The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Insider
An electronic newsletter of breaking news and valuable information for the Urban Forest community in Wisconsin and beyond.
Hazard Trees Seminar
Milwaukee, March 20th
Photo by The National Arbor Day Foundation
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February 14, 2006
This issue's contents:
In the News
Specifically Wisconsin
- Hazard Trees - How to Identify, Evaluate and Manage
- Trees, People & the Law-Understanding Arboriculture and the Law
Emerald Ash Borer
Tools For Your Job
- TCIA's Certified Treecare Safety Program
- Urban Tree Canopy Webcast
- Trees and Ice Storms
- Tree City USA
Conferences & Seminars
- PLANET Student Career Days
- Grant - Smart Growth Technical Assistance
- Green Infrastructure Training - March 12-16
Conferences & Seminars
Britain Helps Citizens Atone for Emissions (Christian Science Monitor)
The British government unveiled a plan to help consumers more effectively offset the carbon dioxide their lifestyles produce. As the clamor over global warming gets ever louder, the practice of carbon offsetting - paying a third party to remove or otherwise offset an amount of carbon equivalent to the volume emitted - is now falling under close scrutiny. Environmental experts are warning that some projects are less effective than others, and say the market urgently needs some form of regulation: Carbon-offsetting prices vary enormously, from around $10 to $50 a ton, and consumers have little idea what they are actually getting for their money.
Britain sets program standards (exit DNR)
Hazard Trees - How to Identify, Evaluate and Manage
Milwaukee will be the site for a Hazard Tree seminar on March 20th. Careful management of tree defects creates a safer environment, reduces liability, and provides a basis for prioritizing tree care. It can also extend an individual tree's viability as a valuable component in an urban landscape. As our knowledge base increases and urban forestry becomes more sophisticated, a higher level of duty to protect people and property from defective trees is expected. Tree professionals at all levels, who are trained to recognize and prevent hazard trees, are the best defense against problems and costly damages resulting in future tree failure. For more information:
http://www.arborday.org/programs/conferences/tpl-hazardtrees (exit DNR)
Trees, People & the Law-Understanding Arboriculture and the Law
Milwaukee will host a seminar addressing arboriculture and the law on March 21st. Municipalities, other government agencies, utilities, private contractors, and landowners often find themselves involved in litigation from incidents related to trees. Consequently, the rights, duties, and liabilities of these entities are an area of increasing interest and concern. This information-packed seminar is designed to provide a background for understanding the issues surrounding trees, people, and the law. State and local laws and court cases will be included to tailor the seminar to each locality. For more information:
Trees, People & the Law (exit DNR)
EAB Parasite Could be Future Biocontrol
Chinese researchers have identified an undescribed parasitoid of emerald ash borer. The discovery may provide future biocontrol measures for North America, where the EAB has destroyed millions of ash trees.
Seed Bank Hopes to Save Trees in Peril
People have been saving seeds for thousands of years. Gardeners save seeds of their favorite plants. Governments save seeds to protect their food crops. Now, some people are freezing seeds from trees as a result of invasive insects including the emerald ash borer. Learn about the establishment of a gene bank designed to protect/preserve the DNA of specific trees and the National Ash Seed Collection Initiative.
Seed Bank Hopes to Save Trees (exit DNR)
TCIA's Certified Treecare Safety Program
Tree Care Industry Association's certified treecare safety program is designed to improve worker safety by empowering and encouraging employers and employees to develop and nurture a culture of safety within their organizations. The program's goal is to eliminate work-related fatalities, injuries and illnesses as well as their associated costs. More than 140 companies and 225 individuals have enrolled in the safety certification program since its launch in early 2006. Learn how you can take advantage of the benefits of CTSP and the Advanced Safety/Behavioral Training Workshop held in Chicago on March 14-15.
Treecare Safety Program (exit DNR)
Urban Tree Canopy Webcast
The February edition of the US Forest Service, Northern Research Station's Urban Natural Resources Institute (UNRI) Informational Webcast featuring Urban Tree Canopy (UTC): New Approaches to Assessment, Management and Modeling is scheduled for Wednesday, February 21st at 1:00 PM (Eastern). The program will be presented by Morgan Grove, Ph.D., USDA Forest Service, Burlington, VT and Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, Ph.D., University of Vermont, Burlington, VT.
This informational webcast will provide a useful overview and introduction to the development of Urban Tree Canopy goals by communities, and the various approaches that have been used in assessing, modeling and managing these urban forest landscapes. The needs and opportunities for UTC development will also be discussed during the webcast.
From the convenience of your own office or home computer, you can simply log in to the webcast Internet site to see the presentation, and dial-in via your telephone to hear the corresponding audio. Please plan to participate in this Informational Webcast, which will last approximately 60 minutes.
Urban Tree Canopy Webcast (exit DNR)
Trees and Ice Storms
The Forest Service's Midwest Center for Urban & Community Forestry announces the availability of the 2nd Edition of "Trees and Ice Storms: The Development of Ice Storm-Resistant Urban Tree Populations". The publication describes how planning, planting, and maintenance can minimize the extent of ice storm damage--information critical to those who decide urban forestry budgets and management policy. A limited number of copies are available through WDNR Regional Urban Forestry Coordinators. It can also be downloaded from:
Trees and Ice Storms (exit DNR)
Tree City USA
The National Arbor Day Foundation has received over 1,000 Tree City applications so far and they wish to remind communities about the Tree City recognition materials guarantee.
As in the past, communities should notify NADF if Tree City USA recognition materials are needed for an event prior to the state's published Arbor Day date. Please allow at least two weeks before the event. Communities can contact Jill Chaput at 888-448-7337 Ext. 223 or by email at jchaput@arborday.org.
Thank you again for your continued partnership and support of Tree City USA.
PLANET Student Career Days
The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Student Career Days will be held at Michigan State University, from March 29 - April 1, 2007. The event, in its 31st year, is steadily growing and expects nearly 900 college students from more than 53 schools to participate.
The excitement gets underway rain or shine and includes 24 individual and team competitive events. Events range from personnel management, sales presentation, and exterior/interior design to irrigation troubleshooting, wood construction, equipment operation, patio installation, tree climbing, and more.
PLANET Student Career Days also draws the largest national gathering of landscape, lawn care, and interiorscape employment recruiters. For additional information
PLANET 's Student Career Days (exit DNR)
Grant - Smart Growth Technical Assistance
EPA is currently accepting applications from communities who would like smart growth technical assistance. This could be a useful resource for communities to help them balance growth and open space conservation. Communities, regions, and states interested in building stronger neighborhoods, protecting environmental resources, enhancing public health, and planning for development, but lack the tools, resources, or information to achieve these goals should consider applying. EPA can help applicants by providing evaluation tools and expert analysis.
EPA is soliciting applications from states or communities that want help with either policy analysis or public participatory processes. Selected communities will receive assistance in the form of a multi-day visit from a team of experts organized by EPA and other national partners to work with local leaders. Applications will be accepted until March 8, 2007.
Smart Growth Grants (exit DNR)
Green Infrastructure Training - March 12-16
Mid-America Regional Council (MARCl) announces a national training course entitled "Strategic Conservation Planning Using a Green Infrastructure Approach" March 12 - 16, 2007 in Kansas City. This unique course will provide a strategic approach for prioritizing conservation opportunities and a planning framework for conservation and development - integrating green and grey infrastructure alike. The course will be lead by nationally recognized leaders in green infrastructure and conservation planning and is limited to 35 participants. The course is sponsored in partnership with The Conservation Fund, The US Forest Service, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center.
Strategic Conservation Planning (exit DNR)
More Information on Conference and Seminars
For more conferences and seminars check out WDNR's Urban Forestry Web site.
About the Insider
The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Insider is intended as a quick networking tool for all people actively working in the area of urban and community forestry, especially in the state of Wisconsin.
Items that cannot wait for our quarterly print newsletter, Wisconsin Urban & Community Forests, will appear here.
The Insider is produced biweekly by the Urban and Community Forestry program of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin. Past issues will be archived on the UF pages on the WDNR web site.
We are happy to accept your suggestions and contributions. Send them to the editor, at Laura.Wyatt@Wisconsin.gov. Or call her: 608/267-0568.
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