By Josh Knoll and Brittany Hallak With new enabling legislation passed and more proof-of-concept projects completed every month, cross-laminated timber (CLT) may just be edging its way into mainstream construction. NASF has highlighted the momentum behind CLT before, but recent developments may bring about more rapid change in the construction field. Last year, Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan [read more]
By Josh Knoll In response to a devastating wildfire year in 2018—and in anticipation of the wildfire year ahead of us—Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas has reintroduced the Resilient Federal Forests Act, bipartisan legislation that would expedite National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review for necessary salvage harvests by expanding the use of “categorical exclusions,” or [read more]
We are happy to welcome the newest addition to the NASF team, Brittany Hallak. Brittany will be joining us this summer as the James Hubbard Intern for Policy and Communications. Brittany is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she received a degree in political science and pre-law, and a minor in peace and [read more]
By Josh Knoll This week, members of the NASF Urban and Community Forestry Committee traveled to historic Richmond, Virginia, for the chance to share ideas, plan for the future, and tour successful green infrastructure programs in the area. Several state foresters, state forestry agency UCF coordinators, and private and government-employed arborists came from near and [read more]
By Faith Berry Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is celebrated the first Saturday in May, and this year, it lands on Saturday, May 4th! Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a national campaign focused on getting individuals to take action to avoid wildfire damage to their homes and community spaces. Preparedness Day projects vary in size, shape, [read more]
By Josh Knoll As cities plan for the future, many are asking how best to manage their urban landscapes. The Vibrant Cities Laboratory (VCL) has set out to empower municipal leaders, planners, and managers with a one-stop-shop for resources on urban forests and how to maximize their many benefits. The VCL's urban forestry resource toolkit—designed by the USDA [read more]
Hurricane Michael left millions of acres of timber uprooted, broken, and prime for burning. In Florida, 72 million tons of timber – that's 2.5 million log trucks worth of wood – were damaged across 11 Panhandle counties. In Georgia, 20.5 million tons of pine and 17.2 million tons of hardwood – totaling 37.7 million tons [read more]
This week, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies heard the USDA Forest Service's Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget justification. Chairwoman Betty McCollum of Minnesota and many of her colleagues were dismissive of the president’s proposed budget cuts to the Forest Service. McCollum highlighted the budget's suggestion to cut the agency's [read more]
By Keith Wood and Josh Knoll Earlier this month, the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition (SUFC) held its 14th Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia, at The Nature Conservancy’s headquarters. It was a chance for a wide array of community forestry stakeholders—including city planners, educators, landscape architects, non-profit leaders, scientists, arborists, foresters, and nurserymen and women—to come [read more]
March is a great time to prune trees. While pruning can be done at any time during the year, new growth is maximized, wound closure is fastest, and pest risks are lowest if pruning takes place before spring growth. Correctly pruning a tree lengthens its life and increases its value, however poor pruning—especially "topping"—can lead [read more]
