News and Media
The NASF Washington Weekly Report is an e-newsletter that is distributed via email every Friday afternoon. The newsletter is a digest of the NASF Blog and contains brief items of interest to NASF constituents, including media coverage of congressional activities, forestry-related science and technology, and upcoming events. If you would like to subscribe to the NASF Washington Weekly Report, submit your email via our website, or contact NASF directly.Subject: 'NASF Washington Weekly Report 03-12-10'
Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010Message Body:
Number Sent: 1041
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The NASF Washington Weekly ReportSustainable ForestryUSDA seeks nominations for Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Advisory CommitteeThe Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations from the public for a new Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Advisory Committee. Authorized by Title IV of Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, the purpose of the CFLR program is to encourage the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes. NASF plans to recommend the appointment of a State Forester to the committee to further an "all lands" approach to U.S. forests. For more information on committee selection criteria and the application process, view the Federal Register Notice (PDF). Tree Campus USA participation more than doubled in 2009The Arbor Day Foundation honored 74 colleges and universities with Tree Campus USA recognition in 2009, more than doubling the total from the inaugural class. Tree Campus USA is a national program that honors colleges and universities that use best tree-care and sustainability practices and engage students in tree-planting and conservation initiatives. ClimateGovernors ask Congress to stop EPA rulesGovernors of 18 U.S. states and two territories urged Congress this week to stop "harmful" Environmental Protection Agency regulation of greenhouse-gas emissions, saying the agency isn't equipped to deal with "the very real potential for economic harm." Forestry project launched under new offset protocolProject developer Finite Carbon has announced details of a new Improved Forest Management (IFM) project in Tennessee that could generate several hundred thousand of carbon offsets over the next 100 years. The project is only the second IFM project outside of California and the first in the eastern part of the country to be listed under the new Climate Action Reserve protocol. Pacific Northwest forests rank tops in carbon storageTen national forests in the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska are ranked as the top carbon-storage forests in the United States, according to an analysis released last week from the Wilderness Society. Wildfire ProtectionHi-res cameras in California help detect wildfiresThe California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is using a system of high-resolution video cameras and microwave relays to look for wildfires. The system is limited to El Dorado County so far and it will not replace anybody who might ordinarily staff existing fire lookout towers, according to CalFire. The state has 77 fire lookout towers statewide, but few are staffed regularly. South Carolina weighs legal protection for planned firesNearly a year after the state's worst wildfire, South Carolina forest managers and landowners have asked legislators to give them more protection from lawsuits when they intentionally set fires to reduce debris that could fuel wildfires and inadvertently damage property. Georgia and Florida currently have laws that offer similar protection from lawsuits. UnderstoriesFormer Bush Interior secretary discusses reflects on her shift in ideologyLynn Scarlett, who served eight years in the Bush administration as assistant secretary of the Interior and later led the department after the resignation of Secretary Gale Norton, talked to the Los Angeles Times recently to discuss her transformation from conservative conservationist to enthusiastic environmentalist.
If you wish to be removed from this list, please reply to this message with REMOVE in the subject line. To subscribe, visit www.stateforesters.org. Any links to external content are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as an endorsement by NASF of the content or views of the linked materials; NASF reserves the right to refuse to publish any content. For story ideas or feedback, please contact the editor at smccreary@stateforesters.org. .National Association of State Foresters Hall of the States 444 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 540 Washington DC 20001 map |
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Subject: 'NASF Washington Weekly Report 03-05-10'
Posted on Friday, March 5, 2010Message Body:
Number Sent: 1036
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The NASF Washington Weekly ReportForest PolicyForest Service to host public events on development of new planning ruleThe USDA Forest Service will sponsor a series of events to provide opportunities for public discussion on the development of a new Forest Service Land and Resource Management Planning Rule (planning rule). The agency will host a national science forum, three national roundtables and nine regional roundtables. CEQ requests comments on three draft NEPA guidance documentsThe President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has released three draft National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidance documents on when and how federal agencies must consider greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change in their analysis of proposed actions; specify when there is a need to monitor environmental mitigation commitments; and clarify use of categorical exclusions. Comments on the draft climate change and mitigation policies are due May 24, 2010. California legislature weighs fire tax againFinancing the costs of fighting California’s wildfires and other disasters through a new property levy is back before the legislature – the third time in as many years that lawmakers have considered, and rejected, the controversial proposal. Sustainable ForestryNine states partner with Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees on public landsThe Arbor Day Foundation is working with the forestry and conservation departments in nine states to plant more than 2.3 million trees on state lands this year. This is the second consecutive year the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation has planted trees in state-run forests. Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Washington will plant trees through the Arbor Day Foundation partnership. USDA seeks project proposals to improve water quality in Mississippi River BasinThe U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking project proposals that will improve water quality and the overall health of the Mississippi River in 41 eligible watersheds in 12 states. The Request for Proposals for the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, through which up to $75 million will be available for partnership projects, was published in the Federal Register this week. Proposals are due by May 1. Group sues over whitebark pine endangered petitionThe Natural Resources Defense Council has sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for its inaction on the group's December 2008 petition to protect the whitebark pine with an endangered species listing. SeeSouthernForests.org site launches with interactive maps and historical dataThe World Resources Institute debuted an interactive website (http://www.seesouthernforests.org) this week to raise awareness about the threats to the region's 214 million acres of forest and provide a tool for landowners, forest managers, conservation groups and others to improve management decisions. The site draws on a range of resources, including GoogleEarth, Microsoft's Bing Maps, NASA satellite images, and ESRI mapping technology and forest data.
Biomass EnergyUSDA announces guaranteed loan to Range Fuels for biorefineryThe U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in a press release this week that Range Fuels, Inc., a Colorado based firm with a planned biorefinery located near Soperton, GA, is the recipient of a loan guaranteed by USDA Rural Development to make cellulosic biofuel from wood chips. PersonnelMonica Lear appointed state forester for District of ColumbiaThe District Department of Transportation has announced that Dr. Monica Lear, Deputy Associate Director of the Urban Forestry Administration (UFA), will be assuming the duties of State Forester for the District of Columbia. John Thomas, Associate Director and Chief Forester of the District of Columbia, formerly served as the state forester. Montana DNRC seeks fire program managerMontana DNRC is currently recruiting to fill a full-time Fire Program Manager Position in Billings, Montana. UnderstoriesSouthern Group of State Foresters launches new websiteThe Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) has debuted a new website (www.southernforests.org) in an effort to better communicate about forestry and the multi-billion dollar forest industry in the 13 southern states and two federal territories that comprise the group.
If you wish to be removed from this list, please reply to this message with REMOVE in the subject line. To subscribe, visit www.stateforesters.org. Any links to external content are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as an endorsement by NASF of the content or views of the linked materials; NASF reserves the right to refuse to publish any content. For story ideas or feedback, please contact the editor at smccreary@stateforesters.org. .National Association of State Foresters Hall of the States 444 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 540 Washington DC 20001 map |
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Subject: 'NASF Washington Weekly Report 03-19-10'
Posted on Friday, March 19, 2010Message Body:
Number Sent: 1047
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The NASF Washington Weekly ReportClimateStudy calls for more prescribed burns to reduce forest fire emissionsA new study published in Environmental Science and Technology found that widespread prescribed burns might have slashed fire-related carbon dioxide emissions in 11 Western states by an average of 18 to 25 percent between the years 2001 and 2008, and by as much as 60 percent in some forest systems. Pests and DiseaseNeed for wood highlights invasive insect problemsMonths of heavy rains throughout the South have made it difficult for large logging equipment to get into the forests for harvesting. Desperate for wood for its central South Carolina mill, International Paper Co. has begun harvesting from Virginia, New York and Massachusetts -- states infested with gypsy moths, which defoliate a million acres of trees each year in the U.S. USDA has promised to work with International Paper on moth inspections of trees imported to the South for processing to avoid bringing the insect to South Carolina. Sustainable ForestryUSDA announces details and objectives of Office of Environmental MarketsUSDA press release: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced new details about the functions and objectives of USDA's Office of Environmental Markets (OEM). Estate planning book helps forest owners understand tax lawsThe USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station has published Estate Planning for Forest Landowners: What will become of your timberland?, with practical information about tax and estate planning and techniques involving forest properties (PDF). Landowners and others may request paper copies by emailing their name and complete mailing address, along with the publication number (GTR-SRS-112) to: pubrequest@fs.fed.us. Forest Service acquires 112K acres of Montana forestland in Legacy projectThe U.S. Forest Service took over ownership of 112,000 acres of former Plum Creek Timber Co. land this week in the second phase of the Montana Legacy Project, which saw the Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land buy much of Plum Creek's western Montana holdings in trust for the state and federal government. The entire project encompasses about 310,000 acres. Biomass EnergyWashington State passes forest biomass supply agreements billAn effort to build a green forest biomass industry in Washington’s forests took a step forward as the Legislature passed the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Forest Biomass Supply Agreements Bill. This executive-request legislation from Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark takes the next step towards creating a forest biomass industry from state trust lands. PersonnelOregon State Forester elected SFI board chairOregon State Forester Marvin Brown has been elected Chair of the independent board of directors for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Inc., which is solely responsible for the non-profit SFI forest certification program. SFI Inc.'s 18-member board represents environmental, social and economic sectors equally so it can meet the many needs of forests and communities. MORE: An article in a recent SFI newsletter discusses NASF resolutions on certification and green building. UnderstoriesHow trees are restoring hope to ArmeniaHundreds of millions of trees were lost during the last century's great deforestation of Armenia, a Massachusetts-size nation on the borders of Iran and Turkey. An initiative called the Armenia Tree Project has been raising and planting trees throughout the country, supported by the international conservation charity WWF and BMU/KfW, the German Development Bank.
If you wish to be removed from this list, please reply to this message with REMOVE in the subject line. To subscribe, visit www.stateforesters.org. Any links to external content are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as an endorsement by NASF of the content or views of the linked materials; NASF reserves the right to refuse to publish any content. For story ideas or feedback, please contact the editor at smccreary@stateforesters.org. .National Association of State Foresters Hall of the States 444 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 540 Washington DC 20001 map |
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