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Table of Contents I. Announcements II. What's Happening? |
Bush Budget Harms Rural Forest Communities President Bush's FY 2006 budget proposals promise support for "cooperative conservation", but there's a very different message in the numbers. Cloaked in titles like the "Strengthening America’s Communities Initiative" are significant cuts for programs that support collaborative efforts between the federal government and urban and rural communities. For more on American Forests' reaction to the President's FY06 budget, click here. [Back to Top]Citywide Environmentalism American Forests took its CITYgreen environmental education program to Louisville, Kentucky, in January to train a spectrum of users from schoolkids to city workers. The idea was to open the lines of communication between different city departments; the training was also a means of introducing students who intend to seek internships with the city. Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville currently has four high schools that teach Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. The goal is expand that to all 130 schools and teach GIS and environmental education via CITYgreen, a GIS application that allows localities to map their trees, plan for new plantings and calculate the dollar value in benefits from those trees. Funding for the project came from fines Jefferson County did not have to pay for Clean Water Act violations from one of its sewage treatment plants. Instead, the state allowed the county to use that money for public environmental education. [Back to Top]Collectors of trendy colored wristbands can now wear one for the environment. FundRaising.com is offering a green American Forests wrist band; for each band sold, FundRaising.com will plant a tree in one of American Forests' Global ReLeaf ecosystem restoration projects. Since 1991 FundRaising.com has helped tens of thousands of nonprofit groups raise millions yearly for good causes. American Forests joins school groups, Boy and Girl Scouts, youth sports organizations and parent-teacher associations in partnering with the family-owned business. For more, visit FundRaising.com [Back to Top]Pedigreed Furniture Amana Furniture has turned its Old World craftsmanship to historic wood. In a partnership with American Forests' Historic Tree Nursery, the Iowa-based fine furniture company has begun a limited-edition furniture collection inspired by historic period designs and inlaid with wood from trees connected to historic events or famous people. The first three pieces are: an Alamo hall chair, a Thoreau writing desk, and a Robert E. Lee school desk. Each piece of the American black walnut furniture is made by a single craftsman and carries a quote intricately engraved into the inlaid historic wood. No historic tree is harmed to make the furniture. When weather or age claims a historic tree or when one needs a limb removed, American Forests' Historic Wood Company secures the wood. The wood is stabilized to keep it from deteriorating, then dried and stacked. Reputable manufacturers then incorporate it into products whose sale funds the planting of trees in damaged ecosystems. [Back to Top]American Forests received a Centennial Legacy Award from the U.S. Forest Service as part of the USFS's Centennial Congress celebration. The award recognizes American Forests' history of partnering with the USFS and salutes its "outstanding commitment to conservation and exceptional contributions" over the Forest Service's 100 years in existence. [Back to Top]Who says Christmas can't last all year? Money from Christmas tree sales donated to American Forests by three southern California IKEA stores will be used to replant local areas devastated by wildfire. The stores donated $1 for every tree sold from December 2-5, 2004, which will mean nearly 7,500 trees will be planted, thanks in part to a matching grant from the U.S. Forest Service. The participating California IKEA stores were in Covina, Carson, and Costa Mesa. The home furnishings chain is recognized as a socially responsible company that supports initiatives to benefit causes such as children and the environment. IKEA has joined American Forests in supporting numerous tree-planting and environmental education projects. [Back to Top]
The four hurricanes that slammed Florida last fall could continue to affect the state this year. That's according to a warning from the state Division of Forestry reported recently by The Orlando Sentinel. Forestry officials fear a large amount of downed trees, branches and other debris resulting from the hurricanes could fuel wildfires during Florida's winters, which tend to be dry. The Sentinel reported that while officials are trying to clear away some of the fuel, they are having difficulty finding companies that aren't already overloaded with work. The Florida Forestry Association estimated that hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne destroyed or damaged 2.3 million acres of Florida forestland. [Back to Top]Restoring Mangrove Barriers Against Tsunamis Asian nations are taking a second look at mangrove forests as a barrier against tsunamis like the one that killed hundreds of thousands December 26. Many of the region's mangroves--evergreens and shrubs that grow with roots above the ground in coastal areas--had been destroyed to make way for fish and shrimp farms. Reuters News Service quotes environmental experts who say the dense thickets could have helped slow the deadly waves. Indonesia has begun discussing revitalizing its mangroves and both Malaysia and Sri Lanka are talking about protecting the thickets. Officials in Thailand cited mangroves in Ranong and Phang Nga that saved hundreds of people and Sri Lanka's minister of environment and natural resources, A.H.M. Fowzie, said, "It is definitely clear that some mangroves were damaged, but it is also clear that they also helped prevent further damage in areas where they still exist." Claude Martin, director-general of the World Wildlife Fund, told a meeting of small island nations that those affected by the tsunami should look at protecting and rehab'ing coastlines as part of their reconstruction efforts, Reuters said. Martin warned that typhoons, which are common in Asia, are expected to become more powerful as a result of global warming. American Forests also supports the idea of replanting mangroves to serve as ecological buffer zones. In 2003 American Forests planted 20,000 mangrove and sea-pine seedlings in severely deforested areas along the northern coast of West Java. The plantings, with partner Wetlands International, were designed to provide essential habitat and breeding grounds for endangered and threatened species such as crocodiles, dragonflies, white egret, and lotuses. [Back to Top]Are You a Member? You can do your part to help the environment today by joining AMERICAN FORESTS. Not only are 25 trees planted for you in a damaged ecosystem or forest restoration project, but you will also receive:
Join Today! Visit http://www.americanforests.org/ Forest Bytes Don't forget to forward this information to friends or colleagues. |
