Welcome to the Forestry News Page. This page is intended to be a forestry bulletin board on the Internet. The type of news that appears here includes national or state forestry news, dates of conferences and workshops, news about people in forestry, new publications, new government policies or legislation, and so on. If you have something you want to tell the world, >post it here! If your organization has an event, a workshop, a conference, a trade show or any other forestry-related event that you would like to publicize on the Internet; send the details and we'll put it up for you.


Forestry News from Around the World

Week of February 13, 2012

Global Forestry Joins the Forest Stewardship Council(R) (FSC(R)) Luxembourg
MarketWatch (press release)
LUXEMBOURG, Feb 14, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Global Forestry Capital SARL (GFC) is pleased to announce its affiliation to the Forest Stewardship Council National Office in Luxembourg (FSC Luxembourg asbl) and its acceptance in the Trademark ...

Forestry Commission director resigns in face of critical audit report
Arkansas News
By John Lyon LITTLE ROCK — Embattled Arkansas Forestry Commission Director John Shannon announced his resignation today after state auditors released a report sharply critical of his management of the agency's finances. From left, Robert Araiza, ...

Forest Service seeks tankers
The Durango Herald
By CATHERINE TSAI APHerald Staff DENVER – The US Forest Service released its long-awaited strategy Friday for replacing its wildfire-fighting fleet of aging heavy air tankers with ones that are newer, faster and more cost-effective, though it's unclear ...

US Forest Service suing state, Otero County over forest management | The Republic
The Republic
AP LAS CRUCES, NM — The US Forest Service filed a lawsuit against the state and Otero County over management of forest lands, after the county passed a resolution last year saying it intended to begin following an 11-year-old state law on the issue.

United Nations forum brings attention to forest conservation worldwide
Women News Network
She underscores “…that people play a critical role in ensuring the well being of the forests that sustain us everyday.” Needs for a cross-sectoral and cross-institutional strategy to achieve sustainable development is also part of the picture

Integrated pest management recommendations for the southern pine beetle
Science Codex
The southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, is a chronic insect pest within pine forests in the southeastern United States. Under favorable environmental and host conditions, it is an aggressive, primary bark beetle capable of killing ...

US Forest Service's plan to replace air tanker fleet draws criticism
Record-Searchlight
Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said the aging fleet needs to be replaced with the next generation of aircraft. The US Forest Service has announced plans to try to replace its aging fleet of privately contracted air tankers used to battle wildfires.

Jobs vs. environment at Oregon legislature as timber and water ...
OregonLive.com
House Bill 4098 would set the logging level in state forests at a fixed ... with Idaho taking nearly 60 percent, the Water Resources Department estimates.

Foresters keep close eye on tussock moth activity
La Grande Observer
A news release from the Oregon State University Extension Office in La Grande said light defoliation was mapped last year across 9000 acres of the Umatilla National Forest, including 7800 acres in Washington and 1200 acres in Oregon.

Timber Industry still suffering from Drought
KTBS
East Texas landowners and loggers are not seeing a rebound in the timber industry. Last year, forestry officials estimate up to 500 million trees throughout Texas succumbed to the drought, and that's not including those lost to wildfires.

Oregon State Senate confirms three for Forestry Board
OregonLive.com
By Michelle Cole, The Oregonian Benjamin Brink/The OregonianForest managers have been decommissioning many miles of logging roads on Oregon state forests. This file photo was taken last fall in the Tillamook State Forest. SALEM -- Despite rumors that ...

Emerald Ash Borer Likely To Surge This Year
GazeboNews
... millions of North American ash trees since it was detected in Michigan in 2002. Based on eab trends in other Midwest communities, the local infestation is on course to surge this spring and summer. In Lake Forest, so will the felling of trees.

Wells Timberland REIT Receives Georgia Forestry for Wildlife Partner Award
MarketWatch (press release)
NORCROSS, Ga., Feb 08, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Wells Timberland REIT was today honored by the Georgia Department of National Resources with the Forestry for Wildlife Partner Award. Presented by Georgia governor Nathan Deal, the award was made in ...

Burning within borders
SunHerald.com
Also known as prescribed fires, controlled burns in South Mississippi are typically carried out in the winter, said Randy Wilson, coastal fire coordinator with the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The Forestry Commission began its burning season right ...

Local non-profits recognized
Natchez Democrat
The Natchez-Adams County Community Alliance and the Adams County Master Gardeners received Civic Group and Commercial Model of the Year awards from the Mississippi Urban Forest Council and the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The awards recognized the ...

Cash in on carbon: Timber firms can harvest profits from greenhouse gas initiative
Record-Searchlight
ANDERSON — California's call to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 means new revenue for timber landowners willing to play the carbon-offset market. Steven Brink of the California Forestry Association said the Global Warming Solutions Act, ...

Save the Redwoods League Awards Nearly $100000 for Research
DigitalJournal.com (press release)
Save the Redwoods League today announced more than $100000 in research grants to fund projects that will expand scientific knowledge of the biology and ecology of coast redwood and giant sequoia forests. This research can help us answer big questions ...

China could help US forestry industry
IHB
Figures on timber harvesting in 2011 analysed by forestry economist, Gary Lettman, showed that harvests had picked up last year with the number of board feet harvested looking better than the past few years, which have been disappointing for the US ...

Study shows beetle-killed pine needles burn 3 times faster than live needles
The Missoulian
But more than that, Matt Jolly said, the study could help open firefighters' eyes to the dangers lurking in mountain pine beetle-infested forests where the trees still look to be alive and doing well. Jolly is a research ecologist with the US Forest ...

North American Forest Industry Indicators

Commodity Prices

Northern Bleached Softwood Pulp
Hardwood Pulp Futures
Lumber Futures

source: FutureSource.com

Daily Stock Quotes and News

Ainsworth Lumber Co. Ltd. TSE:ANS
Boise Inc. NYSE:BZ
Canfor Corporation TSE:CFP
Cascades, Inc. TSE:CAS
Catalyst Paper Corp. TSE:CTL
Deltic Timber Corporation NYSE:DEL
Domtar Corp. TSE:UFS
P.H. Glatfelter Company NYSE:GLT
International Forest Products Limited TSE:IFP.A
International Paper Company NYSE:IP
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp. NASDAQ:KPPC
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation NYSE:LPX		 Potlatch Corporation NYSE:PCH
Rayonier Inc. NYSE:RYN
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation OTC:SSCCQ
Stella-Jones Inc. TSE:SJ
Tembec, Inc. TSE:TMB
Temple-Inland, Inc. NYSE:TIN
TimberWest Forest Corp. TSE:TWF.UN
Wausau Paper Corp. NYSE:WPP
Western Forest Products, Inc. TSE:WEF
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. TSE:WFT
Weyerhaeuser Company NYSE:WY

source: Google Finance


FORESTS FOR ALL is a delightful book that explains to children the vital role forests and forestry play in everyday life. It isForests for All fun,interactive, and delivers a balanced message. The book is full of fun characters children will love. Every page has color illustrations or beautiful photographs. 

Bo The Bull Elk and J.D. Beaver, along with some lovable forest friends and a couple of loggers, explain to children that forests, forest management and forest products greatly enhance their everyday lives (even if they live nowhere near a forest).

For their own benefit and for the benefit of future generations, children need to learn how to protect the environment. But that doesn’t mean kids can’t have fun and giggle while they learn.

Wood is an amazing material. It is natural, sustainable and renewable. Environmentally, it is the best building product on earth. It stores carbon in trees and wood products. Along with providing homes for animals and people, trees provide clean water, recreational opportunities and numerous other benefits. And they do so at no cost to us.

FORESTS FOR ALL teaches children all this and much more. It is written and illustrated in a fun, engaging style that encourages kids (k-12) to want to read the book over and over again.

For mor information go to: http://forestsforall.com/


working forest dvd

"Working Forest Video Presentation"

If you had the money,resources,and time to produce a documentary that explained what forestry is,show cased what foresters do,and demonstrated why the forestry sector is vital for sustaining the variety of benefits that forests provide,chances are the end result would look a lot like "A Working Forest: It's Future with Fire, People and Wildlife", a new film produced by Bob Williams CF,consulting forester in New Jersey. As interesting, is Chuck Leavell the host and of all things, keyboardist for the great RollingStones!!

The dvd presentation can be reviewed with a small trailor on its web site -- aworkingforest.com

Bob can be reached as well at bob@landdimensions.com for more information on the dvd's availability


The Forest Products Society is pleased to announce the completion of the Interactive Library expansion project.

The Forest Products Society is pleased to announce the completion of the Interactive Library expansion project. The Interactive Library is composed of three separate databases which together represent a significant compendium of information on forest products research spanning several decades. Containing over 22,500 references for technical articles, manuals, and books related to the environmentally sound processing and use of wood resources, all three databases are available on the FPS website at www.forestprod.org.

Forest Products Society Books

The Wood Handbook is one of the most widely used documents in the wood literature. The 2010 edition is the first update of the 21st century and includes several new chapters. The original handbook was first published in 1935 by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL).

The Forest Products Society (FPS) is pleased to cooperate with the FPL to present this newly updated edition in hard copy. Learn more

This 2010 edition is your one-stop source for information on wood as an engineering material and offers content such as:
• Properties of wood and wood-based products
• Design information for architects and engineers
• Wood and non-wood composites
• Wood-moisture relationships and wood durability

...plus NEW CONTENT on:

• Wood as an environmentally responsible, sustainable building material
• Heat-treating and sterilization procedures for wood infected by invasive insect species
• A special COLOR chapter on low-magnification micrographs of cross sections of commercial wood species

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!
HANDBOOK HARD COPY & CD FOR ONLY $60
To order a copy: http://www.forestprod.org/handbook/

A Guide to More Useful Woods of the World
edited by James H. Flynn, Jr.

Continuing with the great information in A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, this book features: * 71 additional wood data sheets (WDS) bringing the total of published WDSs to 350, * 2 comprehensive indexes, and * 14 articles from highly respected professionals in wood-related matters: Richard Crow, Alan B. Curtis, Mihaly Czako, Eugene Dimitriadis, Robert Goldsack, Ernie Ives, Siegfried Klotsche, and Regis Miller. A Guide to More Useful Woods of the World was introduced at the 2007 International Wood Collectors Society (IWCS) Annual Meeting & Woodfest in Grafton, Illinois in June.

6 by 9 softcover, 376 pages, Item # 7228 $29.95 for FPS and IWCS members ($34.95 nonmembers) plus delivery charge

A Guide to Useful Woods of the World cover
edited by James H. Flynn, Jr. and Charles D. Holder

Published in 2001, the first printing sold out! Now reprinted, here's your chance to have a copy of the definitive statement on 279 woods of the world. The description for each wood includes: Scientific and Family Names; Common Names; Distribution; The Tree; The Timber; Seasoning; Durability; Workability; Uses; and Supplies along with a line drawing, a photomicrograph, and a color photograph of the wood. Also included are common name, scientific name, and family name indexes and 3 appendices.

6 by 9 softcover, 640 pages, Item # 7255 $39.95 for FPS and IWCS members ($44.95 nonmembers) plus delivery charge

Purchase these books online or phone 608-231-1361, ext. 202.

Forest Products Society, 2801 Marshall Ct., Madison, WI 53705-2295 USA, www.forestprod.org

Forest Landowners Association, Inc.

The Forest Landowners Association has two publications of interest to the forestry community.

For more information, contact:

Joshua Kane Harrell
Programs Coordinator
Forest Landowners Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 450209
Atlanta, GA 31145-0209
Toll-free: 800-325-2954
Fax: 404-325-2955
jharrell@forestlandowners.com
Website: www.forestlandowners.com

USDA Forest Service Information - Electronic Mailing List

If you would like to receive official information from the Forest Service, complete the short form at . . .

http://www.fs.fed.us/news/subscription/

. . . and select the topics that you wish to receive. You will receive a welcome email message shortly after you subscribe. The Forest Service will use the information you provide only to send you official Forest Service information.


The Top Ten Environmental Benefits of Forestry - courtesy of the SAF

Forestry is bringing back forests. - Until the 1920s, forests were often logged and abandoned. Now, across the country an average of 1.7 billion seedlings are planted annually. That translates into six seedlings planted for every tree harvested. In addition, billions of additional seedlings are regenerated naturally.

Forestry helps water quality. - Foresters carefully manage areas called watersheds (areas where we collect our drinking water) and riparian zones (land bordering rivers, streams, and lakes). These are places where maintaining water quality is the primary concern for foresters. Forests actually help to clean water and get it ready for us to drink. The trees, the soil, and bacteria are all part of this process. Forest cover protects and nurtures the soils that are the key to water retention, filtering, and quality.

Forestry offsets air pollution. - Foresters nurture forests, which are sometimes called "the gills of the planet." One mature tree absorbs approximately 13 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. For every ton of wood a forest grows, it removes 1.47 tons of carbon dioxide and replaces it with 1.07 tons of oxygen.

Forestry helps reduce catastrophic wildfires. - At the turn of the century, wildfires annually burned across 20 to 50 million acres of the country each year. Through education, prevention, and control, the amount of wildfires has been reduced to about two to five million acres a year--a reduction of 90%. By marking and removing excess fuels, such as underbrush and some trees, foresters can modify forests in order to make them more resilient to fire.

Forestry helps wildlife. - Foresters employ a variety of management techniques to benefit wildlife, including numerous endangered species. For example, thinning and harvesting create conditions that stimulate the growth of food sources for wildlife. Openings created by harvesting provide habitat for deer and a variety of songbirds. Thinning can be used to accelerate growth and development of older trees that are favored by owls and other species. In order to enhance salmon habitat, foresters also carry out strategic tree plantings and monitor forest health along streams in order to keep the water cool and reduce sediments.

Forestry provides great places to recreate. - Foresters manage forests that provide recreational benefits to communities. Forests are important areas for such recreationists as birdwatchers, hikers, nature photographers, horseback riders, skiers, snowmobilers, and campers. And because foresters put water values high on their list of priorities, the rivers and lakes in forested areas provide such recreational opportunities as fishing, canoeing, and rafting.

Forestry benefits urban environments. - Urban foresters manage forests and trees to benefit communities in many ways. Forests in urban areas reduce stormwater runoffs, improve air quality, and reduce energy consumption. For example, three well-placed mature trees around a house can cut air-conditioning costs by 10-50 percent.

Forestry provides renewable and energy-efficient building products. - Foresters manage some forests for timber and produce a renewable resource because trees can be replanted. Other building materials, such as steel, iron, and copper, can be reused and recycled but not replaced. Wood is a renewable resource which, in addition to being recyclable, can be produced anew for generations to come on sustainable managed forestlands. Recycling and processing wood products also requires much less energy than does the processing of many other non-renewable materials.

Forestry helps family forests stay intact. - Foresters help family forestland owners, who own 54 percent of all the forests in the US, understand the benefits of managing their forests in an environmentally friendly manner. Better management of private forests means that those forests will remain healthy and productive. Many endangered species spent at least part of their time on private land, more than 80 percent of our nation's total precipitation falls first on private lands and 70 percent of eastern watersheds run through private lands.

Forestry is good for soils. - Foresters and natural resource managers are dependent on forest soils for growing and managing forests and, to a large extent, forest soils are dependent on resource professionals and managers. Foresters' success in growing forests and producing forest products is dependent on their ability to understand soil properties and to then match species with soils and to prescribe activities that not only promote forest growth but also enhance and protect soil productivity and prevent soil erosion.


NEW REPORT: Climate Change Poses Challenges for U.S. Forestry

Washington, DC – One-third of U.S. lands are covered by forests, making forest ecosystems one of the nation’s most prominent natural resources. In addition to their contribution to biodiversity, water quality, and recreation, forests also play a significant role in the U.S. economy, and forestry or forestry-related enterprises are the dominant industries in many U.S. communities. According to a new study by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the U.S. forestry sector will face a number of challenges in the next century due to the impacts of climate change.

The Pew Center report, Forests and Global Climate Change: Potential Impacts on U.S. Forest Resources, explores the challenges climate change will pose to forest ecosystems and related economic enterprises over the next century.

“Changes in forest productivity, the migration of tree species, and potential increases in wildfires and disease could cause substantial changes to U.S. forests,” said Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. “Moreover, these ecological impacts will have direct implications for our economy. The timber industry in the southern United States is particularly vulnerable.”

The key conclusions of the report include:

Forest location, composition, and productivity will be altered by changes in temperature and precipitation. Climate change is virtually certain to drive the migration of tree species, resulting in changes in the geographic distribution of forest types and new combinations of species within forests. In addition, climate change is likely to alter forest productivity depending upon location, tree species, water availability, and the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) fertilization.

Changes in forest disturbance regimes, such as fire or disease, could further affect the future of U.S. forests and the market for forest products. Increased temperatures could increase fire risk in areas that experience increased aridity, and climate change could promote the proliferation of diseases and pests that attack tree species.

U.S. economic impacts will vary regionally. Overall, economic studies indicate that the net impacts of climate change on the forestry sector will be small, ranging from slightly negative to positive impacts; however, gains and losses will not be distributed evenly throughout the United States. The Southeast, which is currently a dominant region for forestry, is likely to experience net losses, as tree species migrate northward and tree productivity declines. Meanwhile, the North is likely to benefit from tree migration and longer growing seasons.

As a managed resource, the implications of climate change for the forestry sector are largely dependent upon the actions taken to adapt to climate change. The United States currently has vast forest resources, and more timber grows within the United States than is consumed each year. If professional foresters take proactive measures, the sector may minimize the negative economic consequences of climate change.

A number of challenges currently limit our understanding of the effects of climate change on forestry. Existing projections for future changes in temperature and precipitation span a broad range making it difficult to predict the future climate that forests will experience, particularly at the regional level. Thus, current projections could fail to accurately predict the actual long-term impacts of climate change for the forestry sector.

Part of “Impacts” Series

Forests and Global Climate Change: Potential Impacts on U.S. Forest Resources, was prepared for the Pew Center by Herman Shugart (University of Virginia), Roger Sedjo (Resources for the Future), and Brent Sohngen (The Ohio State University). It is the ninth in a series of Pew Center reports examining the potential impacts of climate change on the U.S. environment. Other Pew Center reports focus on domestic and international policy issues, climate change solutions, and the economics of climate change.


USDA Forest Service International Programs

USDA Forest Service International Programs invites you to visit our website to view our November 2002 update of "What's New?" This feature highlights the current events and work of the Forest Service worldwide, including new international projects and updates on ongoing Forest Service efforts.

By visiting http://www.fs.fed.us/global/wsnew/welcome.htm you can learn about the efforts by Russian and American scientists to conserve the Siberian tiger, its prey and their habitat. In addition, you can find out about outcomes from the 21st Session of the North American Forest Commission, during which Forest Service Chief, Dale Bosworth, and the United States delegation met with counterparts from Mexico and Canada as well as representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization. Together, the Commission discussed forestry challenges and activities in North America since 2000.

Also, you can read about other recent events involving International Programs. This includes a Jordanian Princess' visit to National Forests to discuss arid land management strategies; a meeting to discuss environmental security in the Arabian Gulf region; a new tool?a photo series?that land managers can use to assess and prevent wildfires, and the ongoing conservation of birds that migrate across Russia, Japan, Canada and the United States. In addition, this website also features ways for environmental organizations in the United States to participate in the 2003 World Forestry Congress.

For all the latest news on International Programs, please visit http://www.fs.fed.us/global/wsnew/welcome.htm

To learn more about the USDA Forest Service International Programs, please visit our website at http://www.fs.fed.us/global


Community Forestry Newsletters

Community Forestry Connections - seeks to inform and encourage the long-term health and prosperity of small, privately owned woodlots, their owners, and their communities. CFC also highlights events, activities, and resources for individuals and groups interested in independent third-party certification of family forests and wood products.


Conferences, Seminars and Meetings - the following websites maintain up-to-date listings of forestry events. If you know of any websites that should be listed here, please let us know and we will try to include them.