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:

Ed Macie, USDA Forest Service - Southern Region
emacie@fs.fed.us or phone 404-347-1647

Dick Rideout, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
richard.rideout@dnr.state.wi.us or phone 608-267-0843

Paul D. Ries, Oregon Department of Forestry
pries@odf.state.or.us or phone 503-945-7391

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

Pepper Provenzano, TreeLink
pepper@treelink.org or phone 801-359-1933

NEXT DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSION: September 20, 2003

Words for thought

-- George Will, columnist
on the Greening of Chicago
in Newsweek Magazine

Around The States  [back to top]

Missouri Launches Anti-Topping Campaign
Experts Agree Don't Top Your Tree, the anti-tree topping campaign developed by Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, the Missouri Community Forestry Council and 501creative, is now available for use by your organization. All materials can be customized to include your logo and contact information, and can be printed in quantities to fit your needs. The campaign includes a brochure titled "Think of It as a Really, Really Bad Haircut . . . Which Could Kill You," an 11x17 poster, a series of ads for local newspapers, and a pocket folder that can be used with the media and other audiences. These materials are available for a nominal fee that will be used to support continued anti-topping efforts in Missouri. For more information, visit www.501creative.com/topping, or contact Karen Handelman at 314-863-0501, ext 28 or email info@501creative.com.

Volcanoes in Your Community
Have you seen them? I know you have. They are everywhere you see trees and mulch. A volcano of mulch piled up against the tree. Is this bad? Yes. But first the mulch is wonderful for the tree. It simulates the conditions in the forest. The mulch will eventually decompose to become fertilizer for the tree, and it holds moisture in the soil to encourage tree growth. It also insulates the soil from temperature extremes and improves the soil structure and texture. A big plus is that mulch also protects the tree from weedeaters and lawnmowers.

So, why are the volcanoes bad? The mulch is wonderful, but when mulch is piled up next to the base of the tree, rotting of the bark and insect activity is encouraged on the tree. Eventually, the tree will die from this. So, what do we do about it? Leave a one inch, mulch-free zone away from the bark of the tree. This will help keep the rot and insects away from the bark at the base of the tree. Go ahead and mulch wide and up to four inches deep. Be sure to replace the mulch two or three times during the year because it will disappear through decomposition and lawnmower activity. You can go as wide or wider than the drip line of the tree. The wider you go, the better for the tree. One way to reduce your mowing expense is to mulch entire groups of trees, allowing no grass in between them. Homeowners who do this have very little grass to mow in their yards. Let's try to eliminate the volcanoes of mulch in our urban & community forests. We will have healthier trees providing benefits for our future. Submitted by Rick Olson, Mississippi

Innovative Nevada Program
Damon Ohlerking, a member the Nevada Shade Tree Council, is also the urban designer/forester- City of Boulder City, NV, and an adjunct professor of landscape architecture, School of Architecture, University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV). Damon launched a program in 2000 with UNLV Landscape Architect senior students to help improve the quality of life in Nevada communities. His students developed landscape plans in Ely in 2000, Elko in 2001, and Carson Valley in 2002. This fall, his students will develop plans for Dayton, near Reno. Officials and other interested parties from these communities have visited Boulder City to see for themselves what they can do in their own communities, through planting of trees and shrubs, to improve their quality of life. During the 7 years that Damon has been city forester, Boulder City - a community of 15,000 people - has planted approximately 15,000 trees and shrubs. This effort culminated in Boulder City winning the 2002 National League of Cities' James C. Howland Award for Urban Enhancement for all cities in the country under 50,000 populations.

Emerald Ash Borer on the Move
Ohio Agriculture Director Fred Dailey has announced that Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis), a destructive exotic pest from Asia, has been identified in ash trees in Hicksville, Ohio, on the Indiana border, including at a wholesale landscape nursery and at a tool handle manufacturer. Dailey will seek an emergency quarantine to restrict ash trees, firewood, branches, and logs from movement off affected properties. Ohio Department of Agriculture officials collected Emerald Ash Borer adults from trees on one property in Hicksville on Aug. 7 following a call from a nursery owner indicating the suspected problem. The sample was positively identified as Emerald Ash Borer on Aug. 13. Survey workers have identified borer damage on at least eight properties and will continue to look for affected properties in the area. Indiana officials are conducting a similar search across the state line three miles west of Hicksville. The Emerald Ash Borer belongs to a group of insects known as metallic wood-boring beetles. Adults are dark metallic green in color, 1/2 inch in length and 1/16 inch wide, and present only from mid May until early August. For information on detection and identification, view the Ohio Department of Agriculture's web site at www.state.oh.us/agr.

Michigan Emerald Ash Borer on the Move
This summer, several additional finds of EAB have been located and confirmed in southern Michigan, outside the original six quarantine counties. The Michigan Department of Agriculture has just increased the number of counties under quarantine to 13. Visit this web address of a press release dated Aug. 5 that details the new counties involved: http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-1572_3628-72956--,00.html Once you reach that site you can access a new quarantine map. Most of these finds appear to have been associated with nursery material, although firewood may be a culprit in some cases. The state is also implementing an intense survey effort in the original core area, trying to determine the edge of the infestation. Additional details will be available this fall.

On The National Front

Keynotes in San Antonio  [back to top]
American Forests has announced the keynote speakers for the two general sessions of the 2003 National Urban Forest Conference. The conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas on Sept. 17-20, 2003. Visit www.americanforests.org for details or contact Donna Tschiffely 703-904-7508 or donna @amfor.org.
Opening General Session
Thursday, Sept. 18, 8:30am-noon
Mark Rey will present the challenges of addressing urban forestry issues from a national perspective. Mark oversees the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Mayor Ed Garza, Mayor of San Antonio will discuss the opportunities and challenges of managing San Antonio while trying to make it a greener, more livable city.
Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester and Acting Project Leader for the Southern Center for Wildland Urban Interface Research and Information for the USDA Forest Service, sets the stage of the conference by presenting a paradox: The single greatest risk to the future of forest sustainability is changing land use patterns and urbanization. Yet, people are becoming increasingly dependant on all the goods and services afforded to us by healthy forest ecosystems. Ed offers a ten-point call to action on addressing the environmental challenges of an ever-increasing human imprint on the forested landscape.

Closing General Session
Saturday, September 20, 1:30-3pm
Jim Clark, Vice President of HortScience, Inc., a horticultural consulting firm in Pleasanton, CA, will unveil preliminary findings and recommendations of the National Assessment of Current Urban and Community Forestry Programs. This project, to be completed in 2004, evaluates the breadth of urban and community forestry programs in the United States, and the effectiveness of the USDA Forest Service in supporting them. He will summarize the study currently under way and attendees will have the opportunity to provide comments.
Recognizing the alarming loss of tree cover in the United States over the last 25 years, William Sullivan, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Human-Environment Lab at the University of Illinois, will discuss the profound social consequences of this loss for people who live in urban areas and the considerable evidence available to reverse this trend. Bill examines the compelling social benefits of urban forests and provides a set of resources that attendees can use in efforts to make their cities greener. He also will challenge us to build a model for quantifying the economic value of social benefits.

National State Coordinators Meeting in San Antonio  [back to top]
Ever want to be a Texan so you could walk proud, talk loud and eat lots of Texas BBQ? Well you can - for one day at least. Join your peers on the Riverwalk in San Antonio on Sept. 16. We will hear from nearly every national U&CF interest group. This is your chance to tell them how you feel about their programs. Have a concern about NTT? Wondering how the national allocation formula is changing? Curious about research into ecological benefits? If you can't resist the thought of giving these organizations direct feedback on how they could improve their service, you need to join us in San Antonio. See you there, partner. And don't forget to bring something that represents your state for the gift exchange (under $20 and small enough to pack). Contact John Giedraitis at jpg@tfs.tamu.edu or 979-458-6650 if you need more information.

Forest Service UCF Allocation Draws Congressional Attention  [back to top]
From Director Mark Buscaino: "I have seen a great volume of e-mail traffic, and received numerous phone calls, regarding the recent House language (presented below). The comments typically fall into one of three categories: some say the language will help the program; others say that it will damage the program; finally, others ask the "why" of the language - what group or individuals could have made this happen? In light of this, I wanted to offer some thoughts.

I've had the opportunity to speak with many seasoned individuals who've said that this language is not new, that it's been in the making for many years, and that it has finally fallen to earth. To me this seems to be the most reasonable explanation. I won't speculate on what person or persons may have advocated for its creation, or what political underpinnings may be pushing it. Why? Because even if I knew, it wouldn't help. To me it's simple: a situation has presented itself and it must be dealt with.

Second, I do not agree with the stance that the language will negatively impact our program. Key in this view is that targeting more resources to urban areas will eliminate the program from lesser-populated States. This highlights a key problem for everyone involved in UCF, and that is the urban/rural conflict. From my perspective, this issue is, and continues to be, divisive and destructive to the entire program, and strikes at the heart of our strength: partnerships and cooperation. I'm committed to working with the state foresters and other cooperators to come to a reasonable solution to this issue. It will be dealt with, and the House language will not damage the program.

Third, just as the challenge of competition strengthens private industry, I will look at this, and any other challenge, as an opportunity. Dealt with appropriately, this language will strengthen our program, make it more understandable to cooperators, allow it to operate more smoothly, and make it more responsive to the requirements of performance-based budgeting, which impacts everyone. Do I think these things can be accomplished overnight? Of course not, but if we never start, we'll never achieve what many of you have told me is a desirable goal: a more cohesive program that is able to grow and adapt to a whole range of states issues that differ significantly from North to South and East to West. I'm committed to addressing this language in a manner that will assist all states and territories where we work, so they may achieve their locally set goals and objectives for Urban and Community Forestry.

In closing, I want to offer my thanks to all of you. Since December I have been on a very steep learning curve and you have all contributed to my understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and differing needs for everyone involved in the national program. I am, and will continue working diligently to positively influence the outcome that will stem from the House language, and I thank you in advance for your continuing support. Please share this correspondence with interested parties. "

2004 House Interior Appropriations Language  [back to top]
(From House Rpt. 108-195) Urban and Community Forestry - The Committee recommends $36,000,000 for urban and community forestry, $1,893,000 below the request and $1,000 above the 2003 funding level. This recommendation includes $700,000 to support the northeastern Pennsylvania community forestry program, but other previous Congressional allocations are discontinued. The Committee directs the Forest Service to devise a new and different funding allocation method for this program. The existing system discriminates against States with large urban areas and directs funds to States with many tiny communities, and it has no performance-based allocation criteria. The Committee directs the new methodology used by the Forest Service to consider State population and metropolitan area statistics, consider the increased demand for assistance to large urban centers, as well as devise performance criteria which help determine State allocations. The Committee also directs that the new allocation methodology should include competitive funding for nationally or regionally significant projects. The Committee directs the Forest Service to notify the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, in writing, of this new allocation methodology prior to allocating fiscal year 2004 funds. The Committee feels that, after 11 years, this program no longer needs to require certain specific staffing levels by a State as a condition to getting a grant, and the Forest Service and the State foresters should evaluate whether or not minimum State allocations should be continued.

2004 Senate Interior Appropriations Language  [back to top] (From Senate Rpt. 108-089) The Committee has provided $35,999,000 for the urban and community forestry program, which is equal to the 2003 enacted level. Within the funds provided, $250,000 is for the People and Parks Foundation to continue urban natural resource stewardship work as part of the Urban Watershed Forestry Research and Demonstration Cooperative in Baltimore, Maryland, $300,000 is for the continuation of work by the Cook County Forest Preserve to conduct environmental and technical work associated with the Preserve's forestry programs, and $300,000 is for the Chicago Green Streets program.

Environmental Exposure and Racial Disparities  [back to top]
An analysis of racial exposure to environmental chemicals, "Environmental Exposure and Racial Disparities" documents how people of different races living in the United States are exposed to different chemicals in the workplace and the home. As a result, efforts to eliminate environmental disease require that racial information be gathered and solutions be tailored to the needs of the community. The report identifies significant differences in the types of chemicals people of different races are exposed to in the United States and includes the findings that, in comparison to the other groups,
** Blacks are more likely to be exposed to PCBs [polychlorinated biphenyls] and dioxins, compared to whites. PCBs and dioxins are associated with a host of diseases including cancer, diabetes, and damage to the immune system.
** Hispanic-Americans are more likely to be exposed to pesticides and herbicides and are more likely to be exposed at high levels, compared to whites. Many pesticides and herbicides are associated with birth defects, cancers, and damage to the hormone system.
** People with low income, no matter what their race, are much more likely to be exposed to contaminants in their daily lives (like diesel fumes, smog, and strong chemicals at work) and they are much more likely to suffer from chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and stroke.
** Children - especially children of color and children of low-income families - are particularly prone to toxic exposures and are most sensitive to harm from industrial poisons.

These results are based on an analysis by the Environmental Justice and Health Union of the largest study to date of environmental exposures in the U.S. population, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals." The CDC performs the study every two years. To view a copy of "Environmental Exposure and Racial Disparities," visit the Environmental Justice and Health Union website at http://www.ejhu.org/disparities.html.

Urban Heat Island Pilot Project   [back to top]
Although the urban heat island effect is prevalent in many cities, intensities vary from community to community according to such variables as climate, topography and the degree and pattern of urbanization in a given geographical area. Not surprisingly, the potential benefits that can be gained from urban heat island mitigation also depend on local conditions. In an attempt to better understand the extent to which mitigation strategies will be effective in reducing energy use and preventing pollution in a particular area, the EPA is working with NASA and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as part of the Urban Heat Island Pilot Project. The goal of the UHIPP is to use the results from the NASA/LBNL analysis, combined with knowledge gained through working with various organizations within several pilot cities to identify the most effective means of implementing strategies designed to mitigate the urban heat island. These "lessons learned" will be made available to cities across the United States to assist policymakers and others to analyze their own urban heat islands and determine which, if any, measures can be taken to help save energy and money, and to prevent pollution. For more information, view the following link: http://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/uhipp/urban_uhipp.html.

$$ Grant Opportunities $$  [back to top]

Fish and Wildlife Service
Deadline Nov. 28, 2003
The Fish and Wildlife Service and the North American Wetlands Conservation Council are requesting proposals for wetland and wetland-associated upland conservation projects under the Small Grants program for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). NAWCA promotes the long-term conservation of North American wetland ecosystems, and waterfowl and other migratory birds, fish and wildlife that depend upon wetland habitat. Grants will be approved up to $50,000. Priority will be given to projects from grant applicants that ensure long-term conservation benefits. Grant proposals are due by Friday, Nov. 28, 2003. For more information, visit http://northamerican.fws.gov/NAWCA/USsmallgrants.html.

Publications & Websites  [back to top]

On-Line Certification Training
Weyers Cave - Blue Ridge Community College continues to partner with the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (MAC-ISA) to serve as a testing center for the Certified Arborist Exam as well as offering the Arborist Certification Course. In addition to the traditional classroom sessions, the entire course will also be available electronically via the Web. The content of the course has been divided into the domains assessed on the ISA Certification Exam with special emphasis placed on understanding basic tree biology. Numerous images will be presented to illustrate important concepts and principles underlying each topic. On-line students may determine their own pace as they work through each domain and assess their understanding of the material with domain quizzes that randomly present questions from a test bank consisting of over 1,000 questions. For more information visit www1.brcc.edu/murray

Resources for Urban Tree Risk Management
"Urban Tree Risk Management: A Community Guide to Program Design and Implementation" is now on-line at www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/uf/utrmm This fully-illustrated, easy to read, training manual is designed to improve public safety and protect tree health by assisting communities to design, adopt, and implement tree-risk management programs; and training field staff to detect, assess, and correct hazardous defects in urban trees.

What Is a Hazard Tree?
How can you identify hazard trees? How can you assess them? Find out more from the USDA Forest Service Northeast Center for urban and community forestry: http://www.umass.edu/urbantree/hazard/index.shtml.

Carbon Dioxide Reduction Through Urban Forestry
See Chapter 1 of the following publication: Carbon Dioxide Reduction through Urban Forestry. Chapter 1 discusses urban forests and climate change. View the publication in pdf format at: http://cufr.ucdavis.edu/products/cufr_43.pdf.

Guide to Understanding a Community's Sense of Place
Need help understanding the human dimension of environmental protection? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided just that. "Community Culture and the Environment: A Guide to Understanding a Sense of Place" is a compilation of tools and methods designed to provide leaders in the environmental field a means for better understanding community values and processes. This substantial document is available online at http://www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/pdf/ccecomplete.pdf

Urban Land Reform
"Seizing City Assets: Ten Steps to Urban Land Reform" is an on-line PowerPoint by Bruce Katz presented to the Vacant Land Forum. It highlights the 10 steps with innovative case studies and programs from cities and counties that are struggling with vacant land and brownfields. http://www.brookings.edu/es/urban/speeches/20030709_katzvacantland.htm

Reducing Tree Root Damage
"Reducing Infrastructure Damage by Tree Roots: A Compendium of Strategies" is now available to help you with your tree root problems. The compendium offers solutions in three categories: tree, infrastructure, and root zone. It identifies and describes key strategies used to prevent or mitigate damage to sidewalks, curbs, and gutters by tree roots. Strategies include the use of root barriers, structural soil, species selection, alternative design, soil management techniques, and many others. Each strategy is described in terms of objectives, methods, materials, and limitations. This publication serves as a quick and complete reference for all professionals interested in reducing infrastructure damage. You can obtain a copy from the Western Chapter ISA at 530-892-1118 or through their website at www.wcisa.net

Kids Perspective of Urban Forests
A new interactive CD-ROM titled "The Forest Where Ashley Lives" is now available from Iowa State University Extension. The CD contains a version for teachers and students, including many urban forestry publications and activities. A version of the book can be viewed at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1812.pdf

USDA Releases First Annual Natural Resources Inventory
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service recently released its first annual National Resources Inventory (NRI). The NRI provides comprehensive and statistically reliable information on various natural resource conditions and trends on non-federal lands, such as soil erosion, land use, urbanization and development. This report marks the first release of data since the NRI began a transition from a 5-year to an annual survey. For more information, visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/.

Marketing Urban Forestry
The Western Center for Urban Research has a well done marketing publication called ""Planting the Seeds of Success, Marketing the Community Forest" It can be down-loaded as a pdf at: http://wcufre.ucdavis.edu/products/1/cufr_161.pdf.

Biological Control of Invasive Plants
This book reviews the biology, impacts and biological control of 30 invasive species. To request a free copy, contact Richard Reardon of the U.S. Forest Service in Morgantown, WV at rreardon@fs.fed.us.

TreeLink Summer Accomplishments