ForestBytes --- August 2001 Volume II, Issue 16 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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? * Restoring Habitats, Benefiting Wildlife * Wanted: Volunteers * David Letterman & Famous Trees * Green Donation for Sarajevo * New Print PSA's II. Check It Out! * Forever Green * Beat the Heat * Earthbound Farm * Sustainable Northwest III. GLOBAL RELEAF Spotlight * Red River County, Texas IV. Environmental News from ENN.com * "House votes to protect forests" * "Bonn climate deal may not bring down emissions" == What's Happening? ====================================== ------------------------------------------------------------ Restoring Habitats, Benefiting Wildlife ------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks to you and groups like AMERICAN FORESTS, the American bald eagle is making a comeback. As you know, the status of our national symbol was upgraded in recent years from endangered to threatened. This dramatic return from the brink of extinction is due, in part, to habitat restoration projects by AMERICAN FORESTS and other conservation organizations. (Visit http://endangered.fws.gov/i/B0H.html for a picture of the majestic bird.) The use of the pesticide DDT was a major cause of the eagle's decline. But habitat degradation also contributed to the reduction of bald eagle populations across the United States. A number of factors including the banning of DDT and the restoration of key habitats have allowed the beautiful bird a chance to return. Pointe Remove Wildlife Management area in Arkansas and California's Klamath National Forest were just two sites where you and AMERICAN FORESTS planted more than 165,000 trees in 1999 to restore and increase habitat for the bald eagle. Read about another AMERICAN FORESTS project benefiting bald eagles in this issue's Global ReLeaf Spotlight. The bald eagle is just one of a number of endangered and threatened species benefiting from AMERICAN FORESTS tree planting projects. Since 1990, the organization has planted more than 19 million trees in projects across the United States and around the world, making the organization a world leader in tree planting for environmental restoration. As AMERICAN FORESTS approaches its Global ReLeaf 2000 goal of planting 20 million trees for the new millennium, we'll feature many of the wonderful creatures benefiting from the trees you and thousands of others have planted with the nation's oldest nonprofit conservation organization. Learn more about Global ReLeaf projects by visiting: http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/projects/index.html Plant trees online at http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Wanted: Volunteers ------------------------------------------------------------ AMERICAN FORESTS needs volunteers for the 2001 National Urban Forest Conference, which will take place September 5-8 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. You can choose from a number of exciting opportunities ranging from working in the pressroom to operating audio/visual equipment at workshops. Only those who have registered for the Conference can volunteer. It's a great way to meet interesting people who care about our cities' trees and help AMERICAN FORESTS at the same time. For more information or to sign up, contact Kasey Russell at kaseyrussell@citynet.net. Hosted biennially by AMERICAN FORESTS, the National Urban Forest Conference brings urban foresters and planners, citizen activists, engineers and many others together to discuss trees and how they contribute to a healthy urban environment. The theme of this year's conference is "Investing in Natural Capital." USDA Forest Service, Eddie Bauer, The Davey Tree Expert Company, and O'Doul's are sponsors of the 2001 National Urban Forest Conference. You have until August 20th to receive the pre-registration rate of $350 for AMERICAN FORESTS members and $385 for all others. After that date, the rates change to $375 and $425, respectively, and you'll have to register at the hotel. Find more information about the 2001 National Urban Forest Conference at: http://www.americanforests.org/trees_cities_sprawl/conference/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------ David Letterman & Famous Trees ------------------------------------------------------------ Did you know Jeff Meyer, director of AMERICAN FORESTS' Historic Tree Nursery, appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman Monday, July 23rd? On the program, Meyer presented Letterman with a David Letterman Tulip Poplar seedling, direct-offspring of a tulip poplar that stands near the grocery store in Broad Ripple, Indiana, where Letterman worked as a bag boy in his youth. Check out the myriad trees available with direct connection to famous people or historic events and nominate a tree that's historically significant to your community for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Trees at: www.historictrees.org. Check out the Late Show's website at: http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow// ------------------------------------------------------------ Green Donation for Sarajevo ------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks to a 25,000-tree pledge from an anonymous donor, contributions made to the "Global Releaf Sarajevo" tree-planting campaign through October 1, 2000, will be doubled, tree-for-tree. That means every dollar donated will result in the planting of two trees instead of one. Our goal is to double the pledge so that 50,000 trees can be planted on 10 slopes that are currently being readied for planting this fall. Debbie Armstrong, 1984 giant slalom gold medal winner and spokesperson for Global ReLeaf Sarajevo, will help plant the first of this fall's 50,000 trees at an event in Sarajevo in early October. AMERICAN FORESTS announced Global ReLeaf Sarajevo, the campaign to plant 300,000 hillside trees and 3,000 street trees in and around Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, at a White House press conference in October 2000. The campaign is supported by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics, the US Ski Team, USDA Forest Service, and recently gained support from a number of ski clubs in the western United States. Help us meet our goal by visiting: https://www.americanforests.org/acorn/global_releaf/sarajevo/sarajevo_plant.jsp?uid=996264925343&verb=init&searchType=i&tx_type=nc&product=trees ------------------------------------------------------------ New Print PSA's ------------------------------------------------------------ What do Siberian tigers and wildfire have in common? They're featured in AMERICAN FORESTS' colorful new print public service announcements being distributed to magazines across the country. The announcements highlight Global ReLeaf and two specific Global ReLeaf programs, Wildfire ReLeaf and Trees for Tigers. Public service announcements are an important tool used by AMERICAN FORESTS to educate people about the organization's tree-planting efforts. Business Week, Forbes, Oprah, Time, and Inc. are among the national magazines that have generously donated ad space within the past year to the nation's oldest nonprofit conservation organization. Encourage your favorite magazine or newspaper to include the new PSA's and help AMERICAN FORESTS plant trees in ecosystem restoration projects across America and around the world. Stevin Westcott, director of communications, is happy to send them a CD or ad slicks. He can be reached online at swestcott@amfor.org. Send a friend an E-card and learn more about Trees for Tigers at www.treesfortigers.org. == Check It Out! =========================================== * "Forever Green" is the title of a new book by musician and conservationist, Chuck Leavell. Leavell, one of America's most talented and respected keyboardists, has played with some of the world's most famous rock and blues bands and musicians over the past 30 years including The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Blues Traveler, and The Allman Brothers Band. In addition to his love of music, Leavell is passionate about conservation and farming. For more than 20 years, Chuck and his wife have owned and operated a tree farm called Charlane Plantation, located in central Georgia. Today, Leavell is one of the most vocal advocates of sustainable forestry and conservation in the entertainment industry. The following is taken from a promotional page for the new book: "In Forever Green, Leavell steers a well-reasoned course for the future of America's forests. He points out that wood is one of our most critical resources, one that must be wisely used and conscientiously renewed." Visit http://www.chuckleavell.com/evergreen/index.html to learn about the book or to order a copy. See the winter 2000 issue of American Forests magazine for more about Leavell and his views on tree farming and forest conservation. * The "dog days of summer" are upon us. So, what are you doing to beat the heat? Enjoying the coolness of an air conditioner or heading to the beach to frolic amidst refreshing ocean waves? How about planting a tree? Planting city trees helps cool your neighborhood by shading asphalt and buildings. This reduces the amount of heat that radiates from hard surfaces, thereby reducing the "heat island effect" occurring in urban communities across the United States. Cities are usually 10 degrees hotter than rural or suburban areas because of the heat radiated by sidewalks and buildings. Planting trees reduces energy consumption. If less energy is used, power plants don't have to produce as much energy, which reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. And as you know, excess CO2 in the atmosphere contributes to the "greenhouse effect" that speeds-up global warming. Learn more about how trees cool cities and slow climate change by visiting http://www.americanforests.org/clmt_chg/city.html. At http://www.americanforests.org/clmt_chg/faq.html, you'll find information about climate change, an issue that concerns us all. Calculate your personal carbon debt at: http://www.americanforests.org/clmt_chg/carbcalc.php3. * Earthbound Farm is continuing its tree-planting efforts with AMERICAN FORESTS by planting 35,000 trees in fire-devastated forests through the organization's Wildfire ReLeaf campaign. Wildfire ReLeaf is AMERICAN FORESTS' large-scale tree-planting initiative to plant trees in areas scorched by destructive wildfires. Click to http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/wildfires/index.html. Earthbound Farm, the leading grower of organic produce in North America, is in its third consecutive year of offsetting carbon dioxide emissions by planting trees through Global ReLeaf. Located in Carmel Valley, California, the company began in 1984 as a 2.5-acre backyard garden. Today, the company is one of the largest growers and shippers of organic produce in North America. The company currently farms on more than 7,000 certified organic acres (with another 2,000 acres in transition to organic) in California, Arizona, and Mexico. Check out www.ebfarm.com for more information on Earthbound Farm. * It's wildfire season in parts of the West and Southeast, which means firefighters and foresters are looking out for wildfires that could damage ecosystems and destroy lives and homes. One of the tools being used to reduce the threat of wildfire, especially in areas where forests meet towns or suburban areas, is hazardous fuels reduction. This includes practices such as mechanical thinning and prescribed burning. Through this process, small-diameter trees are removed or harvested because these smaller trees can act as fuel and as ladders, bringing smaller fires into the crowns of forests, creating large, destructive fires. When properly conducted, thinning can reduce the risk of wildfire, provide wood products, and create jobs for local workers. The U.S. Forest Service and groups like AMERICAN FORESTS support the practice of thinning as one way of reducing the threat of wildfire. For example Sustainable Northwest, a nonprofit group based in Oregon, believes new economies can be created in the Pacific Northwest that reinvest in people, communities, and regional ecosystems, and sees capture of thinning and other ecosystem management contracts as one such opportunity for local communities. Both AMERICAN FORESTS and Sustainable Northwest support a community-based approach to forest management and work closely together to promote this philosophy of stewardship. Go to http://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/mis_main.htm for more information on Sustainable Northwest. Learn about AMERICAN FORESTS, its Forest Policy Center, and community-based forestry at: http://www.americanforests.org/forest_pol/index.html ******************* 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 ==================== Red River County, Texas By planting more than 116,000 hardwood trees, AMERICAN FORESTS is helping to restore 730 acres of degraded wetlands and adjacent wildlife habitat. The floodplain, located along two miles of the Red River, had been drained and farmed. Bald eagles, Interior least tern, and other species on the federal threatened and endangered lists will benefit. Willow, southern red, cherrybark, Shumard, and bur oak, as well as bald cypress are among the species being planted in this multi-year project. Don't forget to send this information to a friend and encourage her or him to sign up for ForestBytes. == ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS AND FEATURES FROM ENN.COM ============ * "House votes to protect forests" http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/07/07112001/ap_forests_44272.asp * "Bonn climate deal may not bring down emissions" http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/07/07242001/reu_bonn_44403.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. FEEDBACK OR OTHER ASSISTANCE: mailto:forestbytes@amfor.org PLANT TREES WITH AMERICAN FORESTS: http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/ BECOME A MEMBER OF AMERICAN FORESTS: http://www.americanforests.org/membr_bnfts/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - http://www.americanforests.org AMERICAN FORESTS People Caring for Trees and Forests since 1875. ___________________________________________________________