Chief Master Sgt. Rich Nowaski, HH-60G Pave Hawk flight engineer from the 129th Rescue Squadron here, and Zach Coffman, North Bay Refuges assistant manager, prepare to attach a cargo sling to pieces of old boat crane Dec. 21 and 22, 2009. The crane is being moved from the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge to Stinson Beach, Calif. The FNWR is made up of all the Farallon Islands and Noon Day Rock located 28 miles west of the San Francisco Bay, and supports the largest seabird nesting colony south of Alaska. Thirteen seabird species numbering over 200,000 birds nest here each summer. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s website, the FWS teamed up with biologists from PRBO Conservation Science (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory) in 1968 conducting year-round wildlife research. Biologists focus on population dynamics, documenting species recovery, quantifying the impacts of climate change for seabirds, multiple marine mammals’ species, and the entire marine food web. Following rules and regulations to preserve the natural wildlife, safe transport of humans and supplies requires complicated logistics, including a five to seven hour boat ride to the island. Because there are no docking facilities, small loads of people and cargo are shuttled in a small motor boat, then must use an industrial crane to lift everything on-shore. The 129th RQS also aided the FNWR Feb. 17 and 18, 2009, by transporting 48 critically needed photovoltaic batteries to power the lighthouse and biologists workshops. (Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Jessica Green)