We have been deluged by responses to Barry Wynsma's thoughtful essay on Forest Service leadership - or the lack thereof. Provided here is some feedback on the essay.
I. Featured News
All of these items and more appear in the "Featured News" section on the SAF home page
1. Southern Pine Beetle Bringing Devastation to Pinelands
Courier Post (May 12) - According to officials from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the southern pine beetle destroyed an estimated 14,100 acres of forest in the state's Pine Barrens.So far this year, the major infestation has stayed to the south of the Mullica River watershed in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties, while Burlington and Ocean counties have only isolated "hot spots."
And in a related article…
Delaware Forestry Officials Fend Off Beetles
Delmarvanow.com (May 10) - Unlike the state of New Jersey, Delaware has so far escaped the southern pine beetle infestation, reportedly because state forestry officials take a proactive approach, which involves monitoring insect population levels, looking for tree damage in flyovers and from the ground. When they spot a problem, they move in quickly, cut the trees, and salvage the timber.
2. Eucalyptus Chips In to Generate Power
Honolulu Star Advertiser (May 12) - Eucalyptus trees have joined the mix of resources powering Oahu's homes and businesses. AES Hawaii Inc., which operates the state's only coal-fired power plant, began burning the home-grown fuel this week at its facility in Campbell Industrial Park as part of a test project. AES began the test May 5 and gradually increased the blend of eucalyptus chips to its bituminous coal supply until it hit its target yesterday of generating 5 megawatts from the renewable source.The 2011 SAF National Convention will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, November 2-6. To register, or for more information, visit the SAF convention website.
3. Planting Pine in a Forest with too Many?
Rapid City Journal (May 11) - It might seem contradictory, planting trees in the Black Hills National Forest at a time when the focus is on thinning the woods. But the Jasper Fire burn area is a different place with different management objectives than most parts of the 1.2 million-acre forest, where pines are plentiful, the threat of wild fire troubling, and bug infestations high.A decade after wild fires scorched more than 83,000 acres, the Jasper and adjoining Elk Mountain Fire area near Jewel Cave National Monument are mostly pine-free landscapes.
4. Ash Borer Infestation Found in New York's Hudson Valley
Associated Press (May 6) - A major infestation of the destructive emerald ash borer in New York's Hudson Valley is the farthest east discovered so far in North America and forestry experts are trying to map its extent as they worry about the threat to New England's forests and streetscapes. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), as of May 9, Seven new large fires were reported-one in Arizona and California, three in New Mexico, and two in Texas-there were 28 active large fires, and 870,067 acres were burned by active fires.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:
Okefenokee Fire Grows to 61,800 Acres, N. Georgians Dispatched
Associated Press (May 10)
Florida on Alert as Okefenokee Fire Jumps State Line
Florida Times Union (May 10)
Wildfires Prompt Evacuations of 3 New Mexico Communities
Associated Press (May 11)
San Bernardino National Forest Brush Fire 40 Percent Contained
LA Times (May 9)
Photo Gallery: Wildfires in the Southwest
Arizona Daily Star (May 12)
Federal Lands Management
6. Nationwide Aerial Application of Fire Retardant Environmental Impact Statement
On May 13, the US Forest Service released the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the use of fire retardant applied from aircraft to fight wildfires. The release of the DEIS begins a 45-day public comment period that includes opportunities for people in several locations across the country to interact with Forest Service specialists and learn more about fire retardant and the DEIS. The Forest Service will consider public comments submitted during the comment period in the development of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS), expected to be completed by December 31, 2011.The Forest Service has broad responsibilities in the management of wildland fire, ranging from immediate fire suppression, to the lighting of controlled fires, to safely restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. In managing wildfire, the Forest Service's mission includes protection of landscapes, resources, and people.
The DEIS is available for review and comment on the Forest Service website, which includes directions for submitting public comments on the DEIS and meeting times and locations.
7. State Forms Timber Panel, Quits Tongass Roundtable
KFSK Radio (Alaska, May 9) - The state is pulling out of an organization trying to find common ground in Southeast Alaska's timber battles.Governor Sean Parnell recently announced plans to withdraw from the Tongass Futures Roundtable. He's shifting state efforts to a new timber task force that will focus on logging, not conservation.
The state has played a significant role in the roundtable, which includes government, timber industry, environmental, and Native organizations.
8. Forest Service Trains Nebraska Guard Members for Afghanistan Deployment
US Forest Service (May 9) - Foresters from the US Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Nebraska Forest Service helped prepare the Nebraska Air and Army Guard's Agriculture Development Team (ADT) for an 11-month deployment to Afghanistan.The ADT will deploy to Afghanistan from July 2011 to May 2012 and work with local government, university, and nongovernmental organization personnel to improve agriculture and forestry in the war-torn country.
Forest Products Industry
9. Once Hailed, Wood Power Fizzles in MA
Associated Press (May 11) - Burning wood for electricity was once a hot idea in Massachusetts. Gov. Deval Patrick's administration committed $1 million to spur wood power plant development, which a 2007 state-funded report predicted would bring hundreds of jobs and an economic boost worth tens of millions of dollars.Today, wood has been reduced to a small role in the Patrick Administration's renewable energy plans.
10. Weyerhaeuser Breaks Even in First Quarter
Reuters (April 29) - Weyerhaeuser Company broke even in the first quarter, widely missing expectations and sending the forest products maker and homebuilder's stock down 4 percent.The weak real estate market during the past 3 years has continually punished Weyerhaeuser's timberlands, construction, and wood products sales, and executives said demand in those three areas remain tepid.
11. St. Joe Improves with Timber Sales
Daily Markets.com (May 10) - The St. Joe Company, a publicly held real estate company, reported a net income of $14.1 million or 15 cents per share in the first quarter of 2011 compared with a net loss of $11.4 million or 13 cents in the year-earlier quarter. The superior results were primarily due to a pre-tax gain of $50.3 million or 36 cents per share net of tax from the sale of a 40,975-acre timber deed.Additional article: St. Joe Company Reports $14.1 Million Profit in First Quarter
Building Online.com (May 9)
II. Publications, Resources, and Items of Interest
1. Fuels Treatment Guide for Mixed Conifer Forests
The Forest Guild has released a new Comprehensive Fuels Treatment Practices Guide for Mixed Conifer Forest: California, Central and Southern Rockies, and the Southwest. The guide covers the definition of mixed conifer, past land use and management activities, fire regimes and historic conditions, and impact of altered fire regimes in mixed conifer forests. The second half of the guide discusses effectiveness and impacts of different fuels treatment techniques such as prescribed fire, silvicultural treatments, and combinations of cutting and burning in mixed conifer forests.2. CSU Forestry Students Get Behind the Wheel of Heavy Logging Equipment
Financing tree projects that create carbon credits can be profitable, reduce risk portfolio diversification, and cheapen compliance costs for emitters, the UNEP said in the report entitled "Reddy Set Grow," in a reference to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, or REDD. The document outlines the role of banks, insurers, and investors in forestry carbon markets. Trees absorb carbon dioxide for growth and release it when they rot or burn.
III. Science and Technology
1. Research Maps Out Trade-Offs between Deer and Timber
Michigan State University (May 11) - In a sweeping study of a huge swath of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Michigan State University researchers document that in many places the sugar maple saplings that should be thriving following harvesting are instead ending up as a deer buffet. This means the hardwood forests are not regenerating.2. New Strain of Blight-Resistant Chestnuts Takes Root
Charleston Gazette (May 5) - A plot of 650 seedlings planted on MeadWestvaco land in Greenbrier County (West Virginia) hillside could become a breeding ground for the restoration of the American chestnut tree.The trees are B3-F3 hybrids, developed by crossbreeding American chestnuts with blight-resistant Chinese chestnut strains to produce a tree that is 15/16ths American.
3. EPA Science Advisory Board Seeks Nominations>
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is soliciting nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists for an SAB Expert Panel to provide independent advice to the EPA on a draft greenhouse gas accounting methodology for biogenic carbon dioxide emissions from stationary sources.For additional information regarding this Request for Nominations, please contact Holly Stallworth, designated federal officer, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff, at (202) 564-2073. General information concerning the SAB can be found on the SAB website.
Nominations should be submitted by May 18, 2011.
IV. SAF News
1. Urban Forestry Sessions at the 2011 National Convention
Urban Ecosystems, one of several tracks at the 2011 SAF National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, covers the challenges and opportunities in urban & community forestry to create healthier, more livable, and sustainable communities. Topics include:- Urban greening and biodiversity
- Integrating green into development and infrastructure
- Tree risk assessment, maintenance, inventory
- Watershed management for urban uses
- Storm damage response and restoration; storm water management
- Planning, laws, and ordinances
- Community partnerships
- Land use conversion and the increasing urban/wildland interface
There will also be an Oahu Urban Forestry in Honolulu Tour (T2) on Sunday, November 6 from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Participants will explore the management and historical aspects of urban forestry in Honolulu, from the city's deforestation in the 19th century to its reforestation in the 20th century.
For more information, to see the full program, or to register, visit the convention website.
2. 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, 2011.3. 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. National Workshop on Climate & ForestsPlanning 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.
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.
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