This electronic newsletter is published bi-monthly for state and federal urban forestry program coordinators and other interested individuals. Please print or copy this newsletter and distribute it to volunteer coordinators, state council chairs, and other interested individuals within your state or region, or forward it electronically to them. You can always find it on-line and archived at www.treelink.org.

Submissions to this newsletter are welcome and requested. Items suitable for inclusion are state and national urban forestry information, products or innovations, grant opportunities, and notices of regional and national urban forestry events. Please submit a maximum of two paragraphs to the editorial committee listed below by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following month's edition.

The UCF Coordinators Newsletter is compiled and edited by:

Ed Macie, USDA Forest Service - Southern Region
(emacie@fs.fed.us) phone 404-347-1647

Dick Rideout, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
(richard.rideout@dnr.state.wi.us) phone 608-267-0843

Paul D. Ries, Oregon Department of Forestry
(pries@odf.state.or.us) phone 503-945-7391

Phillip D. Rodbell, USDA Forest Service - Northeastern Area
(prodbell@fs.fed.us) phone 610-557-4133

Pepper Provenzano, TreeLink
(pepper@treelink.org)

NEXT DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSION: August 20, 2005

Words for thought

"In my 39 years with the Forest Service, I've found out the hard way that it doesn't do much good to complain about budgets. It rarely results in additional funding, and it usually doesn't resonate well with the public. Most people feel we have plenty of funding if only we're efficient about how we use it."

-- US Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth
in a message to staff on the tough years ahead.

"Projects like this that serve a dual purpose are good investments of our scarce federal dollars. Urban forestry programs have been used with great success in other communities, and I'm pleased that the City of Milwaukee will benefit from this funding."

-- U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl
announcing his effort to secure a $350,000 earmark for Milwaukee to replace
asphalt playgrounds with trees to slow stormwater runoff and improve school grounds.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Around the States
• Report by Neil Letson, Alabama State Urban Forestry Coordinator
• Senate Appropriations Committee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
• Success of 2004 Conservation Ballot Measures Highlighted in New Report
• Green Highway Certification
• Millenium Ecosystem Assessment
• Keep the Memory Alive: A New Web Feature from NADF
• Emerald Ash Borer Roundup
• Grant Opportunitie$
• Publications & Websites
• Job Opportunities
• Continuing Education
• Calendar of Events

Around The States  [back to top]

Tips Massachusetts Message on Invasives
Taking action against invasive plants may seem like an insurmountable challenge, but as individuals we have to start making a difference where we can. It has taken most invasive species decades to get their foothold, and it may take us at least that long to loosen their grip. Start with the decisions you make. Then move on to the actions you take. Here are some tips:

• Avoid disturbance to natural areas, including clearing of native vegetation, planting of non-native plants and dumping of yard wastes.
• Do not purchase or use invasive species in your landscaping or for land restoration or erosion control projects. If possible, use plants native to your region.
• Control exotic invasive plants in your landscape either by removing them entirely or by managing them to prevent their spread outside your property. This may include pruning to prevent flowering and seed dispersal or cutting, mowing or herbicide use to prevent vegetative spread.
• Discuss your concerns about invasive exotic plants with nurseries and garden shops and ask them not to sell these species.
• Notify land managers of invasive exotic plant occurrences.
• Offer to assist in exotic plant removal projects.
• Work with your local government to encourage the use of native plants in their urban and suburban landscapes. Provide them with lists of attractive, non-invasive locally native alternatives that are naturally hardy, pest-resistant, and provide more nutritious food for wildlife than cultivated plants.

Washington, DC
Mayor Anthony A. Williams celebrated Arbor Day on April 29 in a ceremony with the students of Brent Elementary School on Capitol Hill. The students planted two ceremonial Eastern Redbud trees in front of the school and fifth graders were awarded prizes in the District's Arbor Day poster contest. "Thanks to our collective effort, the District is once again becoming the City of Trees," he said. "Over the last three years the District has planted over 13,000 trees as we move to our goal of 150,000 trees by 2010 from 118,000 today."

Mayor Williams also announced the city's first urban wood utilization project. City Wood Works DC will use a small mobile sawmill to process wood into award plaques, picture frames and shipping pallets as it educates students on the lifecycle of trees and wood. For more information, contact ainsley.caldwell @dc.gov

Chicago Eradicates Asian Long-Horned Beetle
Chicago celebrated a major success in the Asian long-horned beetle eradication program on May 21 with the official deregulation of several of the quarantined areas. At a press conference, city, state and federal government officials highlighted the success and the cooperation between agencies handling the program. Communities planning for an exotic invasive pest emergency could benefit by following the protocols established in Chicago, which are outlined in the Forest Service case study titled "Chicago vs. the Asian Long-horned Beetle: A Portrait of Success" (publication # MP-1593). Copies can be obtained by contacting the Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry office. Deregulation of the Asian long-horned beetle areas in Chicago demonstrates that a concerted multi-agency effort can successfully eradicate an introduced pest of trees and that early detection increases the chances of that success. To learn more, contact tdilley @fs.fed.us

Vermont Hires New Partnership Coordinator
Kate Forrer joins Vermont's Urban and Community Forestry team. Continuing the long tradition of a partnership between the University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program, Kate began work on June 13 at the University of Vermont Extension in Berlin. Kate is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR) with a MS degree in forestry and a concentration in sustainable forestry. While completing her degree, she worked with RSENR to integrate sustainable forestry into the management planning of the Jericho Research Forest. Kate can be reached at 802-223-2389 x25 or email Katherine.Forrer @uvm.edu

Houston to Include Trees in State Implementation Plan
Houston (pop. 1,953,600), has taken steps to preserve trees. A coalition of 20 organizations and agencies, in cooperation with American Forests, has come together to advocate the major reforestation of the Houston region. The group, called Houston Green, has performed an Urban Ecological Analysis for the Houston Gulf Coast region to study the benefits that trees provide to a community. The Houston Green UEA will be used to help formulate decisions in reducing Houston's air quality problems and provide direction for future regional development issues. Info: www.livablehouston.org/houstongreen

Mississippi Urban Forestry Campaigns
The Mississippi Urban Forest Council has created four new urban forestry campaigns with the objective of involving more groups in urban forestry and promoting the benefits of urban and community forestry to all communities.

• Scenic Communities of Mississippi is a listing of all programs, grants and technical services available to counties and cities to assist them in managing natural resources.
• Ribbons of Green is a way for high school students to impact their local community as well as learn about careers in natural resource-related fields including urban forestry.
• Trees for the Troops was held on Arbor Day in February 2005, at the state capital. MUFC gave away trees in honor of individuals involved in the current conflict.
• The Mayor's Tree Planting Challenge is a competition among mayors to recognize the number of trees planted in their community over the next year.

Arkansas Launches Shade Tree Program
The Urban and Community Forestry Program of the Arkansas Forestry Commission has successfully launched a Shade Trees on Playgrounds (STOP) Skin Cancer program. Through STOP, nine schools and hundreds of children welcomed new trees and many local leaders participated as well. Schools were selected for this program based on their lack of shade trees. A curriculum was prepared for the teachers and used for designing posters, and students were also assigned the responsibility of caring for the trees. By working with each of the schools to give their playgrounds badly needed trees, the urban forestry representatives, local foresters and the program coordinator were able to promote the Urban and Community Forestry Program simultaneously to staff, students, parents, state representatives and local communities. To learn more, contact Patti Erwin, Arkansas Forestry Commission, 479-442-8627, or email perwin @arkansasusa.com

On The National Front

Report by Neil Letson, Alabama State Urban Forestry Coordinator  [back to top]
As the "state government" representative on the National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC), I can say that 2005 is shaping up as a year of decision. The Council has several items on its plate that will affect not only the Council's work, but also will help determine its relevance to you and your state urban and community forestry program. Perhaps the most important decision being considered is the role of NUCFAC itself. Since its inception in 1991, NUCFAC activities always have centered around two principle Congressional mandates. The first is to create and evaluate a national 10-year action plan. NUCFAC completed the first action plan in 1993 and later revised it in 1995. Currently, NUCFAC is working on a 2005 revision. The other Congressional mandate is the development of a challenge cost-share program. In the past, NUCFAC has assisted the USDA Forest Service in awarding around $1 million annually for national, regional, and local projects.

To most people, these mandates are NUCFAC's primary identity and function. But at our last meeting, there was spirited discussion on a third purpose - the development of NUCFAC's role as a true advisory council to the Secretary of Agriculture. You would think that this role is a given, but nowhere in the enabling legislation are there instructions on how to do this, except with regard to the challenge grant program. The only indication of its role as an advisory council to the Secretary of Agriculture is in the Council's name itself. I expect this to be an agenda item for the foreseeable future.

NUCFAC met from June 27-30 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, covering a wide range of national issues. These included updates on the Forest Service U&CF budget, status of the Sustainable Urban Forest Coalition, and the status of the NTT grant to the National Arbor Day Foundation. The remaining two days were devoted to a facilitated session that will start the process to revise our 10-year national action plan. Forest Service regional U&CF Coordinators joined in the discussion. In addition, state urban forestry coordinators were represented by Mark Bays (Oklahoma), Sarah Griffith (Washington), and Randy Cook (Iowa). All of you will have an opportunity to have input on this revision. It's important that your voice be heard. You can see the 1993 version of the 10-year action plan by visiting http://treelink.org/nucfac/NUCFAC_Strategic_Plan.pdf.

Senate Appropriations Committee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies  [back to top]
Senate Appropriations Committee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies From SR 109-080, proposed 2006 appropriations: "The Committee has provided $28,675,000 for the Urban and Community Forestry Program. Increases above the [President's] request are $500,000 for the City of Bellevue Greenstreets program, $350,000 for the Chicago Greenstreets program, and $350,000 for the City of Milwaukee tree planting program. The Committee encourages the Forest Service to continue its support of the Chicago Wilderness initiative, a consortium of more than 170 organizations that support environmental and forestry programs and education in the Chicago/Northeastern Illinois region.

Within the funds provided, $150,000 shall be made available for the People and Parks [sic] Foundation to continue urban natural resource stewardship work as part of the Urban Watershed Forestry Research and Demonstration cooperative in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Committee is pleased with the efforts of the National Association of State Foresters and the Forest Service to develop and implement a new allocation methodology for the urban and community forestry program. The Committee expects the new system to more effectively balance program performance and State program needs and capability. The Committee expects this new methodology to be fully implemented for fiscal year 2006." To view entire bill, visit http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/R?cp109:FLD010:@1(sr080)

The House Appropriations Committee marked the Urban and Community Forestry Program at $28,175,000. A conference committee will need to reconcile the bills before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, 2005.

Success of 2004 Conservation Ballot Measures Highlighted in New Report  [back to top]
"LandVote 2004" is now available from The Trust for Public Land and Land Trust Alliance. The report details the year's conservation ballot measures. In 2004, state and local voters approved 75 percent of the 217 conservation measures on ballots nationwide, generating $4 billion in new conservation funding and continuing a rate of success that has been consistent since 1996. To learn more, visit http://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=921

Green Highway Certification  [back to top]
State and federal officials have begun work to advance a notion that some may consider an oxymoron - environmentally friendly highways. Agencies are working to develop national criteria for "Green Highway" certification that would label a highway project as sustainable and environmentally sound. The initiative is another step in a long-standing effort to promote environmental stewardship for highway projects and programs. The program is being promoted by the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA. FHWA, and AASHTO will sponsor a green highway forum this fall to gather input and best practices that could be used in developing criteria for certification. The forum is scheduled for Sept. 26-29, 2005, in College Park, MD. To learn more, visit http://www.wetlandsworkgroup.org/GreenHighways/Green%20Highways.htm

Millenium Ecosystem Assessment  [back to top]
"The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is an international work program designed to meet the needs of decision makers and the public for scientific information concerning the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and options for responding to those changes. The MA was launched by U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan in June 2001 and was completed in March 2005.

The MA focuses on ecosystem services (the benefits people obtain from ecosystems), how changes in ecosystem services have affected human well-being, how ecosystem changes may affect people in future decades, and response options that might be adopted at local, national, or global scales to improve ecosystem management and thereby contribute to human well-being and poverty alleviation.

The MA synthesizes information from the scientific literature, datasets, and scientific models, and includes knowledge held by the private sector, practitioners, local communities and indigenous peoples. All of the MA findings undergo rigorous peer review. More than 1,300 authors from 95 countries have been involved in four expert working groups preparing the global assessment, and hundreds more continue to undertake more than 20 sub-global assessments. To learn more, visit http://maweb.org/en/index.aspx

Keep the Memory Alive: A New Web Feature from NADF  [back to top]
This new feature gives anyone who plants a tree as a memorial or in celebration of a special occasion the opportunity to see the difference their donation is making, thanks to the sponsorship of Bartlett Tree Experts. The National Arbor Day Foundation's new interactive Trees in Memory and Trees in Celebration Web features give donors a place where they can "virtually" explore the forest and general location where their trees have been planted. The Web pages include educational maps and photos, as well as descriptions of the forests and planting projects. Learn more at http://www.arborday.org/join/tictim/index.cfm

Emerald Ash Borer Roundup  [back to top]
Michigan DNR awards Emerald Ash Borer Tree Planting Grants: MI DNR - Lansing, MI. To learn more, visit http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153--117818--,00.html
Fines increase for ash borer violations. To learn more, visit http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/062905/loc_20050629003.shtml

Grant Opportunitie$  [back to top]

Scholarships for Coordinators
The National Urban and Community Forestry Program has made $10,000 available for scholarships for State UCF Coordinators to attend the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) 2005 Annual Conference in Nashville Tennessee, Aug. 6-10. The scholarship will cover the cost of full registration to the conference - $365. ISA is making the $365 member cost available to all scholarship recipients, whether they are ISA members or not. Registration forms are available at www.isa-arbor.com. State Coordinators that are applying for the scholarship should write "US Forest" at the top of their registration form and fax it to the number listed on the form. To learn more, contact kcline @fs.fed.us

Scholarships to Charlotte
The USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry program offers scholarship funds for registration to attend the National Conference on Urban Ecosystems on Nov. 17-18, 2005 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This opportunity is available to individuals from minority and underrepresented groups. The application form asks the applicant to indicate the ethnic minority group they belong to (African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander) or other, if they belong to another underrepresented group, which could include individuals with disabilities qualified under the ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act (impaired vision, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing and other).

The Forest Service will award three scholarships for each state, as well as three each for Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific territories. Individuals who wish to apply for scholarships should send the application form to Iris Magaly Zayas, USDA Forest Service no later than July 30, 2005. After this date the scholarships will be awarded to those who are eligible as available on a first come, first served basis. To learn more, visit http://www.americanforests.org/conference/schMinority.php

President's Environmental Youth Awards
Awards are presented in each of the EPA regions, and one project from each region is presented with a national award in Washington, DC. Application deadline: July 31, 2005. Guidelines are available at http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/awards.html

Rooks Communications Marketing Environmental Grant
Rooks Communications, a marketing and advertising agency located in Portland, Maine is accepting nominations and applications for the second annual Marketing Environmental Grant (MEG05). The service grant is extended to non-profits, start-up companies, farms and educational institutions in need of marketing strategy and design. Interested organizations are encouraged to visit http://www.rookscommunications.com or call John Rooks at 207-772-0066.

2005 Native Plant Conservation Initiative- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is offering the 2005 Native Plant Conservation Initiative, which provides federal dollars to nonprofit organizations and government agencies to promote the conservation of native plants. There is a strong preference for "on-the-ground" projects that involve local communities and citizen volunteers in the restoration of native plant communities. Projects that include a pollinator conservation component are also encouraged. Grants range from $5,000 to $40,000 with an average grant size of $15,000. It is expected that all grant funds will be matched by non-federal contributions from project partners. The pre-proposal deadline is Aug. 15, 2005. Learn more at http://www.nfwf.org/programs/npci.htm

The Lawrence Foundation
The Lawrence Foundation is a private charitable foundation focused on making charitable contributions and grants to support educational, environmental, health and other causes. Nonprofit organizations or public schools and libraries are eligible for contributions or grants. This is a relatively new grant-making foundation, so their priorities are very broad. The Lawrence Foundation does have a list of grants the foundation will not make, mostly for equipment. Letters of inquiry are open to any organization that wishes to be considered for a grant that meets the grant guidelines. Deadline is Aug. 1, 2005. Lear more at http://www.thelawrencefoundation.org/grant/guidelines.html

Merck Family Fund
Protecting and Restoring Vital Eastern Ecosystems: Urban sprawl, resource extraction, and poorly enforced environmental regulations place enormous pressures on the natural environment. At the same time, the remaining undeveloped areas are vital to many communities for economic and recreational purposes and essential to the survival of countless species of wildlife. The dynamic tensions result in the need for sustainable uses that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially accountable.

Specifically, the Fund is interested in programs that:

• recognize the need for and practice of sustainable forestry;
• include the support and participation of people living in or near the impacted area; and
• protect and preserve ecologically valuable land.

New requests for support to the Merck Family Fund should be made by a letter of inquiry rather than with a full proposal or a request for a personal meeting. Letters of inquiry may be submitted at any time. Hard copy format is preferred over fax or email transmission. But the deadline for full proposals is Aug. 1, 2005. Learn more at http://www.merckff.org/grantguidelines.html

Publications & Websites  [back to top]

Economic and Environmental Benefits of Urban Forests
The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN), in cooperation with American Forests, hosted a webcast in 2004 called "Seeing Green with Trees: The Economic and Environmental Benefits of Urban Forests." The webcast demonstrated how trees have been used by local governments to meet environmental regulatory requirements, save money, and improve community quality of life. The webcast also featured case studies of local governments that have met the challenges of reducing air pollution, minimizing stormwater runoff, and improving water quality with urban forests.

A multimedia CD-ROM recording of that webcast is now available for free from LGEAN. It includes a Windows Media audio/video recording of the original webcast, as well as the individual PowerPoint presentations. It also contains several fact sheets on various urban forestry-related topics, and Internet links outlining the benefits of urban forestry. To order a copy of the CD-ROM, contact LGEAN at 877/TO-LGEAN or lgean@icma.org. Learn more at http://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=853

Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder
Here is a link that describes a new book called "Last Child in the Woods" http://btobsearch.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?sourceid=00395996645644787198&btob=Y&endeca=1&isbn=1565123913&itm=4#PUB

Teaching Forest Stewardship
If you need resources to help you in your work to introduce young people to a love of the forest, check out Forest Stewardship Bulletin No. 3: Teaching Youth about Forest Stewardship. Learn more at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uh077.pdf

Clearinghouse on Urban Wildlife
The city is often characterized as the antithesis of wilderness. At the same time, many urban areas are home to large populations of various wild animals. In an effort to learn more about the animals living in our midst, below is a list of websites concerned with urban wildlife.

Urban Wildlife Rescue: Humane Eviction describes problems related to trapping and relocating wild animals. The site also offers Humane Eviction suggestions for squirrels, foxes, raccoons, beavers, and skunks. http://www.urbanwildliferescue.org/humane/

A Natural History of North Central Texas: Urban/Suburban Wildlife contains a selection of annotated links relating to wildlife in urban and suburban areas. http://www.nhnct.org/urban/biod2.html

University of Minnesota: Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability contains information about beneficial arthropods as well as information about managing a variety of insects found in trees and turf. http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/

Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute: Observing City Animals contains a lesson plan focused on observing urban wildlife. http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1980/5/80.05.06.x.html#b

National Wildlife Federation: Backyard Wildlife Habitat presents a program which helps people create more places for urban wildlife through gardening and landscaping. http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/

Invasives Website
The Forest Service's National Invasive Species Issue Team launched a national invasive species Web site on May 31, 2005. The Web site showcases the invasive species activities being carried out across the Forest Service through programs in the National Forests, State and Private Forestry, Research and Development, and International Programs. It serves as a gateway to related activities in partnership with other federal agencies, tribal, state and local organizations. The National Strategy and Implementation Plan for Invasive Species Management identified development of the site as one of its top priorities. It is expected to enhance communication and collaboration, and facilitate information-sharing on the Forest Service invasive goals: prevention, early detection and rapid response, control and management, and restoration and rehabilitation. Lear more at http://www.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/

Detroit Green Connections
While implementing its Police Station Beautification Program, The Greening of Detroit noticed that community members were most likely to volunteer to help plant trees, shrubs and flowers after they had seen the impact greenspaces made in the revitalization of neighborhoods surrounding the participating Police Precincts. The Police Station Green Connections Project ("Green Connections") was designed to capture that enthusiasm by leveraging the community relationships developed through the Police Station Beautification Program to accomplish broader greening projects in the neighborhoods around the precincts. Lear more at http://www.greeningofdetroit.com/connection.htm.

Image Bank
A gallery of Minnesota urban design images to view, download, and use (with rules of limited copyright) is available at http://www.designcenter.umn.edu/imagebank/default.html There are many great aerial and ground level photos of streets, buildings, street trees, park trees, canopy, and infrastructure of all types that may be useful, even to those outside of Minnesota.

Seed Collection
"Growing Native" is a year-round volunteer program that engages people of all ages to gather nuts and plant trees for clean water. By doing so, volunteers learn the important connection between healthy, forested lands and clean waters. Learn more at http://www.potomac.org/growingnative/

Job Opportunities  [back to top]

Visit JobLink for a variety of employment opportunities.
http://treelink.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

Continuing Education  [back to top]

Visit the current Calendar of Events at www.treelink.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 on TreeLink.