44 Patty, Kasia, Nora Check In 22APR2025

Date: April 22, 2025

Attendees:

Urban Profile Description Forms
- Patty has updated the 232 form and added it to Box
Fragment Identification Resources
- Kasia created a visual reference guide for fragment identification including:
  - Common rock types in local tills
  - Other materials like charcoal, shells, and wood
- Patty mentioned having additional resources with pictures of fragments typical in different till deposits
- Patty will search for these resources at the Bemidji office and share them when found
- The fragment identification guide will help identify till types and HTM sources
- Nora plans to include these materials in field kits with plastic sheet protectors for reference
Form Improvements
- Added a section about buried soils on the front page
- Simplified identification process with yes/no questions (e.g., “Is this greater than 50 cm?”)
- Will remove plaggen epipedon option as it’s rare in this region
- Modifications to workflow discussed (surface mantle measurement before buried soil questions)

Initial Field Training Plans
- University team plans to start fieldwork the week of May 12th
- Original proposed field review date (week of May 19th) conflicts with Nic’s field studies class
Field Review Date
- Proposed new dates: June 3-5 (Tuesday-Thursday)
- Format: 1-2 days in field plus 1 day in office/classroom
- Need to confirm availability with Joe and other team members
- Concerns about waiting until June to start formal training
Alternative Training Options
- Kasia suggested an early training session with the university undergrads during the first week (May 12-17)
- Nora agreed to take undergrads to the campus pit on Tuesday, May 13th for initial training
- Campus pit suggested as an ideal training location since:
  - Students are already familiar with it from coursework
  - Need to complete a 232 for this site
Additional Field Reviews
- August field review/assist planned for week of August 11th
- Possibility of Randy attending (in-person or hybrid format)
- Stuart offered to help with undergrad training if needed

Model Development Progress
- Nic has made progress on sampling model and needs to transfer files to MSI folder
- Used an R package (SGS - Structurally Guided Sampling) for modeling
- The model will determine sampling locations within geomorphic surfaces
Sampling Point Strategy
- Team will run the model this week to generate random sampling points
- Discussion about potential challenges with randomly generated points:
  - Points may fall on private property requiring permissions
  - Points could fall on roads or impervious surfaces
  - Joe suggested masking out areas like roads and highways
Potential Refinements
- Patty suggested masking out high-density urban areas or impervious surfaces
- Consider using Met Council data layer for urban density
- Nic indicated model can be easily rerun with different parameters if initial results aren’t useful

Residential Sites
- Multiple emails received from potential residential sites
- Adam sent announcement to Sust Ag group at the university generating interest
- Some HOAs have expressed potential interest
Parks vs. Residential Focus
- Team plans to focus primarily on residential sites for efficiency
- Parks require more complex permitting process
- Will still consider parks if sampling points indicate need (especially in West Metro)
- Waiting to see where model-generated points fall before finalizing approach
Timing Considerations
- Nic’s field studies class will be using equipment during weeks of May 19th and 26th
- Memorial Day falls on May 26th
- Early June might be better for field training to ensure equipment availability

Personnel Changes
- Uncertainty about Kasia’s continued involvement with project
- Nic is trying to hire Kasia through the university
- Discussions about federal budget impacts on staffing
Broader NRCS Staffing Concerns
- Dan Wing announced early retirement
- Discussion of potential staffing reductions (DRPs)
- Uncertainty about ACES program contractors
- More information expected after DRPs are completed in early May

Immediate Actions
- Nic and Nora to run sampling model this week (before Nic leaves for Nationals)
- Patty to run draft field review dates by Joe for availability
- Kasia to finalize fragment identification guide and upload to Box
- Nora to send new Zoom link for next meeting
- Plan for campus pit training session on May 13th
Next Meeting
- Scheduled for May 6th at 9:30 AM

44.1 Additional Notes

Form Enhancements
- Improved drainage documentation
- Added thickness measurement for surface mantle
- Better organization for field crews, especially new undergraduates
Other Projects Mentioned
- pXRF work with Sarick scheduled for the Friday during Nationals
- Nic needs to transfer modeling files to MSI folder for continued work

Task	Assignee	Due Date
Run sampling model to generate points	Nic & Nora	This week
Check field review dates with Joe	Patty	ASAP
Finalize fragment ID guide	Kasia	End of week
Upload fragment guide to Box	Kasia	End of week
Send new Zoom link for next meeting	Nora	Before May 6th
Plan campus pit training	Nora	For May 13th
Create field equipment kits with reference materials	Nora	Before May 12th
Search for fragment identification resources	Patty	Today (at Bemidji office)
Check if undergrads are in Nic’s field studies class	Nora	ASAP
Contact Adam for recruitment updates	Nora	ASAP