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. You can always find it on-line at www.treelink.org

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 28th of the month for inclusion in the following month's edition.

Click here for Job Opportunities, Conferences and Calendar Items.

NEXT DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSION: January 28, 2001

Compiled and Edited by:

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

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

Pepper Provenzano, TreeLink.org
(pepper@treelink.org)

New Big City Coordinator Chosen

Teresa McWhirt has been hired in the Washington office of the Forest Service to coordinate national outreach activities to big cities for State and Private Forestry. Her role will be to enhance relationships with mayors, members of Congress, and communications with all urban stakeholders. She joins the urban forestry staff from Mississippi, where she served as a staff officer for public affairs with the National Forest System and State and Private Forestry. Teresa brings a wealth of legislative and public relations experience to the staff. She can be reached at 202-205-1393.

NUCFAC Receives 92 Pre-Proposals for 2001

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) received 92 pre-proposals from 37 states for consideration through the 2001 Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program. The total request for Federal funding is $6,710,617 that is matched with $7,848,405 by the applicant organization for a total of $14,559,022 in urban and community forestry projects. NUCFAC will recommend a total of $1 million federal dollars in projects to the Forest Service that will subsequently be awarded as Federal Financial Assistance Grants. Contact: Suzanne M. del Villar at delvr@lodelink.com or (209) 536-9201.

Western Center for Urban Forest Research

Scientists at the US Forest Service's Western Center for Urban Forest Research and Education received a $500,000 capacity-building grant from the National Fire Plan. They will develop a decision-support modeling tool for residents and communities to evaluate costs and risks associated with alternative prescriptions for firewise landscapes in the urban-wildland interface.

The Center is located in Davis, CA and conducts research that connects city dwellers with their community forests in ways that increase understanding, appreciation, and investment in sustainable management, thereby building better communities in the West. For more information, contact Dr. Greg Mcpherson, egmcpherson@ucdavis.edu , or web-site http://wcufre.ucdavis.edu.

GRANTS

Title VIII Grant Funding Kicks In Forest Service regions have received guidance from the agency's headquarters in Washington to proceed in announcing competitive grant opportunities through Title VIII (CARA-replacement) funding appropriated by Congress this fiscal year. The additional $4 million, provided on top of base allocations to the field, are to be focused on projects in census-designated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), with an emphasis on large urban core communities and their surrounding urbanizing areas. Each Forest Service region will be working with state partners to distribute funds competitively. Contact your regional urban forestry coordinator for more information.

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Justice Small Grant Program Program- Deadline March 9, 2001:
The purpose of this grant program is to provide financial assistance to eligible community groups (i.e., community-based/grassroots organizations, churches, or other non-profit organizations) and federally recognized tribal governments that are working on or plan to carry out projects to address environmental justice issues. Preference awards will be given to community-based/grassroots organizations that are working on local solutions to local environmental problems. Funds can be used to develop a new activity or substantially improve the quality of existing programs that have a direct impact on affected communities. Info: Ronnie Harrington, USEPA Region 1 (SAA), 1 Congress Street--1100, Boston, MA 02203-000, Phone: (617) 918-1703.

Community Organizing Grant. Deadline: March 4, 2001
The Needmor Foundation is looking to fund multi-use membership based community organizations in low and moderate-income communities that show promise for creating significant social change. The applications deadline is March 4, 2001. For more information contact The Needmor Fund at (303) 449-5801 or visit their web site at http://fdcenter.org/grantmaker/needmor/index.htm.

PUBLICATIONS

The Southern Urban Forestry Service Center has a new technology bulletin available on its web site - The Search for Salt Tolerant Trees (PDF) - http://www.urbanforestrysouth.org/pubs/Tech_bulletin/index.htm.

"Public Parks, Private Partners: How Partnerships are Revitalizing Urban Parks". This book shows how the public and private sectors have joined together in new and innovative ways to develop new parks, to more efficiently fund and manage parks, and also to restore historically significant but run-down existing parks. Featuring examples of different types of partnerships throughout the U.S. - from highly structured relationships around large parks in major cities to more informal partnerships around inner-city neighborhood parks - it's a valuable tool for anyone involved in creating, preserving or managing urban parks. Read excerpts and get purchasing info at our Products Page: http://www.pps.org/urbanparks/upiproducts.htm.

Free Publications from the Urban Parks Institute. Since 1996, UPI has organized annual conferences for parks professionals in cities around the U.S. Each conference is documented by a proceedings publication full of information, success stories, resources, and ideas, along with provocative speeches from parks leaders across the country. Better still, they're free! We just request a $3 donation per publication for postage. For more information, see our Products Page: http://www.pps.org/urbanparks/upiproducts.htm#proceedings.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

For job opportunities please visit the Tree Talk Bulletin Board.

Position- Michigan State University-FORESTRY SPECIALIST: Posting Date: Dec 15, 2000
Posting Number: ANR-1514
DUTIES: Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator. In cooperation with MDNR staff, the candidate will work with the Urban and Community Forestry partners and key stakeholders to deliver the State Urban and Community Forestry program. The Urban and Community Forestry Program Coordinator is the State Forester's program manager for Urban and Community Forestry and is the primary contact for the Forest Service counterpart. Among other duties, the candidate will work with MDNR Forest Management Division to integrate Urban and Community Forestry program direction and activities with other initiatives, notably the Cooperative Resource Management Initiative which addresses resource and human needs across rural, suburban, and urban landscapes and across professional disciplines related to wildlife, forestry, soil, fisheries, air, and water resources.
QUALIFICATIONS: B.S. in forestry, M.S. in related field. Three years of forestry experience, including work in urban and community forestry.
APPLICATIONS: Due February 28, 2001. Send vita, letter of interest, and the names of three references to Dr. Daniel E. Keathley, Chairperson, Department of Forestry, 109 Natural Resources Building, Michigan State University 48824.

Fire Jobs: As a result of this year’s severe fire season, the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior have been allocated additional funding to increase firefighting capability to the 100% Most Efficient Level, and for positions to support the National Fire Plan in community assistance, fuels reductions, and ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation. This means the Forest Service will be hiring to fill approximately 3,500 positions. The vacancy announcements will open November 15 and will remain open until these 3,500 jobs are filled. Applicants are being encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible. Applications and additional information regarding new firefighting jobs with the Forest Service will be available. A web site has been established at www.fs.fed.us/fsjobs that will have information and frequently asked questions. By mid-December, an on-line application process will be available for applying to these jobs. An automated, toll-free telephone number is also available to request job applications at 1-877-813-3476 or email a request to fsjobs@fs.fed.us.

CONFERENCES

For conferences details and dates please visit the Tree Talk Bulletin Board.

Hope VI Youth Conference

This conference is designed to get youth involved in the design of HOPE VI projects. Includes session on community space. More info on website http://www.ncced.org/.

Social Issues and the Environment is scheduled for March 6-8, 2001 at Lied Conference Center, Nebraska City, Nebraska. This conference is being designed to provide an exchange of information and an opportunity for community leaders to better understand the inter-relationship of societal and environmental issues. Presentations will focus on community gardens, urban greenspace improvement, neighborhood health assessments, environmental risk mapping, youth environmental clubs, and training for environmental service jobs and demonstrate the positive impact these projects can have on societal issues. For more information contact The National Arbor Day Foundation at (402) 474-5655 or conferences@arborday.org.

DATES

January 2001

February 2001