New NOAA program gives vet foothold in fisheries
Barney Boyer’s first few months as a NOAA Fisheries intern have been busy. He has assisted with tracking the return of salmon and forage fish to the Elwha River estuary, surveyed Puget Sound ocean conditions and begun studying the invasion of non-native fish in the Snohomish River.
Emmanuel Garcia
In the spring of 2016 Emmanuel Garcia became a member of the NOAA/CCC Veterans Corps Fishery Program, a partnership between the California Conservation Corps, NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Forest Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The program began in Fortuna, California in 2012 and has since expanded to San Luis Obispo and Camarillo. Garcia is based in Camarillo.
Emmanuel, tell me about your recent work.
As a member of the Vet Corps, I’ve been working on restoration projects for wild salmon and steelhead native to California. Every day we are outside, mostly in lakes and streams clearing out invasive species and making sure there are plenty of places for the young fish to grow and prepare to go out into the ocean. It’s also nice to be on a team with other veterans.
You started serving your country at the age of 18 as a member of the Army. What was that like?
I was a paratrooper for 4 years. In 2013 our unit was deployed to Kabul. I lost several friends over there and ultimately decided to enroll in school when we came back. It was a tough transition for me… a lot of difficult memories.
How did you get to where you are now, with the Vet Corps?
I knew I wanted to get a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. After enrolling at East Los Angeles Community College, I learned they also had an active veterans club. By the next year the club elected me as their president. It was on a school trip to the governor’s office in Sacramento, to represent the club, that I met a national park ranger. He told me about the program and said it could be a great way for me to get real hands-on work experience as an environmental science major.
And what do you hope to do next?
Actually, after these restoration projects are done, in a few more months, I plan on joining the Air Force Special Forces. It’s always been a dream of mine.
James Garcia
James Garcia has been a member of the Veterans Corps since January 2016 and was recently promoted to crew leader.
James, tell me a bit about your recent work with the Corps based in Camarillo.
Mostly we work in the Ventura River watershed area where we have critical habitat for juvenile steelhead. We follow a site-specific restoration plan that entails barrier removal, bank stabilization and other improvements to habitat. One of the most difficult and time consuming activities is invasive species removal. We use canoes as well as netting while out on the lake to remove mostly sunfish, carp and bass.
Tell me about your service.
I worked in aviation ordnance, part of the United States Navy. I was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom for 7 months, not to be confused with Operation Iraqi Freedom which was the earlier one.
What brought you to the CCC?
I’d like to be a game warden with the Fish and Wildlife Division and I did some research and found out this was a great way to get the necessary work-experience for that job.
Boyer is the first military veteran to take an internship with NOAA Fisheries through a new partnership between Washington’s Department of Veterans Affairs and Veterans Conservation Corps, NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region, the NOAA Restoration Center and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC). Boyer is based at the NWFSC’s Mukilteo Research Station, near Everett, where he is assisting with several research projects, including one that may include him as co-author of a peer-reviewed paper.
A survey crew pauses during work at the Elwha River Estuary. From left, Justin Stapleton, Kinsey Frick, Anna Kagley, Barney Boyer (in green shirt) and Heather Jackson.
“It’s really turned out to be an amazing experience so far,” Boyer said. “Every day here is an interesting experience, and I’m learning all the time.”
Casey Rice, director of the Mukilteo Research Station until his unexpected passing earlier this year, was a key advocate of hosting veterans at Mukilteo.
“Casey wanted this to happen and his colleagues have assumed the task of moving it forward,” said John Floberg of the NOAA Restoration Center, who helped coordinate the program. “It’s Casey’s legacy that veterans are now contributing to research at Mukilteo.”
The joint program for veterans in Washington expands on other programs across NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region to recruit and train veterans in fisheries science, and help build their resumes for a career in the field. This Veteran’s Day marks the fourth since NOAA launched its first training opportunities for veterans, said Bob Pagliuco of the NOAA Restoration Center, who helped develop the agency’s first program for veterans in Northern California.
“We now have veterans in key research and conservation roles from Southern California all the way north to Washington,” Pagliuco said.
Boyer, 35, grew up in Illinois, fishing for salmon introduced to the Great Lakes. He served as an Air Force equipment operator during Operation Iraqi Freedom, repairing runways for flight operations. Later he worked as a chef for major hotel chains and restaurants, and then became fascinated by West Coast salmon while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental science at the University of Illinois.
He began looking for career opportunities involving fisheries on the West Coast and heard of the NOAA Fisheries internship through officials with Washington’s Veterans Conservation Corps. The internship has provided practical experience that gives him a solid foothold in the field, Boyer said.
“Every day helps build my resume, and the support I’ve received has been incredible,” he said.
Justin Stapleton, Barney Boyer and Kinsey Frick use a beach seine to sample fish in the Elwha River Estuary.
One of Boyer’s projects has been assisting NWFSC Fishery Biologist Anna Kagley with research on how salmon and forage fish are recolonizing the Elwha River estuary following removal of dams that had blocked the river.
“He’s coming with a great basic understanding of science and enthusiasm, and he readily applies his knowledge in a way that really supports our research,” Kagley said. Boyer is “one of the best interns I’ve had in 25 years and we’re lucky to have him.”
Boyer hopes to attend graduate school, and through his work at NOAA Fisheries has developed a key connection at the University of Washington.
“This has really opened a lot of important doors for me,” Boyer said. “I hope that many more veterans can benefit from this program in the future.”
For more information:
Veterans Corps: From protecting our country to protecting our habitat
Video: Military veterans help rebuild fisheries
NOAA/Washington VCC Fisheries Veterans Internship
