[SOS-PCA] SOS Collectors Call Tuesday, December 3rd

[Prescott, Leah]

Hi all,

The FINAL SOS Collectors call of 2019 season is Tuesday, December 3rd. *Data
entry via the portal, submission of scanned data sheets, photos, and annual
report are all due by Dec. 15th. *

Reminder - the Smithsonian will be under a shipping moratorium starting
November 27th and ending on January 2nd. Please wait until next year to
ship your vouchers.

>From Bend - PLEASE send clearance forms to Leah at the National Office as
soon as you determine you will be requesting seed back. The sooner Bend is
aware, the faster the seed can be cleaned. *PLEASE be clear when shipping
NON SOS lots to Bend, label these collections as "NON SOS"* not
"operational collection". Bend has a separate NON SOS form you can use.

Draft Agenda:

Roll call
Reporting and end of year procedures
Round Robin/Updates

If you do not have a 2019 portal log in please contact me.

Just as a reminder, the calls take place at:

8 AM Alaska
9 AM Pacific
10 AM Mountain
11 AM Central
Noon Eastern

Please contact me if you need the call in number.

Below are points from our November call:

General Announcements

·         Thanks to everyone who has been submitting data and paperwork in
a timely and organized fashion!

·         Data entry via the portal, submission of scanned data sheets,
photos, and annual report are all due by Dec. 15th. Google drive is best,
for those outside of DOI the best way to send files is in multiple zipped
folders marked 1 or 5, 2 of 5, etc or however many folders you need to send
depending on file size. Thank you to those who have been flexible and sent
files this way.

·         Please export your data once you are finished entering it to look
for any errors or fields you may have forgotten to fill out. Let me know if
you’re having any trouble with this. Sometimes there’s a lag between
servers, I can see all data entered immediately in our database but
sometimes it doesn’t export from the portal right away so if you don’t see
your data exporting check again the next day.

·         Please be sure to leave your SOS records in good order at your
field office. This includes both physical copies and electronic copies.
Please make sure, if you are not BLM, that someone in the BLM clearly knows
where you are archiving files.

·         For contractors, please send me scanned copies of datasheets and
give the hard copies to your BLM contact.

·         Annual report templates are available online. These have been so
helpful already this year. Thank you to those who have provided insightful
comments, suggestions, hurdles, and successes!

·         Please submit any extra photos of people collecting, or new
collection techniques you may have tried. These will be used for reports
and new training materials.

·         If there are any updates to species, identifications please send
me (Leah) an email ASAP. Its best to catch this before seed goes into bend
or long-term storage but we know that is not always possible. I keep a
record of these correspondences in our files in the event that what is on
the datasheet does not match what is in the portal or what our storage
partners have.

·         *Clearance Forms:* There has been a bit of confusion surrounding
the new clearance forms.

·         With this form, BLM collectors can request the entire remaining
balance (any seed over 10,000) be returned or shipped to a cooperator. To
request only a portion of your remaining balance, or to send the remaining
balance of a single collection to multiple partners, please contact the SOS
National Coordinating Office. This form can also be used to request seed
test result data. If both test results and shipping are requested please
fill out both the “shipping” column and “seed test results” column. If
shipping is in planning stages, but not certain until after data is
received, omit the shipping info and complete a second form to the SOS
National Coordinating Office when shipping information is determined.

·         Complete this form and e-mail it to the SOS National Coordinating
Office with associated SOS Field Data Forms by January 30th. A monthly
review of clearance forms will occur on the first Tuesday of the month,
following the national coordinating call. The SOS National Coordinating
Office will review the request, if approved, assign a clearance number(s),
and send the approved clearance form to the Bend Seed Extractory. A limit
of 25 seed lots will be shipped or tested each month, please plan requests
accordingly or work with the SOS National Coordinating Office for more
urgent requests.

Updates from Smithsonian:

·         Templates and protocols are all online including how to ship, and
label templates. PLEASE use the template they make it easier to identify
the voucher as an SOS collection.

·         Please cut labels to size.

·         Insert labels with specimens before shipping.

·         You can either include a transmittal notice in the box or email a
PDF to Erika.

·         *Smithsonian will be on a shipping moratorium from November 27th
until January 2nd. Please wait to ship vouchers until after the new year.*

Updates from Bend:

·         *Bend has lots of planned leave around the holidays. Please hold
off on shipping during holiday weeks.*

·         Please be sure to fully dry your seeds before shipping, we have
seen several moldy lots, which is very unfortunate. Extra drying fee is
charged. If mold is bad enough we have to throw it away, it’s not safe to
process. Boxes are not immediately opened upon check in, so if material is
not fully dry this is a huge issue. This is more common in the fall when
collecting in the early morning and material is covered in dew.

·         Bend is receiving “operational” non-SOS collections that are
filled out on SOS forms, this is CONFUSING, Bend has to contact the owner
and ask if the seed is SOS. *PLEASE use NON-SOS form provided by Bend.*

·         Clearance forms are going well, but Bend has received clearance
forms tucked in boxes that are not yet in queue until Leah receives and
submits electronic copy. ALSO Bend has received clearance forms from Leah
but no seed, PLEASE make sure if you are submitting a clearance form with a
tight deadline you are shipping the seed at the same time.

·         Bend will not return material without SOS Field Data Forms and a
clearance number assigned by the SOS National Coordinating Office. Please
allow at least 30 days from date of approval to the date you would like the
seed or seed test results returned.
Thanks,
Leah

-- 
Leah Prescott
Seeds of Success
National Collection Curator (Contractor)
202-912-7232

Seeds of Success
<https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/native-plant-and-seed-material-development/collection>
National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration
<https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/national-seed-strategy>
Plant Conservation Alliance <http://www.plantconservationalliance.org/>
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