April 2006 Vol. 11 No.1 ARCHIVE
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:
Ralph Campbell, Colorado State Forest Service
(rcampbl @lamar.colostate.edu) phone 970-491-6303
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: April 20, 2006
Words for thought
"Houston's trees remove 60,575 tons of pollution per year, the majority of which is ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog. That's the equivalent of shutting down 44 refineries the size of Exxon Mobil in Baytown every year, and corresponds to $300 million in annual savings."
-- Houston Chronicle newspaper Dina Cappiello
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Baltimore City Commits to Urban Tree Cover Goal
In an effort to improve water and air quality for its residents, Baltimore recently became the second city in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to commit to increasing its urban tree canopy, which currently covers 20 percent of the city. City and state officials have met to develop a Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Goal specifically for Baltimore that seeks to achieve a 46% cover within 30-years. The first city to commit to a UTC Goal was Annapolis. For more information, contact Mike Galvin at mgalvin @dnr.state.md.us.
Study Completed on Houston's Urban Forest
Houston's regional forest provides impressive value to its citizens, according to a recent study: The replacement cost of the region's 663 million trees is valued at over $205 billion. Trees store $721 million worth of carbon. Trees generate $456 million worth of environmental benefits annually - amounting to $109 per person per year. Trees save $131 million in residential energy costs and avoided power plant emissions each year - almost $90 per household. Houston's trees remove over 60,000 tons of air pollution per year. Learn more at http://www.houstonregionalforest.org/Report/
Massachusetts Tree Count Inventory System
On Dec.7, 2005, 20 individuals from around the state attended a training lead by the Davey Resource Group on the new Tree Keeper Online tree inventory management software being offered free for three years to Massachusetts Communities. Following that training, six additional communities joined Worcester and Springfield in signing up to take advantage of this offer and use this system. The DCR Urban and Community Forestry Program is encouraging up to 38 additional communities to take advantage of this opportunity. This will allow the state to view and analyze comparative data for multiple Massachusetts communities and track the condition of the state's urban and community forest. Email eric.seaborn @state.ma.us for more information.
Alaska Hires Community Forestry Program Manager
Patricia Joyner was named manager of the Alaska Community Forestry Program on Aug. 1. Patricia had been education coordinator since the state initiated its Community Forestry Program in 1992. She had been acting program manager since John See left the position in March 2004 to return to the Alaska Division of Forestry's Fire Program. Patricia will double the state's community forestry staff this winter when she hires a new education coordinator to fill her former position. Email Patricia_Joyner @dnr.state.ak.us
On The National Front
Report from the National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) [back to top]
Neil Letson, Alabama Urban Forestry Coordinator, attended NUCFAC's October meeting in Sacramento, California, and reports: The Council's yearlong effort to revise its 10-year national urban and community forestry plan is finally coming to a close. Final touches were made at our Feb. 7-9 meeting in Washington, DC with expectations of publication this spring. The plan includes input from countless people across the country. When released, it will be presented to the Secretary of Agriculture.
With the revision of the 10-year plan behind us, the Council is focusing its attention on the 2006 Challenge Cost Share grant program. Forty-five pre-proposals were submitted totaling $3,495,832 in requested federal funds. With $1,000,000 to award, the Council expects to complete its evaluation by April 24. Those proposals recommended for funding will then be submitted to the Forest Service for final approval. The next Council meeting will be in Minneapolis on June 13-15.
2007 President's Budget and SUFC Proposal [back to top]
The FY2007 President's Request for the Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program (in thousands) is $26,846, which is down 2.3% from FY 2006 request ($27,475). The budget enacted by Congress in FY 2006 was $28,875 (before rescissions). The difference was all earmarks.
The Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition (SUFC) has proposed $50 million, including $36 million for the core state/federal partnership, $12 million for a new "Metropolitan Areas Canopy Restoration Initiative," and $2 million for technology transfer and education. The SUFC is a national coalition to advance a unified urban forest agenda for our nation's communities. The Coalition views urban forests as the aggregate of all community vegetation and green spaces that provide benefits vital to enriching the quality of life. Email fourharveys @starpower.net for more information.
We have a long way to go before the final budget is approved by Congress. First the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee marks up a budget, then the Senate Appropriations Interior Subcommittee sets a mark, then a Conference Committee recommends a budget to the full Appropriations committee for a vote, then the President must sign the bill. It's an election year which may speed decisions to before August recess (similar to last year for Interior), but a proposed reduction to entitlement funding in Medicare may delay all appropriations decisions until after November, leaving decisions to a lame-duck congress. The House leadership is discouraging earmarks from rank and file; the Senate is not. See Quick Guides for: "Understanding the Federal Budget Process" and "The Federal Appropriations Process."
Learn more at http://www.communitiescommittee.org/pubs.html
Community Forestry Research Fellowships, Internships and Assistantships [back to top]
Graduate Fellowships
The U.S. Community Forestry Research Fellowship Program awards fellowships to graduate students studying community forestry in the United States. The program accepts proposals dealing with the broad array of issues and resources in community forestry, including, but not limited to, collaborative processes and conflict resolution, social networks, political ecology of forest communities, urban forestry issues, watershed restoration, park creation and management, forest labor issues, non-timber forest product production and revitalization of local life-ways and cultures. Graduate Fellowships are awarded to masters, pre-dissertation and dissertation students to support their field work in U.S. communities. Learn more at http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/community_forestry/
Undergraduate Internships and Assistantships
Florida A&M University, in cooperation with the Community Forestry Research Fellowship program, awards research assistantships and internships for undergraduate students from under served communities who are interested in community-based forest management issues. These unique opportunities allow undergraduate students to work with either the community based organization of their choice or with a professor doing research in the social science, economic, and/or natural resource fields at their college or university. Learn more at http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/community_forestry/undergrad/undergraduate.htm
Colorado State Forester Becomes Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry [back to top]
Jim Hubbard has accepted the position of Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry. Jim was the Director of the Office of Wildland Fire Coordination with the Department of Interior (DOI) where he oversaw the implementation of the National Fire Plan and the activities of five land managing bureaus at DOI for forest fire prevention, mitigation, and partnerships with communities, tribes, and stakeholders. Prior to his position at DOI, Jim was with the Colorado State Forest Service for over 34 years and served as State Forester from 1984-2004. He has been a leader in the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) and chaired the Council of Western State Foresters. As State Forester, he held Governor appointed positions on numerous natural resources committees and chaired the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Working Group as well as the Governor's Conference on Forest Health. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management from Colorado State University and is an Honor Alum of the College of Natural Resources.
Katrina's Wrath and Home Depot Foundation Response
[back to top]
The 30 foot storm surge and 145 mph winds destroyed everything within reach of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The coastal communities were reduced to rubble and little was left except for the live oak trees. These stately trees stood firm against the wind and the surge, stubbornly representing their natural heritage and the Mississippi Gulf culture. They did their best to protect people and structures. They survived to tell us a story about man versus nature. And people are now telling stories about how these trees saved their lives. Unfortunately, Katrina's surge and debris scoured the tree trunks, and as the surge receded it took the soil and left deposits of salt. There has been little rain since the storm.
Now the Home Depot Foundation is helping save the trees, granting funds to the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (representing the entire coastal region), for a Live Oak Rescue Mission. Funding for this rescue will enable the Trust to hire local contractors to replace lost soil, water the trees to leach out the salt, apply layers of mulch, and surround them with protective tree fencing. This gift is providing tremendous hope to local residents. Some of these trees have been there long before the coast was developed, and many of these trees have seen many hurricanes. Learn more at http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/hfus/enus/healthycommunity.html
NUCFAC Receives 114 Pre-Proposals for 2006 Challenge Cost-Share Program [back to top]
The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) received 114 pre-proposals in response to the 2006 Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program. The total request for Federal funding is $9,874,443 that is matched with $13,748,395 by the applicant organizations for a total of $23,622,838 in urban and community forestry projects. Applications were received from 35 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. NUCFAC will recommend less than $1 million Federal dollars for projects to the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program that will subsequently be awarded as Federal Financial Assistance Grants. Contact delvr @sbcglobal.net to learn more.
Emerald Ash Borer Roundup
[back to top]
Ash Borer War Falters in Michigan -Source: Detroit News 10/13/2005
The discovery of the emerald ash borer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is strong evidence the state is losing the battle with the deadly beetle that already has destroyed more than 15 million ash trees in the state, according to experts.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0510/13/A01-347299.htm
Wood Smuggler Arrested -Source: Soo Evening News
ST. IGNACE - An attempt to smuggle wood into the Upper Peninsula despite the established quarantine has led to the arrest of a downstate man, according to a Michigan State Police spokesman operating out of the St. Ignace Post.
http://www.sooeveningnews.com/articles/2005/10/12/news/news82.txt
15,000 Ash Trees in City Facing the Chain Saw -Source: Decatur Daily Democrat
As many as 15,000 ash trees in Decatur will be cut down early next year, probably starting in February, due to the infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), local Forester Dwight Pierce told city council at its Tuesday night meeting in City Hall.
http://www.decaturdailydemocrat.com/articles/2005/12/21/news/news/news02.txt
Foresters Offer Alternatives to Pest-Ravaged Ash -Source: Toledo Blade
OK, so winter isn't necessarily the best time to plant a tree. But it's a good time to do your homework, officials say, especially if you live in northwest Ohio and have had ash trees infested by the emerald ash borer or marked for destruction because of a nearby infestation. To help get such forward-thinking property owners off on the right foot, the Ohio State University extension office recently published an 82-page booklet, Ash Replacement for Urban and Woodland Plantings, with facts about replacement species and more than 100 photos. Learn more at
http://ashalert.osu.edu/
Certification News [back to top]
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has officially approved the ISA's Certified Arborist, Utility Specialist, and Certified Tree Worker-Climber Specialist exams. These exams, in conjunction with specific education and experience requirements, lead to certification in specific ISA disciplines. The Department of Veterans Affairs has formally agreed to pay for ISA certification costs for qualified U.S. military veterans and eligible persons. The ISA certification exams have been approved as legitimate and valid exams, which will lead to more successful job opportunities for interested veterans. The number of Certified Arborists continues to grow. Certification has been shown to increase job opportunities and income for arborists. If you are a U.S. veteran, learn more at cert @isa-arbor.com.
U.S. Cities Selected for Arbor Day Celebrations
[back to top]
The National Arbor Day Foundation will plant trees to restore the diminishing urban forests in major U.S. cities this spring, thanks to a generous grant from The Home Depot Foundation. Arbor Day celebrations will be scheduled on or close to state Arbor Days in 2006, as follows, with specific locations to be announced prior to each event:
Los Angeles Ð between March 7 and 14
Kansas City - April 7
Albany, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Reno Ð April 28
Schoolchildren in each city will be invited to help plant up to 100 4-8 ft. trees as part of the Arbor Day celebration. Participating teachers will receive Activities Guides to help children build observation and problem-solving skills. Every child who takes part will receive a seedling tree. This grant supports The Home Depot Foundation's Healthy Community and Wildland Forests Ð Urban Forest Restoration initiative, focusing on tree planting to restore urban and rural forests.
Tales from Urban Forests
Soundprint is a public radio production company that produces a weekly documentary series carried by public radio stations across the country. With a grant from the Forest Service and American Forests, Soundprint has produced a 10 part radio documentary series on the value of urban forests. Learn more at http://trees.soundprint.org/
New Urban Forestry and Air Quality Website
The USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program is supporting a project entitled, "Building the Case for Urban Tree Canopy Cover Inclusion in State Implementation Plans." Learn more at www.treescleanair.org
New Pavement Website
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration has created a new pavements topic-based website designed to be a technical information source regarding pavements. Users can look for information based on the various phases of pavement lifeÑsuch as design, construction, preservation, maintenance, management, or rehabilitationÑby the type of activity they want to know about or by major program focus areas such as optimized pavement performance, advanced quality systems, pavement surface characteristics, or environmental stewardship. Learn more at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/
Urban Landscape and Climate
The journal article, "Inclusion of Urban Landscape in a Climate Model"
BAMS, American Meteorological Society, is available at
http://www.harc.edu/harc/Projects/CoolHouston/HeatIsland/News.aspx
Forests Forever
This visually imaginative site was created by Fuji Film and features images, text and music on the beauty of the forest world. Forests Forever - "Under the Forest's Maternal Gaze" http://www.forests-forever.com/
Ecological Planning and Design Directory
With hundreds of hits each month, the Ecological Planning and Design Directory has proven to be a successful Chicago Wilderness funded project. The site contains resources about biodiversity and natural habitats, conservation design, sustainable development, natural landscaping, and water resource protection for developers, local officials, and stakeholders. http://www.nipc.org/environment/sustainable/
Invasive Plant Resources
Plants for Livable Delaware
http://ag.udel.edu/extension/horticulture/pdf/PLD.pdf
Controlling Backyard Invaders
http://ag.udel.edu/extension/horticulture/pdf/backyardinvaders.pdf
Conservation Education
The Council for Environmental Education has two new curriculums:
- "Flying WILD" is for middle-school students and focuses on conducting festivals for International Migratory Bird Day. It also includes service learning activities and habitat improvement projects. Learn more at www.flyingwild.org .
- "WET in the city" is for grades K-12 and focuses on urban water issues. It includes some of the activities from Project WET. It also has a companion program called "Team WET schools." Learn more at www.wetcity.org .
Carbon Zero Calculator
In an effort to make it easy and affordable for every individual, company and community to do something about climate change, The Conservation Fund has launched Go Zero, a program that measures specific carbon dioxide emissions and then neutralizes the environmental impact by planting trees. A key component of the program is the online "carbon zero calculator" which measures an individual's emissions based on home energy use as well as automobile and plane travel. In addition to engaging individuals, the Go Zero program is flexible and scalable enough to work for communities and companies of any size --from business units to entire brands, selected products to special events. Learn more at
http://www.conservationfund.org/pagespinner.asp?article=3128
Tree Planting Specifications
University of Florida
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/planting/
Strategies for Planting in Pits
"Positively the Pits: Successful Strategies for Sustainable Streetscapes" outlines street-tree planting techniques that can be employed in restricted planting locations. Learn more at http://www.natlarb.com/content/pubs/November_2003_TCI_-Positively_the_Pits.htm
ISA Planting Specifications
http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/cadDetails.asp
Arlington, VA
http://www.co.arlington.va.us/cphd/planning/hotitems.htm
Washington DC
http://ddot.dc.gov/ufa/information/planting_guides2.shtm
Role of Land Conservation in Preserving Community Character
The Trust for Public Land has published a new report called "Groundswell: Stories of Saving Places, Finding Community." The report celebrates the role of land conservation in preserving community character and connecting people to the land and to each other. Groundswell engages readers in compelling journeys of collaboration in the field of land conservation, and conservation's capacity for enhancing community health, economies, and connections. Learn more at http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=20151&folder_id=175
Online Ordinance Clearinghouses
http://www.municode.com/index.asp
http://www.amlegal.com/library
General Code Publishers - www.generalcode.com/webcode2.html
LexisNexis Municipal Codes - http://municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/
The Tree Ordinance Guidance http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/ordinance.aspx
Specifications for Management Plans
Wisconsin: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/forestry/uf/resources/uf%20planning%20guide.pdf
Vermont: http://www.vtfpr.org/urban/planguid.pdf
Visit the current Calendar of Events at www.treelink.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 on TreeLink.
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