I. Featured News

All of these items and more appear in the "Featured News" section on the SAF home page

1. Ochoco Fires Up Job-Saving Pellet Plant

Oregon Business (February 3) - Ochoco Lumber's new biomass plant, built adjacent to its existing sawmill on its Malheur Lumber site in John Day, began churning out pellets this month.

The plant, which will bring jobs to a region with unemployment of more than 14 percent, was built despite an oversupply of pellet production that shut down three other wood pellet plants in Oregon last year.

The project was financed with $50 million in new market tax credits allocated by Ecotrust, Midwest Renewable Capital, and CEI Capital Management. It also received a $4.9 million federal stimulus grant.

2. BLM Withdraws Two Timber Sales

Mail Tribune (Oregon, February 3) - Administrative appeals and changing environmental law killed a large timber sale originally sold by the Bureau of Land Management in 2006.

The 13.4-million-board-foot Chew Choo sale, which includes 421 acres of forestland in the Glendale Resource Area of the BLM's Medford District, was withdrawn this week, along with the Remote Control timber sale in the agency's Coos Bay District that was sold in 1998.

3. Forestry Officials: Budget Cuts Could Hinder Fire Response

WCSC TV (South Carolina, February 1) - South Carolina Forestry Commission officials say budget cuts could impair fire officials' ability to fight fires heading into wildfire season.

4. Adirondack Park's Review Board Opposes State Land Purchases

Adirondack Daily Enterprise (February 2) - The Adirondack Park's Local Government Review Board recently passed a resolution opposing some land purchases by the state. The board is asking state officials not to purchase 65,000 acres of former Finch, Pruyn, and Company land in the central Adirondacks or the 14,600-acre Follensby Park outside of Tupper Lake. Both are owned by the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and are to be added to the Forest Preserve.

5. Court Rejects US Bid to Establish Corridors for New Electric Transmission Lines

Los Angeles Times (February 1) - A federal court has rebuffed the US Department of Energy's effort to establish national interest corridors for new high-voltage electric transmission lines that would cover 100 million acres in 10 states.

The three-judge panel from the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 that the energy agency failed to adequately consult affected states or conduct federally mandated environmental reviews identifying vast swaths of land as suitable for fast-track treatment of applications to construct transmission facilities to supply areas of inadequate capacity.

To reach an additional article from The Forestry Source about the DOE's plans, visit the paper's archives.

Federal Lands Management

6. Groups Sue Forest Service over Motorized Routes

Denver Post (February 2) - A quintet of environmental groups-The Wilderness Society, the Center for Native Ecosystems, the Quiet Use Coalition, Wildlands CPR, and Great Old Broads for Wilderness- has sued the US Forest Service, arguing that the agency approved hundreds of miles of routes for motorized vehicles without proper review.

The groups, represented by the environmental law organization Earthjustice, say the routes slice through some of the most treasured parts of the Pike-San Isabel National Forest: in wetlands, along fishing streams, and across important habitat for endangered species.

The agency has not commented on the suit.

7. Less Cutting, Burning Possible in Fire Plan

Jackson Hole News and Guide (February 2) - Bridger-Teton National Forest officials say they will develop a less intrusive alternative for a project that aims to reduce fuels on more than 22,000 acres of forest on the west side of the Snake River.

According to the Jackson Hole News and Guide, planners for the project are developing the new "light on the land" alternative in response to public worries. Land management officials said they have heard public comments that prescribed burns and mechanical treatments will alter the wilderness character of the Palisades Wilderness Study Area.

8. Forest Service Releases Forest Restoration Proposal

Williams News (Arizona, February 1) - The Forest Service has released a proposal, known as the Proposed Action for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative-Coconino and Kaibab National Forests (4FRI), to restore ponderosa pine ecosystems across two national forests in northern Arizona.

The vision of 4FRI is restored forest ecosystems that support natural fire regimes, functioning populations of native plants and animals, and forests that pose little threat of destructive wildfire to thriving forest communities, as well as support sustainable forest industries that strengthen local economies while conserving natural resources and aesthetic values.

The release of the proposed action for the 4FRI begins a 45-day scoping period that will run through March 14. Members of the public are encouraged to review the document and provide comments.

Forest Products Industry

9. Plum Creek Q4 Profit Helped by Real Estate Sales

Reuters (February 2) - Real estate sales more than doubled at Plum Creek Timber Company in the fourth quarter, helping the company post better better-than-expected profit and revenue. According to analysts, the jump in real estate sales at the company, which builds homes and sells timber for use in plywood and fiberboard, offers a small clue that the troubled housing sector may be on the mend.

10. Wilderness Study Calls for Restoration, Less Logging

KRBD.com (Alaska, January 31) - A new study by the Wilderness Society that examines the economy of Southeast Alaska contrasts logging in the Tongass with efforts to restore habitat and thin second-growth forests. According to the study, the US Forest Service spent about a quarter of a billion dollars over eight years, supporting timber harvests, but only about $7 million came back.

11. Beyond Timber: New Economic Opportunities for Southern US Forests

World Resources Institute - According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), 31 million acres of forestland in the southern United States are expected to be lost to development between 1992 and 2040-an area the size of North Carolina. To address this, the WRI, has launched the first in a new series of issue briefs that explore incentives for ensuring that southern US forests continue to supply the timber, water, recreation, and other benefits. The first one, Keeping Forest as Forest, provides an overview of a range of economic opportunities that are available to southern landowners.

II. Publications, Resources, and Items of Interest

1. New Report on Ecosystem-Based Approach to Forestation

Dovetail Partners - A new report from Dovetail Partners, Maximizing the Environmental and Economic Benefits of a Million Acres of Forestation in Minnesota through an Ecosystem Restoration Approach, demonstrates that a holistic approach to forestation, based on the diversity of Minnesota's ecosystems and the services they provide, will maximize the benefits of such an initiative. Specifically, the report shows: (1) there are multiple benefits of forestation beyond carbon sequestration, (2) a million acres of forestation in Minnesota is a feasible goal, and (3) existing resources can be used in large part to accomplish large-scale forestation.

2. Malaysian Palm Oil Destroying Forests, Report Warns

The Guardian (February 1) - According to a report from Wetlands International, Malaysia, the world's second-largest palm oil producer, is destroying large areas of carbon-rich peat swamp forests to expand plantations. The document claims that between 2005 and 2010, almost 353,000 hectares of peat swamp forests were cleared-a third of Malaysia's total-largely for palm oil production.

3. FSC, SFI Newsletters Now Available

The January 2011 issue of the Forest Stewardship Council's newsletter News and Views and the February 2011 issue of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative's SFI Newsletter are available online.

III. Science and Technology

1. Forest Service: New Hemlock Treatments Are Working

Mountain Express (North Carolina, February 2) - Last fall, the US Forest Service in North Carolina began using some new approaches to address hemlock trees under attack by the hemlock woolly adelgid in Western North Carolina's national forests. Among the treatment options are aerial application of an adelgid-killing fungus; use of the chemical dinotefuran; expanding the number of sites that will be treated; releasing new species of predator beetles as they are evaluated; and allowing the use of the longer-lasting chemical, imidacloprid.

2. Conkers on Horse Chestnut Trees Threatened by Moth Pest

BBC (February 1) - A common insect called the leaf miner moth does more long-term damage to horse chestnut trees than thought. Previously the moth was thought to cause only cosmetic damage, but a study published in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening shows the moth larvae attack the trees' leaves, reducing their ability to capture sunlight and turn it into food.

3. Southern Research Station's Compass Available Online

The current issue of Compass, a quarterly publication of the US Forest Service Southern Research Station, is now available online.

• An Industry Always in Transition, an article about the change and uncertainty within the forest products industry.
• Putting Land Ownership Changes in Perspective, an interview with David Tenny, president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance of Forest Owners.
• Research and the Bottom Line Industry, as land ownership changes, the future of research studies established with industry partners or on industry land comes into question.

To read more, visit the Southern Research Station website and download a copy.

IV. SAF News

1. Get $10 Off Your 2012 Membership Dues for Every New and Reinstating Member You Recruit!

Membership is all about networking. Now you can save money and help the organization by recruiting your colleagues. For every new or former professional member you recruit, you receive $10 off your 2012 national dues.

Show Them How They Can:

• Access the nation's largest listing of continuing forestry education
• Enhance their professional credentials with the Certified Forester® program
• Get discounted pricing on the NEW Forestry Mobile App
• Use the all-new Career Center and post their résumé in the online database
• Get discounted rates on Consulting and Prescribed Fire Insurance
• Get FREE online subscription to Forest Science
• Get FREE online subscriptions to the Regional Journals of Applied Forestry
• Learn about the latest developments in forest policy
• Get discounted rates on automotive insurance
• Get involved locally and make a difference

Be the Sponsor

Help them sign up by visiting the SAF website or call (866) 897-8720 x110 and make sure they list you as the sponsor. You don't pay anything but you can save a lot.

2. SAF Meetings of Note

Allegheny Winter Meeting

The Allegheny SAF's 2011 winter meeting, titled "Maintaining and Enjoying Our Forests," will be held in Clarion, Pennsylvania, on February 16, 17, and 18. Hosted by the Plateau Chapter, the meeting is open to all members of Allegheny SAF as well as any others who may wish to attend.

Additional information may be obtained from Howard Wurzbacher at (814) 432-3187.

National Workshop on Climate & Forests

Planning Tools and Perspectives on Adaptation and Mitigation Options Northern Arizona University o May 16-18, 2011 o Flagstaff, Arizona

Join leading scientists, foresters, and educators to learn and discuss what needs to be done today to manage tomorrow's forests. Participate in regionally themed breakouts to discuss the implementation of adaptation and mitigation options and share your accomplishments at the poster session.

Early-Bird Discounts End April 2

To register, or for more information, visit the SAF website.

Colorado SAF Meeting

The Colorado SAF will meet May 12-14 at the Strater Hotel in Durago. Organized under the theme "Managing Forests for Resiliancy in a Climate of Change," the meeting will include a state society business meeting (May 12), technical sessions (May 13), and a field trip (May 14). CFE credits will be available.

For more information, contact Steve Ambrose.

3. Call for Presentations Now Open

We want a science and technical program for the 2011 SAF National Convention that appeals broadly to the forestry profession by highlighting cutting-edge, forest-focused science delivered in a way that is interesting to scientists and accessible to forest managers. To that end, we invite you to submit your presentation or poster for this exciting event.

The abstract submission deadline is February 28, 2011

For more information on submitting your presentation or poster, visit the SAF website.

Forest Science & Technology Board 2011 Graduate Student Research Award

If you are an SAF member and a graduate student, and if your abstract is selected for an oral presentation at the 2011 Society of American Foresters convention, you may be eligible for competition with other eligible students for a $500 award.

For information about eligibility and submission guidelines, visit the SAF website or contact David South.

4. Get the Most from Your New Membership Benefit-Free Online Access to All SAF Journals!

Beginning in January, your SAF membership now includes free online access to the Northern, Southern, and Western Journals of Applied Forestry, as well as Forest Science, SAF's premiere journal of forestry research and theory.

To take advantage of this new membership benefit, sign up for a new issue alert, which automatically sends you E-mail when new issues are available. You can also set up an RSS feed for the latest or recent issues. Simply visit our online content, select the journal for which you wish to receive an alert or feed, then click the corresponding link beneath the issue thumbnail.

Remember: if you've never accessed SAF's online journal collection, you'll need to register first to take advantage of your new benefit. Follow these simple, one-time registration instructions and then be on your way to exploring the latest science and research, as well as new techniques and practices for effective, productive forest management.

For assistance with the registration process, contact Matt Walls.

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