The growing interest in forest product certifcation is changing the marketplace and for many international buyers and sellers. Despite the trend, many American foresters say certification doesn't make sense for forests in the US. Unlike other countries where forests are primarily government-owned, the US has more than 10 million private landowners managing the majority of the nation's timber stock.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is offering guidelines for harvesting forest biomass as an alternative energy source. The guidelines were prepared with comments from various stakeholder groups after DCNR's two-year study of forest biomass energy and related issues and include a number of recommendations for private forest landowners, for example, how much biomass should be left in the forest during harvesting to protect soil quality, wildlife habitat and future forest productivity.

The National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council is looking for input on issues impacting tropical forestry through an online survey. Public input will continue to be recorded until September 1, 2008, as part of NUCFAC's 2008 recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture.

Loblolly pine is the most commonly planted tree species in America – accounting for about 75 percent of all seedlings planted each year – and will be the focus of one of 44 DNA sequencing projects the DOE's Joint Genome Institute will undertake in the coming year.

Press release – The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC), comprised of top federal and state fire managers, increased the national Preparedness Level (PL) today to its highest point, PL-5.