ForestBytes --- July 2001 Volume II, Issue 15 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.americanforests.org AMERICAN FORESTS People Caring for Trees and Forests Since 1875 To subscribe to ForestBytes: Visit http://www.americanforests.org/ If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to friends and colleagues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TABLE OF CONTENTS I. What's Happening? * Big Tree Nomination Online * Restoring Los Alamos * Eddie Bauer Leads National Wildfire Restoration Effort * Last Chance for Discount Registration II. Check It Out! * Trees Killed by SOD * Is TheEcoISP your ISP? * Urban Forestry at Virginia Tech * Journalists Learn By Hitting The Road III. GLOBAL RELEAF Spotlight * Global ReLeaf Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina IV. Environmental News from ENN.com * "Roadless area battleground moves to Capitol Hill" * "Dead trees worry fire officials" == What's Happening? ====================================== ------------------------------------------------------------ Big Tree Nomination Online ------------------------------------------------------------ Do you know of a massive tree in your community that could be the largest specimen of its species? If so, AMERICAN FORESTS has made it even easier to nominate the arboreal giant for the National Register of Big Trees. You can now download the nomination form from AMERICAN FORESTS' website. You'll find the form at http://www.americanforests.org/big_trees/index.html. In addition, you can now download lists of the states without champion trees and of tree species without champions. A submission for the 2002 Register, accompanied by a photo of the tree, must arrive by August 1, 2001. The National Register of Big Trees, published every other year by AMERICAN FORESTS, lists the largest known of 826 species. ------------------------------------------------------------ Restoring Los Alamos ------------------------------------------------------------ Native trees are now helping to green neighborhoods in Los Alamos, New Mexico, scorched by last year's devastating fire. This spring, Tree New Mexico, Inc. and AMERICAN FORESTS distributed 2,000 trees to residents of Los Alamos at educational and informational workshops. Dozens of residents, some of whom lost their homes during the wildfire of 2000, received trees for planting on their properties as well as information about preparing a planting site and preventing insects and disease. AMERICAN FORESTS also assisted in providing two pueblos a total of 3,500 trees for planting at burn sites. The activities were conducted as part of Wildfire ReLeaf, AMERICAN FORESTS' large-scale reforestation initiative that plants trees in areas burned in recent years by destructive wildfires. In early May 2000, a prescribed fire near Los Alamos grew beyond the control of fire officials. Some 18,000 residents had to be evacuated. In all, more than 42,000 acres burned, 235 homes were destroyed, and many other structures were damaged. Find more information about Wildfire ReLeaf at: http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/wildfires/index.html Send a friend a "Florida Fire Alert" E-card this month. You'll be helping to spread the word about Wildfire ReLeaf. Find the E-card at: http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/wildfires/postcards/index.html. The website for Tree New Mexico is http://www.treenm.com/. ------------------------------------------------------------ Eddie Bauer Leads National Wildfire Restoration Effort ------------------------------------------------------------ Through July 14th, associates at some 550 Eddie Bauer stores across North America are encouraging customers to help support Wildfire ReLeaf by adding one dollar to their in-store, online, or catalog purchases. It's part of the specialty retailer's pledge to raise $1 million for Wildfire ReLeaf. Since 1995, Eddie Bauer's "Add a dollar, Plant a tree" program has planted well over 4 million trees in close to 100 projects through Global ReLeaf. Visit a local Eddie Bauer store or shop online at www.eddiebauer.com. Read more about the Eddie Bauer/Wildfire ReLeaf campaign at: http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/wildfires/eb_sheet.html Click to http://www.americanforests.org/news_and_pubs/news/eb_wildfires.html to read AMERICAN FORESTS' press release on Eddie Bauer's campaign. ------------------------------------------------------------ Last Chance for Discount Registration ------------------------------------------------------------ Waiting for the perfect time to register for the 2001 National Urban Forest Conference? There's no better time than now. Sign up by July 15 and receive the early-bird registration rate of $295 for AMERICAN FORESTS members, $330 for nonmembers. After July 15th, the rates rise to $350 and $385. AMERICAN FORESTS holds a National Urban Forest Conference every other year. The Conference brings together urban foresters, city planners, engineers, and others interested in improving the "green infrastructure" of our cities. This year's conference, titled "Investing in Natural Capital," will be held September 5-8 in Washington, DC. Register online at: https://www.americanforests.org/trees_cities_sprawl/conference/registration_form_Cart_fees.php For more information about the National Urban Forest Conference, click to: http://www.americanforests.org/trees_cities_sprawl/conference/index.html == Check It Out! =========================================== * Tens of thousands of oaks in Northern California are dead or dying after contracting sudden oak death (SOD). No cure has been found for the arboreal disease, which has spread quickly through Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, and three other counties of the Golden State. The blight was discovered in 1995 but really took off in 1999. Sudden oak death is beginning to have major effects on the communities it has infected. The loss of urban tree canopies means residents and communities will have to pay more for the economic benefits trees provide relative to energy savings and stormwater management. Dead or dying trees also reduce property values. In addition, trees that have been killed by the fungus could fuel wildfires this year in the urban/wildland interface creating tremendous losses to life and property. The Summer issue of American Forests magazine describes the threat SOD poses to California and potentially other states. You receive a copy of American Forests magazine, which is published quarterly, with your annual membership. To become a member visit http://www.americanforests.org/membr_bnfts/index.html. * Is TheEcoISP your Internet service provider? If so, you may be helping AMERICAN FORESTS plant native trees in sites that desperately need trees. TheEcoISP.com, a new Internet service provider launched in January, gives a subscriber access to the Web and donates 50% of the net monthly fee of $15.95 to the environmental or conservation cause of his or her choice. The ISP is also highlighting AMERICAN FORESTS for members who may be unsure which group to support. Additionally, TheEcoISP is partnering with AMERICAN FORESTS to plant trees through Global ReLeaf by allowing members to add one dollar to their monthly fee, which will plant one tree in an ecosystem restoration project. TheEcoISP offers all sorts of environmentally related features as well as international news, shopping sites, chat rooms, e-mail accounts, live guests, child-safe site filtering, a powerful search engine, links to information about urgent environmental issues and direct links to an array of organizations including AMERICAN FORESTS. Check it out! www.TheEcoISP.com * Forestry majors at Virginia Tech now have the option of specializing in urban forestry. The university recently began offering forestry students the new urban forestry track, a program accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Among the core classes offered as part of the program are arboriculture, policy and management, landscape horticulture, pest management, and urban planning. A seminar on tree-friendly designs for urban settings was also offered this spring. Visit http://www.fw.vt.edu/forestry/forMajor.html#uf for more information on the program. Susan Day, a specialist in soil compaction and construction damage to trees, heads the urban forestry track. Email her at sdd@vt.edu with questions you may have about the program. AMERICAN FORESTS is a world leader in the urban forestry movement. Learn more about the organization's Urban Forest Center at: http://www.americanforests.org/trees_cities_sprawl/index.html * Do you know a reporter or journalist who needs a break from the chaos of the newsroom? If so, there's a way she or he can escape the daily grind for a week or so, enjoy nature, meet other journalists from around the country, and gain knowledge about current environmental issues. The Institutes for Journalism and Natural Resources is a nonprofit organization based in Missoula, Montana, that takes reporters, producers, and others on week-long educational field trips. While touring a particular region of the country, reporters learn about any number of current environmental issues as they visit forest areas, aquaculture pens, water treatment facilities, chicken farms, and the like. They hear from scientists, environmentalists, industry representatives, politicians, and others concerned about what's happening on the ground and in the water. And you can't beat the price. It is free. Frank Allen, former environmental bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal and head of IJNR, helps reporters understand many of the complex issues as he leads the excursions. Learn more about IJNR by visiting: www.ijnr.org ******************* ARE YOU A MEMBER??********************* Do your part to help the environment today by joining AMERICAN FORESTS. You'll get 25 trees planted for you in a damaged ecosystem or forest restoration project. You'll also receive: - A free subscription to our quarterly magazine - A free Big Trees calendar - A window decal Join Today! Visit http://www.americanforests.org/ ************************************************************ == GLOBAL RELEAF Spotlight ==================== Global ReLeaf Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina The goal of this multi-year project is to plant 300,000 hillside trees and 3,000 street trees in and around Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, site of the 1984 Winter Olympic Games. Partnering with the city of Sarajevo and the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics, the project will help educate residents about the environmental benefits of trees and increase the city's urban canopy. Many of the city's picturesque trees were cut down during the early 1990's war when residents were forced to use Sarajevo's trees for cooking and heating fuel. Learn more about the program at: http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/sarajevo/sarajevo.html Don't forget to send this information to a friend. Also, share ForestBytes with someone and encourage her or him to sign up for the monthly email newsletter. == ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS AND FEATURES FROM ENN.COM ============ * "Roadless area battleground moves to Capitol Hill" http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/06/06272001/roadless_44140.asp * "Dead trees worry fire officials" http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/06/06222001/ap_trees_44076.asp ____________________________ ForestBytes __________________ Thanks for your support of ForestBytes, AMERICAN FORESTS' monthly email newsletter. If you find this information useful, please forward it to friends or colleagues. 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