The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Insider
An electronic newsletter of breaking news and valuable information for the Urban Forest community in Wisconsin and beyond.
SPECIAL NOTICE!
Urban Forestry Annual Conference & Trade Show
February 1 - 3, 2009
Hotel Sierra & KI Convention Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Program and Registration
Special Sunday Workshop at this event:
Is Your Community Prepared for Emerald Ash Borer?
Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009; 1:00 - 4:00pm
EAB is killing Wisconsin’s ash trees. This devastating pest could appear in your community at any time.
Without adequate preparation, most municipalities will be overwhelmed by the impacts of this insect.
Attend this workshop to get started with EAB readiness planning.
Come away with a solid foundation for action in your own community.
Learn how to estimate EAB costs and make decisions about tree removal, disposal, treatments,
replanting, budgets and many other management issues.
Begin planning your response now!
Attend the Municipal Readiness Planning Workshop!
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January 9, 2009
This issue's contents:
In the News
- Trees, the EPA, and Cleaner Air
- How Many Tree Are There? - NPR
- Climate Action Blueprint
- US Forest Service and Politics
- State Funding Trends for Urban & Community Forestry
Specifically Wisconsin
- Bacterial Leaf Scorch Identified in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Forest Receives Accreditation - Milwaukee Journal Standard
Emerald Ash Borer
Tools For Your Job
- West Central Region Forest Pest Update
- Urban Tree Carbon Calculator
- i-Tree Newsletter Available
- City Parks Blog
Conferences & Seminars
- Partners in Community Forestry Partners in Community Forestry Presentations Available
- Climate Change Webinar Series
- Southeast Wisconsin Woodland Owners Conference - February 7th
Trees, the EPA, and Cleaner Air
The Clean Air Act requires that all states with unhealthy levels of air pollutants submit a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that describes the methods that will be used to meet federal air quality standards. Until recently, SIPs have aimed mainly at reducing pollutant output at the source: power plants, factories, and vehicles. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun to encourage new, innovative measures to fight air pollution and trees are being considered as one part of the solution.
Sacramento Urban Forest For Clean Air Project [Exit DNR]
How Many Trees Are There? - NPR
Who knew that NASA, charged with looking deep into space, also looks backward at us? For years, NASA satellites have been snapping photos of our oceans, mountains and forests, and sharing them with ecologists and biologists. NASA satellite photos of earth are helping biologists calculate the number of trees.
Climate Action Blueprint
Climate Communities and ICLEI USA are seeking the endorsement of local elected leaders from across America for their “Empowering Local Government Climate Action: Blueprint for President Obama and 111th Congress." The Blueprint will be released the second week of December 2008 at a series of local media events across the country. Climate Communities members will convene in Washington, DC in February 2009 to meet with leaders of President Obama’s climate team and the incoming Congress to discuss the Blueprint's recommendations.
Climate Action Blueprint [Exit DNR]
US Forest Service and Politics
What changes are in store for the Forest Service under Obama? The Missoulian takes a look at the past and future effects of politics on the U.S. Forest Service, "with each administration redefining the agency to some degree."
Forest Service & Change [Exit DNR]
State Funding Trends for Urban & Community Forestry
California ReLeaf has released a preliminary report of their National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) funded, "Survey of State Funding Trends." The report is the result of a survey of State Urban Forestry Coordinators on how their programs are funded, with the ultimate goal of identifying a handful of permanent, long-term funding sources.
State Funding Trends [Exit DNR]
Bacterial Leaf Scorch Identified in Wisconsin
This summer, Wisconsin participated in the survey supported by the U.S. Forest Service to investigate the geographic distribution and host range of Bacterial Leaf Scorch (BLS) in north central states. Leaf and twig samples were collected from symptomatic trees throughout southern and central Wisconsin and sent to a lab in Michigan State University to perform a genetic test. Out of 13 samples in 11 sites, 2 out of the 3 bur oak samples collected from the same site in Dane County were tested positive for BLS. This is the first confirmed case of bacterial leaf scorch in Wisconsin. The tests were repeated twice in the same lab, and the positive samples will be tested in a separate lab for confirmation. The Wisconsin DNR plans to collect more samples with similar leaf symptoms to evaluate the extent of this disease in 2009.
BLS is caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa. Hosts include oak, maple, elm, ash, and other deciduous trees. The pathogen lives in the xylem vessels of host plants. Infected leaves exhibit scorch symptoms with irregular margins. The pathogen is transmitted by xylem-feeding insects, such as leafhoppers and treehoppers. The disease has been found throughout the east, southeast, and some mid-west states.
Wisconsin Forest Receives Accreditation - Milwaukee Journal Standard
More than 2 million acres of privately owned forests in Wisconsin were awarded accreditation Monday by the SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance. The designation is significant because owners of the forestland can market their trees as being sustainably managed at a time when the market for such wood is growing.
Invasive Species Impacts Firewood - Leader Telegram
Eau Claire County's Parks and Forest Advisory Committee unanimously recommended that the county prohibit firewood from being brought to county campgrounds from more than 50 miles away.
Eau Claire Parks Firewood Restriction [Exit DNR]
West Central Region Forest Pest Update
The latest pest update by Todd J. Lanigan.
Topics Covered:
Insects:
- Jack Pine Budworm
- Pandora Sphinx Moth
- Oak Fig Gall
- Two-spotted Spider Mites
Diseases:
- Bacterial Leaf Scorch
West Central Region Pest Update
Urban Tree Carbon Calculator
U.S. Forest Service scientists at the Center for Urban Forest Research are providing online software that can show users how much carbon dioxide an urban tree in California has sequestered in its lifetime and the past year. The Tree Carbon Calculator is free and programmed in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that provides carbon-related information for a single tree in one of six California climate zones. It is the only tool approved by the California Climate Action Registry’s Urban Forest Project Reporting Protocol for quantifying carbon dioxide sequestration from tree planting projects.
In 2009, the Center for Urban Forest Research will add data for tree species in climate zones across the nation.
i-Tree Newsletter Available
The latest news regarding the i-Tree suite of software tools is available in the December 2008 issue of the i-Tree Newsletter. This edition includes a preview of i-Tree Version 3.0 due for release in the spring of 2009. Also, please read about the i-Tree Team winning the 2008 Forest Chief's Honor Award and an i-Tree project profile featuring the City of Casper, WY.
i-Tree is a suite of tools used to assess and manage community forests.
City Parks Blog
The Trust for Public Land and the City Parks Alliance are pleased to announce the launch of CityParksBlog the only web log chronicling issues and trends affecting city parks nationwide. With content generated from the national expertise and resources of its sponsors, the blog is geared towards urban park and agency professionals, park advocates, their nonprofit partners, and others interested in parks and cities. Blog topics--all related to parks--will include programming, historic preservation, transportation, economics and funding, innovations in park management, public-private partnerships, the relationship of parks to their cities, and more.
Latest at cityparksblog [Exit DNR]
Partners in Community Forestry Presentations Available
The National Arbor Day Foundation and Home Depot hosted arborists and community forestry supporters from cities nationwide at its recent conference in Atlanta. Some of the valuable topics presented at the event included: success building with trees; new strategies to preserve trees during land development; storms and urban forests; integrating nonprofit development and community tree efforts; how to activate tree boards through recognition and education; and connecting trees to water quality and storm water management.
Conference website and presentations [Exit DNR]
Climate Change Webinar Series
This webinar series will run from January - May and feature monthly presentations geared to help land managers, consulting foresters, and private forest landowners stay informed on the latest science and tech transfer tools related to forest-based adaptation and mitigation of climate change. Each webinar is an hour long, including Q & A, although there will be an optional additional 15 minute Q & A period.
January 14, 2009 | Wed | 2pm EST:
Interactions Between Carbon, Climate, and Forests
Presenter: Chris Swanston (Research Ecologist, Northern Research Station, USFS)
This presentation will set the stage for a broader discussion on climate change and forests by briefly examining interactions between climate change, carbon cycling, and forest sustainability. First, we’ll cover some key mechanisms and major trends in climate change, and then explore forecasts of future climate and associated uncertainty. Next, we’ll survey the global carbon cycle and the distribution of carbon in major forest ecosystems. We’ll then consider several general ecophysiological concepts and how projected changes in climate may interact with forest ecophysiology. Finally, we’ll discuss how all these considerations may combine to affect forest carbon storage and productivity in the Lake States and Northeast.
February 11, 2009 | Wed | 2pm EST:
Forest Management During Climate Change
Presenter: Maria Janowiak (Outreach Scientist, Northern Institute of Applied Carbon Science)
Climate change is expected to have significant effects on the condition and function of forested ecosystems; however, the exact nature of the stressors, their intensity, and the ensuing impacts on forests are quite uncertain. Forest managers will need to cope with this uncertainty, balancing the paucity of detailed information on future conditions against the demands of active and sustainable resource planning and management. In this context, sustainable forest management must recognize the need for ecosystems to adapt to changing climatic conditions in order to achieve desired objectives including, among other things, maintenance of habitat, production of wood, and mitigation of increased levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases. This presentation synthesizes available information on forest management options in the northeastern United States to provide a background for working with an uncertain climate future.
March 18, 2009 | Wed | 2pm EST:
CVal: A Carbon Valuation Tool for Foresters and Private Forest Landowners
Presenter: Sarah Hines (Presidential Management Fellow, USFS)
This presentation will introduce participants to a just-released Carbon Valuation Spreadsheet and accompanying General Technical Report (GTR) written by Ted Bilek, Peter Becker, and Tim McCabee (2008). The spreadsheet is a powerful and valuable tool available to the forestry community (target audience: consulting foresters, state foresters) to be able to interface with private landowners and help them make sound, transparent decisions as to whether participation in the voluntary carbon market is an attractive option based on a full accounting of variables.
The webinar and dial-in info for the Climate Change Continuing Education Webinar Series is as follows:
Website: www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=747085393&p=&t=c
Meeting Number: 747085393
Phone number: 1.866.581.6894
Passcode: 8623725
Southeast Wisconsin Woodland Owners Conference - February 7th
Join us for the 20th annual Southeast Wisconsin Woodland Owners Conference at the Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Waukesha, at 2810 Golf Road. This year our theme is: Forests For The Future, with many sessions to choose from, including:
- Fostering Woodland Stewardship in Young People
- Monitoring the Water Quality, Wildlife & Birds in your Woodland
- Oak Savanna Management
- Forest Habitat for Migrating Birds in Wisconsin
- Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms
- Update on the Spread of Emerald Ash Borer
- Beekeeping in Wisconsin: What bees are cool and how to get started beekeeping.
As always, a large array of exhibitors will display an exciting variety of forest-related products and services. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the latest about woodland management from experienced resource professionals and other woodland owners. Contact UW-Extension at (414) 290-2400 for more information or to register. Exhibitors please contact Randy Cooper, DNR forester for exhibitor information at 262-884-2390. The agenda and conference brochure can be downloaded from the UWEX website.
More Conferences & Seminars
For more conferences and seminars check out WDNR's Urban Forest website.
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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