2015 is the International Year of Soils, an effort to highlight the importance of dirt in everything from food production to water storage to combating climate change. Soil conditions have also been in the forefront of the news in Southeast Alaska this month with Sitka’s deadly landslide.
Petersburg has seen landslides in the past as well. Trees, rocks and mud have blocked Mitkof Highway in 2011 and 2009 in an area that also saw slide damage in 1986 and 1988. The landslide danger along that hillside has been a major concern for homeowners along the highway, and a reason to take a longer look at proposed timber harvest on that slope.
A landslide blocked Mitkof Highway in September of 2011.
Dennis Landwehr, soil scientist with the U.S. Forest Service, will be giving two presentations during the Tongass Rainforest Festival in Petersburg. Joe Viechnicki spoke with Landwehr about slides and the conditions that can trigger such a disaster.
Landwehr isn’t just talking about landslides here. He’ll also be doing a presentation for kids on real and edible soils on Friday, September 11 from 2:30-4 pm at the community garden behind the elementary school.
Then on Saturday, September 12, he’ll be giving a brown bag talk on landslides from noon to 1 p.m. in borough assembly chambers.
