Award-Winner Profile
Dinosaur National Monument resource manager honored
Stephen Petersburg, Resource Manager at Dinosaur National Monument (Colorado and Utah), received the 1999 Director’s Award for Natural Resource Management in June 2000. Steve raised national park values and concerns throughout the complex negotiations for the life and health of the Green River and its tributary, the Yampa. During the year, he was the key player in creating a vision for improved stewardship of river resources below Flaming Gorge Dam. Steve was also largely responsible for the successful recovery of peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus anatum) in the monument; his pioneering efforts increased the number of breeding pairs from two in 1977 to more than a dozen in 1999. In addition, Steve initiated groundbreaking work with prescribed fire in the natural ignition season (summer) with stunningly successful results.
Steve recognizes the importance of partnerships to success in managing park resources. "Virtually all of our activities, [from] fire to peregrines to endangered fish, are conducted in interagency arenas. With river and fish issues alone, we deal with several ... groups ... both in one-to-one interactions and in ... formal groups (e.g., recovery teams, Yampa River Basin Partnership, Flaming Gorge Work Group). In all of these, we are now full partners.... I spend a lot of time in meetings, but we cannot accomplish anything lasting by ourselves."
Like many of the award-winners, Steve recognizes many other people who contributed to the monument’s resource management program. "The credit for the award should go to a lot of other people--Tom Zimmerman and others in the fire arena, Jerry Craig (Colorado Division of Wildlife) for the peregrine work, and the NPS Water Resources Division and others related to the river and fish work. I credit them with much of the work and ideas that have shaped my participation in these programs."
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Stephen Petersburg
Articles
Restoring the abundance of the endangered Sonoma spineflower
By Michelle Coppoletta and Barbara Moritsch
Restoring a mixed-grass prairie and a cultural landscape
By Kurt Foote
Whitebark and limber pine restoration under way in Glacier
By Tara Williams
Endangered bonytail returns to the wild
By Stephen Petersburg
Restoration of Bonneville cutthroat trout populations in Great Basin
By Neal W. Darby
Working with park neighbors to protect habitat for anadromous fish
By Brannon Ketcham
Sidebars
Scientific review of research on mountain goats in Olympic
Milestone reached in the removal of Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams
Point Reyes and Golden Gate take first step in restoring wetlands
/YearInReview/yir/yir2000/text/05_restoration/05_08_sidebar_petersburg.html
Last Updated: 06/17/2001
Direct comments on this website to jeff_selleck@nps.gov