May 24, 2013
insurance with GEICO? Click here to learn more.
E-Forester Archives? More than a few folks have asked if The E-Forester is archived on the SAF website. It is not, primarily because links to news articles change quickly. However, if you're looking for something from a past issue, contact me and I'll do my best to get you what you need.
I. Featured News
1. Forest Industry to Benefit from Genome Sequencing
2. 4FRI Logging to Begin In June
3. County's Last Sawmill, a Casualty of Oregon's Enduring Timber Wars
4. HWA in the Smokies, EAB in Connecticut and New York
5. Wisconsin Wildfire Started by Logging Operations
Forest Products Industry
6. Existing Home Sales Highest in Almost Three-and-a-Half Years
7. Voracious Mountain Pine Beetles on Hold in Forests Northwest of Edmonton
8. Biomass News
Federal Lands Management
9. Federal Wildfire News
10. Forest Service Fees at Center of Debate
11. Federal Judge Says Forest Service Must Consider Critical Habitat Designations in Regional Forest Plan Guidance for Lynx
12. Smokey, Spare that Lookout-Washington Lawmakers to Forest Service
13. NAFO: Bipartisan Bill Preserves EPA Forest Roads Policy, Jobs
II. Publications, Resources, and Items of Interest
1. Financing Woody Biomass Clusters: Barriers, Opportunities, and Potential Models for the Western United States
2. Boreal Forests News
3. Forestry Outreach in New York and Oregon
III. Science and Technology
1. Germain's Research Focuses on Working Forests
2. Invasive Species: "Away-Field Advantage" Weaker than Ecologists Thought
3. Climate Change Related to Reduced Plant Size in Nevada's Great Basin
IV. SAF News
1. Call for Nominations for Vice President and Council
2. Save Up to 55 Percent with the New SAF Prescription Discount Card
3. Receive a $20 Discount and Help New Members Save 30 Percent on Membership for the Next Five Years
4. All New Benefit for SAF Members—AchieveLinks!
5. Upcoming SAF Meetings
I. Featured News
All of these items and more appear in the "Featured News" section on the SAF home page
1. Forest Industry to Benefit from Genome Sequencing
Vancouver Sun.com (May 23) - Canadian and Swedish scientists have decoded the genome sequences of two of the world's most economically important forest trees, a development that could sharply reduce the time required to grow the trees and help them resist pests.
The two studies, which looked at the white spruce and Norway spruce genomes, will help develop innovative tools for tree breeding, and address economically and ecologically important targets such as insect resistance, wood quality, growth rates, and adaptation to changing climate.
2. 4FRI Logging to Begin In June
Arizona Journal.com (May 22) - United States Forest Service officials recently announced that they expect work on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) to begin in early June.
Pioneer Forest Products was chosen as the contractor for the forest thinning initiative on May 18, 2012. The Forest Service awarded a 10-year stewardship contract to Pioneer, which provides for treatment of 300,000 acres over 10 years and is the largest stewardship contract awarded by the US Forest Service.
According to the Forest Service's 4FRI website, the initiative is designed to "restore the structure, pattern, and composition of fire-adapted ecosystems, which will provide for fuels reduction, forest health, and wildlife and plant diversity" on the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, and Tonto National Forests.
3. County's Last Sawmill, a Casualty of Oregon's Enduring Timber Wars
Oregon Live.com (May 20) - Rough & Ready Lumber, the last sawmill in Josephine County, Oregon, closes next week—a grim milestone in the persistent stalemate over logging that's peculiar to this unique corner of Oregon.
Federal timber production and jobs at Oregon mills have fallen dramatically since 1990, when the northern spotted owl was listed under the Endangered Species Act. Bigger, more efficient mills and the huge housing construction drop in the recent recession contributed as well.
4. HWA in the Smokies, EAB in Connecticut and New York
Smokies Add Two New Beetles, Canopy Cages in Fight against Hemlock Adelgid
Knoxville News Sentinel.com (May 20) - At the eastern end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are three 25-foot-tall hemlock trees enveloped in nylon. They're called canopy cages and they're being used in the Smokies to help control the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), a tiny, non-native insect pest that has been killing the park's hemlocks for more than a decade.
In addition to battling the infestation with soap sprays and soil-injected pesticides, the park has been releasing two species of "predator" beetles that prey on the HWA. To enhance its biological control program, the park recently added two more species of predator beetles to the mix.
Emerald Ash Borer Detected in Another Connecticut Town
Ridgefield Press.com (May 21) - The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has announced that the emerald ash borer (EAB) has been detected in another Connecticut town-Hamden.
The insects were previously confirmed in Prospect, Naugatuck, Bethany, Beacon Falls, Waterbury, Cheshire, Oxford, and Middlebury as part of surveys conducted by CAES, The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension via an agreement with US Department of Agriculture's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service in joint efforts to detect the presence of EAB or the extent of the current New Haven County infestation.
Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Delaware and Otsego Counties
North Country Gazette.org (May 21) - The USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer (EAB) in Delaware and Otsego counties.
A timber harvester working in a private woodlot just south of Unadilla (in Delaware County) reported the suspected EAB infestation to DEC officials. This was the first report of a possible EAB infestation in a woodlot from the forest products industry in New York.
5. Wisconsin Wildfire Started by Logging Operations
Sheboyganpress.com (May 16) - Prosecutors announced that they won't file charges against loggers whose equipment apparently started a massive wildfire in northwestern Wisconsin, concluding there was no criminal intent or negligence.
The fire began the afternoon of Tuesday (May 14) in the woods near Simms Lake in Douglas County, about 40 miles southeast of Duluth, Minnesota. It consumed 8,131 acres, destroyed 17 homes, and forced dozens of people to evacuate before firefighters contained it.
Forest Products Industry
6. Existing Home Sales Highest in Almost Three-and-a-Half Years
Reuters.com (May 22) - The National Association of Realtors said existing home sales advanced 0.6 percent to an annual rate of 4.97 million units, the highest level since November 2009.
The data underscored the housing market's improving fortunes as it starts to regain its lost glory. Re-sales were 9.7 percent higher than the same period last year.
7. Voracious Mountain Pine Beetles on Hold in Forests Northwest of Edmonton
Edmonton Journal.com (May 17) - Millar Western's Fox Creek sawmill is in the middle of Alberta's largest lodgepole pine forests, and also in the center of the province's holding zone in the desperate war to stop the spread of the voracious beetles that will have eaten through 75 percent of British Columbia's pine forests by the time the infestation peters out in a few more years.
Can State Harvesting Guidelines Keep Biomass Sustainable?
Mid-west Energy News.com (May 21) - As a Midwest biomass group promotes a goal of drawing 10 percent of the region's heating energy from wood fuels by 2025, more questions are sure to arise about whether that amount of fuel could be harvested sustainably.
Making sure that those feedstocks are collected in a way that doesn't damage the environment will require a review and updating of state harvesting standards, the group says in its 2025 vision document.
Airbus, Air Canada Partner with BioFuelNet Canada on Biojet Fuel
Biomass magazine.com (May 21) -BioFuelNet Canada has entered an agreement with Airbus and Air Canada to evaluate biomass-derived biojet fuels.
BioFuelNet's researchers will assess agricultural, forestry, and municipal solid waste streams along with conversion processes to determine which method is the most sustainable for the production of aviation biofuels.
USDA Announces Payments to Pellet, Biogas Producers
Biomass magazine.com (May 20) - The USDA has announced $14 million in payments to 162 advanced biofuel producers in 38 states under the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. The program awards payments to eligible producers based on the amount of advanced biofuel produced from renewable sources of biomass, other than cornstarch.
Xcel to Seek Bids for Biomass Power Plant Burning Beetle-Killed Timber
Biz Journals.com (May 20) - With thousands of acres of dead trees, killed by the Rocky Mountain pine beetle, littering Colorado's high country, Xcel Energy Inc. says it will explore burning some of the state's dead forest to generate electricity.
Xcel has asked state regulators to approve its request for proposals for a power plant that produces electricity by burning, or gasifying, "forest biomass."
More:
Xcel Energy Seeks Power from Forest Waste in Colorado
Denver Post.com (May 20)
Federal Lands Management
9. Tester Questions Whether USFS Had "Better Options" for Air Tankers
Billings Gazette.com (May 23) - US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell told a congressional subcommittee that he's considering overriding Neptune Aviation's protest of next-generation air tanker contracts in order to have firefighting planes available for this summer.
But Montana Sen. Jon Tester questioned whether the agency "left better options on the table" in passing over the Missoula-based company's proposal while offering contracts to others whose planes aren't ready to fly.
Forest Service Fallout with Company Could Ground Air Tankers
Associated Press (May 21) - Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado called on the US Forest Service last week to make certain that a contract dispute doesn't ground large air tankers used to fight wildfires as warmer, drier weather boosts the risk of destructive blazes.
The move came after Neptune Aviation formally protested national firefighting contracts awarded May 6 by the Forest Service.
FAA's Concerns Hold Up Use of Wildfire Drones
New York Times.com (May 21) - As wildfire season begins in Western landscapes that were covered in smoky haze for weeks at a time last summer, the federal government's firefighters are exploring the use of small remote-controlled drones with infrared cameras that could map a fire's size and speed, and identify hot spots, a particular danger.
But the effort is being slowed Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
Forest Service Shows Group How to Protect Historic Buildings from Wildfire
Billings Gazette.com (May 20) - Preserving history is never an easy task. It becomes even harder when there's a wildfire bearing down on one of the hundreds of historic cabins, lookouts, and other structures scattered over the West's public lands.
Climate Change and Wildfire
US Forest Service (May 20) - Concerns continue to grow about the effects of climate change on fire. Of equal concern to scientists and policymakers alike are the atmospheric effects of wildfire emissions on climate.
A new article published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management by US Forest Service scientists synthesizes recent findings on the interactions between fire and climate and outlines future research needs. Authored by research meteorologists Yongqiang Liu and Scott Goodrick from the Forest Service's Southern Research Station and Warren Heilman from the Northern Research Station, the article hones in on the effect of emissions from wildfires on long-term atmospheric conditions.
10. Forest Service Fees at Center of Debate
Aspen Times.com (May 22) - The US Forest Service is making a simple, seemingly insignificant change to its fee-collection system at the Maroon Bells this summer, but the move is tied to a national fight that will end up in the lap of Congress next year.
11. Federal Judge Says Forest Service Must Consider Critical Habitat Designations in Regional Forest Plan Guidance for Lynx
Summit County Voice.com (May 21) - The US Forest Service has been cited for failing to live up to its legal obligations to protect endangered species, this time by a federal judge in Montana, who ruled last week that the agency violated the Endangered Species Act when it failed to consult with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on a regional forest plan amendment.
Forest Service Must Modify Lynx Protections
Bozeman Daily Chronicle.com (May 21)
12. Smokey, Spare that Lookout-Washington Lawmakers to Forest Service
Seattle Post.com (May 20) - The Green Mountain Lookout should be left standing in its present perch, atop a popular Snohomish County hiking trail, and not be moved or removed, according to a tough-worded letter sent to the US Forest Service by Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and US Reps. Rick Larsen and Suzan DelBene (D-WA).
13. NAFO: Bipartisan Bill Preserves EPA Forest Roads Policy, Jobs
NAFO.org (May 16) - The National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) has thanked Congressional leaders in the US House of Representatives and US Senate for introducing the Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act, preserving the US Environmental Protection Agency's 37 years of success regulating forest roads as nonpoint sources under the Clean Water Act.
The Supreme Court on March 20 reversed a May 2011 ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (NEDC v. Brown) that forest roads used for timber harvest require mandatory CWA industrial stormwater discharge permits typically applied to factories and other facilities.
According to a press release from Ron Wyden's (D-OR) office, the bill would "aid efforts to increase timber harvests and forestry jobs by preventing unnecessary litigation on a question that the US Supreme Court settled in the EPA's favor earlier this year. The bill, like the Supreme Court decision, upholds the EPA's existing policy, which does not require water discharge permits for forest roads."
II. Publications, Resources, and Items of Interest
1. Financing Woody Biomass Clusters: Barriers, Opportunities, and Potential Models for the Western United States
Dovetail Partners (May 21) - To better understand how biomass energy could be more widely adopted in the United States, Dovetail Partners has released the report—Financing Woody Biomass Clusters: Barriers, Opportunities and Potential Models for the Western US—which identifies the factors contributing to success or failure of biomass energy projects. The findings were used to identify barriers to and opportunities for achieving more extensive use of such systems.
2. Boreal Forest Conservation Talks Collapse
Boreal Forest Conservation Talks Collapse
Globe and Mail.com (May 21) - When the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) was signed on May 18, 2010, environmental groups and members of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) had high hopes for forging a new era of cooperation for sustainable forestry.
Report: Canada's Boreal Forests Are the "Amazon of the North"
Globe and Mail.com (May 22) - As resource companies look to northern forests in search of untapped minerals and energy, scientists and conservancy groups say too little attention is being paid to the environmental wealth created by Canada's boreal regions.
3. Forestry Outreach in New York and Oregon
Woodlot Walk: Public Given Opportunity to Learn about Forestry
Observer Today.com (May 20) - Bill Dorman of Cassadaga is a member of the New York Forest Owners Association, a group whose goal is to promote sustainable forestry practices and improved stewardship on privately owned woodlands in New York State. The group recently used Dorman's land to give the public an opportunity to learn more about forestry, the natural world, and stewardship.
ODNR Is Educating Local Fifth-Graders
Bucyrus Telegraph Forum.com (May 17) - The Crawford Soil and Water Conservation District, in partnership with US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Oregon Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, and ODNR Division of Forestry, recently conducted its 25th annual conservation field days at Stump's Heritage Farm.
Approximately 300 students, teachers, and chaperones attended.
III. Science and Technology
1. Germain's Research Focuses on Working Forests
SUNY ESF (May 17) - SAF member Rene Germain, professor of forest management and operations at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) since 1998, is driven to help people and working forests. He conducts applied research that keeps him in the woods and working closely with the very forest practitioners who benefit from his research findings. Germain's research, which focuses on changes and challenges to sustaining nonindustrial private forestland and a viable logging and forest products industry, is about lessening those challenges for the people of the Northern Forest region.
2. Invasive Species: "Away-Field Advantage" Weaker than Ecologists Thought
Smithsonian Institution.com (May 16) - For decades, ecologists have assumed the worst invasive species-such as brown tree snakes and kudzu-have an "away-field advantage." They succeed because they do better in their new territories than they do at home. A new study led by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center reveals that this fundamental assumption is not nearly as common as people might think.
3. Climate Change Related to Reduced Plant Size in Nevada's Great Basin
University of Nevada (May 20) - Plants are shrinking in the Great Basin of Nevada, and a warming climate could be the culprit, according to a paper published in the journal Global Change Biology.
University scientists examined, measured, and analyzed more than 1,900 samples to determine if climate affected plant height, leaf size, and flower number, and whether those changes in climate resulted in decreasing sizes for seven annual flowering plant species.
While one species increased in size and flower number over the observation period, five of the seven species decreased in plant height, four of these decreased in leaf size, and one species also decreased in flower production. One species showed no change.
IV. SAF News
1. Call for Nominations for Vice President and Council
Nominations are being accepted for Vice President and Council. Council representative openings are available in districts 2, 5, 8, and 11 for the coming year. Additional information, forms, and deadlines are available on the SAF website. Nominations are due June 1.
2. Save Up to 55 Percent with the New SAF Prescription Discount Card
Attention foresters: Whether you have employer insurance or you're a one-man forestry shop, SAF's new discount prescription card can help you save big money.
The card applies to the purchase of both name brand and generic prescriptions, and is accepted at 60,000 stores nationwide, including Walgreens, Target, CVS, Wal-Mart, and more.
For more information, visit the My Free Prescription Card website or request your prescription discount card at membership@safnet.org.
3. Receive a $20 Discount and Help New Members Save 30 Percent on Membership for the Next Five Years
When you recruit a member you can save money on membership dues. For every new or reinstating member recruited, you receive $20 off your national membership dues over the next 5 years of membership. And the person you recruit will receive a 30 percent discount.
To receive your discount, make sure those you recruit list you as the sponsor/member referral and help them sign up by downloading and submitting an application or calling (866) 897-8720 x110.
Also, don’t hesitate to request special recruitment cards to pass out to potential members!
Note: These discounts apply only if both the recruiting member and recruited member maintain their membership for 5 consecutive years.
Student memberships are not eligible for this program.
4. All New Benefit for SAF Members—AchieveLinks!
SAF members: Be sure to sign up at AchieveLinks to begin online shopping with more than 800 retailers including: Cabelas, BassPro, Gander Mountain, The North Face, REI, Timberland, Sportsman Guide, Caterpillar, Mountain Hardwear, Columbia, and many more.
The more SAF members who use the service, the more benefits SAF and its members receive. As individuals shop, they can get discounts and build up rewards they can use to pay for items from retailers.
Have questions? See more details on the SAF website.
Register Now for the North American Forest Ecology Workshop
Please join fellow researchers and land managers to discuss basic and applied ecological research in forests throughout North America. The workshop will be held June 16-20, 2013, in Bloomington, Indiana. More than 120 plenary and concurrent presentations will be given in a variety of sessions including impacts of invasive plants on the eastern forest, natural and silvicultural effects on stand development, and restoring forest ecosystems using fire and fire surrogate approaches. The program is expected to qualify for 11.0-16.0 hours of Category 1 CF credits.
To register, or for more information, visit the NAFEW website.
2013 SAF National Convention
Charleston, South Carolina
October 23-27
Click here for information regarding the meeting program, travel, and more.
About The E-Forester:
A Benefit of SAF Membership:
The E-Forester is sent to SAF members in good standing each week.
Disclaimer:
The Society of American Foresters does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the news items and/or links to additional information that appear in The E-Forester.
Meeting Announcements:
The E-Forester will no longer include announcements for forestry events, gatherings, or tours not (co)sponsored by SAF.
Feedback:
Do you have a comment about The E-Forester? Send it to us at Eforest@safnet.org.
Problems?
If you experience any problems with The E-Forester or you receive an error message that says, "You may have been removed from the mailing list" when you try to click a link, please let us know so we can work to resolve the problem. If problems persist, we can make arrangements to send The E-Forester to you in an alternative format.
Copyright 2013 Society of American Foresters
5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814-2198
P: 301.897.8720 - toll free: 866.897.8720 - Email: membership@safnet.org - Contact Us
5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814-2198
P: 301.897.8720 - toll free: 866.897.8720 - Email: membership@safnet.org - Contact Us