A Hoover, Alabama, salesman and tax defier pleaded guilty Friday to tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town for the Northern District of Alabama.

Document filed on January 30, 2020

• Indictment

On March 4, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the country’s first Manual on Courtroom Security in Terrorism Cases was presented to the Chair of Malaysia’s National Judicial Security Committee (NJSC) for consideration and adoption.

Two years ago I posted an early version of the energy balance for the French overseas region La Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean. Visiting the website of Horizon Réunion (formerly Energies Réunion) now, I am happy to see that they have taken the elaboration of the energy balance much further, and are now publishing this detailed Sankey diagram for energy flows in 2018.

The diagram has been created by Observatoire Énergie Réunion (OER). Flows are in ktoe (ktep, kilo tonne d’équivalent pétrole in French). Overall primary energy for the island was 1441.8 ktep, of which 87% is fossil and 13% from renewable sources. We can see that mobility is the largest chunk of energy use with 64.5%.

You can access the full report with all background data here.

Citing urgent public health concerns, Metro Transit authorities are moving to contain the spread of a large and growing homeless encampment near the light-rail line in south Minneapolis.

As heads of state, local leaders, business owners and individual citizens weighed the costs of re-opening the global economy, fears of new outbreaks grew. A central question emerged: How much infection and loss of life will emerge amid the push to restart business?

Clark, David Alan May 2, 1958 - Apr 24, 2020 David Alan Clark, 61, of Englewood, Florida, died on Apr 24, 2020. Funeral arrangements .....

National Park Service fire managers on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon have decided to manage the Galahad Fire for multiple objectives. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/galahad-fire-to-be-managed-for-multiple-objectives-on-the-north-rim-of-the-grand-canyon.htm

National Park Service fire managers on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon are managing the Galahad Fire for both resource and protection objectives. Resource objectives for the fire include returning fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem in order to maintain forest health. Protection objectives for the fire include protection of sensitive cultural resources and wildlife habitat. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/galahad-fire-continues-to-meet-objectives.htm

Once again, favorable weather conditions today allowed firefighters to make good progress in building and improving containment lines along the W-4 Road to the north and south of the historic Kanabownits Cabin. These containment lines have been constructed to protect the cabin and hold the fire west of the W-4 Road on the Walla Valley Peninsula. The fire is now estimated at 1,100 acres. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/firefighters-continue-to-make-progress-on-galahad-fire.htm

Today’s weather brought higher temperatures, lower relative humidity and gustier winds, which tested containment lines. Late afternoon winds caused four spot fires east of the W-4 Road containment line. A plan was in place in anticipation of the predicted weather and potential spot fires. Firefighters, aided by engines, responded and are working to contain the spot fires across the W-4 Road and south of the Kanbowbitz Cabin. These challenging weather conditions are expected to continue over the next few days. The fire is now estimated to be 1,550 acres. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/weather-conditions-challenge-firefighters-on-galahad-fire.htm

Firefighters were successful today in holding the Galahad Fire to the west of the W-4 Road, even though they were faced with higher temperatures, lower relative humidity and gusty winds. Yesterday, these same conditions caused three spot fires across the W-4 road to the east, but firefighters were able to quickly contain them. The fire is estimated at 1,975 acres https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/firefighters-hold-the-line-on-the-galahad-fire.htm

Firefighters made good progress today in strengthening and holding the established containment lines on the Galahad Fire. Once again hot, dry and windy weather challenged firefighters but they were able to keep the fire to the west of the W-4 Road, which is the major focus of fire managers. These same weather conditions are forecasted for the rest of the week. The fire is estimated at 2,702 acres and 5% contained. This containment is based on the portion of the fire in which firefighters are continuing to control. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/firefighters-make-good-progress-on-galahad-fire.htm

Firefighters had another good day on the Galahad Fire holding it west of the W-4 Road and continuing to strengthen and improve existing containment lines. The fire is estimated at 2,950 acres and 30% contained. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/progress-continues-on-the-galahad-fire.htm

Due to the hard work of firefighters and the successful plan they implemented, the Galahad Fire has been contained to the point where no direct threats remain to park resources. The fire is not out, but the chances of it crossing existing containment lines have been greatly reduced. The fire is estimated to be 3,102 acres and 30% contained. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/hard-work-and-good-planning-pay-off-on-the-galahad-fire.htm

The Galahad Fire has been contained to the point where no direct threats remain to park resources. The fire will continue to burn across the southern portion of the Walla Valley Peninsula west of the W-4 Road until wetting rains arrive, typically in mid-July. Currently it is estimated to be 4,363 acres and 50% contained. The increase in containment reflects ongoing holding actions by firefighters along the W-4 Road. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/galahad-fire-likely-to-burn-until-wetting-rains-arrive.htm

In observance of Native American/Alaska Native Heritage Month, Grand Canyon National Park is sponsoring a series of special events on Tuesday, November 11 and Wednesday, November 12. All are invited to participate in these presentations and demonstrations as we recognize and celebrate the many accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices made by First Americans. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2014-native-american-heritage.htm

Kenyan scientists discovered a microbe–Microsporidia MB–inside some mosquitoes that completely protects them from malaria infection which spreads to humans.

The post Breakthrough For Kenyan Scientists Who Discover Natural Microbe That Completely Stops Malaria in Mosquitoes appeared first on Good News Network.

One of my passions as a councillor and a key commitment to my community was to simplify local government processes and clarify what as unnecessarily complex. Break the obfuscation nexus, you may say.

Cofiring wood and coal at Fairbanks, Alaska, area electrical generation facilities represents an opportunity to use woody biomass from clearings within the borough's wildland-urban interface and from other sources, such as sawmill residues and woody material intended for landfills. Potential benefits of cofiring include air quality improvements, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, market and employment development opportunities, and reduction of municipal wood residues at area landfills. Important issues that must be addressed to enable cofiring include wood chip uniformity and quality, fuel mixing procedures, transportation and wood chip processing costs, infrastructure requirements, and long-term biomass supply. Additional steps in implementing successful cofiring programs could include test burns, an assessment of area biomass supply and treatment needs, and a detailed economic and technical feasibility study. Although Fairbanks North Star Borough is well positioned to use biomass for cofiring at coal burning facilities, long-term cofiring operations would require expansion of biomass sources beyond defensible-space-related clearings alone. Long-term sources could potentially include a range of woody materials including forest harvesting residues, sawmill residues, and municipal wastes.

The Chugach and Tongass National Forests are changing, possibly in response to global warming.

Higher global temperatures are changing ecosystems in the Arctic. They are becoming greener as the climate and land become more hospitable to taller vegetation.

Martens are small forest carnivores associated with dense, mature forests.

Alaska’s Arctic tundra is one of the most rapidly warming regions in the world. For years, scientists have been working to interpret the effects of its changing climate and determine what these changes may mean for the rest of the planet. Coarse-scale satellite imagery of much of this region shows the tundra is becoming greener. This has been widely attributed to shrub expansion.

This publication describes the bird communities of major mainland rivers of southeast Alaska and is based on a review of all known relevant studies as well as recent fieldwork. We synthesized information on the composition, structure, and habitat relationships of bird communities at 11 major mainland rivers. Information on current management concerns and research needs are also included.

Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill) B.S.P) is the dominant forest cover type in interior Alaska and is prone to frequent, stand-replacing wildfires.

Updated projections of demand for Alaska timber were published July 2006. Their application in land management planning for the Tongass National Forest has resulted in numerous questions and requests for clarification. This note discusses a broad range of these questions from the context of why we do projections, the model we used, the assumptions that determine the levels of timber harvest, our use of scenario planning, comments about how producers in Alaska compete with other North American producers, and the potential that some significant changes in southeast Alaska markets have changed the demand projections.

Log moisture content has an important impact on many aspects of log home construction, including log processing, transportation costs, and dimensional stability in use. Air-drying times for house logs from freshly harvested trees can depend on numerous factors including initial moisture content, log diameter, bark condition, and environmental conditions during drying. In this study, we evaluated air-drying properties of young-growth Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr) and of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) from logs harvested in southeast Alaska.

In rural Alaskan communities, high economic, social, and ecological costs are associated with fossil fuel use for power generation.

Biomass resources in Alaska are extensive and diverse, comprising millions of acres of standing small-diameter trees, diseased or dead trees, and trees having lowgrade timber.

In this study, glulam beam manufacturers in the United States and Canada were surveyed regarding their lamstock usage and glulam beam distribution channels.

Edge-glued panels could become a natural extension for the birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) lumber industry in Alaska, resulting in greater utilization of the birch resource while allowing producers to explore a wider variety of products and markets.

Goal three of the current U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service strategy for improving the use of woody biomass is to help develop and expand markets for woody biomass products. This report is concerned with the existing volumes of renewable wood energy products (RWEP) that are currently used in Alaska and the potential demand for RWEP for residential and community heating projects in the state.

New equipment, technology, and marketing efforts have allowed Alaska's wood products producers to consider opportunities previously unavailable to them. Until recently, the primary product produced by Alaska firms was rough, unseasoned lumber sold primarily within local markets. Given the purchase and installation of new drying and planing equipment, Alaska producers can now enter domestic and export markets for a variety of secondary wood products. Previously underutilized species, such as red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), and Alaska yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach) are also gaining in popularity and market potential. A detailed knowledge of species preferences for Alaska lumber, across business types and geographic regions, will be essential if Alaska producers are to be competitive.

Nontimber forest products from southern Alaska (also called special forest products) have been used for millennia as resources vital to the livelihoods and culture of Alaska Natives and, more recently, as subsistence resources for the welfare of all citizens. Many of these products are now being sold, and Alaskans seek additional income opportunities through sustainable harvest and manufacture of such forest resources. We discuss the unique legal, regulatory, land tenure, geographic, vegetation, and climatic context that southern Alaska presents for marketing nontimber forest products; summarize the various species and types of products being harvested; and consider the marketing challenges and opportunities new entrepreneurs will encounter. The information and resources we provide are intended to enhance income opportunities for all Alaskans, while sustaining the organisms harvested, respecting traditional activities, and ensuring equitable access to resources.

This problem analysis describes a variety of human-resource interaction issues and identifies related social science research and development needs that serve as the foundation for the Alaska Communities and Forest Environments Team within the Pacific Northwest Research Station. The document lays out a research agenda that focuses on understanding relations between human communities and natural resources.

Currently, all treated lumber used in Alaska is imported from the 48 contiguous states and Canada because there are no wood-treating facilities in Alaska. This report explores conventional and alternative wood-treating methods and reviews previous studies and laboratory tests on treated wood. In investigating wood treatment as a possible processing option for Alaska forest products manufacturers, the double-diffusion method of using sodium fluoride followed by a copper sulfate appeared to be the most advantageous approach. This method of treating wood was identified because it can be used to treat freshly cut or green wood. This was an important factor to consider, owing to the limited drying capacity in Alaska. Little information was available as to the chemical retention after treating and its resistance to leaching.

Projections of Alaska timber products output, the derived demand for logs and chips, and timber harvest by owner are developed by using a trend-based analysis.

A survey determined that installed dry kiln capacity in Alaska more than doubled to an estimated 220 thousand board feet (mbf) within 4 years (2000-2004). This increased ability to produce dry lumber and value-added products resulted from industry efforts to obtain federal funding to support a dry kiln grant program. This report reviews grantees' progress in implementing grantsupported projects and their impact on the production capabilities of the Alaska lumber drying industry. Data were collected in early 2005 by using a standard set of questions asked of 19 dry kiln owners. Much of the growth in drying and value-added processing capacity has been concentrated in southeast Alaska where there has been the greatest dry kiln investment. During 2004, the estimated volume of lumber dried in Alaska was 813 mbf, whereas potential annual capacity was estimated to be almost 6,600 mbf. This indicates that Alaska producers are drying just over 12 percent of their potential capacity. Factors that will increase the future production of value-added forest products in Alaska include a continuing supply of economically priced timber, the ability of the industry to support a reasonably priced grading service, and the ability of producers to move value-added products to domestic and export markets.

The condition of aquatic habitat and the health of aquatic species, particularly salmon, are a significant concern in the Pacific Northwest. Land management agencies use fish and riparian guidelines intended to maintain or improve aquatic habitat.

The Forest Inventory and Analysis Program collected, analyzed, and summarized field data on 54 forested plots on the islands in the Republic of Palau. Estimates of forest area, tree stem volume and biomass, the numbers of trees, tree damages, and the distribution of tree sizes were summarized for this statistical sample. Detailed tables and graphical highlights provide a summary of Palau's forest resources and a comparison to 1987 data.

The kitchen cabinet industry has shown significant growth recently, with expanding residential markets, new cabinet styles, and larger kitchens. This industry represents an opportunity for small Alaska wood producers to create high-value secondary products. In response to recent trends in kitchen cabinet manufacturing and the need to identify opportunities for underutilized species, the Alaska Wood Utilization Research and Development Center has conducted numerous studies evaluating consumer preferences for Alaska's primary hardwoods-Alaska birch (Betula papyrifera var. humilis )Reg.) Fern & Raup) and red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.). These studies explored consumer preferences under a range of marketing parameters, cabinet appearances, and regional market locations. This paper summarizes these studies and offers insights into the potential market for Alaska's hardwoods as secondary wood products such as kitchen cabinets.

This report examines the growth and development of the tourism industry in Hoonah, Alaska, and its effects on community life and resource use. The report describes the gradual development of tourism in Hoonah and presents resident perceptions of tourism's effect on the natural and social environment. A multisited ethnographic approach was used featuring indepth, open-ended interviews with local residents, tourism providers, business owners, and government officials. Data were analyzed using Ethnograph, a software program used to assist in coding data based on prominent themes. Results indicate that tourism has brought changes to the lives of Hoonah residents, particularly those relying on natural resources for everyday survival. Expansion of nature-based tourism in the area surrounding Hoonah resulted in conflicts between resource users. The growth of the charter fishing fleet led to competition with commercial fishers. Nature tour operators using remote recreation sites experienced conflicts with local hunters and fishers as well as other commercial guides. The development of a cruise ship destination on private land outside of Hoonah led to shifts in use of this historic site by local residents as well as in use of other private lands used for subsistence. Findings may enable Forest Service planners to identify factors involved in the relation between tourism growth and community well-being. It also may assist small southeast Alaska communities in decisionmaking related to tourism development.

The USDA Forest Service implemented the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) program across the entire National Forest System (NFS) in calendar year 2000. The primary objective of the NVUM program is to develop reliable estimates of recreation use on NFS lands via a nationally consistent, statistically valid sampling approach. Secondary objectives of NVUM are to characterize recreation visits, collect data in support of regional economic analyses, and gauge national forest visitor satisfaction. We document and review the round 1 NVUM implementation in the USDA Forest Service Alaska Region (R-10) with examination of the R-10 prework, sample day implementation, survey completion rates, sampling at cabins, boat docks, and air carriers; and the NVUM expansion weights assigned to survey cases. Several opportunities to improve the implementation of the standard NVUM protocols in R-10 are identified.

This paper describes a growth model for young plantations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) growing in the Pacific Northwest. The overall model has three major components. The first is a yield model for diameter and height distributions describing stands prior to pruning or precommercial thinning. The second component is an annual per-acre net increment model adapted from a recent model for Douglas-fir plantations in New Zealand; thinning and pruning are features of the model. The third component is growth equations for cohorts of individual trees; the results from this component are adjusted to match those from the second component. Fitting data are from Stand Management Cooperative experiments, with top heights generally below 75 ft. An intended use of the model is the evaluation of pruning regimes, in conjunction with the ORGANON model for growth at older ages, and TREEVAL model for clear-wood recovery and economic evaluation.

This publication provides estimates of total softwood harvest by owner for Alaska for 1910-2006. This information is a mix of reported and estimated data. These data are being used to develop assumptions needed in forest planning by both public and private forest managers.

Wood has become an important energy alternative in Alaska, particularly in rural areas where liquid fuel costs can be substantial. In some cases, wood fuel is readily available to communities, increasing the attractiveness of wood energy. Wood energy systems in rural Alaska can also lead to employment gains as well as benefits to local cash economies. Many Alaska villages are now considering wood as a fuel source for community heating, several have completed feasibility studies, and others are moving forward with design and construction activities. Cordwood is readily available in many regions of Alaska, although not always in commercial quantities. However, for many small-scale applications, efficient cordwood systems could be a viable energy option. In this paper, we provide a qualitative review of factors such as wood fuel availability, cordwood system size, wood fuel cost, wood quality, labor, fuel drying, and underground piping. Other general observations are noted, based on case studies of operating cordwood systems in Alaska.