Public Lands Transportation Fellows Projects 2016-2017
US Fish and Wildlife Service – Headquarters Office – Jacob Connor, Feb. 2016-May 2017
The FWS Headquarters is a dynamic office of professional staff focused on conservation throughout the U.S. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the largest group within FWS and it is where most of the management occurs of constructed facilities throughout FWS lands, including transportation infrastructure. The fellow will provide overall program support to the implementation of the FWS Transportation Program within the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Lands Highway Program. The FWS Transportation program implements improvements on public use facilities across the US. This is a unique opportunity for a skilled transportation professional to participate in the operation of a national federal lands transportation program at a critical time in the continued discussions of reauthorization of the current surface transportation legislation called MAP-21.
- Transportation Fellow Jacob Connor’s Bio (pdf)
- Jacob Connor’s 2017 TRB Presentation (pdf)
- Jacob Connor’s 2017 Final Report (pdf)
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge – Dan Brooks, June 2016-May 2017
The FWS Region 5, in northeast US, is the most demographically urban of all the Service regions encompassing 13 states, 73.3 million people, and 4 of the nation’s top 10 metropolitan areas. In total, the region has 73 wildlife refuges and 13 fish hatcheries that are spread across 10 unique ecosystems. Because of the relative density of the regional landscape, and the priority the Service is placing on urban refuges and attracting new and diverse populations, region 5 is an ideal location for expansion of multi-modal access opportunities to Service lands.
For this unique position, the fellow will be stationed at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge (JHNWR) and will directly provide assistance to the JHNWR; however, they may also be asked to support the regional office.
- Transportation Fellow Dan Brooks’ Bio (pdf)
- Dan Brook’s 2017 TRB Poster (pdf)
- Dan Brook’s 2017 Final Report (pdf)
- Dan Brook’s 2017 Wrap-up Webinar (pdf, streaming link)
Kaua’i National Wildlife Refuge Complex – Alex Roy, June 2016-May 2017
Kaua’i is one of the most geographically and climactically diverse islands on the Hawaiian chain encompassing a number of 5,000 foot peaks, record setting rainfall, tropical canyons and scenic waterfalls. Over 25% of the landmass of the island is public land or forest, including 3 National Wildlife Refuges: Kilauea Point NWR, Hanalei NWR and Huleia NWR.
- Kilauea Point NWR is the only refuge on Kaua’i open to the public and providing visitor services. It opened to visitors in 1985 and has around 500,000 visitors a year. The highlight of the refuge is the Kilauea Point Lighthouse.
- Hanalei NWR is the oldest of Kauai’s three refuges. It is a 917-acre refuge in the Hanalei Valley. The refuge was established to conserve the feeding and nesting habitat for five endangered water birds. The NWR is closed to the public to protect the birds.
- Hule’ia NWR is located adjacent to the Menehune Fish Pond along the Hule’ia River. This 238-acre NWR is also closed to the public to minimize disturbance to the endangered Hawaiian waterbirds protected by the NWR.
The island is also a very popular tourist destination, hosting over a million visitors per year. Because many visitors arrive without a personal automobile, yet still wish to take advantage of the recreational opportunities on the island, there is ample opportunity for development of alternative transportation projects. The fellow will lead three alternative transportation modules on the island. In coordination with the transportation planning efforts of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD), U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center, Kaua’i County, and Kaua’i National Wildlife Refuge Complex, analyze the short- to medium-term feasibility and implementation of a shuttle, bike/pedestrian access, and a conceptual re-design of the Refuge overlook at the end of Kilauea Road.
- Transportation Fellow Alex Roy’s Bio (pdf)
- Alex Roy’s 2017 TRB Poster (pdf)
- Alex Roy’s 2017 Final Report (pdf)