Preliminary field trips...

A common saying in Alaska is "if you don t like the weather, wait an hour" . With this in mind, if you register for one of the field trips be prepared for driving rain, cold winds, pesky insects and walks in soggy places. We intend to have the field trips regardless of the weather.

Field trips will be filled by registered meeting attendees on a first-come first-served basis. Several of the half day field trips will be offered twice to allow for maximum attendance. Early pre registration is the best way to ensure that you get field trips you want. Most of the field trips will have limited participation because of bus size or other logistical concerns. The conference registration form provides space for you to indicate your first, second and third choices for field trips. Any unbooked space will be made available to attendees during meeting registration.

...Anchorage Bowl Wetland Tour (two half-day trips on Thurs.)

Having given way to community development expansion since the 1920s, Anchorage still contains pockets of viable wetlands, often located within areas of residential and commercial subdivisions. This tour is designed to provide an overview of Anchorages local wetland types, including natural history, permitting issues and design constraints, mitigation sites and current challenges and pressures. Visits will include the large remaining patterned ground complexes of Turnagain, Conners and Klatt Bogs. The trip will end up at Anchorages premier wetland complex, Potters Marsh, a site whose wildlife and habitat diversity were actually enhanced by the introduction of the Alaska Railroad (in the 1920s) and the Seward Highway (in the 1970s).
Led by: Thede Tobish, Municipality of Anchorage
Tour#1 Departs: Thursday at 7:30 am and return at 11:30 pm
Tour#2 Departs: Thursday 12:45 pm and return at 5 pm
There will be $25 charge for this trip.
Beverages will be provided.

...Matanuska - Susitna Valley Soils and Wetlands (full day Thurs.)

Two large glacier-fed rivers, the Matanuska and the Knik, flow from the east and empty into tidal water at the head of Knik Arm. The braided flood plain of the Matanuska River, fed by the Matanuska Glacier, flows through a narrow valley and ascends onto broad level alluvial terraces. These terraces extend to rolling hilly glacial moraines and outwash plains. Bogs, fens, lakes, small streams, permafrost, forested wetlands and alpine wetlands are featured. The field tour will begin with a slide presentation by NRCS Soil Scientists on hydric soil indicators and discuss how they relate to wetland determinations in Alaska. After which, attendees will board the bus bound for the Matanuska-Susitna Valley to continue this open discussion at about 5 field sites. To finish the day, a representative from Alaska Department of Fish and Game will joins us to discuss habitat enhancement projects.
Led by: Joe Moore and Mark Clark, NRCS; Michelle Schuman, Consultant
Depart: Thursday at 7 am and Return 6:30 pm
limit of 45 people.
There will be a $50 charge for this trip.
Beverages and a lunch will be provided.

...Turnagain Arm Coastal Wetlands (full day Friday)

Turnagain Arm, well known for its scenic beauty, also has one of the highest tidal ranges on earth (42 feet). Anything close to water is influenced by these high tides. This trip will include visits to the extensive coastal wetlands along Turnagain Arm, ending with a Portage Glacier Boat trip. Stops will include viewing changes in wetland and upland plant community succession resulting from the 1964 earthquake. In addition, visits will be made to wetlands restoration projects conducted by the State of Alaska Plant Materials Center for Chugach Electric Association.
Led by: Dean Davidson, USDA Forest Service; Betsy Parry, Alaska Department of Fish and Game; and Stony Wright, Alaska Plant Materials Center, Palmer
Depart: Friday at 7 am and return 6 pm
limit of 45 people.
There will be a $50 charge for this trip.
Beverages and a lunch will be provided.

...Arctic Coastal Plain (full day Friday)

The immense Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska provides the majority of North America's oil and is the largest source of revenue for the State of Alaska. This field tour will include a charter jet from Anchorage (ERA Conair) to Deadhorse (just south of Prudhoe Bay) and Kaparuk, a fly over of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and a ground tour via bus. The Coastal Plain landscape is flat and poorly drained, having been influenced by permafrost, fluvial, and coastal processes such as erosion, sediment deposition and flooding. These processes have resulted in the creation of large, wind-oriented lakes, small ponds, seasonally flooded lowlands areas and wetland complexes. Plant communities include wet sedge meadows, moist sedge-dwarf shrub meadows, and sedge-grass marshes. The Arctic Coastal Plain provides important breeding habitat for many migrating birds and has key calving and breeding areas for Caribou. It is also at the center of debate over future oil exploration and drilling. Hopefully you will obtain a good perspective of both sides of the issue. This field tour is a once in a lifetime experience and would cost well over twice this amount if done separately!!!
Led by: Janet Kidd, ABR Inc., Jay McKendrick and Mike Joyce, ARCO Alaska and BP Alaska
Depart: 6am Friday from Anchorage International Airport and return around 9pm - Note: A booking of 50 people has been received and this trip is now full.
There will be a $300 charge for this trip to cover the charter flight from Anchorage to Deadhorse.
Beverages and lunchs will be provided by British Petroleum and ARCO, Alaska.
Each person should only carry a small backpack that can fit under your seat on the plane. There will be no baggage service on this flight.

...Kenai Peninsula (full day Friday)

The Kenai Peninsula, located in south central Alaska, lies on the east side of Cook Inlet and consists of steep mountains that become low hills and broad level plains as you approach Homer at Kachemak Bay. Drainage is generally poorly developed and numerous lakes, marshes, scrub spruce forests and muskegs cover most of this lowland landscape. The Kenai River, which drains a large 2,150 square mile watershed, is one of the most productive spawning and rearing habitats in the world with all five species of salmon, as well as, resident trout and other nongame species present. During the trip attendees will visit hydrogeomorphic (HGM) reference sites within the reference domain and discuss the basis of the model presently under development. This model is intended to be used to address concerns such as stream bank development, erosion control efforts and watershed impacts associated with intensive recreation pressures.

Several options exist for attendees to get to the Kenai area. Bookings can be obtained on a commercial commuter flight from Anchorage to Kenai. The other option is for attendees to provide their own transportation and meet the bus in Kenai at about 9am on Friday. Beware, if you select this option, the drive from Anchorage to Kenai is about 160 miles, but will take nearly 4 hours because of road construction that is planned for next spring.
Led by: Lyndon Lee, LC Lee and Associates; Jon Hall, USFWS/NWI Alaska Coordinator; Jim Powell, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Depart: Friday 7 am and return late evening - limit of 45 people.
There will be a $150 charge for this trip which will include a round trip flight from Anchorage to Kenai, or a $50 fee without the flight.
Beverages and a lunch will be provided.