I. Featured News

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

1. Federal Judge Reinstates Roadless Rule

Associated Press (May 25) - A federal judge has sided with the village of Kake in southeast Alaska and reinstated the Clinton-era roadless rule in the Tongass National Forest.

US District Judge John W. Sedwick in Anchorage found that a Bush administration decision in 2003 to exempt the Tongass from the roadless rule was arbitrary and capricious. The rule protects roadless areas in national forests from commercial logging and road building.

Sedwick's judgment reinstates the roadless rule in the Tongass while making clear that certain projects, including road construction and timber removal for energy projects and selling dead or downed wood for firewood can proceed.

2. Seeding Riparian Forest Can Cut Cost of Improving Environment

Kansas Farmer.com (May 25) - By planting such species as black walnut, pecan, and some oaks, landowners can look forward to future timber income, said Kansas Forest Service Watershed Specialist Bill Beck. Forested riparian strips also reduce runoff and erosion, stabilize banks during flooding, provide wildlife habitat, and keep streams cleaner and healthier for fish.

3. Maine Creates Firewood Exchange Stations

The Exception (May 24) - This Memorial Day, the imported firewood out-of-state guests might bring with them will not be greeted with open arms in the state of Maine, as wood from other states can carry two invasive species that have the potential to damage Maine's forests: the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and the emerald ash borer (EAB).

As a result, the Maine Forest Service is setting up an out-of-state firewood exchange stations where employees will exchange imported firewood with local material-and give warnings to visitors so that they understand the problem. There also will be a few signs explaining the issue along I-95.

4. UGA Gets Climate Change Grant

Atlanta Business Chronicle (May 25) - The University of Georgia (UGA) researchers won a $1.3 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to identify and promote ways pine forests can be used absorb the blows of climate change.

According to UGA, a team from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources will create strategies for southern conifer forest mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, expanding existing research on forest productivity, management impacts, and carbon sequestration.

5. National Fire News

According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), as of May 23, five new large fires were reported-one each in Texas, New Mexico and California; and two in Alaska-bringing the number of active, large fires to 14. The number of acres burned by active large fires was 345,088.

For the latest national fire information, visit the NIFC website.

To read news articles about some of the nation's recent fires, see the following:

Tornado Timber Fire Fear in Catoosa County
11 Alive.com (May 24)

Crews Fighting New Fire between Amarillo and Canyon
Connect Amarillo.com (May 24)

Firefighters Continue Work to Contain Escaped Wildfire
WNCT.com (May 25)

Firefighters Battle Numerous Blazes across South Plains
Lubbock Online (May 25)

Southeast Arizona Wildfire Increases to 44,600 Acres; Border Fire More than 10,000 Acres
Associated Press (May 24)

Federal Lands Management

6. Judge Refuses to Stop the Forest Service's Plans for Experimental Forest

Courthouse News Service (May 24) - A federal judge refused to stop the Forest Service from timber harvesting on nearly three-quarters of a Ponderosa Pine forest in Oregon's Cascade mountain range, concluding that the service's experimental management goals trumped an environmental group's concerns about what the judge called the "short-term" health of the forest.

The Forest Service plans to log 70 percent of trees larger than six inches in diameter in the 2,554-acre Lookout Mountain unit of the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest, which is part of the Deschutes National Forest. The Forest Service, which uses the experimental forest to try out various forest management strategies, claims the thinning is necessary to prevent damage from fire and insects.

7. Bitterroot National Forest Officials Look to Thin Trees

Missoulian (May 19) - To keep mountain pine beetles and wildfire at bay, Bitterroot National Forest officials are proposing to thin patches of timber between the ski runs around Lost Trail Powder Mountain's Saddle Mountain lift.

The proposal calls for thinning and removing infected trees on about 170 acres. When completed, the spacing between trees will average between 10 and 30 feet.

The last stand-replacing fire in the area occurred in 1960. Fifty years later, the lodgepole stand is overgrown with somewhere between 800 and 1,500 trees per acre.

8. West Coast's Log, Lumber Exports Increase in First Quarter of 2011

US Forest Service (May 25) - A total of 413.1 million board feet of softwood logs and 224.9 million board feet of softwood lumber were exported from Washington, Oregon, northern California, and Alaska in January, February, and March of this year, according to the US Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station.

Agency personnel compiled the statistics from the US International Trade Commission and annually authors Production, Prices, Employment, and Trade in Northwest Forest Industries, a publication that provides current information on the region's lumber and plywood production and prices and employment in the forest industries.

The 2010 report will soon be available on the research station's website.

Forest Products Industry

9. Senate Panel Hears Wide-Ranging Support for Tester's Forest Jobs Bill

Clark Fork Chronicle (May 26) - A Senate panel heard wide-ranging support for Senator Jon Tester's "Forest Jobs and Recreation Act," a bill that aims to create jobs, new recreation areas, and new backcountry protections in Montana's national forests.

Since first introducing the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act nearly 2 years ago, Tester has modified the bill based on comments from the public. To see the latest version of the bill, visit Tester's website.

10. Timber Industry Watches for Green after Wildfires

Beaumont Enterprise (May 24) - Christy Nichol, forest area manager for Hancock Forest Management Inc., is waiting to see how part of the company's 10-year-old pine plantation in Southeast Texas will fare after recent wildfires.

11. Commodities: Slow Boat to China Big Boost for Canada Lumber

Market News.com (May 24) - A report released by the Conference Board of Canada on the outlook of the Canadian paper products industry says high pulp prices and a post-recession bounce in demand for paper products pushed sales and production higher in 2010 for the industry. The momentum has rolled over into this year as, within the first 2 months, shipments of paper products were up 4.5 percent and new orders rose 3.9 percent from the same period last year.

II. Publications, Resources, and Items of Interest

1. Webinar Addresses Woody Biomass Sustainability

Biomass (May 24) - During the recent webinar, "Sustainability and the Biomass Industry: Integrating Renewable Energy, Land Use, Production, and Management," Bob Cleaves, president and CEO of the Biomass Power Association, debunked a few well-known myths about the biomass power industry, starting with the common charges of deforestation.

To read an interview with Cleaves from the November 2010 issue of The Forestry Source, visit the Source archives on the SAF Website.

2. Lone Pine May Be Seed of Forest's Rebirtht

Miami Herald (May 26) - The terrifying force of the March 11 tsunami left only one tree standing from a forest of 70,000 in Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate Prefecture. Today, scientists are using that same tree in their efforts to bring back one of the nation's most beautiful sights. 3. US Army Red River Depot Achieves Tree Farm Certification Cherokeean Herald (May 25) - The Texas Forestry Association has announced the American Tree Farm System certification of the US Army Red River Depot forestland in Bowie County, Texas. Red River Depot is only the second military base in the country to achieve Tree Farm certification.

The forestry program at Red River Depot was established in 1950 with the first timber sale in 1952. The Red River Depot Tree Farm is managed under the Environmental Division of the US Army.

III. Science and Technology

1. DNA Research That Can Assist with Understanding the Effects of Climate Change

USDA Blog (May 25) - In a scientific achievement that is important in planning for future climate scenarios, and for protecting some endangered animal species, US Forest Service research geneticist Bryce Richardson and research ecologist Michael Schwartz, have sequenced more than 40 billion base pairs of DNA from 130 samples of plant, animal, and fungal species. The tree species were as diverse as tan oak, sugar pine, and sagebrush.

2. Tetra Pak Looks to Turn Forestry Waste into Plastic Packaging

Food Production Daily.com (May 24) - Tetra Pak is working with an institute in the United States to explore the potential of turning forestry waste into plastic packaging materials.

The Swedish company has already committed to using HDPE plastic from sugarcane but in the future its plastic packaging could be made from the same trees used to make its carton.

3. Scientists Extend the Battery Life of Forest Climate Monitors

The Engineer.co.uk (May 23) - Scientists in Germany have boosted the life of wireless sensors designed to protect forests by monitoring their climate conditions. The devices allow researchers to observe trees' health and study the effects of climate change, and could also help timber companies ensure that their plantations have the best conditions for growth.

IV. SAF News

1. Pacific Rim Forestry Sessions at the 2011 National Convention

Of the several tracks offered at the 2011 SAF National Convention, one will be "Pacific Rim Forestry: Ecologic, Economic, Energy, and Resource Management Issues of Common Interest around the Rim," which will feature sessions on:

• Forest Inventory and Monitoring in Tropical Forests
• Forest Restoration through Adaptive Management at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
• REDD+ Puzzles in the Asia/Pacific Rim: Enabling Conditions for Monitoring Forest Resources
• Paying for Paradise: Funding Natural Resource Conservation in Hawaii

In addition to these sessions, there also will be the following pre-conference technical field tour:

Kauai Forestry Tour (T1)-Wednesday, November 2, 9:00 am-4:00 pm

Visit forestry on the Garden Isle and see Kauai's largest tree farm managed by Hawaiian Mahogany, Inc. Once a sugar plantation, Hawaiian Mahogany now grows tropical hardwoods for solid wood products and bioenergy, while maximizing carbon sequestration. Then, travel up the edge of Waimea Canyon to the Kokee Museum at Kokee State Park to learn about the different natural history outreach and educational programs provided to the public and to explore the museum's nature trails. The tour concludes with a visit to a protected area to see Kauai's rare and unique native trees and a stop at the spectacular Kalalau Valley overlook.

For more information, the full convention program, and registration, visit the convention website.

2. Nominations Open for Vice-President and Council

The Society of American Foresters is now accepting nominations for vice-president and Council. Nominating petitions and accompanying materials for the office of vice-president and three Council members are due June 1.

For additional information, see this article from the May 2011 issue of The Forestry Source.

3. Student Video Contest: Why Trees Are the Answer

Do you have talent? Do you have a video camera? Then you can be a star! Introducing the 2011 Student Video Contest. We want students and student chapters to show us why you think Trees Are the Answer. Make a 60- or 120-second video and you could win one of three awards. Winning videos will be presented at the 2011 National Convention. Submit your videos by Friday, September 30, 2011.

4. Membership Benefit: Consulting Forester's Liability and Prescribed Burn Liability Insurance Coverage

Do you need comprehensive, reliable, and affordable insurance coverage specifically designed to protect consulting foresters? If so, visit the SAF website to find out more on how SAF can help you get it.

5. 2011 Ben Meadows Scholarships

The Society of American Foresters is pleased to announce two new scholarships offered by Ben Meadows and administered by SAF.

All scholarship candidates must be enrolled, full time, as a junior or senior in a natural resource program working toward a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree, which includes, but is not limited to, agroforestry, urban forestry, environmental studies, natural resource management, natural resource recreation, wildlife management, wood science and fisheries management.

The scholarships, one for academic achievement and one based on leadership, are each worth $2,500.

Applications are due by June 30, 2011. Eligible students are encouraged to apply. Instructions, complete requirements, and the application form can be found on the Ben Meadows website.

About The E-Forester:

A Benefit of SAF Membership:
The E-Forester is sent to SAF members in good standing each week. If you are a SAF member but are not receiving The E-Forester, please send an e-mail message with your full name and current e-mail address to Eforest@safnet.org. Please be sure to write "subscribe" in the subject line.

Disclaimer:
The Society of American Foresters does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the news items and/or links to additional information that appear in The E-Forester.

Meeting Announcements:
The E-Forester will no longer include announcements for forestry events, gatherings, or tours not (co)sponsored by SAF.

Feedback:
Do you have a comment about The E-Forester? Send it to us at Eforest@safnet.org.