Sustainable forestry

Endowment announces selection of Forest Investment Zones

smccreary — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:14:03 -0500

The U.S.

National Forest Foundation seeks proposals for grant program

smccreary — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:19:52 -0500

The National Forest Foundation is currently soliciting pre-proposals for its 2009 Matching Awards Program (MAP). The grant program provides matching funds on a 1:1 basis to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and Native American tribes to implement action-oriented, on-the-ground and citizen-based monitoring projects that benefit national forests and grasslands.

Planet has 61 trees per person

smccreary — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:57:23 -0500

From NPR's Morning Edition: NASA satellite images are helping ecologists and biologists study the earth's forests. Ecology professor Nalini Nadkarni of The Evergreen State College in Washington used NASA photos to calculate roughly how many trees we have on Earth, and applied that number to population figures.

Green building emphasis may thrive in economic downturn

smccreary — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:18:22 -0400

Some industry experts say there is a chance the "green housing" niche market might buck economic headwinds as developers emphasize energy savings and workmanship. [More: read NASF Resolution No. 2008-6: Green Building and the Role of Wood Products]

Inside the war on illegal logging

smccreary — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:56:20 -0400

An in-depth article in the New Yorker magazine follows the global trail of illegal logging activities, from Wal-Mart to the Trans-Siberian Railway. "A fifth of the world’s wood comes from countries that have serious problems enforcing their timber laws, and most of those countries are also experiencing the fastest rates of deforestation.

Nation's lumber industry continues to suffer from housing market's ills

smccreary — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:33:34 -0400

With fewer new houses under construction, and foreclosure notices surging this summer, there's a lot at stake for the sawmills and loggers that feed the nation's dwindling appetite for floorboard, housing frames and cabinets. In 2007, the Southern region of the U.S. saw a 30-percent decrease in lumber production and that is mimicked in other parts of the country. Millions of private landowners that manage family owned timberlands also depend on the lumber industry.

Forest Service deadlines and requirements for Secure Rural Schools payments

smccreary — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:28:01 -0400

Forest Service press release: More than $500 million for FY 2008 will be available to 41 states and Puerto Rico for improvements to public schools, road maintenance and stewardship projects under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS Act). For initial implementation of payments to states under the new law, critical deadlines must be met to ensure timely 2008 payments.

Market-based conservation incentives workshop presentations available

smccreary — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:16:24 -0400

Speaker presentations, executive summaries, and audio recordings from a recent workshop on "Strategies for Family Forest Owner Participation in Biodiversity and Water Markets" are now available on the American Forest Founation website. Maryland State Forester and NASF Vice President Steven Koehn participated on a question and answer panel at the event.

Arbor Day Foundation honors NKU as "Tree Campus"

smccreary — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:45:51 -0400

Northern Kentucky University and the University of Michigan are the first to be awarded the designation of "Tree Campus USA" by the Arbor Day Foundation. Tree Campus USA honors colleges and the leaders of their surrounding communities for promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship.

Hardwood Forestry Fund seeks applications for 2009 tree planting

smccreary — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:15:41 -0400

The Hardwood Forestry Fund seeks applications for 2009 tree planting and hardwood management. The Fund supports sustainable forestry by funding selective tree planting, direct seeding, natural regeneration, management, and hardwood research requests.