Community Forestry Resource Center
A project of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
News and Event Summary
February 26, 2010
This week we would like to call special attention to the publication of a book by one of our long time supporters and collaborators, Peter Bundy. You can read about his book The Wild Garden in the publications section.
This message includes news, headlines and information gathered during the past two weeks.
* * * C O N T E N T S * * *
News
Events
- Sourcing Sustainable Local Wood Products Webinar
March 4, 2010, Online
- Forest Management and Recreation
March 10-11, 2010, Marinette, WI
- Introduction to Prescribed Fire
March 25-26, Baraboo, WI
- Forestry Hike in the Lower Wisconsin Riverway
April 3, 2010, Boscobel, WI
- Birding the Important Bird Area
May 8, 2010, Baraboo, WI
Information
Publications
News
Emerald ash borer confirmed in Minneapolis
Star Tribune
The emerald ash borer has made its Minneapolis debut, state officials say, and the discovery has come in one of the city's more scenic locations. http://www.forestrycenter.org/index.cfm?RefID=107238
Biomass crop subsidy carries hefty U.S. pricetag
Reuters
A new U.S. program that subsidizes biomass crops for energy use may cost $263 million this year -- nearly four times its expected cost -- with an opening emphasis on forest and sugar scrap. http://www.forestrycenter.org/index.cfm?RefID=107234
Climate change's impact on forests being measured via expanding tree trunks
Washington Post
Jess Parker hugs trees. In the woods of Anne Arundel County, he throws his arms around tulip poplars, oaks and American beeches, and holds them so tightly that his cheek presses into their bark. This is not some hiker on a lark: anybody, hopped up on campfire coffee and exercise endorphins, might hug a tree once. http://www.forestrycenter.org/index.cfm?RefID=107231
Climate change threatens fog and redwoods -study
Reuters
Fog 33 percent less common than 100 years ago http://www.forestrycenter.org/index.cfm?RefID=107233
Migrant forest workers get $2.75M wage settlement
AP via Seattle Post Intelligencer
A company that provides migrant labor for the forestry industry has agreed to pay $2.75 million to more than 2,200 workers who claimed in a federal lawsuit that they were shortchanged on their wages. http://www.forestrycenter.org/index.cfm?RefID=107235
OSU researcher: Fires in forest valuable
Corvallis Gazette Times
With a changing climate there's a good chance that forest fires in the Pacific Northwest will become larger and more frequent - and according to one expert speaking today at a professional conference, that's just fine. http://www.forestrycenter.org/index.cfm?RefID=107237
Small Family Farms in Tropics Can Feed the Hungry and Preserve Biodiversity
ScienceDaily
Conventional wisdom among many ecologists is that industrial-scale agriculture is the best way to produce lots of food while preserving biodiversity in the world's remaining tropical forests. But two University of Michigan researchers reject that idea and argue that small, family-owned farms may provide a better way to meet both goals. http://www.forestrycenter.org/index.cfm?RefID=107230
Events
Sourcing Sustainable Local Wood Products Webinar
March 4, 2010, Online
Please note: the time listed for this webinar is in CENTRAL TIME
A one-hour webinar for builders, architects, interior designers, manufacturers, woodworkers, and others interested in learning more about sourcing certified and sustainable wood products.
For more information, visit http://forestrycenter.org/events.cfm?refID=107232&categoryID=
Forest Management and Recreation
March 10-11, 2010, Marinette, WI
A day and a half conference covering the changing recreational landscape and its impact on planning and on the ground forest management.
For more information, contact Tom Shockley at 715-358-9259
, or visit http://forestrycenter.org/events.cfm?refID=107239&categoryID=.
Introduction to Prescribed Fire
March 25-26, 2010, Baraboo, WI
This two-day course will cover the ecology of fire, fire behavior principles, and the elements of fire management planning, all particularly focused on prairie and savanna ecosystems. Participants will operate basic fire management tools, view the layout and preparation of a fire unit, and, weather permitting, conduct several real burns.
For more information, contact Alanna Koshollek at 608-355-0279 ext. 30 or alanna@aldoleopold.org, or visit
http://www.forestrycenter.org/events.cfm?refID=107169&categoryID=.
Forestry Hike in the Lower Wisconsin Riverway
April 3, 2010, Boscobel, WI
A guided hike with Lower Wisconsin State Riverway forester Brad Hutnik will be conducted near Boscobel on Saturday, April 3 beginning at 10:00 am. The floodplain forest community on the riverway is changing, mostly due to changes in the flooding cycle since dams were established in the watershed.
For more information, contact Lila Marmel at 608-624-5269 or sunmoon@mwt.net, or visit http://forestrycenter.org/events.cfm?refID=107229&categoryID=
Birding the Important Bird Area
May 8, 2010, Baraboo, WI
Come experience the ornithological diversity of the Leopold–Pine Island Important Bird Area! Learn to identify birds by sound, and develop your understanding of bird/habitat relationships. We’ll start with a short outdoor listening session early in the morning, then head to the classroom to learn bird identification by sight and sound, connect birds to specific habitat types, and discuss conservation and management for the habitats and/or the birds.
For more information, contact Alanna Koshollek at (608) 355-0279, x.30 or alanna@aldoleopold.org, or visit http://www.forestrycenter.org/events.cfm?refID=107170&categoryID=
Information
Summer Internships with the Madison Audubon Society
From the Faville Grove Sanctuary Web site: "As an intern in this supervised practical experience, you will spend the summer in the field where you will learn by doing a number of tasks in broad-scale landscape restoration and management, including work in prairie, savanna, woodland, and wetland habitats. The primary focus of activities is the control of invasive species, but some time will be spent on seed collecting and endangered species monitoring. The internship will give you the opportunity to become familiar with both native and alien plants and to learn about their life cycles and ecological requirements; to observe what natural conditions and processes have been altered in a landscape; and to gain an understanding of restoration and management goals and objectives. Interns work in small groups at sites within 30 miles of Madison. Two teams will be hired for the summer of 2010: one to work at Madison Audubon’s Faville Grove Sanctuary east of Madison, and one to work at several sites north and west of Madison. Applicants will be considered for both teams unless otherwise requested."
For more information, visit http://madisonaudubon.org/audubon/sanctuaries/favillegrove/summer-internships.asp.
Publications
The Wild Garden, by Peter Bundy
Peter is a writer and forester. When he isn’t working quietly with words, he spends his time as a consultant helping landowners and land managers restore the health of their forestlands. This is a passion, as well as a livelihood, and both of his books, Finding the Forest and The Wild Garden share stories from this woods experience.
We encourage you to learn more about his most recent book by visiting: http://masconomo.com/publications.php. You can also listen to an interview about the book from KAXE with Peter Bundy at http://masconomo.com/KAXEInterview.mov(please note that it may take a few moments to load).
Recognition of Carbon Storage in Harvested Wood Products: A Post-Copenhagen Update
From the report: "Efforts to recognize carbon storage in wood products within international protocols have been ongoing for over thirteen years. Despite these actions there is still no agreement on language regarding Harvested Wood Products (HWP), and this continued uncertainty is hindering the possibilities for wood to be a more significant part of a carbon solution."
Read the report at http://www.dovetailinc.org/reportsview/2010/responsible-materials/pjim-bowyerp/recognition-carbon-storage-harvested-wood-produc#_ftn1.
Wood products and carbon storage (report)
From the report: "Global discussions around climate change recognize the critical importance of maintaining land-based carbon sinks as part of a comprehensive policy to address this burgeoning crisis. Internationally, the first priority is to protect the tropical rainforests that are the true champions of carbon sequestration. Within the United States, the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska serve as our own carbon storage champions. But other forests found across the country also play a significant role in the climate equation."
Read the report at: http://www.eoearth.org/article/Wood_products_and_carbon_storage_(report).
CFRC Newsletter Available Now!
The new edition of the Community Forestry Connections newsletter is now available on the forestrycenter.org Web site as a PDF file for download. In the fall 2009 issue you can get recent updates on the work that the Community Forestry Resource Center has been supporting, including: a habitat restoration and bioenergy program, a bird-friendly forestry project, Emerald Ash Borer in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Wisconsin BMP's for invasive species and an update on the CFRC forest certification program. Download the newsletter at http://www.forestrycenter.org/library.cfm?refID=106828.
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