ForestBytes --- November 2001 Volume II, Issue 19 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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? * Planting Patriot Trees * Trees Give Portland Region Millions in Benefits * It's a Good Thing * "A Tree for Every Child" Highlighted in Japan * Attn: Big Tree State Coordinators II. Check It Out! * The Forest Stewardship Council * Need a Stocking-Stuffer? * Leaf Peeping * Turkeys Love Trees III. GLOBAL RELEAF Spotlight * Sand Ponds Natural Area, Arkansas and Missouri IV. Environmental News from ENN.com * "Wildlife corridors give species breathing room" * "American plant and animal scientists fight foreign diseases" * "Beetles continue to infest new Florida pine trees" == What's Happening? ====================================== ------------------------------------------------------------ Planting Patriot Trees ------------------------------------------------------------ AMERICAN FORESTS sends its condolences to those who lost friends and loved ones during the barbaric September 11th attack on America. The organization is responding by remembering the brave men and women who lost their lives with memorial tree plantings. AMERICAN FORESTS has just initiated the Patriot Trees for America campaign, a program that honors fallen Americans through ceremonies across our great nation. These newly planted trees serve as living legacies and symbols of hope that we will leave our children and their grandchildren a world free of terrorism and hatred. You can participate in the Patriot Trees program by: 1. Planting historic trees, like the Dwight D. Eisenhower Green Ash, in your yard, neighborhood, or community. Grown by AMERICAN FORESTS' Historic Tree Nursery in Jacksonville, Florida, Eisenhower Green Ashes are direct offspring of a tree that stands at the Denison, Texas, birthplace of President Eisenhower, who also served as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in World War II. Donating $25 to AMERICAN FORESTS will also help underwrite the planting of a Historic Tree in an American community. 2. Helping AMERICAN FORESTS plant trees in ecosystem restoration projects that repair damaged forests. Each $25 donated will plant 25 Patriot Restoration Trees in a special project dedicated to the victims and heroes of September 11. Special signage will designate this newly planted forest. 3. Helping AMERICAN FORESTS plant large Patriot Trees in cities and communities across the United States. Dollars donated for this option will go into a fund to be distributed to tree-planting groups. These trees will honor the victims and heroes of 9-11 with special markers. AMERICAN FORESTS was the first to remember fallen Americans with memorial trees. One of the first memorial tree-planting events took place around 1920 when First Lady Warren Harding joined AMERICAN FORESTS in planting trees for mothers who lost sons during the battles of World War I. Read AMERICAN FORESTS' response to the "Attack on America" at http://www.americanforests.org/planttrees/091101.php Plant trees in memoriam via https://www.americanforests.org/acorn/test_acorn/091101/inmemoriam.jsp?uid=1003170581968&verb=init&searchType=i&tx_type=nc&product=Gift%20Of%20Trees Entrance fees at national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges are being waived Veteran's Day weekend, November 10-11-12. It's part of a program initially announced by Interior Secretary Gale Norton that encourages Americans to find solace and inspiration in natural areas following the attack on the United States. Find more information at http://www.recreation.gov/index.cfm. Some state and local park systems are also participating in the program, waiving fees for the weekend. ------------------------------------------------------------ Trees Give Portland Region Millions in Benefits ------------------------------------------------------------ A new Regional Ecosystem Analysis by AMERICAN FORESTS shows tree cover in the Portland, Oregon, region is removing 178 million pounds of pollutants annually, a savings valued at $419 million. Titled the Regional Ecosystem Analysis (REA) for the Willamette/Lower Columbia Region of Northwestern Oregon and Southwestern Washington State, the report shows a 22% decline in the 7 million-acre area's tree canopy between 1972 and 2000. "Our analysts found the total average tree cover for the region is 24%--down from 46% in 1972," said Gary Moll, vice president of AMERICAN FORESTS. AMERICAN FORESTS' REA was unveiled at a news conference at Portland's City Hall. Participating in the event were Portland Parks Commissioner Jim Francesconi; Brian McNerney, Portland's city forester; AMERICAN FORESTS' Gary Moll; and Charlie Krebs, director of cooperative programs of the Pacific NW Region, USDA Forest Service. The study was sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and officials from the nine cities included in the study as well as Clark County, WA. Read the press release at http://www.americanforests.org/news/display.php?id=19. The complete report can be found at http://www.americanforests.org/resources/rea/. ------------------------------------------------------------ It's a Good Thing ------------------------------------------------------------ Don't miss AMERICAN FORESTS' Jeff Meyer on the television program, "Martha Stewart Living," that will air November 9. Check local listings for times and channels. Jeff and Martha recently filmed a segment in Virginia for the show. We don't want to give away details of the program, but the site where the show was filmed has connections to an American president. Jeff Meyer, project director of AMERICAN FORESTS' Historic Tree Nursery, is in the process of filming episodes of "Tree Stories." The program, scheduled to premiere this spring on public television stations across the United States, features stories about fascinating and famous trees. In addition, Jeff and Martha will also be featured in the winter issue of American Forests magazine. Learn more about Historic Trees at www.historictrees.org. Visit the website for "Martha Stewart Living" at http://www.marthastewart.com/index.asp?redirect=false. ------------------------------------------------------------ "A Tree for Every Child" Highlighted in Japan ------------------------------------------------------------ Deborah Gangloff, executive director of AMERICAN FORESTS, represented the United States at OISCA International's "Global Forum on Education for a Sustainable Future: Promoting Earth Ethics" in Tokyo earlier this month. OISCA is an international non-governmental organization that works in developing countries to advance agricultural and human resource development and forestation. Its Children's Forest Program, consisting of classroom and field activities, reaches thousands of students in 20 countries. "A Tree for Every Child," AMERICAN FORESTS' environmental education and youth tree-planting program, was highlighted at the forum and AMERICAN FORESTS was represented on the committee that drafted a declaration of Earth Ethics. Teachers will find "A Tree for Every Child" to be an exciting, helpful, and worthwhile program. More information about the educational program can be found at http://www.americanforests.org/resources/kids/a_tree_for_every_child/. ------------------------------------------------------------ Attn: Big Tree State Coordinators ------------------------------------------------------------ AMERICAN FORESTS is preparing for the printing of its 2002 National Register of Big Trees! Since the last printing of the Register we have received over 120 nominations for the 2002 Register that could topple existing champions. Big Tree State Coordinators are currently reviewing and updating their lists, which will then be sent to AMERICAN FORESTS before November 7. If you are unfamiliar with the National Register of Big Trees, click to http://www.americanforests.org/resources/bigtrees/ for more information. == Check It Out! =========================================== * Avid readers of American Forests magazine regularly see ads from The Forest Stewardship Council. But do you know what The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) does? Like AMERICAN FORESTS, FSC believes in the sustainable use of our nation's forests. According to the FSC's website, "The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization. It was founded in 1993 by a diverse group of representatives from environmental and conservation groups, the timber industry, the forestry profession, indigenous peoples' organizations, community forestry groups and forest product certification organizations from 25 countries. The FSC supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests. FSC promotes responsible forest management by evaluating and accrediting certifiers, by encouraging the development of national and regional forest management standards, and by providing public education and information about independent, third-party certification as a tool for ensuring that the world's forests are protected for future generations." The Forest Stewardship Council, United States, website is www.fscus.org. The homepage for Forest Stewardship Council, International, is http://www.fscoax.org/principal.htm. * Don't wait until the last minute to shop for the holidays. Finish some of your holiday shopping today by ordering holiday gift certificates for friends and family through AMERICAN FORESTS. For a minimum $15 donation, your loved one will receive a decorative gift certificate verifying that trees have been planted in his or her name in an AMERICAN FORESTS' ecosystem restoration project. A donation of $500 plants an entire acre of forest that prevents erosion, provides essential wildlife habitat, and cleans the water we drink and the air we breathe. It's a holiday gift that will literally provide a lifetime of benefits. Orders should be placed by December 5 for holiday delivery. It's quick and easy to order holiday gift certificates at https://www.americanforests.org/acorn/test_acorn/holiday/holiday.jsp?uid=1003241184687&verb=init&searchType=i&tx_type=nc&product=Gift%20Of%20Trees * Do you know why leaves change color in the fall? The leaves of deciduous trees turn color because they lose chlorophyll, the green pigment that helps trees conduct photosynthesis, as the days shorten and turn colder. Actually, leaves don't really change color, they lose their green pigment to expose radiant reds, brilliant yellows, and vibrant oranges that have been there all along; hidden by the dominant green hue. Taking in the fall colors is a favorite pastime of forest-lovers across the United States. Find out which states have reached the "peak" for fall foliage by clicking to http://www.fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/. This site, http://www.gorp.com/gorp/features/fall/fall.htm, profiles some colorful fall trips. And http://www.sunset.com/Premium/Travel/2001/09-Sep/California0901/FallColor0901.html shows you where to go in the Golden State for leaf peeping. * Thanksgiving is just around the corner. That's the day when we give thanks for our blessings and "gobble" tons of turkey along with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and other traditional foods. But did you know the turkey, specifically the wild turkey, is one of countless animal species benefiting from AMERICAN FORESTS' tree-planting/ecosystem restoration projects? For example, AMERICAN FORESTS is helping the National Wild Turkey Federation plant 76,000 trees on 1,430 sites in four regions nationwide to provide winter food sources for wild turkeys and other wildlife. Operation SOS, in Wisconsin and Minnesota, will plant red oak, hackberry, cranberry, green ash, and red pine. Operation Heartland, in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky will plant red oak, white oak, pin oak, sycamore, persimmon, and cottonwood. Operation Oak, in the southeastern states, will plant sawtooth oaks. Operation Appleseed, in the northeastern states, will plant sargent crabapple trees. Plant trees for turkeys with AMERICAN FORESTS at https://www.americanforests.org/acorn/test_acorn/treeself/treesself.jsp?uid=1003780815625&verb=init&searchType=i&tx_type=nc&product=trees ******************* ARE YOU A MEMBER??********************* Our mission is to "help people improve the environment with trees and forests. We plant trees." You can help today by joining AMERICAN FORESTS. For your $25 membership, 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 ==================== Sand Ponds Natural Area, Arkansas and Missouri This model two-state restoration initiative seeks to conserve and restore sand pond wetlands, an uncommon habitat that supports the endangered plant species Lindera melissifolia. Approximately 70,000 bottomland hardwood seedlings are being planted this year to join 150,000 trees planted by AMERICAN FORESTS on 367 acres in 1998 and 1999 to bring back lands converted to agriculture. Nuttall oak, white oak, blackgum, willow oak, and other tree species will benefit an array of wildlife such as the northern pintail, blue-winged teal, and wood duck as well as flycatchers, and warblers. == ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS AND FEATURES FROM ENN.COM ============ * "Wildlife corridors give species breathing room" http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/10/10192001/s_45299.asp * "American plant and animal scientists fight foreign diseases" http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/10/10172001/s_45280.asp * "Beetles continue to infest new Florida pine trees" http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/10/10162001/krt_beetles_45278.asp ____________________________ ForestBytes __________________ Thanks for your support of ForestBytes, AMERICAN FORESTS' monthly email newsletter. Don't forget to forward this information 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: https://www.americanforests.org/acorn/test_acorn/membership/memberself/memberself.jsp?uid=1004627612312&verb=init&searchType=i&tx_type=nc&product=trees - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - http://www.americanforests.org AMERICAN FORESTS People Caring for Trees and Forests since 1875. ______________________________________________________________