May/June 2003 Vol. 8 No. 3 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 welcomed and requested. Items suitable for inclusion are state and national urban forestry information, products or innovations, grant opportunities, and notices of regional and national community forestry events. Please submit a maximum of two paragraphs per item 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.org
(pepper@treelink.org)
NEXT DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSION: June 20, 2003
Words for thought
"A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as hopeless; forests which are so used that they can not renew themselves will soon vanish, and with them all their benefits. A true forest is not merely a storehouse full of wood, but, as it were, a factory of wood, and at the same time a reservoir of water. When you help to preserve our forests or to plant new ones, you are acting the part of good citizens. The value of forestry deserves, therefore, to be taught in the schools, which aim to make good citizens of you. If your Arbor Day exercises help you to realize what benefits each one of you receives from the forests, and how by your assistance these benefits may continue, they will serve a good end."
-- Theodore Roosevelt, 1907
"As Americans become increasingly urban, urban forests become increasingly important. These forests provide local, regional, and even global benefits. Stewardship of urban forests connects people to nature and to each other. If a new land ethic is going to emerge during the 21st century, it will come from our cities."
-- Dr. Greg McPherson, Journal of Forestry, April/May 2003
Nebraska Forest Service in Peril
The University of Nebraska has proposed the total elimination of the Nebraska Forest Serivce as a part of budget cutbacks that have been imposed by the Governor and the State Legislature. The NFS is not part of the traditional teaching and research arms of the university, so even though their Community Forestry program offers workshops and school programs for hundreds of citizens every year, they are threatened with elimination. The NFS has been working hard to muster support from clients and the results have been gratifying, but the outcome of this unpleasantness is still very much in doubt. Who would have ever thought that in Nebraska, the Home of Arbor Day, the state forestry agency might be eliminated? What would J. Sterling Morton think if he were alive today? If you want to send a note of encouragement to Dave Mooter, Nebraska's UCF coordinator, his email is DMOOTER2@unl.edu.
News from Massachusetts
The Calpine Corporation, one of the nation's leading power producers, presented the Department of Environmental Management's Mass ReLeaf program with a check for $171,000 to develop a three-year tree-planting program as a major part of the company's carbon dioxide mitigation efforts. Carbon dioxide is the main gas responsible for global warming. A significant portion of the Calpine donation to Mass ReLeaf will be used to plant trees in the Town of Dighton and the City of Taunton. The Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton will also receive a grant for planting and maintaining trees as part of their arboriculture curriculum. For more information: Eric.Seaborn@state.ma.us.
Emerald Ash Borer Identified in Ohio
An Emerald Ash Borer larvae, which was collected near Toledo, was positively identified by experts at the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Services Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland in February. Surveys of the area around the originally reported site found signs of the pest on four properties (three residences) in a 300 yard by 300 yard area. Trees on all of the properties showed symptoms of infestation. The borer is known to affect white, black, and green ash trees and some varieties of horticultural ash. A typical ash tree will die from infestation by this pest in two to three years. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimates that there are 3.8 billion ash trees in Ohio which exist on 850,000 acres of the state's nearly 8 million acres of woodlands. The Emerald Ash Borer has been known to exist in North America (Michigan and Ontario) for about the last five years, where it has killed millions of ash trees. There is no practical insecticide treatment that will destroy this pest, according to ODA Plant Pest Control manager Tom Harrison. "Nothing will give us the assurance of control in an infested area except to cut, chip, and properly dispose of trees," he said. More information on detection and identification is available at the Ohio Department of Agriculture's web site at www.state.oh.us/agr.
Heat Islands Attract Attention in New Jersey
A Montclair-NASA study found that suburban sprawl is rapidly extending Camden's heat island. Newer suburbs, with large strip-mall parking lots, have a higher temperature than similarly dense older suburbs, which are more likely to have trees. New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection, which helped fund this study, is heeding the results. Commissioner Bradley Campbell said the state was seeking $36 million from the Board of Public Utilities to plant 100,000 trees in Camden, Newark, Trenton, Elizabeth and Paterson. Separately, an air-pollution settlement with utility company Conectiv established a community program that will plant 1,500 trees in Camden in the next three years. "We want to focus our planting in the communities that will reap the greatest benefit from counteracting the heat island," Campbell said. "The remarkable thing about trees is they not only reduce heat and energy costs, they muffle noise and enhance property values as well." Contact Mike D'Errico for more information: mderrico@dep.state.nj.us
News from Vermont
State Forester Steve Sinclair announced that Danielle Fitzko would begin her tenure as UCF program coordinator with the Forestry Division on April 23. Her office will be in Waterbury and her phone number will be 802-241-3763. Danielle currently resides in Maryland, and is employed by the University of Maryland Extension System, managing the Master Gardener Program. She has a BS in environmental resource management from Penn State University, and is completing the masters degree program in Urban Forestry from the University of Maryland. She brings with her much enthusiasm for urban forestry, and an excitement for moving to Vermont. You may contact her at dfitzko@fpr.anr.state.vt.us
On The National Front
National Assessment of U&CF Programs [back to top]
At the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory
Council (NUCFAC), the USDA Forest Service is conducting an assessment of
our Nation's urban and community forestry programs. Jim Clark of
HortScience, Inc. and Bill Kruidenier of The Aslan Group are leading this
effort. They have been working with representatives of NASF and USDA FS
Urban and Community Forestry staff. The first goal of this assessment is to
inventory local, state, regional, and national organizations. The inventory
is complete, and a national database of urban and community forestry groups
will soon be placed on TreeLink (www.Treelink.org). The second goal of the
assessment is to analyze the current status of the Forest Service's U&CF
Program as well as the historical patterns of funding and programming. This
portion of the assessment involves interviewing State and Regional UCF
Coordinators, and representatives of national U&CF organizations. The
interviews are expected to cover programs, staffing, funding, and grants.
State Foresters, Urban Forestry Coordinators, and select national leaders
will be notified by email about this process and the kinds of questions
that will be asked. After this initial contact, a member of the assessment
team will contact Urban Forestry Coordinators and select leaders to set up
an interview, which should take approximately 30 to 45 minutes. "This is a
critical project for the future of urban forestry in this country," said
Dick Rideout, Wisconsin State UF Coordinator, who took part in the beta
testing of the interview process. "The results will not only show the
diversity of our state programs and our needs, but will illustrate the
impact of our programs on urban forestry and convey to the Forest Service
what direction it should take in the coming years." Thank you in advance
for your assistance on this very important project. If you have any
questions, or would like to discuss this project further, email Bill Kruidenier at bill@Aslangroup.net or Jim Clark, jim@hortscience.com.
The Value of Volunteer Time [back to top]
As Americans heed the call for community service, the value of the time they will give to charitable organizations has climbed to $16.05 per hour, up from $15.39 in 2000. According to Independent Sector, reporting on Giving and Volunteering in the United States national survey: In 2000, nearly half of adults (44%) or 83.9 million people volunteered their time. Their work represents the equivalent of over 9 million full-time employees at a value of $239 billion. The average volunteer gave 3.6 hours of time per week; and the annual hours for volunteering were 15.5 billion. Independent Sector research shows that the best way to motivate people to volunteer is to simply ask them. If asked, 63 percent will volunteer, compared to the 25 percent who volunteer when not asked. Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of more than 700 national organizations, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to promote, strengthen, and advance the nonprofit and philanthropic community to foster private initiative for the public good. For more information: www.IndependentSector.org.
New NUCFAC Members [back to top]
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced the selection of three members to USDA's National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC). There are two new members and one reappointed member. Their terms begin immediately and will continue until Dec. 31, 2005. The two new appointments to the 15-member council are Brenda Allen, assistant professor/extension specialist of urban forestry, Auburn University, Tuskegee, Ala., and Joseph A. Wilson, executive director, Greening Milwaukee, Franklin, Wis. One member has been reappointed to serve a second term: Ann Bates, executive director, Idaho Nursery Association, Idaho Falls, Idaho. The council advises the Secretary on the care and management of trees, forests and related natural resources in urban and community settings. The council also works with federal and state agencies and other partners to share information and technical assistance. In addition, the council makes recommendations to USDA's Forest Service on competitive cost-share grants that advance the science and practice of urban forestry. Additional information can be found at http://treelink.org/nucfac/.
Landscape Change [back to top]
Across the U.S., 2,450 acres of open space are developed every day. Attached is a link to a US Forest Service Northeast Experiment Station website that provides a slideshow of the results of a fragmentation study in the Midwest over the past 60 years. The study, conducted by the Forest Service and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, uses housing density to track the amount and locations of development that has occurred. The maps of increased development and fragmentation are eye popping, especially for southern Michigan and Wisconsin. By looking at the progression of increased housing density over wide areas, a person can easily conclude that fragmentation is occurring very rapidly over large areas of all the Midwest states except Iowa. These maps show that if we don't get a handle on growth soon, most rural areas will become suburbanized with the resulting loss of open space and all of the associated environmental benefits such as wildlife habitat and clean water.
http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/IntegratedPrograms/lc/ (click on slide show)
Overweight Link to Poor Community Environment [back to top]
A study conducted jointly by the Saint Louis University School of Public Health and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services finds that negative perceptions of safety and pleasantness of a community, as well having no outdoor exercise facilities, may be contributing to overweight people in the state and nation. According to the report, Missourians who indicated in telephone surveys that they consider their neighborhoods unsafe and unpleasant were one-and-one-half times more likely to be overweight than individuals who said they considered their neighborhoods safe and pleasant. In addition, those who reported not having access to outdoor exercise facilities such as walking or running tracks, basketball or tennis courts, and swimming pools, were more likely to be overweight than those who had access to such facilities.
Click the following link for unique seasonal opportunities, including grant amount and application deadline:
http://www.grantstation.com/public_gsinsider.asp
Internships
State employees are eligible to apply for Corporation for National Service positions. Apply to Americorps for positions in direct service. Apply to AmericorpsVISTA for positions in capacity building and support. The EPA has used its team of VISTA volunteers to create education programs (on water quality, indoor air pollution, lead) and establish partnerships to deliver these programs to schools and communities. These positions are usually one year, although some volunteers sign up for a second year. Some positions are "free" (costs paid for by Corporation for National Service, about $20,000 per volunteers) and some positions are 50/50 cost share. http://www.americorps.org/
Kellogg Foundation
http://www.rgkfoundation.org/guidelines.php
Deadline: Rolling
Pathways to Collaboration: Community Partnership Program
The Pathways to Collaboration Workgroup, funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, will give up to 12 community partnerships from across the United States a unique opportunity to explore exactly what makes a collaborative problem-solving process successful. Partnerships will be supported that have a record of success in using collaboration to address problems that are important to people in their community. Visit this link to learn more about requests for proposals:
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml;jsessionid=V5XQUC1THU14SP5QALRSGW15AAAACI2F?id=29500027
Tiffany and Company Foundation Environmental Conservation Grants
http://www.tiffanyandcofoundation.org/index_home.html
Deadline: May 15, 2003
The Tiffany Foundation supports organizations dedicated to the conservation of natural resources. Partnering with environmental groups that study how to protect natural resources around the globe will lead to a better understanding of how to conserve them. The Foundation also considers groups that concentrate on social responsibility in the area of urban growth and minimizing the negative environmental impacts of growth.
Urban Forest Research Web Site Revamped
This spring, the urban forest research unit of the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station completed the redesign of its webpage. The Syracuse, NY-based research unit, established in 1978, investigates the effects of urban forests and their management on human health and environmental quality. The webpage provides hands-on resources for researchers, forest and city managers to better evaluate and manage their urban forests, and serves as a national urban forest database. National, state, and city level data and analyses will be maintained. Unit staff has developed the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) Model, a program that analyzes field data and quantifies urban forest effects. Model results and data for various cities are available to download from this site. User-friendly random plot selection and aerial-photo interpretation tools are available to download, as is a field-data collection manual. Other resources available to download from the site include: 1) A Windows-based program (OUTCOMES) that predicts human comfort and evaluates the impact of trees on comfort. 2) Results from the first National Forest Assessment, part of the Resources Planning Act (RPA). Data include national, state and local tree cover estimates from the early 1990s, based on 1 km resolution satellite data. 3) Maps and tables of potential risk for certain pests (Asian longhorned beetle, Emerald ash borer). Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/syracuse for details.
Tree Structure & Mechanics Conference Proceedings Book
This new book published by the International Society of Arboriculture contains 14 chapters discussing the biological and structural aspects of tree mechanics, tree failures, tree branches, tree support systems, and tree roots. ISA Member price is $35.; Retail price is $45. Call 888-ISA-TREE to order.
New Edition of Arboriculture Published
The latest edition of Arboriculture by Richard W. Harris, James R. Clark, and Nelda P. Matheny is now available. The new version is in paperback, which significantly reduces the cost over the previous edition. Copies are available from bookstores and on-line catalogs. The book is also sold by ISA ($65.95 member price, $72.95 retail price); call 888-ISA-TREE for details.
ISA Launches Spanish Language Website
The International Society of Arboriculture has unveiled ISAHispana.com, a website containing links to publications available for purchase in Spanish and links to documents in Spanish that can be downloaded and printed for free, including some of ISA's consumer education brochures. The site also contains links to other Web sites of interest to Spanish-speaking workers and their employers. New material, resources, and links will be added as they become available. The address is www.ISAHispana.com
Photo Gallery
A link directly to the TreeScapes photo gallery has been added to the box of "Free Stuff" on TreeLink. www.treelink.org
National Forest Service Accomplishment Report
The 2001 National Accomplishment Report is online, the address is:
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/ucf2001rpt
Human Environment Research
Six new technical bulletins developed through the Human-Environment Research Laboratory (HERL) of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are now available. The bulletins are designed to introduce the reader to specific studies undertaken and completed through HERL. The focus of the research is to consider the impact of nature in urban areas on human health and well-being. Bulletin Titles and Volumes:
- Girls & Greenery - Views of Green Help Girls Succeed
- Green Streets, Not Mean Streets - Vegetation May Cut Crime in the Inner City
- Go Out and Play - Nature Adds Up for Kids with ADD
- Nice to See You - How Trees Build a Neighborhood
- Green Relief - Trees Ease Poverty's Burden in Inner City Neighborhoods
- Cooler in the Shade - Aggression and Violence are Reduced with Nature Nearby
The bulletins were made possible through a grant from the USDA Forest Service at the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Council. The bulletins were written and designed by Jill Cherpack, a marketing communications expert, edited by Molly Bentsen and reviewed by the National Technology Transfer Team coordinated by Gracie Joy of the USDA FS. Currently limited copies are available through HERL but the bulletins can be accessed on the HERL Web site at http://www.herl.uiuc.edu.
Municipal Forest Management
Check out this web site. In particular click on "Municipal Forest Mgt." and "NCUCF Project" buttons at the top. http://www.umass.edu/urbantree/forest.shtml
Hazard Tree Applications for Pocket PCs
The Northeast Center has just completed the beta development of a Pocket PC application and PC desktop component that can be used to assist in rating hazard trees. It is very simple to use and its development illustrates the type of program that can be created for Pocket PC hand-held computers. You can download the program files from the following site:
ftp://ftp2.fs.fed.us/incoming/ne/bloniarz/hazard_pda/
Also, take a look at http://www.umass.edu/urbantree/hazard/pda.shtml for the Hazard Tree Rating Calculator. If you want to read about the Hazard assessment protocol, on which the application is based, see the last page of the article, "Prioritizing Risk Trees in a Community" at
http://www.umass.edu/urbantree/publications/index.html
Wisconsin On-line
Issues of Wisconsin Urban & Community Forests have been posted to the State website at:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/forestry/uf/resources/UFnwsltr.htm
Urban Wood Utilization
California organizations provide some innovative ideas and programs regarding urban wood utilization. This web site is just one example:
http://129.65.30.181/ufei/urbanwood/index.html
Survey of Conservation Ballot Measures
LandVote 2002 -- The Land Trust Alliance and the Trust for Public Land have released their annual survey of conservation ballot measures introduced in communities around the country. On general election day, Nov. 5, 2002, voters approved measures for conservation related purposes worth about $6.9 billion, including about $2.9 billion in local and state funding for land acquisition and restoration. The entire document can be downloaded from either the http://www.lta.org or the http://www.tpl.org websites.
Economic Health of the Southwest
Economic Benefits of Protecting Natural Resources in the Sonoran Desert , a report prepared for the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection by EcoNorthwest (an economic consulting firm in Eugene, OR) with funding from Defenders of Wildlife, August 2002. This intriguing report (courtesy of Jeff Lerner, Defenders of Wildlife) provides important insight into the value of the natural environment to the economic health of the southwest. Ever wonder how "green" infrastructure might work in the interior West? This report is a logical place to start. To quote the Summary of Findings: "The commonly held 'environment vs. economy' viewpoint has become out of date. . . . In truth, our local economy is experiencing a shift, whereby increasing economic benefits are being provided through a variety of natural resource uses -- some of which require those resources be conserved. . . . Just as there was a shift after World War II from an agriculturally-based economy to an urban economy, we are now seeing another shift -- a Third Wave -- characterized by an increased demand for unspoiled natural resources and the benefits they can provide." The report is available on the Protect the Sonoran Desert website at http://www.sonorandesert.org/.
Health Benefits of Viewing "Green"
Below is a website with the 1983 article from "Science" about the benefits of viewing nature when recovering from surgery, courtesy of Dale Medearis. It's a good one to download and store for future reference. http://www.hospitalart.com/image/science_article.pdf
Science Resources
Here is another resource for finding research/science information on urban forestry. www.science.gov
Oak Wilt Resources
"Protect Your Trees from Oak Wilt" is now available as a pdf file at the following website:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/forestry/uf/Resources/OakWilt03.pdf
Visit the TreeLink jobs page at www.treelink.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3 for a variety of employment opportunities.
Visit the current Calendar of Events at www.treelink.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 on TreeLink.