High nutrient levels in the river have caused
eutrophication (excessive algae growth) which threatens the river’s
ecological and aesthetic values. MSI’s particular role was to collect
algae from rocks and analyze the samples for chlorophyll a (an index
of algal biomass) and the stable isotope nitrogen-15. This isotope is
useful in determining the source of nitrogen input (fertilizer versus
animal waste). MSI also helped collect water samples and GPS data,
and photo-documented eutrophication. This project will result in a
report, a peer-reviewed journal article, and a proposal to conduct a
similar study for the Colorado portion of the Lower Animas River.
An EPA grant to the San Juan Watershed Association via the New
Mexico Environmental Department funded much of this work, while
MSI provided in-kind staff time. In collaboration with this project, a
student from Fort Lewis College inventoried the macro-invertebrates
in tributary streams and will make comparisons with existing data
for the main stem. The student’s work was funded by the MSI-FLC
Student Mountain Research Mini-Grant Program.
High-Elevation Lake Monitoring
In mid-August, MSI initiated a high-elevation lake survey to
understand variability in ionic chemistry, nutrient concentrations,
and ecology. This work will complement existing USFS and USGS
long-term monitoring of outlet water chemistry in a handful of lakes
GOING THE DISTANCE
“I couldn’t have had a better summer research position,”
said Kyle Skaggs, a 2006 field technician for MSI. With so
many research projects going simultaneously this summer,
Kyle’s assistance was essential. He recently earned his BS in
natural sciences from Evergreen State College in Olympia,
and is an avid ultradistance runner, rock/mountain climber,
and self-proclaimed lover of “physically demanding environs,”
making him well-suited for work in the San Juans. Kyle assisted
Dr. Koren Nydick on several projects which he described as
“valuable field research in a spectacular mountain setting.” Since
completing his work with
MSI in mid-September,
Kyle accepted a position at
the University of Arizona
with the Sustainability
of Semi-Arid Hydrology
and Riparian Areas project
(SAHRA). He plans to
pursue graduate studies in
fall 2007. Thanks for all the
hard work Kyle!
by providing information
on organic nutrients and
biological components.
Dr. Koren Nydick will use
the information to develop
biological metrics that in turn
can help to determine critical
loads for atmospheric nitrogen deposition in air pollution. Also, this
year’s monitoring will set the stage for mercury sampling in 2007.
Lastly, MSI will identify one or two lakes to monitor more intensely
in the future as a long-term program. While the main consideration in
this study is the effect of air pollution on mountain lakes, fish stocking
and invasive species are also important issues. San Miguel County and
the Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/Gunnison National Forest contributed
financially to this survey. Additional funding is sought.
Air Quality in the San Juan Mountain High
Country: Mercury Risks and Development of
an Outreach Program
In March 2006, EPA-Region 8 recommended funding of $77,000
for an MSI proposal to study mercury in high-elevation deposition
(rain and snow) and lakes. The data will provide an understanding of
current mercury risks and establish a baseline from which to compare
future changes. This project gets underway in 2007 and will address
identified gaps in data and public awareness related to air quality in
the San Juan Mountains. In addition to the scientific study (data
to be collected in spring and summer ’07), an educational outreach
campaign will present the most current information on air quality
issues, including mercury, to regional residents. MSI will collaborate
with the Four Corners Air Quality Task Force on this project. A second
proposal is currently under development to extend the project for
another year and form a committee to pursue funding to sustain longterm monitoring of mercury in deposition and the environment.
GLORIA: Long-term Climate Change Study
See cover story.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
The Benchmark
san juan mountains are hotspot for fens
msi and area groups focus on wetlands research and education
Fens, ancient wetlands that are thousands of years old, are
found throughout the
San Juan Mountains.
These unique ecosystems, which have saturated ground conditions and form organic
soils called peat, support high biodiversity
and unique plant
communities. They recharge the groundwater and offer important
wildlife habitat. Fens are enormously varied due to differences in
elevation, slope, underlying geologic formations, and watershed
configuration. They are also sensitive to natural and human
disturbances, such as impacts from mountain development, that
can change hydrologic patterns, increase surface water pollution,
and exacerbate erosion. The San Juans support some of the highest
concentration of fens in the western United States.
In 2004, MSI developed a Mountain Wetland Monitoring,
Assessment, and Protection Program to further understanding
of these ancient wetlands. Dr. David Cooper of Colorado State
University and Dr. Rod Chimner of Michigan Technological
University lead the project. Dr. Koren Nydick, director of
research and education at MSI, is the co-investigator and training
coordinator. The program, which began in San Miguel and Ouray
Counties and expanded throughout the San Juans in 2006, has
several components aimed at improving regional understanding
of fen hydro-ecology, ecological health, spatial distribution, and
impacts of human activities.
A priority of the program is to communicate information to
land managers and the public. In July 2006, MSI sponsored two
workshops which were attended by 45 scientists, natural resource
managers, wilderness rangers, monitoring staff, and planners from
the San Juan, Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/Gunnison, and Rio
Grande National Forests, as well as US Army Corps of Engineers
staff, ski area environmental technicians, students, and local
citizens. Participants learned about fen ecology, hydrology, and
protection methods, as well as MSI’s San Juan Mountain Fen
Inventory and Assessment project. During upcoming workshops
in summer 2007, participants will learn how to use the San Juan
Fen database developed from the inventory project. The workshops
are funded as part of a US EPA-Region 8 Wetlands Program
Development grant awarded to MSI in 2005. To learn more, visit
www.mountainstudies.org/Research/fenProject.htm.
MSI is involved in several other projects to further regional
understanding of wetlands:
Wetlands Handbook
In July 2006, also with EPA support, MSI produced The Wetlands
of the San Juan Mountain Region: Information and Guidance for
Landowners and Other Residents. This 24-page booklet, complete
with photos and descriptive diagrams, provides information and
guidance to help landowners, community leaders, and other
concerned residents learn about wetlands, the services they provide,
and how to protect them. Download at www.mountainstudies.
org/Research/wetLandMonitoring.htm or call MSI.
San Juans Fen Partnership
Since 2003, MSI has provided research, training, and
development support to the San Juans Fen Partnership, a
collaborative multi-party citizen group whose goal is to identify,
study, and protect the unique and ancient wetland ecosystems
that are present in the San Juan Mountains. The partnership is
comprised of the Town of Mountain Village, Telluride, San Miguel
County, Telluride Ski and Golf Resort (Telski), Sheep Mountain
Alliance, Colorado State University, Mountain Studies Institute,
and the local community at large. The partnership is working
closely with the US Forest Service, which manages much of the
high country in the San Juan Mountains, and the EPA, which has
awarded MSI and project scientists over $150,000 in scientific
research grants in 2004 and 2005 to identify and study the fens.
Today, the San Juans Fen Partnership helps guide the future of fen
research in the region, and continues to provide popular education
programs about fens and their ecological importance.
jumpstarting STUDENT mountain research, msi awards over $13,000
In spring 2005, MSI initiated an annual mini-grant program that
encourages students and recent graduates to pursue research projects
in the San Juan Mountains. Research may be in physical, biological,
or social science, and students from any college or university are
eligible to apply. Successful applicants are required to submit a
project report and are encouraged to give a presentation at MSI or
Fort Lewis College within one year of receiving a mini-grant. In June
2005, $10,420 was awarded to 10 recipients - three undergraduates,
five graduate students, and two postdoctoral associates.
Heidi Steltzer, post-doctoral associate from the Natural Resource
Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University and now a research
scientist, was awarded $1,965 to investigate how various chemical
compounds in alpine tundra plants affect nitrogen retention. Erica
Bigio, graduate student at the University of Arizona, used a $300
mini-grant to collect the remaining data for her Master’s thesis on
historical fire occurrence at Vallecito Reservoir. Estella Moore, an
undergraduate at Fort Lewis College, was awarded $400 to study
effects of the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad emissions
on sulfur concentrations in lichens. Other 2005 grant recipients
were Mindy Conyers, Elizbieta Czyzowska, Marion Glaser, Kathy
McBride, Gerald Sgro, Sara Simonson, and Shane Stradling.
In January 2006, MSI announced that it would award a second
round of mini-grants. Applicants were required to specifically address
one of MSI’s five research themes (see page 4). In total, $3,500
was awarded to four graduate students for the following projects:
Melanie Bergolc, a PhD student at Bowling Green State University,
received $500 to study geology as a possible controlling factor on
beetle community structure and biodiversity; Julie Crawford, a PhD
student with the University of Pavia, Italy, was awarded $1,500
for multi-scale investigations of alpine species in the northern
hemisphere GLORIA target regions; Clinton Francis, MS student
at CU-Boulder, received $1,000 to study avian nesting behavioral
adjustments and vocal plasticity in response to anthropogenic noise
(gas well compressors); Zachry Guido, also a MS student at CUBoulder, was awarded $500 to study LGM glacier retreat rates and
the timing of terrace formation in the Animas River drainage.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
The Benchmark
cu researcher investigates geological variation,
effects of dust on san juan ecosystem
asu group studies zooplankton nutrient
requirements in silverton-area lakes
Do the volcanic soils around
Silverton or the limestone ledges
at Molas Pass or the sedimentary
rocks around Durango affect the
ecosystems above them?
Researcher Jason Neff of the
University of Colorado at Boulder hopes to find out. “The
San Juans are an ideal natural
laboratory for looking at how
differences in geology affect how
different ecosystems function,”
said Neff, an assistant professor
in the Geological Sciences and
Environmental Studies Department. “It is interesting that the
mine-affected rivers, where there
is acidification and you can see
the coating on the rocks, all occur in volcanic areas. You won’t
find those impacts in the areas
of limestone or sedimentary
rock. The volcanic areas are where the resources that have been mined
are located.”
Even to the eye of a casual observer, the differences in soils and
ecosystems are obvious as one travels north or south from Silverton.
Around Red Mountain Pass, iron and pyrite are visible in the red swatches
streaking the mountains. These and other minerals acidify in the soils
and streams. Thus, the pH measurements in streams are low. By contrast,
south of Silverton over Molas Pass, “...you are driving through an area
of carbonate rocks and soils and the pH measurement in the streams are
comparatively higher,” said Neff. “pH is a fundamental measurement
of an ecosystem. It governs which plants, nutrients, and microbes are
present,” he said. “So you start with different rocks and ask, ‘What does
that do to the ecosystem?’” Volcanic soils are also low in nutrients, so the
soils on Red Mountain Pass support ecosystems with a lower nutrient
content. By comparison, the soils on Molas Pass have a higher nutrient
content. Nutrients in soils control how productive they are. “Maybe we
have more productive forests outside of volcanic areas,” said Neff. “That
is the hypothesis we are looking into.”
For the past two summers, Neff and his graduate students have used
MSI facilities as a base camp for their studies. Two students stayed at
the Mayflower Mill and others stayed at the Avon Hotel. The crew also
rented laboratory space from MSI – the old assay lab at the Mill was a
fitting venue for this particular project.
Neff is also investigating the effects of desert dust storms on San Juan
ecosystems. When soils west of the mountains are overgrazed they lose
grasses and the protective crusts that keep them intact during windstorms.
Loose topsoils are picked up and carried east by prevailing winds and
the first major mountain range they encounter is the San Juans. Using
isotope signatures, Neff can identify which soils originated outside the
San Juan Mountains. “Dust can be a source of nutrients, pollutants,
and even organisms. Our interests center on whether dust inputs are
changing as the result of human activity and whether these inputs affect
the biogeochemistry of alpine ecosystems,” he explained. Soils from desert
areas contain enormous concentrations of calcium and are also high in
phosphorus. “We are looking at the impact on stream chemistry and
other effects of this deposition,” said Neff, “and we would like to project
what is likely to happen in the future.” Learn more about Neff’s research
by visiting http://moab.colorado.edu/NeffLab.htm.
Who knew that elements like carbon, nitrogen, and
phosphorus inside organisms could control everything from
organism growth rates to the kinds of species that live in an
environment? Jim Elser, professor in the School of Life Sciences
at Arizona State University, is well-known among biologists
and biochemists for his contributions in this realm, the study
of biological stoichiometry. Biological stoichiometry unravels the
balance of chemical elements and energy in living systems.
The majority of Elser’s work has been conducted in lowelevation lakes where he has looked at the relationship between
zooplankton growth rates and species assemblages in relation
to nutrients. Zooplankton are the tiny animals that occupy the
middle of lake food webs. They eat algae and, in turn, become food
for fish. Zooplankton species change when fish are introduced
to lakes, but they also change when their algal food quantity or
quality changes.
This summer, Elser visited Silverton to study how rising atmospheric nitrogen deposition (from air pollution) in San Juan
Mountain lakes might be altering the chemical composition of
algae and therefore impacting the zooplankton that eat them.
Elser and his team
of technicians and
graduate students
arrived at MSI with
boat-loads of gear
(literally!) used to
collect water and
zooplankton samples, measure and
photograph the little
animals, detect their
C:N:P ratios, and
put them through
exacting lab experiments to determine
how environmental
conditions
affect
their body composition, growth rates,
and reproduction.
These same tests
were completed in more northerly areas of the Colorado Rockies,
including Rocky Mountain National Park, which are known to
have higher rates of nitrogen deposition. In Rocky Mountain
National Park, links have been established between high nitrogen
deposition and alterations to pristine mountain ecosystems.
These harmful effects are the basis for recent efforts to set critical
loads for the amount of nitrogen deposition allowable in the
Park. MSI’s Koren Nydick studied these links during her tenure
as a graduate student at Colorado State University with advisor
and MSI board member Jill Baron. Their work suggested that
nitrogen deposition may cause a decline in zooplankton. Elser’s
work is designed to test this possibility in greater depth.
Elser’s project is funded by the National Science Foundation.
MSI contributed by identifying potential field sites, providing
meals, lodging, and lab space, and hiring and managing payroll
for two field technicians. Find out more about this project at
http://ndeposition.squarespace.com/.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
The Benchmark
marcie demmy bidwell
If you need a good
dose of enthusiasm or
positive energy, just
spend a few minutes
with MSI’s community
projects coordinator,
Marcie
Demmy
Bidwell. With a BS in
design and a Master’s
degree in landscape
architecture, Marcie specializes in sustainable
design, community engagement, and environmental education. She focuses on weaving the
principles of sustainable design into community
projects through fun and educational hands-on
approaches. Additionally, her work experience
includes program design, stakeholder
collaboration, media outreach, fundraising, and
event planning.
Marcie has studied and worked across the
country, from Homer, Alaska, to Elkins, West
Virginia. She eagerly took on the challenges of
her position at MSI beginning in June 2005
when she and her husband Ryan moved to
Silverton first to manage MSI’s operations,
and then to advance community projects
and MSI’s outreach activities including
coordinating the fall 2006 State of the San Juans
Conference, “Climate Variability and Change:
A Stakeholder-Scientist Dialogue.”
This summer, she was the lead facilitator,
in cooperation with San Juan County and
the Animas River Stakeholders Group, of
the Animas River Corridor Revitalization
Project, supported through MSI’s “Land and
Communities in Transition” research program
theme which provides assistance to San Juan
mountain communities that are addressing
such issues as sustainable growth, community
planning, and economic transition.
Marcie contributed countless hours
to ensure the success of this revitalization
project, and generated a great deal of volunteer
community participation and good will. “I loved
the opportunity to work with such a diverse
group of people on the revitalization project,”
said Marcie. “The highlight was bringing people
together for the River Clean Up and Festival to
actually work together, roll up their sleeves, and
dig in to make positive change along the river.
Not every planning process enables people to
work together like that!” Although Marcie’s
work with MSI concluded in November when
she accepted a full-time job as an environmental
planner in Durango, she and Ryan can be found
not far from Silverton climbing local rock and
ice, boating area waterways, and skiing in the
region.
reaching out to the san
support through planning, science, training activities
An essential element of MSI’s research program is the “Land and Communities in
Transition” theme. MSI looks for the connections between past, current, and future land
use changes and the resulting effects on communities, natural resources, and ecosystems.
Thoughtful synthesis of this information provides a framework for stakeholders in the
decision-making process regarding future land-use patterns in the San Juan Mountain
region. MSI also provides expertise and support to community projects that incorporate
the goals of ecologic, cultural, and economic sustainability.
In 2003, based upon communicated need, MSI secured EPA funding for New Tools
for Evaluating Alpine Landscape Sensitivity in the Upper Animas Watershed. This project
was completed in the summer of 2005 and produced an interactive web-based mapping
tool (GIS) for use by San Juan County planners to inform land-use decisions, especially the
development of high-elevation private lands. Also in 2003, MSI became the fiscal sponsor
of the San Juans Fen Partnership, a San Miguel County-based multi-stakeholder partnership
concerned with regional fen and wetland protection. In 2004 and 2005, with $15,000
in combined support from the Town of Telluride, Mountain Village, and San Miguel
County, MSI leveraged over $150,000 from the EPA to continue wetland monitoring in
San Miguel County and expand the fen inventory, assessment, and protection work to
Ouray and San Juan Counties.
In 2005 and 2006, MSI contributed technical, planning, and design assistance to
Silverton’s community development activities, including the Molas Lake Master Plan,
Silverton Area Trails Plan, San Juan Alpine Taskforce, and the Animas River Corridor
Revitalization Plan. Since 2005, MSI has served as a member of the Four Corners Air
Quality Task Force (in 2006 securing $77,000 from the EPA to address gaps in data and
public awareness related to regional air quality) and the Southwest Wetlands Focus Group,
a multi-stakeholder partnership with whom MSI worked on the development of its new
free publication, Wetlands of the San Juan Mountain Region: Information and Guidance
for Landowners and Other Residents. Download at www.mountainstudies.org/Research/
wetLandMonitoring.htm or contact MSI.
ANIMAS RIVER CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION PROJECT
The Animas River Corridor Revitalization Project, a collaborative and highly participatory
community partnership, was formed during the spring of 2006 to develop a revitalization
plan for a two-mile section of the Animas River in Silverton. MSI partnered with Alpine
Environmental Services, the Animas River Stakeholders Group, and the San Juan County
Historical Society to provide San Juan County support in the planning process. The goal
of the partnership is for County residents to develop a vision and plan for the corridor
that incorporates economic renewal, ecological restoration, mine clean up, trails and other
recreational amenities, historic interpretation, and art displays.
The planning team was conscientious in its approach to public outreach to ensure the
planning and visioning process included a diversity of individuals and community groups.
During the summer, MSI facilitated over 30 public meetings and attended the meetings of
established community groups and institutions (Animas River Stakeholders Group, Silverton
Family Learning Center, San Juan 2000 Economic Development Association, Silverton
Mountain School, Silverton Snowmobile Club, Silverton Chamber of Commerce, and
others), which yielded a comprehensive vision and set of goals for corridor revitalization.
education opportunities for localS and visitors
In 2005, MSI offered continuing-education courses for students, teachers, and the public.
Course credit was available through Fort Lewis College or the Colorado School of Mines.
During “Mountain Geography for Educators,” a five-day workshop led by Dr. Lee Dexter
(NAU) and Dr. Koren Nydick (MSI), teachers explored the physical, ecological, and cultural
aspects of mountain geography. “The Science of Astronomy and the Practice of Skywatching”
was led by Mike Zawaski, an experiential educator from Boulder. A two-day course, “Explore
21st Century Mountain Environments, People, and Issues Using Geotechnologies,” taught
by Dr. Joseph Kerski (USGS), introduced participants to Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
Throughout summer 2005, MSI naturalist and summer intern Claudia Capitini led 104
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
The Benchmark
juan mountain community
preparing for climate change in the san juans
As part of the organization’s goal to make science accessible to people, MSI led a threeday conference, “Climate Variability and Change in the San Juan Mountains: A ScientistStakeholder Dialogue.” The conference was held October 11 and 12 at Fort Lewis College in
Durango and on the 13th at MSI facilities in Silverton. MSI staff planned and organized the
conference, with the purpose being to facilitate information-sharing and interaction between
scientists and local stakeholders regarding the implications and potential impacts of climate
variability and change in the San Juan Mountain region. A second goal was to jumpstart
the development of a San Juan Mountain Climate Initiative, a stakeholder-driven climate
research and outreach program. Leading scientists from the University of Arizona, University
of Colorado’s Western Water Assessment, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and other institutions and agencies participated alongside local stakeholders representing
diverse interests such as Durango Mountain Resort, Western Governors’ Association, San
Juan County, Animas River Stakeholders Group, Banded Peak Ranch, and many others.
A group of approximately 70 scientists from academia, government research institutions,
and natural resource management agencies met on October 11 to share their research and
initiate planning of the Climate Initiative. Topics included measurements of climate change,
both global and local, and impacts to hydrology, biodiversity, forests, and agriculture. After a
jam-packed morning of presentations, scientists were asked to discuss “what we don’t know
but really should” about climate change in the San Juans. This discussion produced a list of
“information gaps” and potential research topics that will help shape the Initiative.
The evening keynote address by Dr. Jonathan Overpeck of the University of Arizona drew
nearly 250 people to the Fort Lewis College Ballroom, including conference-goers, community
members, and college students. Overpeck discussed “Global Climate Change, the West, and
What We Can Do About It.” He reported that average temperatures in the west are anticipated
to increase 4 or 5°F by mid-century. Increased temperatures will have major implications for
timing and length of snowmelt, stream flow levels throughout summer, evaporation from
reservoirs, and water loss from vegetation and soils, among other concerns.
Continued on page 10
Since March, more than 50 individuals
have been involved in the planning process.
On June 17, over 70 community members
volunteered for the Animas River Festival
and Clean Up Day. In early August, local
and national representatives of the EPA,
BLM, and USFS, along with local non-profit
organizations, elected officials, state agency
representatives, and community members
gathered in Silverton for a financial and
technical assistance workshop to identify
resources for the plan’s implementation. By
the end of August, the Silverton/San Juan
County Planning Commission, Town of Silverton Board of Trustees, and Board of County
Commissioners all endorsed the plan and its principles.
individuals on nature walks from the Silverton Public Lands Center. Participants explored the
Animas River riparian corridor, “Rabbit Ears” avalanche path deposition zone, and spruce-fir
forest beyond Kendall Mountain Recreation Center. MSI’s Koren Nydick also organized a series
of science seminars and field trips for the general public, with attendance totaling 129.
In 2006, MSI’s educational and outreach activities included two wetland workshops which
were attended by 45 people (see page 6) and the Animas River Corridor Revitalization Plan
(see page 8), with community involvement totaling 120. MSI’s 2006 State of the San Juans
Conference, “Climate Variability and Change,” held in Durango and Silverton, drew over 300
participants (see page 9). Activities in 2007 may include fen inventory and air quality workshops,
nature walks, and science seminars.
Dr. Jonathan “Peck”
Overpeck is a busy
man these days. MSI’s
vice president balances
research, teaching, and
active involvement in
many
organizations
and agencies. Peck has
established
himself
as a world-renowned
paleoclimatologist at a
time when global warming is at the forefront
of international concern. He is a coordinating
lead author for the ongoing United Nations
Environment Programme Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment,
due out February 2007.
Raised in Michigan and Connecticut, Peck
earned his PhD from Brown University and
scored his first professional job at prestigious
Columbia University. Only five years into his
career in New York, Peck was recruited by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Boulder to establish a new
paleoclimatology program. He is currently
a member of the NOAA Climate Working
Group, director of the Institute for the Study
of Planet Earth, and professor of Geosciences
and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of
Arizona in Tucson.
Peck became involved with MSI while on
sabbatical in Telluride in 2005. He chose the
region because he was interested in developing a
research program focused on the San Juans. He
was first involved informally having attended
the 2005 research retreat in Silverton, and then
served on the MSI board before becoming
vice president in 2006. He said he deepened
his commitment because, “The MSI idea was
fantastic for the San Juans and I wanted to see
it happen.”
When discussing science with Peck, it is
striking how often he refers to society. In his
mind the two are fundamentally intertwined.
Peck is working to foster a new paradigm
of interdisciplinary science that integrates
the physical, biological, and social sciences
to better serve the needs of society. His
current projects address the intersection of
environmental variability and change with
society. Geographically, his research has taken
him throughout the Southwest, to the Arctic,
the Galapagos Islands, West Africa, and Tibet.
Though back at his University of Arizona
post, Peck continues to help MSI shape its
science agenda and establish partnerships
with regional research institutions. For more
information about Peck’s work, visit www.ispe.
arizona.edu/about/staff/peck.html.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
MSI vest - see back page
jonathan overpeck
The Benchmark
CLIMATE CHANGE, continued from page 9
Overpeck not only discussed climate change implications, but also energy conservation strategies
and alternative energy production, such as clean-coal technology.
The collaborative wheels turned on the second day bringing together scientists with natural
resource managers, elected officials, community planners, sustainable energy representatives,
conservationists, farmers and ranchers, recreation and tourism professionals, concerned citizens,
and students. Attendees heard presentations from both stakeholders and scientists on how
climate affects water supply, snow, air quality, forest
health, wildfire, recreation, tourism, agriculture, ranching,
energy, biodiversity, and more. After lunch, participants
split into focus groups to identify how climate affects
their sector and what information or tools would be
most useful in mitigating and preparing for the future
impacts climate change may bring. The dialogue provided
a unique opportunity to collectively identify information
and research needs in the region.
The Swamp Angel Study Area in Senator Beck Basin
served as a field trip site for approximately 20 participants
on the final morning of the conference. This instrumented
watershed is managed by the Center for Snow and
Avalanche Studies, a partner organization of MSI also
based in Silverton. After lunch and a tour of MSI’s
headquarters at the Avon Hotel, Congressman John Salazar
and State Representative candidate Joe Colgan, along with
representatives from the Forest Service, BLM, and local
wood products industry, arrived for a renewable energy
discussion and public reception. MSI is a demonstration
site for heating with newly-developed pinion pine pellets
that come from fire-mitigation projects on national forest
lands on the Uncompahgre Plateau. While pinion burns
cleaner than other wood, it does produce more ash. MSI’s 65,000-BTU stove tests the efficiency
of these pellets. Salazar poured a ceremonial bag of pellets into the stove and then answered
questions from the crowd about his support for renewable energy sources, which could include
proposed biodiesel and pinion pellet factories in the Four Corners region. Events culminated
with a screening for over 40 Silverton residents and visitors of An Inconvenient Truth, former US
vice-president Al Gore’s documentary on global warming.
A successful three days of collaborative and progressive discussion was concluded, and also
just began, on not only the implications of climate change, but also alternatives and potential
projects to help curb the documented trends. Less than a week later, the Durango City Council
voted to sign the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, agreeing to “strive to meet or exceed
Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming pollution.” Over 320 US cities have signed
the agreement to date. In Colorado, the cities include Aspen, Basalt, Boulder, Denver, Durango,
Gunnison, Frisco, and Telluride. MSI staff have assembled materials from the conference into a
proceedings packet that is available via the Research page at www.mountainstudies.org. A draft of
the San Juan Mountain Climate Initiative Action Plan will be available on the website soon.
MTNCLIM 2008 PLANNED FOR SILVERTON
The Consortium for Integrated Climate Research in Western Mountains (CIRMOUNT) is
a collaborative, interdisciplinary consortium dedicated to understanding climates and ecosystems
of western North American mountains. CIRMOUNT’s goal is to bring together researchers from
diverse disciplines and institutions to measure and understand climate-driven changes in the
unique landscapes that define western North American mountains, and to respond to the needs and
challenges of western society for mountain resources imposed by climate change. CIRMOUNT is
sponsored by a diverse group of agencies, universities, and institutions, and is endorsed as a pilot
project of the International Mountain Research Initiative. CIRMOUNT sponsors the MTNCLIM
Conference which convenes at least biennially, and is the flagship forum for CIRMOUNT.
MTNCLIM Conferences promote opportunities for informal and formal communication in
mountain conference settings through
invited and contributed oral and poster
sessions as well as opportunities for work
groups to convene. MTNCLIM 2008 in
May will bring approximately 120 scientists
who study western mountain ecosystems
and resources to Silverton for three days.
10
MSI Expands its Regional
Presence to Fort Lewis College,
Durango – October 2005 saw the
expansion of MSI offices onto the Fort
Lewis campus. For a little over a year, MSI
staffers Ellen Stein and Koren Nydick have
been based in Berndt Hall in the Department
of Geosciences. MSI staff in Silverton continue
to support operations at MSI’s headquarters at
the Avon Hotel. Stein said of the move, “Fort
Lewis was one of MSI’s early founders and seed
funders. MSI’s presence on campus is a natural
progression of our partnership. The move allows
MSI to support students enrolled in the mountain
studies minor, help build FLC’s research capacity,
and promote use of the Silverton Field Station.”
MSI on-campus offices are donated in-kind by
the College.
Fort Lewis College Foundation Funds
2006 MSI Student Summer Internship – In
May 2006, the Fort Lewis College Foundation
awarded the FLC Biology Department $1,000
to help fund an MSI field internship during
the summer of 2006. Lindsey Lennek, a junior
environmental biology major, was selected for the
internship. Lindsey got a great feel for research in
the San Juans by assisting with MSI’s directed
research projects (see page 5). The internship
involved plenty of time spent in beautiful alpine
locations around Silverton. Lindsey says of the
acid mine drainage study, “I found it interesting
that the acid mine drainage affected the whole
ecosystem around the stream as well as the
stream itself.” She had fun backpacking on the
GLORIA project and collecting zooplankton
as part of the high-altitude lake sampling. The
internship was a great learning experience for
Lindsey and provided field support to Dr. Koren
Nydick (MSI) and Dr. Julie Korb (FLC Biology
Department).
Successful MSI Model Spawns Fort Lewis
College Student Research Program –
Undergraduate research at Fort Lewis College
recently received a boost. In December 2005,
FLC president Brad Bartel allocated $5,000
for an Interdisciplinary Field-Based Mountain
Research and Teaching Mini-Grant Program that
was modeled after MSI’s successful mini-grant
program for student research in the San Juan
Mountains (see page 6). The mountain studies
minor Faculty Committee, an interdisciplinary
group who developed the guidelines for the minigrant program, was thrilled with the positive
response. Requests actually exceeded available
funding to total $6,215 ($4,875 in student
research requests, and $1,340 in faculty class trip
requests). Eleven mini-grants were awarded in
2006. Three geology and eight environmental
biology majors proposed broad-ranging research
topics that included “Measuring the lithium
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
collaboration strengthens
institutions and programs
Mountain Studies Minor on the Books at
Fort Lewis College – In December 2005,
Fort Lewis College’s Curriculum Committee
officially approved a new minor in mountain
studies. The minor, initiated jointly between
FLC and MSI, is an interdisciplinary and
experiential exploration of mountains and
mountain people. It provides an exciting
opportunity for students to study and
experience the vast mountainous terrain of the
San Juan Mountains, which serve as an outdoor
classroom. The minor is regionally-focused, yet
broad enough in scope to be globally relevant.
In pursuit of an interdisciplinary experience,
students in the minor take courses in the
humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences
and are required to complete an internship with
an agency, organization, or company that in
some way works in mountain environments.
The final requirement is an integrative capstone
project designed and carried out by the
student. Drs. David Kozak (anthropology)
and Gary Gianniny (geosciences) are serving
as faculty advisors for the minor. MSI will
assist with student internship placement. The
MSI-FLC partnership and the development
of this innovative program, possibly the
only undergraduate academic program of its
kind in the country, enhances FLC students’
experience and helps the College meet its
strategic objectives to maximize the use of
the Four Corners region as a living/learning
laboratory, improve outreach and service to
the local community, and provide students
opportunities for community-based learning
and research. The 2006 fall semester saw
the first students officially sign up for the
minor. Visit the Fort Lewis College website at
http://www.fortlewis.edu/academics/academic
_programs for more information about
mountain studies minor requirements and
other field-based programs.
content of the Baker’s Bridge hot springs,”
“Effects of road use on the spread of invasive
weeds in San Juan County, Colorado,”
and “Effect of iron and pH on amphibian
populations in alpine fens.” Professors also
requested funds to bring classes such as “Value
of Place” and “Geomorphology” to MSI’s
field station in Silverton. What’s driving the
demand? Student interest in field-based
learning and a strong desire to contribute
to the understanding and protection of the
natural environment. Faculty Committee
members believe high demand is a good
problem to have and are excited about this
new student research funding and course of
academic study. And with funding for 20062007 increasing to $7,500, the programs are
laying the foundation for a lasting legacy of
mountain studies and field-based learning at
Fort Lewis College.
The Benchmark
A SOLID COMMITMENT TO STUDENTS, FIELD LEARNING, AND FUN
PROFESSOR GARY GIANNINY
Sporting a bushy beard and a gentle nature, MSI
board member and Fort Lewis College geosciences
professor Dr. Gary Gianniny is an intriguing character.
A strong connection with students is Gianniny’s main
interest. He loves teaching, and with the office door
open gives a cheerful “hello” to everyone who passes
by. He teaches courses like “Natural Resources
and the Environment,” “Evolution of the Earth,”
and “Water in the West.” His belief in education
and interest in ensuring students leave the College
with an excellent educational foundation has led
Dr. Gianniny to chair Fort Lewis College’s General
Education Council.
Gianniny’s research investigates the deposition of
sedimentary rocks between Durango and Silverton
and the age of the mountains at that time. He is also studying the influence of ancient climate
and mountain building on sediment formation. Ancient, present, and future climate patterns
are important topics to Gianniny. “Water availability and quality are both strongly impacted by
climate variability and change.” Water in the west is a hot topic – “Explosive growth coupled with
decreasing water supplies is a critical issue,” Gianniny exclaims. So he wonders, “Are we asking the
questions that people need answered for a successful future in the southwest?” He firmly believes
that scientists need to initiate dialogue with stakeholders and that science should be more relevant
and available to society, goals that are also integral to MSI’s research agenda.
Gianniny hopes to continue strengthening the relationship between MSI and Fort Lewis College.
He has been active with MSI for about two years and has served as a key liaison accomplishing much
for both institutions. Regardless of their course of study or interest in mountains, students would
be wise to take a course from a professor who says about teaching, “It’s fun and I just love it!”
FORGET THE BEACH
spring break in the san juans
In March 2006, students from Fort Lewis College
came to Silverton for a new enrichment course, “Snow
Systems: Snow Science and Winter Ecology.” The weeklong, two-credit course was team-taught by Dr. Koren
Nydick (MSI) and Chris Landry, executive director of the
Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies. Topics covered
included snowpack properties, energy budgets, biological
adaptations, wildlife tracking, and animal behavior.
Students saw the full range of winter weather, arriving
on a clear night and enjoying two days of warm sunshine
before a storm blanketed Silverton with deep powder. Landry’s instruction focused on snow
science through a combination of indoor lectures and outdoor field work. Students measured
snowpack properties in snow pits and manipulated snow albedo (surface reflectance) with dark
colored fabrics learning, among other things, why dirty snow melts faster.
Dr. Nydick explained how organisms rely on biochemical, physiological, and behavioral
adaptations to survive harsh winter conditions. Students compared subnivean (under the snow)
conditions for burrowing animals among aspen, conifer, and willow habitats and under a
snowmobile/ski trail. They studied wildlife track patterns and winter behaviors. The group also
built a quinzee snow shelter in the backyard of the Avon Hotel and slept overnight in the shelter
to experience first hand the insulating environment under snow. Sensors measured temperature
every half hour through the night, and students used this data to calculate their heat loss via
sleeping bags and ground pads and also heat loss through the shelter’s walls.
What did students have to say about the course? “Snow Systems was an unbelievably fun
learning experience. The small class size was great; it allowed for questions and discussion to be
a large and informative part of the class…the group we had was interested and engaged.” Nydick
and Landry employed both hands-on and formal teaching tools that included projects that were
successful in getting the students excited about learning. All skiers and mountain lovers, the
newly-fallen snow probably had something to do with that too.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
11
The Benchmark
visiting scientists and educators
Sharolyn Anderson, Andres Aslan, Ed Ayres,
Andy Barrett, Melanie Bergolc, Erica Bigio,
Bob Broshears, Shere Byrd, Jeff Cary, Maureen
Cassidy, Sarah Castle, Rod Chimner, Mindy
Conyers, James Coogan, David Cooper, Julie
Crawford, Elizbieta Czyzowska, Kerry Cutler, Jeff Deems, Lee Dexter, Jessica Duggan,
Sven Egenhoff, Jim Elser, Tim Elser, Tina
Evans, Mark Fonstad, Sabrina Forrest, Don
Friend, David Gonzales, Carol Griffin, Jane
Heath, Anna Henderson, Mark Hildebrandt,
Gregory Holden, Ray Johnson, Michael Kelrick, Ray Kenny, Julie Korb, Josh Kowalski,
Marcia Kyle, Chris Landry, Corey Lawrence,
Joanna Lemly, Lindsay Lennek, Rick Livaccari, David Lovejoy, John Lundquist, Peggy
Lyon, Jon Malmstedt, Olivia Markham, Alisa
Mast, Kathy McBride, Jason Neff, Jonathan
Overpeck, Tom Painter, John Popp, Kim Raby,
Gene Reetz, Josh Reynolds, John Ridley, Carol
Russell, Richard Sax, Gerald Sgro, Jan Shetler,
Bryan Shuman, Jason Sibold, Bill Simon, Sara
Simonson, Kyle Skaggs, Keith Sockman, Heidi
Steltzer, Gary Thrash, Phil Verplanck, James
Watts, Mark Williams, Randy Wilson, Mike
Wireman, Laurie Wirt, Ros Wu, Jeff Young.
courses in 2005 and 2006
Fort Lewis, Mesa State, Western State
Colleges – Western Slope Geology Field
Conference • Colorado School of Mines
– Geology Field Camp • Colorado State
University – Geology Field Camp • Fort Lewis
College – Ecology Field Methods; Value of
Place; Geology Field Camp; Literature and the
Environment; Snow Systems; Outdoor Pursuits
ACE Expedition; Biology; Geomorphology •
Gettysburg College – Rocky Mountain West
Cultural and Physical Geography • Goshen
College – Southwest History: Methods and
Materials • Grand Valley State University
– Natural Resource Management Capstone
• Minnesota State University – Winter
Field Camp • Northern Arizona University
– Mountain and Highland Geography; Winter
Field Camp • Prescott College – Avalanche
Forecasting; Mountain Leadership • Southern
Illinois University – Alpine Environments •
Texas State University – Winter Field Camp
• Truman State University – Wilderness
Conservation Ecology • University of
Colorado, Boulder – Winter Field Camp
research in 2005 and 2006
Arizona State University • Bowling Green
State University • Colorado State University •
Michigan Tech University • Northern Arizona
University • Texas State University • University
of Arizona • University of Colorado, Boulder •
University of Denver • University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill •
University of Pavia, Italy • San Juan Public
Lands/USDA Forest Service/BLM • USDA
Forest Service: Rocky Mountain Research
Station • US EPA, Region 8 • US Geological
Survey, Central Region
12
progress through higher education,
field station infrastructure
According to the National Science Foundation, biological field stations and marine laboratories
support research and education by preserving access to study areas and organisms, providing facilities
and equipment in close proximity to those study areas, and fostering an atmosphere of mutual
scientific interest and collaboration in research and education. They offer modern laboratories and
educational spaces, up-to-date equipment, accommodations for visiting scientists and students,
and modern communications and data management systems. In response to a 2004 board decision
to pursue a field station model, MSI began the process of establishing a high-altitude field station
in Silverton. In two years, great progress has been made towards these goals with a particularly
interesting focus; building on our location in a National Historic Landmark District and partnering
and leasing property with the San Juan County Historical Society, MSI is reusing historic buildings
for research and educational purposes.
mutual interest and collaboration at the avon hotel
The historic Avon Hotel houses MSI administrative offices and offers year-round accommodations,
meeting and class rooms, study areas, a small library, computer access, and storage for college
and university students and faculty, agency researchers, and scientists. In June 2005, Aspenglow
Woodworks of Silverton built bunkbed frames for the Avon Hotel, increasing the lodging capacity
to 50 beds, with a mix of singles and doubles. The Avon provides a rustic intellectual environment
where new friends and colleagues are made, ideas are born, and scientific collaborations are
developed. A San Juan Mountain Research Library was initiated in 2005. The library contains
a number of books and reports on the San Juans and Southern Rockies, along with peer-reviewed
scientific journal articles that cover physical, biological, or social science research in the San Juan
Mountains. Digital versions are available in addition to hardcopy. MSI also has collections of the
journals Arctic and Alpine Research and Mountain Research and Development. The Colorado State
Historic Fund provided financial support for a Historic Structures Assessment of the Avon Hotel,
which was completed in 2006. MSI plans to acquire and restore the 102-year old Avon, thereby
creating a permanent home for mountain research and education in Silverton.
Preserving access to study areas and organisms
By working closely with Forest Service/San Juan Public Lands staff on the revision of the San
Juan National Forest Management Plan, MSI is preserving access to study areas and ensuring that
research and education, historic uses in the Silverton region, are included in the revised management
plan as allowable uses. In November 2005, MSI’s Dr. Koren Nydick submitted recommendations
for research study areas to the Forest Service based upon characteristics identified by participants
in MSI’s June 2005 Research Retreat (see page 13). Inspired by the Rocky Mountain Biological
Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado, in 2006 MSI initiated a partnership with Forest Service staff to
manage an annual permit that documents research activity by visiting scientists on the San Juan
National Forest. Permit assistance is helpful to scientists and Forest Service personnel, who often
have limited time and resources to fulfill requests for or manage permits.
ProvidING facilities and equipment near study areas
In early 2004, MSI requested and received $80,000 from Congress for the Center for Snow and
Avalanche Studies (CSAS), which helped CSAS launch its activities in Silverton including identifying
research areas and installing research infrastructure. With this and other financial support, CSAS
established Senator Beck Basin Study Area atop Red Mountain Pass. The partnership helped
CSAS to install its snow science and meteorology research infrastructure to the benefit of both
organizations. MSI and CSAS continue to collaborate on research and educational programs. The
Mayflower Mill Field Laboratory (a National Historic Landmark) was resurrected in May 2005
when Silverton High School students joined San Juan County Historical Society volunteers and
MSI staff in a cleaning and refurbishing effort. During the 2005 and 2006 summer field seasons,
the old assay lab and mine office provided basic field laboratory capability and lodging space for
visiting researchers and MSI staff including summer interns and research assistants. In 2005, students
from across the country were in residence to study historic preservation and complete an Historic
American Engineering Record of the mill. A workshop on the same topic was also conducted
that summer and co-hosted by MSI at the Avon Hotel. In 2004, MSI also secured $63,000 from
Congress for exhibit development in the Historical Society’s new Mining Heritage Center opened
in July 2005 in Silverton. The Center was established in the restored 100-year old New Caledonia
Boarding House, and adds another historic building to Silverton’s growing list of educational
facilities in which students and the public can learn about the cultural and natural heritage of the
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
Continued on page 15
The Benchmark
agency, non-profit partnerships
colorado scientists abound in the san juans
The University of Colorado and Colorado State University have a legacy of research in the
San Juan Mountains; both institutions participated in the San Juan Ecology and Avalanche
Projects in the 1970s and both continue the tradition of research in the San Juans today. Mark
Williams, professor of geography and INSTAAR fellow at CU, along with graduate student
Kim Raby, worked with MSI on the EPA-funded project “New Tools for Evaluating Alpine
Landscape Sensitivity in the Upper Animas Watershed,” which was completed in 2005 (see
page 8). Tom Painter and Andy Barrett of NSIDC/CIRES collaborate with Chris Landry of
CSAS on their NSF study “Effects of Wind-blown Desert Dust on Snowpack Properties and
Hydrology.” Jason Neff, CU professor of geosciences, and graduate students Corey Lawrence
and Sarah Castle study the effects of wind-blown dust on geology and ecosystem function (see
page 7). Two CU graduate students were awarded MSI mini-grants in 2006; Clinton Francis
studies avian nesting behavior changes in response to gas well compressors, and Zackry Guido
studies historical patterns of glaciation in the Animas River drainage.
CSU boasts its own share of San Juan researchers. David Cooper, Department of Forest,
Range, and Watershed Stewardship, and Rod Chimner (formerly of CSU), have collaborated
with MSI since 2003 and today continue with wetlands research and training (see page 6). Jeff
Deems, snow scientist and PhD candidate in the Department of Watershed Science, works
with CSAS and bases his activities out of MSI’s field station. John Ridley, CSU professor of
geology, has based his geology field camp in Silverton for two summers and is currently scoping
potential research sites. Research scientist Heidi Steltzer and research associate Sara Simonson
of the CSU Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory were 2005 recipients of MSI mini-grants
(see page 6) and participants in the 2005 research retreats. Heidi works with Ed Ayres, another
CSU research scientist, studying forest biodiversity and carbon cycling. Sara collaborates with
MSI and CSAS to study the effects of avalanches on alpine plant distribution. MSI supports
these projects by providing field station accommodations, laboratory space, and interaction
with other students, researchers, and stakeholders.
2005 research retreats focus on scientific program
What research should MSI pursue in the San Juan Mountains? This question was posed
to approximately 20 researchers and environmental managers who attended the first San Juan
Mountains Research Retreat hosted by MSI. During the retreat, held in Silverton June 28-29,
2005, attendees brainstormed ways that MSI could identify and facilitate useful scientific
research in the region. The goals of the retreat were to: build collaborations by familiarizing
researchers with each other and the region; discuss MSI’s research prospectus, focusing
on appropriateness and fundability; and obtain input on geographical areas that could be
recommended for research designation.
The retreat was overwhelmingly successful. The group
identified a number of key research topics, including: regulation
of water availability and ecosystem function; stakeholder
scenario development for alternative socio-ecological futures;
ecosystem response to past and future climate change; air
pollution and aquatic resources; influence of geology on
landscape pathology; and habitat-wildlife interactions focusing
on high metal loading. Discussion led to the proposal of a “San
Juan Transect Analysis.” The transect plan would establish a
series of monitoring sites, plots, and/or study watersheds across
gradients and provide baseline data, monitor change over
time, involve stakeholders, and contribute a widely-applicable
interdisciplinary research protocol for use in other mountain
ranges. “The transect across the San Juans is a fantastic opportunity for MSI and science in the
range,” said one researcher. “This could determine MSI’s leading role in mountain science.”
A one-day follow-up retreat was held in Boulder, Colorado on September 17, 2005, hosted
by the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado,
with 19 people attending. Participants discussed research and information needs, building on
ideas generated at the first retreat. A major topic was how MSI can help build a collaborative
network of researchers that addresses local and regional issues and provides science that
decision-makers and communities can use. Participants also emphasized the need for a better
understanding of mountain processes, patterns, and interactions that can provide broadly
applicable information about mountain ecosystems. For full conference reports and lists of
participants, visit the Research page on the MSI website at www.mountainstudies.org.
dr. jill baron
a role model for all
MSI is led by a
board of directors
that includes highly
respected scientists,
including Dr. Jill
Baron,
ecosystem
ecologist with the
USGS and senior
research scientist with
the Natural Resource
Ecology Laboratory
at Colorado State
University. Dr. Baron
served on MSI’s
board for two years and has agreed to continue
involvement as a science advisor. Growing up in
South Dakota and Wisconsin, Baron eventually
pursued ecology studies and research at Cornell
and Colorado State Universities. When asked
about her career, she places high value on her
experiences working with many strong women in
the ecology field. Today, she actively encourages
women and minorities to pursue careers in the
sciences. Her accomplishments, however, should
inspire all aspiring scientists: she has been a
member of the governing board of the Ecological
Society of America; has testified before Congress
on western acid rain; and is an associate editor for
Ecological Applications, among other activities too
numerous to name.
Dr. Baron’s research focuses on three
primary areas: biogeochemistry, the cycling of
carbon and nitrogen through ecosystems; global
change, both natural and human-caused; and
integrated assessments that bring sound science
to land managers and decision-makers. Her work
investigates the ways humans interact with the
natural environment and brings together decisionmakers, stakeholders, and scientists to develop
adaptation strategies for future climate change.
Dr. Baron is currently studying the effects
of atmospheric nitrogen in Rocky Mountain
National Park. Often described by the term
“acid rain,” it is nitrogen, rather than acid, that
is falling from the sky. Baron has found deposited
nitrogen in every part of the ecosystems she has
studied. She is concerned about the consequences
and has already measured increased nitrogen
cycling in soils and changing flora composition
in the tundra. “It’s all happening very quietly and
suddenly due to nitrogen,” Baron warns. “The
interaction between climate and nitrogen is very
important.” She is currently a principal investigator
with the Western Mountain Initiative, a program
to understand and predict responses of western
mountain ecosystems to climate variability and
change. For more information, visit http://www.
nrel.colostate.edu/people.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
13
The Benchmark
MSI Ballcap - see back page
msi staff keep the fire stoked
in silverTON
In October of 2005, MSI
welcomed Debra Childers
to its staff as finance director.
Debbie shares with the
Institute her talent and
skill as an accountant while
contributing depth to the
MSI team as a versatile and
enthusiastic employee. After earning her BA in
accounting from Fort Lewis College in 1987,
she initially worked at a public accounting firm
in San Diego. But the southwest had worked
its magic on Debbie, and she soon returned
to the Four Corners area. She established and
operated her own retail health-oriented business
in Farmington, New Mexico for five years before
moving to Silverton and joining MSI.
Debbie is currently building a house in
Silverton, and loves living in the San Juans. “It
has been my dream to have this lifestyle,” she
said. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially
hiking, camping, and skiing. She also finds a
creative outlet in sewing, cooking, and dabbling
in carpentry work. Debbie has a daughter who
lives in Alaska. Besides obtaining a great finance
director, all of us at MSI have gained a fun-loving
and adventurous friend.
Blake Meneken joined
the MSI team in the fall of
2005 as the operations and
special projects manager.
Originally
from
San
Francisco, she developed
her love for the outdoors
through camping and
skiing with her family in
the Sierra Nevada. She
studied ecology at the University of CaliforniaDavis and earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2001.
Since graduating she has worked as a biological
technician with university researchers and the
US Forest Service. Blake describes her past work
as, “Chasing down and counting flying squirrels,
bats, lemurs, tortoises, frogs, toads, and other
wildlife that appeared in my path.” She finds
special interest in projects aimed at conserving
threatened wildlife species and their habitat.
Blake and her husband, Chris, moved
to Silverton in 2004 from Mammoth Lakes,
California. Outdoor enthusiasts, they were drawn
to the San Juans for skiing, hiking, and biking. Of
Silverton, Blake says, “I love that the mountains
start right out my back door. I enjoy living in
a small community where people still wave to
each other on the street.” And she’s proud to
be a member of the MSI staff. “I believe in the
mission of MSI and am dedicated to helping the
organization make a positive impact in Silverton
and beyond,” she said. When Blake isn’t working
or exploring the backcountry, she enjoys cooking,
reading, and painting.
14
MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
invaluable interns: ali morse and suzi zakowski
The Animas River Corridor Revitalization Project benefited this summer from the work
of two big-city women who can’t seem to resist the lure of small rural towns.
Having formerly lived and worked in Paonia, Colorado, Ali Morse moved to Silverton
from San Francisco to research and write an EPA Targeted Brownfields Assessment Grant
proposal for the River Revitalization Project. Morse was also involved in additional progress
made on other assessment work in the corridor. The BLM agreed to pay for environmental
assessments on property to be acquired by San Juan County in Eureka and to pay for survey
work for BLM land to be transferred to San Juan County adjacent to the Lackawanna Mill.
After submission of the proposal, Morse relocated to Creede to put her new skills to use as
project director with the Willow Creek Reclamation Committee, a watershed protection
association.
In May, Suzi Zakowski completed her MS degree in policy and law at Bard College
in New York City on the topic of mine scarred lands redevelopment. Prior to graduate
school, she served as an Office of Surface Mining (OSM)/VISTA volunteer in coal country
in Mullens, West Virginia. Silverton served as the perfect complement and continues to
fulfill Zakowski’s interest in learning about western hardrock mining towns. She worked
closely with Marcie Demmy Bidwell to coordinate the River Revitalization planning process,
convening the technical and financial assistance workshop and drafting the plan documents.
Her work with MSI has concluded, but Zakowski continues to reside in Silverton and plans
to serve another year as an OSM/VISTA volunteer.
thanks to msi alums 2005-2006
MSI would like to thank our past hard-working board members, summer interns, and staff
for their contributions to the organization. We couldn’t have done it without you! Board:
Jill Baron, Art Goodtimes, Sue Morris, Janet Potter, Beverly Rich, and David Vackar – Staff:
Marcie Demmy Bidwell, Ryan Demmy Bidwell, Ann Friedman, Natalie Gagnon, and Sandy
Heise – Interns and Special Projects: Claudia Capitini, Laine Johnson, Lindsey Lennek,
Ryan McIntyre, Ali Morse, Kyle Skaggs, Matt Territ, and Suzi Zakowski.
supporters 2005-06
MSI wishes to acknowledge the individuals and institutions whose cash and in-kind donations
sustain the Mountain Studies Institute. MSI enjoys 100 percent financial participation from
all members of its board of directors. Apologies in advance if your name or organization
should appear here and it does not. Please let us know. Thanks for your generosity!
Grants, Contracts, and contributions
(including pass through)
• American Alpine Club - $600
•Anschutz Family Foundation - $7,500
•Ballantine Family Foundation - $2,000
•Colorado Department of Local Affairs - $60,000
• Colorado Native Plant Society - $900
•Congressional Appropriation administered by USFS/San Juan Public Lands – MSI: $447,810;
San Juan County Historical Society: $42,385; Center for Snow & Avalanche Studies: $6,490
•EPA/Office of Surface Mining/SRA International - $15,000
•Fort Lewis College Student Mountain Research & Teaching Mini-Grant Program - $12,500
•Fort Lewis College Program Support - $12,500
• Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/Gunnison National Forest - $500
• Jarvis Suites Hotel - $150
• The Nature Conservancy of Colorado - $2,300
• San Juan County - $1,000
•San Juan Public Lands/USDA Forest Service/BLM - $12,000
• San Miguel County - $500
• Southwestern Water Conservation District, Water Information Program - $75
• University of Arizona, Institute for the Study of Planet Earth - $1,000
•US EPA - Region VIII – Wetlands Development Program - $145,900
•US EPA - Region VIII – Special Studies - $21,700
•US EPA - Region VIII – Regional Geographic Initiative - $77,000
•US EPA - Region VIII – Ecosystem Protection Program - $15,000
•USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station - $87,300
•USDI Bureau of Land Management - $10,000
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
The Benchmark
facilities, continued from page 12
MAKING IT HAPPEN
small town, big mountain lovers join MSI leadership
Bill Dodge of Silverton joined MSI’s board of directors in the fall of 2005. Through his
company, Regional Excellence Consulting, he helps community leaders and citizens foster regional
cooperation to build successful communities. He is currently writing a book on the seven key
components to building successful regions. Originally from the Washington, DC area, Bill holds
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in civil engineering (Cornell University), a Master’s degree in
foreign affairs and economics (University of Virginia), and a Certificate in Urban and Regional
Planning (Harvard/MIT). Bill and his wife, Cynthia, have been visiting southwest Colorado for
nearly 30 years, and took up residence in Silverton four years ago. He first became acquainted with
MSI in 2005 as a participant in the MSI summer course “Mountain Geography for Educators.”
He enjoyed the course so much that he was inspired to join MSI in its efforts to expand research
and education opportunities in the region. He is dedicated to helping the Institute develop strong
regional relationships, including partnering with the Town of Silverton, San Juan County, and
other local governments. He also wants to ensure that MSI’s research agenda reflects the needs
of local stakeholders and serves San Juan Mountain communities. Bill is also a board member
of San Juan 2000, and recently served as Silverton interim town administrator. Bill and Cynthia
enjoy Silverton for its small-town atmosphere, plentiful snow, and unbeatable natural setting.
With the recent addition of George Bracksieck as a board member, MSI gains experience in
writing, publishing, business, and community service. Born and raised in Denver, George earned
his BS in molecular biology at CU-Boulder. After exploring a variety of odd jobs – including a
stint on a cattle ranch – he helped found Rock and Ice magazine, serving as the first editor and
publisher from the magazine’s birth in 1984 through 1997. Rock and Ice is now one of the most
widely circulated English-language climbing and mountaineering magazines in the world. George
recently moved to Durango from Telluride, where he served as secretary, treasurer, and interim
executive director during his three years on the Mountainfilm board. He currently serves
on the board of Colorado Wild, which is based in Durango. He is co-editor with Rob Blair
(also an MSI board member) of the book The Eastern San Juan Mountains, to be published in
2008. An amateur natural historian and geologist, he also enjoys rock and ice climbing, skiing,
mountain biking, and wilderness exploration. George’s background in publishing and the outdoor
industry, combined with his personal interests in science and environmental conservation, are
great assets to MSI.
New and Renewing Members
Peak
•Robert & Jeanette Delves
•Brant Heidlebach
Alpine
•Rob Blair
•George Bracksieck
•Brian & Betsy Fowler
Timberline
•David Depolo
Subalpine
•Charles Burnham
•Jonathan Overpeck
Upper Montane
•Jill Baron
•Bill and Cynthia Dodge
•Ronald & Marilyn Garst
•Brison Gooch
•Richard Marston
•Ed & Betsy Marston
•Sander Nydick
•Walter & Janet Potter
•Beverly Rich
•San Juan Mountain
Mustard
•John Schler
•Ken Sulinski
Woodland
•Coury Armstrong
•William Brenton Jr.
•William Dixon
•Gary Gianniny
•Salye Stein
•David Swanson
Foothills •Dolores Lachapelle
•Robert Tusso
Sapling
•Sara Simonson
In-Kind Contributors & Partners
• Alpine Environmental Services
• Animas River Stakeholders Group
• Basin Printing & Imaging
• BUGS Consulting
• Carla Harper, Montezuma County
• Center for Snow & Avalanche Studies
• Colorado Mountain Club
• Colorado Natural Heritage Program
• Dan Bihn, Community Energy Strategies
• David Cooper, Colorado State University
• Forest Energy Corporation
• Fort Lewis College
• Fort Lewis College Environmental Center
• Four Corners Air Quality Task Force
• International Snow Science Workshop
• MOUNTAINFILM
• National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
• New Mexico Environmental Department
• Rod Chimner, Michigan Tech University
• Rio Grande National Forest
• San Juan County
• San Juan County Historical Society
• San Juan National Forest
• San Juan Watershed Association
• San Miguel County
• San Miguel County Commissioners
• Sandra Hilton, Hilton Publishing
• Southwest Wetlands Focus Area
• Stuart Halpern
• Telluride Institute
• Telluride Ski & Golf Company
• Town of Mountain Village
• Town of Silverton
• Town of Telluride
• University of Colorado, Boulder
• University of Colorado, CIRES/NOAA Western
Water Assessment
San Juan Mountain region. The Silverton Public
Lands Center, established in 2003 by MSI, the
Forest Service/BLM and San Juan Mountains
Association, served more than 12,000 visitors
annually in 2005 and 2006.
economic impact of field
station activities
By September 2005, MSI employed 3.2
equivalents in Silverton who contributed a
portion of their salary to the local community.
From 2005-2006, MSI employed two full-time
and one part-time staff in Durango and two
part-time staff in Silverton. MSI conducted an
economic analysis in September 2005 which
revealed that $328,726 of income generated
by MSI activities in the prior year (to which
relatively conservative 3.5-5 multipliers, the
number of times a single dollar circulates in
the local economy, were applied) resulted in
an estimated $680,000 to $1.1 million in
goods and services income to the Silverton
community. This is a significant impact for a
community with a year-round population of
only 570 people. MSI’s research and educational
programming and partnerships continue to
draw people to Silverton and the region. True
to the original intent of the Congressional
appropriations secured for MSI by Senator Ben
Nighthorse Campbell, MSI is making good use
of public funds to the benefit of mountains and
people in the San Juans.
We Built It – They’ve Come
Since 2002, the number of students, faculty,
and researchers served by MSI has grown to
over 300 per year. This figure is directly related
to MSI’s occupancy of the historic Avon Hotel
in July, 2004. Blake Meneken, MSI operations
and special projects manager, credits the Avon
for attracting groups. “It’s a really cool building,
steeped in history, funky décor, and a perfect
place for young and seasoned scientists to base
their work, hang out, and get to know one
another. All kinds of collaborations are possible.”
MSI has provided college and university groups,
agency researchers, and scientists with a mix of
educational hosting and facilitation services,
including instruction. During the 2005 summer
MSI even hosted a British production team,
including several scientists, of the popular BBC
TV show, Rough Science. Episode 6 was shot in
Silverton at the Lackwanna Mill. The program
focuses on scientific ingenuity and the ability
of a world-traveling BBC team to solve specific
challenges without a laboratory, exclusively
from local resources. For more information
about the episode, visit http://www.open2.
net/roughscience6/index.html. Non-profit
groups and members are also welcome at the
Avon. In 2005, MSI became a designated hut
in the American Alpine Club’s Hut System and
offers AAC members a 25 percent discount on
lodging.
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006
15
The Benchmark
become a member
The board of directors of the Mountain Studies Institute invites you to support MSI. Your membership will:
•Ensure the continuation of MSI's mountain research and education programs and mission to enhance understanding and
sustainable use of the San Juan Mountains;
•Sustain MSI's field station facilities at the Avon Hotel and Mayflower Mill Field Laboratory;
•Strengthen the support services MSI provides to college and university students and faculty, researchers, land and environmental
managers, elected officials and community planners, visitors, and residents of local San Juan Mountain communities.
Members receive MSI's Benchmark, periodic e-newsletters, and a 10 percent discount on special lectures, education programs and
study tours, conference registration fees, MSI merchandise, and lodging and meeting rooms at the Avon Hotel.
Membership information:
Title________ First Name__________________________________ Last Name___________________________________
Mailing Address___________________________________________
City/State/Zip________________________________
Day Phone (____)___________ Eve. Phone (____)___________ Fax (____)___________ Email_________________________
Indicate your preferred level of membership:
l Sapling (Student) $15 l Ponderosa (Family) $75 l Timberline $500
l Other: $________
l Foothills (San Juan Mountain Resident) $25 l Upper Montane $100 l Alpine $1,000
l Woodland (Adult Individual) $40 l Subalpine $250 l Peak $2,500
Membership total........................................................................................................................................$______________
Give the gift of membership – It’s a great way to acknowledge special occasions (holidays, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries) and
show your support of the MSI mission. We’ll send a note card to your friends or loved ones and let them know about your gift.
Recipient First Name_______________________________________ Last Name___________________________________
Mailing Address___________________________________________
City/State/Zip________________________________
Special Occasion and Message________________________________________________________________________________
gift membership total..........................................................................................................................$______________
Select from the following MSI merchandise: (member prices – non-members add 10%)
l Patagonia Synchilla Vest (see page 9) Sizes/Colors: Women’s Black S-L, Men’s Slate Blue M, Black L, Navy XL $70 members ($74.85 with sales tax)
Indicate: Quantity______________ Women’s Sizes:______________ Men’s Sizes:______________
$______________
l T-Shirt / Organic Cotton (see below) Sizes/Colors: Women’s Cream S-XL / Men’s White S-XL
$15 members ($16.05 with sales tax)
Indicate: Quantity______________ Women’s Sizes:______________ Men’s Sizes:______________
$______________
l Canvas Ballcap (see page 14) One Size / Colors: Sky Blue, Navy, Black, Tan, Maroon
$15 members ($16.05 with sales tax)
Indicate: Quantity______________ Colors____________________
$______________
Merchandise total..................................................................................................................................$______________
grand total...................................................................................................................................................$______________
l Check payable to Mountain Studies Institute is enclosed; or
Credit card information:
l Visa l MasterCard Card No.________________________________________________________ Exp Date___________
Name on Card________________________________________ Billing Address________________________________________
Signature______________________________ Date__________ Amount to be charged now..............................$______________
Please send this form with payment to Mountain Studies Institute, P.O. Box 426, Silverton, Colorado 81433. For more information
on capital campaign, planned giving, or giving to MSI’s endowment fund, please contact Debra Childers at 970.387.5161. MSI is a
federally recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. We will promptly send your tax receipt letter. Thank you for your generosity!
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO
Silverton, Colorado
Permit No. 426
MSI t-shirt - see order form
144 East 10th Street
Post Office Box 426
Silverton, CO 81433
16
Mountain Studies Institute + Winter 2006