Blog
Happy Holidays from NASF
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009
The National Association of State Foresters wishes you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. In the meantime, the NASF Blog and Washington Weekly Report will be on hiatus until January. See you next year!
Value of trees' benefits becomes critical question following Copenhagen talks
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009Money quote: “We believe that valuation of these benefits is critical, in terms of informing public decision making on land, water and natural resource use,’’ said Nik Sekhran, a senior technical advisor on biodiversity at the United Nations Development Program.
Forest Service announces launches collaborative process for new planning rule
Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009The USDA Forest Service has announced a new open, collaborative process to create and implement a modern planning rule to address current and future needs of the National Forest System, including restoring forests, protecting watersheds, addressing climate change, sustaining local economies, improving collaboration, and working across landscapes. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement to analyze the effects of a new land management planning rule will be published in the Federal Register on December 18, followed by a 60-day comment period. Comments will be used to shape the focus of the collaborative dialogue and creation of a proposed rule. Send comments to: fspr@contentanalysisgroup.com. Visit www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule for more information.
Jobs legislation passes House with $75M for State & Private Forestry
Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009On Wednesday the U.S. House of Representatives voted 217-212 to pass a "Jobs" bill (HR 2847) that would appropriate $154.4 billion for infrastructure projects, aid to state and local governments to preserve public service jobs and additional assistance to those affected by the recession. The total includes $75 million for state and private forestry, $40 million for activities on the National Forest System and $35 million for "Wildland Fire Management" for hazardous fuels reduction. The measure is in the form of House amendments to the Senate-passed Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill. The Senate will not consider the bill until early 2010.
Copenhagen nears deal on forests; USDA releases report on climate effects on ecosystems
Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2009Negotiators are finalizing a sweeping deal that would compensate countries for preserving forests, and in some cases, other natural landscapes like peat soils, swamps and fields that play a crucial role in curbing climate change. The agreement for the program, if signed as expected, may turn out to be the most significant achievement to come out of the Copenhagen climate talks, providing a system through which countries can be paid for conserving disappearing natural assets based on their contribution to reducing emissions.
MORE: USDA, in cooperation with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the U.S. Global Change Research Program, released "The Effects of Climate Change on U.S. Ecosystems" at the climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. The report identifies the effects climate is having and is expected to have on natural resources and ecosystems services in the U.S. over the next several decades.
Harold Bell, a creator of Woodsy Owl dies at age 90
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009Harold Bell, along with two forest rangers and another colleague, came up with the concept of Woodsy Owl as a new mascot for the Forest Service in time for the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. The plump anthropomorphic bird in a red-feathered cap has for nearly four decades exhorted youngsters to "Give a hoot, don't pollute," Bell died on December 4 at his home in Los Angeles.
NAFO study on private working forests & the U.S. economy
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009A new study, commissioned by the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) and conducted by Forest2Market, quantifies the economic impact of private, working forests on the U.S. economy. The study found a significant gap between the contributions made by privately-owned forests over other ownership types. On average, they generate $277,000 in state GDP per 1,000 acres, while public forests generate just $41,000. Results of the study are available using the interactive map on NAFO’s website. The full study is available at http://nafoalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/f2m_economic_impact_study_2009.pdf or http://www.forest2market.com/f2m-impact.
NAFO seeks policy, regulatory and legal affairs professional
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009The National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) seeks an experienced professional to direct its policy, regulatory and legal affairs portfolio. NAFO is a growing alliance of private forest owners, managers and organizations promoting policies that protect and enhance the economic and environmental value of privately owned forests across the country.
EPA endangerment finding could accelerate Congressional climate action
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009This week the Environmental Protection Agency formally announced in a press conference that greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a danger to the health of humans. The news came on the opening day of the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen, and could accelerate Congressional action on climate legislation. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), a leading proponent of a Senate climate bill, issued a statement after the EPA's announcement saying, "The message to Congress is crystal clear: Get moving."
Nation's forests and soils store equivalent of 50 years of U.S. CO2 emissions -- USGS
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009U.S. Geological Survey scientists have found that the conterminous U.S. presently stores 73 billion metric tons of carbon in soils and 17 billion metric tons in forests. This is equivalent to more than 50 years of America’s current CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels. This shows the need to protect existing carbon stores to prevent additional warming and future harm to ecosystems.
Congressman Norm Dicks honored by state foresters
Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009At a special reception in Washington, DC, NASF honored Congressman Norm Dicks, chairman of the U.S. House of Re presentatives Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, with the 2009 Bernard L. Orell Award. The award is named in memory of Bernard L. Orell (1914-1983), State Forester of Washington from 1949-1953, and recognizes members of Congress that have shown an exceptional commitment to the health of state and private forests.
WFLC seeks government affairs director
Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC), a unique partnership between the Council of Western State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service, is seeking a Governmental Affairs Director. The position is hosted by the Colorado State Forest Service. Please see the application online at http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/employment.html. Closing date is January 22, 2010.
National Firewood Task Force formed to stem the spread of pests through firewood
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009State and federal agencies have come together to form the National Firewood Task Force (NFTF), which will collect stakeholder ideas regarding the best comprehensive strategy for addressing firewood as a pest pathway and develop recommendations on next steps. The NFTF will focus its work on three primary areas of action: regulatory, voluntary and outreach. The Task Force includes members from the APHIS, the Forest Service, National Park Service, each National Plant Board region and each NASF regional organization. Submit comments or questions to firewood@aphis.usda.gov.
USDA secretary announces $40M to address bark beetle
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week that the U.S. Forest Service will commit an additional $40 million to address public safety concerns and forest health needs arising from the millions of acres of dead and dying trees from bark beetle infestations in the West.
Kansas Forest Service seeks watershed forester
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009The Kansas Forest Service is currently recruiting to fill a watershed forester position to be located at the State Office in Manhattan, or possibly a partner agency office in the Topeka, KS area. Screening of applications begins January 5, 2010. Interested candidates may call (785) 532-3300 for more information or view the Kansas Forest Service web site at www.kansasforests.org.
New bill in the House promotes 'green infrastructure' to address water quality
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009From E&E News (subscription): Reps. Donna Edwards (D-MD), Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Steve Driehaus (D-OH) introduced legislation this week aimed at promoting "green infrastructure" technology as a solution to water quality issues. The bill would advocate methods that rely on soil and plant life to absorb and filter storm water before it carries pollution from roads and farms to nearby waters. The bill would also create green infrastructure centers across the country to provide research, training and technical assistance to communities for implementing green infrastructure best management practices.
Would cap-and-trade mean more tree farmers?
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009The lion's share of revenue earned by U.S. farmers for controlling greenhouse gases under a House-passed climate bill would be paid for growing trees, analysts told an Agriculture subcommittee on Thursday.
Concert tours support forestry in the UK
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009Great Britain's national Forestry Commission has a novel approach to raising awareness and funding for forestry. The agency secures popular bands for a series of outdoor shows around various woodland locations during the summer and invests money generated by ticket sales directly back to the nation’s woodlands.
Spotlight on Missouri State Forester Lisa Allen
Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009Missouri State Forester Lisa Allen is profiled in a feature article about the state's forest resources. Allen says she, like nearly all foresters, chose her profession because of a deep love for forests. For her, she confesses, “Forestry is more of a religion than a job.”
U.S. Endowment releases community resilience report
Posted on Wednesday, December 2, 2009The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities has announced the release of Community Resilience and Wealth: The challenges and opportunities for rural communities in a rapidly changing world, a report developed by Shanna Ratner and Dr. Susanne Moser. The report is intended to better define resiliency in the community context and to aid understanding of how resiliency applies to communities. In addition to an extensive literature review, the report is the result of a series of interviews with a broad spectrum of community practitioners.
USFS Chief and OR State Forester keynote Partners in Community Forestry conference
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009More than 300 attendees gathered in Portland, OR, recently for the 2009 Partners in Community Forestry National Conference, hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation. This year's event featured presentations on building effective partnerships and growing community involvement, the value of trees in storm water management and energy conservation, as well as models for effectively managing community canopy. Keynote addresses by USDA Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Oregon State Forester Marvin Brown and Oregon Metro President David Bragdon highlighted two days of presentations and tours on urban forest best management practices. Presentations and photos are available at www.arborday.org/pcf.
NFL plants trees in advance of Miami Superbowl
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009A Homestead, Florida, elementary school was the first to received trees donated by the NFL in honor of Miami hosting this year's Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. In all, more than 300 trees will be planted at 16 events leading up to the Feb. 7 Super Bowl.
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