Blog
NY Times: Loggers Try to Adapt to Greener Economy
Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009The New York Times looks into alternative approaches taken by timber interests to keep their industry alive in the context of a struggling but environmentally-minded economy, from providing alternative energy from wood byproducts to work thinning federal forests as part of the stimulus package.
House agrees to give two million acres wilderness status
Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009The House of Representatives passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act this week to grant wilderness status to two million acres of public land in nine states from California to West Virginia. The bill expands the nation’s protected wilderness areas to 109 million acres, which receive the highest level of protection from development, vehicles and commercial activities like logging and drilling. The bill has already passed in the Senate and is expected to be signed by the President.
Focus+Priority=Outcome: Redesign Report Card available
Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009
NASF and the U.S. Forest Service have released the 2008 "Redesign Report Card," a 32-page report that takes a closer look at the Focus + Priority = Outcome principle of Redesign, a process launched two years ago to enhance delivery of State & Private Forestry programs. Summarized in the report are details on the first wave of projects in the Redesign process, which leveraged nearly $23 million in matching funding from state agencies and partner organizations in 2008 to augment $19.5 million in federal funding. Redesign is a multi-stage strategic approach that effectively and proactively invests federal, state, local and private resources in a way that makes a meaningful impact on the ground.
The report can be downloaded electronically at http://www.stateforesters.org/2008_Redesign_Report_Card.
Turley officially appointed State Forester of Washington
Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark has permanently appointed Chuck Turley as the Deputy Supervisor for Regulatory Programs and State Forester at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Turley, a 17-year DNR veteran, replaces Vicki Christiansen, who now serves as the state forester of Arizona.
House passes FLAME Act
Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009H.R. 1404, the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act, or FLAME Act, passed 412 to 3 in the House of Representatives Thursday. The legislation sets up a partitioned account for funding emergency wildfire suppression activities and aims to relieve much of the strain these catastrophic fires have had on the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's constrained budgets. NASF commends Congress for its demonstration of support and commitment to this critical issue.
APHIS seeks comments on revised draft EAB New Pest Response Guidelines
Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009APHIS has released the revised draft Emerald Ash Borer New Pest Response Guidelines, available via www.purpleeabsurvey.info. The guidelines are intended to assist Plant Protection and Quarantine field operations and states in implementing specific action plans to manage infestations and prevent the spread of EAB to other locations. Comments and questions may be submitted to Paul Chaloux, National Program Coordinator, Emerald Ash Borer Program.
Texas is second to Alaska in acres of forest land
Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009The Texas Forest Service said Wednesday that the initial results of the first detailed statewide tree count in Texas history indicates that the state ranks second to Alaska in forestland. Texas has about 23 percent of the forestation in the southern U.S. with 60 million acres of forest land. The forest census may help state and private land owners evaluate the potential for biomass and alternative energy use, wildfire risk and wildlife, said Tom Boggus, the state forester and interim director of the forest service.
Dave White named NRCS Chief
Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named Dave White as chief of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this week. Chief White has experience at the local, state and national levels, including time as a State Conservationist and on detail to the Senate Agriculture Committee during development of the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills. White has extensive knowledge of conservation districts and their work and has shown commitment to working with partners at all levels to ensure protection of America's natural resources.
Tax planning guide for private forest owners
Posted on Monday, March 23, 2009The USFS Southern Research Station and its collaborators recently released the tax planning guide called "Estate Tax Planning: What Will Become of Your Timberland?" This is the updated version of one of the most widely used tax publications for private forest owners. The electronic version is available at: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/gtr/gtr_srs112.pdf.
Interior, Forest Service struggling to boost employee morale
Posted on Friday, March 20, 2009Testimony during a House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands hearing Thursday shed light on the low employee morale plaguing federal land agencies. According to a 2007 report by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, the National Park Service ranked 160 out of 222 in terms of performance related to employee satisfaction and engagement with a score of 58.2 percent. The Bureau of Land Management scored slightly higher with 58.4 percent and a ranking of 157, while the Forest Service scored 59.9 percent with a ranking of 140.
NASF president attends World Forest Week in Rome for U.N. Committee on Forestry session
Posted on Friday, March 20, 2009International delegates gathered today for the final day of the 19th session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) and World Forest Week at FAO headquarters in Rome. The week-long event tackled issues including climate change, forestry research and education, and the impacts of economic turbulence on the forest sector. NASF President and State Forester of Kentucky Leah W. MacSwords was struck by the many similarities between the issues state forestry agencies face in the U.S and those of other nations. "Climate change issues, research needs, insufficient resources, funding and capacity, and the need to look outward to engage partners were common themes among nearly all the delegations," she said. Visit the event pages for a summary and photos of each day's activities, or download key speeches and other documents, including remarks by U.S. Forest Service Chief and COFO Chair Gail Kimbell (coming soon).
Conservation buffers: design guidelines for buffers, corridors, and greenways
Posted on Thursday, March 19, 2009The USDA National Agroforestry Center has released the latest tool for planning and designing buffers in rural and urban landscapes. Conservation Buffers: Design Guidelines for Buffers, Corridors, and Greenways provides over 80 illustrated design guidelines that describe a specific way that a vegetative buffer can be applied to protect soil, improve air and water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, produce economic products, provide recreation opportunities, or beautify the landscape. This publication is available online, as a downloadable PDF, or can be ordered as a spiral-bound field guide.
Science article draws lessons on wood energy from Austrian forests and facilities
Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009A team of researchers is promoting the social, environmental and economic benefits of wood energy as an alternate clean and renewable energy source in the March 13 issue of the journal Science (subscription). Led by Duke University's Daniel Richter, professor of soils and forest ecology, the article's authors drew on their observations during a week-long multi-city tour of renewable energy and managed forest sites in Austria during June, 2008. [More: read a press release on the topic from Resource Professionals Group]
Western Bark Beetle Assessment updated
Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition recently updated its "Western Bark Beetle Assessment: A Framework for Cooperative Forest Stewardship" (PDF). The second edition of the report includes new information on the importance of trees in storing carbon, progress over the past five years and a call to action. More than 7 million acres of western forests contain dead or dying trees due to bark beetle outbreaks. According to the recent assessment, approximately 22 million additional acres of western forests, on both public and private land, are likely to experience significant (over 25%) tree mortality from bark beetles over the next 15 years. The report calls for minimizing the impacts of ongoing and future outbreaks on 2.4 million acres of highest priority in the West.
Gypsy moth: Slow the Spread accomplishments report for 2008
Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009The Gypsy Moth Slow the Spread Foundation has published an accomplishments report for its work during 2008. North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, together with U.S. Forest Service, have been cooperatively implementing a project to slow the spread of the gypsy moth since Congress funded a national strategy for gypsy moth management in the year 2000.
Replanting efforts restore storm-damaged trees on the Gulf Coast
Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009RPM Ecosystems (a native plant nursery out of New York) has been working with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks on restoration efforts on the Gulf Coast with 35,000 native tree plantings on private landholdings damaged by the hurricanes in 2005. By May 2009, over 60,000 fast-growing trees from RPM will have been planted throughout the area.
Obama supports diversity in biofuels
Posted on Friday, March 13, 2009President Barack Obama says he wants to preserve the nation’s ethanol industry while developing new versions of biofuels made from feedstocks other than corn.
Toyota funds project to promote conservation of southern U.S. forests
Posted on Friday, March 13, 2009With a three-year, $1.49 million grant from Toyota, the World Resources Institute (WRI) is launching "Southern Forests for the Future," a WRI project designed to raise awareness of the threats facing southern U.S. forests and increase the amount of forest conserved or managed in a sustainable manner. The project aims to develop online time-series maps showing changes in southern U.S. forest cover over recent decades. It will also identify, develop and pilot test a portfolio of options that align economic incentives with forest stewardship.
State Foresters applaud FLAME Act, urge quick passage by Congress
Posted on Thursday, March 12, 2009House and Senate leaders introduced bipartisan legislation this week designed to alleviate funding problems caused by emergency wildland fire costs. The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME Act) (H.R. 1404) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Norm Dicks (D-WA), Mike Simpson (R-ID), and Greg Walden (R-OR). Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) co-sponsored the Senate bill. NASF supports the bill and applauds these Congressional leaders for working to solve one of the nation's most pressing forest conservation problems.
Nine biomass companies form Biomass Thermal Energy Council
Posted on Thursday, March 12, 2009A group of nine leading biomass companies -- including biomass fuel producers, appliance manufacturers and distributors, and supply chain companies -- has formed the Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC), a non-profit association dedicated to advancing the use of biomass for heat and other thermal energy applications.
USDA releases first wave of stimulus funding
Posted on Wednesday, March 11, 2009Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week that USDA will be delivering its first actions implementing the $28 billion provided in the stimulus package. The Forest Service has released almost $100 million for hazardous fuels reduction, forest health protection, rehabilitation and hazard mitigation activities on federal, state and private lands. Over 1,500 jobs will be created through shovel ready projects that will be released this week for urban youth and individuals involved in urban forestry, restoration projects fire prevention, roads, bridges, buildings and recreation facilities.
UN report: Forestry can create 10 million jobs
Posted on Tuesday, March 10, 2009The United Nations is urging countries to invest in green jobs working with "sustainable forest management" to address the growing problem of unemployment worldwide. At least 10 million such jobs could be created, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization will say in a report to be released this week. The report will be discussed and analyzed next week at the U.N. Committee on Forestry meeting in Rome, Italy. The Food and Agriculture Organization has designated next week as World Forest Week.
Arkansas to plant 100,000 seedlings
Posted on Tuesday, March 10, 2009The Arkansas Forestry Commission (AFC) and the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) have joined forces to plant 100,000 hardwood seedlings in communities throughout the state. Seedlings from AFC's Baucum Nursery will be distributed during tree giveaways hosted by area Conservation Districts; the AFC and AACD plan to have all seedlings distributed and planted by May 1.
Ohio to hang thousands of traps to track the spread of EAB
Posted on Monday, March 9, 2009State agriculture officials will once again hang thousands of traps in trees across 44 Ohio counties to track the spread of the tree-killing emerald ash borer. This is the second year officials will use the traps.
One month left to comment on the draft 2010 National Report on Sustainable Forests
Posted on Monday, March 9, 2009The Draft National Report on Sustainable Forests-2010 describes the state of forests in the U.S. and the indicators of national progress toward the goal of sustainable forest management. The public comment period closes on April 10. To submit input, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/research/sustain/2010SustainabilityReport/comment.shtml and use the web form, or email comments to 2010sustainabilityreport@fs.fed.us. Read more about what kind of comments the Forest Service is most interested in.
Wyden bill would open renewable fuel standard to federal lands
Posted on Friday, March 6, 2009Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation yesterday that would allow biomass from federal lands to qualify for renewables incentives that were included in the 2007 energy bill. Wyden’s bill would broaden the definition of what qualifies as "renewable biomass" in the 2007 energy bill, and allow the harvest of non-commercial slash and thinnings from National Forest and BLM land at sustainable levels. [Full article at E&E News - subscription required]
Free forest tax primer webinar, March 13
Posted on Friday, March 6, 2009Linda Wang, the Forest Service's Taxation Specialist, will present an online Forest Tax Primer Friday, March 13, 2009, 12:00pm - 1:00pm Eastern. The webinar will highlight key timber income tax issues faced by private landowners and is designed for agency staff, directors, extension agents and program leaders, and foresters. No registration is required. To participate, visit http://forestrywebinar.net a few minutes before start time on March 13. The event is sponsored by the Southern Regional Extension Office and NC State Forestry Extension.
States gearing up plans for stimulus-supported forestry projects
Posted on Friday, March 6, 2009West Virginia has set up a website with information about potential stimulus projects, including possible foresty projects. One would employ about 20 contractors and 120 employees to reforest damaged mine lands. Approximately 10,000 acres would be selected and ripped, then fertilized and planted, promoting healthier watersheds, restoring damaged ecosystems, and sequestering carbon via new forest establishment.
In the District of Columbia, the Urban Forestry Administration is seeking $500,000 to hire and train nonviolent offenders as invasive species specialists, who will identify and eradicate destructive plants and pests. The project can be initiated within seven days.
Oregon's small-lot timber owners may be able to take advantage of the federal economic stimulus package through the Oregon Department of Forestry's stewardship forester program. Money may be available to help landowners thin trees, fight tree-killing bugs and reduce fire hazards.
Webcast on SmartGrowth and Urban Forestry
Posted on Thursday, March 5, 2009The Alliance for Community Trees is sponsoring a webcast titled "SmartGrowth and Urban Forestry - Part II: City Planning." The webcast is scheduled for March 19, 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST. Participants will learn about green infrastructure, urban greening and land banking; the challenges of creating attractive and healthier built environments; financial sustainability and how these programs are cost effective; what authority and partnerships are necessary; and why to include trees in planning. Register online here.
Forest Climate Working Group article in NY Times
Posted on Thursday, March 5, 2009An online article in the New York Times describes some of the innovative climate change work being done by Forest Climate Working Group, a diverse coalition that includes the National Association of State Foresters.
A related article on the role of forests in climate change solutions appeared in the Boston Globe [see below], also mentioning the Forest Climate Working Group. To download a copy of our recommendations to Congress, go to http://www.stateforesters.org/blog/Forest_Climate_Working_Group
A related article on the role of forests in climate change solutions appeared in the Boston Globe [see below], also mentioning the Forest Climate Working Group. To download a copy of our recommendations to Congress, go to http://www.stateforesters.org/blog/Forest_Climate_Working_Group
Last chance to register for WUI conference
Posted on Wednesday, March 4, 2009Federal, state and local wildland fire personal still have a few days left to register for the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) 2009 conference in Reno, NV, March 22-26. For the complete schedule and to register, visit www.iafc.org/wui.
New techniques connect logging practices with combating global warming
Posted on Monday, March 2, 2009A University of Vermont forestry specialist has developed a technique that allows for logging while maximizing the carbon kept in the forest and out of the atmosphere. [MORE: The Forest-Climate Working Group, a national coalition of conservation groups, foresters, the lumber industry, and others, last month said that stepping up forests' ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere should be a central part of federal climate change policy.]
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