AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
I know several of you saw my post with a picture of a 10-11' alligator the other day and a couple of you thanked me for my efforts down here on my 21-day duty helping with the oil spill activities. I thought I'd take the opportunity to share with you what my involvement is and to thank you all back for your support and for uncountable posts that have provided much needed smiles, laughs, and hope. Below is a really good article by a local journalist that accurately summarizes what I am a part of.
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/08/with_oil_well_capped_scientist.html
As a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Biologist, I'm assigned to the Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) branch of FWS's efforts and we have been appointed the lead Federal agency for the entire Department of Interior. We are down here trying our best, using the best scientific data available to quantify the damages (injuries) to wildlife, habitat, human-use natural resources (fisheries, oyster beds, National Park use, etc.) and, ultimately, assign a monetary value to all of that so that the responsible party (BP Oil) can pay back the American People for their lost resources. We hope it gets settled out of court, but we prepare our case for a civil suit against the responsible party on behalf of the American People. I won't bore you with the details of my particular job duties down here, unless you really want to hear them, but I have an integral part in assessing and quantifying the injuries (effects) to all natural resources that have resulted from the response activities, themselves (cleaning beaches, doing bird/wildlife surveys, placing/moving booms, etc.). Its an exhaustive list and there is no way I can get it all accomplished in my 21 days here. To further clarify, that is 21 days straight without a day off.
Today caps day 13 and I'm looking forward to day 21 getting here, flying home on day 22. I've typically been working 14-hour days with one 13-hour day as my shortest and a couple of 15-hour days in the mix. I have been working with some of the most dedicated professionals ever in my life and career thus far. It is extremely difficult being away from my wife and kids, especially when I'm missing my daughter's first day of 1st grade this Wednesday (17th). The long days in a row wear you down, but you know what you are working on is one of the most important things ever in natural resources management history (more likely THE most important). This is absolutely the most important thing I've ever done in relatively short career thus far and it may even prove to be career changing in the long run. At the same time, I won't even lie and admit that I've had one extremely stressful and emotional day where I broke down from the stress and missing my family and I cried. The neat thing is that nobody here looks at you funny. They'll cry with you. I'm sorry for rambling on like that, but the other side of this is that I want to thank all of you for the posts that I've been able to keep up with. The "Chuck Norris" post that Muddy started the other day had me laughing so hard from everyone's contributions that I almost wet myself and I pretty much fell out of my chair laughing so hard. Seeing the great deer pics helps remind me why I do what I do and why I endure 21 days straight of 14 hour days, including volunteering for another 21-day tour late-Sept to mid-Oct. The bottom line is that, while on the job, I work for the American People, including all of you, and this website and your posts helps remind me why I'm so proud to do it. There is a poster at the check-in station for reporting to duty the first day that sums it all up: "Why Are We Here? Turtles Don't Lobby and Pelicans Don't Vote."
I'm sorry for the long string and ramble, but I thought some of you might appreciate some insight into a very cool program and side of the oil spill that doesn't make the news. And I wanted to thank you all for the support and let you know how integral this website (therefore you all) are to me being able to maintain my sanity. Since I'll be here during the early ML season and the beginning of archery season back in IA, I expect great pictures and stories to carry me through. I'll be missing AZ's early archery season, which opens this Friday, but the good news is that I should be able to buy the new bow I've been wanting...after I spoil my wife and kids! With that, I'm headed back to work for the night.
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/08/with_oil_well_capped_scientist.html
As a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Biologist, I'm assigned to the Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) branch of FWS's efforts and we have been appointed the lead Federal agency for the entire Department of Interior. We are down here trying our best, using the best scientific data available to quantify the damages (injuries) to wildlife, habitat, human-use natural resources (fisheries, oyster beds, National Park use, etc.) and, ultimately, assign a monetary value to all of that so that the responsible party (BP Oil) can pay back the American People for their lost resources. We hope it gets settled out of court, but we prepare our case for a civil suit against the responsible party on behalf of the American People. I won't bore you with the details of my particular job duties down here, unless you really want to hear them, but I have an integral part in assessing and quantifying the injuries (effects) to all natural resources that have resulted from the response activities, themselves (cleaning beaches, doing bird/wildlife surveys, placing/moving booms, etc.). Its an exhaustive list and there is no way I can get it all accomplished in my 21 days here. To further clarify, that is 21 days straight without a day off.
Today caps day 13 and I'm looking forward to day 21 getting here, flying home on day 22. I've typically been working 14-hour days with one 13-hour day as my shortest and a couple of 15-hour days in the mix. I have been working with some of the most dedicated professionals ever in my life and career thus far. It is extremely difficult being away from my wife and kids, especially when I'm missing my daughter's first day of 1st grade this Wednesday (17th). The long days in a row wear you down, but you know what you are working on is one of the most important things ever in natural resources management history (more likely THE most important). This is absolutely the most important thing I've ever done in relatively short career thus far and it may even prove to be career changing in the long run. At the same time, I won't even lie and admit that I've had one extremely stressful and emotional day where I broke down from the stress and missing my family and I cried. The neat thing is that nobody here looks at you funny. They'll cry with you. I'm sorry for rambling on like that, but the other side of this is that I want to thank all of you for the posts that I've been able to keep up with. The "Chuck Norris" post that Muddy started the other day had me laughing so hard from everyone's contributions that I almost wet myself and I pretty much fell out of my chair laughing so hard. Seeing the great deer pics helps remind me why I do what I do and why I endure 21 days straight of 14 hour days, including volunteering for another 21-day tour late-Sept to mid-Oct. The bottom line is that, while on the job, I work for the American People, including all of you, and this website and your posts helps remind me why I'm so proud to do it. There is a poster at the check-in station for reporting to duty the first day that sums it all up: "Why Are We Here? Turtles Don't Lobby and Pelicans Don't Vote."
I'm sorry for the long string and ramble, but I thought some of you might appreciate some insight into a very cool program and side of the oil spill that doesn't make the news. And I wanted to thank you all for the support and let you know how integral this website (therefore you all) are to me being able to maintain my sanity. Since I'll be here during the early ML season and the beginning of archery season back in IA, I expect great pictures and stories to carry me through. I'll be missing AZ's early archery season, which opens this Friday, but the good news is that I should be able to buy the new bow I've been wanting...after I spoil my wife and kids! With that, I'm headed back to work for the night.
Last edited:
