Presenter: Shane McKinley, Senior Park Ranger for the US Army Corps of Engineers Albeni Falls Dam Project

Date: Saturday, October 17

Time: 10:00 am (socializing at 9:30)

Location: First Presbyterian Church, 417 N. 4th Ave, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

Socializing with coffee, tea and treats starts at 9:30.

Presentation Details: In this presentation Shane McKinley, Senior Park Ranger/Natural Resource Specialist, will share some of the US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) historic work, current efforts, and prospects to develop native plant communities along Lake Pend Oreille’s shorelines. The Lake Pend Oreille System has seen numerous environmental changes over the last 100 years. When the Albeni Falls Dam Project was completed in 1955, it fundamentally changed how the system functions with shorelines, water levels, hydroperiods, established flood plains, and more.  Currently, Lake Pend Oreille holds a summer pool at around 2062.5 +/- 0.5 ft and then fluctuates up and down by 11.5 feet throughout the rest of the year. This fluctuation creates a unique challenge to manage and restore shoreline vegetation. The USACE mission includes an Environmental Stewardship Program (ENS) which is generally referred to as the natural resource management efforts on the project. McKinley’s presentation will explain how the USACE uses native plantings to manage shoreline erosion and restore beneficial cultural, fish, and wildlife value in the Lake Pend Oreille system.

Presenter Bio: Shane McKinley has been a professional biologist and land manager for nearly 20 years. He gained his dual bachelor’s degrees (Wildlife Resources and Biology) from the University of Idaho. Before starting work for the federal government, he was employed by the Idaho Department of Lands and as a commercial logger. He started his work for that federal government at Craters of the Moon NM. Then he continued to work for the National Park Service as a Biological Science Technician for several years specializing in invasive species management and native plant restoration throughout the country. While working for the Department of Agriculture as a Wildlife Biologist and then Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, he managed commercial airports for wildlife hazards, invasive animal invasions, and solving human-animal conflicts throughout the Caribbean. Shane finally got the chance to return to Idaho in 2023 when he became the USACE Senior Park Ranger/Natural Resource Specialist for the Albeni Falls Dam Project. This position functions as the lead for the Environmental Stewardship Program, Cultural Resources, and an array of  jack-of-all-trades park ranger duties required for managing seven national recreation sites across the Pend Oreille Lake and River.

KNPS Programs are free, open to the public and co-sponsored by Sandpoint Parks and Recreation with support from the East Bonner Library District.