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: February 20, 2004

Words for thought

-- Tony Johnson, ed. 2000.U. S. Timber Industry ¡V an assessment of timber product output and use

"You drive down one street and it's a concrete jungle, and you drive down another, and there's a nice canopy. Where would you like to live?"

-- Kingston, PA (pop. 13,800), Mayor James Haggerty advocating for a proposed $20,000 for pruning and planting in the 2004 budget

Around The States  [back to top]

California Program to Certify Urban Foresters
The California Urban Forests Council has announced the launch of its new Certified Urban Forester Program. The first public examination will be held on April 3, 2004 at Cal Poly Pomona. Prerequisite information, applications, and the Certified Urban Forester agreement may be downloaded at www.caufc.org

California Promotes Regional Urban Forest Councils
California has 7, soon to be 8, Regional Urban Forest Councils (RUFCs). These councils are moving forward and developing into entities that will be strong urban forestry advocates in their respective regions. This is heightened by their coordination with the CaUFC on the statewide billboard project. The CaUFC along with the RUFC's are working with private sponsors and donors to put up 500 billboards and bus shelter adds in urban areas across the state. The billboards are being either heavily discounted or donated by the billboard media companies, and will carry U&CF slogans. Messages like, "Right Tree, Right Place" and "Got Shade" are already showing up on billboards in the San Francisco Bay Area, southern California and the central valley. Each billboard includes the CaUFC and local RUFC in addition to the billboard sponsors. All of the organizations have links to the same web page. More information on this campaign can be found at www.caufc.org and through the links on that site to the RUFCs.

The Western U&CF Committee and Best of the West
The Western U&CF Committee (WUCFC) includes representation from the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF), Western Regions of the USFS and Research. The purpose of the WUCFC is to identify issues and concerns relevant to the west and provide advice and recommendations to develop Western approaches, a unified voice and common goals. Duties include advising CWSF on issues relating to U&CF, developing information and educational material, and facilitating coordinated research and information transfer. To accomplish these duties the WUCFC will be hosting the Best of the West Conference in Salt Lake City, UT on Nov. 3-5, 2004. This conference is intended for State and Federal U&CF Coordinators, State Foresters, volunteer groups, non-profit tree groups, and other interested individuals in the green industry. For more information contact local program/event coordinator Maggie Shao, Utah U&CF Coordinator at 801-538-5505, or Sarah Griffith, Chair of the WUCFC and WA U&CF Coordinator at 360-902-1704.

Ohio Legacy Tree Planting
The final grant round for the Ohio Bicentennial Legacy Tree Planting Grant Program occurred in 2003. More than $480,000 was granted to 49 communities to plant an anticipated 3,200 trees. During the four-year grant period, over $1.55 million in grants went to 141 communities to plant over 14,600 shade and ornamental trees. These trees not only will help improve Ohio's air quality, but also enhance the communities' quality of life.

New Jersey Studies Urban Forest Health
During the summer of 2003, the New Jersey Community Forestry Program employed a three-person crew to implement the first stage of the Urban Forest Health Monitoring Project in urban and suburban areas of New Jersey. This project seeks to extend the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) national sampling grid into areas classified as ¡§non-forest.¡¨ The goal is to acquire information about the urban forest and establish a model system of pest detection, monitoring and assessment in urban areas. An FIA classification as non-forest does not mean that an area contains no trees. It is the intent of this project to provide a more complete and accurate picture of the state's forest resources. In a state such as New Jersey, where only 45% of the land area is classified as forested, it is difficult to overstate the value of such a survey in providing information about the condition of this resource, factors affecting it, and how it is changing. For more information, contact Mike D'Errico, mderrico@dep.state.nj.us.

Project Canopy Promotes Program in Maine
Project Canopy, Maine¡¦s community forestry program, heightens public awareness of the community forest¡Xwhat it is, and why it is important. The program creates and maintains partnerships and promotes comprehensive management of community forests and related natural resources. In the past year, Project Canopy expanded outreach to all communities. Its strategic plan was updated with exceptional support from its active advisory council, the Project Canopy Leadership Team. Despite tighter budgets, Project Canopy increased the number of involved communities and awarded cost-share grants to 18 communities and organizations for forestry related projects. Continued support for community, volunteer and partnership involvement, and increased flexibility to meet communities' varied needs, are themes for the year ahead. For more information, contact Maine Coordinator Mike DeBonis, michael.debonis@maine.gov

Vermont Volunteers Get SOUL
Vermont's UCF volunteer training program, Stewardship of the Urbanized Landscape (SOUL), is a unique, mission-fulfilling program that trains UCF volunteers and builds capacity at the local level. SOUL graduates return to their communities equipped to produce substantial, sustainable UCF outcomes. In 2003, graduates Karen Douville, Denise Welch-May and Sylvia Provost helped to establish a tree group in Hartford. They recruited other volunteers and developed a plan. They conducted seminars and field trips and wrote articles to teach others about proper tree care. In September, town officials passed a tree policy that outlined responsibilities, best management practices and measures to protect heritage trees, and created an official town tree board. The SOUL graduates are likely to become tree board members! For more information contact Coordinator Danielle Fitzko, danielle.fitzko@anr.state.vt.us

FEMA Grants Target Hazard-Tree Mitigation in Oregon
In 2003 and 2004, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is administering a local grant program using funds provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Oregon Emergency Management. These Hazard Tree Mitigation Grants will provide up to $90,000 in 75%-25% matching grants available to local governmental units and non-profits in a six county area affected by a February 2002 windstorm. Eligible projects include educational efforts and tree removal and replacement under powerlines. ODF also coordinated a series of Hazard Tree Prevention Workshops for people who work around trees, but not necessarily with them, such as highway maintenance personnel, utility linemen, parks maintenance crews. Over 150 people attended one of the three sessions held around the state. Here is an excerpt from one of the class evaluation forms: Question: What was the most significant new fact or idea you learned from today's class? Answer: The damage I do to trees with my backhoe. There is no telling how many trees will be saved as a result of educating this backhoe operator! For more information call Paul D. Ries at 503-945-7391 or email pries@odf.state.or.us

Unique Plantings Mark Arbor Day in South Carolina
Greenwood, SC Mayor Floyd Nicholson was joined by State Forester Bob Schowalter in planting a Willow Oak in a new community park in Greenwood on Dec. 5. The mayor was awarded the tree by the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) after sharing his story about the importance of trees to his city. Greenwood had recently used funds from an Urban and Community Forestry Grant to train two city employees in arboriculture; both have since become certified arborists, and helped plant the tree at the Arbor Day observance. The park, located on an old railroad switching yard, is undergoing renovation with private funds and volunteers. The willow oak planted by the mayor is the first of several to be planted in the park. The McClellanville, SC volunteer-based Urban Forestry Committee helped all three local schools celebrate Arbor Day by planting Live Oaks at each school. As part of the UF Committee¡¦s Memorial Tree Plan, the Brown family dedicated a Live Oak at the middle school to the memory of their recently deceased grandmother. Ms. Mabel Brown passed away at 115 years of age. Her 2-year-old great-great grandson unveiled the plaque dedicating the tree. UF Committee Chairman Walter Bonner paid tribute to the legacy and long life of Ms. Brown and the long life expectancy of the Live Oak planted in her memory.

Louisiana Trains Tree Troopers
Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful, a Louisiana based organization, has completed it's first Tree Trooper Class in cooperation with the La. Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The eight-week course covered appreciation of the urban forest and basic arboricultural principles including tree identification, proper pruning techniques, proper planting and tree selection. Classes were taught by professionals from all over the state. Field sessions provided a hands-on experience. Over sixty people enrolled with fifty-eight completing the course and earning diplomas. In return for their training, Tree Troopers pledge 24 hours of service to the community on projects of benefit to the urban forest, including tree planting, a tree inventory of significant and historical trees and work related to a new tree protection ordinance. The program is intended as a model for other areas. Graphics, press releases and advertisements were developed to be easily adjusted for other venues so that future programs can be easier and less expensive for sponsoring organizations. For more information on replicating this successful program in your area, contact Carey Hammett with Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful at 504-834-9927 or Urban Forestry Program Director Tom Campbell, with the La. Department of Agriculture and Forestry at 504-483-4795.

Florida Tree Distribution
In Broward County, Florida the League of Cities, a nonprofit organization, has provided 63,000 3-gallon-size trees to residents under a grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture. Trees are given to residents free after they attend a short workshop on selecting the right tree, proper tree planting techniques and tree maintenance. Project Director Tim Lee says the program, which was designed to replace trees lost to citrus canker, has been a great success. Community volunteers have provided much of the labor involved in replacing the tree canopy. Overall 132,000 trees were cut from the county and the League of Cities plans to ultimately replace each one. Submitted by Tom Gilpin, Flordia Division of Forestry.

Georgia is Growing from Grassroots!
The Georgia Urban Forest Council held an interactive conference to kick off a unified effort among all nonprofit tree organizations, tree boards, municipalities and allies to embrace the media and elected officials with the message that urban forests have value. Secretary of State Cathy Cox, gave an enlightening presentation about the process and the make-up of the Georgia Legislature and how to write and approach lawmakers. Teams of conference participants entered an Arbor Day Competition to design a statewide theme for Georgia's Arbor Day 2004. Visit the Georgia Forestry Commission Web site at www.gfc.state.ga.us in February to see Arbor Day special announcements and events, and ways to put grassroots into action. For more info contact Susan Reisch at sreisch@gfc.state.ga.us

Chesapeake Group Seek to Improve Urban Canopy
The members of the Chesapeake Executive Council have reaffirmed their commitment to restoring a significant part of the Chesapeake Bay by protecting and restoring riparian lands along the watershed's thousands of miles of stream and shoreline. Scientific evidence indicates that riparian forest buffers offer the greatest range of benefits of any riparian land use. Such benefits include improved downstream and in-stream habitats, reduced nutrient and suspended sediment levels and moderated water temperatures, and improved value such as foraging, migration, spawning, nursery and nesting habitat for a variety of wildlife. Based on this evidence, The Council supports increased efforts in the conservation, restoration, and maintenance of forested riparian buffers, committing to the following goals: 1) By 2010, the council will work with at least 5 local jurisdictions and communities in each state within the watershed to complete an assessment of urban forests, adopt a local goal to increase urban tree canopy cover and encourage measures to attain the established goals in order to enhance and extend forest buffer function, and 2) Encourage increases in the amount of tree canopy in all urban and suburban areas by promoting the adoption of tree-canopy goals as a tool for communities in watershed planning. Submitted by Paul Revel, Virginia state coordinator.

Alabama County Completes Satellite Imaging of Urban Forest
Jefferson County, Alabama, has taken a snapshot of its urban forest - one from outer space. Using IKONOS II satellite remote sensing, the project gives Storm Water Management Authority, Inc. (SWMA) new technology to help address storm water issues in Jefferson County. SWMA is a nonprofit organization formed to help Jefferson County¡¦s twenty-six municipalities comply with water-related federal and state regulations. In March 2001, Auburn University awarded $200,000 in Title VIII funds from the USDA Forest Service for this project. The award¡¦s purpose was to establish baseline information on Jefferson County¡¦s urban forest. Over the next three years, a model was developed for the county and each of the municipalities using satellite imagery, calculations of storm water runoff, and related urban forest factors. Impervious surface areas were also included. The findings can help local governments decide policies and ordinances to accommodate land-use development while protecting critical urban forests necessary for storm water management. The general public is being encouraged to participate in volunteer activities to restore and replant urban forests in the county. For more information contact Steve McKinney, SWMA, 216 Summit Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35209 or visit www.swma.com/active.asp?category=it&subcat=special_projects Submitted by Neil Letson, Alabama Urban Forestry coordinator.

Oregon and Washington Programs Training Local Governments
Twenty-five municipal representatives from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho recently completed the 2003 Community Tree Management Institute (CTMI). This year-long, intensive event provided a "crash-course" in urban forestry for city staff with tree-management responsibilities. The course includes five sessions covering 50 instructional hours. Instructors included state urban forestry program staff, city foresters, and a variety of green-industry professionals from Oregon and Washington. Unique features of this institute include an out-of-class assignment to develop a local community project, and a resource notebook that participants can use for future urban forestry needs. CTMI participants received training in the technical foundations of urban and community forestry, managerial and administrative aspects of developing and implementing urban forestry programs, and communicating the benefits of trees. For more information contact Paul Ries, at 503-945-7391, pries@odf.state.or.us and Sarah Griffith, WDNR, 360-902-1704, sarah.griffith@wadnr.gov.

TREE Fund Sends Thanks
Over the recent holiday I received a letter and a plaque from the TREE Fund expressing thanks to the state and federal urban forestry coordinators who supported the 2003 Tour des Trees. As a group, we raised $1,300 for tree research and education. Overall, the more than 80 tour riders grossed approximately $400,000. Though I was the instigator and pain-in-the-butt emailer, Ralph Campbell of Colorado rode this year. My plan is to ride again this year, so prime your email Spam filters, and I hope more readers will take up the challenge. We had riders aged 7 to 70 last year. Thanks to all for your generous support of our profession. Dick Rideout, WI state coordinator.

On The National Front

Update: Forest Service Response to Appropriations Language  [back to top]
Congress has directed the agency to present to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations by April 1, 2004, a report describing the current allocation methodology and one or more alternative methodologies that focus additional emphasis on program performance. To briefly update, the NASF Urban Committee met Dec. 8-9 and looked at two alternatives presented by the federal work group. The NASF team of state U&CF coordinators (the ¡§Nashville six¡¨), included representatives from Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Kentucky, and South Carolina. The committee made its recommendations to the Forest Service and has proposed some changes. The USFS will reconvene a conference call with the federal allocation team to review the proposed changes and endorse a single version. This proposal will be reviewed by agency and NASF executive leadership before the release for public comment. For more information contact Tennessee State Forester Steve Scott, Steven.Scott@state.tn.us

FY2004 Rescission  [back to top]
In order to meet the appropriations caps established by congressional leadership, the Appropriations Committee on Interior and Related Agencies was forced to apply an across the board rescission, amounting to a reduction of 1.21% of agency funding. All marks will be affected and total amount appropriated for UCF in FY2004 is reduced to nearly $34.875 million. This amount is lower than that received in FY2001, $35.7 million.

Watershed Forestry Assistance Program Signed into Law  [back to top]
As the culmination of over 3 years of work by the Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and other partners, a flurry of activity and compromise at the end of 2003 established a Watershed Forestry Assistance Program (WFAP) in the Forest Service. This is the first time in history that a program specifically focused on the protection and restoration of water quality and watershed conditions will be a part of the portfolio of state-federal cooperative programs throughout the United States. To date, successes at the watershed level have been the result of integrating a number of agency program authorities. This new program does not replace or eliminate the valuable role of programs like Forest Stewardship and Urban and Community Forestry in accomplishing watershed objectives. However, the WFAP brings increased attention to the value of clean water as a forest product and strengthens the use of forests as a tool in watershed protection. Best management practices (BMPs) implementation is a particular focus of the new law, as is developing partnerships at the local level to protect and restore watersheds.

The WFAP includes two major components familiar to the state/federal partnership:

• Increasing the provision of technical watershed expertise.
• Information to enhance watershed management on rural and urban forest lands.

Two significant tasks remain before this program will become a reality. A committee will begin work in Washington, DC in January to write the rules for proposed implementation of the program. And most importantly, Congress must still decide to what level it will fund this new program. For more information on Title III, Watershed Forestry Assistance, visit www.house.gov/rules/health_forest_cr.pdf.

Highlands Act Passes in the House  [back to top]
The Highlands Conservation Act (HR 1964), federal legislation introduced by Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen of New Jersey and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators, has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation authorizes $110 million over the next decade to protect critical open space in the four-state Highlands region, which includes Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. A similar Bill is being considered in the Senate and a vote is expected in January. If passed and signed into law, an appropriation of funds is expected in FY 2005. It will be directed into the 2.5 million acre region from the U.S. Department of Interior's Land and Water Conservation fund and the U.S. Department of Agriculture budget.

Third Annual Growing Native  [back to top] October marked the third annual Growing Native ¡§Get Nuts for Clean Water¡¨ event. Growing Native is a program of the Potomac Watershed Partnership, one of the 15 national large-scale community-based watershed forestry partnerships sponsored by the USDA Forest Service. Growing Native is a widespread, volunteer-led scavenger hunt for tree seeds. The collected seeds are then grown at State nursery farms and transplanted in stream- and river-side reforestation. More than 7,000 volunteers collected over 18 thousand pounds of seed, a record number. Of the 20-odd species desired, there was an overabundance of Juglans nigra, black walnut. Each year the program grows to fill a new need. This year the emphasis was on backyard collections in parks and other public places. There is interest in seeing this program grow into one that is national in scope. The program will continue to ¡§grow native¡¨ in the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The Potomac Watershed Partnership is a watershed restoration and stewardship venture between the USDA Forest Service, the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, Ducks Unlimited and the Potomac Conservancy to preserve the health of the Potomac Watershed.

NUCFAC Grant Update  [back to top]
The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) received 118 pre-proposals in response to the 2004 Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program. The total request for Federal funding is $11,211,374 that is matched with $14,048,004 by the applicant organizations for a total of $26,259,378 in urban and community forestry projects. Applications were received from 39 States and the District of Columbia. NUCFAC will recommend approximately $1 million Federal dollars in projects to the Forest Service that will subsequently be awarded as Federal Financial Assistance Grants through the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program.

Update on Emerald Ash Borer  [back to top]
New research shows the dreaded emerald ash borer has a range of more than six miles once it emerges from its tree in the spring. The revelation has stunned experts. The highly destructive Asian beetle, which already has killed or is in the process of killing five million ash trees in southeast Michigan, previously was thought to have a range of a quarter-mile. Ohio State University entomologist Robin Taylor said there is no doubt the borer has the potential of wiping out North American ash trees like the disease that ravaged Dutch elm trees a generation ago. Ohio has 3.8 billion ash trees, covering 850,000 acres of the state's eight million acres of woodlands. Should the insect careen out of control, it could deliver a blow to the state's economy because Ohio is a major manufacturer of tool handles made from ash.

On a positive note, Emerald BioAgriculture Corp., a Lansing company, says that its product BotaniGard contains a fungus that is extremely effective at killing the beetle. It is a fungus in BotaniGard, beauveria bassiana, that has proven effective in preliminary tests on the ash borer, according to Dr. Leah Bauer, an adjunct professor at Michigan State University and a research entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service research station on the MSU campus. ¡§What we've found is the beetle is surprisingly susceptible to beauveria ¡X way, way more susceptible than what you would typically expect,¡¨ she said. Bauer began testing BotaniGard last January in small caged areas of greenhouses. What seemed to work best was to spray the fungicide on tree trunks before the adult beetle emerged. ¡§When they emerge, they get a big dose,¡¨ she said. ¡§It's fatal. When they get it, they're dead in anywhere from four to 10 days.¡¨ Last summer, tests began outdoors on mature, infected ash trees, at shopping malls in Ann Arbor. Up to 76 percent of emergent adults were infected. Bauer said larger field tests will be conducted in 2004 to answer such questions as what is the most effective dose, how often and when it should be applied and what is the best method of application. ¡§We still have a long way to go,¡¨ said Bauer, who said she has been writing grant applications to fund further research. ¡§Next year, we'll go to much bigger plots, huge plots. I don't know where yet. It might be on state land. We don't have a shortage of trees.¡¨ Meanwhile, Emerald is free to sell BotaniGard to those wishing to spray infected trees on their own property. It has been approved as nontoxic by the Federal Food and Drug Administration and has been approved for use in Michigan. McIntyre said the company is in contact with such retailers as Frank's Nurseries and Home Depot to make BotaniGard available locally.

Americans Vote for Open Space - Again  [back to top]
Despite a weak economy, voters approved 83 percent of state and local conservation-funding measures on Nov. 4, 2003. During all of 2003, voters passed 99 measures in 23 states, creating $1.8 billion in new conservation-related funding -- $1.3 billion specifically for land conservation. The LandVote 2003 statistics were gathered by the Trust for Public Lands (TPL) Conservation Finance Program, which helps states and communities plan for and pass conservation funding measures. TPL's new handbook on conservation finance will be published early next year. Complete details are available at http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cdl.cfm?content_item_id=12786&folder_id=2406

Grant Opportunitie$  [back to top]

Grants On-Line
As of Nov. 10 all federal agencies are required to post grant announcements online, at www.grants.gov. The requirement also applies to cooperative agreements. The site allows you to search by the type of activity, agency or date. You can also sign up for e-mail notification of grant announcements using the same categories. The agency postings provide a synopsis of the full grant announcement and 27 standard items of information, including a description of the program, due dates for applications, contact information and a link to the full grant announcement. The Grants.Gov site is launching an online application process that allows you to download the application form, fill it in and submit it later. The process should be fully functional by mid-November.

Sustainable Forestry and Biodiversity: 2003 Request for Proposals
Deadline Feb. 2, 2004
The National Commission for Science on Sustainable Forestry (NCSSF) is soliciting Letters of Intent for the annual competitive awards process. NCSSF will fund 8 specific projects in 2004 on sustainable forest management (SFM) and biodiversity related to: intensive even-aged forest management; incentives for practicing SFM on non-industrial private forest lands; engaging non-industrial private landowners; implications of post-fire recovery strategies; assessing public knowledge, values, and attitudes; invasives decision-support approaches; species invasions and impacts; and, guidelines for participatory inventorying and monitoring. Based on the Letters of Intent, three candidates for each project will be invited to submit proposals for external review. Final awards are expected by May 2004 and will range from $50,000 to $100,000 each depending on the project. Further information, project descriptions and instructions for Letters of Intent are available at www.ncssf.org

EPA Offers Environmental Education Grants
Deadline: February 2004
The Grant Program sponsored by EPA's Office of Environmental Education supports environmental education projects that enhance the public's awareness, knowledge, and skills to make informed decisions that affect environmental quality. Since 1992, EPA has awarded about 2,500 grants. Learn more at http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html

NOAA Supports Community Based Restoration
Deadline: Sept. 12; Dec. 5
This financial and technical federal assistance program promotes strong partnerships at the national, regional and local level to fund grass-roots, community-based activities that restore living marine resources and their habitats and promote stewardship and a conservation ethic for NOAA trust resources in the United States. Learn more at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/funding_opportunities/funding.html

Publications & Websites  [back to top]

CD Focus Is Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem
This University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service publication is available on CD-ROM or on the Florida Cooperative Extension's EDIS website. In ten chapters this publication presents the principles and processes for restoring the health of the urban ecosystem, including: an introduction and glossary, basic ecological principles, biodiversity, plant succession and disturbances, planning, the hydrologic cycle, site assessment and soil improvement, enriching and managing wildlife, and invasive plants. Read the full publication on EDIS at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_BOOK_Restoring_the_Urban_Forest_Ecosystem

Ecological Restoration Institute
The Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University works to heal fire-adapted forests and other ecosystems in western North America. The ERI strives to provide the best applied restoration knowledge to the public, land management agencies, nongovernmental organizations, academic researchers, and students. Visit http://www.eri.nau.edu/index.asp

Tree Care Information at Your Fingertips
Did you know that ISA's tree-care consumer information brochures can be used for preparing newsletter articles, press releases, and presentations? Anyone can use the information from these brochures, word for word, as long as you credit the source. There are now 18 different titles and they can be accessed through the ISA at www.treesaregood.com.

NADF Offers Free Sustainability Guidebook
Urban and Community Forestry: A Practical Guide to Sustainability, is a guidebook available on the National Arbor Day Foundation website for free download in both English and Spanish at http://www.arborday.org/programs/ucf/

Landscapes of the Heart
Landscapes of the Heart: Narratives of Nature and Self contains personal essays about nature and the environment that address the impact that nature has on our personal well being and how our interactions with the environment shape who we are and how we connect with our world. Contributors include E.O. Wilson and Maurice Strong. Online ordering is available at http://www.newestpress.com/completeT.html#L

How Cities Use Parks for Green Infrastructure
The American Planning Association released a new publication by Dr. Mark A. Benedict and Edward T. McMahon of the Conservation Fund titled: How Cities Use Parks for Green Infrastructure: American Planning Association City Parks Forum Briefing Paper, November 2003. The direct link to the APA document on the website is http://www.greeninfrastructure.net/?article=2073.

Planting Specifications and Details
ISA's newly-developed planting spec's and CAD details can be found at: http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/cadDetails.asp

Strategies for Planting in Pits
"Positively the Pits: Successful Strategies for Sustainable Streetscapes" outlines street tree planting techniques that can be employed in restricted planting locations. The article can be accessed at http://www.natlarb.com/content/pubs/November_2003_TCI_-_Positively_the_Pits.htm

Urban Forestry Factsheets On-line
In 1996 a series of U&CF fact sheets were developed by Cornell Extension following devastating ice storms in western New York state. The factsheets have recently been updated by the Davey Resource Group and the Forest Service Northeast Center for U&CF, and links have been added, connecting the reader to additional resources related to tree care, planting and community forestry. These resources are two-page briefs that provide a simple, easy to understand introduction to a variety of topics. Access the fact sheets online at http://www.umass.edu/urbantree/factsheets

Shigo On-Line
New CD set by Dr Alex L. Shigo
http://www.chesco.com/~treeman/CDS1.html
Techno Tree Biology Dictionary Free
www.treedictionary.com
Shigo articles links
http://www.chesco.com/~treeman/SHIGO/
More from Dr. Shigo
http://www.chesco.com/~treeman/treeinfo.html

Job Opportunities  [back to top]

Visit the TreeLink jobs page at http://treelink.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3 for a variety of employment opportunities.

Continuing Education  [back to top]

Visit the current Calendar of Events at www.treelink.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 on TreeLink.

Calendar of Events   [back to top]

Visit the current Calendar of Events at www.treelink.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 on TreeLink.