This newsletter is sent electronically (via email or fax) around the first of each month to state urban forestry program coordinators and Forest Service urban forestry staff.  Please print or copy this newsletter and distribute it to volunteer coordinators, state council chairs, and other interested individuals within your state.

Submissions to this newsletter are welcomed, and in fact, requested.  Items suitable for inclusion are regional and national urban forestry information, state events, products, or innovations that can be replicated by other states, personnel notes, and notices of regional and national urban forestry events.  Please submit a maximum of two paragraphs by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following month's edition.    

NEXT DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSION: April 20, 2000

Editors: Paula Rosenthal, Montana Dept. of Natural Resources   
(prosenthal@state.mt.us) phone 406/542-4284

Phillip D. Rodbell, USDA Forest Service - Northeastern
Area (Rodbell_Phillip/na@fs.fed.us) phone (610) 975-4133, and

ANNOUNCEMENTS -- HAPPY ARBOR MONTH!!

REGISTER PLANTINGS WITH MILLENIUM GREEN!
State U&CF Coordinators: alert your communities about the ability to register their tree planting/tree care projects on the Millennium Green web page (www.green.gov) for the purposes of sharing of success stories and of highlighting on the web page the good things they are doing in their community this millennium year.

FEDERAL UPDATE
It is again the time of year when Congressional Appropriation Committees set federal funding levels for the next fiscal year.  There are two information items to share with you for FY 2001.

The first item is the budget line item for the Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry  (UCF) Program.  The President’s budget request is for 39.5 million.   The National Association of State Foresters (NASF), National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and American Forests are all on record supporting $50 million for the Urban and Community Forestry Program line item in the Interior Appropriations bill for FY 2001.  These groups have sent letters to Chairman Regula and Ranking Member Dicks of the House Subcommittee on Interior. (SEE BELOW).  Funds for the UCF program supports technical assistance and grants to communities.

The second item is the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999.  On the House side the CARA Bill HR 701 aims to share revenue from federal Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas trust fund with states.  Seven areas are proposed.  Title IV Urban Parks and Recreation is relevant to Urban Resources Partnerships.  Title IV of the Bill proposes permanent funding authorization of $125 million for USDI, National Park Service’s Urban Parks and Recovery (UPARR).  This title provides matching grants to local governments to rehabilitate recreation areas and facilities, provides for the development of improved recreation programs, sites and facilities.  The Forest Service’s UCF Program is not included.

On the Senate side the original CARA Bill S25 did not include UCF and neither does the new version S2123 introduced by Murkowski and Landrieu.  Mr. Bingaman of NM has introduced S2181 that does include Department of Agriculture programs including investments in Urban and Community Forestry, Forest Legacy and farmland protection.  The focus in CARA is on acquisition and capital improvements.

A number of grassroots and professional organizations are working in support of CARA; but now is the time to make your thoughts known regarding the UCF line item in the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies.  These two complementary efforts will yield tremendous new investments in green infrastructure and quality of life in our Nation’s communities. Community green infrastructure improves air quality, reduces noise, cools neighborhoods, reduces flooding, improves wildlife habitat and enhances property values.  Funding of these two complementary programs, CARA and UCF, will help make communities more livable and contribute to a reduction in the rate of sprawl by investing resources in population centers. 

SAY 'THANKS'
In FY 1999, the UCF program provided direct assistance to 10,663 communities.  States reported that 3,801 communities now have sustainable urban forestry programs (700 more than reported in FY 1997). Over 1,450,000 training hours were delivered to local governments and grassroots organizations, and over 1,000,000 hours of volunteer assistance were generated; for every federal program dollar allocated, $2.40 is leveraged in cash or in-kind services.  What’s been accomplished in your own community?

Below is excerpted text from a letter sent by Congressmen Jim Moran (VA) to Chairman Regula and Ranking Member Dicks in support of funding for our programs.  It was signed by colleagues as indicated in the following table.  Now is a great time to thank your member of congress for their support of your favorite programs.

Federal support is appropriate for urban and community forestry efforts because by making the best ecological use of trees, we can avoid the extremely expensive alternatives of regulation and enforcement.  By helping cities meet air and water quality standards through the preservation and replacement of trees, we can save millions of federal dollars.  These efforts allow us to leverage local support and build long-term capacity, not financial dependence, to address these important issues.

National Information Center for S&PF
The Forest Service St. Paul Field Office has been asked to construct databases to track data related to State and Private Forestry Programs.  At this time, development efforts are focusing on the Forest Legacy and Urban and Community Forestry Programs as well as a database of key contacts in State and Private Forestry.  The Washington Office recently contracted the development of a PMAS database and that database will also be linked to the Information Center.  The databases will feature internet accessible forms and reports.  If you are interested in more information about this project, or if you would like to participate in the development of this project, contact Gina Childs (IMA) or Peter Bedker (Database Specialist) 651-649-5296.

Millennium Green Gets New Web Site Address
Millennium Green is a national project to encourage everyone across the Nation to plant or adopt a tree, establish a garden, or protect or care for a special natural resource treasure in honor of the new millennium. The new Millennium Green web site address is www.green.gov. The web site describes how to get involved and register your project online. Millennium Green is a national project of the White House Millennium Council led by the Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, Department of Interior, Department of Education, and Department of Justice. There are numerous hyperlinks to other partner organizations on the web site. Private organizations, companies, and individuals will participate in Millennium Green efforts across the Nation. There are links from the Cooperative Forestry web site to the Millennium Green web site. Contact: Susan Mockenhaupt at smockenhaupt@fs.fed.us.

Urban Land Institute
On March 20-21, the first offering of The Practice of Environmentally Sensitive Development workshop was presented by the Urban Land Institute in partnership with The Conservation Fund. The Urban Land Institute is an independent, nonprofit, education and research organization that provides responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total environment. The workshop provided developers with the knowledge and tools needed to plan and market conservation developments that are both environmentally suitable and financially profitable. The workshop was designed as a collaborative learning experience involving participants and presenters from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Developers welcomed the idea of incorporating green infrastructure into state and local plans and budgets. The Urban Land Institute offers other workshops, a professional development certificate program, and continuing education credits for its workshops. For more information about the Urban Land Institute, contact them at (800) 321-5011 or visit their web site at http://www.uli.org/indexJS.htm. Contact: Peggy Harwood at pharwood@fs.fed.us or 202-205-0877.

Conservation Assistance Tools
Check it out at:  http://www.sonoran.org. The "CAT" link is near the bottom of SI's home page. Conservation Assistance Tools is a searchable database of grants, cost sharing, and technical assistance available for natural resources projects in the western United States.  (Many funders are national in scope, however, so it will have utility far and wide.)  It is designed to help local communities reach the information, potential partners, and financial support needed to accomplish grassroots conservation projects in  the West.

Tree Climbers Rescue More Trees From ALB
Manfred Mielke (FHM) and Marc Roberts (Forester) traveled to Chicago and New York City to provide instruction on Tree Climbing Basics to new and returning USDA Forest Service Smokejumpers.  Climbing trees has proven to be the most effective way to find ALB infested trees in New York City and Chicago. Finding infested trees is most efficient during the leaf-off period of late autumn to early spring. A total of 26 smokejumpers were trained in tree climbing as well as identification of the Asian Longhorned Beetle.  The Smokejumpers will rotate in and out of the infested cities and will scout for beetles until fire season.  Even the training sessions have proven effective in finding infested trees, during the 3-day session in New York, four additional infested trees were found.

Champion Smoke Tree
Purdue University has agreed to transplant the National Champion American smoke tree (Cotinus obovatus) out of the way of a construction project that would have destroyed it. This will be an historic event - - the first time anyone has preserved a National Champion tree of any species by transplanting it.  However, it will not be the largest tree of any species ever transplanted. The technology has been tested previously with larger species like oaks and pines, so we know it can be done. This tree is 40 feet tall with a trunk about 8 feet in circumference, and the root ball probably will weigh about 30 tons.  To learn more:

Agriculture Development Office
Purdue University
1140 Agriculture Administration Building
West Lafayette, IN 47907

ARTICLES OF NOTE:
"Valley of Plenty Fights to Survive"
USA Today (www.usatoday.com) (03/01/00) P. 1A; Ritter, John
California's Central Valley, widely regarded as the richest farmland on the planet, is losing ground rather quickly to urban sprawl.

"Brownfields Mar U.S. Cities"
USA Today (www.usatoday.com) (02/24/00) ; Watson, Traci
According to a recent survey from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, polluted lands known as brownfield sites take up more than 80,000 acres in 201 American cities, and many experts say that estimate is small.

"Save Green Space, Group Urges"
Cincinnati Enquirer Online (www.enquirer.com) (02/29/00) ; Aldridge, Kevin Balance, a grass-roots organization formed last fall in Ohio, is seeking to help keep some of Warren County's green space free of new housing subdivisions.

National Grant Sites

National Park Service
Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Grants
Up to $300,000 for rehabilitating existing neighborhood recreation areas and facilities which have deteriorated.
http://www.ncrc.nps.gov/uparr/
206-220-4126

Rivers and Trails Assistance
http://www.ncrc.nps.gov/rtca/rtca-ho.htm

Land and Water Conservation Fund
http://www.ncrc.nps.gov/lwcf/

and other Park Service Opportunities:
http://www.nps.gov/partners.html

Environmental Protection Agency Grantwriting Tutorial
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/grant.htm

A comprehensive list of EPA’s funding opportunities for environmental justice, education, etc.:
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/grants.htm

US Department of Housing and Urban Development A consolidated list of all of HUD’s funding opportunities|
http://www.hud.gov/fundsavl.html

National Tree Trust’s Monetary Grant
There are four areas of funding available:
Tree Planting/Maintenance - $700 to $2,000
Education - $2,000 to $10,000
Administration/Overhead - $500 to $5,000
National/Regional - $5,000 to $25,000
Only certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible. Deadline: October 1  
For an application contact: Sherita Alai 1-800-846-8733 x26 or email: salai@nationaltreetrust.org
http://www.nationaltreetrust.org

Educating City Leaders about Urban Forest Issues
Mayors in California will receive a letter from CA Dept Forestry Deputy Director Ross Johnson, urging them to put urban forestry on their city's legislative agenda. Along with the letter, the mayors will receive a copy of the video "Building Cities of Green" and a reprint of an article from USA TODAY, "Cities trees choking, smothered by sprawl".  California Dept of Forestry put together a press release to help get the news out.  This is an outreach effort that can be duplicated  ---  and will help gain attention and support for community forestry activities.

The video and article Eric used can be ordered from American Forests.  The article also appears online in PDF file format, so you can print it out yourself and give it to someone. To view the article on-line, go to http://www.americanforests.org/garden/trees_cities_sprawl/urban_analysis/rea_subhome.html

WEBSITES
Trees Are My Friends
Eagle Eye Institute has initiated an outreach campaign to attract people of color into the urban forestry movement.  Funded by the Forest Service, the campaign begins in Massachusetts this spring and rolls national next spring.  Visit the following website to view the Public Service Announcements and plug into the effort.  www.treesaremyfriends.org

Millennium Green
A comprehensive list of national organizations that offer grants,  free trees and seeds,  pro-bono landscape architecture, and much more.  Organizations can register their projects online and receive a certificate from the White House and use of the Millennium Green logo.
http://www.millenniumgreen.usda.gov/partners.htm

National Environmental Education and Training Foundation
Competitive Challenge Grants are made annually to encourage innovative non-federal activities and programs in environmental education with a focus on the areas of health, drinking water, business and educational excellence.
http://www.neetf.org/
http://www.neetf.org/grants/index.htm

Water Environment Research Foundation
http://www.werf.org/

North American Fund For Environmental Cooperation
Community Based Bio-Diversity Conservation
See http://www.cec.org/english/nafec/propos.cfm?format=2 for complete description.

EcoCompass
To join the Eco-Compass listserve, which will send all kind of information to you from issues about sprawl, to takings, to watershed management, send an email message to islandpress-I-subsrcibe@iga.topica.com.

Virginia’s Stewardship Site – http://www.sustainableuse.org/va

Growing Greener: Designing Sustainable Communities – check out lots of new publications and links on the Island Press website: http://www.islandpress.org/community/planning/greener.html.

Two New Books from Europe
European Commission 1999. COST Action E12 - Research and development in urban forestry in Europe. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg. 363 pp. ISBN 92-828-7578-4. Price:53.50 Euro.

Konijnendijk, C. C. 1999. Urban forestry in Europe: A comparative study of concepts, policies and planning for forest conservation, management and development in and around major European cities. Doctoral dissertation. Research Notes 90. Faculty of Forestry, University of Joensuu, Finland. 182 p.

MFPA To Co-host SMA Conference 2000
The Michigan Forestry and Park Association, (MFPA), Michigan Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, Inc. (ISA) is pleased to co-host the Society of Municipal Arborist (SMA) year 2000 conference.  It is scheduled for October 1 through October 4 at the Lansing Holiday Inn South Conference Center. SMA is a professional affiliate of ISA.

The conference theme is "Great Lakes; Great Trees." It is our chance to show other city foresters and tree care professionals the great amount of arboricultural information available in Michigan.

It is expected that from 150 to 200 city foresters from around the nation and Canada  will attend.  Continuing Education Units for ISA and Michigan Department of Agriculture Pesticide Sprayer recertification are available. For program information, contact Paul Dykema at 517-483-4206.

ALASKA CONFERENCE
The Alaska Urban and Community Forest Council and the Alaska Division of Forestry are hosting  PNW-ISA's "Pacific Northwest Community Trees Conference" to be held in Anchorage, May 17-19, 2000.  To register or for more information call PNW-ISA's office at 800/335-4391 or email to   info@pnwisa.org   If you register before May 1st, there is a reduced conference rate.  Alaska Airlines is offering a discount to Conference attendees on its flights from the Pacific Northwest to Anchorage.   Ask PNW-ISA for the special fare code when you register. Contact Chad M. Converse (907-271-2550)

APRIL 2000

MAY 2000

JUNE 2000

UPCOMING EVENTS – MORE DETAILS TO COME!
Jul 12-14 - Small Community Forestry Conference, Dickinson, ND

July 28-29 – Land Conservation Sumit 2000: Advancing the Debate in the New Millenium. University of Minnesota.

Aug 3-4 – Vegetation Management Assocation of Minnesota Annual Conference

Aug 6-9 – ISA National Conference, Baltimore, MD

Sep 9-12 – National Grassroots Summit, Nebraska City, NE

Sep 18-20 – Fragmentation 2000: A Conference on Sustaining Private Forests in the 21^st Century

Sep 28-30, Tree City USA National Conference, Nebraska City, NE

Oct – Midwest Environmental Education Conference, Iowa

Oct 1-4 – Society of Municipal Arborist Year 2000 Conference. For more information, contact Ann Ashby at ashby.ann@acd.net.

Oct  27-31 – 2000 American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting and EXPO; St. Louis, MO. 

Quote:
"When developers go to the suburbs, they end up duplicating resources that already exist in the city. We should be about rebuilding cities rather than moving cities to suburbs."
Pennsylvania State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas