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

1. Deal Could Protect 18,000 Acres of Forest

Kitsap Sun (Washington, August 17) - An unusual collaboration between Green Diamond Resource Co. and The Trust for Public Land (TPL) could eventually result in the "permanent protection" of 18,000 acres of forestland between Belfair and Shelton.

Under the plan, TPL would purchase conservation easements on various parcels of property throughout a 25,000-acre area generally zoned for residential development. Such easements would keep the property in forest management and preclude future development.

Of the remaining 7,000 acres, Green Diamond (formerly Simpson Timber Co.) would strive for low-impact residential development where properties are suitably located with nearby roads and utilities. Development would proceed over 20 to 30 years, as the market dictates.

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2. DeFazio Offers Forest Plan

Eugene Register Guard (August 18) - US Rep. Peter DeFazio has offered a proposal for logging and preservation in Western Oregon's federal forests that he says could mean a stable source of funding for the Oregon counties that historically have depended upon timber revenue from the federal lands.

The most recent management strategy for these lands-the Western Oregon Plan Revision-is bogged down in competing lawsuits with environmentalists arguing that it doesn't meet federal requirements while the timber industry alleges that it doesn't allow enough logging.

With federal payments to counties set to end this year and unlikely to be renewed by a Congress focused on deficit reduction, DeFazio thinks a whole new approach could gain traction, particularly if it puts money back in Congressional coffers.

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3. Pennsylvania Works to Out Keep Long-Horned Invasive Pest

WHPTV (August 16) - Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary George Greig has asked the public to help keep the Asian Longhorned Beetle from entering the state, saying the non-native, invasive wood-boring pest could severely harm Pennsylvania's $25 billion hardwoods industry.

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4. Idaho Wants to Manage Federal Land, Help Counties

Seattle Times (August 17) - Amid threats to a program that has propped up local budgets for nearly a decade, Idaho's rural counties want Washington, DC, to let the state manage its federal land to boost its finances. But to some environmental groups and others, the plan smacks of previous efforts by Idaho to take over public land from the federal government.

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5. National Fire News

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of August 17, seven states-Idaho, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia-have reported large fires, and the number of acres burned by active fires totals 57,887.

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

Federal Lands Management

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Federal Lands Management

6. Mine Projects OK'd in Roadless Areas

Juneau Empire (August 16) - The US Forest Service has approved two mining projects-geotechnical and exploration drilling for the Greens Creek Mine and Niblack Mine exploration projects-in inventoried roadless areas of Alaska.

Alaska Regional Forester Beth Pendleton announced the approval of the mining projects, and, according to a Forest Service press release, both have completed or are close to completing National Environmental Policy Act analyses.

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7. Conservation Groups Revive Pitch for New Wyoming Wilderness Areas, but Some Officials Skeptical

Associated Press (August 14) - More than 50 areas in Wyoming could be considered for new federal wilderness protection after 10 conservation groups asked the Bureau of Land Management to consider passing them on to Congress for consideration. But some local officials in the suggested areas caution that many of the areas have been suggested before and will likely encounter opposition for further protection.

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8. Judge Sides with BLM in Suit over Multiuse Breaks Plan

Great Falls Tribune (August 12) - A federal judge in Great Falls recently sided with the Bureau of Land Management in a lawsuit by conservation groups that alleged the agency's management plan for some of the wildest country on the Great Plains gave more weight to multiple-use activities than protecting the landscape.

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Forest Products Industry

9. Weyerhaeuser Performs as a REIT

Seattle Times (August 13) - After years of facing a stagnant stock price, Weyerhaeuser finally gave Wall Street what it wanted: a smaller company focused on timberlands rather than paper and packaging mills.

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10. Deere Predicts Construction Equipment Sales Will Rise 45 Percent

DailyCommercialNews.com (August 17) - Deere & Company, the Moline, Illinois manufacturer of John Deere heavy equipment, released its third-quarter financial results, reporting a 34 percent increase in construction and forestry equipment sales.

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11. Biomass News

Duke Can Count Trees as "Biomass"
NewsObserver.com (August 11) - The state Court of Appeals has ruled that North Carolina's power plants can burn whole trees harvested for fuel and count the lumber toward their mandate to use green energy resources.

The ruling resolves a dispute between Duke Energy and two organizations: the Environmental Defense Fund and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association.

Enviva LP and Biomass Energy, LLC Announce Strategic Alliance

Bradenton.com (August 15) - Enviva LP, a leading supplier of processed biomass fuel in the United States and Europe, and Biomass Energy, LLC, an affiliate of Ensign-Bickford Renewable Energies, Inc. recently announced a strategic partnership targeting growing worldwide demand for sustainably sourced wood-pellet fuel.

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II. Publications, Resources, and Items of Interest
1. US Forest Service Opens Sacred Sites Report for Comment

ANewsCafe.com (August 16) - The US Forest Service has opened a draft report for public comment through the Federal Register that outlines its policies and procedures on Indian Sacred Sites.

The 60-day comment period follows ongoing dialogue between the Forest Service and tribal representatives on sacred sites. The Forest Service will accept public comments on the draft report while honoring its responsibility to consult with Indian tribes.

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2. Climate Change Spurring New Forestry Practices: Researcher

BC LocalNews.com (August 16) - According to Greg O'Neill, a forester with the BC Ministry of Forests Kalamalka Research Station near Vernon, climate change can impact forests by disrupting the natural growth cycle of trees. The genetically programmed cues that determine a trees growth cycle can cause it grow or stop growing at the wrong time.

In response,O'Neill said the province of BC has pioneered two policy changes to address the issue: a minor change in seed transfer guidelines that dictate what seeds can be planted where, and planting the western larch tree outside its natural habitat.

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3. Hidden Soil Fungus, Now Revealed, Is in a Class All Its Own

University of Michigan (August 11) - A type of fungus that's been lurking underground for millions of years, previously known to science only through its DNA, has been cultured, photographed, named, and assigned a place on the tree of life.

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III. Science and Technology
1. Tropical Forest Growth Could Increase Carbon Levels

TG Daily.com (August 15) - Scientists from the University of Cambridge have concluded that enhanced tree growth in tropical forests could stimulate micro-organisms and lead to a release of stored soil carbon.

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2. Suit Aims to Halt Biotech Crops on Wildlife Refuges

The Tennessean (August 12) - Three environmental protection groups-Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the Center for Food Safety, and Beyond Pesticides-are suing the US Fish and Wildlife Service, alleging it endangers plants and wildlife by allowing farmers to grow genetically engineered crops on 25 national wildlife refuges.

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3. Forest Researchers See Progress Crossing Chestnuts with Blight-Resistant Chinese Variety

Associated Press (August 14) - Optimism is sprouting from blight-resistant chestnut seedlings that the US Forest Service, the University of Tennessee, and the American Chestnut Foundation are planting in the Cherokee National Forest and other remote outdoor labs.

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IV. SAF News
1. Convention's Science and Tech Program Available Online

Wondering what the organizers of the Science and Technology program have in store for you at this year's SAF national convention? Well, wonder no more! This year's program is now available online and allows viewers to preview sessions, an entire day's schedule, and even search for a particular paper by author. In addition, if you hover your cursor over a paper's title, you'll be able to see a short description.

Check it out now on the 2011 convention website.

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2. Membership Benefit: Consulting Forester's Liability and Prescribed Burn Liability Insurance Coveragee

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.

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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.

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4. Grow the Foresters' Fund and Science Fund

The national raffle held during the SAF national convention is the main fundraiser for the Foresters' Fund program, which provides grants to SAF local units to educate the public about forestry and support local unit projects. In addition, the Science Fund is holding its first national silent auction during the National Convention.

All donations are tax deductible.

For more information please see the Foresters' Fund and Science Fund Donation Form.

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Dictionary of ForestryEncyclopedia of Forests and Forestry in the AmericasPerspectives on America's Forests: Multiple Perspectives on the National Report on Sustainable Forests-2003Forest Management Solutions for Mitigating Climate Change in the United StatesThe State of America's ForestsNational Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry