Blog
Industry hopes deregulation will help bring GM eucalyptus to southeast pinelands
Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010Two industry giants, International Paper Co. and MeadWestvaco Corp., are planning to transform plantation forests of the southeastern United States by replacing native pine with genetically engineered eucalyptus. The effectiveness of the fertility system used by companies' joint biotech venture, ArborGen LLC, is raising many questions among scientists, however, particularly about controlling the plants' spread. Despite these concerns, ArborGen has been seeking government deregulation of its eucalyptus since 2008. If successful, ArborGen could "revolutionize the timber industry and the Southern landscape."
SFI issues RFP for Conservation & Community Partnerships grant program
Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) has announced a Request for Proposals for its Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program, which funds projects that support partnerships between organizations interested in improving forest management in the U.S. and Canada and responsible procurement globally, or are working to strengthen communities through SFI related activities. More information on the RFP process and detailed directions for submitting a proposal are in the application. The deadline for submissions is 4:00 pm EST on March 1. All applicants will be notified of the status of their submission by April 1.
Study: estimates of CO2 emissions may be overstated
Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010Estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires may be significantly overestimated, a recent Oregon State University study indicates. Even when a very severe fire kills almost all of the trees in a patch, the scientists said, the remaining trees drop to the forest floor, decay, and release their carbon content very slowly over several decades. Timber harvest has much more effect on the amount of carbon in the atmosphere than fire, the researchers said.
Forest Service to seek Deputy Director, Fire and Aviation Management
Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010The Fire and Aviation Management Staff, within the U.S. Forest Service State and Private Forestry Deputy Chief area, will soon be advertising for a permanent full time Deputy Director in Washington, DC. Interested parties may contact Helene Cleveland for more information (hcleveland@fs.fed.us; 202-205-1488) or to request an outreach response form.
Woody Biomass Feedstock Yard Business Development Guide
Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010A new publication prepared by the Federal Woody Biomass Working Group provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities to establish a woody biomass feedstock yard in the United States. The Woody Biomass Feedstock Yard Business Development Guide (PDF) includes information on biomass sourcing; facility site selection and equipment; biomass sort yards; biomass collection, concentration, and distribution; biomass handling, sorting, and economic considerations; business planning; marketing and distribution; financial feasibility analysis; and sources of technical assistance and funding.
Lynn Scarlett joins conservation consulting firm
Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010Lynn Scarlett, deputy secretary of the Interior during the George W. Bush administration, has joined a consulting firm that specializes in conservation and land-use projects. At Marstel-Day LLC Advisory Council, Scarlett will be advising the firm on issues pertaining to climate change, ecosystem services and landscape-scale conservation.
USDA Forest Service opening: Assistant Director, Urban & Community Forestry
Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2010The USDA Forest Service has released a job announcement for an Assistant Director of Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) on the Cooperative Forestry staff within the State and Private Forestry Deputy Area of the Forest Service, National Office. This position is responsible for national leadership in the stewardship of urban natural resource management and program administrative matters. For more information on how to apply, visit the job announcement at usajobs.gov. Deadline: February 23, 2010
Reexamining the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
Posted on Monday, January 25, 2010From the Washington Post: "In a matter of months, the Biomass Crop Assistance Program -- a small provision tucked into the 2008 farm bill -- has mushroomed into a half-a-billion dollar subsidy that is funneling taxpayer dollars to sawmills and lumber wholesalers, encouraging them to sell their waste to be converted into high-tech biofuels. In doing so, it is shutting off the supply of cheap timber byproducts to the nation's composite wood manufacturers."
Redesigned RNGR.net offers reforestation resources
Posted on Monday, January 25, 2010The Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetics Resources program within the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, has recently revamped its RNGR.net website (http://rngr.net) to supply people who grow forest and conservation seedlings with the very latest technical information, and to provide links to other organizations and individuals with similar interests.
Longleaf pine restoration efforts continue across the South
Posted on Monday, January 25, 2010Coordinated efforts among non-profit groups and state and federal agencies in the Southern U.S. are working to restore the longleaf pine to its native range. Last month, the National Wildlife Federation and two regional organizations, America’s Longleaf and the Longleaf Alliance, released “Standing Tall: How Restoring Longleaf Pine Can Help Prepare the Southeast for Global Warming,” citing the pine's ability to help reduce air pollution as well as expand business opportunities for Southern farmers.
New Jersey forest stewardship law gives tax incentives to landowners
Posted on Friday, January 22, 2010The New Jersey state legislature recently passed a new bill that provides incentives for private landowners to improve the health of New Jersey forests. The Forest Stewardship Act allows landowners with at least five acres to be eligible for reduced property tax assessments by actively managing their woodlands to promote forest health and sustainability.
Boggus named sole finalist for Texas Forest Service director and state forester
Posted on Friday, January 22, 2010Tom G. Boggus has been named sole finalist for director and state forester of Texas Forest Service. Boggus has served as the agency's interim director since June 2008. The designation was approved today by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents. State law requires regents to now wait 21 days before formally offering the job to Boggus.
Decking industry touts benefits of wood vs plastic
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010The wood industry has launched a marketing campaign on the benefits of wood decking compared to composite materials -- typically a mixture of wood and plastic -- which now account for 26% of the market.
Wood2Energy.org: new database of wood-energy industries in North America
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010A new searchable database of industrial and selected community-scale users of wood to energy facilities across North America is now available for anyone with interest in the state of wood to energy conversion at a national, state/provincial or local operating level. The site, www.wood2energy.org, was developed by the University of Tennessee Office of Bioenergy Programs with funding from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities; American Forest and Paper Association; Forest Products Association of Canada; as well as the respective federal natural resources agencies from the U.S. and Canada, the USDA Forest Service and Natural Resources Canada. Additional assistance was provided by the Sun Grant Initiative.
Wyoming group puts pine-beetle-killed wood to work
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010An informal array of residents and officials have joined to help find a market for beetle-infested timber that is expected to be removed from the Medicine Bow and Routt national forests over the next several years. The group, which has no formal title, includes Wyoming State Forester Bill Crapser and Jerry Paxton, Carbon County Commission vice chairman, as well as current and retired Forest Service officials. The group spearheaded the effort to convert a former mill site and is looking to bring in industries that canmake use of the dead timber.
HFF grant application deadline: February 12, 2010
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010The Hardwood Forestry Fund seeks grant applications for hardwood seedling planting in state forests. Grant deadline is February 12, 2010. Please visit the HFF's website www.hardwoodforestryfund.org for grant guidelines and application form. Contact the HFF for more information at info@hardwoodforestryfund.org.
Eisenberg selected as NACD's next CEO
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010Jeff Eisenberg will take the helm as NACD's new Chief Executive Officer beginning February 1, 2010. Eisenberg's career has been dedicated to agriculture conservation issues. He most recently served as the Executive Director of the Public Lands Council. Eisenberg also provided legal services to the Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency and the Office of Energy in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of the General Counsel for nearly a decade.
WSJ on invasive species in the global trading system
Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010The Wall Street Journal went to West Virginia to investigate the environmental and economic impact of damaging exotic bugs like the hemlock wooly adelgid that enter the United States in cargo from overseas. WV State Forester Randy Dye is interviewed in a video accompanying the article.
Firms partner to develop carbon offsets from Ozark forests
Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010A California firm and a Missouri company are collaborating to develop carbon offsets from more than 300,000 acres of privately owned forest in the Ozarks Mountains of Arkansas and Missouri. The Red Fern Project, described in a CE2 news release as one of the first programs of its kind, seeks to help private landowners create new revenue "by implementing sustainable forestry management practices without requiring up-front investment."
Kansas seeks Forest Inventory and Analysis and Forest Health Specialist
Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010The Kansas Forest Service is seeking a Forest Inventory and Analysis and Forest Health Specialist. Screening of applications will begin on February 8, 2010, and continue until position is filled.
NASF Forest Policy internship opportunity
Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010The NASF Foundation sponsors a forest policy internship opportunity at the National Association of State Foresters in Washington, DC. Advanced undergraduate or graduate students at SAF-accredited forestry schools or with a strong interest in forest policy are encouraged to apply. Dates negotiable for up to a 15 week period throughout the year; apply now for the spring or summer session. For more information, visit http://www.stateforesters.org/nasf_internship.
SFI releases new SFI 2010-2014 Program standard
Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2010The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) has released a SFI 2010-2014 Standard based on 14 core principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value. For more information, read a news release about the launch of the new standard, a summary of significant revisions from the previous version, and frequently asked questions on the SFI 2010-2014 program.
State Forester Farris on Georgia's 'Most Influential' list
Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2010State Forester Robert Farris made Georgia Trend magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential Georgians, which profiles influential people from business and industry, politics and government, science and education, philanthropy, and healthcare. As director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, Farris is responsible for all programs of the GFC, which has 675 employees and an annual budget of about $40 million, and also for providing leadership, service and education in the protection and conservation of roughly 24 million acres of forest.
Alabama attempting to thwart timber thieves with new regulations
Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010The Alabama Forestry Commission is considering strengthening timber theft regulations but is facing opposition from the Alabama Forestry Association on the proposed changes. Listen to a recent Marketplace radio story with State Forester Linda Casey on the issue.
Reminder: Smokey Bear Awards nominations due January 22, 2010
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010As a reminder, the 2010 National Smokey Bear Awards nomination period is now open, and nominations are due January 22, 2010. This prestigious awards program annually recognizes organizations and/or individuals for outstanding service in wildfire prevention programs and helps highlight the important work being done to prevent human-caused wildfires. Visit NASF's Smokey Bear page for forms and guidelines.
USDA announces additional funding to eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle in Massachusetts
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010The Department of Agriculture is making $41.5 million in emergency funding available to prevent the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in Massachusetts. The funding will be used to increase tree surveys in order to determine the extent of the infestation, expand the use of treatments to reduce the beetle population and ensure the timely removal of infested trees.
Endowment issues RFP focused on biomass
Posted on Friday, January 8, 2010The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities has announced its first Request for Pre-proposals (RFP) for 2010. The RFP seeks concepts to rapidly move promising local-scale wood-to-energy conversion technologies from lab to demonstration and a separate work track that would identify and test new models for wood procurement for energy that would also serve to further retention of working forests.
Study: mountaintop mining should be banned due to environmental degradation
Posted on Friday, January 8, 2010An article in the journal Science by a team of 12 ecologists, hydrologists, and engineers argues that mountaintop mining should be banned for causing vast and permanent destruction to US environment and health threats to citizens. The article describes river and forest systems that have been disrupted well downstream from the original dumping spot of mining debris and claims there is virtually no chance of restoring mountain, forests or streams once the mining companies have moved on to new seams.
Housing growth near protected areas limits conservation
Posted on Friday, January 8, 2010The findings of a study published reently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that housing development in the United States may severely limit the ability of protected areas to function as a haven for biodiversity conservation.
Private forests sure to have a role in climate legislation
Posted on Thursday, January 7, 2010Forest owners could generate significant income by keeping carbon-sequestering trees standing under the latest iterations of climate change legislation now moving through Congress. A recent article from E&E News (subscription required) says it now appears likely that private forests will play a key role in any legislation that gets passed:
The approved House bill establishes a cap-and-trade system that would allow coal-burning power plants and other large carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters to offset their emissions with "credits" purchased from forests, farms and other carbon sequestering entities. In the Senate, both the bill floated by John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) in September, and another introduced by Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in November, provide incentives for forest owners to offset emissions.
Small forests a big help in curbing carbon
Posted on Thursday, January 7, 2010Money quote: "[The Copenhagen] summit's forest initiatives provided little help to the more than 10 million people like me who manage family-owned forest land in the United States. Since such forests make up more than a third of all forests in the nation, they have the potential to play a huge -- and growing -- role in reducing carbon emissions. Any government action on climate change in this country needs to pay attention to them." -- Chuck Leavell, Rolling Stones keyboardist and forest landowner
Climate may cause more fires, insects in Rocky Mountain forests
Posted on Tuesday, January 5, 2010University of Montana researchers have released results of a new study that shows climate change will increase drought stress in northern Rocky Mountain forests, leading to increased potential for insect infestations and risk of more frequent and severe wildfires.
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