This newsletter is sent electronically via email or fax 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 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, and notices of regional and national urban forestry events. Please submit a maximum of two paragraphs to Pam Louks by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following month's edition.

NEXT DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSION: November 20, 2002

Compiled and Edited by:

Pamela Louks, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
(plouks@dnr.state.in.us) phone (317) 915-9390

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

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

State Coordinators News

Words for thought

-- From Environmental News Service, Cat Lazaroff,
http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-11-06.asp

-- Referring to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley,
Richard Florida, author of "Competing in the Age of Talent: Environment,
Amenities and the New Economy" can be found at
http://www2.heinz.cmu.edu/~florida/pages/new_economy/talent_national.pdf

AROUND THE STATES  [back to top]

News from Vermont
Vermont announced last month the promotion of Steve Sinclair to the position of Forestry Division director for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. An 11-year veteran as the State's Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator, Steve will now be responsible for overseeing all of the daily internal administrative duties, issues and functions for the department's Forestry Division.

Tennessee Announces New State Forester
Tennessee recently named Steven Scott as their new state forester. Steve came to Tennessee from South Carolina where he held a variety of positions, including regional urban forester and State Urban Forestry Coordinator. Steve is a native of Kentucky, earned his forestry degree from Clemson, and an MBA from University of South Carolina. He worked for the State of Kentucky for 2 years prior to working for the South Carolina Forestry Commission. Besides his urban forestry experience, he coordinated reforestations efforts after hurricane Hugo, served in the SCFS information and education office, and held positions as project forester, district forester, and regional forester. The urban forestry community in the Southeast congratulates Steve for becoming State Forester.

News from New Jersey
The New Jersey Tree Foundation, in partnership with the State Community Forestry Program and the Cooper Lanning Civic Association (CLCA), conducted a neighborhood tree-planting event to kick off the Urban Airshed Reforestation Project in Camden, NJ. On Oct. 26, 2002 - Make a Difference Day - hundreds of community volunteers converged to plant approximately 100 large shade trees in the Cooper Lanning neighborhood. The Urban Airshed Reforestation Project is designed for the purpose of mitigating air and water pollution in the ozone non-attainment area of South Jersey including the City of Camden through the planting of thousand trees and the recruitment of numerous organizations as partners to support those greening efforts. A million dollars as provided under a memorandum of agreement between the DEP and the New Jersey Tree Foundation, Inc. will link tree planting in an urban environment to better air and water quality by providing a safer, healthier environment for residents most affected by industrial pollutants. For more information, contact Lisa Simms at NJTF1@juno.com

News from Maine
The State of Maine announced last month that Mike DeBonis has been selected to become Maine's Community Forestry Program coordinator. Mike comes directly from grad school at Yale (M.F.), where he was last employed as the assistant forest manager of the Yale forests. He has a wide range of experience and education, including service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica. He can be reached at 207-287-4987 or email michael.debonis@state.me.us.

News from the District of Columbia(from the Washington Post, Aug. 15)
It took 11 weeks of work, hundred of volunteers and more than $500,000, but District conservationists and forestry officials have, for the first time in 30 years, a documented inventory of the city's trees. The emerging picture isn't pretty. Only 32 percent of about 106,000 city-owned street trees received a fully healthy rating in a citywide examination by the GCA Casey Trees Endowment Fund this summer. The examination took into account such factors as a tree's structural stability, presence of wounds or evidence of decay and the condition of a tree's canopy. Nearly 10 percent of the trees received a rating of 4, the worst rating on the foundation's 1-to-4 scale. That means more than 10,000 trees are dead, according to the fund. Factor those numbers with the fact that the District's overall tree population has decreased dramatically in recent decades, and the city is in danger of becoming increasingly unrecognizable from its 19th century past, when it was affectionately dubbed the "City of Trees." For more information, visit http://www.caseytrees.org/

Value of the Wye Oak, Maryland
When the Society of Commercial Arborists visited the Wye Oak in 2000, attendees broke into groups and applied the CTLA formulas to the tree. They appraised the value at approximately $1 million - it sounded excessive, but was based on the potential end value as forest products rather than just as an amenity. The wood residue from the Liberty Tree (30,000 lbs.) was bought for $2.60 a pound or $78,000. Taylor Guitars manufactured 400 special edition guitars from it, selling for $8,000 apiece. If you do the math, the gross value of the Liberty Tree in forest products is over $3 million -- ($3,200,000) - from one tree! Not bad for a busted up, storm damaged old tulip poplar. The value is directly related to the history and importance of the tree. For more information, email Mike Galvin at mgalvin@dnr.state.md.us

New National Director for Urban and Community Forestry  [back to top]

Acting Program Director Teresa McWhirt has announced that Mark Buscaino was selected as the new National Director for Urban and Community Forestry. Official announcement from the Chief is expected soon. Mark is the current City/State Forester for the District of Columbia. He starts working for the USDA Forest Service on December 16. He has a Master of Science in Forest Resources Management from SUNY-Syracuse and a BS in Marketing (1983) from University of Maine, Orono. He served three years with the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa (83-86) and is fluent in French. Prior to his current position he served as urban forester for Fairfax County, Virginia, and City Forester/Parks Supervisor for Takoma Park, Maryland. He also worked four years managing/directing projects for the New York City Urban Forest & Education Program. He is a certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture.

The Northeast Area Urban Forestry Coordinators Organization (NAUFCO) was honored to be asked a few months ago by the Northeast Area Association of State Foresters (NAASF) to make recommendations to the proposed changes to the 2003 allocation budget formula. At the NAUFCO May meeting, Maryland Coordinator Mike Galvin led the group through a listing of issues of concern which were then further honed and compiled by committee members Pam Louks, Indiana; Mike D' Errico, New Jersey; Steve Sinclair, Vermont; and Dick Rideout,Wisconsin. A letter with the fact sheet was presented to the group by NAASF past chair Jim Barresi at the summer meeting in Indianapolis and will be further considered and voted on at the NAASF winter meeting. It is a great opportunity to have this type of open dialog with the state foresters in the Northeast Area. Are you talking to your state forester? For more information contact Pam Louks, NAUFCO Chair at plouks@dnr.state.in.us.

NASF Announces New Urban Committee  [back to top]

The National Association of State Foresters has established a fresh team to focus on issues important to Urban and Community Forestry. Burney Fischer (IN) has turned the gavel over to the new Chair Steve Scott (SC). Other members include Gary Hergenrader (NE), David Limtiaco (GUAM), Ray Aslin (KS), Tom Dupree (RI), Leah MacSwords (KY) , Jim Barresi (NJ), Austin Short (DE), John Burwell (OK), Henry Schuster (VI). Steve Sinclair (VT) is expected to be appointed in January.

Congress Recessed Without Completing Work on Spending Bills  [back to top]

Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) on Oct. 18 to keep the Federal government operating through Nov. 22. The Forest Service will likely issue interim program direction for Urban and Community Forestry and all other programs based on the authority provided in the CR. The CR will extend the funding levels and authorities provided to the Forest Service in the FY 2002 Interior Appropriations Act until Nov. 22. The CR provides the Forest Service with the budgetary and legal authority to operate absent an enacted Appropriations bill. The CR sets three general guidelines for the use of funds:

1. Funds can only be obligated for "continuing projects and activities" which were conducted in FY 2002.
2. The rate of obligations cannot exceed the rate for the similar period in FY 2002.
3. Funds must be obligated under the authorities and conditions provided in FY 2002.

Grassroots Update  [back to top]

A focus group of local, state and national nonprofit organizations met in Salt Lake City, Sept. 20-22, to generate and discuss strategies that could lead to a unified voice for urban and community forestry. The group accomplished all of their goals, including the selection of a transition team to 1) flesh out the campaign that was developed by the participants in Salt Lake City; 2) develop the guidelines for a new partnership with the National Tree Trust; and 3) determine the selection process for the next leadership/advisory team to solidify the national grassroots movement for Urban and Community Forestry. The focus group included three dozen participants from most sectors of the urban and community forestry constituency. Nonprofit groups and State Council representatives were present from 16 states. This diverse group included some of the most experienced nonprofits to several small start-up organizations, municipal arborists, coop extension agents, PhD's, individuals in the trenches, and seven people of color representing large and small, national, State and local interests. The meeting was convened by a leadership team including Jerri LaHaie, Rachel Buice, Anthony Sanchez, Jennifer Smith, Mark Ringenberg, Pepper Provenzano, Meryl Redisch and Phillip Rodbell. Over the weekend the focus group was introduced to an organizing model created by the Midwest Academy called Direct Action Organizing (DAO). The model, and strong facilitation, brought the group to consensus on many of the issues critical to the future of the grassroots constituency.

Key Points:

• A long term goal was identified "to increase funding for tree planting, preservation, and maintenance at the local, state and national levels."
• Short term, participants signed individual commitments of time, resources, and expertise to building a more connected and sophisticated network aimed at the long term goal.
• The group explored allies/opponents, key targets/decision-makers, and tactics for achieving goals
• A new team stepped forward to explore steps necessary to solidify the grassroots agenda
• The current leadership team agreed to assist a transition team that will explore the steps necessary to solidify the grassroots campaign
• The National Tree Trust will host the transition team and will potentially staff the long term effort under the direction and guidance of the next grassroots leadership/advisory team.
• TreeLink will be the communication vehicle for the movement

For information updates, see Grassroots News at www.treelink.org

Registry of 9/11 Living Memorials  [back to top]

Watersheds and Network News Update  [back to top]

Emerald Ash Borer Update  [back to top]

Drought Is Widespread and Sprawl Makes It Worse  [back to top]

Urban and Community Forestry related job opportunities are plentiful on the internet at TreeLink. Go to the Tree Talk Bulletin Board

ON THE NATIONAL FRONT

House and Senate Appropriations Committee Action in FY 2003  [back to top]

As shared in last month's newsletter, the Senate Appropriations Committee has provided $37,750,000 for the Urban and Community Forestry Program, which is $1,750,000 above last year's enacted level. The committee report indicates that increases above the enacted level are comprised of $250,000 for the Chicago Green Streets program, $400,000 for the Cook County Forest Preserve to conduct environmental and technical work associated with the Preserve's forestry programs in Illinois, $300,000 for tree planting work in cooperation with the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and $800,000 to establish the Urban Watershed Forest Research and Demonstration Project Cooperative to help support existing applied research, technology transfer, and urban natural resources stewardship in Baltimore, Maryland. The committee directs that $350,000 be provided to the Northeastern Research Station for work associated with the Baltimore Ecosystem Study and the remainder of the funds be provided to the Parks and People Foundation of Baltimore.

On the House side, the Appropriations Committee recommended $36,235,000 for the urban and community forestry activity as requested by the administration, $235,000 above the 2002 funding level. The committee report notes that this recommendation includes $500,000 to support the Northeastern Pennsylvania community forestry program and $1,000,000 for the Chicago Greenstreets program. The language also acknowledges that last year the committee encouraged the Forest Service to use Urban and Community Forestry Program funds to develop special living memorials, using trees, to commemorate the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. The Forest Service targeted $1,500,000 of available funds for this special emphasis program. The committee noted the results and that the work of creating lasting memorials for individuals and communities has not been completed. Accordingly, the committee directed the Forest Service, working in close harmony with the involved states and local participants, to focus the same level of funding in fiscal year 2003 for planning, development, and implementation of the living memorial projects in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and critical surrounding areas.

Urban Forestry Coordinators Will Meet in September  [back to top]

All state coordinators attending the National Arbor Day Foundation's "Community Forestry at Its Best" conference Sept. 26 - 28 are invited to get together for a meeting the morning of Sept. 26. Please let Dave Mooter know if you will attend and send him any items you would like to put on the meeting agenda by Sept. 1. Email DMOOTER2@unl.edu. A schedule and agenda will be sent to you mid-September.

If you are planning on attending the coordinators meeting and conference, the foundation suggests that you make your room reservations at Lied Conference Center early to assure room availability. Email Tina.Schweitzer@arborday.org.

Forest Service Says It Needs More Money to Fight Fires  [back to top]

All of you are aware of the serious nature of this year's fire season and the problems faced by the Forest Service in paying for fire-suppression costs. Projected fire suppression costs for fiscal year 2002 exceed the resources available under a borrowing strategy formulated earlier this year and approved by Congress. As of late July, total suppression costs were estimated to reach $1.07 billion while appropriated suppression funds are at their lowest level in recent years. The Forest Service-appropriated suppression funds has run out at $321 million, creating a need to transfer $749 million from other accounts under its "borrowing strategy," including Urban and Community Forestry. The agency intends to work with the administration and Congress to restore funds to projects and programs in FY 2003. For the latest information on the fire situation, visit the National Interagency Fire Center website at http://www.nifc.gov.

New Community Based Forest and Public Lands Restoration Act Introduced  [back to top]

The Community Based Forest and Public Lands Restoration Act (S 2672) was introduced in June, before the full Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Senators Bingaman (D-NM) and Craig (R-ID) cosponsored the bill. This bill directs the land management agencies in the Departments of Agriculture and Interior to conduct ecosystem restoration and maintenance activities using community-based approaches by developing mechanisms to ensure a consistent program of work to conduct restoration and maintenance activities; by providing innovative contracting mechanisms; developing forest restoration and value-added centers that provide technical assistance to communities; ensuring multiparty monitoring; and by creating an applied research program. For information on the Community Based Forest And Public Lands Restoration Act, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:s.02672:.

House Committee on Appropriations Completes Inquiry into Forest Legacy Program  [back to top]

On Nov. 30, 2001, the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Surveys and Investigations staff wrote to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief of the Forest Service informing them that they would conduct an inquiry into the Forest Legacy Program (FLP). A five-person team conducted the inquiry over approximately six months and based its finding on interviews and on documents and financial data provided by the Forest Service and state officials. The team visited the Washington headquarters, six regional offices, sixteen state offices and conducted interviews with corporations, non-profit and land-trust organization partners and individual landowners. They completed their work and submitted a report of findings to the Committee on June 14, 2002. Primary issues identified in the report relate to program oversight, FLP strategy, project-selection process, cost share, appraisal review, financial oversight, large projects, and Congressional earmarked projects. The report can be viewed on the House Committee web site at: http://www.house.gov/appropriations/info/03forestrpt.pdf

USDA Forest Service Announces FY 2002 Urban Forestry Grants  [back to top]

The USDA Forest Service announced the award of more than $500,000 in federal grants to benefit the nation's urban and community forests. Organizations in nine communities will match those funds with over $547,000 for research and education projects for urban forests. Recipients of the cost-share grants were selected in a competitive process, based on criteria developed by the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC). More information about NUCFAC is available online at www.treelink.org/nucfac

Grants included the following:
National Urban & Community Forestry Minority Outreach and Education Conference submitted by Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, La.

Learn About Forests™: a Programmatic Tool for a National Network of Community Partners to Engage Multi-Ethnic Urban Youth in Urban and Community Forestry submitted by the Eagle Eye Institute, Inc. in Somerville, Mass.

Arborist Training Program submitted by the Norfolk Botanical Garden in Norfolk, Va.

Mobilizing the Web for Urban and Community Forestry Education submitted by the American Forest Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Mycorrhizal Responses to Anthropogenic Nitrogen Enrichment in Urban and Rural Woodlands submitted by the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Ill.

Safety, Trees and Urban Transportation: A National Study of the Roadside Urban Forest and Accident Rates submitted by University of Washington in Seattle, Wash.

The Street Tree/Utility Easement Conflict submitted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Virginia Beach, Va.

Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer on Insect Pest Populations, Their Damage, and Tree Growth of Selected Landscape Trees submitted by the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension in Derwood, Md.

The December 2000 Ice Storm: Loss of Tree Canopy as an Opportunity to Study the Effect of Trees on Energy Use submitted by the Davey Resource Group in Kent, Ohio.

Due to the financial impact of the Western fires, nearly all of these grants have been deferred until next fiscal year.

Grassroots Summit Remains on Track, Focus Group Meets September 20-23  [back to top]

The Grassroots Summit will bring together a meeting of grass-roots representatives working in Urban and Community Forestry in Salt Lake City on Sept. 20-23. The purpose is to expand leadership capabilities by training attendees in the Midwest Academy model of direct-action organizing with the theme: Building a United Constituency for U&CF. The Grassroots Summit Leadership Team has selected nearly 50 participants for this focus group, but realize that many states may have already budgeted for travel or to send a Council member to the summit. The National Tree Trust has committed funding to cover hotel and food costs at the event, and limited travel funds are available. Participants will be charged with hosting a roundtable discussion back home to select short and long-term goals designed to strengthen the movement and discipline of Urban and Community Forestry. They seek leaders for a successful short and long-term effort. If you are interested in this focus-group training or the Grassroots Summit, and would like to know more, email grlt@prodigy.net or call Jerri LaHaie, GRS chair, at 706-769-3127.

Burlington-Based Researcher Receives Presidential Award  [back to top]

The White House has announced that Dr. J. Morgan Grove, researcher with the USDA Forest Service's Northeastern Research Station in Burlington, VT, is a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, or PECASE, for 2001. The award was presented on July 12, in a White House Ceremony. The PECASE was established in 1996 to honor the nation's most promising young researchers. The scientists and engineers are nominated by their agencies, which award the researchers up to five years of funding to continue their work critical to government missions. Grove is being honored for his work in urban ecological research. He has contributed significantly to the success of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study - winning large research grants, producing numerous publications, and addressing the needs of the community while conducting high-quality science. He has expanded his reach to colleagues through symposia, writings on interdisciplinary research, and developing an Open Research System to share data and methods with the research community.

Emerald Ash Borer  [back to top]

A newly identified exotic insect, emerald ash borer, has been discovered attacking ash trees in the heavily populated Detroit area. The infestation is extensive with a five-county quarantine at this point. In badly affected areas, particularly certain spots in western Wayne County, nearly all ash trees are dead or dying. Under the quarantine, ash trees, branches, logs and firewood may not be moved outside the affected area unless certified by the Department of Agriculture. This insect should be viewed as a serious threat to the nation's ash tree resource. It is a beetle in the family Buprestidae, genus Agrilus. This is the same genus that has bronze birch borer and two-lined chestnut borer as members. A Pest Alert can be viewed at:

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/eab/pubs/pa/emeraldashborer.pdf
or at the News Desk on TreeLink at www.treelink.org

The Forest Service will have a more extensive web page available soon at:
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/eab/

GRANTS $$$$  [back to top]

Funding for Habitat Restoration Projects
Restore America's Estuaries recently announced its latest study of 74 federal programs that provide funding for habitat restoration in FY2002, "Funding for Habitat Restoration Projects: A Citizen's Guide." The funding guide provides a quick, comprehensive and accessible review of the often hidden federal funds that may be used to implement on-the-ground habitat restoration projects. Its design and layout provide users with easy access to critical information about funding, eligibility and program contacts. The guide is available online at Restore America's Estuaries website, www.estuaries.org, where users can view current as well as previous years' funding program information. The FY2002 edition of the funding guide is also available as a viewable and printable PDF document there.

Programs Benefiting School-Aged Children
Deadline: Feb. 15, May 15, Aug. 15, and Nov. 15, 2002
http://www.rockfound.org
The Best Buy Children's Foundation (BBCF) awards grants to nonprofit organizations that take an innovative approach to building life skills in young people through education, mentoring, and leadership development. Funding is directed to multicultural programs located in Best Buy market areas for children ages 5 to 18. Funding priorities include, but are not limited to: Program development; direct project support; specific curriculum development; and scholarship aid for participants in life skills or mentoring programs. BBCF typically awards grants ranging from $2,000 -$10,000 for community- based organizations. Contact: 952-947-2650 ; http://www.bestbuy.com/About/CommunityRelations

PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES  [back to top]

"Landscape Tree Factsheets," the new title of the Third Edition of the former "Street Tree Factsheets" is now available from the Publications Center, College of Agricultural Sciences, 112 Agricultural Administration Building, University Park PA 16802 at a price of $30.00, shipping included. It contains 26 additional deciduous cultivars plus 4 pages of evergreens used for screens. Call toll-free 877-345-0691, for Visa or MasterCard orders, or 814-865-6713 for information.

Biodiversity Poll the new title of the Third Edition of the former "Street Tree Factsheets" is now availab
The Biodiversity Project is pleased to announce the results from its recent national survey, "Americans and Biodiversity: New Perspectives in 2002." The poll was conducted earlier this year to gauge the public's attitudes toward biodiversity and related issues. This report contains detailed analysis of the findings about public attitudes toward biodiversity, public response to a variety of biodiversity protection messages, and views on personal and government actions to save biodiversity. To receive a poll report in either hard copy or downloadable format, contact Miriam Grunes at grunes@biodiverse.org or call 608-250-9876. www.biodiversityproject.org

Support for Main Street
The Local Initiative Support Corporation is now expanding its community development work beyond housing to improving on neighborhood commercial corridors in many cities. See http://www.liscnet.org/whatwedo/programs/mainstreet/boston.shtml

Accessible Research on the Value of Green Space
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been awarded a NUCFAC grant to develop a series of flyers on the value of green space. The topics covered include:
Kids and Concentration - kids who spend more time outside end up paying more attention inside. Girls and Greenery - for girls, seeing greens is every bit as healthy as eating them. Canopy and Crime - cutting down trees doesn't cut down on crime. Neighbors and Nature - where trees are planted, communities grow. Vegetation and Violence - seeing green prevents people from being mean. Plants and Poverty - how adding more green makes life more manageable.

To download copies of the flyers and access research information that went into the flyers (including long version, 2-page version, and short summaries), go to http://www.herl.uiuc.edu

Criteria and Indicators
Please check out the web version of "The Source Book on Criteria and Indicators of Sustainability" now under hot topics on the sustainability website. The book was developed by the Northeastern Area and the Northeastern Forest Resource Planners Association. It contains comparisons among indicator-monitoring projects, and the Montreal Process criteria and indicators. It also contains some lessons learned for those contemplating similar projects. http://na.fs.fed.us/sustainability/sourcebook.htm

Fire on the Web
To bring attention to some key resources during this fire season, we are highlighting these items on the front of TreeLink:

• Firewise Home Page - Created for people who live or vacation in fire prone areas of North America, these pages contain a wealth of information on wildfire protection.
  
  
• Earth Observatory Fire Archive - This NASA Earth Observatory site provides links to striking images of recent wildfires observed by NASA satellites.
  
  
• Wildland-Urban Fire Research - This U.S. Forest Service site contains a number of excellent research publications aimed at reducing the risk to property from wildfire.

Growing Native Trees
The link below goes to the new Growing Native website. Planning is under way already for the 2002 project and events. Your comments, criticisms and recommendations would be very helpful. More is in process of being added, especially in the collection sites map and information. Go to http://www.potomac.org/growingnative/index-orgsandvols.htm

"Traditional" Community Forestry
For those who might be interested to learn more about the international field of "Community Forestry" (Which may in fact pre-date the "decades" old usage of the term "urban and community forestry" as adopted by the USDA Forest Service), check out the UN FAO Community Forestry Site and their Forests, Trees, and People project at http://www.fao.org/forestry/FON/FONP/cfu/cfu-e.stm

Or the International network of Forests and Communities http://www.forestsandcommunities.org/

For more info on how the term is used in traditional forestry in the United States (that does not pre-date the usage in urban forestry, and is unrelated to it), check out the National Community Forestry Center http://www.nationalcommunityforestrycenter.org/

Community Forestry Resource Center http://www.forestrycenter.org/

Ford Foundation National Demonstration in Community Forestry: http://www.aspencsg.org/cbf/pages/program2.html

Conservation Leadership
The following two organizations may be of interest:

Institute for Conservation Leadership: http://www.icl.org
- ICL has an actual conservation leadership program

Environmental Support Center: http://www.envsc.org/
- ESC provides organizational assistance, etc.

WoodNotes
FYI - the summer edition of WoodNotes at www.TreeLink.org includes:

• Creating Jobs, Greening Cities, by Alice Ewen Walker
• Tree Tubs Offer a Lightweight Solution
• Riding for Research: The Tour des Trees Returns to Its Roots
• Community Forestry Speaks for Smart Growth, by Jannette K. Monear
• Spotlight on the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Volunteer Opportunities on the Web
The http://www.Volunteer.Gov/Gov web site enables government agencies to post volunteer opportunities that can be searched by geographic location, type of work, date of opportunity, and/or sponsoring partner on www.usafreedomcorps.gov. Citizens interested in jobs in parks and forests or other positions related to the environment can search "natural resources opportunities."

Stormwater BMP
Those interested in stormwater and watersheds may find additional information at following site: http://coweeta.ecology.uga.edu

International Notes  [back to top]

New conifer species discovered

An international team of botanists has discovered an unusual conifer in a remote area of Northern Vietnam. Botanists from the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology in Hanoi, together with colleagues from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Komarov Botanical Institute in St. Petersberg, Russia found the tree growing on inaccessible cliffs. The first new genus of conifer to be found since 1994 (Wollemia nobilis in Australia and the Dawn Redwood in 1948 in Sichuan province of China), the tree has been named Xanthocyparis vietnamensis, which translates to Golden Vietnamese Cypress. The yellowish-brown, hard timber is prized by local citizens and only a few hundred remain. The species has been classified as critically endangered.

CONFERENCE CALENDAR  [back to top]

August 2002

September 2002

October 2002

November 2002

March 2003

May 2003